On Saturday, April 1, 2017, I rode on a bus for eight hours to visit the most notorious agriculture company in the world. I mean, you probably cringed or scoffed when you read the title. You definitely had a preconceived idea, at least.

Maybe you are completely against the company and believe that they have monopolized the industry, caused global warming and a whole heap of other problems. I don't blame you. We consume media that focuses on negativity and only three percent of the American population is exposed to farm life on a daily basis. I am not here to argue about the big issues we face as a global community because I know there are problems that need to be solved. I simply want to tell you about my experience visiting Monsanto's global headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri.

I woke up at 2 a.m. to get myself ready for the day. As an agricultural communication student, I love going to conferences. So, I was eager to go my second AgChat Collegiate Congress. This year it was held at Monsanto, and honestly, I hadn't thought about what that meant. I was just excited to network with other individuals who shared my passion for social media and communicating for the agriculture industry.

At 8 a.m. we arrived in St. Louis. I hadn't imagined what the facilities would look like. I guess I just assumed it would be like any other big corporate business building. The Monsanto facility was huge! I am talking campus-sized. There were multiple buildings and I would have easily gotten lost if I were visiting alone. As myself and 18 other Purdue students exited the bus, I immediately noticed how green it was. The buildings themselves may have been a bit dull and gray, but it didn't feel like a place where bad things had happened. I wasn't scared about what I would find on the other side of the doors. Actually, I was anxious to meet the people who were waiting for us to arrive.

Monsanto is not a place of scare tactics and dominance. It is a place to learn and grow. I experienced one of the best keynote speeches I have ever heard. Vance Crowe is a Monsanto employee and you could see how passionate he was about the industry, company and each student's story. He was not someone who wanted to convert us into Monsanto-loving ag students; he wanted us to find our way and succeed. I also met another employee who nearly cried because of how passionate she was about the global agriculture community and the company's clients. She cared about the farmers the company worked with and she wanted to share their stories. It was clear how much she wanted us to follow our goals and help support an industry that feeds the world.

I never once felt unwelcome or like I was in a place that had ulterior motives. It was a very warm and friendly environment. The cafeteria even has real trees growing in it. It was refreshing, uplifting and alive. It was actually pretty awesome.

I left Monsanto's headquarters around 5 p.m. after taking a group photo in front of the company sign. I left thinking, "Wow. There probably aren't many students who can say they've attended a conference here."

I left feeling grateful for the agriculture industry. I have been invited to learn, experience and become a representative for the one industry that literally feeds, fuels and protects the global community. That is a pretty hefty job. I am grateful for my education and the passion I am surrounded with each day.

I left feeling hopeful that I could make a difference in the way people view animal agriculture and companies like Monsanto. I was reenergized by the positive messages, encouragement, and ideas.

Most importantly, my dreams were nurtured, my ideas were appreciated and everyone had a smile on their face. Monsanto appears to be a pretty great agriculture company. They care. They want to have a conversation with you and they want the world to continue being a great place for everyone, including future generations. It takes an army to fight for a great cause, but you don't need an invitation to change the world. I don't think Monsanto waited for their invitation; they just jumped in and started helping farmers. Instead of holding back because of negative opinions and criticisms, they moved forward to innovate. They have never given up and I think that is a lesson we can all learn from. So yeah, I survived a visit to Monsanto and I think I could survive another one, too.