Cultivating Future Leaders in Agriculture
The success of tomorrow’s agriculture depends on cultivating today’s students. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is sowing the seeds of tomorrow through the Future Leaders in Agriculture Program, a joint effort between USDA and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Founded in 2007, the program introduces students from Land-Grant Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Non-Land-Grant Colleges of Agriculture to the work of USDA and its partner organizations.
Aimed at undergraduates and graduate students majoring in agriculture-related subjects, including business, economics, communications, nutrition, food science and pre-veterinary studies, the program seeks students who exhibit leadership at their university and/or in their community. Part of the application process for undergraduate students includes writing as essay on "Agriculture as a Career.“ Graduate students are required to write an essay on "The Greatest Challenge Facing Agriculture over the Next Five Years.”
Twenty students will be selected this year. Program winners travel to Washington, DC, in February to tour the nation’s capital and attend USDA’s premier annual event, the Agricultural Outlook Forum. They also participate in several USDA briefings with numerous opportunities to career development with leaders in USDA.
The Future Leaders in Agriculture Program is supported by academic institutions, corporations, and government institutions dedicated to promoting the education of the next generation of agriculturalists.
The 2024 Future Leaders Program winners are:
Undergraduate
|
Name |
Hometown |
University |
University Type* |
|
Alaina Brock |
Raleigh, N.C. |
North Carolina A&T State University |
1890 |
|
Jaclyn Bryant |
Frederick, Md. |
Purdue University |
1862 |
|
Emma Chaplin |
Camp Hill, Pa. |
Pennsylvania State University |
1862 |
|
Hugh Clarke |
Spokane, Wash. |
Oregon State University |
1862 |
|
Alan Cruz |
Yuma, Ariz. |
University of Arizona Yuma |
HSI |
|
Donovan Grady |
Mardela Springs, Md. |
University of Maryland Eastern Shore |
1890 |
|
Kylee Henneberry |
Hartford, Wisc. |
West Texas A&M University |
HSI |
|
Johanna Hibma |
Winton, Calif. |
California State University, Stanislaus |
HSI |
|
Kaitlynn Hughes |
Royse City, Texas |
Texas A&M University |
HSI |
|
Jayland Jones |
Lufkin, Texas |
Prairie View A&M University |
1890 |
|
Terrell Mason |
Lake Charles, La. |
Southern University |
1890 |
|
Kevin Painchaud |
Bedford, Va. |
Virgina Tech |
1862 |
|
EmmaRae Parsons |
Moscow, Idaho |
University of Idaho |
1862 |
|
Randall Pickering |
Orangeburg, S.C. |
South Carolina State University |
1890 |
|
Benjamin Steller |
Tucson, Ariz. |
Northern Arizona University |
HSI |
Graduate
|
Name |
Hometown |
University |
University Type* |
|
John Bagwell |
Rome, Ga. |
University of Georgia |
1862 |
|
Katie Dames |
Flossmoor, Ill. |
Tuskegee University |
1890 |
|
Danielle Klawitter |
Santa Cruz, Calif. |
University of California Santa Cruz |
HSI |
|
Lidia Komondy |
Grand Rapids, Mich. |
Cornell University |
1862 |
|
Zachary Williams |
Lanham, Md. |
University of Maryland Eastern Shore |
1890 |
(*1862 land-grant universities, 1890 land-grant universities, and Hispanic-serving institutions)
For questions, email futureleaders@usda.gov