Ken Quick Jr. '14 will travel the world as a young advocate of agriculture after being named one of six leaders of the 540,000-member National FFA Organization (also known as Future Farmers of America) -- the first student from New York to be selected in 15 years.

Quick, an agricultural education major with a focus on international agriculture policy, was named the national eastern region vice president of FFA Oct. 22. He had previously served as president of the New York State FFA.

His team will travel more than 100,000 miles in service of the organization. He is set to go to Japan, visit agricultural education classrooms and conventions throughout the United States, and meet with legislative and agricultural leaders to develop partnerships and influence the future of agriculture.

"I've become a passionate advocate for the future of agriculture and for the role of our generation within the food, fiber and natural resources industries," Quick said. "I had no idea just how much this organization would consume my future. FFA gave me the skills to further my impact. I've seen how FFA can change a student, a school and a community. Young people need FFA."

The 19-year-old's affiliation with FFA began five years ago, when, as a freshman in high school in Granville, N.Y., he helped to begin an FFA chapter. The son of Washington County dairy farmers, he was a member of the Future Business Leaders of America, sports teams and the Junior Holstein Association before chartering the FFA program in his school.

Within a few years, Quick was leading 4,000 N.Y. FFA members from more than 80 programs in rural and metropolitan school districts.

Also earning high accolades at the National FFA Convention were several other College of Agriculture and Life Sciences students. Amika Osumi '15 won the highly competitive national Job Interview Career Development Event. Joey Chase '15, Corrine Ogle '14, Corey Reed '15, Danielle Sanok '13 and Anna Smith '13 placed second in the national Alpha Tau Alpha collegiate parliamentary procedure contest, with Sanok placing first among the secretaries. Jessica Krause '15 earned a bronze recognition in the national FFA Extemporaneous Public Speaking Career Development Event. Katie Grandle '13, Rebecca Harrison '14, Bob Hockenbury '13, Carly Neumann '13, Ogle, Quick, Aaron Santangelo '13, Morgan Shaver '14 and Smith earned the highest individual recognition in FFA with the American FFA Degree, an honor bestowed to less than 2 percent of the FFA membership.