06 February 2024
Alan Cruz is a senior at the University of Arizona in Yuma studying agricultural systems management. He was recently named a Future Leader in Agriculture for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and will attend the USDA's 100th Annual Agricultural Outlook Forum in Washington, D.C., which will be held February 15-16, 2024.
Cruz was nominated for the Future Leaders Program by his professors and advisors, University of Arizona faculty members Dr. Paleszka Brenes, 2023 USDA E. Kika De La Garza Fellow, and Dr. Tanya Hodges. “They always took care of me and made sure I stayed on the right path in my career,” Cruz said. When he got the call letting him know he had been accepted into the program, he was very excited. “There really are no words to describe what I felt,” he said. “It is a great achievement to be accepted.”
USDA Future Leaders in Agriculture are selected from land-grant universities and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI). The program targets undergraduate and graduate students majoring in agriculture-related subjects, including business, economics, communications, nutrition, food science, and pre-veterinary studies. In addition to their participation in the Agricultural Outlook Forum, program participants participate in USDA briefings and in career development opportunities with USDA leaders.
Cruz looks forward to learning more about USDA and making vital connections within the agricultural community. He plans to continue working in the agricultural sector after graduating from university. “I've loved farming since I was little,” Cruz said.
He's proud of his hometown, the winter lettuce capital of the world, where family straddles this border town. “In Yuma, agriculture is big,” he said. “My parents would drive me everywhere, and all I could see were the fields.”
Cruz wants to stay in Yuma, too. “I want to work here,” he said. “There's a lot of opportunity in Yuma. It feels good to be here.”
Cruz wants to remain flexible with his career prospects, and would ideally pursue a career in commercial agriculture. “I like the feeling of being out in the field or behind a tractor, not just in the office,” he said. However, he is keen to learn more about broader agricultural issues during the Agricultural Outlook Forum, including the roles of USDA and other agencies and organizations.
“I want to know more about the links between farm management and the work of these organizations,” he said. “I want to gain leadership skills in agriculture to bridge the gap between them.”
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