CAZENOVIA — Andrew Curtis Szalach, a Cazenovia High School (CHS) junior and Cazenovia Aggies FFA Chapter member, was recently selected to serve as the 2024-25 treasurer of the New York FFA Association.

FFA, formerly the Future Farmers of America, is a youth leadership organization dedicated to making a positive difference in students’ lives by developing their potential for leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education.

Cazenovia Central School District (CCSD) announced Curtis Szalach’s achievement in an article on the district website.

According to the article, he was formally elected on Friday, May 3 at the FFA State Convention in Buffalo; he will officially take office on July 1.

The selection process began in April with interviews, speeches, tests, and video submissions detailing candidates’ public speaking abilities, agricultural knowledge, and FFA experience.

Eighteen candidates from across New York ran for six positions on the New York FFA Officer Team.

As state treasurer, Szalach will serve on state and national committees to advocate for agricultural education, facilitate FFA chapter visits, host conferences and leadership workshops, and teach leadership classes during summer camp at FFA’s Camp Oswegatchie in the Adirondacks.

At CHS, Szalach has been an Aggies FFA member since seventh grade and has served as the chapter’s president for the past two school years.

According to the CCSD article, he has led his chapter to new heights with increased membership, participation, and competition success following the pandemic.

“[It] has been a pleasure to watch Andrew grow and evolve as a leader in his classes and as a chapter officer,” said CHS agriculture teacher Mandi Millen, who advises the Aggies FFA. “He has been very diligent at improving his public speaking skills [and] presentation skills, and [he] even took on the task of mentoring some younger members who were participating in their first leadership competition earlier this year. Andrew has a passion for agricultural education and FFA, and I know he is looking forward to sharing his passion with fellow members throughout the next year.”

Szalach was raised on his family’s seventh-generation dairy farm, Cedarcut Farm, in Cazenovia.

He said his main motivation for running for state office was the deep connection he has always had to agriculture through his family’s farm.

“[It is what] drove me to join the FFA in [seventh] grade,” he said. “Serving as a chapter officer was definitely a growing time for me as a person, but I had the feeling that I could be making an impact on more than just my community [by] being both an advocate for agriculture and agricultural education as well as a positive role model for students across the state. I think the time commitment is large, but I believe that as long as I am following my passion and making a positive impact, it’ll make it all worthwhile.”

As for life after high school, Szalach said he plans to study agricultural equipment technology and ag education at a four-year school in hopes of becoming a vocational agriscience teacher.

To learn more about the New York FFA Association, visit nysffa.org.