AHS Student Details Her Time as Watermelon Queen

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences students, keep an eye out: you may be in class with a queen. 

Anna Young, an agricultural science major with an agribusiness management concentration, was crowned North Carolina’s 2021 Watermelon Queen during the North Carolina Watermelon Growers Association’s virtual pageant on March 14, 2021. As NC Watermelon Queen, Young has participated in networking and marketing events across the state and country, including speaking at elementary schools, farm tours, and agricultural conventions. She enjoys the opportunity to help showcase North Carolina watermelon growers’ hard work and products, noting, “It was surreal to be crowned the North Carolina Watermelon Queen! Although, through my position, I’m not directly involved in the production of commodities right in the field, I have great importance of working to help ensure that the products get sold. Without selling, there is no solution for the producer market. We strive to help producers give meaning to the phrase ‘from farm to table,’ show the true MVPs of the process, and give light to the face behind the products.”

For Young, serving as NC Watermelon Queen is about more than just the melons: it’s an opportunity to put her passion for agricultural marketing into practice. Her career interests and her decision to attend NC State University center around supporting growers through the power of marketing. “I came from a multi-generation farm family who sadly had to sell out when I was a young child,” Young says. “This sell-out had me longing to continue my passion for the industry through my future career, which led me to continue my education here at North Carolina State University so I may be equipped to help producers flourish through their production!” Young hopes to work in sales and marketing for an agribusiness such as CAT Inc., John Deere, or BASF after graduating in Fall 2022. She also has dreams of starting a marketing firm to help family-owned operations effectively market their products, “so they can have a better opportunity to flourish within the market alongside commercial producers.” 

Attending NC State has been an essential and impactful stepping stone toward Young’s long-term goals. By participating in programs and taking advantage of the wide variety of opportunities available to students, Young has gained new perspectives that guide her academic and professional interests. Through those experiences, Young notes, “I have been given the opportunity to speak to different networks to help shape me into a more well-rounded student and potential employee.” She has particularly benefited from the support of faculty like Travis Park and Joy Morgan because of their genuine interest and dedication to their students and advisees. They’ve helped her avoid being overwhelmed while juggling her roles and responsibilities as a student and beauty queen. According to Young, having their support has given her an extra “boost” that “truly helps me get up each day with a new excitement to continue my education and future during my time at NC State.”

Young says that her sister is one of her biggest inspirations because of her perseverance despite hardships. “Despite every challenge,” says Young, “she always looks to each new day as another opportunity to take on challenges with a smile. She makes me so proud to be her older sister and gives me support every day to tackle my challenges with the same positivity.” 

Spoken like true royalty. 

To learn more about Anna Young, and see her full calendar of events as NC Watermelon Queen, visit the NC Watermelon Growers Association’s website.