Student Spotlight

See why Ag business student earned CSU Trustees’ Award

By Marisa Mata (’19)

Anthony Agueda recalls Christmas mornings of his childhood — spent working on his family’s dairy farm with his siblings, cousins, uncles, father and grandfather. “Cows, and agriculture, in general, require around-the-clock care,” Agueda says. “It isn’t a job, it’s a way of life.”

Located in Stanislaus County, Alberto Dairy has been in Agueda’s family for three generations.

Agueda says, “My grandfather immigrated here at 19 from the Azores islands in Portugal, with nothing but his suitcase. He worked three jobs in agriculture and went back after five years, to marry my grandmother. They moved back to America and started the dairy in 1981.”

Agueda and his family have maintained a close relationship as they’ve worked together to run the family farm. It was Agueda’s grandfather who taught him how to properly feed cows and his father who taught him about cow care.

When Agueda was notified he had been selected as one of the recipient of this year’s CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement, his grandparents were the first people he shared the news with.

Established in 1984, the CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement is the California State University’s highest recognition fo students, awarding superior academic performance, personal accomplishments and community service.

Agueda was recognized by the California State University system as one of 23 students (one from each campus) to receive this award, at a formal ceremony at the CSU Chancellor’s office in Long Beach on Sept. 24.

While a student, Agueda has been active in the agricultural community, serving with Fresno State’s Agricultural Business Club and Dairy Science Club and California Dairy Leaders Program, as well as volunteering with Stanislaus County Farm Bureau and California Milk Advisory Board.

Through his volunteer work, Agueda has hosted virtual dairy farm tours for students nationwide and coordinated milk drives during Hunger Action Month for five years, personally delivering thousands of gallons of milk to local food banks to support nutritional needs of Valley children.