Kady Davis named OSU ag college distinguished senior

Kady Davis of Carrollton was named the 2020 Distinguished Senior at The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES).
“The Distinguished Senior Award is the most prestigious undergraduate award in CFAES, recognizing the top graduating seniors from each of the academic units on the Columbus campus,” said Steven Neal, CFAES professor and associate dean for academic programs.
 Davis, an animal sciences major from Carroll County, was nominated by college faculty and staff who felt that she personified the award’s attributes of academic, disciplinary, and professional excellence.
 “One of the hallmarks of our college is an emphasis on student success, and it is heartwarming to see it exemplified through the accomplishments of our students,” Neal said. “Recipients are our future innovators and leaders who have already made an impact within the academic environment at this university and beyond.”

Among her accomplishments at CFAES, Davis participated in study abroad programs to Nicaragua, Italy, and Ireland, trips she described as the most valuable learning experiences of her college career.
“I was able to take what I’ve learned in the classroom and apply it to a real-world setting,” Davis said. Her international experiences, she said, allowed her to “reflect on what I learned in-country to further myself as a citizen, student, and professional.”
During her college career, Davis worked part-time as a student coordinator for the Experience Ohio State for a Day visit program and also, during spring semester 2018, worked part-time as a Senate page in the Ohio Statehouse.
She was a member of the Animal Science Community Alliance, the CFAES Ambassadors student team, and the Sigma Alpha professional agricultural sorority.
 As Sigma Alpha’s philanthropy chair, Davis planned and organized activities such as Ag in the Community, during which chapter members taught agricultural lessons to inner-city Columbus youth, as well as benefit events for the Franklin County Dog Shelter, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio, and Columbus’ Huckleberry House for at-risk youth.
Last fall, Davis trained for and ran her first half marathon at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon.
“Crossing the finish line with my roommate was an amazing feeling of accomplishment,” Davis said. “Several months of training had led up to that moment, and to me, there is no better feeling than working hard towards a goal and achieving it.”
Davis completed internships with Heritage Cooperative in Lisbon and the Kim Davis Insurance Agency in Waynesburg, and, upon graduation, will be joining the latter company as an associate agent specializing in farm insurance.
“Kady has an energetic personality, and her peers look to her for leadership,” her nominator, Maurice Eastridge, a CFAES professor of animal sciences, wrote. “She also possesses a high intellectual capacity, excellent work ethic, enjoys serving the community, and is highly motivated to succeed.”
An awards dinner to recognize all 25 CFAES Distinguished Seniors has been cancelled due to COVID-19.
Students will be recognized with a special award package that will be mailed later this semester.