HORSHAM Agriculture Society president Zack Currie has been named Horsham council's 2020 Young Citizen of the Year.
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Mr Currie, 22, will share the title with Holy Trinity Lutheran College student Lauren Matheson.
"It was quite a shock actually. The worst thing was having to keep it a secret since December," Mr Currie said.
"It's nice to be recignised; I'd like to thank the person who nominated me - she knows who she is. This award is also very reflective of the people I've surrounded myself with over my journey. The mentors I've had are probably the true recipients of the award."
He moved from Bonnie Doon to Horsham four years ago to pursue a career in the wool industry.
"It was exciting and a big move. For the first six months it was pretty daunting, but I found the community welcoming," he said.
"Horsham is a good-sized town; it's a country town but also a city. I got to know local farming families through work and which was a great way to find my feet.
"I love the sense of community here. I hope to live here for the rest of my life; moving to Horsham is probably the best thing that ever happened to me."
Mr Currie has been involved with the Horsham Agriculture Society committee since August 2016.
"It was a great way to get to know people. I often refer to the agriculture society as my family; it's also tied in nicely with my career and interest in agriculture," he said.
"Even though I didn't have a show background, I have found a whole new interest and passion in keeping agricultural shows alive and evolve into the modern age."
He made history last year when he became Horsham Agriculture Society's youngest president.
"It was a great honour so a fair bit of pressure was on. But to know there were people who had been there much longer than me to vote for me was humbling," he said.
"At that same time I was also undertaking the Wimmera Leadership Program through the Wimmera Development Association.
"It tied in really nicely with my personal leadership journey over the last year; I've come a long way and have kind of been thrown in the deep end."
Mr Currie is also the secretary and treasurer of the Horsham Showgrounds Committee, vice president of the Sports Shear Victoria Association, and a member of the Victorian Shearing Wool Handing Team
He is also a councillor on the first Horsham Rural City Council Youth Council.
"We're trying to figure out our direction moving forward and what we're going to focus on. My main concerns are around agriculture and growing the town more to make it more livable," he said.
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