When Jake Worthington took the stage of NBC’s The Voice he made sure the world knew how proud he was of his roots — including his involvement with the Texas FFA.

Jake, 18, is an member of the La Porte FFA Chapter. He has actively participated in numerous activities including exhibiting livestock and holding the office of chapter secretary. 

Before his May 12 performance, Jake talked about the support he’s had from his small Texas hometown and his experience in FFA.

“Some of the best times I had in my high school experience were being in FFA, taking classes on agriculture,” Worthington said. “I’ve learned how to feed and raise animals. I plan on going to a junior college and hopefully finding a way to get in to (Texas) A&M.”

The 18-year-old brought old-school country back to The Voice this season, and he also showed that persistence paid off: after he auditioned for season 5 but didn’t make a team, he re-auditioned for season 6 and ended up landing in second place during the season finale May 20.