Ag Education Careers

“Looking back to my high school days, agricultural education played an important role in determining what I wanted to do in my life. My agriculture teachers, Noel Pack and Callie Hobbs, pushed me to go above and beyond each day. Throughout my classes I was able to cultivate my true passion for agriculture and determine I wanted to study in college, which ultimately is a way for me to give back to the agriculture industry by further pursuing my passion for production agriculture and sales. The impact that agricultural education, FFA, and my advisors have left on my life will continue to contribute to my success in life.”

“I teach agriculture for all the typical reasons – a passion for production agriculture, FFA leadership opportunities and the legacy I wish to continue sharing that my family and agriculture teacher shared with me.

But I teach agriculture mostly for the chaos and ‘Ah-Ha’ moments; the excitement when students walk in my room and see a rabbit sitting on the front desk, the days students learn to cast fishing rods and tie on hooks for the first time, and the beauty of the greenhouse in April when students have worked so hard to grow a sellable product.

I enjoy watching Greenhands turn into State Degree and American Degree recipients, the thrill of a first-time contest winner, and seeing the determination in a senior knowing this is their last shot. I teach agriculture for the kid who has never held a baby lamb and the one who has a story from the stockyard every Monday morning. I’m here for the early mornings and the late evenings because I know what those invested hours turn into.

I teach agriculture hoping I can make a difference in students, our community and in the agriculture industry. I feel like I have a purpose in my classroom – that’s enough for me.”

“My Ag advisor made an impact on me from day one of my freshman year in high school.
Through Agricultural Education and FFA, I was pushed outside my comfort zone with
parliamentary procedure, public speaking, teamwork, and leadership opportunities. I learned
how to think on my feet, communicate with others, carry myself in public, and, most importantly,
have confidence in myself.

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of serving on several local, state, and national boards, and
I can trace much of my ability to serve and lead back to those early experiences. The lessons I
learned in that Ag classroom and through FFA laid a foundation that I have continued to build on
throughout my life. Ag Ed didn’t just teach me skills for a contest or a classroom, it gave me
confidence and leadership skills that have lasted a lifetime.”

“Agricultural Education has been the foundation of so much of who I am today. Growing up on
my family’s farm in Mount Eden, Kentucky, I learned from an early age that agriculture is not just
a career—it is a way of life built on hard work, responsibility, perseverance, and a deep
connection to the land and the people around you. My experiences in FFA and agricultural
education gave me the confidence to find my voice, encouraged me to become a leader, and
ultimately led me to pursue a degree in Agricultural Education at the University of Kentucky.

Now, as a middle school agriculture teacher and FFA advisor, I get to give my students the
same opportunities that made such a difference in my life, and there is nothing more rewarding
than watching a student discover a passion or realize they are capable of more than they
thought. Agricultural Education has allowed me to combine my love for agriculture with my
passion for teaching, while giving me the opportunity to make a difference in students’ lives
every day. I truly believe I am where I am today because of the people, experiences, and
opportunities that agricultural education gave me, and I hope to inspire my students to find their
own purpose through Ag Ed just as I found mine.”