32.1 History Project Data
Purdue AgEd History Project – Data
loading…
| Full Name | Last Name | Retired From | Currently Working At | Year (B.S.) | Education | Career Path | Influenced By | At Purdue | As Teacher | In AgriBusiness | Advice | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gerald M. Hess | Hess | Argos Community Schools in 1983 | 1940 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1940 Agricultural Education | 1940 – 1959 Lapaz and Argos, IN, Agriculture and Science Teacher 1959 – 1965 Argos, IN, School Principal 1965 – 1983 Argos, In, School Superintendent |
Cletus Bunch, a Purdue graduate and one of my high school teachers encouraged me to enter the field as jobs were available. | It was rewarding to have students credit my influence as being a primary reason they went to college, and even more to see them enjoy very successful careers as educators themselves. | Can be a stepping stone to a variety of career opportunities. | ||||
| James P. Clouse | Clouse | Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg, VA in 1987 | 1947 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1947 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1951 Agri. Educ. with AgEc & Guidance Minors PhD Purdue 1959 Agri. Educ. with AgEc, Guidance & Counseling Minors |
1947 – 1949 Markleville High School, Madison Co., IN, Taught Vo Ag and Science 1949 – 1951 Purdue Graduate School, Graduate Assistant 1951 – 1952 Instructor in Agricultural Education at Purdue 1952 – 1956 New Albany High School Floyd Co., IN, Vocational Agriculture teacher 1956 – 1959 Instructor in Agricultural Education at Purdue 1959 – 1964 Assistant Professor in Agricultural Education at Purdue 1964 – 1973 Associate Professor in Agricultural Education at Purdue 1973 – 1978 Professor & Head of Agricultural Education at Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg, VA 1978 – 1987 Professor of Agricultural Education & Vocational Education at Virginia Tech University |
My mother, an elementary teacher and my Uncle Verl R. Clouse a Vo Ag teacher and School Administrator for many years in Indiana. | I was Editor of the “Ag Ed Magazine” for 1 year. | Too many to list – a life time of interesting experiences. | Much of my international work was based on my High School and College Teaching experience. Too many to go into describing. |
Say to yourself, “What is to be is up to me” Then go ahead and make it happen. You can do it. | ||
| John E. Couey | Couey | Dekalb County Purdue Agriculture Extension Service in 1983 | 1947 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1947 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1949 Dairy Production |
Agriculture Extension – Louisville, KY American Breeders Association – Wisconsin Dekalb County Purdue Agriculture Extension Service retired in 1983 |
|||||||
| James (Jim) N. Williams | Williams | Delco Electronics Division of General Motors | 1948 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1948 Dairy Master’s Purdue 1952 Education |
1948 – 1952 Vocational Agriculture Teacher 1954 – 1957 Indiana Farm Bureau Cooperative Education, Director 1957 – 1959 General Motors Institute, Instructor 1959 – 1988 Delco Electronics, Director of Organizational Development and Training |
A.V. Keogling, County Agent | Skills learned in Ag Eng classes. | Seeing the sense of fulfillment students have when they learn a new concept or skill. | Be enthusiastic! | |||
| Paul W. Harrington | Harrington | College of Dupage, Elmhurst, IL | 1948 | Bachelor’s Purdue February 1948 Agricultural Education | I enrolled in Ag Ed at Purdue in 1940 and was there until April 1943. I was in the ASTP program from February 1943 to April 1943, when I left for OCS at Ft. Sill, OK. I returned for the spring semester of 1946, but took a job teaching Ag Ed and Biology at Kouts High School on a permit for 1946-47. However, Purdue said I couldn’t graduate until I took a semester of practice teaching which was only taught during the school year. I resigned my job at Kouts to return to Purdue for the fall semester of 1947. When I attended my first practice teaching class, the instructor said, “You have been teaching for a year, you won’t have anything to do here”. I finished my degree in February of 1948 and taught Ag and Biology at Cutler High School from February 1948 to June 1949. I then took a job teaching Ag and Physics at Knox High School, Knox, IN. from 1949 – 1961. The 1961 – 62 school year I was a counselor there. I left in March 1962 to take an Officers advanced course at Ft. Sill. September 1962 – 1965 I was a Counselor at Willowbrook High School, Villa Park, IL and then transferred to Addison Trail High School (same school district) for one year then was appointed Director of Guidance at York High School, Elmhurst, IL (same school district). While director at Elmhurst, I was hired as a supervisor of a night program at a building of College of Dupage as a part time employee. 1967 I was hired by the college full time as the Director of Financial Aid and Placement. 1968 I was made asst Dean of Students and in 1969 was made the Dean of Student. I retired in 1978. They named me dean of Students Emeritus. |
My high school Ag teacher influenced me in selecting Ag Ed at Purdue. | My farm accounting class was the most memorable as Earl Butz was my instructor. | I owned a farm in Indiana 120 acres from 1951 – 1980 and one in Texas 100 acres from 1976 – 1996 but sold most of it in 1996 for a Target Distribution Center. I still have about 8 acres. I do not live on the farm, but in a gated recreational city. | ||||
| Robert F. Taylor | Taylor | United States Department of Agriculture/Farmers Home Administration | 1948 |
Bachelor’s Purdue 1948 Agricultural Education Minors in Agr Econ & Agry Master’s Purdue 1962 Administration |
B.V. Widney, County Extension Agent, helped to get me to work on a Sears Roebuck Scholarship ($250). My Vocational Agriculture Teacher, Charles Luther, was called into Army Reserves when I graduated from high school in 1942. I was put in charge of 4-H club that next summer. That was my inspiration. | Being a student teacher under the guidance of Forest Van Pelt. He was a gentle advisor – slow to criticize. | Preparing detailed lesson plans. | When I was an Extension Agent, I planned and executed Farm Management and Farm Practice tours. As a business manager for Allen County Cooperative – planning, goal setting and scheduling. | Acquire as much agricultural technical knowledge as you can by working part-time on a farm and/or Farm Agri-Business operation. Also group leadership. | |||
| James T. Cummings | Cummings | Central Nine Vocational School in 1988 | 1949 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1949 Agricultural education Master’s Purdue 1952 Horticulture |
1943 – 1946 United States Navy 1946 – 1949 Purdue, Agricultural Education Undergraduate Student 1949 – 1951 Cowan High School (Delaware Co.), Vo Ag Teacher Whiteland High School, Vo Ag Teacher 1988 Central Nine Vocational School, Horticulture Teacher |
Dr. Jim Clouse – You like people – get into Ag Ed | Loved a lot of classes – I didn’t like English or Physics. I took a lot of hours to finish in 3 years. I worked in the State seed Lab for several months. | Some great people at Cowan and Whitleland High School. Great students, teaching horticulture rather than Vo Ag., more hours at home. | Vo Agr is a very satisfying profession. You can be highly respected but you will be on call 12 months a year and 18 hours per day. | |||
| Mark Pickel | Pickel | Auctioneer | 1949 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1949 Agricultural Education | Agriculture Teacher Field Representative for Hampshire Swine Livestock Auctioneer |
My mother said go to college so you can get a better job. | Encouragement from professors. | Students winning judging contests. especially the Dairy Judging one in Waterloo, Iowa. Still remember Bill Logan. | Caring concern and competence of instructors. | Give your best efforts. | ||
| Dallas L. Oswalt | Oswalt | ICRISAT in Hyderabad, India December 1992 | 1950 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1950 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1958 Agronomy/Agricultural Education PhD Purdue 1973 Plant Breeding/Agricultural Education |
1950 – 1953 Wayne Township High School 1953 – 1956 Waka Teacher Training, Nigeria 1956 – 1958 Teaching Assistant, Purdue 1958 – 1960 Driver H.S., Randolph County 1960 – 1964 Waka Secondary School, Nigeria 1964 – 1965 Hagerstown High School 1965 – 1969 Waka Secondary School, Nigeria 1969 – 1975 Purdue Teaching Assistant and/or Research Scientist 1975 – 1992 Principal Training Officer, International Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) Hyderabad, India. |
Vocational Agriculture Teachers in Ohio. | Being trained in most all aspects of agriculture. | Enabling students to receive FFA awards and continue in agricultural vocations. | The wealth of contacts from numerous countries. | The future of the world depends on an understanding of the soils, plants, animals and their interdependence as related to its people. | ||
| Joseph H. Conrad | Conrad | Professor Emeritus, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL , 1995 | 1950 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1950 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1954 Animal Nutrition PhD Purdue 1958 Animal Nutrition |
1944-1946: US Navy, Aviation Ordnance 1950-1952: Royal Center High School, Cass Co, IN. Taught Vo. Ag. And Biology 1952-1953: Purdue Graduate School 1953-1958: Instructor in Swine Nutrition Research at Purdue 1958-1961: Assistant Professor in Animal Science at Purdue 1961-1965: Nutritionist Purdue-Brazil Project, Federal University of Vicosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil 1965: Honorary Degree, Professor Honoris Causa, Federal University of Vicosa, Brazil 1965-1971: Professor of Animal Nutrition, Purdue 1971-1995: Professor of Intl. Animal Science and Coordinator of Int. An. Sci. Programs, Univ. of Fla., Gainesville |
My mother, emphasized that a university education was an important step from poverty and my uncle George Hubenthal, who encouraged me to excel with swine in 4-H. Mr. Wilbur Zieg, a leader in the community. Mr. Everett Johnson, County Agent, Cass County, IN. | Practice teaching under Joe Metzger at South Whitley High School, IN. | In the spring of 1951, our judging team won 2nd place in Indiana State Livestock Judging and a trip to the Eastern Livestock Exposition, Richmond, VA. Daily teaching greatly improved by confidence level and communication skills. | Vo Ag gave me the best balanced agricultural training available. From that, I was able to specialize in specific areas of interest. | My professional responsibilities at Purdue and Florida permitted my family and me to become world travelers and to enjoy a wonderful professional life career. | ||
| William H. Journay | Journay | Bellmont High School, Decatur, IN, Adams County | 1950 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1950 Agriculture and Science Master’s Purdue 1960 Science in Education Miami of Ohio, Ball State, IUPUI Ft. Wayne Extra 28 Hours of Biological Sciences |
Agriculture Science teacher at Madison High School in Jay County after Army service at age 26. Moved to Decatur High School which became Bellmont High School as Science Teacher, Head of Science Department and taught Geology also. | Mostly decided after being in Army and going to school. P.R. Macklin – H.S. Ag teacher R.E. Girton, Professor of Plant Physiology |
Judging Teams | Taking Decatur High School and Bellmont students to Chicago Expo. Ag Classes and later science classes to Indy, etc. Experiments with advanced science classes. | Bought small farm, sold seed corn, applied nitrogen (Anhydrous Ammonia) in summer time. Had 1st application in Adams County. Did test plots 1st year. | The above information was provided by Bill’s wife, Marie Journay. Bill passed away in November, 2011. She indicated in a note that, “Bill was always loyal to Purdue for his education after army days. His serving on the Judging Team while at Purdue was a highlight and he had many judging teams during his years of teaching. Bill retired in 1981 but lived on a small farm and always enjoyed helping with 4-H, planting trees and sheep shows, cattle judging and 4-H fair judging. He enjoyed teaching and FFA people always stopped to see him.” | ||
| Carl F. Scott | Scott | Ivy Tech Community College, Sellersburg, IN | 1951 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1951 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1956 Agricultural Education |
Feb. 1951 – June 1952 Wheatfield High School, Wheatfield, IN, Vocational Agriculture Instructor July 1952 – June 1956 Windfall High School, Windfall, IN, Vocational Agriculture Instructor July 1956 – Oct. 1957 Walnut Grove High School, Arcadia, IN, Vocational Agriculture Instructor Nov. 1957 – July 1963 Indiana State Department of Public Instruction, Assistant State Supervisor of Agriculture Education July 1963 – July 1965 Indiana State Department of Public Instruction, Indiana State Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Future Farmers of America. Planned and initiated the FFA State Fair Exhibit – Young McDonald's Farm – which has become an annual part of the Indiana State Fair. Also, the State FFA Foundation was organized and initiated under my leadership. July 1965 – July 1967 Indiana State Department of Public Instruction, Indianapolis, IN, State Director, Division of Teacher Education and Certification July 1967 – October 1967 Purdue University – Indianapolis Campus, Indianapolis, IN, Coordinator of Continuing Education, Assistant Professor Oct. 1967 – July 1969 Indiana Vocational Technical College, Indianapolis, IN, Dean of Curriculum and Instruction July 1969 – Retired Dec. 1986 Indiana Vocational Technical College SouthCentral, Sellersburg, IN, Vice President/Dean Jan. 1987 – Dec. 2004 Farmed my parents farm. |
David Palmer, my high school Ag teacher. | Too numerous to mention. | Too numerous to mention. | Helping manage the home farm business. | |||
| John K. Wright | Wright | 1951 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1951 Agricultural education Master’s Ball State 1955 School Administration PhD Ball State 1966 School Administration |
1951 – 1957 Harrison Twp. School, Public School Teacher 1957 – 1958 Gaston School, Principal grades 1-12 1958 – 1963 Cowan School, Principal grades 1-12 1963 – 1966 Monroe Central, Principal grades 7-12 |
Myron Cromer | Student Teaching | Established classroom control first days of teaching. | |||||
| Ken Brashaber | Brashaber | Rushville Consolidated High School at the end of 1988-89 school year | 1951 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1951 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1956 Animal Physiology |
After graduating from Purdue in June of 1951, my first teaching contract was at Mays High School, Rush County, Indiana. The Korean War interrupted and an enlistment in the U.S. Air Force took care of 1953-54 school years. Returned to Mays H.S. in the fall of 1954 and remained there until schools were reorganized and I then moved to Rushville Consolidated High School where I completed my teaching career at the end of 1988-89 year. My total teaching time was 38 years. | My first Vo-Ag teacher, William “Bill” Anderson, was most responsible for my career path. He took me places and volunteered me for activities that acquainted me with Purdue University long before I left high school. After Mr. Anderson joined the Purdue Animal Husbandry Extension staff he continued to keep in touch with me and greatly influenced my decision to become a Vo-Ag teacher. | After seeing an announcement of an upcoming meeting for Ag-Ed and being a freshman, I thought I would go to the meeting and learn more about my career field. I soon learned the Ag-Ed Society was geared to upper classmen and not underclassmen. Participating in the Purdue Royal livestock show, and as a founding member working to establish the Purdue chapter of the FarmHouse Fraternity and then, of course, my student teaching experience were all highlights. | Attending National FFA Conventions and hearing the challenges put forth by the keynote speakers. Seeing my students being honored for their personal accomplishments in FFA and in their communities. Seeing my students being honored for achievements as a team or chapter member. Being active in IVATA, NVATA, IVA, and RUTA, etc. has given me many fond memories. My highest award came in 1989, the year of retirement, when I received the NVATA Outstanding Teacher plaque for Region 4 at the National Convention in Orlando, Florida. | Serving as a supervising teacher over the years in Purdue’s student teacher program was very rewarding because I was able to observe the students professional growth and development and know that I was responsible in a small way for their success. | Identify early on in your teaching career your strengths as a teacher and pursue those strengths through your students to accomplish worthy goals that bring community attention to your Vo-Ag program. | ||
| Ora Vernal Callahan | Callahan | Indiana Farm Bureau Cooperative | 1951 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1951 Agricultural Education | 1951 – 1956 Mt. Comfort High School, Vo-Ag Teacher 1956 – 1983 Indiana Farm Bureau Cooperative Association, Started as Educational Fieldman; Manager of Cooperative Education; Assistant Director of Public Relations; Director of Public Relations |
Clarence Spooler, who was the youth agent in the Rush County Extension Office. He visited our Ag Class when I was a junior and he challenged us to write down our goals. One of them was to attend Purdue University in Agricultural Education and the second was to teach for five years and the third was to get into Agribusiness. I was able to accomplish all three goals. | Mr. Brown who taught shop in Agricultural Engineering building was one of my favorite professors and another professor who taught animal husbandry were both very inspirational as teachers. Did my practice teaching at Remington High School and Leo Stevens (one of my classmates) drove me there. He went on to teach at Morristown High School. Most importantly I met my wife – Shirley Harwick – who worked as a secretary in the Civil Engineering office for Professor Petty after we got married in September 1950 and helped finance me my senior year. She was from Rush County also where she gave up her position as clerk to follow me there. We lived on Littleton Street while I went to school and she worked. |
I realized how easy it is to see what the students were trying to get away with and brought back memories of my adventures as a High School student. I really enjoyed teaching and working with young people. One of the highlights was starting the Mt. Comfort FFA program. Originating the 4-H Club Tour which Purdue University came down to film and produced a promotional film using the footage. (A 30 minute color movie) |
The public speaking classes were a huge help in my work with the Co-op. The knowledge of the free enterprise system was very beneficial in being able to prepare me to teach students and others all over this State | The opportunities are there for students with Ag Ed Degrees. You have a lot of influence in being able to be a leader in the community. | ||
| Carlton Clevenger | Clevenger | Monroe Central High School | 1952 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1952 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1957 Agricultural Education |
1952 – 1953 Economy High School ( Wayne County), Vo Ag Teacher 1953 – 1962 Wayne Twp. High School ( Randolph County), Vo Ag Teacher 1962 – 1996 Monroe Central High School (Randolph County), Agriculture Teacher |
I was a member of the 4-H club for 10 years. L.E. Husted started me on my trip in education. He was the County extension Agent for many years in our county and convinced me to enter Purdue University in the Fall of 1948, after graduation from Wayne Twp. School (Randolph County) in Spring of 1948. |
There were 15 students in my graduating class from Wayne High School and I was enrolled in a class of 4000 Agricultural students as a freshman at Purdue University. | |||||
| Clarence James (Jim) Kaiser | Kaiser | University of Illinois, Department of Agronomy | 1952 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1952 Agricultural Education Master’s Indiana University 1959 Education Administration PhD University of Missouri 1971 Agronomy & Statistics |
1952 – 1954 US Army Field Artillery with duty in Korea 1954 – 1956 Milltown High School, Milltown, IN, Vocational Agriculture, Physics and Chemistry Teacher 1957 – 1968 Purdue University, Southern Indiana Forage Farm, Agricultural Experiment Station, Superintendent 1968 – 1970 University of Missouri, Department of Agronomy, Research Assistant and Graduate Student 1970 – 1972 University of Kentucky, Department of Agronomy, Assistant Extensioin Professor and State Forage Specialist 1973 – 1985 University of Illinois, Agricultural Experiment Station, Dixon Springs Agricultural Center, Associate Professor and Director 1985 – 1993 University of Illinois, Department of Agronomy, Associate Professor (Forage Crop Production and Pasture Management) 1993 – Present University of Illinois, Department of Agronomy, Emeritus Associate Professor 1993 – Present Co-owner and operator of the fourth –generation family farm beef cow-calf enterprise, Patoka Township, Crawford County, Indiana |
Two individuals influenced me the most was my dad, Clarence E. Kaiser and my high school mathematics teacher, A.E. Pershing. | The six-week student teaching program with R.S. Bundy, Vocational Agriculture teacher at Rensselaer High School during my last year at Purdue was my most memorable agricultural education experience as a student at Purdue University. | Some of my most memorable experiences were, preparation time in order to be ahead of the students, preparing agricultural shop activities, working with the advisory committee, teaching seven periods a day, teaching the adult night agricultural classes, being the FFA advisor and also the boys 4-H leader, preparing judging teams and constantly working the students to keep their project record books up to date. | Interpreting science based agriculture research and the economical effect on the agriculture enterprise required the use of our preparation training to be an agriculture teacher. | Today’s agricultural teaching student should concentrate on the science of why a biological action occurs in agriculture and interpret the result in the current economic environment. | ||
| Robert Friar | Friar | Ferris State University | 1952 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1952 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1959 Endocrinology PhD Purdue 1968 Animal Physiology |
1956 – 1958 Flint High School, Steuben Co., Voc. Agriculture, Biology, & Chemistry Teacher 1959 – 1964 Clay Twp. H.S., Miami Co., Peru, IN, Voc. Agriculture & Biology Teacher 1967 – Present Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI., Physiologist |
My high school agriculture teacher, James Loves (Purdue Ag Ed about 1937, 38 or 39). He was a role model. I wanted to be like Mr. Love. | Hobart Jones in Animal Production – a great teacher. Don Hill in Dairy Production – another great teacher. Earl Butz in Agriculture Economics – he taught me so very much about management. Also working at Purdue Dairy Farm – milking, etc. | Encouraging and motivating young people to become the best in whatever they chose to do. Serving as a role model for young men who had lost their father. | Teaching is not a job! Teaching is a profession of the highest calling. Look for young people who are at drift. Help them set realistic life goals and to work 1,000’s of hours to achieve these goals. |
|||
| William McVay | McVay | Whitko High School | 1953 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1953 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1956 Agricultural Education |
1953-55 Washington Township Whitley County 1955-56 Graduate Assistant at Purdue University 1956-57 Swayzee High School 1957-1988 Cleveland Township, South Whitley which became Whitko School Corporation starting in 1971 In 1961 also did some work at River Falls in Wisconsin |
My 9th and 10th grade agriculture teacher at Camden High School, H.J. Eastman brought me to Purdue, and judging contests at the county level. | Serving as the President of Ag Education Club and Student Teaching at Columbia City under Leon Alter. I remember my 1st class in Student Teaching which was Marketing Livestock with Harry Leonard from Purdue present. | Getting to do my passion for 34 years, having a teachable moment in the classroom, teaching adult farmer classes, making farm visits, working one on one with students, FFA contests and having 35 student teachers. | The first time I was ever teaching was my first class in student teaching. I knew then that this was my life’s work. I enjoyed every day. It was such a great thrill to see a boy come in as a freshman and see what he develops into as a senior. | Enjoy yourself. If you do not enjoy teaching get out. Don’t forget to take a vacation. Make a plan and spend time with your spouse and family. Set priorities. | ||
| Charles E. Hines | Hines | White River Valley High School in 1995 | 1953 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1953 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1962 Education (Minor in Agry & Ag Econ) |
1953 – 1954 Fairbanks High School, Sullivan Co., Vo Ag Teacher 1957 – 1995 Switz City Central (Greene Co.) became White River Valley, Vo Ag Teacher |
I came from a family of teachers. It was natural to follow. This was true when our family farm was sold to the coal company. I could not be a farmer. | Student teaching at Trafalgar with Gerald Runyon. Working with Dr. Bentley as a graduate assistant. | Working with young farmer classes was a joy. Taking FFA members on trips. | You must be prepared to get past the bureaucratic red tape so you can work with the students. | |||
| Gene Pruitt | Pruitt | Southern Hancock Schools, Superintendent | 1953 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1953 Education Master’s Butler 1959 |
1953 – 1955 U.S. Army Engineers 1955 – 1959 Voc Ag Teacher, 4-H Leader, Lapaz, IN 1959 – 1971 Voc Ag./Biology, 4-H Leader, Pike High School 1971 – 1991 Public School Superintendent, New Palestine |
A high school teacher, Elsi Cook, a flighty red head. | Cashing checks from GI government grant programs. Having ex GI’s in classes. | Coaching national winner. Rubbing elbows with A-1 farmers. | Cannot comment; too many changes. | |||
| J. Marvin Ebbert | Ebbert | Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis | 1953 | Bachelor's Purdue University 1953 Agricultural Education Master's Ball State University 1961 Counseling PhD Purdue University 1964 Agricultural Education |
1953 – 1954 Wolcott High School, Vo-Ag/Science Teacher 1954 – 1956 Lt. Airborne Div. 1956 – 1957 Elwood High School, VoAg/Biology Teacher 1957 – 1958 Dawes Labs, Chicago, Ass't Sales Mgr 1958 – 1962 Elwood High School, VoAg Teacher 1962 – 1964 Purdue University, ½ time Teacher Training 1964 – 1969 Purdue Indianapolis Campus, Ass't Continuing Education Dean 1969 – 1972 A Co-Founder of Anacomp, publicly held computer company 1972 Exec Director of Indiana Advisory Council on Vocational Education 1973 – 1974 IUPUI, Dir of Ed Resources and Campus Planning 1974 – 1981 IUPUI, Ass't Dean for Administrative Affairs 1981 – 1988 IUPUI, Assoc. Dean of Faculties for Learning Resources 1989 – 1995 Assoc. Professor, IU School of Ed, Director of IN Clearinghouse for Educational Technology, Assoc. Professor of Continuing Studies and IUPUI Director of General Studies Degree Program Retired June, 1995 |
It was nothing he said; it is what Jim Clouse WAS (and is), a role model for a young rural boy of limited means. He helped open doors of opportunity that I never knew existed. He was my high school teacher and, later, my co-major professor in my Purdue PhD program. He didn’t lecture or verbally drop pearls of wisdom he simply helped a student start a new or difficult task with his unwavering and complete confidence that you would accomplish the task if you stayed with it. He had the ability to make students surprise themselves and discover abilities they did not know they had. Students felt he was always on their side. The main door he opened for me was to this great institution known as Purdue University. | There are so many, all extra-curricular. Trudging through the snow at 5 a.m. on frosty mornings headed for the Hall of Music to participate in a regularly scheduled WBAA radio program for rural listeners and the thrill of full responsibility of it for a few weeks, serving as managing editor of the Purdue Agriculturist for a year or two, working in the School of Ag Publications Office and being "shown the ropes" by Ralph Reeder and "Ace" Tyler. And they eventually actually PAID me for the opportunity to interview faculty I regarded as near-celebrities. I also remember my first part-time job in the library of the Ag Experiment Station surrounded by historic books and reports. All were exceptional personal growth and some were life changing events. | Day One On My First Teaching Job (at Wolcott). The Department had closed ten years before with the loss of a teacher in an auto accident. Princeton Twp. built a new gym in 1953 with two classrooms, one for vo-ag. Under the bleachers a farm shop was to be developed. The new room was empty. Not a single book, no equipment, a teacher with no experience. WHAT had I gotten myself into? Then I realized there was no way I could go but up. It was a blessing and great preparation for the next position offered after returning from military service. There I followed Palmer Davis who taught at Elwood for over 30 years, was a popular community leader and member of the board of a local bank. He taught me lessons about life. | With three other vo-ag teachers, Carl Scott, Coleman Harris and led by Jim McGuire we purchased farms in need of improvement and resold them. Our ag ed experience and preparation gave us instant credibility with buyers, sellers and investors. | I am not certain I understand vo -ag programs today well enough to offer advice. | ||
| Ben Varner, Jr. | Varner | Tell City School Corporation and Lt. Col in USAFR | 1954 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1954 Vocational Agriculture Master’s Indiana University 1960 MS Ed & Health |
1954 – 1956 Army Teaching at Luce Township High School Richland, IN one year Atlanta, GA Home Office 34 years at Tell City H.S. Biology and Vocational Agriculture Phaseout 5 years as Farm Veteran Agriculture Teacher, Perry County, IN |
Admiring of many teachers I had in High School. Mr. Bennett & Mr. Rue, Dr. Totusek, P.U., Mr. Brown, P.U. and Dean Dr. Hicks, & Dr. Freeman | Being in the Education of Agriculture, CERES, POMM, Scabbard & Blade and Pershing Rifles at Purdue. | Watch students grow in stature. | Teaching vocational veterans and the competent of the staff at Purdue. | Get into activities and listen to your instructors. | ||
| Doyle Lehman | Lehman | South Adams Schools | 1954 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1954 Agricultural Education/General Science Master’s Ball State 1961 Secondary Education . Ball State 1965 Superintendent Certification |
Spent my first teaching at Jackson Township, Decatur County 1955 – 1957 Military Service 1957 – 1964 Pleasant Mills, Geneva, Berne-French, Vo Ag Teacher, Science 1965 – 1978 South Adams Schools, High School Principal 1978 – 1988 Adams Central, Superintendent 1988 – 1993 South Adams, Superintendent |
Leonard Kingsley, High School Vo-Ag Teacher – Said you need to go to school, your brother is on the farm. Really wanted to farm. Was 1st FFA President at Berne-French. | Was married and worked at the Purdue Dairy Farm. Had to take High School Geometry (no credit) classes with Professors Dr. Hill, Dairy, Butz, John Hicks Econ classes. | Visiting Ag Boys training a State Parliamentary Team, taking a Dairy Judging Team to National, a team member is still a successful dairy farmer today. | Farming and 4-H work. | Be prepared to face students who are motivated. Spend more time visiting the students and family. | ||
| Jack R. Schmidt | Schmidt | Farmers Home Administration | 1954 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1954 Agricultural Education | 1956 – 1958 Petroleum High School, Vocational Agriculture Teacher 1958 – 1987 Farmers Home Administration, Assistant District Director |
|||||||
| Paul E. Hart | Hart | Zionsville Middle School in 1995 | 1954 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1954 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1962 Education Administration Butler 1967-68 |
Teachers in High School – Go to College. As a farm boy – why not teach Ag. | Personal friendships and some are still friends after 40 – 50 year. | My Ag students and their parents became part of my one Big Family. I still call a lot of them today as my boys. | Study hard, work hard and get into a very good school system. After 40 years of teaching I am glad I’m retired. | ||||
| Carl Hylton | Hylton | Fayette County Extension | 1955 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1955 Agricultural Education/Ag Econ Master’s Purdue 1958 Agricultural Education . Ball State, Michigan State, Miami of Oxford, Ohio |
1955 – 1959 Milton High School, Milton, IN, Voc. Agr. And Science Teacher 1959 – 1961 Hancock Central, Milton, IN, Voc. Agr. Teacher Grades 7-12 1961 – 1967 Nettle Creek School Corp., Hagerstown, IN, Voc. Agr. Teacher Grades 9-12 1967 – 1968 Randolph Southern School Corp., Lynn, IN, Principal K-6, 9-12 1968 – 1971 Union School Corp., Modoc, IN, Principal K-12 1971 – 1981 Fayette Co. School Corp., Connersville, IN, Principal High School 1981 – 1982 Union Co. School, Liberty, IN, Principal, Middle School 1982 – 1991 Rush County, Extension Educator 1991 – 1995 Fayette County, Extension Educator 1995 – 2000 Substitute Teacher |
C.W. Coates, High School Ag Teacher – State winning livestock judging teams; obtained three scholarships. | Judging Dairy and Livestock for Purdue; student teaching at Lawrenceburg. President of Phi Sigma Kappa 2 years; ROTC 4 years; school observations. | State and National Livestock teams; Gold Emblem Chapter 7 years in Nation; Honorary American Farmer Degree; built 2 shops; Developed adult and young farmer classes; State Crop FFA winner. | Gain all the experiences and participate in activities to help develop total person that is needed for excellent human relations. | |||
| Daniel L. Awald | Awald/td> | Morgan Township School | 1956 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1956 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1968 Agricultural Education |
1956 – 1989 Morgan Township School, Porter Co., Valparaiso, IN, Vocational Agriculture Teacher 1991 – 1994 Oregon Davis High School, Hamlet, IN, Vocational Agriculture Teacher |
Parents, High school Principal, Mr. D.J. Wahl, Math-Biology teacher – Mr. Stanley Merica who were both at Grovertown School. | Animal Husbandry (An. Sci), Ag Mech. Classes, Basic Science. | Restored 8 tractors, teaching animal health, Agriculture Management, and 30 years of adult classes. | Become involved in the total community and school not only Vocational Agriculture. | |||
| Duane Edward Anderson | Anderson | 37 years in veterinary medicine in 2002 | 1956 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1956 Agricultural Education DVM Purdue 1965 Veterinary Medicine |
After graduating, military, then farming with my father, I went to Vet School. 37 years in Phoenix, AZ small animal veterinary practice that I owned. Sold 10 years ago and just received final payment this year. Voc. Ag. set me up for the discipline of study and organization for the 160 hour credits I had to have in 4 years at Purdue. Would recommend Vo Ag to any young person. | My mother was a teacher, graduated from IU in 1932 and my father was a farmer. Admired teachers. Purdue land grant college. Tuition lower for farmers. Teaching a good profession. (Aunt and Uncle were teachers in 1 room schools grades 1 thru 8). | Good professors up & down learning experience. Was not good student. Studied in the library constantly. Had constant concern for flunking. No real good memorable times. Always concerned about next exam. 20 hours per semester due to required military. All good for me but lots of work. | Was DVM 9 years after graduation. 2 years military; 3 years on farm; 4 years getting DVM and being married. Wife taught Biology at Klondike during 4 years of Vet School. (Wife graduated in 1959 with a double major from I.U. in Biology & Home Economics) | Farm people are Salt of the Earth. Can’t go wrong dealing with them. They have been through life and death of livestock and dry years in farming. They know the real world. | Study Hard; make good grades; prepare to be the best teacher. Wife enjoyed teaching Biology and the children. At my graduation, Voc. Ag. Teachers with experience were looking for jobs due to large school consolidations. | ||
| Gerald O. Dudley, PhD | Dudley | Luxury Real Estate Agent | 1956 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1956 Agricultural Education/Science Master’s Purdue 1963 Educational Counseling/Administration PhD Purdue 1970 Career Counseling/Administration |
1956 – 1957 – Ag Ed Teacher 1956 – 1966 – Active/Reserve Army Commander 1959 – 1962 – Farm Bureau Insurance Sales 1962 – 1969 – Guidance Director of South Bend 1969 – 1970 – Regional Director Indiana Education 1970 – 1982 – Director Indiana Career Resource Center South Bend 1971 – 1982 – Professor IUSB 1982 – 1986 – Vice President Bethel College, Mishawaka 1986 – 1990 – Fund Raiser, The Phoenix Zoo, Arizona 1990 – 1994 – Adult Program Manager, Bethel College 1994 – 2010 – Realtor in Arizona 2000 – Present – Partner in www.careerfit-test.com |
High School Ag Educator | Practical application of theories & ag practices. | Introduction to my wife of 55 years. | Dairy farmer from birth. | Complete my career test: www.careerfit-test.com | ||
| James E. McQuire | McQuire | Western Kentucky University | 1956 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1956 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1959 Agricultural Education & Ag Econ PhD Purdue 1966 Education & Ag Econ |
1956 – 1958 USMC Artillery Officer 3 rd Division in Japan, Okinawa, Philippines 1958 Graduate Assistant Purdue 1959 – 1960 Vernon High School, Vo Ag Teacher 1961 – 1963 Jackson Central, Hamilton County, Vo Ag Teacher 1963 – 1966 Purdue, Ag Ed Instructor 1966 – 1968 Purdue Indianapolis, Coordinator Continuing Education 1968 – 1991 Western Kentucky University, Professor Ag Ed/Ag Econ with timeout for University of Florida 2½ years. 1991 – Present Various Assignments |
Martin Watson my high school Vo Ag Teacher. Ralph Bentley and James Clouse (Teacher Educator and Student Teacher Supervisor) showed and described opportunities. | Ag Ed exchange with Ohio State University. Attending National FFA Convention, Entomology and other laboratories with fellow aged students. Fellowship within AgEd Club and student cooperative association. | Reactivating voag programs at Vernon and Jackson Central High Schools. Developing Junior Livestock cooperative at JCHS – NH Coop Institute. Organizing and teaching Young Farmer and Adult Farmers. | Teaching agriculture 4 years at Universities in Cameroun, Kenya and Belize. Short term consulting in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Romania, Macedonia, and Equatorial Guinea. | Get a broad training to include foreign experiences. Make all your time and efforts count. Live by the golden rule. Follow up on opportunities to progress and serve. | ||
| Monte Juillerat | Juillerat | IUPUI | 1956 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1956 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1958 Agricultural Economics PhD Purdue 1959 Agricultural Economics |
Paul Keffaber, Washington Center and Joe Metzger, South Whitley were good role models – Energetic, Intelligent, Enjoyed their work. | Paid all my expenses myself, so was working nearly all the time if not in class or sleeping. | Memories are all tied to students some of whom are still friends. | Don’t enter the teaching profession. I had a very successful, enjoyable life; but would never do it in current environment. | ||||
| Donald Huff | Huff | Ivy Tech State College | 1958 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1958 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1961 Educ. Admin./Agri Engineer PhD Purdue incomplete Educ. Admin. |
1958 Voc Agri Instructor in Township High School, Burnettsville, IN 1963 First Voc Agri teacher at Twin Lakes School Corp. Monticello, IN 1969 Administrator to establish Regional Ivy Tech Institute, Lafayette, IN 1985 Administrator to formulate student personnel services in Ivy Tech Center, Logansport, IN 1994 Retired Administrator to operate Family Book Distribution Business |
We were nurtured and groomed by the enthusiasm of W.S. Weaver during his influential tenure in the Delphi Public School System. | We were impressed with the strong professional leadership and personal exposure we received from the instructional staff, field trips, laboratory experiences, and research development. | We have been blessed to remain near the agriculture community of White County as we administered the Ivy Tech State College. We have witnessed many teachers, agribusiness owners and large family farm corporations develop from the youth and families we were privileged to teach. | We were allowed to administer a tiny Vocational/Tech Institute that became the largest enrolled State College in Indiana. It seems comparable to the experience of a new mother delivering her first new born child. | Accept the responsibility placed in your pathway to open the minds of the students placed before you, that you are not just another teacher. | ||
| E. Wayne Courtney | Courtney | Oregon State University in 1992 | 1953 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1953 Forestry Bachelor’s Purdue 1957 Agriculture Master’s Purdue 1958 Agriculture Education PhD Purdue 1962 Agriculture Education Postdoctorate Oregon State University 1971 Statistics |
Eimore Twp. H.S. (Elnora) 1949, Graduate and Class Valedictorian; Forest Service employee (Idaho), during summers of 1950-51 (Liberty Twp. School, Kitchel), 1958 Voc Ag and Science Teacher; Princeton Twp. School (Wolcott), 1959 Voc Ag and Science Teacher; Voc Ag Teacher Trainer (Parke Co. Schools), 1960-62; Professor, Vocational and Technical Education Program Adviser, and Assistant Dean, The Graduate College, University of Wisconsin (Stout), 1962-1972; Fulbright Senior Research Scholar (Thailand), 1993. Professor, Oregon State University 1972 – 1992. | My father and grandfather, both from farming backgrounds. My instructional and leadership duties in the military lead me to be interested in teaching and training. | Work with Martin Mohler, Purdue Beef Cattle Research Center; Dr. E.E. Clanin, Vocational Ag Department Head and my M.S. degree Advisor at Purdue, Winnie Weaver, Voc Ag Teacher Trainer at Delphi Schools, and especially Dr. John Coster, my Ph.D Major Advisor at Purdue. | FFA and 4-H advisor (Kitchel and Wolcott) and Young and Adult Farmer classes at both schools. I was responsible for building a First Class department at Wolcott. | Management of a 200-acre farm in Dunn County, Wisconsin while teaching at UW-Stout, Farm work with Elmer Lee, livestock and grain farmer and manager, in Daviess County, Indiana, and following the wheat harvest as a combine operator (South Dakota). | Obtain as much practical hands-on diversified farm and related agriculture experience as possible before going into the field to teach. Always keep that rural-farm attitude toward everyone you meet, especially toward parents of farm kids. | ||
| Robert Brinson | Brinson | Clinton Central School Corporation | 1958 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1958 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1965 Agricultural Education/School Admin. EdS Purdue 1978 School Administration/School Supt. |
Taught Vocational Agriculture and Chemistry 1 year at Fayette Central High School near Connersville, IN. Then 2 years in U.S. Army as Transportation Officer at Camp Kilmer, N.J. In 1961 was hired as Vocational Agriculture Teacher at Clinton Central High School and taught 12 years. My next career move was being named the Junior-Senior High School Principal for 5 years, High School Principal for 8 years and Superintendent of Schools for 12 years retiring in 1998 – all at Clinton Central. | My father, Gaylord “Doc” Brinson was a vocational agriculture teacher at Moreland, Mt. Summit and Blue River Valley High School for 40 years. We won the State FFA Livestock Judging Contest in 1953 and went to the National Contest in Kansas City. I rode with my father on many farm visits. | Ellsworth Christmas and I were in many classes together and we were fortunate to be assigned to do our student teaching at Spiceland High School under Morris Norfleet. He was an exceptional supervising teacher and he became part of the Purdue Department of Education and later President of Morehead State University in Kentucky. |
Having my FFA Chapter being named Indiana No. 1 FFA Chapter 4 times. Winning the FFA State Parliamentary Procedure Contest 4 times and having many livestock, crops, soils, and dairy judging teams do very well in state and national contests. | I believe my education at Purdue University and as a vocational agriculture teacher helped prepare me to be a successful school administrator. Learning to better communicate, plan, and lead helped me be very successful. | Take a sincere interest in every student you teach. Work hard to help each student achieve and your FFA Chapter Teams achieve and when they do you will have some of the greatest awards of life. | ||
| Robert L. (Bob) Eddleman | Eddleman | USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service | 1959 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1959 Agriculture Education Master’s University of Oklahoma 1976 Public Administration |
1959 – 1963 Soil Conservationist 1963 – 1968 District Conservationist 1968 – 1972 Rensselaer, Area Conservationist 1972 – 1975 Syracuse, New York, Assistant State Conservationist 1975 – 1980 Champaign, Illinois, Deputy State Conservationist 1980 – 2000 State Conservationist for Indiana 2004 to present Member Indiana State Soil Conservation Board (three years as Chairman). Work part-time for the Hoosier Heartland Resource Conservation and Development Council as their Project Director for invasive plant control. Completing my 44 th year as a 4H Club Leader |
Jim Kaiser – Ag teacher at Milltown High School, Roy Ewbank – Extension Agent in Crawford County and Donald Sloan – Soil Conservationist in Crawford County. All three taught me the importance of helping people understand the need for agricultural education and led me to a career in teaching soil and water conservation to land users and young people entering the profession. | The classes and student teaching were the most memorable, but serving as President of Agriculture Education Society, Poultry Club and the Agriculture Council were also highlights as well as developing friendships that have lasted. | Working with Bill McVay at South Whitley during my student teaching was the highlight. Doing the student teaching experience with Don Pennington cemented a lifelong acquaintance with an outstanding teacher and administrator. |
I have always considered my work with helping land users do a better job in caring for natural resources as a teaching experience. Without doubt the cooperative work of agribusiness, soil and water conservation districts, USDA, Purdue Extension, farm organizations, ag media and others in changing the culture of Indiana landowners from one fo excessive tillage to modern conservation cropping systems involving no-till, conservation buffers, nutrient management and cover crops since the early 1980’s is the highlight along with helping establish the T by 2000, Clean Water Indiana and the Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative for Indiana’s Soil and Water Conservation efforts. | Learn the technical aspects, the people aspects and become fully knowledgeable of the natural, human and economic resources of the area you serve. | ||
| Randell W. Quimby | Quimby | N. Montgomery School Corporation | 1959 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1959 Agriculture Education Master’s Purdue 1960 Administration (Secondary) Sixth-Year-Certification Purdue & Indiana University 1962 Administration |
Spencer High School- Agriculture Teacher 1960-1963 Darlington High School- Principal 1-12: 1963-1990 |
Bob Wright- agriculture teacher in Greene County- he thought I would be a good agriculture teacher. | When I worked at the Purdue Agriculture Research Farm. | Visiting my FFA boys at Spencer. | Ford Dealership in Spencer loaned the FFA a tractor to put out our crops. | Maintain and learn diversity in different phases of agriculture and agribusiness. | ||
| John D. Hasler | Hasler | USDA | 1959 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1959 Agriculture Education Master’s Purdue 1965 Agriculture Education/ Administration |
1959 – 1963 Epsom High School, Taught Agriculture and Science 1963 – 1965 Purdue 1965 – 1966 Elnora High School, Taught Agriculture and Science 1966 – 1991 USDA- Farmers Home Administration, County Supervisor Local Officer 1991 – Present, Farm owner and operator |
Ronald Frettee | Met many lifelong friends. | Had many wonderful students, friends with many of them today | ||||
| James L. Schwarzkopf | Schwarzkopf | Southern Wells Jr/Sr High School in 2006 as Principal | 1959 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1959 Agriculture Education Master’s Ball State 1963 Guidance & Counseling Master’s Ball State 1967 Secondary Administration |
1959 -1967 Eaton Jr. Sr. Eaton Jr/Sr High School in Delaware County, Vocational Agriculture Teacher 1967 – 1970 Eaton K-8 School with 800 students, Principal 1970 – 1976 Hamilton Jr. Sr. High School (Grades 7-12) at Hamilton, Indiana, Principal 1976 – 2006 Southern Wells Jr. Sr. High School near Poneto, Indiana, Principal |
Burton Brinkerhoff was my Agriculture Teacher and 4-H Leader at Montpelier High School. I enjoyed all of his classes and he encouraged me to go to Purdue. Later he was my Principal when I was teaching at Eaton. He was my role model. I have not regretted that decision. | Being inducted into CERES, an Agriculture Honor Society. Student teaching at Garrett High School Field Trips to the Purdue Agriculture Farms Agriculture Economics classes with John Hicks Living at Stellar Brothers Co-op House |
Providing hands on experiences, such as building a round metal corn storage bin for a farmer. Having a forestry FFA team place 3 rd in the state FFA contest. Watching the faces of students as they grasp a concept in the classroom. Having success in livestock judging, forestry/entomology judging, FFA Leadership contests. Daily classroom instruction and experiences. |
I have not been in an agribusiness since I was an agriculture teacher. I was raised on a dairy/livestock crop farm and was glad for those experiences as I related them to my teaching. I have always been in education. | Teaching agriculture and leading an FFA chapter is very rewarding as you watch youth grow and mature in their experiences in agriculture. Preparing youth for life in a field you love provides memorable experiences. Be sure you love young people/students. Be committed to education. Be sure you have a broad knowledge of Agribusiness and enjoy working long hours. | ||
| Edward F. Pollock | Pollock | Extension Service 30 years and Currently work at Wayne Dairy Products, Inc. 20 years | 1959 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1959 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1968 Extension Education |
1/8/1960 – 4/8/1962 U.S. Army (ROTC) 5/1962 – 2/1992 Cooperative Extension Service 3/1/1992 – Present Field Representative for Smith’s Dairy Richmond, IN |
Frank B. Maitlen – vocational agriculture teacher, Noble Twp. School, Wolf Lake, IN 1950 – 1954. | Ag Education Society | No classroom experience other than student teaching. | Good subject matter background. A lot of opportunity as a role model and one on one experiences. | Go for it. | ||
| Charles E. Taylor | Taylor | USDI – Office of Surface Mining | 1959 | Bachelor’s Purdue Jan 1959 Ag Ed; Biology & Chemistry Minors Master’s Purdue June 1960 Animal Science – Non-thesis PhD Purdue June 1972 Forestry |
1959 – January – June Lewisville, IN, Vo Ag, Teacher (Dr. Clouse visited me.) 1960 – June to May 30, 1962 English, IN, Vo Ag Biology, & Chemistry Teacher September 1962 – June 1966 University of Dubuque, Iowa, Biology instructor June 1966 – May 1969 at University of Evansville, IN, Biology instructor January 1979 – January 1998 USDI – Office of Surface Mining 1998 – Retired 1998 – 2000 Asgrow Seed Company, Part time |
I took a math course while in the army in Germany in 1955 and decided I wasn’t cut out to be an Ag Engineer and choose what appeared to be the best option. Paul Stopenhagen (Wesley Foundation) convinced me to try college teaching which I loved. |
We had top professors who took a real interest in us. Soils under Dr. Bertrand, Ag Econ – Dr. Kohls and Dr. Woods, AnSc – Dr. Plumlee, Botany – Dr. Postlethwait, Farm Shop, Agronomy – Dr. Chuck Rhykerd, Horticulture. Student teaching under Ron Frette at Washington, IN was really a great experience. Ron (?) Johnson Ag & Science teacher at Attica for years was the other student teacher with me. We stayed with the Meyer’s parents (Robert – Brownstown). | Lewisville was a better school than English. I actually had students at Lewisville who were interested and who entered agriculture. | I worked five years as assistant manager of a wholesale/retail animal health supply business. The diversity of training gave me the background I needed. | Take really good minors (or double majors). Know your ag chemistry and keep on training!!! | ||
| Dale W. Redding | Redding | 1960 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1960 Agricultural Education Master’s Ball State 1972 Leadership in Community Service |
1960 – 1962 Cadiz High School, Vo Ag Teacher 1962 – 1965 Morgan County, Purdue Cooperative Extension Service 1965 – 1967 Noble County, Purdue Cooperative Extension Service 1967 – 1976 Dearborn & Ohio Counties, Purdue Cooperative Extension Service 1976 – 1994 LaGrange County, Purdue Cooperative Extension Service June 1974 – December, USDA Armenia |
Arlin Brown’s Farm Machinery classes and Animal Science class. Helping Young Sup Chang train a calf to lead and assisting him with Genetics. Dr. Wayne Keim. |
My Adult Farmer classes in Electric Wiring and No Till 1960 – 62. | Try to get some international experiences in life as soon as possible! | |||||
| James Taylor | Taylor | Anderson Community Schools and also retired as a Colonel in the U.S. Army/Army Reserve | 1960 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1960 Agricultural Education Master’s Ball State 1965 Science |
1960 – 1961 Petroleum High School, Agriculture and Science teacher 1961 – 1963 U.S. Army, Ft. Hood, Texas 1963 – 1997 Highland High School – Vocational Agribusiness and Science teacher, the last 20+ years Cooperative Vocational Education 1960 – 1988 U.S. Army/Army Reserve |
Mr. Ed Brown – Petroleum High School – Agriculture Teacher. Stressed the value of educational opportunities to a small country school kid. Mr. Mauri Williamson Purdue – reinforced the message that Ed was giving. |
Being inducted into Ceres and Alpha Zeta. Being selected for advanced ROTC. Classes with Dr. Postelwaite, Dr. Keim and Dr. Kohls and the many other outstanding instructors. |
Seeing students attain what they felt was unattainable. | Ability to communicate with others. | Be able to keep abreast of current and emerging technologies and then be able to communicate this to others. | ||
| John Goble | Goble | Fulton-Marshall Coop | 1960 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1960 Agricultural Education | 1960 – 1965 Voc Ag. Teacher, Chemistry, Science 1965 – 1967 Ag Chem Enterprize, Plant Food Chemical Sales 1967 – 1970 Custom Farm Service, Manager 1970 – 1975 Pulaski County Coop, Crops Department Manager 1975 – 1992 Indiana Farm Bureau Coop, Crops Division Sales & Service 1992 – 2002 Pulaski County Coop at Fulton-Marshall Coop, Crops Manager, Assistant to General Manager |
My vocational Ag Teacher, Malcom Lawrence. | Graduation | Taking a Livestock Judging Team to the International Livestock Show and placing 5 th out of 38 teams. | Teaching adult coop employee’s sales courses as well as management and sales management. Also crops agronomy. |
Above all else be honest. Remember, education begins where the student is not where you are. | ||
| Mel Vance | Vance | Teaching at North Montgomery High School in 1992 and from Nursery/Xmas tree business in 2006 | 1960 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1960 Agricultural Education and Biology Master’s University of Kentucky 1967 Guidance |
I taught Ag and Biology at Waynetown from 1960 to 1970 and developed an active FFA Chapter. Waynetown was consolidated into North Montgomery in 1970 and I was there until I retired from teaching in 1992. When our kids were in FFA they had started growing Xmas trees. When I retired from teaching our three children had finished their education at Purdue and I expanded the tree operation. Eventually, we were growing 5-6 thousand trees and selling both cut Xmas trees and live B&B trees. | C.M. Foster was my Ag teacher and changed my life. I was the first and only person in my extended family to go to college and he was the person who made me believe anything was possible. | Ag Ed was not very exciting while I was at Purdue until Jim Clouse came along my senior year. I am very pleased with the people who are responsible for Ag Ed at Purdue over the past several years. We have come a long ways since the 1950’s. | Strangers are always impressed when you tell them you are a Purdue grad. When I was a kid growing up in Palmyra, Indiana, I never dreamed such a thing was possible. | One of my most cherished memories is the 1983 National Land judging contest. We were the National Runner Up to Si Deeb’s team from Rochester and we had the high individual. Other than FFA activities, the Horticulture program that I developed at North Montgomery was a very rewarding experience for not only the students but for our school and the entire community. I still get lots of positive comments from former students and lots of calls from people with horticulture questions. | My advice for anyone who plans to be an Ag teacher is to know that every student who enters your classroom has the potential to be really good at something. Your job is to discover what that talent might be and then help it develop. Remember that your main goal, regardless of the subject matter, it to teach the 3 R’s – Responsibility, Resourcefulness, and Respect. | ||
| Richard L. Wright | Wright | Santa Fe ISD in 2002 | 1960 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1960 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1967 Agricultural Education |
1960 – 1961 Gilboa Twp – (Benton Co), Taught 5, 6, 7 th , & 8 th grade General Ag 1961 – 1962 Worked in feed processing, teacher substitute, Taught Vo Ag at Patriot, IN 1962 – 1974 Taught Vo AG at Morocco and North Newton High School (Classes in Ag Production, General Ag, Ag Mechanics, Co-op, Conservation, Adult Education, Young Farmer Chapter. District Director, IVA representative, local Classroom President, Attended NVATA Convention, Attended the organizational meeting of FFA Alumni. Critic teacher for Vo Ag seniors from Purdue). 1974 – 1978 Taught Vo Ag at Lowell High School (Classes in production, mechanics and horticulture. Taught Adult Education, Supervised active Young Farmer Chapter, supervised 60 acre land laboratory. Attended National FFA Convention). 1978 – 1981 Taught Vo Ag at Manchester Community High School. Supervised Land Laboratory. 1981 – 2002 Taught Farm and Ranch to learning disabled students in grades 7-12 at the Jr and Sr High School at Santa Fe ISD, Santa Fe, TX. Also taught HS classes in Ag Mechanics and Horticulture and other vocational courses as needed. Taught adult education classes for College of the Mainland. I taught JH technology education for four years. |
The three individuals that influenced me choosing to teach Vo Ag were my father who introduced me to agriculture, my high school principal, Mr. Beck, who literally insisted that I major in agriculture, and Carl Scott my first Ag teacher who demonstrated what an agriculture teacher does. | Sr cord day, Convocations at Hall of Music, Student teaching under Ray Bundy. | Obtaining my first job teaching Vo Ag, “supervised farm visits, teaching adult/Young Farmer Classes, leadership and judging contests, attending the NVATA convention. | You are well prepared, utilize your advisory committee, give students and FFA officers responsibility, keep administration and faculty informed about your program, support your professional organizations, be Firm, Friendly, and Fair with all students. | |||
| Coleman Harris | Harris | United States Department of Education, Washington, DC, Education Program Specialist, National FFA Executive Secretary |
1961 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1961 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1964 School Administration |
1961 – 1964 Cass High School, Vo Ag teacher/FFA Advisor – Young Americans 1964 – 1965 University of Maryland, National FFA Fellowship 1965 – 1967 Indiana FFA Executive Secretary 1967 – 1977 National FFA Organization, Program Specialist 1977 – 2007 National FFA Executive Secretary |
Dad and mom – both teachers and we farmed. | Falling asleep in Jim Clouse’s class. | Many but having teams and officers in FFA at district and state level. | Well, I didn’t leave the class I just worked to help teachers in their classes and activities. | Find a way to have a complete instructional plan and teaching materials for the year before school starts. Visit each student before school starts. Find a spouse that loves working with you in teaching/FFA. | ||
| John Gerard | Gerard | JGL, Inc. Plymouth, IN | 1961 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1961 Agricultural Education | 1961 – 1964 Pine Village High School, Pine Village, IN., Vo Ag Teacher 1964 – 1970 Manager Indiana Crop Improvement Assoc., Lafayette, IN 1970 – 1979 President/owner VR Seeds, Inc. Plymouth, IN 1979 – 1982 VP Agrimetrics, Plymouth, IN 1982 – 2009 President/owner JGL, Inc. Plymouth, IN |
My mom and dad: mom a life-long teacher and dad a farmer. | Meeting some great Ag leaders and fellow students who became real leaders. | Kids – loved the kids and their thirst to learn. | Running a seed business was always about teaching. | Enjoy what you do. | ||
| Larry Ray | Ray | Being a United Methodist Pastor. Started in 1965 in ministries currently Parish Visitor at N.Manchester UMC, N.Manchester, IN |
1961 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1961 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1965 Education/Counseling MDiv United Theological Seminary 1969 M. Div Theology |
1961 – 1962 Urbana High School which then became the new consolidated Metro School District of Wabash County 1962 – 1965 Northfield Jr. Sr. High School with Walt Penrod in the two teacher Vo Ag Department 1965 – 1969 United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio 1969 – 2004 United Methodist Pastor in Northern Indiana churches 1996 – 2004 Finishing as District Superintendent in the Fort Wayne District |
I was active in 4-H, 10 years. My school, Cloverdale High School, didn’t offer Vo Ag. Kenny Harris, County Agent, was always very supportive of me and it was just natural to go to Purdue and study Agriculture. Ag Ed seemed a natural for me. Dr. James Clouse was very supportive to me as well as the other Ag Ed Staff 1957 – 1961. | Developing close friendships with other students – and the neat one-on-one relationships. I enjoyed the professors. Six of us students have maintained regular “reunions” every 6 months for the past 51 years! | It was a privilege to begin teaching in a small high school (Urbana in Wabash County) and work with Walt Penrod in developing the two teacher VoAg Department at Northfield High School and teach there 3 more years. | Not Agribusiness but my training and then teaching VoAg was a great benefit in the ministry the rest of my career. Personal relationships and working with all people has been a joy. | It is important to get to know your students, their home background and what they are interested in and then to be available to them and support them through your teaching and personal relationship with them. | ||
| Robert D. Caley | Caley | Bellmont High School in 2001 | 1961 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1961 Agricultural education Master’s Indiana 1970 MAT Earth Science N |
1961 – 1977 Ossian High School, Vo Ag Instructor 1977 – 1978 Blackford High School, Vo Ag Instructor 1978 – 1985 Farmed and Raised Hogs Fulltime (In 1980 first semester taught VoAg at Norwell) 1985 – 2001 Bellmont High School, Agricultural Science and Business teacher (Started the program in 1985 with one Agriculture class and taught Science and Biology. In 1986 started an Agriculture Club and Judging Teams. In 1987 had 3 Agriculture classes and Biology and Plant & Soil Sciences, opened existing greenhouse for plant & soils, setup aquaculture facility for waste water into greenhouse, raised tilapia and harvested for Agr. Club Fish Fry. In 1988 Animal Science classes conducted feeding trials with 100 baby chicks. In 1993 – 94 received FFA Charter. From 1994 to 2001 FFA officers attended camps and becam involved in local, state and national activities. |
Douglass LeMaster – High School Agriculture Instructor. Doug’s example of living and work ethic. Excellent educator and model citizen. | Jack Frost’s Animal Science classes and Eldon Hood’s Agronomy classes | Watching urban students become sincerely interested in agriculture and become successful scholars and better adjusted students. | Ag Management Classes | There are no greater rewards than witnessing average students become A+ students and great leaders in Vo Ag and FFA. Set your goals, Don’t let anyone stop you. Let God be your guide!! One of my professors told me to go home, forget college. “He told me I would never be a successful teacher.” I proved him wrong. I spent 33½ years enjoying my success as a teacher. | ||
| Robert R. Fraser | Fraser | Indiana Farm Bureau | 1961 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1961 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1964 Agricultural Education |
1964 – 1974 Worked for several fertilizer companies: Olin Mathison, Sohio Chemical & Chevron Chemical Co. 1974 – 1976 Golden Harvest, Seed Corn District Managet 1976 – Retirement Indiana Farm Bureau Fieldman |
Simon Deeb, Vo Ag Instructor, Rochester High School, Rochester, Indiana. He led by example. | Friendships and student teaching | Did give a lot of educational promotional meetings. | Good Luck | |||
| Roger G. Williams | Williams | Clarksville Community School corporation, Clarksville, IN | 1961 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1961 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1963 Education Ed.S. Indiana State University 1976 Educational Administration – Superintendent |
1963 – 1965 Sand Creek High School, (South Decatur), Vocational Agriculture teacher 1965 – 1967 Thorntown High School (Western Boone), Vocational Agriculture teacher 1967 – 1971 Washington High School (Washington Community), Vocational Agriculture teacher 1971 – 1982 Washington High School (Washington Community), Principal 1982 – 1993 North Harrison Community School Corporation, Ramsey, IN, Superintendent 1993 – 1995 Clarksville Community School Corporation, Business Manager 1995 – 1999 Clarksville Community School Corporation, Superintendent 1999 – 2000 Clarksville Community School Corporation, Business Manager |
Mr. Ronald Frette, Vocational Agriculture teacher at Washington High School a long time family friend, role model, and mentor. He was my supervising teacher and later was assistant superintendent when I was teaching and Principal at Washington | Being in class with some outstanding professors in the schools of Agriculture, Education, and Science; a cold windy trip to Michigan for a soil judging competition, Agriculture Engineering class, working in Dean Pfendler’s office and as a floor counselor during graduate school. | Working with so many farm families in a variety of settings and sharing learning experience in and out of the classroom with their sons and daughters. | Dr. Clouse in particular frequently reminded us, both during our college years, and later in conferences, of the importance of preparing for a changing future and equipping ourselves for the skills needed to initiate those changes. The sharing of our work experiences and families with five fellow Ag Ed Class of 61 graduates on a regular basis. | It is still an exciting and challenging field and our political and business leaders are increasingly aware of the need for more training in the basic vocational and communications skills. | ||
| Don K. Davenport | Davenport | Shenandoah School Corporation in 1995 | 1962 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1962 Agri Educ/Biol/Science Master’s St. Francis – Ft. Wayne 1967 Education/Biology PhD Purdue 1977 Administration/Supervision |
1962 – 1970 Union North United, Lakeville, IN, Vo Ag and Biology teacher 1970 – 1975 Dewey Twp School, LaCrosse, IN, Principal 1975 – 1977 Jimtown High School, Elkhart, IN, Principal 1977 – 1980 Baugo Community Schools, Elkhart, IN, Superintendent 1980 – 1987 SW Park, Montezuma, IN, Superintendent 1987 – 1995 Shenandoah, Middletown, IN, Superintendent retired in 1995 |
Gene Pruitt – his demeanor as a Vo- Ag teacher he later became a Superintendent. | Being around Dr. Jim Clouse and the other instructors. Ag Chili supper for graduating seniors. | Seeing students grow and succeed. Having several students become Vo-Ag teachers (Shidler, 2 – Redmans, Quivey, McCollough). | Enjoy the experience working and directing young students. You are the leader in your community and an inspiration to your students. | |||
| Jack Simmerman | Simmerman | Owen Valley High School, Spencer, Indiana | 1962 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1962 Agriculture Education Master’s Purdue 1966 Agriculture Economics |
Started teaching agriculture and general science at Spencer High School in August 1964 (attended graduate school for two years after receiving bachelor’s degree). In 1970-1971 Spencer High School was part of the consolidation creating Owen Valley High School. I taught high school agriculture at Owen Valley until July 2002. | Leonard Vaught was my agriculture teacher during high school at Orleans High School and it was his influence that brought about my interest. Then working with Jim Clouse at Purdue made the decision a real goal. | First, I lived and worked at the Purdue Dairy Center during my under graduate year. Second, was a great experience with various faculty members of the School of Agriculture and the Agriculture Education Staff. Being involved in a variety of student organizations was a very important part of the preparation to enter the real world. |
Difficult in 38 years there were many — most involving the moment of realization for a student when they grasp a concept. | There is a great many opportunities for a fulfilling experience when considering the entire field of agriculture. | |||
| Jerald L. Sendelweck | Sendelweck | New Albany – Floyd Co. Schools | 1962 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1962 Agricultural education Master’s Washington University 1966 Science Education (Chemistry) |
1962 – 1965 Jefferson Twp. School, Otwell, IN – Vocational Agriculture & Science Teacher 1966 – 1995 New Albany – Floyd Co. Schools – Chemistry, Biology and General Science Teacher |
|||||||
| Phillip D. Sparks | Sparks | Murray State University as Director of Telecommunications Management in 2005 | 1962 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1962 Ag Ed Master’s DePauw 1963 Botany PhD Purdue 1965 Biological Sciences—Plant Morphology |
1965 -1978 University of Wisconsin LaCrosse 1978 – 1983 Murray State University, Assistant Dean College of Environmental Science 1983 – 2000 MicroAge Computer Center, Murray, KY 2000 – 2005 Telecommunications System Management – Director — 2005 to Present Life Coaching Consultants, Owner |
I did not teach Agriculture but my ag teacher John Turner (Pimento 1957) influenced me to go to Purdue. | Trips to Purdue Farms. Dr. Long (Poultry) jokes, Alpha Zeta./td> | Did not teach agriculture – Discovered the impact of Locus of Control on achievement in 1976 while a professor at University of Wisconsin – LaCrosse. | Keep your options open to move into other areas of opportunity. Make connections throughout your career | |||
| Robert V. Ferguson | Ferguson | Red Bird Mission, Beverly, KY, Director of Education | 1963 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1963 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1968 Ag Ed, Ag Eng, School Admin EdS Purdue 1980 School Supervision |
1963 – 1970 North White High School, Monon, IN., Agriculture Teacher 1970 – 1974 North Decatur Jr. – Sr. High School, Greensburg, IN, Assistant Principal 1974 – 1976 South Decatur Jr. – Sr. High School, Westport, IN, Principal 1976 – 1988 West Washington Jr. – Sr. High School, Campbellsburg, IN, Principal 1988 – 1993 Daleville Community Schools, Daleville, IN, Superintendent 1994 – 2009 Red Bird Mission, Beverly, KY, Director of Education |
H. Ross Brown was my Ag Teacher at Campbellsburg High School, Campbellsburg, IN. He was a good teacher and a good friend. | Student teaching at Hanover, IN for Delmar Johnson. I ran a glass tube through my hand teaching Chemistry. | Taking 2 students to the State Fair in 1966. One won a greased pig and I brought it home in the back seat of my car. | Hang in There! | |||
| Dale Butcher | Butcher | Benton Community School Corporation | 1964 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1961 General Agriculture Master’s Purdue 1964 Agricultural Education |
1961 – 1962 Allis Chalmers Mfg., Sales Trainer 1962 – 1964 Ferry Morse Seed Company, Sales 1964 – 2002 Benton Community School Corporation, Agriculture Teacher |
Jack Simmerman – While working at the Purdue Dairy Farm milking cows – discussed career choices. My high school Ag Teacher, Mr. Sabin at Goshen High School. | Traveling to Southern Indiana to make a presentation to supervising teachers and student teaching at East Tipp. | President of Indiana (1975 & 2000) and National (1982 and 1983) Agriculture Teachers Associations. | Be flexible and be a “people” person. | |||
| Donald F. Connelly | Connelly | North Judson/San Pierre High School | Entrepreneurship Educational Services, Inc. http://theentrepreneurialrecipe.com/ researching and developing online curricula | 1964 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1964 Agricultural Education | 1964-'66 Maconaquah High School 1964-1983 Business owner- Connelly Insurance Agency-sold family business to return to Purdue. Renewed teacher's license 1984-'92 Western High School- participated in writing team. Coauthored self published Dr. William H. Hamilton, Dr. D. Howard Doster and myself. Dr. Hamilton led writing team. 1992 Delmar Publishers, Inc. published entrepreneurship titles-text & student workbook 1994 Ohio Agricultural Education Curriculum Materials Services (CMS) published adult entrepreneurship text version 1996 CMS published student workbook and instructor's manual 1997 International teaching/consulting for Purdue University funded by the Mellon Foundation 1998 Entrepreneurship text and workbook translated into Polish language by Dr. Josef Kania Agricultural University at Krakow 1998 Land '0 Lakes Teaching and small business consultant in Warsaw Poland 1997 Formed Connelly Rental LLC-rental property manager 1997-'99 Small business trainer/consultant in Kyrghyz Republic funded by The Ohio State University 1997 Formed Entrepreneurship Educational Services, Inc. international training |
A neighbor and friend Dean David Pfendler, Counselor. Dr. Phil Teske, Dr. Jim Clouse offered counsel during undergraduate studies. 1963 Dr. Avery Gray supportive mentor- gained classroom experience completing my class room teaching at East Tipp High School | Classroom teaching experience under Dr. Avery Gray's supervision at East Tipp High School. | 1984-'92 Opportunity to innovative when returning to teaching profession at Western High School Participated on a writing team spearheaded by Dr. Hamilton. Interacting with my agribusiness students as we were fieldtesting manuscripts-a neat dialogue. The rewards: today, some of those wormy students are successful entrepreneurs! A parting comment, no regrets that we sold our family business to return to the teaching profession |
Living on a small family farm and summer employment for neighbor farm family. | Be innovative or else choose another profession. Seek a mentor teacher. Implement technology in the daily instruction. Be a Trailblazer-your students will know why you chose the profession. Keep your life's priorities in order! |
|
| John D. McKinney | McKinney | Danville Community Schools, Superintendent in 2008 | 1965 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1965 Agricultural Education, Biology, General Science Master’s Purdue 1973 Education, Technology PhD Indiana 1991 Leadership Development/Curr. & Instr. |
1965 – 1967 Rockville High School, Agriculture Teacher (also taught Science) 1967 – 1975 Sheridan High School, Agriculture Teacher 1975 – 1980 Tipton High School, Assistant Principal 1980 – 1985 Northwestern High School (Howard Co), Principal 1985 – 1987 Northwestern Schools, Assistant Superintendent 1987 – 1992 Cloverdale, Superintendent of Schools 1992 – 1994 Zionsville, Superintendent of Schools 1994 – 2008 Danville Community Schools, Superintendent |
Jim Clouse – enthusiasm – love of FFA – example of gentleman educator. | Floyd Mullins & Gary Hodgen & I “raising the curve” in 4 of our senior courses. Ag Mgmt courses in Econ Department. | Winning state contests; the look in a student’s eyes when “he got it”. Having a positive influence & changing the lives of some “difficult” kids! | Get back to the basics of an issue Make no demand that you wouldn’t do Believe in your being that you will make a difference! – then do it! |
Do so with an open heart & willingness to “engage” students Be an example – so needed It is a calling – do not do so without that feeling. |
||
| Donald L. Thomas | Thomas | Shenandoah School Corporation | 1966 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1966 Agr. Education-Animal Science Major, Biology Minor Master’s Indiana 1979 Education |
1966 – 1968 Breman High School 1968 – 2010 New Prairie High School Taught Vocation Agriculture and Biology for 44 years |
My Vocational Agriculture teacher- Dr. William F. Blaisdell- A great teacher who pushed his students to do things they thought were impossible. | Being on Purdue’s Livestock and Horticulture judging teams. Playing in Purdue all American Band. Knowing Dr. K.W. Kiltz when I was a State FFA Officer in 1963. Having Dr. James Clouse as my Advisor./td> | Six students with PhD’s! Students that are nationally known livestock judges. Winning state judging and proficiency contests. | Being on the Board of Directors of two National Livestock Breed Associations. The Training in “Parly Pro” and how to run a meeting gained in vocational agriculture class. | Pay is as low as Rewards are as high! The most rewarding profession I can think of. | ||
| Gordon Biery | Biery | Floyd Central High School, Floyds Knobs, IN | 1966 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1966 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1970 Agricultural Education |
Rossville High School as a student in agriculture 1966 – 1969 Maconaquah High School, Vocational Agriculture Teacher 1969 – 1970 Purdue, Agricultural Education Graduate Student 1970 – 2006 Floyd Central High School, Agricultural Science and Business Teacher |
Ralph Acord, Vo. Ag. Teacher at Rossville High School, FFA activities: judging teams and other contest. He and his wife were very involved with his students. |
James Clouse was/is a very caring and understanding teacher/person. I was very proud to teach in Floyd County. Jim left a strong appreciation of agricultural education in the community. Other notable professors: Dr. Fishing – entomology; Dr. Teats – Vet. Science. | I, as all teachers, have many memorable and rewarding experiences. I still meet former students that give me “pats on the back”. | The love of the land and the agrarian life style. | It is so good they get to know the students and parents in the way most non-agricultural teachers never get to experience. |
||
| COL (R) James Stephen (Steve) Koons | Koons | The United States Army and live with my wife Andrea (41 years) on 48 acres in Lebanon, TN | 1966 | Bachelor’s Purdue University 1966 Agriculture Education Master’s Purdue University 1974 Agriculture Education |
1958-1962 Vo Ag Student, Martinsville High School 1962-1966 Student, Purdue University, Ag Ed Major 1966-1967 Grad Student and Grad Teaching Assistant, Ag Ed Department, Purdue 1974 Received MS Degree, Ag Education, Purdue University 1967-1998 United States Army 1998-2008 US Army Senior Executive Service 2004 Selected as Presidential Meritorious Executive 2010 Inducted into the United States Army Transportation Corps Hall of Fame |
Mr. Virgil Telfer, Vo Ag teacher at Martinsville High School really set the scene and Dr. Phil Teske paved the way for me to attend Purdue. Also a big influence was Jim Clouse as my Faculty Advisor and Grad Student Committee Chairman. However, The Future Farmers of America activities really solidified my desire to graduate from Purdue and become a Vo Ag Teacher. I will never forget the parliamentary procedure contests facing Dr. Teske being the absolute authority in Roberts Rules of Order. Being a member of the State FFA Band, Chapter Star Farmer, State Farmer, Martinsville Chapter Vice President then Chapter President, District VIII Director and Section III President were a few of the significant events that influenced my decision to attend Purdue. Actually, all the activities through the FFA formed the basis for my desire to teach. Other leaders with influence were Edgar E. Clanin, Dr. KW Kiltz, along with Dr. Bill Friday and Dr. Arlen Brown, Ag Engineering Department. |
Best experience was putting it all together doing my student teaching at Franklin High School under Jim Hixson and Dave Spurgeon. In addition, playing in the Purdue All American Band, Kappa Kappa Psi, The Reamer Club, The Grand Prix, The Ag Ed Society, Charter Member of Omega Chapter, Alpha Tau Alpha, Cary Student Government, and just being a student at Purdue all bring back FOND memories. | Unfortunately, I did not get the first hand experience in the classroom but did use the principles taught in lesson planning, supervised farming practices and the FFA throughout my career in the Army. | Throughout my Army career I always was drawn to the experiences shared while a student at Purdue. Extremely difficult to pinpoint exacts, but preparation, presentation, professionalism along with follow-up come to mind!! | Not to sound trite, but be realistic in deciding what you want to do and follow your dreams! It is YOUR life and yours to shape and influence with the tools provided by our GREAT Purdue University. Don’t fall into the trap of doing what you think others think you should do—set your course and realistically adjust as ecessary. | I had all intentions of being the “next Virgil Telfer “ teaching Vo Ag at Martinsville High School but joined the Army to get my service obligation fulfilled prior to entering the classroom. That turned into a 30 year career in uniform and another 10 in the Army Senior Executive Service./td> | |
| Robert J. Frost | Frost | Franklin County Schools in 1998 | 1966 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1966 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1979 Agricultural Education |
1966 – 1968 Decatur Co. Schools, Vocational Agriculture Teacher 1968 – 1998 Franklin Co. Schools, Vocational Agriculture Teacher |
Dr. Robert Brinson – High School Agriculture Teacher and FFA Advisor, attend FFA Conventions and FFA Judging | Member of Agricultural Education society and ATA Honorary | Participating and winning FFA judging contests, winning Ag Teacher Rookie of Year (STATE) in 1970. | ||||
| Alan Sharp | Sharp | Teaching at North Newton High School and currently a crop adjuster | 1968 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1968 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1982 Education |
I was in FFA in High School and my senior year was a consolidation year and my new Ag teacher was Coleman Harris. It started me toward a teaching career in Agriculture. | Dr. Clouse telling me that I had to go another semester to complete my degree – He was joking! It wasn’t funny for a brief second. | General ones – To see students succeed and the excitement in their faces when they succeed. | Being involved in many facets of agriculture made me a better teacher I believe. | It’s a life career – Not a job. | |||
| Barry Steinman | Steinman | Farming | 1968 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1968 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1970 Education |
2 Years – Taught Vo Ag – Columbia City, IN 3 Years – Taught Vo Ag – Woodlan High School 1973 – 2008 Farmed Grain Retired January 1, 2009 |
Robert Hewlett my high school Ag teacher. | Jim Clouse was a wonderful encourager. | FFA contests, working with students. | Ag Econ courses, soils, entomology | Wonderful future. | ||
| Joe Huntsman | Huntsman | 35 years at Churubusco High School | 1968 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1968 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1972 Education |
1968 – 2003 Churubusco High School, Agriculture Teacher | I was a lost soul in the Math Department and I walked into Dave Pfendler’s office and he took me in to the next office (old guy like Dave) and said this young man is from Earl’s home town and I was sold. I was ready to leave school and their attitudes saved me! I will never forget that day. | Dr. Hamilton was teaching in Lilly and the overhead screen broke loose and came down and hit him on the side of his head and his shoulder and he never missed a word. I was impressed! And of course Dr. Clouse. | Teaching young men and women and then have them come back 5-30 years later and tell you how much you influenced them! And of course Ag Econ 100!! | Everyday teaching because of the men and experiences listed above. | Never give up because your influence is greater than ever before! | ||
| Robert A. Martin | Martin | Iowa State University | 1968 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1968 Agriculture Master’s Purdue 1973 Agricultural Education PhD Penn State University 1981 Agricultural Education |
1968 – 1972 Instructor, Waka Secondary Schools & Teacher College, Biu, Nigeria, West Africa 1972 – 1974 Graduate Assistant, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 1974 – 1978 Agricultural Education Teacher, Bremen Public Schools, Bremen, Indiana 1972 1978 – 1982 Assistant Professor and Instructor, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 1982 – 1983 Assistant Professor, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 1998 – 2009 Chair, Department of Agricultural Education & Studies, Iowa State University 1983 – present Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, Professor 1993-present; Associate Professor 1987 to 1993; Assistant Professor, 1983-1987 |
My agriculture teacher and FFA advisor, Mr. Nelson Cook. He was always encouraging me to consider teaching as a career. My parents always said that I should be a teacher. | The many activities of the Ag Ed Club were fun. We always had great participation in college activities. Helping with the FFA camps was a highlight. Helping get the FFA Leadership camp started was a great experience. | My first experience as a teacher was in Africa for nearly 5 years. This experience shaped my whole career. I learned to make the best of whatever situation I was in. I learned to just keep learning. | I’m not a businessman, but my observation of those in the business of agriculture tells me they must remain focused and keep learning. | If you are passionate about working with people, then teaching agricultural education is the best career, ever. Never lose your passion for helping people. | ||
| Ronald L. Hasler | Hasler | Bloomfield School District | 1968 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1968 Agriculture Education Master’s Indiana University 1993 Elementary Education EdS Indiana University 2000 Educational Leadership & Administration |
1968 – 1970 Vocational Agriculture Teacher at Floyd Central Jr.-Sr. High School, New Albany 1970 – 1990 Farmer in Greene/Daviess County Indiana 1990 – 1996 Elementary Classroom Teacher at Monroe County Community School Corporation, Bloomington 1996 – 1998 Elementary Principal at Monroe County Community School Corporation 1998 – 2000 Elementary Principal at Bloomfield School District, Bloomfield, Indiana 2000 – 2006 Superintendent at Bloomfield, Indiana |
My father, he always wanted to farm and teach agriculture. I guess he wanted it for me too. | I lived in the residence hall first 2 years then I was married and lived off campus. I enjoyed my Agriculture professors and learning about agriculture. I student taught a Wolcott with Jerry Cook. I always respected Dr. Clouse’s guidance. | I started teaching at Floyd Central the second year it was open. The first year they had a teacher with health problems and had to resign. A substitute finished the year. Thing were very disorganized. I received a lot of support from the school and community. | I took several electives in Agriculture Economics. When I was farming I used the Agriculture Economic extensively. I also saved a great deal of repair expenses with the Agriculture Engineering course taught by Dr. Brown. |
|||
| Gary J. Geswein | Geswein | Teaching at North Harrison School Corporation and part time at Lanesville School Corp. | 1969 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1969 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1974 Agricultural Education |
1969 – 1971 Franklin Community Schools, Agriculture Teacher 1971 – 1974 Crothersville Community High School, Agriculture Teacher and Head of Dept. 1974 – 1984 Indiana Department of Education, Agriculture Consultant and Indiana Young Farmer Executive Secretary 1984 – 2002 North Harrison High School, Restarted Agricultural Education Program 2003 – 2006 Lanesville Community School Started program and part-time agriculture teacher |
Gerald McAfee, Agricultural Education teacher at Morgan Township School, Palmyra FFA. Got me involved plus the way he done classroom. | Student teaching under Nelson Lewis, Seymour, Summer internship under Robert Myers, Brownstown, Earthquake during State Soils Judging in Brownstown Fall of 1968. | First day of school each year – Last day of school each year. Students doing well in class and FFA activities. Former students becoming Agricultural Education teachers. Agriculture Teacher Workshops, Conferences, and Convention (State, Regional & National). Fellow agriculture teachers. | Farm, welder at welding shop summers, Summer Agricultural Education Internship Program | Classroom First, FFA activities will come, Get Involved in Agriculture Teacher Professional Organization, Keep janitor, cooks, bosses, and teaching staff HAPPY – in that order. | ||
| John Frischie | Frischie | South Newton High School | 1969 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1969 Ag Education, Ag Engineering, Science Master’s Purdue 1975 Education |
1969 Student Teaching Experience at Benton Central 1969 – 1997 South Newton H.S., Agriculture Education Instructor 1997 – 2005 South Newton H.S., Director of Secondary Education 2008 – 2010 Project Leader for Team HOPE (History OPens Eyes) 2010 – Present Farm Labor and Mechanic for Joe Garing |
Bob Myers (HS Ag Teacher) encouraged me to learn many new skills and he gave me the opportunity to explore new areas of learning. | I enjoyed my hours with Prof. Arlen Brown, Dr. James Clouse, and fellow classmates. I spent the summer of my junior year working as an intern at Seymour H.S. with Nelson Lewis working with new ag students, county fair, and a large school farm. That experience was a foundation for my years as a teacher. I remember that some of my classmates “boycotted” some finals on Memorial Day prior to graduation. | The opportunity to see student’s expression when they succeeded at something they said they couldn’t do motivated me to raise expectations for students. I have also enjoyed the opportunity to stay in the same community and view the successes of former students. I also enjoyed the camps, conventions, and workshops. | We were required to film a lesson we presented as a part of our course work in Ag Ed at Purdue. I continued to videotape many of my classes to enable students to make up work missed and I knew that if I was bored by my own lesson as I reviewed it just imagine what it would be like for a high school student. I often thought what would Dr. Clouse, Bob Myers, or Dale Butcher do in this situation? | Go for it, it was the best career I ever had. Education is a different world today and that is probably not all bad. Students still need encouragement, skills, and leadership that will never change. | ||
| Michael L. Sheetz | Sheetz | Edward Jones | 1969 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1969 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1977 Secondary Education |
1969 – 1974 taught H.S. Vo. Ag. at Fairfield and New Prairie 1974 – 1983 Worked with Farm Credit 1983 – Present insurance and investments with the last ten years with Edward Jones |
Mr. Ed Vernon – High School Ag Teacher at Bremen, IN. | I enjoyed the Ag Ed Society exchange trip with University of Kentucky. Also student teaching with Si Deeb at Rochester High School. | Taking students to FFA District contests. Working with students on supervised experience. | Working with good rural people, whether farmers or related, or just rural communities. | The grass is not always greener on the other side. Teaching Ag can be very rewarding. It’s stable and the pay isn’t that bad either. | ||
| William (Scott) Rumble | Rumble | Selling commercial real estate | 1969 | Associates Vincennes University 1967 Agriculture Bachelor’s Purdue 1969 Agricultural Education Master’s University of Louisville 1975 Community Development |
1969 – 2002 4-H Youth Educator, Agriculture Educator, Community Development Area Agent, County Extension Director and Interim District Director. Served 20 years with the US Army National Guard and Air Force Reserve. | Loy Thompson was my Ag Teacher in Princeton, Indiana. I liked what he did and decided Ag Education would be a good major. | Shop class and the Ag Education classes were the classes I enjoyed the most. Student teaching in Osgood, IN and living in the YMCA in Greensburg was a very interesting experience. | I started work with the Cooperative Extension Service in Indiana and did not become a classroom teacher. | Living on a farm growing up probably contribute the most to my experiences. We raised 28 acres of watermelons…yes, that is a lot…and purebred Yorkshire hogs. | Hang in there, look for the positives in life. Cross the bridges when you get to them and remember, This too shall pass! | ||
| Charles C. Sullivan | Sullivan | Indiana Department Environmental Management | 1970 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1970 Agriculture Education/Biology | Agriculture teachers at Knightstown High School 1960-1965 Robert O’Kelly and William Chattin were very supportive. | Student teaching at Pine Village High School with supervision by My. Charles Coffman and Agriculture Staff Mr. Avery Grey. Most memorable mentor at Purdue was Dr. Jim Clouse. | Field trips and watching youth get motivated toward learning experiences. | Teaching- Clean Manufacturing technology to adults took me back to Agriculture Education conservation roots. | Stay focused with preparation to have a career which must be constantly changing. | |||
| Frederick E. Schuman | Schuman | South Adams high School, Berne, IN | 1970 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1970 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1974 Agricultural Education |
1970 – 1972 DeKalb Central, Auburn In, Agriculture Teacher 1972 – 1973 Clinton Central High School, Agriculture Teacher: 1972-3, #1 State FFA Chapter, #1 Young Farmer Chapter, #1 Livestock Team 1973 – 1978 Kent State University, Assistant Professor: 10 Areas of Ag ED State Model Curriculum Guides- Asst Dev. Co-ord; Phi Delta Kappa Ohio FFA Assn – Honorary State FFA Degree, Distinguished Service Award, Inducted into Ohio Agricultural Education Hall of Fame 1978 – 2007 South Adams Jr-Sr HS Agriculture Teacher: 48 American Degrees, 214 State Degrees, 2 State Stars; 19 State Prof .Winners, 1 National, 4 Regional; 1 National FFA VP, 3 State Officers (1996 SA Members held Offices at National, State, Sectional, & District (2) 12 different years Chapter received National Star rating in National Chapter Awards: Honorary State FFA Degree, Honorary American FFA degree, 1996 National FFA Special Recognition Certificate, 2O01 State SWCD State Secondary Teacher of the Year |
While waiting in a hospital for body parts to be made after being in a car wreck, the Doctor told me that my days of farming and working in a machine shop were over and I had to select a different career. So if can't farm anymore, then it was time to get qualified to teach someone else production agriculture. | Getting selected to serve as a summer agricultural education intern at Prairie Heights and then Student Teacher at Columbia City. | A 7th grade student demonstrated perfectly his Dairy Cow Judging reasons in front of a National FFA Officer guest speaker. The National FFA Officer congratulated the student on a job well done. Having a student win the National Hoard's Dairyman Cow Judging Contest. | Supervising and completing the 105 Acre School Farm every year with over 60 Variety Test Plots in corn and soybeans with the students operating their parents machinery and working out on school farm during the school day. The free seed from the seed companies helped FFA Chapter make a profit from the crop production to pay for contest entry fees and travel expenses. | I would have taken broader technical course preparation at Purdue. My experience in assisting the Ohio Department of Agricultural Education with the development of Model Curriculum Guides for the 10 Areas of Agricultural Education, would have been easier. Young people need a wide technical base to cope with the changes in agriculture and class offerings in the future in local schools. | ||
| Gary L. Cutter | Cutter | Dow Agrosciences in May 2011 | 1970 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1970 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1972 Agronomy PhD University of Wisconsin 1975 Plant Breeding & Genetics |
1975 – 1988, Corn Breeder and Research Station Manager, Regional Mgr. for Cargill, Inc. 1988 – 1989, Cargill, Inc. Seed Agronomy Services 1989 – 1994, Cargill, Inc. Seed Production Research Mgr. 1994 – 2000, Cargill Inc. Parent Seed manager 2001 – 2011, Dow Agrosciences, production Research (Purchased Cargill Seed) 2011 – Retired, Part time Corn Production Consultant (Cutter CMS, LLC.) |
My high school Agriculture Teacher for 4 years. I felt I could & would like to do what he was doing – teaching agriculture. | Agriculture education students as friends. | During student teaching, we were able to get an old tractor running after cleaning it up and painting it. | Teaching statistical process control & other classes to seed production personnel. Taught genetics lab during Purdue MS Degree work. | Take a wide range of elective courses during your studies. | ||
| Randy Warren | Warren | Wawasee High School | 1970 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1970 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1973 Agricultural Education |
1973 – 1975 Huntington North High School – Agriculture Teacher 1975 – Present Wawasee High School – Agriculture Teacher |
Richard Sparrow – provided an example of how one teacher could have such a direct impact on a student’s life. | Student teaching with Bill McVay and working with Dr. James Clouse. | Watching a student alternately laugh and cry as they realized they had achieved their goal of going to a national judging contest. Seeing the most unlikely group of individuals win a state judging contest. |
Never underestimate the influence you might have on a young person. Never underestimate how you think of yourself. | |||
| Curt Campbell | Campbell | 35 years teaching at Southwood High School, Currently work for Purdue Extension | 1971 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1971 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1976 Agricultural Education |
1971 – Delta High School, Vo Ag Teacher 1971 – 1974 U.S. Army 1974 – 1978 Attica High School, Vo Ag Teacher 1978 – 2008 Southwood High School, Vo Ag Teacher 2008 – Present Wabash County Extension Educator |
Bill Chattin and Ken Brashaber high school Ag Teachers. | Student Teaching | When a student is excited about what we were doing. Having success at a judging contest. | Make sure you love working with students. | |||
| Daniel L. Gottschalk | Gottschalk | Purdue University | 1971 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1971 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1975 Agricultural Education |
1971 – 1974 Prairie Heights High School, Agriculture Teacher 1974 – 1976 Purdue University, Graduate Student and Visiting Instructor 1976 – 1977 Delphi High School, Agriculture Teacher(following WS Weaver) 1977 – 1981 Production Credit 1981 – 1984 First Bank of Carroll County VP 1984 – 1991 State and Savings Bank, Monticello, IN, Senior VP 1991 – 1994 Bank of Wolcott, President 1993 – 2011 Pastor, Camden United Church 1994 – Present Purdue University, Academic Advisor for Agricultural Education Writer for Indiana Prairie Farmer, 18 years |
Bill McVay was my influence to become a teacher. He taught me to set goals, continue to work hard, and not give up. He opened my eyes to the possibilities in agriculture and through the FFA. He is one of four men on my personal Mt. Rushmore and I still consider it special honor to have been one of McVay’s boys. | Cindy and I were married in 1969 so our last two years at Purdue were spent in Married Student Housing. Cindy never knew how many AGED students would be at our apartment for dinner. Those meals and times of sharing along with SLAB LAB time were precious. Passing English Standards. | Ned Stump, I was in Ned’s grad school every day. District 3 advisors, what a great group the way they worked together and competed was professionalism at its best. . Having Leon Crowe introduce me as a Gov’t Auditor to his veteran’s class. I thought I was going to be killed by friendly fire on the way to my car. Working on the first swinging bridge at the FFA Center. |
Judging the FFA Chapter meeting Contest for 30 years. | I believe that teaching is a calling not a job. If you have the calling of teacher and the passion to follow it, you will never be happy doing anything else. |
||
| R. Mack Strickland | Strickland | Agriculture and Biological Engineering, Purdue University | 1971 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1971 Agricultural Education/AnSc Master’s Purdue 1972 Agricultural Education/AnSc PhD Purdue 1979 Agricultural Education/ASM |
1963 Purdue University in PreVet 1972 – 1975 Crothersville High School, Crothersville, IN Agriculture Teacher 1975 – 2007 Ag Systems Management, Purdue University, Professor |
In 1969 when I got out of the Army the Molecular Biology program was in its infancy, so decided to go Agricultural Education/Animal Science. | Having Jim Clouse, as my supervising teacher, tell me after a visit to Whiteland where I was student teaching, it looked like I had been teaching for years. | Having 105 of the approximately 245 students in high school at Crothersville in the Ag program. | Students are not a lot worse than when you were a teacher. It just seems that way because of your maturity in college. | |||
| Ralph L. Walker | Walker | Delphi Community School Corporation (Superintendent) | 1971 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1971 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1972 Agricultural Education PhD Purdue 1992 School Administration |
1971 – 1972 Tri High, Agriculture Teacher 1972 – 1973 Clinton Central, Agriculture Teacher 1973 – 1985 Clinton Central, Assistant Principal 1985 – 1988 Clinton Central, Principal 1988 – 1996 Frankfort School Corporation, Assistant Superintendent 1998 – 2006 Lebanon School Corporation, Superintendent 2006 – Present Delphi Community School Corporation, Superintendent |
Robert Brinson – Mr. Brinson was my agriculture teacher and encouraged me to get involved in the FFA. I loved getting to know other students and being involved in FFA activities. He was a great coach. | I enjoyed student teaching in Grant County away from home and anyone that I knew. | I enjoy that “Ah Ha” moment when students “got it”. I enjoyed all of the judging trips and National FFA Convention in Kansas City. | I built grain bins in the summer and I quickly learned that I did not want to do that as a living. It made me appreciate teaching agriculture. | Be prepared for change in teaching and learning. Probably during their career technology will interface with the brain in ways unthought-of today. It will be an amazing career. | ||
| Ron Pettet | Pettet | North Central Co-op on March 2, 2012 | 1971 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1971 Ag Education Master’s Purdue 1971 Animal Sciences |
1971 – 1973 Shawswick Jr.-Sr. High School, Bedford, IN, Vo-Ag Teacher 1973 – 1975 Tipton Middle School, Tipton, IN, Vo-Ag Teacher 1975 – 2012 Spent 37 years with the Cooperative System in Indiana working as follows: 1975 – 1977 Swine Specialist 1978 – 1981 District Feed Representative 1981 – 1997 Region Sales Manager 1997 – 2000 Energy Sales Specialist 2000 – 2012 Sales & Marketing Manager |
My vo-ag instructor, Jack Fenwick. His enthusiasm, motivation, and encouragement led me to look at becoming an ag teacher. | Working at the Ag Ed office and seeing the commitment to excellence they all had. Student teaching at South Newton High School under the guidance of Don Washburn. Being supervised from Purdue by Dale Henze while doing my student teaching. Assisting with the development of a “Cooperative Education” package for Vo-Ag Teachers. |
Taking a soils judging team to Oklahoma Having two Young Farmer chapters while at Tipton H.S. Watching young people grow and develop skills they will use for the rest of their lives. |
I used many of the skills learned from teaching in the many varied classes I organized and led in agribusiness. | There is no better major than ag education. The broad range of classes and experiences provided will allow you much flexibility in your future job endeavors, plus the skills learned can be applied across any path you choose to follow. | ||
| Dale L. Jones | Jones | Wildcat Creek Career Cooperative | 1972 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1972 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1974 Animal Science |
1974 – 1985 Benton Central High School, Agriculture Teacher 1986 – 2004 Benton Central Area Vocational School. Vocational Director 2005 – 2012 Wildcat Creek Career Cooperative, Career and Technical Education Director |
Keith Overton gave me confidence that I could be successful as an agriculture teacher. | Serving as Vice-president of IVATA-Purdue. | Number one FFA Chapter in Indiana. | Become a teacher only if you love working with students. | |||
| David Millar | Millar | Red Hen Turf Farm | 1972 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1972 Agricultural Education Master’s IUSB 1978 Secondary Education |
1972 – 1974 South Bend Community Schools 1974 – 1983 New Prairie Schools |
My father, he said it beats carrying a gun. | Watching and working with students in business that I had in school | My success was in a large part due to the skills I learned at Purdue in helping me educate my customers. | ||||
| Clinton Edward “Ed” Brown | Brown | Director of Career and Technical Education for Hoosier Hills Career Center | 1973 | Bachelor’s Purdue University 1973 Agriculture/Wildlife Biology Teacher Certification Purdue University 1974 Voc. Agriculture Ed. Master’s Purdue University 1977 Voc. Ed./Ag. Ed. Voc. Admin. Cert. Ball State 1987 Voc. Admin. Certification |
1974 -1976 Teacher of Vocational Agriculture Orleans Community School Corporation and Adult Ag. GI Bill Program instructor at West Washington Community School Corporation. 1976 – 1978, Purdue University Agriculture Education staff in curriculum development Graduate Assistant first part and as Agriculture Ed. staff member second part. 1978 – 1980, Vocational Agriculture Consultant-Indiana Department of Public Instruction 1980 – 1986, State Coordinator for Supportive Services and Program Improvement- Indiana State Board of Vocational and Technical Education 1986 – 1991, Director of Vocational Services and Industrial Training – Ivy Tech-Lafayette and West Central Indiana Area Vocational Cooperative 1991 – 2012, Director of Career and Technical Education-Hoosier Hills Career Center, Bloomington, IN |
From a very young age I had the opportunity to have been around high school agriculture programs and the FFA as my father, Ross Brown, was a Vocational Agriculture Teacher. I went with him on Supervised Ag. Experience visits to his students’ farming operations during the summers and got to see first-hand what an Ag. Teacher was expected to do. I also attended various FFA events and contests before getting my turn as a high school FFA member participating in judging and other FFA events. I was around Ag. Teachers for most of my formative years. People like Simon “Si” Deeb at Rochester and Byron Callahan at Renselear , and Leonard Vaught at Orleans had a positive effect on my interest in Ag. Ed. I also got to see young student teachers who were learning the ropes and becoming successful teachers like Don Washburn and John Frischie at South Newton and Leon Crowe and Ruben Kissel in Decatur County and Gerald Jackson at Paoli. In spite of those connections I had decided that I enjoyed working in the out-of –doors and developed an interest in working in the field of fish and game. While attending Purdue as a freshman in Wildlife Biology I met with Dr. James Clouse, a close friend of my Dad’s, who encouraged me to get the course work in order to add Agriculture Ed. to my areas of study. I spent an extra year and finished the requirements for the Vocational Agriculture teacher’s license. |
Even though I was late to think about Agriculture Education in undergraduate years one of my greatest pleasures was traveling with Maury Williamson to a Purdue Ag Alumni Club meeting. Maury had a wide range of fun and interesting stories to share and kept the conversation going during the whole time of our trip. During my time as a graduate student and staff member at Purdue I was fortunate to work with outstanding teacher educators. Dr. Bill Richardson, Dr. Gary Moore, Dr. Bill Hamilton, were very helpful as I learned the requirements of the profession. Gary Moore and his wife Barbara, a professor in Consumer and Homemaking Education, put together a graduate class entitled “Seminar on Wheels” in which we visited and studied high school agriculture and Consumer and Homemaking programs in neighboring states. Gary, Barbara and my wife, Michele and I became good friends during that time. The graduate school experience proved extremely helpful as my career direction put me in situations where knowledge of applied research processes and curriculum development would be at the center of my responsibilities. | As a young teacher some of the best times I had were taking students to FFA contests and conventions. On one occasion as we were driving north to the State Soil (Land) Judging contest my students from Orleans asked how they were going to be able to judge the soils we were seeing since they were so wet. My soils team had not had any experience with soils as dark as the prairie soils of the central and northern part of the state and thought all soils would be like our lighter colored clay soils. As an administrator being able to put together an active agribusiness program in the career center and having a State FFA Officer elected from our Career Center’s Chapter has been a highlight. | Of great importance is to stay current with your field of agribusiness and with your educational profession. Be involved in your professional organization and continue to try new educational technology in your teaching tools. But also remember that the root of your work is the student not the material to be delivered. | |||
| Joe Gottschalk | Gottschalk | Farm credit services of mid-America | 1973 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1973 Agricultural Education | 1973 – 1974 Carroll High School, Flora, IN, Vo Ag Instructor 1974 – 1976 Moorman Manufacturing Co., Sales Representative 1976 – Purdue Ag Ed Department, Graduate Assistant 1977 – 1979 Farmers Loan & Trust Co., Farm Loan Representative 1979 – 1990 Albion PCA/Farm Credit Services, Branch Manager, Vice President Credit, Special Account Manager 1990 – 1992 Strauss Veal Feeds, Credit Manager 1992 – Present Farm Credit Services, Account Executive, Business Analyst, Credit Operations Officer, Assistant Vice President Credit Operations |
Bill McVay – Bill brought consistent passion and dedication to his work and his genuine interest in each of his students was inspiring. | I was honored to serve as President of the Ag Ed Society and represent the Department on the Ag StudentC ouncil. | I enjoyed getting to know several wonderful farm families. | I serve as a resource person, trainer and coach for lending staff and work specifically with trainers. After leaving the Vo-Ag classroom nearly 40 years ago, I am teaching again. | Get a mentor – someone you can talk to, trust and lean on. Every heart needs encouragement. | ||
| Timothy J. McNealy | McNealy | C4 Career Technical Center/Columbus East High School | 1973 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1973 AgEd/Minor in Ag Econ & Ag Eng Master’s Purdue 1982 Secondary Vocational Ag Ed |
1973 – 1974 Blue River Valley Jr/Sr High with Jan Wooten – State Pilot project for Special Needs Students 1974 – 1983 Columbus East High School, Vocational Agriculture Teacher 1984 – 1988 Indiana’s Southern Coordinator of Adult Farm Business Management Program 1988 – 2000 Columbus East High School, Ag Science & Business Teacher 2000 – Present C4 Career Center Team Leader (1/2) and School to Work Coordinator (1/2) |
Wayne Coy – Columbus Ag Teacher for 43 years. Dr. James Clouse 1969 – 70 my Freshman year and Dr. Bill Richardson my sophomore year 1970 – 71. My passion was Ag Engineering and Ag Econ. Ag Ed staff made those my elective focus. | Collegiate 4-H, Ag Econ Club, Tippecanoe Co. Rural Youth 2 yrs, Summer Internship with Bob Meyers at Brownstown Central 1972, student teaching under Leon Crowe at North Decatur High School in 1973. | Coordinator of Adult Farm Mgt Program Pilot Program. 30 + State Proficiency winners, 1 FFA State President, 23 State Welding winners, 1 National Proficiency winner. 4 teams in top 5 Nationally in Horse Judging, 6 individual preps/classes for 22 years. Yearly community service projects. | Farm kid, farm 760 acres the last 25 years. Community service in Bartholomew county/Columbus. Summer construction work while in college. My dad was uneducated formally but was one of the greatest teachers I know. | Passion to serve others and practical in the Ag Field experiences will drive you to great accomplishments for yourself and your students. You must live and work beyond the formal classroom. | ||
| Wayne E. Funk | Funk | Self-Employed Packaging Consultant | 1973 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1973 Agricultural Education Master’s Indiana 1991 MBA |
1973 – 1978 BF Goodrich Tire Company, Last position QA Specialist 1978 – 1984 Grain Processing Corporation, Muscatine, IA, QA Lab Supervisor 1984 – 2005 Cooper Standard Automotive, Auburn, IN, three positions, 5 specializations, last position Division Manager Packaging 2005 – Present WLF Packaging Enterprises, LLC, self-employed packaging consultant, Institute of Packaging Professionals Certified Packaging Professional (CPP) |
Paul Bateman, my high school ag teacher. Just being around him, participating in FFA and 4-H provided the motivation. | Being president of Alpha Tau Alpha, my student teaching advisor Charley Cauffman at Pine Village, and my time Hobe Jones animal sciences class. | Can’t say, went into industry right away and did not look back. My ag-ed education was instrumental in my manufacturing career. | Get into the classroom early to find out if this is your niche. Do not wait until the last semester as we used to do. Had I done this my freshman year, I would most likely had switched to biochemistry my sophomore year which I was considering. My daughter did that for me. However, ag-ed, with an emphasis on the sciences, can prepare you for almost anything you pursue. |
|||
| Daniel L. Webb | Webb | Tri Jr. – Sr. High School, South Henry School Corporation | 1975 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1975 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1980 Education |
I began teaching Agriculture as a Summer Intern at Clinton Prairie High School with Mr. James L. Carr in the summer of 1974. I loved this experience with the students and grew very close to some of the families in the Clinton Prairie area. I did student teaching with Mr. Jerry Cook and Mr. Robert Juncker at Tri County High School in the Spring of 1975. As I looked at the job prospects in 1975 I was pleased to see that Clinton Prairie had a job opening. I took the job as Mr. Carr left for Hamilton Heights. I was soon joined by Mr. Gordon Logan and we taught together for the next 4 years. Gordon was a good friend and his son Jeff, along with Mark Goodnight, were outstanding officers in FFA. Gordon was especially gifted at Soils and Forestry. I learned a lot from him as a professional and valued his friendship. In December of 1979 I was called by an old friend, Mark Pickering that the job was open at Tri High School. This was the home high school of my wife and we knew many wonderful people in Henry County including my in laws. We took the opportunity to have our children near at least one set of grandparents. My home high school was North Posey and no opening was available there near my parents. I interviewed shortly after that and was hired to begin July 1, 1980 at Tri High. As of this moment I am still teaching Ag there. |
My greatest influence was my home high school Ag Teacher, Mr. Phillip Schmidt. He came to North Posey fresh out of Purdue and was full of energy and excitement. He was a tireless worker while also very friendly and supportive of every student. He made learning fun. He also impressed me by spending time at my home farm and getting to know my family. He took pictures of me for the FFA Scrapbook and helped me get Proficiency applications and my State FFA Degree completed. I was able to perform state level speeches, the Creed, and demonstrations at Purdue during the State FFA Convention, but nothing matched the excitement of performing at the state Parly contest. True teamwork was developed by my friends on the Parly team. After all the backbiting and politics of sports, the FFA made a real difference in my life and I knew I wanted to do the same for other young people. Becoming an Ag Teacher was my dream from high school on and the dream has never changed. |
My best decision after deciding to major in Ag Ed was to join Farm House Fraternity. I enjoyed the close brotherhood of other farm boys and enjoyed learning about life from other guys majoring in Ag. Three of my groomsmen were FH brothers. My best man was a North Posey classmate and FFA friend. I was also close to our house Mother, Mrs. Martha Rowe. She advised me wisely about women and approved of my choice for a wife, the former Martha White. We chose Mom Rowe’s birthday, September 27, as the day to get married in 1975. After receiving my B.S. in Ag Ed I accepted the offer of the Purdue Ag Ed staff and stayed my 5th year and completed a research project and my Master's Degree. I became very close with our Ag Ed staff, Dr. William Hamilton, Dr. David Howell, and Dr. Bill Richardson. They warmly welcomed Martha and I into their homes and the Ag Ed family. I dearly loved and respected them all. I also grew very close to my fellow Grad Assistant, Mr. Richard Moton. He left for his beloved Alabama after 1976 and, sadly, I never saw him again. | Winning trophies means nothing to me. Changing lives for the better means everything. I enjoyed working with Ralph Walker at Clinton Central but hated getting beat by them. My best memories at Clinton Prairie include state FFA officers Jeff Wilson and Phil Anderson. American Degree winner Ramon Stewart and Keith Newhart. He married Susan Grissom who was a Horse proficiency winner. At Tri High I began with making great friends with the other Ag Teachers: Bob Wright at Knightstown, Steve Hickey at Shenandoah, Don Sturgeon at Hagerstown, and Jan Wooten and Eldon Cutter at Blue River. Jan Wooten's kids attended Tri High and competed against their Dad's teams. Stephen Wooten and Scott Wooten were always winners. They could be happy with Dad's victories and enjoy Tri High's wins against their Dad. Jan got me started in the Ag Teacher's organization. Back then it was known as IVATA, but during my year as President we changed our name to IAAE. I served in every single office in our organization. It was certainly an honor and privilege to serve as President during 1998-1999. When Jan Wooten died in 1991 it was one of the saddest times of my career. On the other hand the greatest highlight was having my own birth children choose to be in FFA . Then my daughter Alyssa was elected state FFA Officer it was another great milestone. When Robin wanted to attend every FFA camp because her older sister was a state officer made the experience even better. My son Adam always was inclined to Ag Mechanics. He placed 3rd in the state welding contest and that was a huge victory for the whole family. Later on our next state officer was a very close friend of the family, Amber Ebbert. Martha and I opened our home to other kids in need in 1987. We began a time of sharing Christ's love with kids less fortunate and have seen some of the greatest miracles of God's mercy and Grace there ever was. We continue to be amazed at the wonderful miracles the LORD can do in the lives of kids. |
Please be ready for more interference from the state Department of Education. Be adequately prepared for great lesson plans, better written curriculum, and more accountability. Not only join IAAE, but work in IAAE. Be actively involved in every aspect of change for the betterment of our profession. If you accept this challenge then I believe the next generation of Ag Teachers will accomplish more positive results than the last generation did. Congratulations! Purdue Ag Education will be ready and be able to equip you for the years ahead. I pray the LORD will bless you and use you to help students in an even more powerful way. Thank you for the opportunity to serve. | |||
| Steven E. Cash | Cash | Representative for ABS Global | 1975 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1975 Agricultural Education | 1972 – Coop teaching at Tipton High School 1975 – 1976 North Putnam High School, Agriculture Teacher 1976 – 1978 North Decatur High School, Agriculture Teacher 1978 – 1990 Dairyman 1979 – 1982 Greencastle High School, Agriculture Teacher 1982 – 1984 Moorman Feed Salesman 1984 – Present, ABS Global |
Probably Dr. Jim Clouse or Dr. Bill Hamilton when I switched from the School of Science to Agriculture. | Coordinating the resurrection of the Dairy Invitational Judging Contest while serving as Ag Ed President, Dairy Club members, & Dairy Judging Team member. Ag Ed exchange trips to Michigan State and Missouri. | Learning how to handle a classroom working with Leon Crowe. Building lasting relationships with the students. | Conducting AI training schools using similar teaching techniques. | Begin in a two person department if possible. Meet your students and their parents during the summer before school starts. Incorporate current events into every class. Don’t sweat the small stuff. |
||
| David Reese | Reese | Mt. Vernon High School, Mt. Vernon IN | 1976 | Bachelor’s Purdue University 1976 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue University 1977 Agricultural Education Vocational Director Indiana State University 1990 Administration and Supervision |
1974 – 4-H Youth Agent Summer Intern Gibson County 1975 – Agricultural Education Summer Intern Reitz High School 1975 – Fall Agricultural Education Student Teacher Reitz High School 1976- Present – Mt. Vernon High School, Agricultural Science and Business Teacher |
My father influenced me the most. He told me farming was too rough a life – that I needed to go to college to get educated to find something else to do and use all of the knowledge that I gained by growing up on a farm in that job. | Alpha Tau Alpha, Ag Ice Cream Social, Ag Council, the learning experiences with other FFA members that I had grown to know throughout high school, meeting new people from all over the world. | Students understanding why “projects” are expected to be accomplished in a certain manner; students taking an active interest in activities to better themselves and the community; standing on stage at National FFA Convention three times with the same student; a student singing as a National Convention Talent participant; seeing the excitement in a student’s reaction when their name is announced. | Spend more time with family/friends – they are more important than all the students you’ll ever teach. | |||
| Donald J. Haberlin | Haberlin | Western Boone Jr. Sr. High School | 1976 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1976 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1981 Agricultural Education |
Started teaching vocational agricultural education and FFA advisor on July 1, 1976 and retired on January 20, 2012 (35 ½ years), all at Western Boone Junior Senior High School. Presently working with Bill Field at Purdue on grain safety and lab technician for Noah Freeman at Ivy Tech. Will be teaching ASM 201 at Purdue this fall and Basic Soils at Ivy Tech. | I started as conservation major added Ag Ed as dual major from input from Ag lectures 101. I spent the summer of 1975 with Ned Stump at Prairie Heights. During that summer Ned gave me the fire and desire to be an Ag Teacher/FFA Advisor. | Messing up my part in opening ceremonies at the FFA banquet we did for class or IVATA. The rest will have tobe confidential. | Just getting to meet and make lifelong friends with many of my students. | I needed more content taught at Purdue with less theory. | It is not an 8-5 job with a set number of days. You will never be paid for all your hours with money but with pleasant experiences. If that sounds bad then you need to find another profession. | ||
| Gregory J. Bossaer | Bossaer | Purdue Cooperative Extension – White County | 1977 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1977 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1981 Agricultural Education/Agronomy |
1977 – 1980 South Newton High School, Vo-Ag Teacher 1980 – 1983 Purdue Agronomy, Graduate Instructor & Professional Staff 1983 – 1984 Jackson County, Ag Extension Educator 1984 – Present White County, Ag Extension Educator |
Dr. Richards sold me in Freshman lectures. | Dr. Arlen Brown putting his cigar our in a pool of gas. All of my Ag Ed friends and classmates. | Watching kids develop and gain confidence. | Each time I get up in front of groups to speak or teach, I am thankful for the teaching tips I have learned in AgEd. | Keep your options open. The skills you learn in Ag Ed, especially communication, are sought by agri-businesses and others. | ||
| Bruce Cunningham | Cunningham | Franklin Community Middle School | 1978 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1978 Agricultural Education Master’s Cornell 1980 Agriculture/Occupational Education Ed Admn Butler 1986 Primary and Secondary Admin. Cert. |
1979 – 1981 Delphi High School, Agriculture Teacher 1981 – 1984 Randolph Southern Jr/Sr High School, Agriculture Teacher 1984 – 2000 Franklin Community high School, Agriculture Teacher 2000 – Present Franklin Community Middle School, 7 th Grade Science Teacher |
My High School Biology Teacher, Gary Kirkham, Student Teacher Supervisor, Bill McVay, and Dr. Bill Hamilton. | Taking Welding and Ag Mechanics classes with Strickland and Wood. | Having the State Star Farmer and State Star Agribusinessman, being a Top Ten FFA chapter. | Tax management as I do my taxes each year with Professor Taylor. | Be flexible and think outside the box. | ||
| Joseph Begley | Begley | Whitko High School June 2012 | 1978 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1978 Ag Education Master’s Purdue 1984 Education |
1978 – 1979 Tri County Middle/Senior High School, Agriculture teacher 1979 – 2012 Whitko High School; Agriculture, Mathematics, Computers, and Interdisciplinary Cooperative Education teacher |
Jerry Cook, his enthusiasm for the occupation of working with students. | Spring semester 78, preparing for and participating in the student teaching experience. | Seeing the students eyes light up when they understand what you are teaching them. | Be flexible and remember that it is STUDENTS that you are teaching and not just the material. | |||
| Roger Berry | Berry | Northwestern High School | 1978 | Bachelor’s Purdue – Ft. Wayne 1975 Math/Computer Science Master’s Purdue – West Lafayette 1978 Education |
1977 – Present Northwestern High School, Agriculture Teacher 1977 – Present Self employed as an agribusiness consultant 1990 – Present Adjunct professor (Computers) at Ivy Tech Vocational Community College |
My former agriculture teachers Walter Paxson and Joe Huntsman influenced me to teach agriculture. | I was blessed to have so many close friends and great professors that I was able to keep in touch with over the years that I first met at Purdue as a student. Agriculture truly is a family. | I am so proud to have had many great students and student teachers who have succeeded in life. | Because of my great training at Purdue, I have been allowed to have successes in my agribusiness career such as my work with the Honorable Senator Lugar in providing advice to the Senate Subcommittee for Agriculture, being selected as the September 1997 Small Business of the Month by Microsoft, and my commodity marketing computer program won the 1984 Computer program of the year award from the USDA. |
You are about to enter a great profession that will have great rewards as you will be able to impact students that you have in class. Enjoy every minute teaching. | ||
| Steve Inman | Inman | Kankakee Valley High School | 1978 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1978 Agriculture Education Master’s Purdue 1985 Agriculture Education |
River Valley High School, Three Oaks Michigan 1979-1981 Kankakee Valley High School, Wheatfield, Indiana 1981-2012 |
Dale Butcher from Benton Central Influenced me by his professionalism. | Student youth organizations class- we did a mock FFA banquet. | Having my daughters in my classes. Ryan Wynkoop wanting to pursue a career in agriculture education | Helping my friend’s dad with their swine operation in the spring and fall. | Focus on a few FFA activities to become involved in and not a lot. | ||
| Clyde A. (Chip) Perfect, Jr. | Perfect | Perfect North Slopes, Inc. | 1979 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1979 Agricultural Education | 1980 – Present Co-founder, Co-owner, and General Manager of Perfect North Slopes 1991 – Present Co-founder, Partner, SPARC Realty 1992 – Present Owner, Midwest Service Warehouse 1999 – 2001 Co-founder, North Peaks Resorts 2005 – Present Co-founder, Greendale Cinema 2005 – Present Co-founder Greendale LaRosas 2006 – Present Co-founder, RPM Productions |
My Ag Teacher Mr. Glen Wright. | Reaching into the rumen of a cow with a porthole in its side. Acing a small engines final. Anatomy and Physiology of Reproduction, the only sex education class I ever had!/td> | A student or the parents who told me years later that I had a big impact on their lives. | Do what excites you! | |||
| Debra J. (Tucker) Schroeder | Schroeder | Sienna Summit Boer Goats | 1979 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1979 General Horticulture/Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1981 Education |
1979 – 1980 Vincennes University, Vincennes, IN., Floriculture Instructor and Academic Advisor 1980 – 1981 Pre-Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, Academic Advisor and taught Introductory Horticulture and coordinated Agriculture Lectures at Purdue-Calumet 1981 – 1982 LaPorte County, IN., Cooperative Extension Agent, 4-H Youth 1982 – 1983 Clinton Prairie and Lafayette School Corporation, Substitute Teacher 1983 – 1984 Ralston Purina, Frankfort, IN., Laboratory Technician 1985 – 1988 Agricultural education, Purdue University, Academic Advisor, Instructor and University Supervisor 1988 – Present Homemaker and owner of Sienna Summit Boer Goats (since 2003) |
After a semester in pre-pharmacy at Purdue, career testing pointed me towards science and teaching. My favorite 4-H projects had been flowers, gardening, forestry, sheep, swine and rabbits thus horticulture and agricultural education were my discipline areas. | Many of my most memorable agricultural education experiences occurred as a member of student organizations; Purdue educational Association concerning horticulture, Alpha Tau Alpha, Ceres, various committees, and informal get-togethers of the Agricultural Education professors and students. | I was twenty-two and teaching Floriculture classes at Vincennes University. Many of my students were olderth an me. I was also my student’s academic advisor and co-club sponsor. I remember the pressure I felt to be a good teacher and role model. | When I was the laboratory technician at Ralston Purina, I was the only female who worked in the production area. When I was a student in Agricultural Education, the males greatly outnumbered the females. Working hard and maintaining a professional demeanor can lead to success. | You don’t know where life will take you or what God’s plans are for you. Agricultural Education offers a wide variety of teaching and subject area classes to prepare you for teaching, sales, agribusiness and other areas. | ||
| Doug Weisheit | Weisheit | The Fountain Trust Company | 1979 | Bachelor’s Purdue December 1979 Agricultural Education/Horticulture Master’s University of Wisconsin August 2007 Graduate School of Banking |
1981 – 1984 Landmark, Inc., Human Resources 1984 – 1989 Holiday World, Operations Director 1989 – 2001 Billie Creek Village, General Manager & Innkeeper 2001 – Present The Fountain Trust Company, Business Development officer |
Jim Taylor, Anderson Highland High School, Excellent Ag Teacher, good example. | Student teaching at North Montgomery High School fall of 1979 during Farm Progress Show held nearby within school district. | Positive teaching memories. | Today I am a Ag Lender in Western Indiana. Education – teaching & communication skills are essential. | Enjoy college fully – try everything. Be open to everyone, be a “Big Tent” person. | ||
| Gary Mosbaugh | Mosbaugh | Southmont High School | 1979 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1979 Agricultural Education | July 1, 1979 – Present Southmont High School, Agriculture Teacher | My high school Ag teacher, Owen Amstutz. He came to my house the summer before my freshman year in high school and talked me into freshman Ag class and then I joined FFA. He was a good role model and I wanted to give back the experience I had learned. | I enjoyed working as a grad assistant in the Ag Ed Department. It was great to see how the department workedand to wo rk with Dr. Richardson and Dr. Hamilton. I also enjoyed the summer intern program when I spent time with the Tipton Ag Department. | Seeing students as freshman and watching them develop their leadership skills by the time they are a senior is amazing. I have enjoyed working with Student Teachers and fellow teachers at our school. | Work hard, do your best and make time for your family. | |||
| Sue (Richie) Smith | Smith | Etowah High School, Woodstock, Georgia in 2008 | 1979 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1979 Horticulture/Agricultural Education Master’s University of Georgia 1988 Agricultural Education Eds University of Georgia 1990 Agricultural Education |
January 1980 – June 1981 – Taught at Crown Point High School, Crown Point, IN July 1981 – June 2008 – Taught at Etowah High School in Woodstock, GA |
Dr. Richardson – Ag Ed staff at Purdue worked with me to coordinate my studies to complete a double major in Ag Ed and Horticulture. |
My animal science classes, as a Horticulture major, I was not used to being around farm animals and the animal science classes I took at Purdue helped me to overcome my lack of confidence in this area. | was fortunate to start a Vet Science class while teaching. I was finally able to use my animal science classes from college to prepare to teach this class. | Teaching agriculture is a wonderful profession! My advice to each one of you is to enjoy your job, but there is more to live than teaching Ag Ed. Have some outside interests also. | |||
| Beth Theobald | Theobald | Delphi Community High School | 1980 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1980 Agricultural education Master’s Purdue 1985 Agricultural education LDP Purdue 1995 Leadership Development Program |
Delphi Community School Corporation July 1981 to present. Purdue University Interim Instructor for ED 205A and YDAE 319 | Dr. Les Hafen – I took his course in Horticulture Therapy and decided on that as a career. As my counselor he encouraged me to get my education degree to have something to “fall back on” – teaching has been my career in Horticulture Therapy! | Working on the suspension bridge at Gary Moore’s home. Student teaching at Benton Central with the Dales and Wiz. | When graduates come back or I see them as adults and can see their successes in life. | Always take care of the support staff – they are the glue of any school. Your #1 job is to see that students succeed! Don’t chew gum and try to lecture :>) | Learn to prioritize your time/obligations. Don’t try to do too much – quality not quantity of projects. | ||
| Jana (Mastin) Bernhardt | Bernhardt | Professor, Academic Foundations/Teacher Education, College of Central Florida, Ocala, FL | 1980 | Bachelor’s Purdue Dec. 1980 Agriculture/Horticulture Education Master’s IUPUI Dec. 1990 Counseling/Counselor Education PhD University of South Florida Continuing Doctoral Candidate – College Leadership |
Student Teaching at Benton Central Jr/Sr High with Dale B, Dale J, Rod McKee & Mr. Wiz. 1982 – 1983 Eliza Hendricks Jr/Sr High in Indianapolis, Ag/Horticulture teacher 1984 – 1989 70001 of Indianapolis alternative school, Vocational Skills teacher 1989 – 1990 Indiana University Kokomo, Assistant Dean of Continuing Education 1990 – 1993 Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau MO, Counselor, Student Support Services 1993 – 2004 College of Central Florida, Academic Advisor/Counselor/Veterans Coordinator 2004 – Present College of Central Florida, Teach foundations of education courses, educator preparation and freshman leadership courses, Professor, Academic Foundations/Teacher Education, & First Year Experience Coordinator,(FYE) |
BOB MEYERHOLTZ. He mentored me all through high school and college when I served as his summer Ag Ed intern. When I wanted to take Ag classes, my guidance counselor told me that girls don't take Ag, or teach Ag, they teach Home EC". Mr. Meyerholtz said " girls can take and teach Ag just as good as the guys". I never forgot his wise advice. | Hayrides and parties at Gary Moore's house, IVATA club activities, Building the IVATA suspension' bridge and creating the nature park as our club service project, the annual Ice Cream Social, serving on the Ag Council, serving as counselor at state FFA convention and FFA Camp. Funniest: sitting with Ross Striebeck in class (who usually spit his tobacco chaw spit into a coke can) and watching a student who didn't know any better, pick up the can and almost take a swig. | 1) Student teaching: First day I was entering the classroom at Benton Central and passed Dale Butcher on the way out with a huge grin on his face. His words of wisdom: "They're all yours"! 2) Teaching Alternative School: (I share this experience each semester with my teacher ed students as what NOT to do in the classroom)….I had a class of special needs students with behavior problems. After hearing some "eew's" and giggles, I discovered that I had one male student who was behaving inappropriately with a female (with his hands under the desk) while I was demonstrating plant propagation. Without thinking, I waved my knife at him and told the student… "Put that thing back in your pants, or I'm going to cut it off and sew it to your nose"! He did as he was told and ! never had a problem with him the rest of the year. I was terrified I would be fired, but everything turned out ok | One summer I worked at a cemetery driving a tractor with an auger to dig holes and bury cremains . My Ag Mechanics course with Mack Strickland came in handy because the tractor kept breaking down & I’d have to work on it to get it going again. | Have a passion, love what you do, be yourself, and always keep your sense of humor. This will be a positive legacy for your students. | ||
| Michael E. Cunningham | Cunningham | USDA Rural Development | 1980 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1980 Agricultural Education | 1981 – 1985 North Newton High School, Agriculture Teacher 1985 – Present U.S. Department of Agriculture, Community Programs – Area Specialist |
My high school agriculture teacher Jerry Peters. He just made me feel that if I wanted to do anything I could. | Taking agronomy classes with Dr. Hood, he always kept the classes interesting. I liked my advanced Ag. Ed. courses, but never continued to purse my degree. | Just having the influence on so many young people's life and still having contact with some of those people today. Having multiple District proficiency award winners and being Top Chapter in the District. | Working with AI Sharp at North Newton at the time. Being a young Teacher needing assistance both as a teacher and just growing up, he was helpful with both. | It takes hard work and determination and a lifetime of obligation. | ||
| Ot Schroeder | Schroeder | State Farm Agent | 1980 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1980 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1982 Education |
1980 – 1985 Clinton prairie Jr. – Sr. High School, Agriculture Teacher 1985 – 1988 McCutcheon High School, Agriculture Teacher 1988 – 1994 Rochester High School, Agriculture Teacher 1994 – Present State Farm Agent |
Aaron Parks, 4-H Leader for 10 years and Ag Teacher 2 years | Most memorable Purdue experience was serving on Ag Council for Purdue. | What I cherish the most is remembering students as they succeeded in certain areas or achieved good contest results. | Ag teacher preparation was well-rounded and diverse which helped me transition from teaching to sales with State Farm. | Be very passionate, keep an even temper and you will soon learn that hard work pays off and you will be respected for what you stand for. | ||
| Ross A. Striebeck | Striebeck | Delphi Community School corporation | 1980 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1980 Agricultural education Master’s Purdue 1981 Education |
1980, Student Teaching at Clinton Central with Ralph Walker 1981, Finished Masters and employed at Delphi Community School Corporation as an agriculture teacher for 28 years and two years as Dean of Students at Middle School. In 2006 Mr. Ralph Walker became our Superintendent |
Richard L. Allen influenced by his actions and activities. He taught for 44 years. | Where most universities may be a community the Ag School and especially Agricultural Education is a family. The trips and IVATA activities. | All 3000 plus students, families, friends, labs and activities and their accomplishments. My 1 st student of a student graduated in 2002. Getting Old!! | The Ag family locally as well as the many contacts made over the years at camps and conventions. | Love what you do and it will never be a job, just one hell of an enjoyable experience. | ||
| Tom Wallace | Wallace | Owen Valley High School | 1980 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1980 Agricultural Education Master’s Indiana University 1985 Secondary Education |
1980 – 1984 Brownstown Central High School, Agricultural Education teacher 1985 – 2001 Purina Mills Inc., District Feed Sales 2002 – Present, Owen Valley High School, Agricultural Education teacher |
Jack Simmerman. Jack made learning fun. Jack guided never forcing the issue however Jack had high expectations. | Dr. Camp advising us to “survive” the first years of teaching. | Aaron Smith placing 6 th at National FFA Convention in Creed Speaking. Developing an animal lab that is used by 180+ students each year. | Learning the process of communicating ideas based on the personality types of individuals. | You get out of teaching what you put into teaching. Be open to becoming life-long mentors to your former students. | ||
| Shirley Fosler | Fosler | Knox Community High School as a guidance counselor, and on the family farm | 1981 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1981 Agricultural Education Master’s Indiana University at South Bend 1985 Guidance and Counseling |
Family, and love for farming and school. | Animal science classes, welding and small engine classes, and horticulture classes. | Taking groups to National FFA Convention, State Convention, State Camps and district competitions. | Helping with a soil judging contest and student teaching. | A good field, learn as much as you can, be a positive leader and role model. | |||
| Terry Robertson Smith | Smith | Account Executive for Esmeralda Farms and Owner of Rubia Flower Market | 1981 | Associates Vincennes University 1978 Floriculture Bachelor’s Purdue 1981 Agricultural Education/Horticulture |
1981 – 1982 Indiana Girls School, Horticulture Teacher 1982 – 1986 Mary Kay Consultant, Grande Flower Shop – Floral Designer and Wedding Consultant, Tropical Interiors 1986 – 1991 Condor Farms/Esmeralda Farms – Miami, Florida, Account Executive, Sales to Wholesalers and Mass Market accounts 1992 – 1997 CFX LaFleurette, Miami, Florida, Account Executive – Import Cut Flower Sales 1997 – Present Esmeralda Farms, Miami, Florida, Account Executive, Import Cut Flower Sales to Mass Market accounts 2004 – Present Rubia Flower Market, West Lafayette, IN, European Cut Flower Market, Owner |
The individual that most influenced my decision to go into agricultural education was Ralph Walker, my agricultural teacher at Clinton Central High School. He always believed in me, and he was someone that always told me that I could accomplish things, I believed him, and I liked his laid back approach to me. Always positive, always encouraging. Dynamic Man. | I worked in the agricultural education office, and remember Gary Moore, Bill Richardson, Bill Hamilton, and Jeff Moss, the most. They were always encouraging me to excel in all areas, and listened to me and were very supportive of me. I remember doing food errands in Dr. Richardson's little MG car!!! | I taught for a short time and at the Indiana Girls School in Indianapolis as the Horticulture Instructor This school was a correction facility for girls aged 13-18 years old. Their offenses raged from attempted murder to bounced checks. I taught greenhouse plant management, flower identification, floral arranging, and grounds maintenance. Most of my teaching memories are of the girls and their struggles in life. They were looking for something to boost their self esteem. My goal was to use plants and flowers as a way to communicate with them and to help them feel at ease and to learn in a non-threatening environment. | I still teach floral design classes, and I always think about the way to organize and structure my classes from the lessons I was taught at Purdue. My Favorite was from Dr. Gary Moore, who said that you have to provide commercials for students as you are lecturing.- every ten minutes, do a commercial. My sales career has benefited from my teaching degree, because it helps me with presentations. | I would recommend that the world can be a very small place and opportunities abound where you least expect. Keep your options open. Always move forward and keep your head down and work. Don't worry so much about what others are doing and achieving. Set your goals, work hard, be a trustworthy and loyal person to your employer and to yourself, and you will excel without looking over your shoulder. Strive for excellence not perfection. |
||
| Vernon Back | Back | Lauth Group, Inc. | 1981 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1981 Agricultural Education Master’s Indiana University 1984 Secondary Education Ed.S. Indiana University 1995 School Administration Juris Doctorate Indiana University School of Law 1994 Law |
Tipton Middle School, Tipton, Indiana Agriculture Teacher 8/81-7/84 Division of School Finance, Indiana Department Education, Indianapolis, Indiana Financial Consultant 7/84-1/87 Arthur Andersen & Co., Indianapolis, Indiana Tax Senior 1/87-5/91 Krieg DeVault Alexander & Capehart, LLP, Indianapolis, Indiana Attorney 3/94-3/99 Attorney – Environmental, Health and Safety 3/99-9/00 Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana Attorney – Information Technology and e.Business 9/00-5/02 Thomson Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Senior Counsel 6/02-2/04 Lauth Group, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana General Counsel 2/04-11/08 Executive Vice President & General Counsel 11/08-Present |
Glen Wright was my high school Ag Ed Teacher. | Dr. Peters advising me that I could do whatever I set my mind to doing. This gave me the confidence to continue to take on new challenges throughout my career. | |||||
| William J. (Bill) Smith | Smith | Roberto Clemente Community Academy High School, Chicago, IL | 1981 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1981 Agricultural Education/Natural Resources | 1981 – 1988 Hebron High School, Hebron, IN. AgriScience and Junior High Science Instructor 1988 – 1991 TruGreen/Chemlawn, Crestwood, IL., Horticulture Manager & Lawn Supervisor 1991 – 1994 Galien Township Schools, Galien, MI., AgriScience and Junior High Instructor 1994 – 2003 Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, Chicago, IL., AgriScience Instructor 2003 – 2011 Bowen Enviornmental Studies Team (BEST) High School, Chicago, IL., Science Department Chair, Teach Chemistry/Physics and AP Environmental Science 2012 – Present Roberto Clemente Community Academy High School, Chicago, IL., Teach Physics |
Dr. Bill Richardson in Ag Lectures Fall 1975 came in and asked, “How’d you like to be a teacher and not have to look for a job in the summertime?” | Internship at Tri-County High School with Jerry Cook. Student teaching at Prairie Heights under Ned Stump. With my Ag Ed class (cohort) at Indiana FFA Camp – Trafalgar. | Building that first shed; students throwing me a birthday party; watching a former student become National FFA President, every time a student says “OH!” and you see the light bulb go on! | Try to work smarter not harder. Ask the experienced teachers questions. Observe lots of your peers at work and ask peers to audit you! Collect lots of data, analyze, then adjust your methods accordingly. Have lots of evidence to show why you do what you do! | |||
| Randy Sipkema | Sipkema | Kalmbach Feeds | 1982 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1982 Ag Education/Ag Economic | 1982 – 2003 Purina Millls, Animal Feed Sales, Sales Manager, General Manager, lived in Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Colorado, Missouri 2003 – 2007 Blue Seal Feeds – Vice President and Sales manager, New Hampshire 2007 – 2009 Smith Barney, Financial Advisor 2009 – Present Kalmbach Feeds, Ohio |
I never Taught Agriculture, but J D Foster was my ag teacher at Kankakee Valley High School and he was a great help to me in becoming a successful adult. | Dr Jerry Peters was an excellent teacher and Advisor to me as a student. | Preparing a lesson plan is the same as preparing a sales call, and the work in Ag Education has all been put to use in the business world. | You must have a heart to help kids grow and develop as leaders and love to work with kids. | |||
| Thomas W. Atkinson | Atkinson | Purdue University Graduate School | 1982 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1982 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1984 Counseling & Personnel Services PhD University of Pennsylvania 1991 Higher Education Administration |
After graduate school I worked as an assistant to the Associate Dean of Agriculture and Director of Academic Programs, Karl G. Brandt. In 2001, I was appointed as Assistant Dean in Purdue’s Graduate School. I was named Associate Dean in 2004 and continue to serve there. | The late Gerald Runyon, agriculture teacher at Clay City high School for many years. My education journey started in Clay city, Indiana, where I went to school all 12 years and graduated in 1978. | Student teaching with the legendary Bill McVay, agriculture teacher at Whitko High School, South Whitley, Indiana. | |||||
| Julie Ann (Williams) Walker | Walker | Business Manager for St. Benedict Cathedral in Evansville and do some free-lance training for USI Extended Services | 1983 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1983 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1993 Management |
1983 – Ag sales and broadcasting for a local radio station 1984 – 1985 Reporter/photographer/gopher for local newspaper 1985 – 1987 Marketing and Communications Director for United Way of Southwestern Indiana 1987 – 1991 Marketing Manager for Citizens Bank, Evansville, now part of 5/3 Bank 1991 – 1993 Shreve Residence Hall Counselor, Pursuing Master’s degree in Management 1993 – 2004 Associate Director, HR Information for American General Finance, now Springleaf 2005 – Present Business Manager for St. Benedict Cathedral. Also teach Microsoft classes for USI Extended Services |
Growing up on a farm, I always thought UI would end up close to my roots. I wasn’t interested in farming itself but a related career. An ag education degree seemed to offer a variety of options upon graduation. However, various opportunities during my career have led me in a different direction. My ag education degree provided a good foundation of organization and communication skills. | My summer as an Ag intern at North Posey – Attending FFA camps/workshops, helping with the farm plot, coaching FFA teams and leaders. | Student teaching at Clinton Central There were nine students who were pursuing a technical diploma. In the morning, they attended classes and, in the afternoon, they received vocational training. One of their morning classes was with the Ag Department to cover real-world basics. In addition to covering topics on insurance, banking, etc., I included a day on etiquette. I’m sure that’s not what those nine boys were interested in discussing. I was raised on a beef farm so I had some experience with cattle. I remember tagging along with the dairy judging team for one of their practice sessions. I was asked to participate too. In the end, my rankings were all wrong since judging beef cattle is very different from judging dairy cattle. |
||||
| Terry R. Small | Small | Georgia Southwestern Railroad | 1983 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1983 Agricultural Education | 1983 – 1985 Gibson Southern High School, Vocational Agriculture Teacher 1985 – 1986 Tiskilwa, IL., Vocational Agriculture Teacher 1985 – 1996 Raised Hogs and Grain 1996 – 2008 Georgia Southwestern Railroad, General Manager and Owner |
High School Ag Teacher, Glenn Gates./td> | Student teaching – the positive support of Dr. Martin. | Making sales calls for the railroad. The railroad primarily served Ag Businesses so being familiar with their industry was invaluable. | Take as wide variety of courses as possible – you never know where life may take you. | |||
| Dale Griffin | Griffin | Rossville High School | 1984 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1981 Animal Science Purdue 1984 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1985 Agricultural Education |
1986 – Present Rossville High School, Agriculture Teacher | Dr. Stacy Gartin who was a beginning Agricultural Education Assistant Professor at Purdue. He is now a Professor of Agricultural Education at West Virginia University. The Rothenberger family of Rossville. | The people in Ag Ed. | Too many to list/count! The community of students. | My work in North Dakota with a boys ranch in 1982/83. | Good Luck with IDOE and Administration – Enjoy the community and children. | ||
| Melissa Rosebrock | Rosebrock | State of North Carolina – Department of Environment & Natural Resources – Division of Water Quality | 1984 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1984 Horticulture/Agricultural Education Master’s North Carolina State 1991 Crop Science/Weed Science |
1984-1985 Spencer Company in Houston, TX, Pesticide & Landscape Supervisor 1985 – 1988 West Craven H.S., Craven County, NC, Vo Ag Teacher 1988 – 1989 Ciba-Geigy Internship, Pesticide Field Trials 1989 – Present Raleigh & Winston-Salem, NC, Environmental Specialist/Biologist |
Definitely Dr. Peters! His passion for students, always learning, and doing your best was inspiring! | I still laugh when I think about the class just prior to student teaching (Methods?) where we were each given a scenario dealing with a behavior/discipline problem and the class had to pretend they were the students and we had to learn how to deal with it. | I loved watching my Freshman grow and mature. Seeing them gain confidence (personally and educationally) was very rewarding. | I’m “teaching” everyday! Whether talking with state policy/lawmakers, citizens, or farmers – I’m instructing them about the environment and biology. | Network! Make contacts and connections wherever you can! These people make great resources for the classroom and can assist in future job prospects for you or your students. | ||
| Patrick Holland | Holland | 1984 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1984 Agricultural Education Master’s Ball State 2001 School Administration |
Graduated High School in 1975. Had no money for college so joined Army. Returned to Purdue in 1979 Fall. Student taught at East Central with Glenn Wright and Vernon Konradi Spring 1984. Entered agriculture teaching Fall 1988. | Moores Hill High School, Walter Ellison, always willing to help students – largest impact to me. | Served in United States Army during school and did not associate with many. | The attitude of students are wonderful when a student takes charge of a situation and learns to work with others. | As a soldier, the destruction to the land with explosives/ammunition were heart breaking | Those that can… do. Those who can do more… teach Ag. Those who cannot do or teach… go into politics. Teaching is better than a job. |
|||
| Scott Jacobs | Jacobs | Eastern Hancock High School | 1984 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1984 Agricultural Education | 1984 – 1986 Rossville High School, Agriculture Teacher 1986 – 1988 Eastern Hancock, Agriculture Teacher 1988 – 1998 Countrymark Co-op 1999 – 2000 Iowa Soybean Association 2000 – 2001 Indiana Department of Environmental Management 2001 – Present Eastern Hancock High School, Agriculture Teacher |
Jan Wooten, Role Model. | Learning how to teach. Stacy Gartin, Jerry Peters. | Coaching First Indiana team to win National FFA Livestock Judging Contest, 2007 and 2011. Taking three groups of students to Scotland. NAAE – National Program winner. | Finding connections in business you knew when in FFA. | Don’t be afraid to work hard and put in the time it takes for students to perform at a high level. | ||
| Tony Carrell | Rush County Schools | Purdue Extension | 1984 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1984 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1988 Vocational Education |
Ag Science and Business Teacher – Southmont High School, 1984 – 1986 Ag Science and Business Teacher – Mooresville High School, 1986 – 1996 Extension Educator 4-H Youth Development, Boone County, 1996 – Present |
Bill Green – great motivator and helped me achieve my goals in Jr. High and encouraged me to be an Ag teacher. | Hosting/visiting other Ag Ed students from other Big Ten campuses. | IVATA workshops and trips to NVATA Convention. | Do what it takes to stay passionate about your work. Passion can easily get lost along the way. But passion is what keeps the adrenalin rushing. | |||
| David White | White | Ohio Farm Bureau Federation | 1986 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1986 Agricultural Education/ Farm Bus. Mgt. | David White, a native of Paoli, Indiana, graduated from Purdue with a degree in Agricultural Education, specializing in Farm Business Management, in 1986. After graduation, he taught vocational agriculture and served as FFA Advisor at Knightstown High School, Knightstown, Indiana, for three years. During those three years four FFA members received their Hoosier farmer degree, one member was elected district FFA president and state FFA officer, and the program had a championship meats judging team and hosted an invitational meats judging contest, both of which are his most memorable moments during his experience at Knightstown. In 1989, White began his career with the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, based out of Columbus, Ohio. He worked with county Farm Bureau leaders in two areas of the Buckeye state for seven and a half years before being named director of commodity relations in 1997, a position he held until 2006 when he was promoted to senior director of policy development. He currently serves as senior director of issues management, a position he has held since 2009. In these various capacities he has also served as the executive director of the Ohio Livestock Coalition and Animals for Life Foundation, and helped launch the AgriPower leadership development program. |
The individual who most influenced David’s decision to teach agriculture was his high school vo-ag teacher and FFA advisor, Mr. Gerald Jackson. He still fondly remembers his first FFA camp – Greenhand camp – and the positive impression the “herd” advisor Mr. Ron Hefty had on the group. He also developed great admiration and respect for Mr. Bill McVay and countless other vo-ag teachers he met through his FFA experience, which included serving as a 1981-1982 state FFA officer. | During David’s collegiate days at Purdue, he was a member of Alpha Gamma Rho (AGR) Fraternity, served on the senior board of Occupational Outlook, was named to Alpha Zeta honorary, served on the junior board of the Boilermaker Tractor Pull Foundation and served as an officer for the Purdue chapter of IVATA. The AGR chapter celebrated its 75 th anniversary during David’s senior year, which he was responsible for coordinating. In 2004, David served as the operating chair for the National Fraternity’s 100 th anniversary celebration held in Columbus, Ohio. Two summer experiences during David’s collegiate days at Purdue highly influenced his career path. He spent one summer as a field agent (fancy name for a bug scout!) for an integrated pest management firm, scouting thousands of acres of corn, soybeans and hay in a five-county area in northwest Indiana. The following summer he served as an intern for CIBA-Geigy, promoting and marketing their products in a five-county area in east central Indiana. Both of these experiences helped him prepare not only for his brief career as a vo-ag teacher, but also his 23-year career to date with the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation and working directly with farmers and understanding an appreciation for their challenges and issues. |
David and his better half, Teri, make their home on the outskirts of the tiny village of East Liberty, Ohio, where they have three horses, two dogs that they have rescued and three cats. Perhaps most importantly, David still loyally bleeds old gold and black in a state consumed by scarlet and grey, and enjoys road tripping it back to Purdue for at least one basketball game a year. BoilerUp! | ||||
| Ron Kammeyer | Kammeyer | East Allen County Schools – Woodlan High School | 1986 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1986 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1989 Curriculum & Instruction Master’s Indiana 1991 Educational Administration |
1986 – 1988 Whiteland High School, Agriculture Teacher 1988 – 1993 Bremen High School, Agriculture Teacher 1993 – 1997 Columbia City High School, Assistant Principal 1997 – Present Woodlan High School, Assistant Principal/Principal |
Ron Hefty/Richard Grubaugh. They provided so much support to me as a person, teacher and as their boss over a period of 41 years. | Having to meet with Dr. O’Brien about the “AgEd Mafia”. I got my nickname “Godfather” because of it. | Receiving my Honorary Hoosier and American FFA degrees in a seven year career span. | I still use welding and small engine skills (Ag Mech 201) and rewire a lot of old farm buildings. | Make sure that you have science and vocational endorsements on your license, it makes you highly employable. | ||
| Mike Wassmer | Wassmer | MSD of North Posey County Schools – North Posey High School | 1987 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1987 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1988 Education |
Student taught at North Posey Indiana Spring of 1987, went back for Masters under Dr. Peters and wrote a thesis. Completed MS and started July 1, 1988 at North Posey as an Agriculture Education teacher and FFA Advisor. | Wanted to farm, but not a possibility, Ag Ed gave me a chance to farm part time, yet be involved in the agriculture industry. | Methods class with Dr. Peters, his discipline problems. | Seeing students obtain their American Degrees as well as students being productive in society. | The profession is changing to a corporate scenario. | |||
| Paul Eric Baker | Baker | Westview Jr/Sr. High School | 1987 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1987 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1997 Agricultural Education |
1987 – Present Westview Jr/Sr High School, Agriculture Teacher | My father was an elementary teacher and I wanted to be a teacher. I had the most interest in Agriculture. | I remember when agriculture students on the “Academic Superbowl” team won a competition because of irrigation problems we did in landscaping. | I love the glow of 7 th graders when they learn new facts about food. | Have a passion for classroom teaching. Match your curriculum to your community. Take time for yourself and family. |
|||
| Blair Orme | Orme | Rush County Schools | 1988 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1988 Agricultural Education Master’s IUPUI 1999 Education |
July 1989 – Present Rush County Schools, Agriculture Teacher | Mr. Kenneth Brashaber – The FFA Experience | Visiting Clinton Prairie and Mr. Fox for observation and Student Teaching at North Decatur. | Notes, cards, and follow-ups from past students. | N/A, However I work on a farm and it makes me think of the values and beliefs the FFA and agriculture possess. | Faith, Family, FFA….Keep it that way. | ||
| David Taylor | Taylor | South Spencer High School in Rockport, IN | 1988 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1988 Agricultural Education Master’s Indiana Wesleyan 2004 Education |
Spring 1988 Western Boone High School with Don Haberlin, Student Teaching 1988 – 1998 South Newton High School, Kentland, IN, Agriculture Teacher 1998 – present South Spencer High School, Rockport, IN, Agriculture Teacher |
Don Washburn – my Ag Teacher at South Newton – I wanted to go home and farm, but without that possibility, I looked at another way to be involved. Don raised cattle and taught and I really respect him. | Chicken Barbecues, Tractor Pulls, IVATA Banquets, Dr. Peters Methods class. | Helping students earn degrees and awards especially having my son earn his Hoosier Degree and win the state Forage Production proficiency. Also, having a student win the state Talent and go on to participate in the National Talent Program where he sang on RFD-TV twice and performed at the New and Retiring National Officer Banquet. | I worked for my parents on their farm as well as another farmer on his farm. It made me develop a good work ethic and develop responsibility. You can’t always get to go do what you want when you are working for someone else. | Stay up to date on things and don’t hesitate to ask other Ag teachers for advice or information. | ||
| Trent Paxson | Paxson | Jay County School Corporation – Principal | 1990 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1990 Ag Econ & Agricultural Education Master’s Ball State ~ Administrative Leadership EdS Ball State ~ Superintendent |
2 years, Tri County High School, Agriculture Teacher 4 years, Jay County High School, Agriculture Teacher 4 years, Jay county High School, Assistant Principal 9 years, Judge Haynes Elementary, Principal |
Mr. Robert C. Lyons, his involvement in the community and working with a large group of students. | Getting to know the Ag professors, they made us feel welcome and made learning fun, interesting and challenging. | Teaching units on fruit & gardening production and having the students taste the different foods! | Enjoyed many FFA activities, judging events, and State and National trips. | As Dr. Seuss’ book is titled, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go”, we never know where we will be 5 or 10 years from now. Make the most of what you are doing today. Treat people the way you would like to be treated. | ||
| Amy Hutson | Hutson | Indiana Farm Bureau, Inc. | 1991 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1991 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1994 Agricultural Education |
I taught Agricultural Science and Business at Eminence Consolidated Schools from 1991 to 1993. Traveled back to Purdue to be a part time research and teaching assistant for Consumer and Family Sciences while working on my MA in Ag Education. From there I started working for Indiana Farm Bureau, Inc. as a Field Representative in Districts 5 & 8. 1 did this for ten years and then moved to be the Senior Regional Manager in District 5, which covers Boone, Fountain, Montgomery, Parke, Vermillion and Warren counties, t have been doing this for 8 years. | My first FFA Advisor, Tom Mitchell. He encouraged me to follow my interests and not let anyone discourage me, especially the guys in FFA. I was one of only two females in my high school FFA program until my sister and her friend joined my senior year. | I would say my most memorable experience at Purdue was the friendships that I made through the IVATA-Purdue. Even though I am not currently teaching in the classroom, I enjoy staying connected to many of my classmates and friends across the state who are teaching. Aside from the friendships formed, I would say that the year that the State Dairy Foods judging was interrupted by an ice storm is next on my list. My roommate and I, Teresa Miller, and I hosted the Argos FFA advisor and judging team as overnight guests until they could safely travel home. Needless to say, 8 people in a small two bedroom apt. made for an interesting experience. |
By far, the most memorable experience as a classroom teacher came my first year. I had a student bring in his records for his SAE in a garbage bag. We spent many evenings after school and Saturdays trying to sort through everything and organize it so that it made sense in his record book. Needless to say, I was a bit overwhelmed by the experience and could have very easily told him that he was going to have to figure it out on his own. However, I knew that he was very earnest in his efforts and wanted to be successful. I also knew that he was a student who struggled in school and wasn’t blessed with academic skills that would allow him to shine in other areas of high school. So, we worked together and after almost 6 weeks of sorting, organizing, and entering the information into his record book completed his record book. After reviewing his records closely, I realized that he was a good candidate for earning his State FFA Degree as well as the Diversified Livestock Proficiency. We worked on these and submitted both applications. He was runner up for District Star and received his State FFA Degree that spring. I have never seen a young man smile so big, or be so proud of himself as this young man was when he walked across the stage at Purdue. I will never forget the look of pride on his father’s face as we sat and watched. The story doesn’t end here though. We worked hard his senior year to add to his leadership and judging experiences, so he could submit his National FFA Degree application. He became one of the first two students from Eminence FFA to receive his National FFA Degree in 1993. | I now work with volunteers of all ages through my job as a Regional Manager of Indiana Farm Bureau, Inc. I find myself using the skills I learned in methods class frequently when it comes to stimulus variation and keeping focus in my meetings. I like to think of myself as a teacher in an adult arena, even though I don't assign grades or give exams. It’s hard to pick one experience to be the most memorable, but I'd say having a young farm couple who had no experience with Farm Bureau, getting involved in the organization. Allowing me the opportunity to be a part of their Farm Bureau experiences and seeing them grow and succeed in the organization is the best feeling there is. It’s like seeing that FFA student bloom and grow through your teaching. Just knowing you had a small part in that is priceless. | Be a sponge and soak up all the knowledge you can from those around you. Don't be afraid to try new things and fail. The best lessons come from failure, if you chose to see them. Always strive to be the best, your students are watching. Remember you need to be student first and a teacher second, because you must remember what it’s like to sit in their shoes. |
||
| Gwen (Michel) Mize | Mize | Manchester High School | 1991 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1991 Agricultural Education | Graduated from Purdue with an Animal Science Degree in 1986. Worked at Bippus State Bank for 2 years. Back to Purdue for 2 years(1989-91) for Ag Ed degree. Taught one year at Shakamak Jr. Sr. High School and for the past 20 years teaching Agriculture at Manchester High School | My dad. He told me to combine the 2 things I loved the most working with agriculture and young people. He was right and 21 years in the classroom later I am still as happy as I was at day 1. | Meeting with and working with Dr. Jerry Peters was an amazing experience for me! I loved working with a go getter just like me. Student teaching with Mel Vance and Larry Clodfelter was an experience I still cherish and draw from today. Being part of IAAE-Purdue, Block & Bridle, and my great memories of friends I made and my methods class. | Seeing eyes get big and bright when a student finds success. When non-traditional students see and find the value of agriculture in their lives. I love it when you know a kid truly understands. I love when some young person begins to believe in themselves. I love the difference that aged can make in a young person’s life. | Networking with people from many areas of interest. Sharing ideas to achieve success. | Embrace it and the pay back will be priceless. Enjoy your students in school and relish in the friendships that you make. It is a great way to continue learning-by teaching others. Share your passion for the ag industry by teaching what you know and learn what you don’t know from your students and your community. Try one more thing each year instead of everything in one year. Love your career and your students as one day they will be your friends and neighbors. |
||
| David Marrison | Marrison | Ohio State University Extension | 1992 | Bachelor’s Ohio State 1990 Agricultural Education & Ag Econ Master’s Purdue 1992 Education |
1992 – 1997 North Montgomery High School, Agriculture Teacher 1997 – Present Ohio State University Extension (Associate Professor), Ag Educator |
My Ag Teacher, Mr. Bob Brown at Pymatuning Valley High School, Andover, OH | Working with Dr. Peters and Dr. Frick – most memorable was we went to National Conference in LA to present graduate paper. While there we took trip to Tijuna and Dr. Frick got car towed. | I have many – having non-dairy kids win 4 th place at Louisville which was a huge dairy judging contest. Pilot testing the National Agriculture Issues Curriculum. | Do it! It is a very rewarding career – You make a huge difference! | |||
| Chad Berger | Berger | Bremen High School | 1994 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1994 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 1998 Agricultural Education |
1991 – 1993 Summers Pioneer Hybrid Seed Co. 1994 – 1996 Rochester High School, Agriculture Teacher 1996 – Present Bremen High School, Agriculture Teacher |
Alan Burch – Agriculture instructor at LaVille High School. I think it was more what he did for me as an agriculture student – always encouraging me to do the best I can. | IAAE Purdue activities, Ag Council Board, Working in the Ag Engineering Department under Dr. Stroshine and Mack Strickland. | Seeing my students grow and mature. Having a National Star in Agribusiness and two National Proficiency winners. | Working with clients customers and people. Young people are our business. | Be flexible, Don’t be afraid of change, Learn to adapt. | ||
| Sam Zuckschwerdt | Zuckschwerdt | White River Valley High School | 1994 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1992 Agricultural Education Master’s Indiana Wesleyan 2004 Education |
1992 – 2001 MSD Shakamak High School, Agriculture Teacher 2001 – Present White River Valley High School, Agriculture Teacher |
Gary Heschelman and Glenn and Bob Wright. Bob said give it five years, Glenn advised to get a Biology minor, Gary was my Ag Teacher. | Lewis Whistler telling me his animal science class was dying, I was not a very good student teacher I don’t think. Fellowship with my classmates. | Too many to mention, all the funny things kids do on trips. | ||||
| Tom Kingery | Kingery | Western Kentucky University | 1995 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1995 Agricultural Education Master’s Indiana Wesleyan University 2003 Secondary Education PhD Texas Tech & Texas A&M Universities 2010 Agricultural Education |
1995 – 2011 High School & Middle School Agriscience Instructor in Indiana 2011 – Present – Assistant Professor, Agricultural Education, Western Kentucky University |
Alan Myers – High School Agriscience Teacher – Classroom instruction and CDE’s – “You are more than just a coach and an advisor. You are a teacher foremost with the ability to make a difference in the lives of your students. You have the potential to be a good one.” Guy Kirby – High School Agriscience Teacher – FFA leadership, proficiencies, & CDE’s – “With your farm background and love for agriculture, you are a good fit for agricultural education. Let’s look at the program next time we are on campus.”/td> | Weekly seminar class was always enjoyable. Making lunches for contests, playing Santa for the Christmas party with the kids. The IVATA-Purdue meetings, banquet, and events were always a highlight. Student teaching under Ross Striebeck and Beth Theobald was phenomenal. Their support and guidance was unmatched. Judging on the Livestock Team was also an excellent experience. | The first trip taking students to Kansas City for National FFA convention was indeed an experience. All those things you did when you went to National FFA Convention as a student and now coming back to haunt you. The first students to go to FFA camp. Past graduates that come back and say “Thank You” for what you have helped them with along their career. | Internships with seed companies. Working in crossing blocks and corn and soybean nurseries. Plant breeding in the greenhouses and field plots. Signing plots and selling seed and chemicals. | Agricultural Education is the medium in which all other disciplines can be taught. Use it to strengthen their skills as future leaders so they will be successful. Focus on the quality of each lesson and less on the quantity. Take time for yourself and your family while engaged in the profession. | ||
| D. Joe Caffee | Caffee | First Bank of Berne | 1999 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1999 Agricultural Education | 1991 – 2001 Northeastern Jr/Sr High School Ag Science & Business Teacher 2001 – 2002 Bellmont High School Ag Science & Business Teacher 2002 – Present First Bank of Berne 2002 Credit Analyst 2003 – 2010 Ag & Commercial Loan Officer 2010 – Present Senior Vice President/Head of Lending 2010 – Present Director, First Berne Financial Corporation |
The group of individuals who most influenced my decision to begin my career in the classroom were Indiana's agriculture teachers, especially my own ag teacher, Fred Schuman. Observing these dedicated professionals interact with, coach and motivate their respective students made me want to impact youth in the same way. | The Methods class that I was in my senior year was certainly entertaining and memorable, especially when Wes McCrea was assigned to be the "discipline problem." The interactions at IAAE functions were memorable as well. | When I was hired at Northeastern, they had not had an ag program for about 10 years. As such, I taught that entire first year with no textbooks. While difficult, it certainly made me work hard to understand my subject matter and become more creative as a teacher. I am most proud of the adults that my former students have become. I interact with several of them regularly and hope that I played a very small role in helping them in their maturation process. | The Purdue Ag Ed curriculum is well rounded enough that I am prepared to interact with grain farmers, produce growers, cattlemen, business owners, loggers, and pork producers – all of which I have interacted with during my career. Ag Education also prepared me to be an effective communicator. Interestingly, I have hired one of my former students as an ag lender. I guess things have come full circle. | Focus on the right things – the students. It is easy to get caught up in other distractions. Ultimately, it will be the student experiences that matter and that you will remember. Those relationships last. | ||
| Natalie Sutherlin Hodge | Hodge | South Putnam Jr/Sr High School | 1999 | Bachelor’s Purdue 1999 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 2001 Agricultural Education |
2001 – 2005 Whiteland Community High School, Agriculture Teacher 2007 – 2008 Whiteland Community High School, Biology Teacher 2008 – Present South Putnam Jr/Sr High School, Biology Teacher |
David Marrison, my Ag teacher. He told me to do something that mattered. | My best memories are of making life-long friendships. | Banquets were awesome! Great to celebrate student success. | Take risks and learn from your mistakes. | |||
| Jody French | French | Perry Central High School | 2001 | Bachelor’s Purdue 2001 Agricultural Education Master’s Western Kentucky 2006 School Counseling Oakland City 2012 Administrative License |
2001 – 2004 Paoli High School, Agriculture Teacher 2004 – 2006 Perry Central High School, Agriculture Teacher 2006 – Present Perry Central High School, Guidance Counselor Grades 7-12 |
My 10 year 4-H experience leading workshops discovered my love for agriculture and teaching & Purdue! | Just being part of the agricultural education family. | The students – watching them grow into leaders and then seeing that carry over to their adult lives. | You must have a passion for learning so you can pass that passion to your students and keep up with all of the latest technology in agriculture & teaching methods. | |||
| Eric J. Steiner | Steiner | U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry | 2002 | Bachelor’s Purdue University 2002 Agricultural Education PhD George Mason University School of Law 2009 J.D., Law |
Indiana FFA State Reporter, Indiana FFA Association, Trafalgar, IN (June 1996-June 1997); Public Policy Intern, American Farm Bureau Federation, Washington, DC (May 2000-August 2000); Student Teacher for Mr. Jack Simmerman, Owen Valley High School, Spencer, IN (Spring Semester 2002); Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellow, Congressional Hunger Center, Washington, DC (August 2002- August 2003); Sales Associate, ACE Logan Hardware, Washington, DC (August 2003-December 2003); Nutrition Fellow, U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Washington, DC (September 2003-December 2003); Associate Professional Staff, U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Washington, DC (December 2003-January 2004); Professional Staff, U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Washington, DC (January 2004-August 2007); Associate Administrator for Special Nutrition Programs, U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (Political Appointee) (August 2007 – November 2008); Chief of Staff, Office of the Under Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture; Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services (Political Appointee) (November 2008 – January 2009); Law Clerk, U.S. Election Assistance Commission (January 2009 – August 2010); Director of Government Affairs for Farm Policy, National Association of Wheat Growers (August 2010 – April 2011); and Senior Professional Staff, U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry (April 2011 – Present). |
Mr. Fred Schuman, South Adams High School Agriculture Instructor and FFA Advisor. Mr. Schuman showed by example how to provide students a multitude of opportunities. He was my mentor, a coach, and a trusted adult. I wanted to make a positive difference in students’ lives like he made a positive difference in mine. | EDCI 240 classes where all Ag Ed students came together once a week – we had guest speakers, IAAE-Purdue meetings, and most importantly a chance to build an atmosphere of community. Annual flower sales and deliveries all over campus were both a difficult challenge and a lot of fun. Caring academic counselors and professors made the large university feel like a small campus – a home away from home. |
When I was a student teacher, I visited my student’s Supervised Agriculture Experience project of working with and feeding big cats at a wild animal sanctuary. When we first arrived, the manager gave me the keys to the organization’s pickup and asked me to drive a few miles to where the Sheriff had reported a deer had been killed by a truck. We lifted the large deer onto the pickup bed, returned to the sanctuary, my student expertly cut it into pieces, and then together we literally fed it to the lions. | Preparing to become an agriculture teacher taught me how to quickly evaluate information and information sources to provide the best knowledge available to students. When I help to formulate policy and write legislation for a Farm Bill, some of the same skills come into play. Throughout the Farm Bill process, information pours in from all sides, many interests must be balanced, and it is my job to sift through, boil down, and package the information to provide my Senator with the best information possible for his decision-making on agriculture policy. | Become a better writer and train your students to be excellent writers. No matter our current skill level, we must all strive to become better writers to enable the public to understand the world of agriculture. Opportunities to help others’ understanding are missed when complex information cannot be made succinct, palatable, and persuasive. Writing helps solidify thoughts, enables improved public speaking, and checks our understanding of both what we know and what we should learn more about. Your students will maximize their chances for career success when they can effectively communicate through writing. | ||
| Amber (Cloud) Wolfe | Wolfe | National AgrAbility Project/Arthritis Foundation | 2003 | Bachelor’s Purdue 2003 Agricultural Education | 2003 – 2004 Cloverdale Middle/High School, Ag Teacher and FFA Advisor, Freshman Class Sponsor 2004-2008 Franklin Community High School, Ag Teacher and FFA Advisor 2009-Present National AgrAbility Project/Arthritis Foundation- AgrAbility Project Coordinator |
My county 4-H Youth Extension Educator, Nancy Schuman. She played a pivotal role in the shaping of my youth involvement in agriculture through 10 years of 4-H, which led me into AgEd. | The banquets! I was honored to receive the Outstanding Senior Award in 2003 through IAAE-P at the banquet, and I always enjoyed the speakers and experienced teachers as they shared their wisdom with us. I also loved attending the Spring Fling and Fall Frolic picnics to get to know the other AgEd students and have some good laughs. | When our class of student teachers were out in the field, it was during the time when Dr. Jerry Peters was the Interim Dean of the School of Education, and he only chose ONE student to observe…and it was me! I was terrified! But it ended up being a very positive experience and he gave me some great insight into teaching. Even though I have left teaching, I still call on Dr. Peters for help in my new position with AgrAbility. I was teaching Food Science at Franklin during my 2 nd year as a teacher. We had an old stove in one classroom, but it was my teaching partner’s room (Melissa Mitchell Andrew), not my own. I had the students canning cucumbers to make pickles and we left the canning pot boiling on the stove all night in the other classroom. The pot exploded overnight and the jars shattered. The room smelled horribly for the next month or so, and needless to say, we never got to eat the pickles. |
Every day! My position in AgrAbility is based on education. I am often asked to present to large audiences at conferences, or to give a demonstration or presentation for a group. I am currently working on curriculum lesson plans for AgrAbility that will be utilized by AgEd teachers, and I have provided several other educational materials to AgEd teachers nationwide in the past few years. My teaching background helps with all aspects of my current position. | Be stern at first, and then make friends with the students. If you are too nice up front, it is very difficult to use discipline later. Get to know your students’ parents and community members as soon as you can. They are your best resources. Make time for your own life. You have to balance work and family very precariously. |
||
| Amy Sutton | Sutton | Western High School | 2005 | Bachelor’s Purdue 2005 Agricultural education | 2005 – Present Western High School, Agricultural Science and Business Teacher | My Ag. Teacher – Mr. Justin Pearson. He loved his job! | The Chicken BBQ with Pizza! | The first time a student said, “Oh, I Get It!!” | Be ready to Stay busy and Love your Job!! | |||
| Annette Applegate | Applegate | Forest Park High School | 2005 | Bachelor’s Purdue 2005 BS – Agricultural Education BS – Agronomy Master’s Western Governor’s University – Indiana Expected 2013 Master of Business Administration |
2005 – 2007 Cutting Edge Consulting in Geneseo, IL as an Agronomist 2007 – 2010 Perry Central Community Schools in Leopold, IN as an Agriculture Science and Business teacher 2010 – Present Forest Park High School in Ferdinand, IN as an Agriculture Science and Business teacher |
I had always wanted to be a teacher from an early age, especially after having my 2 nd and 3 rd grade teacher Mary Wagner Burke. She was a great teacher who had a love for knowledge but also a genuine personality and developed a close bond to each of her students. It wasn’t until I entered high school that I found what subject/grade I wanted to teach as a career. My high school ag teacher, Doug Walker, was very passionate about agriculture and the FFA. I quickly fell in love with FFA. Having a deep love for agriculture, the FFA, and the desire to teach I knew that Ag Education was the right major for me! | Trafalgar work days! I also enjoyed the lAAE-Purdue banquets. | Setting off the fire alarm on a rainy day while grilling for one of our FFA cook outs, causing the entire school to evacuate (no fire, just smoke from the grill that decided to linger in the shop instead of exiting the shop door)! A student coming up to me and thanking me for helping them pass Biology because I took the time during my prep to help explain the key concepts to them along with help with their homework. | Do what you love and love what you do! | |||
| Jeanna VonDielingen Eppley | Eppley | Southmont Jr/Sr High School | 2006 | Bachelor’s Purdue 2006 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 2011 Youth Development & Agricultural Education |
2006 Student Teaching – Jim Stephenson 2006 – 2007 Mt. Vernon at Fortville, Agriculture Teacher 2007 – Present Southmont Jr/Sr High School, Agriculture Teacher with Gary Mosbaugh |
Blake Hackman, my Agriculture teacher/FFA Advisor at Brownstown Central High School. He always had fund and talked about how much he loved his job; I wanted a “job” I loved just as much so I could always say I am going to school…not work! | IAAE-Purdue parties/meetings, the “problem student” scenarios in Teaching Methods class, Dr. Talbert and the pepper eating contests. | With the busy schedule we keep as Ag teachers/FFA advisors, it is great when the students and parents give you “warm fuzzies” (that warm fuzzy feeling that lets you know you have made a difference). That is when you know you have made the difference in your students’ lives; a difference that will positively impact the rest of their life. It is also great to celebrate FFA accomplishments with students who have never succeeded in something before and realize they have found their niche in our organization. | You are going to have to work hard! No doubt about it; but for every ounce of energy you put in this career, you will reap satisfaction for making a difference in the lives of students and helping to secure the future of the Agriculture industry. It is worth the extra time to do the community service activities, to compete in the contests, and to take your students on trips and to camp. My favorite things is never having to “go to work”; I go to school every day to have fun and make a difference in my kid’s lives. | |||
| Mariah (Wise) Roberts | Roberts | Wawasee High School | 2006 | Bachelor’s Purdue 2006 Agricultural Education Master’s Purdue 2011 Career & Technical Administration |
2006 – 2007 Southmont Jr/Sr High School, Agriculture Teacher 2008 – Present Wawasee High School, Agriculture Teacher |
Randy Warren, although I didn’t know him well until my student teaching, his encouragement and mentoring is what has kept me in the profession. | The Non-Chicken, Chicken BBQ and Spring Cookouts were enjoyed getting to know other students, professors, and their families. Also, the officer retreat in 2005 with Tim Green, Jared Nussbaum and others. | Although I’ve only taught 5 years, there’s too many to name! Watching students & FFA members grow from quiet freshmen to senior leaders is the most rewarding. | Keep your life in balance; but when it comes to your job, put in everything you’ve got and success will follow. | |||
| Diana E. (Moyer) Mitsch | Mitsch | work at home and a mother | 2007 | Bachelor’s Purdue 2007 Agricultural Education | First Flight Federal Credit Union in New Bern, NC , January 2008 – October 2010 Homemaker/Mom at present located at Edwards AFB, CA |
High School Ag teacher, Kevin Garling, passionate about Ag and always putting his students first. Great teacher and role model. |
Our graduating class was the first learning community which made the transition to college easier. I also made many great friends from it. | Although it was only during student teaching – turning students around and showing them Ag and learning can be fun. I loved my student teaching experience and look forward to the day I get back to the classroom. | Customer service is #1 – listen carefully to what others have to say and being diligent in my work. Also training other employers for their respective positions carefully and thoroughly. | Remember each student is different and unique in their learning. Despite all of the mandates, teaching still is and always needs to be about the students. |
(select a person to see details here)
Employment at time of data collection:
Employment at time of data collection:
Education Journey:
Career Path:
Which individual most influenced your decision to teach agriculture?
Most memorable agricultural education experiences as a student at Purdue:
Most memorable experiences as a classroom teacher of agriculture:
Most memorable experiences in agribusiness:
Advice for young people entering the agriculture teaching profession today:
Notes:
