Ag Will Impact My Future

In the future I plan to pursue a degree in agricultural education. I have chosen this path because of my agriculture teachers and FFA advisors that have left an impact on me. They have taught me so many things, from cooking to how to care for an animal. Not only have they taught me physical skills that will help me in life and the agriculture industry, but they have also taught me emotional and mental skills that have prepared me for adulthood.

Mrs. Hale has been such a great idol in the classroom and on trips. She is an amazing woman that treats everyone with care, love, and discipline. While making everything so fun and educational, she pours her heart and soul into her job and her students, leaving marks on everyone’s heart. Mr. Barenberg has been my poultry mentor for four years. One of his top priorities when it comes to preparing students is leadership.

Mr. Barenberg has always taught me and the other students to lead, to know when to follow and to be respectful while doing it. He has taught me how to study and how to be great at what I do and advises that I must care for everything that I do, even when it is hard. Mr. Barenberg once told me that “No one is better than you, and you are not better than anyone else.” This statement has gotten me through high school confidently and has had a huge impact on my decisions.

My two advisors have made high school the best possible, and they do that for each of their students. They have also taught me that if I do everything with God, I will succeed.

Mrs. Hale and Mr. Barenberg have been my rocks for four years, and I am so grateful for them. Because of my agriculture teachers, I have gained a passion for agriculture and the poultry industry.

Before being in agriculture classes I didn’t fit in anywhere, I didn’t play sports or instruments. Once I joined Mr. Barenberg’s survey to agriculture class my freshman year, I found my place and a new-found family that have helped me so much. Agricultural education is my pursuit because I want to impact students’ lives, and inspire a passion for agriculture and FFA like my teachers did for me. Agricultural education is so much more than just education, it is teaching kids how to succeed in life through leadership, and communication. I want to be able to teach students how to do crucial things and leave a lasting impression on them.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Gracee Stout, Lincoln FFA president, participated in the Chapter Presidents Conference in Washington, D.C. Here’s one of the photos she has from her visit to the nation’s capital city.