Teachers

State FFA President Thaddeus Bergschnider, Vice President Eric Wisley, Reporter Cooper Nelson, Secretary Riley Kessler and Treasurer Benjamin Bremmer are nine months through their year as state officers.

Like many of you, I was a member of FFA in high school and then a member of collegiate FFA. The heart and soul of National FFA is the local chapter. That is where it all begins.

Illinois Ag in the Classroom 2024 Teacher of the Year Amanda Stanko was recently named as a National Excellence in Teaching About Agriculture Award winner.

Purdue University’s Agricultural Alumni Association presented six agricultural leaders with its Certificate of Distinction at the association’s annual Fish Fry.

It has taken a village, actually a city, and many months, but the effort to bring back agriculture education to Dixon High School is nearing completion.

One of the best jobs I ever had was at Scott County Nursing Center when I was a senior at Winchester High School. Through the co-op class, I went to school the first half of the day and worked in the office at the nursing center the second half.

Working with the goat herd at Hummel Livestock has resulted in Chase Hummel winning the National FFA agricultural proficiency award in the area of goat production — entrepreneurship/placement.

Ted Mottaz was fresh out of college and all set for a career in agriculture education, but Uncle Sam had other ideas.

Illinois high school football teams have entered the final weeks of playoffs, but one team already has a championship title.

Working toward becoming the American Star Farmer is a goal Tanner Mickey set to achieve when he joined FFA and now he is one of four members who are finalists for this prestigious award.

The work that Lance Moritz has invested in his family farm has resulted in national recognition as a finalist for the American Star in Agricultural Placement achievement award.

The Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom program has named Amanda Stanko, a STEM and preschool teacher with Corpus Christi Catholic School in Bloomington, as the 2024 IAITC Teacher of the Year.

Four beginning Illinois agriculture education teachers were recently recognized by the IAA Foundation with Illinois Agricultural Education Teacher Grants for their efforts during their first year in the field.

Illinois Agri-Women has awarded five scholarships for females studying agriculture. One $1,500 IAW Helen Henert Agriculture Education Scholarship has been awarded to Mallory Ames, an agriculture education major.

In the Night Shift program at Four Rivers Career Center, Dan Brinkmann is teaching young people more than nuts and bolts and crankshafts and carburetors.