Location: Flushing, Ohio
College/University attended: Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio (2007)
Major: Agricultural Education
Career: Agriculture teacher at Union Local High School in Belmont County. (Previously taught four years in western Kansas.)
Why did you choose Ohio State?
Because of the proximity to home and I just felt it was well-known for the ag education program. I was also encouraged to go to OSU by my high school ag teacher, Jaime Chenevey, and I loved it there.
Did you always want to be a teacher?
I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. I really enjoyed my high school freshman year of ag with Keith Nowels and decided then I wanted to be an ag teacher.
I took ag classes in high school because of my involvement in 4-H and I fell in love with FFA and Career Development Events, especially parliamentary procedure, public speaking, and ag sales.
How are you using what you learned in college?
I frequently think back to lessons learned in the teaching methods courses, and classroom management practices. I use those classroom and teaching foundations on a regular basis.
Did you grow up on a farm?
I grew up on a small family farm outside of Glenmont (Holmes County). Both my parents are retired teachers. My grandfather raised a small beef herd, and my father raised meat goats and practiced rotational grazing, while renting the crop ground.
Advice for students considering college:
You can always come home, but I think you owe it to yourself to get away from home for a few years and see what else is out there. College isn’t for everybody, but you owe it to yourself to get an off-the-farm experience.
