What Ag Education Can Do
For many high schools in California, class is back in session. Now is a good time to talk to your kids about what their next year in FFA or 4-H is going to look like.Templeton High School 2021 graduate Katy Simonin spent her entire life in and out of the ring, showing livestock big and small.
I spoke with Simonin at the California Mid State Fair in July, where she entered the show ring for the final time.
“My heifer got first in her class, which was kind of exciting. And my steer, he was home grown, so I wasn’t expecting him to go out and win but he got a group 1 so I was proud of him.”
And the impact ag education has had on Simonin… makes her want to pay it forward.
“I graduated high school in 2021, so right now I am working as a preschool teacher. I teach ag to little kids, its super fun. So that’s what I’m going to do for the next year. I’m pretty excited. Hopefully I will become a full-time teacher in the future.”
I doubt this will come as a surprise to any of you, but I was also an active member of my 4-H club growing up, and when I got to high school, I showed livestock through FFA. I also sat on my chapter and sectional officer teams throughout my four years. That impacted my life so overwhelmingly, I get to express my gratitude to my FFA advisor Mr. Chris Hildebrand of Templeton FFA for always believing in me and pushing me to excel.