Megan Seifert, ag ed teacher and FFA director at Melrose High School, image courtesy of CHS Foundation
Sixty-four agricultural education teachers are taking their passion for agriculture and sharing their stories with local communities and beyond — as part of the National Teacher Ambassadors for FFA program.
The program, which began in 2016, provides teachers with the tools to share information about FFA and agricultural education with their communities. Teachers selected for the program receive intensive training in June to learn and collaborate on educational resources.
Throughout the year, the ambassadors will present multiple workshops and work with over 1,000 FFA advisors from across the country, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands to brainstorm and share ideas.
Throughout the year, the ambassadors will serve as a voice of the organization to teachers across the country. They will, in turn, provide feedback from those in the educational field to the National FFA Organization. In addition, four past teacher ambassadors will be serving as mentors and providing support for this year’s teacher ambassadors.
“The National Teacher Ambassadors for FFA program is a unique program that informs and develops teachers while allowing teachers to help National FFA remain relevant with today’s educational landscape,” said Ambra Tennery, associate director of educational development & evaluation programs in the programs and events division of the National FFA Organization. “We are proud of the design of the program and the ability for teachers to make lifelong friendships with fellow teachers across the country. The benefits of this program are far-reaching and important to the overarching work of the National FFA Organization.”
Those individuals who have been selected to serve on the FFA Teacher Ambassador program are:
Alabama
- Allison Heald, Southside FFA
- Amanda Teixeira, Eufaula FFA
- Jeff McKinney, Haleyville Center of Technology FFA
Arizona
- Aleah Shook, Queen Creek FFA
Arkansas
- Kisia Holland, Gravette FFA
California
- Audrey Lent, Lakeside Middle FFA
- Cara Parlato, Elsie Allen FFA
Colorado
- Alexandra Grimes, Greeley FFA
- Shauna Valko, Sedgwick County FFA
Delaware
- Rebecca Moore, Smyrna FFA
Florida
- Shelby Ball, Avon Park FFA
- Stacy Young, Branford FFA
Georgia
- April Davis, Commerce Middle School FFA
- Ashley Rivers, Etowah FFA
- Donovan Hemmings, Denmark High School FFA
Idaho
- Josette Nebeker, Highland-Craigmont FFA
- Katie Cooper, Salmon FFA
Iowa
- Anna Brooks, West Marshall FFA
- Melanie Bloom, Sioux Central FFA
Kansas
- Ashley Vahsholtz, Junction City FFA
- Kim Clark, Royal Valley FFA
- Laura Miller, Junction City FFA
Kentucky
- Jacob Ball, Carter G. Woodson FFA
Louisiana
- Alyssa Stelly, Church Point FFA
- Brooke Scott, Berwick FFA
- Kalyn Yount, Varnado FFA
- Regina Smart, Westlake FFA
Maryland
- Leasa Gudderra, Gwynn Park FFA
Mississippi
- Carla Lawrence, Loyd Star FFA
- Catherine Avent, Lafayette FFA
- Millie Chism, Pine Grove FFA
- Toni Boatner, Brandon FFA
Montana
- JR Pierce, Shields Valley FFA
New Hampshire
New Jersey
- Patricia Smith, Warren Hills FFA
- Robin McLean, Northern Burlington Middle FFA
New Mexico
- Leslie Clark, Carlsbad FFA
- Shannon Watling, School of Dreams Academy FFA
North Carolina
- Christopher Hicks, Lakewood FFA
- Elizabeth Farmer, Uwharrie Charter FFA
- Emma Hendley, Northwest Cabarrus FFA
- Paul Young, Greene Central FFA
North Dakota
- Bailey Hawbaker, Stanley FFA
- Callahan Lemar, Grafton/Minto FFA
Ohio
- Caleb Hickman, Utica FFA
- Jeremy Ryan, West Muskingum FFA
- Lori Romie, Ridgemont FFA
- Stephanie Jolliff, Ridgemont FFA
Oklahoma
- Shawn Martin, Bluejacket FFA
Puerto Rico
- Kenneth Barbosa, Julio Víctor Guzmán Middle FFA
South Dakota
- AnnaMarie Sachs, Langford Area FFA
- Sarah McClure, Gettysburg FFA
Tennessee
- Kyle Gehring, Bradford FFA
- Ryan Wick, Lebanon FFA
- Shana Boteler, Page FFA
Texas
- Cheryl Handy, Sinton FFA
- Kasey Naylor, Sam Rayburn FFA
Utah
- Justice Fitzgerald, Crimson Cliffs FFA
- McKayla Plewe, Cedar FFA
Virginia
- Dakota Stroud, Signal Knob Middle FFA
- Elizabeth Eastep, Louisa FFA
West Virginia
- Allyson Lewis, Upshur County FFA
Wisconsin
Wyoming
- Jennifer Schultz, Greybull FFA