by Hunter Galluzzo, Wyoming FFA Treasurer
FFA leaves lasting impacts on the lives of others. From career development event trips to workshops, students learn and grow passionately in the field of agriculture. Through this growth, one thing is constant; their ag teacher.
“FFA is too valuable to not bring it to all kids,” says Kristi Holum, the agriculture education instructor and FFA advisor for the new Thunder Basin High School in Gillette. Holum decided to teach ag after having her own life impacted by FFA. After serving as the 2001-2002 Wyoming State FFA Treasurer, Holum knew what she wanted to do. She has been teaching ever since.
Holum enjoys teaching her freshman Ag class, as well as coaching her parliamentary procedure and sales teams. Her favorite part of classes is seeing students develop and mature into productive citizens. After teaching alongside her own teacher, Troy Gladson, Holum is excited this year for chapter officer interviews and building a new chapter from the ground up. Thunder Basin High School just in the fall of 2017.
As agriculture is an ever-changing industry, Holum is already looking into the future. She sees FFA including more science curriculum every year. Because of this, she seeks out new lessons to bring into her classroom. She also sees the shift to more technology usage. Holum is devoted to keeping her classroom and shop still valuable to her students. “There are some things you can’t learn by watching videos or by doing a worksheet,” she says. Ag teachers are incredibly valuable for bringing and setting students up for their futures.
Do you know someone who should be “Tagged to Teach Ag?” Share this post with via social media with #tagged17 and let them know you think they’d make a great ag teacher!