"The owl is a time-honored emblem of knowledge and wisdom. Being older than the rest of you, I am asked to advise you from time to time, as the need arises. I hope that my advice will always be based on true knowledge and ripened with wisdom." - FFA Advisor duties taken from the FFA opening ceremonies.

We asked current and past FFA members to tell us what makes their agricultural education teachers so special.  Here's what they shared with us.  

Mrs Dingman - Tri-Valley FFA 
"Mrs. D always pushes us to do better and sometimes to try new things. If I have a question the first person I think of asking is Mrs. D. When we need help she is always there to give us advice."  - Robert 

" She cares about her students like we are her own children." -Keli 

"Mrs. Dingman has impacted my life in many ways. She has always supported me and all her students through all their endeavors. Through the hardest things like learning to weld to the easiest things like supporting all her student-athletes, Mrs. Dingman has done it. She impacted more than just my life she impacts every one of her students' life’s." - Lexi 

"She pushes all of her students even when you don’t think you have it in you.  She always goes above and beyond to make sure we get the best education possible." - Haley

"Mrs. Dingman has such a positive impact on a lot of people's lives, including my own. I can remember one time when I was stuck on an ag project she helped me walk through it step by step and helped me understand what I was doing wrong and that a simple fix makes such a big difference. Mrs. D has helped me with ag-related classes and also other school-related activities. She is such an amazing teacher and I think anyone that has her classes will agree with me. She is very down-to-earth and just a good person to be around. She jokes around with us and understands that when we're frustrated, we need time to calm down, and she will guide us through the task to get it done right. She is just an amazing teacher and an amazing person. If you ask any student who has or has had Mrs, Dingman as a teacher, I'm sure they will 100 % agree." -Tyler

"There are so many stories I can tell you on how Mrs. Dingman has impacted my life. And I could tell you how she taught me how to use all the equipment in the wood and metal shop. However, she is more than a teacher! She inspires me not just to be more confident on what project I’m working on but also in life. She has given me the confidence not just to be myself but embrace it. Even when I fail she reassures me that it’s all part of the process. No matter how impossible it seems to fix. Mrs. Dingman has seen me grow as a person due to her impact on my life and I am so grateful to her and all the work she does!" - Lauren 

"I moved to this school and had nowhere to fit in. I took one Ag class and I Was hooked. It gave me a reason to go to school and a reason to enjoy school. I am now a senior and I am in the ag shop the whole day." - Landis 

Ms.Timmons - Battlefield FFA
"Ms. Timmons is amazing as a person and a teacher, she’s always going the extra mile with everything she does. Every time I have a problem or am sad she's always there for me and others. She always stays after school to talks to us and always is willing to help us through anything and everything." - Hope 

Mrs. Kennedy - Battlefield FFA
" Mrs. Kennedy has helped me achieve many milestones in FFA and school. She always helps me come up with a plan to face challenges and always has a positive outlook on rough situations. I love taking her classes and FFA trips with her are the best." - Kelsey 

Mr. Witmer - Otto-Eldred FFA
"Mr. Witmer has impacted my life in many ways, when thinking about this question one major thing comes to mind. Mr. Witmer came to Otto- Eldred in 2020 with a huge task and that was creating the first-ever ag department in our school. There were so many odds against him but that did not stop him. One of the most important parts of an ag department is an FFA chapter, and Otto-Eldred had no clue what FFA even was. Mr. Witmer introduced FFA to everyone and then sent out officer applications for the first officer team at Otto-Eldred. Thankfully I applied. I was so nervous about the application process because I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into I just knew I loved ag and wanted to be more involved. After my interview a couple of days later I found out I was selected as the first O-E FFA Vice President. I was so shocked and honestly really nervous but Mr. Witmer guided me and all the other officers in the right direction and we ended up being very successful. Being selected to have a big leadership role in my chapter has truly impacted me in many ways. I am a better communicator, I have picked up many problem-solving skills, and biggest of all it has helped me figure out what I want to do after high school. Mr. Witmer continues to believe in me and push me to be the most successful version of myself. Mr. Witmer has brought something truly special to my life and someday I hope to be able to do that for someone else. After high school, I hope to become an agriculture educator and inspire kids just like Mr.Witmer does for me and many others!" - Sarah

Mr. McLaughlin -  East Juniata Jr/ Sr High East Juniata
" Mr. McLaughlin constantly displays care for his members and makes learning fun and entertaining. He always makes sure we have a hands-on experience to help us learn better. We are always provided with information and opportunities on how to go further in agriculture." - Emily 

Mr. Hojnowski - Canton FFA
"From my time as a student, I have learned that teachers must be diligent, universal, but above all must have the biggest heart a human can possibly have. My FFA Advisor, Thomas Hojnowski is the living embodiment of these three qualities. During his twenty years teaching at Canton High School, Mr. Hojnowski has had to successfully restart the Canton FFA chapter, aid four members in becoming Pennsylvania State FFA Officers, help over one hundred members in getting their Keystone Degrees, and aid countless members in bettering themselves. While these numbers seem impressive enough for such a small school and community, he did all of it while fighting his hardest battle. In 2018, Mr. Hojnowski was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Although this should have been a time of rest, Mr. Hojnowksi still focused on the lives of his members. He was still creating lesson plans, planning CDE’s (Career Development Events), and reading speeches during his chemotherapy sessions. No matter what has been thrown at this man, he still proceeded to do what he thought was best for his students, FFA Chapter, and community. Since 2018, Mr. Hojnowski has won his battle against cancer, but now faces an even bigger battle with COVID-19. While proceeding to take his sabbatical from school this year due to the pandemic, and doctor's orders, Hojo was still there for his students without any recognition for his efforts. This man has been a true embodiment of what an FFA Advisor should be, he has risen above challenges to be there for his students. He gets up every day with their best interests at heart and continues that even after they have become alumni. Hojo has impacted me in so many ways through growth and support, but overall he has helped me in finding my passion. I would not be who I am today, or where I am today without him" Cheyenne 

Ms. Miles - Headwater FFA
"She has taught me how to be a better person" - Abigail 

"Mrs.Miles has always been an energetic and passionate person about agriculture. She makes Ag class fun and interesting every day. She always cheers everyone up even when she has only slept a few hours because she was out on several calls as an EMT. She is like a second mother to everyone. Personally, she has been a role model and inspiration to me. She pushed me out of my comfort zone in 8th grade and put me in a public speaking competition. I cannot thank her enough. I now love to public speak, am a leader, and am passionate about agriculture. I have always admired how Mrs.Miles balances her job as an ag teacher, advisor, her family, involvement in her fire company, livestock committee, 4-H leader, and being a part of the FFA alumni association. Even when she is stressed she still finds time to stop what she is doing and listen. I have learned so much about agriculture and life lessons from Mrs.Miles. She has inspired me to teach children. I would like to live my life impacting children's lives and the community just like she has." - Courtney

Mrs. Wilcox - Blackhawk FFA
"She has helped me become a better officer and has taught me to be more independent. She has taught not only myself but the chapter the importance of communication and teamwork as well as hard work and self-motivation. From the classes I have taken through her I have learned a lot about plants and animals that have helped me identify different plants in real life and be more familiar with animals. She has taught not just me but many others many useful skills for life and much more." - Allison

Ms. Bentz - Big Spring FFA
"She is the most amazing and understanding teacher that I know. No matter what kinda day I’m having, walking into her room will make it so much better. The past 6 months have been very difficult but Ms. Bentz has helped me through all the hard days that she could. She is always the life of the party and can make any trip fun but also knows when to get some work done but the fun never stops.  This year, I performed in the Cumberland County Drill Team at the farm show which is nothing new (it’s my 8th year doing it but this was my first year doing it without my Dad with me who was my biggest supporter. And to make it even harder this was the first year I was using the horse my Dad got me when I was in 2nd grade. I came into Ms. Bentz’s room the day before the performance obviously upset and had a long heart to heart conversation. She then said that she would be at the farm show to help out and support me tomorrow so I wasn’t alone. I didn’t ask her, she just did because that’s the person she is. It was perfect because she has a background with horses so she knew how to help. I was a mess before the show but every time that I passed by Ms. Bentz my seat and riding became better and it was obvious because my horse calmed down with me." -Abigail

Mr. Ritchey - Tri-Valley FFA
"Mr. Ritchey is one of the most dedicated and selfless people I have ever known. He has put so much time and effort into developing our FFA program and I hope that his hard work will not go unnoticed. Over the past three years, I have spent with him as my teacher and advisor, I have gained knowledge about agriculture, confidence in who I am, and a sense of pride regarding what I stand for. Mr. Ritchey holds himself and all of us to a high standard: he asks us to be respectful, open-minded, hardworking, and aware both in the shop and classroom. This has proved to be useful for me even outside of the classroom. As I have continued to hone my skills and explore new areas of agriculture, the usefulness of what we do in our FFA program has been evident to me. Mr. Ritchey has supported and encouraged me to step out of the box, such as when I participated in the National FFA Band and the public speaking contests. He is my example of what an agriculturalist is." - Darcy 

Mr. McDonald - Tri-Valley FFA
" He taught me how to respect everyone that you meet." -Charles