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“They are very selfless with all of the time that they put toward all of their students and making sure each of their students feels like their own kid. An ag teacher is not just another teacher that goes from 8:05 to 3:05 in the classroom. It’s going to be around the clock, sometimes up at 3 a.m., making sure everything is best for their students, for the ag program, for the school, for the community and for the FFA chapter. My ag teachers just go above and beyond on those aspects.”
Levi Meyerhoffer, 19
Seneca
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“Her sense of humor and her ability to push you to do things outside of your comfort zone. She helps you to get through things you may not know how to do.”
Rachel Light, 15
Farmer City
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“She’s been with me through everything and I’ve had a tough high school experience. She’s supported me like a second mom.”
Brenna Friel, 17
Farmer City
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“She gives really great advice to her students and she sets them on the right career path for any subject you take an interest in. I think she is a good companion in the student-teacher relationship.”
Anna Place, 16
Farmer City
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“She cares about the students and cares about everything we learn about and always tries to make us the best students that we can be. She always prepares us for everything we do and so everything we go to we usually do good because she prepares us well. She teaches us how to have respect for others and she does a great job.”
Lowell Wilhour, 15
St. Elmo
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“She will put you in a contest that she thinks is great for you and she will never put you in one that she thinks you will fail in.”
Emma Hoffman, 18
Maroa
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“She is really supportive of anything you want to do, if you want to try something or learn about something. She loves helping kids and she really encourages kids to get involved.”
Xen McKinney, 15
Maroa
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“What really makes him special is he takes us to a lot of contests and a lot of fun stuff like Agricultural Legislative Day. Not every ag adviser takes their kids to all of these things.”
Ralph Thompson, 17
Cowden
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“She opened every opportunity that I could have ever imagined. She basically told me what I was going to do without me even knowing what I was going to do and then I followed that path and fell in love with it. I have her to thank for that.”
Abigail Hurst, 16
Forsyth
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“She’s the person I go to for everything. For a career she helped me find what I love to do.”
Emma Lane, 15
Maroa
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“She’ll help me with anything. I go to her for any ag question and she doesn’t just help me with agriculture, she helps me with other classes. She really wants everyone in class to find their future career.”
Korin Kapraun, 15
Maroa
Editor’s note: Responses were obtained by Martha Blum at the Women Changing the Face of Agriculture conference at Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg and by Tom Doran at the Illinois Agricultural Legislative Day at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield.