From Connecticut to Pennsylvania Amanda Gagne is Hired at Penn Manor Teaching Agriculture!

Ms. Gagne comes to Pennsylvania Agricultural Education all the way from Bristol Connecticut! She has recently accepted a position at the Penn Manor High School in Millersville, Pennsylvania. Amanda will begin teaching a variety of classes including, ag businesses, introduction to animal science, introduction to ag mechanics, welding 1, and vet science 1&2 at this five-teacher program in January. Penn Manor is home to 367 active FFA members that Amanda is super excited to meet!

Amanda completed her student teaching internship at the Conrad Weiser Area School District in both the middle and high school.  She taught both seventh and eighth-grade agricultural science, introduction in agricultural science, and current agricultural topics.

While student teaching, she gained valuable teaching method techniques and skills she can’t wait to put into action in her new classroom!  One unique teaching experience Amanda had the chance to take part in while student teaching was completing a dissection on a guinea pig to determine the cause of death during a veterinary science unit! 

When asked for one quote Amanda would like to share with future agricultural educators Amanda responded with, “If it doesn’t scare you, then it’s not challenging enough.” She explained that jumping into agricultural education changed her life dramatically forever.  She also encourages students who are on the fence about teach ag to give it a shot, “the worst thing that happens is you learn something new and move on.”

Congratulation Amanda on starting your career at Penn Manor! We are all very excited to have you back in Pennsylvania and can’t wait to watch you grow! We know you will positively impact your new students!  Good Luck! Keep up with Amanda on social media @ Agagne08.  

Killiann George 

CPPD Student Worker 

Agricultural & Extension Education 

Class of 2023 

 

Miss Jessica Barnhart Accepts First Teaching Position at Northern Lebanon High School

Miss Jessica Barnhart of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania and Penn State 2020 Graduate has recently accepted a teaching position at Northern Lebanon High School in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. Jess gained her interest in agriculture when she took an Introduction to Agriculture class because she thought it would be fitting to her background. Miss. Barnhart states "I lived on a small farm and I later found a passion in wildlife that brought me to being an educational intern with DCNR located at Yellow Creek State Park. I loved teaching so much that I decided I wanted to pursue it in Agriculture, but I still wasn't sure how." She also shares that her student teaching experience at Brockway Area High School, with Kyle Norman and Matt Holt, helped to solidify that she wanted to become an Agriculture Educator.

While student teaching, Miss. Barnhart gained experiences teaching freshman through seniors including Wildlife, Horticulture, Animal Science, Small Gas Engines and Wood Working. During this time is when she also learned a valuable lesson through her classroom experiences. She said "I learned through student teaching that every student comes with their own backstory, their own challenges and their own strengths. Use those strengths and their passions to make them excited to learn." She is very fond of her time spent at Brockway and is happy to have had them be her mentors.

Currently, Miss. Barnhart has started her first year teaching agriculture and being an FFA Advisor at Northern Lebanon High School. This is a two-teacher program with Mrs. Jennifer Balmer. Jess teaches Elements of Agriculture to 9^thgrade students, Introduction to Agriculture to 7^th grade students and Floriculture, Small Animal Science, and Aquaculture/Wildlife/Forestry. Being passionate about Wildlife, she is excited to have many classroom pets/animals which the school encourages the students to be hands-on with. Currently they have 2 ball pythons, a tarantula, aquarium, a cane toad, hissing cockroaches, a bearded dragon, leopard gecko, mice and rats. They are always expanding and hoping to bring in more soon!

A word of advice Miss. Barnhart wanted to share with other students is "What's meant to be will always find a way". "So don’t sweat the small stuff. You are going to go through many challenges but you are here for a reason. Take your passions and hold them tight throughout the ride because when you see your first classroom of eyes looking at you and your thinking “how could I possibly do this” you can. And you’re going to rock every second of it!"

We are so excited for your new position and are wishing you the best of luck this year and many more ahead! Congratulations again Miss. Barnhart, on being hired to teach at Northern Lebanon High School, you will accomplish many great things with your students.

Morgan Bear

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural & Extension Education

Class of 2023

Ms. Krista Pontius named 2020 National Teach Ag Champion!

Each year as part of the National Teach Ag Day celebration, the National Association of

Agricultural Educators recognizes individuals and organizations who are vital to Agricultural Education as Teach Ag Champions. Each day these individuals work to create empowered leaders, knowledgeable consumers, and passionate advocates of the agricultural industry in their classrooms. These individuals are chosen for their passion and dedication for their profession, industry, and students and work tirelessly to improve Agricultural Education. Ms. Krista Pontius, an Agricultural Educator at Greenwood High School in Millerstown, Pennsylvania, was named a 2020 Teach Ag Champion.

Ms. Pontius has been a valuable asset to Agricultural Education even before she became an Educator. “Ever since the ninth grade, I knew I wanted to be an ag teacher." In high school she was an active member of Greenwood FFA, drawing inspiration for her future teaching career from her very own Agricultural Educator, Dr. MeeCee Baker. She was also involved in 4-H, showing steer and sheep. Since her parents had a beef and hog farm, Ms. Pontius has had the opportunity to be involved in animal agriculture for most of her life, which only added to her passion for the industry. After receiving her diploma in 1993, Ms. Pontius pursued her passion at Penn State by majoring in Agricultural and Extension Education. Diligent and driven, she acquired her Bachelor's Degree in 1997 and then went back for more, acquiring a Master's Degree in 2007. She first began teaching as a substitute for Greenwood High School, later taking a position at Cumberland-Perry Area Vo-Tech School and then at Big Spring School District as an Agricultural Educator. When a new position at Greenwood High School opened up, Ms. Pontius returned to her home town, hoping to be a champion for students just as Dr. MeeCee Baker was a champion for her. 

Outside of the classroom, Ms. Pontius is actively involved in the Agricultural Education community. She serves as Region VI Vice President for the National Association of Agricultural Educators, facilitates the professional development of her fellow Educators, and is actively involved in the Pennsylvania Association for Agricultural Educators. At home, she and her husband run a 111 acre dairy and crop farm, contributing to Pennsylvania agriculture through both production and advocacy.

Ms. Pontius could not imagine doing anything other than teaching agriculture. She is motivated by her students and loves each opportunity she gets to watch them learn and grow. For all the love she has for her students, she is equally as beloved by them as they truly value her compassionate, respectful, and uplifting teaching style. As an Agricultural Educator, Ms. Pontius's passion and dedication is driven by her belief that every student deserves a champion. "If I can be that champion for just one person, my career will be a success.  Each day, I am teaching the future. As teachers, we never know who is sitting in front of us… future decision makers, veterinarians, mechanics, maybe even the person who will cure cancer.  We have the ability to have a profound effect on the future, so I want to work hard each day for every one of my students, because they deserve it!" 

While truly humbled by her recognition as a 2020 Teach Ag Champion among other incredible professionals, Ms. Pontius's passion for her career and students attests to how deserving she is of this honor. She is not only a champion for her students and industry, but a champion for everyone in the Agricultural Education community. "The Penn State Teach Ag! Program is amazing.  Pennsylvania teachers are so fortunate to have the support and guidance of the Penn State Team….they make us all champions!" While Ms. Pontius continually points out the champion in all of us, WE ARE certain that she is one of the most influential champions for Pennsylvania Agricultural Education. Congratulations to our 2020 Teach Ag Champion, Ms. Krista Pontius!

Taylor Halbleib

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education

Class of 2022

Brooke Ostrander Starts a New Position at Troy Area Jr/Sr High School Teaching Agriculture

Brooke has an interesting journey of starting her teaching career as she returns to her roots at her home high school, Troy Area Jr/Sr High School. This one-teacher program thrives with 150 students where Brooke leads an active FFA chapter. She will be teaching classes of Food in Agribusiness, Forestry, Introduction to Agricultural Education, Biotechnology, Welding, Power and Machinery, Wildlife and Natural Resource Management, Animal Studies, and Plant and Soil Studies. 

Brooke's background stems from experiences including youth organizations of 4-H and FFA where she showed Jersey cows and pigs, and serving as a Bradford County Dairy Princess. She shares that her own Agriculture Teacher had a huge influence on leading her to pursuing a career teaching agriculture. While moving onto earning her degree at Penn State, Brooke was involved in the Dairy Science Club, Penn State Altoona Ag Club and Collegiate FFA. 

During Brooke's time gaining student teaching experiences she taught at Wellsboro High School in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania under Melanie Berndtson. While at Wellsboro she taught courses of Animal Science 1 and 2, Plant Science, Natural Resource Management, Introduction to Agriculture, Small Engines and Leadership. Through teaching these courses Brooke has been able to take valuable lessons and skills gained to her own classroom.

It is important to continually grow an Agriculture Education Program for the benefit of students, and Brooke is planning to do this at Troy. She shares "I have big goals and dreams for our program! In the future, I would love to see our program build a greenhouse and I would love to incorporate an agribusiness course. But, my main focus is creating relationships with the students and encouraging them to really get involved and help them accomplish their own dreams and goals for their futures." Not only is Brooke looking forward to teaching classes, but she is extremely excited to be an FFA Advisor. She loved FFA and is looking forward to watching her members grow and succeed through their years in the program.

One piece of advice she wanted to share with other students is based off her favorite quote, "Allow your passion to become your purpose". "The journey may not always be easy, there is going to be bumps, big and small, but if you’re truly passionate about teaching agriculture nothing is going to stop you from following your passion and that passion will directly reflect into your classroom and to your students."

Congratulations Brooke on starting your career at Troy Area Jr./Sr. High School. We can't wait to see what great things you accomplish throughout your time teaching, and the impact you will make on the lives of your students. Good luck on the rest of this year and many more ahead! Keep up with Brooke on social media by following her Twitter @BOstrander2019.

Morgan Bear

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural & Extension Education

Class of 2023 

Kaitlin Liszka is Hired at Midd-West High School to Teach Ag!

We would like to congratulate Ms. Kaitlin Liszka for being hired at Midd-West High School in Snyder County, Pennsylvania. She recently began her year teaching at the two-teacher program this August. Kaitlin student taught at Bermudian Springs High School with Mrs. Diana Jarema. During her time student teaching Kaitlin gained experiences through teaching Agriculture Mechanics 1 and 2, Environmental Awareness and Animal Science. 

Kaitlin is from Jamestown, Pennsylvania where she attended Jamestown Area Jr/Sr High School. She shares that her experiences in her youth greatly impacted her choice of studying Agriculture as a career. "I grew up on a small hobby farm where we raised beef cattle and hogs. I also participated in 4-H raising market steers, hogs, and lambs." During her time at Penn State, Kaitlin was involved in the LEAD Society and was a Global Teach Ag! Intern which lead her to studying abroad in Malaysia as part of the #AgEd2Malayasia Fulbright Hayes experience.

While starting a teaching career at Midd-West High School, Kaitlin shares how excited she is to begin her first year."I am most excited to get to meet the students and become a part of the local community." She is getting her hand at teaching classes including Wildlife Science, Veterinary Science, Crop and Soil Science, Poultry Science, Landscape Design, and Agriculture Business. In the future Kaitlin is looking forward to teaching Large Animal Science, Equine Science, and Plant and Greenhouse Science. 

One piece of advice she wanted to give future Agricultural & Extension Education majors is "my advice would be to do it all, don't turn down an opportunity just because you are scared or because it will stretch you, BUT make sure that you are making time for yourself and to refuel a priority. It doesn't get any easier to do the further along in the process you get, so the earlier you start to make that habit, the easier it will be to continue later on. Being refueled is so important for you to be able to continue making a difference. You can't pour from an empty pot."

Kaitlin has prepared herself for an outstanding career ahead of her. WE ARE looking forward to following Kaitlin on her journey and wishing the best for her throughout teaching career! Midd-West High School is lucky to have you, good luck this year Kaitlin! Keep up with Kaitlin by following her on Twitter @KaitlinLiszka.

Morgan Bear

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural & Extension Education

Class of 2023