NAAE Region VI Outstanding Agricultural Education Teacher Awarded to Ms. Darla Romberger

The Center for Professional Personnel Development would like to recognize Ms. Darla Romberger, an Agricultural Education Teacher at Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, for being selected to represent Region VI of the National Association of Agricultural Educators for the Outstanding Agricultural Education Teacher Award. 

 Ms. Romberger shares, "After my student-teaching internship at the Milton Hershey School, I was hired at Cumberland Valley High School in August of 2013 and have been at CV ever since! Over the past 10 years, I’ve taught a variety of coursework across the Animal Science, Plant Science, and Ag Mechanics pathways. If I had to choose a favorite course, it would be CASE Animal & Plant Biotechnology or Agricultural Fabrication. I’ve also served as a CASE Lead Teacher since 2016 and have co-taught in-person and virtual CASE Institutes in Animal Science and AFNR." As you can tell, Ms. Romberger has gained a plethora of teaching experiences under her belt as she is entering her tenth year in the classroom!

Ms. Romberger is not new to agriculture in fact she grew up on a farm where her family custom-raised dairy heifers and grew corn, soybeans, small grains, and hay crops. She also got a glimpse into agribusiness as her parents own and operated a feed mill and nutritional consulting service. These led to involvement with 4-H and FFA where she then found a niche exhibiting livestock at county fairs and the PA Farm Show. She said, "I loved being involved in agriculture-related activities and had always considered being a teacher, so I was excited to learn that a career as an Ag Teacher existed so I could combine my interests!"

From there Ms. Romberger was hooked and grew her passion for teaching and agriculture by continuing her education at Delaware Valley University. "During my undergraduate career at Del Val, I was a Supplemental Instruction Leader for several Chemistry courses for 3 years. In this position, I led group tutoring sessions, retaught lectures and labs, and conducted test prep sessions. What I thought was going to be a short-lived job turned into a phenomenal 3-year experience where I solidified my passion for teaching and helping students find success." Her passion and enthusiasm for teaching started to shine through her students and still does today.

She shared why she is inspired to teach agriculture. "My passion is teaching others about the source of food, fiber, and natural resources and the science behind getting agricultural products to consumers. Each day is a new opportunity to make an impact on the future of agriculture and help students find their passion through school-based Agricultural Education. I firmly believe that each student has a strength they can share with others and that every student can gain valuable life experiences through Agricultural Education and FFA."

As Ms. Romberger continues to pave her path through agricultural education she said that her favorite part of being an Agricultural Educator is the variety of experiences that come with the job. "I enjoy teaching a variety of agricultural subjects throughout the day and designing FFA & SAE opportunities to help students apply classroom knowledge to real-world experiences. I also enjoy continuously learning about new advancements in agricultural science through professional development and collaborating with colleagues across the nation." 

While some of her favorite parts about being an Agricultural Educator involve the students, there are challenges that also come along with teaching students day in and day out. "The most challenging part of teaching agriculture is balancing your strengths and agricultural interests as a teacher with student interests and the needs of the community. In some cases, this means taking extra time to learn a new content area or find community resources to support a new course. However, approaching this challenge with an open mind can be extremely rewarding and lead to great relationships with community supporters and unique SAE opportunities for students."

The Agricultural Education program at Cumberland Valley High School is a rockstar program that has gained various recognition across the state and nation. Cumberland Valley Agricultural Sciences is a 3-teacher program that supports 275 students in grades 9-12. The department is split between 2 buildings (a 9th grade academy and 10th-12th grade high school). The program offers a CASE Plant Science and a CASE Animal Science pathway with courses that fulfill science graduation requirements and 3 rotating Agricultural Mechanics courses. 

The program is adding a CASE Natural Resources pathway in the 2023-24 school year to align with a renewed community focus on environmental sustainability. Touted as one of the fastest growing school districts in Pennsylvania, the Cumberland Valley School District is primarily suburban with several preserved farms in the western part of the school district. There are numerous animal nutrition, food science, hydroponics, and nursery landscape businesses within the school district. With these demographics, AgriScience is the primary focus of the coursework so students understand the science, processing, and marketing aspects of agriculture and natural resources industries. An FFA Leadership Team of 7 FFA Officers and 6 Committee Chairs develop and lead a progressive Program of Activities that includes nearly 100 events to Grow Leaders, Strengthen Agriculture, and Build Communities.

Some CV program highlights include:

• 2017 PAAE Outstanding Agriculture Program
• Cumberland Valley FFA has been a nationally recognized 3-Star FFA chapter since 2013
• 15 FFA State Champion Teams since 2013
• 9 FFA State Runner-Up Teams since 2013
• 30 State FFA Proficiency Award winners since 2013
• 89 Keystone FFA Degree recipients since 2013

A few words of wisdom that Ms. Romberger shares for any high school students considering a career in agricultural education is to "take advantage of any opportunity to lead a group, present a workshop, or volunteer with an agricultural organization! Don’t be afraid to talk to current Ag Teachers in your school or county to offer help with ag literacy events, officer retreats, or other education-related events."

Congratulations again, Ms. Romberger on earning the Outstanding Agricultural Education Teacher Award. You represent Pennsylvania Agricultural Education with great pride, and we could not be more excited to have you represent our state and region at the National NAAE Convention this November in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Morgan Bear

CPPD Student Worker

Agricultural and Extension Education 

Class of 2023

Penn State Alum to receive the Honorary American Degree

Mr. Paul Heasley has taught at SCASD for 24 years, and
been an FFA advisor for 36 years.
Photo courtesy of scasd.org

Mr. Paul Heasley has been teaching in the State College Area School District for 24 years, and has been an FFA advisor for 36 years. Back in October of 2017, during his last year of teaching, Mr. Heasley was honored as a distinguished alumnus of the State College Area School District. Now, one year later, he will be recognized again for his time and dedication to his thousands of students and to Agricultural Education as a whole as he receives the Honorary American Degree through the National FFA Organization.

Mr. Heasley grew up right here in Happy Valley, graduating from State College Area High School in 1975 and graduating from The Pennsylvania State University several years later. Mr. Heasley has had incredible success as an agricultural teacher and an FFA advisor, shaping thousands of lives through his career by implementing high-quality agricultural education programs and showing dedication that reaches far beyond the classroom. During his time as an agricultural science teacher and FFA advisor, Mr. Heasley has acquired over $500,000 in grant money to offer opportunity and growth for his students and, in turn, the surrounding community.

Outside of the classroom, Mr. Heasley has been involved all around the Commonwealth working with the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Soil Conservation Service, and serving on The Pennsylvania State University's Agricultural and Extension Education Advisory Committee. He's been able to advise and evaluate over 200 Agricultural and Extension Education students at The Pennsylvania State University who are now teaching students of their own. One of his greatest accomplishments was earning the Centre County Grange Fair's "Friend of the Fair" award, which he received in 2015 for his countless years of devotion to the annual event which is one of the largest grange fairs in the country.

Mr. Heasley teaching students about electric arc welding.
Photo courtesy of scasd.org 

He adds that, "...teaching Agricultural Sciences is more than a job or career - it is a lifestyle and holds so many rewards other than just a paycheck or other teaching positions. You become part of so many of your students' lives and families that will provide many benefits beyond the classroom walls."

The Honorary American Degree is the highest award an adult can receive through the National FFA Organization. There are quite a few boxes that need to be checked before someone is eligible to receive this award, and those that are nominated to receive the award by their state association have made great contributions to Agricultural Education and the FFA. More details about the award can be found here.

After being an agricultural teacher for over 30 years, we asked Mr. Heasley if he has any advice to share for current and new teachers and FFA advisors. He says that it's important to, "work at being the "lead learner" in your classroom as you grow professionally in the latest technologies found in the Ag industry. Become a part of your community and take leadership roles in Ag groups and PAAE." Staying ahead of the curve and staying connected to those you serve is an important part of being a teacher.

To make this honor even more bittersweet, Mr. Heasley will be receiving his Honorary American Degree alongside two of his former students receiving their American Degrees at the National FFA Convention in October. This student award is the is the highest award that can be given to an FFA member by the National FFA Organization, and analogous to the award Mr. Heasley will be receiving.

Both of these students, Megan Royer and Justin Kurtz, are pursuing degrees in Agricultural and Extension Education from Penn State. Megan thinks it's only appropriate that Mr. Heasley will be with them both in October; "I think it's fitting that he's getting it [the American Degree] with us, because I wouldn't be receiving my American Degree without him and who he's been. Everyone always says he's like the grandfather you've always needed... ...he really is awesome."

During his time as an FFA Advisor, Mr. Heasley now has taught two past Pennsylvania FFA State Officers and four American Degree Recipients.

Mr. Heasley, along with Pennsylvania's three other recipients of the Honorary American Degree, will be receiving this award at the 91st National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana, taking place from October 24th - 27th, 2018.