Iowa Farmer Today
09-22-07
Duo win first IFT scholarships for ag education
By Gene Lucht
Iowa Farmer Today
AMES — Jacob Hunter and David May admired the work of their high school ag
education teachers. Maybe that’s why they are following the same path.
Hunter and May, both 2007 high school graduates, are the first recipients of
Iowa Farmer Today scholarships at Iowa State University. The $1,000
scholarships are aimed at freshmen who plan to enter the field of ag education.
“We hope these scholarships will help inspire young people to look at agricultural
education as an opportunity,” says Iowa Farmer Today Publisher Steve DeWitt.
“Agricultural education teachers will be the ones to help mold our future.”
For Hunter and May, the idea of becoming ag teachers is exciting.
“My teacher really helped,” says Hunter, a recent graduate of DeWitt Central
High School. “It just really made me realize I wanted to get involved.”
May, a graduate of Clarke County High School in Osceola, echoes that thought.
“My second home was the ag room of the high school,” he says.
Hunter and May have been active in the FFA, as well as other school activities.
Hunter was president of his local FFA chapter and is Southeast Iowa state vice
president. He also was involved in other school activities, such as the yearbook.
May has also been active as an FFA officer, as well as being a class officer and
participated in wrestling and football.
Both also have farm connections and enjoy showing animals at the fair even
though their parents have off-farm jobs.
Hunter is the son of Charlie and Susan Hunter of DeWitt, and May is the son of
Scott and Deb May of Osceola.
Today, both young men are living in a “learning community” of other ag majors
on the Iowa State campus.
What’s more, both appear to be in the vanguard of a new trend on campus.
“We’re seeing an increase in interest (in ag communications and education),”
says Robert Martin, chairman of the department of agricultural education and
studies.
Martin says the department offers about $30,000 in scholarships each year, and
that is likely one of the reasons enrollment is starting to climb.
That increase is necessary because many high school ag education teachers in
the state are nearing retirement. That means there is a huge demand for new
teachers.
For Hunter and May, those teacher jobs are still a few years into the future.
But, they are excited about the possibility, and each has thoughts on where he
would like to be in four or five years.
“I think I would like to teach agriculture in an urban area,” says Hunter with a
smile.
May stops to think for a second.
“I want to teach, at least for a while,” he says thoughtfully. “I’ll probably look in
Southern Iowa.”