MUSCATINE, Iowa–For Muscatine High School Principal Terry Hogenson, supporting agriculture education and FFA has always felt natural, as they played a big role in his life growing up. “It’s a program that’s near and dear to me because I was in FFA in high school and grew up in an agricultural community,” he shared.
In his four years as principal of Muscatine High School and during his previous 16 years as principal of the former Central Middle School, Hogenson has made efforts to ensure agriculture teachers have the materials and opportunities they need to give students the best possible agricultural education. “They’re always ahead of the curve and see where things are going and make it happen,” he observed.
In recognition of these efforts, Hogenson received the Iowa Association of Agricultural Educator’s Outstanding Administrator of the Year Award June 28 during the Iowa Agriculture Education Summer Conference at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny.
Each year, members of the Iowa Association of Agricultural Educators, a professional association for agriculture educators at secondary and post secondary schools, may nominate administrators they feel have had a positive impact on the schools they serve. Judges evaluate nominees based on improvements made to their agriculture departments, assistance they have given agriculture programs and FFA, their support for agriculture teachers, and their overall experience as an administrator.
Ashley Wiebe, an agriculture teacher at Susan Clark Junior High School, shared that during his time as principal of Central Middle School, Hogenson worked hard to bring agriculture classes to the middle school level. Now at Muscatine High School, Hogenson has worked to support agriculture classes and the Muscatine FFA program in a number of ways, including helping agriculture teachers get the supplies they need to give their classes meaningful experiences, spending time observing agriculture classes to see student progress and learn more about the topics they study, and has even helped FFA students prepare for their competitions by coming and listening to them practice after school. “He has been a great influence in our district, and is always looking to support the program, school, and community,” said Wiebe. “We wanted to make sure he had some recognition beyond our chapter level and thought this would be a great way to try and show our appreciation for a great partnership between teachers and administration.”
Upon learning from the agriculture teachers that he would receive the award, Hogenson felt both surprised and deeply honored. “I feel very humbled that they wanted to nominate me,” he reflected. “This isn’t something that you earn–it’s a gift.”
For their part, the agriculture teachers found Hogenson’s award quite fitting. “All of the Muscatine teachers were really happy that he got the award,” stated Sam Paul, an agriculture teacher at Muscatine High School. “He has been a great influence in our district, and is always looking to support the program, school, and community.”
“We as agriculture instructors are very excited to have Hogenson selected to win this award and were even more excited both he and his family could join all the teachers at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny on Tuesday evening to receive his award at the annual IAAE Awards Banquet,” added Wiebe. “Anytime we can bring recognition to our students, school, program and/or community- we try to do so in the most positive ways possible.”
