COVINGTON, Ga. — For Anna Bailey, it started out as just a filler class to help her get through her junior year. Now, the 17-year old senior at the Newton College and Career Academy has found a new love in all things agriculture. 

Her testimony isn’t unique, though. In fact, Bailey was one of four students in the NCCA’s Future Farmers of America (FFA) program who recently shared with the local Kiwanis Club how much of an impact being involved in agricultural studies has had on their lives. 

“When I came in as a junior, I’d never been in an AG class before, until I got into the Career Academy,” Bailey said. “They offered it just as sort of a basic class, but my teacher, Dr. Cecily Gunter, got me super involved in everything, and I just began to love it.” 

So much so that she easily transitioned from regular class member to an active participant who wanted more from the program. 

“I actually ended up showing a pig last year with our livestock team, and now I’m also taking veterinarian science as a main path along with animal science and AG mechanics,” Bailey said. 

Andrew Pitchford, 18, is the NCCA’s FFA president. And for him, the program has helped him begin to carve a path for a future career. 

“Senior year’s been the best so far,” Pitchford said. “All of it is hands on and you get a lot of opportunities. Like, I’m especially looking forward to the electrical wiring competition this January in Jackson and some other CDE opportunities.” 

CDE stands for “Career Development Event.” And, according to Dr. Marcus Pollard, the Career Academy’s FFA leader, such hands on events, competitions and learning experiences are exactly what makes his program stand out. 

“CDEs, those are the kinds of things that, when a kid really gets involved it can become a true career for them or at least a strong hobby,” Pollard said. 

All three Newton County high schools, Alcovy, Eastside and Newton, have FFA programs. So does Indian Creek Middle School. But the Career Academy’s program, along with Eastside’s stand out nationally. 

“In the national contests, they recognize certain chapters and the programs at the Career Academy and at Eastside are among the top 1 percent in the nation among agricultural education programs,” Pollard said. 

But that isn’t his favorite metric to use when measuring his program’s impact and effectiveness. 

“One of the testaments I always look at is at the end of the school year, when I get almost 40 requests every year for people wanting our kids to come and fill job vacancies,” Pollard said. “When they keep coming back to us and they keep wanting our kids, that’s a credit to the kids. “I’m pretty proud of our agricultural education program. I feel like it’s an exceptional program which means we’ve got exceptional kids in it.” 

One thing that kept Macey Jordan, 17, coming back was the program’s penchant for getting her to stretch beyond her comfort zones.

“One CDE I competed in in the past was bee keeping,” Jordan said. “And, well, the truth is, normally when I see a bee, I run in the other direction. So doing this was definitely a new experience. Stepping outside of my comfort zone is one of the greatest things I’ve accomplished in this program.” 

The program also offers Leadership Development Events (LDEs), and Jordan is excited about using those to expose her to another skill. 

“The one I’m really looking forward to is public speaking,” Jordan said. “It teaches you networking and communication skills which are all things I’ll need for my career. I just enjoy every part of it.” 

Warner White, the Career Academy chapter’s Vice President, has been enjoying agricultural education so much that he’s been coming back to it since the eighth grade. 

“But the past two years, I’ve really gotten involved,” White said. “Now I’m into wildlife management, metal fabrication, animal science, just so many things. It’s my senior year, so I’m really wanting to have fun in AG.”

White says the program has made such an impact on him that he’s considering following in Pollard’s footsteps. 

“I wanted to do AG education,” he said. “I want to be an AG teacher, but I’m not sure if I want to do the college part.” 

White’s statement drew a hearty laugh from the audience. But the imprint that agricultural education and, namely, the Career Academy’s FFA program has had on these four, plus dozens of other students, is a serious matter. 

“Especially the teachers, they’ve made me think,” White said. “Like, before, I was just saying that this summer, I’m gonna graduate school and join the union and work for the rest of my life. But now, after volunteering for AG academy, (veterinarian) camp and wildlife camp, it’s opened my eyes to make me say that, yeah, maybe I do want to work with kids and teach them and help open their eyes to a whole other side of agricultural education.” 

And even for those who don’t want to make a career out of it, Bailey says there are still many ways getting involved in agricultural education can benefit a person. 

“Even if it doesn’t change your career path, because it’s not for everyone, there are still so many opportunities and things to do through it that can help you impact your community,” she said. 

For Pollard, hearing the testimonies of his students only makes him want to go harder and building the best possible agricultural education programs possible in Newton County. 

“It’s energizing to hear these things from our kids,” Pollard said. “It goes without saying that the last couple of years have been pretty tough with everything going on. But now that things are starting to come back to normal a bit, these kids are hungry. And to put together a quality program, and see they’re just latching on to it, it makes you want to do even more.”