COLUMBUS — To shed light on the contributions of Ohio’s leading agricultural teachers, the Ohio FFA, Nationwide, Ohio Farm Bureau, Farm Credit Mid-America and AgCredit are honoring 10 exceptional teachers as finalists for the Golden Owl Award.
The Golden Owl Award accumulated more than 500 nominations for the state’s top agricultural teachers from local students, parents, fellow teachers and community members across the state during the nomination period from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31.
Ohio’s 2022-2023 Golden Owl Award finalists are:
– Krysteena Lawrence, Elmwood High School
– Jeffrey Karcher, Bellevue High School
– Heather Tegtmeier, Northwestern High School
– Donald Barnhart, Leipsic High School
– Erynn Hayes, Trotwood-Madison High School
– Jeffrey Stimmell, Big Walnut High School
– Judd Baker, Fairfield Union High School
– Kayla Richter, Monroe Central High School
– Kelly Rickabaugh, Greene County Career Center
– Katherine Dickson, Gallia Academy High School
Each finalist was presented with an individualized plaque in front of fellow teachers and students and received a $500 donation to their school’s agricultural program to support future educational efforts. Next, they’ll be entered into a final selection stage for the chance to be crowned as Ohio’s Ag Educator of the Year, earning an additional $3,000 Nationwide-funded donation to their school’s agriculture program and the coveted Golden Owl Award trophy.
Nationwide established the Golden Owl Award to honor the contributions of teachers and support their programs with additional resources to assist their continued educational efforts. This year, the award program honors outstanding ag educators in nine states: California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and South Dakota.
