Grace Brewer Sears, Ohio State University ’07

Location: Flushing, Ohio

College/University attended: Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio (2007)

Major: Agricultural Education

Career: Agriculture teacher at Union Local High School in Belmont County. (Previously taught four years in western Kansas.)

Why did you choose Ohio State?

Because of the proximity to home and I just felt it was well-known for the ag education program. I was also encouraged to go to OSU by my high school ag teacher, Jaime Chenevey, and I loved it there.

Did you always want to be a teacher?

I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. I really enjoyed my high school freshman year of ag with Keith Nowels and decided then I wanted to be an ag teacher.

I took ag classes in high school because of my involvement in 4-H and I fell in love with FFA and Career Development Events, especially parliamentary procedure, public speaking, and ag sales.

How are you using what you learned in college?

I frequently think back to lessons learned in the teaching methods courses, and classroom management practices. I use those classroom and teaching foundations on a regular basis.

Did you grow up on a farm?

I grew up on a small family farm outside of Glenmont (Holmes County). Both my parents are retired teachers. My grandfather raised a small beef herd, and my father raised meat goats and practiced rotational grazing, while renting the crop ground.

Advice for students considering college:

You can always come home, but I think you owe it to yourself to get away from home for a few years and see what else is out there. College isn’t for everybody, but you owe it to yourself to get an off-the-farm experience.