Educators devote limitless time, and often their own resources, to helping students pursue their passions. To recognize the contributions of Missouri’s leading agricultural teachers, Nationwide and the Missouri FFA Foundation are honoring exceptional teachers as semi-finalists for the Missouri Golden Owl Award.

This was the inaugural year for the Golden Owl Award contest in Missouri. From Sept. 20 through Dec. 31, 2024, nominations were collected for the state’s top agricultural teachers from local students, parents, fellow teachers and community members across Missouri. Almost 400 nominations were received!

Stacy French, an Agriculture Education instructor at Community R-VI High School was selected as one of the semi-finalists for this prestigious program. French earned this recognition because of her outstanding dedication to students, commitment to agriculture education, and positive impact on both the community and the agriculture industry.

As a semi-finalist, French is now eligible to move on to the second round of the state competition where seven state finalists will be chosen. Each finalist will receive a plaque and a $500 prize. Finalists when they have the chance to be named “Missouri’s Ag Educator of the Year” at the Missouri FFA State Convention, earning an additional $3,000 prize and the coveted Golden Owl Award trophy.

“The Missouri FFA Foundation is proud to partner with Nationwide to establish the inaugural Golden Owl Award program in Missouri”, said Heather Dimitt-Fletcher, executive director of the Missouri FFA Foundation. “Agriculture is one of Missouri’s top industries. Our agriculture education teachers are outstanding at preparing our students to be the workforce that drives that industry. Missouri agriculture education is consistently recognized as one of the top in the country and our teachers are a primary reason for that distinction. Education is a demanding field. One of the objectives of the Missouri FFA Foundation is to find ways to support and honor our teachers. The Golden Owl Award program is one way to achieve that objective.”

Nationwide established the Golden Owl Award to recognize the contributions of agriculture teachers and thank them for their continued educational efforts.

“As the need grows for more ag educators across the nation, we are proud to thank and honor these hardworking agricultural teachers for their dedication,” said Brad Liggett, president of Agribusiness at Nationwide. “These educators play a crucial role in preparing students for successful careers in the industry.”