Then and Now

“I graduated in 2018 and finished all four years at Kansas State University. The first two years in the Agricultural Education course of study are basic Ag classes. You go through Introduction to Ag Economics, Introduction to Horticulture, Basic Animal Science. In the spring semester of [my] Senior year, I student taught at Holten High School and then I taught for a year at Beloit High School. Then I moved [back] to Clay Center [where I attended high school]. Most of the staff was still the same. I had Ms.Pollman, Mr.Nelson, Mrs. Bergsten, etc. and Mrs. Flegler, [my co-teacher] was my teacher for 2 years.

My [former] teachers are fantastic. They have never made me feel like I'm still one of their students— it’s me that has the problem. I have a hard time asking them for help because I want them to see me as accomplished and that I know what I'm doing. They are really great to work with and have encouraged me in my two years at Clay Center Community High School.

There is quite a bit of similarity [between when I was in high school and now]. I think a change I have noticed is if you could be gone [when I was in high school], that was what you wanted to do. You were jumping for a field trip or anything, and now it seems like students are really conscious of missing school and getting behind. I also think the group of friends I had in school were never afraid to make fools out of ourselves. We always tried our hardest to have really loud student sections and be super active in supporting each other. I'm not saying it's bad now, it's just different; different vibe.

I think being a kid now in 2024 is harder. The world seems like a much different place. We have more access with our phones and to the outside world. I think students now are very focused on the future and if they don't find any immediate benefit for themselves then they're really turned off to it. If they don't see relevance or how it might help them, they're not really willing to try anything new or engage in putting themselves out there. I think that it's always good to remember that who you are in four years of high school drastically changes after four years of college, or whatever you choose to do. You develop a lot and your perspective changes. As a teacher who works hard to make sure that students have many opportunities available, [I want students to know] that it's okay to place weight on what you're doing right now. The things that you do in high school do matter and can impact you later in life for the better. Being able to encourage students and say ‘this does matter, these skills that you're developing are foundational to the rest of your life’ [is very important to me].

When somebody asks a student after graduating where they're from and they say from Clay Center, [I want them to be proud]. It might not mean anything to other people, but for that student it is the pride feeling associated. There's a lot of value in being proud of something just because that's where you're from. If we can empower our students to develop some pride in themselves, and where they're from, I think our graduates and our students would be even higher quality than they already are.”