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Former WIU agriculture student named national champion in agricultural education
October 8, 2021
MACOMB, IL – Western Illinois University School of Agriculture alumnus Riley Hintzsche has been named the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) Agricultural Education Champion.
Hintzsche, professor of agriculture at Streator Township High School and advisor to the FFA section, graduated from WIU in 2014, with a degree in agricultural education. He is one of three agricultural professors nationwide to win the honor this year. The teachers were selected based on their passion and dedication to transforming agricultural education into a more inclusive and diverse profession, while training the next generation of leaders, problem solvers, entrepreneurs and farmers.
“It is truly exceptional to be named National Champion for Agricultural Education by the National Association of Agricultural Educators,” Hintzsche said. “I started my career at Streator Township High School, fresh out of WIU. When I started there was a lot of things I didn’t know about myself and a lot of things that I had a hard time finding. . Streator embraced this struggle and allowed me to do what I could to find myself. “
Hintzsche said that as part of the 2021 awards, the NAAE has focused on inclusive and diverse teachers in the classroom and the organization.
“It is important that all teachers understand where they are in the stages of inclusion and diversity, then integrate the appropriate steps to take ownership of this class that allows students to feel included,” he said. he declares. “There is no manual, there is no step by step procedure for everyone. It’s just about being a good human and understanding that every student has a struggle that we have to embrace. , just like I was kissed when I got to Stréator. “
Hintzsche said that as a member of the LGBTQ community and an agricultural teacher, he was told repeatedly that this would limit him in achieving his teaching goals.
“What is sad is that I believed in so many people,” he said. “Today, my goal is to provide this inclusive space for my students so that they don’t experience the same difficulties as me. You can do anything, anything, even if you have a hard time doing it. I often say to my students: ‘Be you, because it is powerful.’ ”
Hintzsche said he was grateful for Streator Township High School, which he said he now calls his home.
“They taught me not to apologize for being me and that’s what taught me to have the best teaching space,” he said. “Without the people and students I was able to work with, I wouldn’t be me and I never would have learned to be more inclusive.”
In addition to this national award, Hintzsche and the FFA Chapter of Streator Township High School received other state and national honors. The chapter’s food science team represented the state at the 2019 FFA National Convention in Indianapolis, IN.
The FFA Streator Chapter has also been named a three-star program, the highest ranking an FFA Chapter can receive from the national FFA organization.
In August, Hintzsche was named a finalist for the NAAE’s Outstanding Early Career Teacher Award.
For more information on the WIU School of Agriculture, visit wiu.edu/ag.
Posted by: WIU News ([email protected])
University Relations Office
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