In the wake of Alex Turk and Blake Uchitjil leaving Kaneland, animal science and animal health and nutrition teacher Adrian Hernandez and horticulture teacher Bradley Gorenz have stepped up to advise FFA. FFA was already an established club at Kaneland High School, but the new advisers are working on expanding the club and becoming more involved with the national FFA community.
FFA is a nationwide organization intended to prepare members for leadership and career success using agricultural education. “It really helps kids’ exposure to agriculture and builds confidence in their skills, like speaking and competition skills,” Hernandez said.
Following the departure of Turk and Uchitjil, the state of FFA at Kaneland was unclear. “It was very stressful for everyone,” junior and section six sentinel Laura Batts said. “At some points, we thought that we might not have a Kaneland FFA chapter.”
FFA students had to learn how to transition very quickly at the beginning of the year.
“The transition was definitely a little rocky, especially since Mr. Uchitjil’s resignation was quite a surprise,” junior Ava Wukitsch said. “Starting the year with two new advisers was a little rough, but the officer team and advisers from other schools helped the chapter stay afloat while some of the bumps were being worked out.”
The change in advisers was hard on FFA members. “When we found out that Mr. Turk was leaving and Mr. Uchitjil was resigning, it was very emotional for all of us because we had spent so much time with them on trips and competitions,” Batts said.
The transition to new advisers may have seemed chaotic, but Hernandez and Gorenz are working hard to run the program smoothly. “I have experience in FFA, so I understand what is needed,” Gorenz said. “But we figure it out together.”
Members of FFA agree that the two teachers have transitioned into their new jobs nicely. “They have jumped into the roles of advisers very well,” Wukitsch said. “It’s definitely been a large adjustment from last year, but they’ve assumed their new positions quickly and are trying their best to keep FFA running smoothly.”
In the new era of Kaneland FFA, the advisers want to connect more with the school community. “We want to have more community involvement, like holding study sessions for kids not in FFA to just come and hang out,” Hernandez said.
One of the biggest challenges Gorenz and Hernandez initially faced were the amount of events and activities they had to keep track of. “We have a bunch of field trips and competitions,” Gorenz said. “We have to find out which kids are going to each event and set up practices for them.”
As first-year teachers at Kaneland, FFA is a great way for Gorenz and Hernandez to get to know kids, especially ones they wouldn’t normally interact with.
A benefit of FFA is the flexibility of the club. Students can choose to focus on a specific activity, like floral arrangements or horse judging, or they can go to multiple events and gain more experience. “I like that you aren’t expected to do everything with it, and you can tailor it to your own interests,” Gorenz said.
Students in FFA make friends and build connections with students from other schools while exploring agriculture. “So it’s very much kids coming together for the events, but they’re also not afraid to strike out on their own and do whichever one they want,” Gorenz said.
FFA is a great way to learn about agriculture and develop career-related skills while hanging out with friends. Although FFA is marketed toward students from an agricultural background, anyone with an interest in agriculture can join. There aren’t any requirements to join FFA, and Hernandez recommends that everyone should join. “Just try it out, and we’re happy to have you,” Hernandez said.
