Mrs. Jessica Couch is the December featured Teacher Tuesday! She comes to us from the Hopkins FFA Chapter in Region 1! Mrs. Couch grew up on a dairy farm in central Michigan. She also raised and showed draft horses, as well as being a very active member of the Chippewa Hills FFA chapter, where she served as a chapter and regional officer. Mrs. Couch was also involved in 4H and showed dairy cows, feeder steers, beef steers, sheep, draft horses, and light horses at the Isabella County Fair. This led to her diversified livestock SAE. Mrs. Couch attended Michigan State University where she received her bachelors and masters degree in Agriscience Education.

When asked why Mrs. Couch decided to become an FFA Advisor, she stated, “I decided to become an ag teacher because of my passion for agriculture and the FFA. I wanted to provide my students with the same opportunities I had in this amazing organization growing up. My favorite memories in high school all revolve around FFA.” The most memorable part of being an advisor for Mrs. Couch is all of the favorite memories she has created with her past students, involving many FFA trips, as well as the friendships she created with them. When reflecting on the accomplishments that she has made as an advisor and teacher, Mrs. Couch states, “My greatest accomplishments are helping my students succeed and watching them improve their skills as they work towards their goals. In addition, receiving the NAAE Outstanding Program Award was a huge honor.”

When asked what one piece of advice she would give to new teachers, Mrs. Couch declared, “Don’t be afraid to ask for help. You cannot run a successful program all by yourself. There are just not enough hours in the day. I could not survive without my alumni.”

Thank you, Mrs. Couch, for always being there for your students!

Written by Stephanie Harvey, State Reporter