Littlefield High School is welcoming Brett Young into its Agricultural Science Department, one of two new agriculture teachers hired this year.
Young became involved in FFA while growing up in Nazareth, TX, developing an early interest in agriculture in third grade and going on to become a threetime state qualifier in high school FFA events.
After recently graduating from West Texas A&M University, Young said he was encouraged to apply for the position by the current Agriculture teacher, Sheridan Franks, who helped introduce him to the opportunity at Littlefield.
“Honestly, I knew Mr. Franks pretty well, and talking to him, he told me to apply and thought It’d be a good fit for both the school and me, so he was kind of the main driver behind it,” said Young.
As he begins his first year at Littlefield High School, Young said one of his main priorities is to build off of the school’s established successes in FFA contests. Most notably, Young wants to have at least three to five state qualifiers and make winning the sweepstakes again a priority.
“ This past year, Mr. Franks and Mr. Claussen won the speech sweepstakes, and I just kind of carry that on, and if you win it for three years in a row, you retire that trophy. So that’s our goal, to win it the next two years,” said Young.
Sweepstakes are determined by points earned through student placements in the area, which are then totaled to identify the topperforming program in the region. Because of this, Young says that success in these events can be a great way to build long-term recognition for the program and reflect the overall strength of both students and teachers.
“Whoever has the most points from sweepstakes basically means who’s the best at it, who’s the best school, who’s the best teacher, and who has enough success,” Said Young.
Beyond competition, Young emphasized the program’s significant impact on students, especially in rural communities like Littlefield, by providing opportunities many students may not otherwise have access to.
“It gets these kids that maybe don’t have the resources available to go out and visit new places. We go all across the state, in FFA, between Huntsville, College Station, Lubbock, Stephenville. We go down to San Antonio and Houston all the time. It’s huge because to get those kids out in the world to get some experiences, it helps them find their passions,” said Young, adding that to him, the doors FFA can open are no different than sports.
As he begins his first year at Littlefield High School, Young said that, although he is fresh out of college, he is excited to work directly with students in the classroom and agriculture program.