About Me

I am from a small town of 1500 named Louisville (Lewisville), IL. I was raised on a small farm where we raised swine, corn, soybeans, sorghum, and wheat. Growing up, I was active at Brown Christian Church in the youth group and in the Songer Hillbillies 4-H Club.

4-H lasted until after my Senior year of High School. Projects included Foods (Yes I can cook, somewhat-Spaghetti anyone??), Woodworking (its a family thing), Leadership, Newswriting, and Swine. For Swine I started out with 5 crossbreeds (normally Hampshire in looks). I also started various other projects that didnt quite get finished. I served various offices while in 4-H, including Chapter President. Through 4-H I got to go on trips to 4-H Camp, Indianapolis, and Chicago.

In High School it was time to up the 4-H Chapter to a like-minded High School Organization. No, not FHA-Hero (Although it might have been a very good idea looking back){-sidenote--do NOT tell my mother.. I love this argument too much}, but the FFA. Projects were Swine, Ag Sales and Service, Soybeans, Home and Farmstead Improvement, and Safety. Reasoning for the ones that were not production is that they all tie together if you think about it. I started farming approximately 10 acres neighboring our farm. For swine, I started raising Purebred Spotted Poland China's in addition to the crossbred pigs I had in 4-H. Ina ddition to FFA, I served on Student Council for 1 year (FFA Rep, however), was in Science Club (2 yrs?) and played basketball for the North Clay Cardinals. Our record my Sr. year was 23-2, losing only to Noble in semi finals of the conference tournament and Teutopolis in the Regional Championship (down by 20-some in 1st quarter, only lost by 6).

After graduation in 1994, I started attending Lake Land Community College in Mattoon for my A.A.S. in Ag Business and Supply. While there, I did an internship at Planter's Farm Center (like FS). My duties included everything from loading feed to driving nurse and tender trucks.

I then transferred to good'ole Southern Illinois University in the Fall of 1996. Here I majored in Ag Education. While there, I rekindled my FFA Activities in the Collegiate FFA, up to and including holding an office(Chapter Sentinel 1997-98). I was also a student member of the Illinois Association of Vocational Agriculture Teachers (IAVAT). During the 1997-1998 school year I also served as a Student Resident Assistant in Abbott Hall on Thompson Point.

Fall of 1998 was spent Student Teaching in Flora, IL under Mr. Douglas Slagley. Here I served as a Student Advisor with the FFA and taught 3 classes. Mr. Slagleys roster was Introduction to Agriculture, PSAA (Physical Science with Agricultural Applications) and BSAA (Biological Science with Agricultural Applications).

Spring of 1999 was spent Substitute Teaching and working at Little Egypt Golf Cars.

My first actual Teaching job was at Hutsonville High School. Hutsonville is a school of about 130 students, and did not currently have an Agriculture program. In 1999-2000, I started rekindling the program with only 2 Introduction to Agriculture Classes and Interrelated Cooperative Education (Co-op).

For the 2000-2001 school year I was the Agriculture Instructor at Central High School in Clifton, IL. At Central I taught the following classes> Introduction to Agriculture, Introduction to Horticulture, Agricultural Science, Agricultural Business Managemnt, Study Skills, Environmental Biology, and Workplace Readiness.

This year I was hired at Bunker Hill High School, near St. Louis, MO. However, it is on the Illinois side. Finally..a school the size of North Clay and it is where I can watch Cardinals games if I so choose. Classes I will have include Introduction to Agriculture, Introduction to Horticulture, Pre-Vet, BSAA, Agricultural Mechanics, and Turf and Landscape Management.

On June 9th, 2001,I got married to Leanne Bailey and adopted a son, Vincent Bailey. I love them both very much, and would like to thank all those who attended the wedding. We got married at 1st Baptist Church in Effingham, IL.

In the Summer of 2001 I started Grad Classes at SIUC. It is my hope to be accepted into Grad School. What is unique about my program is that I will be able to take several of my classes via Distance Learning if I am accepted.