December 16, 2022
Shelby County Schools welcomes first female Agriscience teacher
Growing up, Hall was an active member of the 4-H Club where she showed livestock such as goats, horses and cows. Once she started at Shelby County High School, she became a member of Future Farmers of America. The connections she made while in FFA are what got her to where she is today.
During her time in high school, she held the position of vice president and was able to attend the FFA National Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Her love for gardening and agriculture goes back farther than her time in school. Hall grew up on a small farm in Wilsonville, Alabama. Her parents involved her and her siblings in agriculture at a young age. They grew up working in the garden, showing livestock and spending time outdoors.
“My whole family has been involved with agriculture in one way or another my whole life,” Hall said. “So as I got older and started thinking about what I wanted to do as a career, I was able to see that I could make a career out of my hobbies, and it just made sense.”
In addition to her extracurriculars, Hall worked at the local feed store all throughout high school and her first two years of college. While working at Coosa Valley Milling and Hardware, she made connections with farmers from all over the state of Alabama. Hall also worked with big name brands, such as Nutrena.
Holly Hall is making history in the Shelby County School System as the first female Agriscience teacher in the county. She is now teaching Agriscience at Montevallo High School.
Hall, a central Alabama native, is an August 2022 graduate of Auburn University where she majored in horticulture with a concentration in fruit and vegetable production. Going into college, her plan was to work with people in urban communities and teach them how to garden with limited resources.
Background
Growing up, Hall was an active member of the 4-H Club where she showed livestock such as goats, horses and cows. Once she started at Shelby County High School, she became a member of Future Farmers of America. The connections she made while in FFA are what got her to where she is today.
During her time in high school, she held the position of vice president and was able to attend the FFA National Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Her love for gardening and agriculture goes back farther than her time in school. Hall grew up on a small farm in Wilsonville, Alabama. Her parents involved her and her siblings in agriculture at a young age. They grew up working in the garden, showing livestock and spending time outdoors.
“My whole family has been involved with agriculture in one way or another my whole life,” Hall said. “So as I got older and started thinking about what I wanted to do as a career, I was able to see that I could make a career out of my hobbies, and it just made sense.”
In addition to her extracurriculars, Hall worked at the local feed store all throughout high school and her first two years of college. While working at Coosa Valley Milling and Hardware, she made connections with farmers from all over the state of Alabama. Hall also worked with big name brands, such as Nutrena.
Once in college, Hall became a member of the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association. She currently holds the position of Miss Shelby County Cattlemen’s Association Rodeo Queen.
Landing the job
As graduation neared, Hall began looking at career options within the outdoor sector. She never considered teaching Agriscience—until one day, she got a phone call.
“I was actually sitting in my fruit and vegetable production class at Auburn one day over the summer and got a phone call from the Ag teacher at Montevallo who we worked with a lot while I was in high school,” Hall recalled. “He told me there was a job opening, and they wanted me to fill it.”
After some consideration, she decided to give it a shot and interviewed for the position. A few days later, she received the news that she got the job.
“I decided to accept the job because I had such a great experience and so many great mentors, and I wanted to have the opportunity to pour into the next generation of students and share my love for agriculture,” said Hall.
In the classroom
Hall is teaching different levels of Agriscience with students ranging from high school freshmen to seniors. Within these classes, students are learning about animal science, hunter safety and the farming industry. Outside of the classroom, the students are learning how to work in the wood shop, welding and shop safety.
“The things that the kids are learning in this program are life skills that most of the kids would not learn if it was not for this class,” said Hall. “They are learning all about the outdoors and hard skills that they need in life.”
In addition to the teaching in the classroom, Hall is leading the school’s FFA program, which gives students the opportunity to put the skills they are learning in class into real life practice.
Outside of the classroom
When Hall is not at school, she spends time at her small family farm in Wilsonville. She also runs multiple gardens and still works with her livestock.
She is still involved with the Cattleman’s Association, where she attends monthly meetings, works with the county rodeo each year, and stays involved with local farmers.
To learn more about careers in agriscience education in Alabama, visit Teach Ag Alabama’s website.
Tags :
Outdoor Profession,profile
