Empowering Ag Education

November 10, 2025

By Kriss Nelson 

Growing up on a small hobby farm near Muscatine, Anna Brooks was surrounded by agriculture from an early age. Her family raised sheep and cattle on 40 acres, and she stayed active in 4-H and FFA throughout her school years.  

Influenced by her own ag teachers, Brooks pursued a degree in agricultural education at Iowa State University, graduating in 2018. After six years of teaching at West Marshall, she now leads the ag program at Ames High School. 

That lifelong connection to agriculture and passion for helping others has come full circle. The National FFA Organization recently selected Brooks for a second term as a National Teacher Ambassador for FFA. Brooks, along with 50 other educators, supports fellow teachers by sharing best practices, providing training and connecting classrooms with educational resources. 

Strengthening FFA Classrooms Nationwide 

Iowa FFA Association Executive Director Scott Johnson feels the growth of FFA across the country will continue to challenge the National FFA Organization to stay connected to local FFA chapters and their respective instructors. “The National Teacher Ambassador for the FFA program is one of the strategies used to help maintain and improve connectedness between the local programs and National FFA,” says Johnson. “FFA offers a variety of opportunities to students, and the efforts by the teacher ambassadors can help connect students with these opportunities that would otherwise be missed.” 

For Brooks, serving as a National Teacher Ambassador for FFA is more than an honor; it’s an opportunity to shape the future of agricultural education. “We get trained on National FFA resources, facilitation trainings, workshops and how to encourage and assist other teachers in our states to find those resources,” says Brooks. 

Brooks will work with the Iowa FFA Association staff to plan workshops — including one she’ll facilitate at the Iowa Ag Teachers’ Conference in January — and will also facilitate a workshop at the National FFA Convention for teachers across the country. “As an ambassador, I can share educational resources with other teachers,” she says. 

Supporting Fellow Teachers 

Brooks applied for a spot as a National Teacher Ambassador for FFA to help other teachers who might be struggling or need extra support. “I wanted to focus on what meaningful professional development looks like for teachers. Something that’s truly purposeful and meets them where they are,” she says. She believes this is important for Iowa’s newer ag education teachers. “In Iowa, there’s a significant number of teachers with less than five years of experience, so anything we can do to alleviate the stress of the first couple of years of teaching is huge.” 

Besides sharing resources from the National FFA Organization, Brooks is also learning from others as she completes her master’s in agricultural education at Texas Tech University. “Classes involve online projects and discussions with other ag teachers,” says Brooks. “It’s inspiring to hear what they’re doing in their states and how they incorporate FFA, SAE or classroom lab experiences that differ from what I traditionally do. It really broadens my perspective as a teacher.” 

Inspiring Students  

Brooks says her role as a National Teacher Ambassador for FFA has opened unexpected doors for her students as well. “One thing my kids love most is getting to be part of the experience,” she says. “Through the program, Microsoft donated a classroom set of headphones and two computers, and my students have had the chance to meet other FFA members from across the country. They love making those connections.”  

Brooks’ students say her enthusiasm for agricultural education and her role as a National Teacher Ambassador for FFA have made a real difference in the classroom. 

Leah Flannery, a junior at Ames High School, says FFA has been one highlight of her school experience. “FFA is super fun,” says Flannery. “Every meeting, we have so much time to talk, meet new friends and learn new things. Ms. Brooks makes everything exciting.” 

Flannery says she enjoys how what they learn in meetings connects to the classroom. “We go on cool trips, and in class, we talk about different jobs and what we could do for our future,” she says. “When I ask questions about careers, Ms. Brooks explains the steps I can take and helps me see all the different opportunities FFA offers.” 

Another student agrees. “FFA with Ms. Brooks is awesome,” says Lauren Van Hauen, Ames High School freshman. “She’s an excellent teacher, and I’m excited to take more of her classes.” Growing up in agriculture, Van Hauen says being part of FFA feels like a natural fit. “My dad raises row crops and show pigs, and I show pigs all summer. I’m excited to go beyond just the ag class and get more involved in everything FFA offers, including the trips, the leadership events and all the hands-on experiences that come with it.” 

Brooks adds that FFA has given her students opportunities they wouldn’t have otherwise had. “The opportunities my kids have had are really cool, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything,” she says. “Just having them meet with other chapters and take part in things they wouldn’t normally do is super neat. Especially since Ames is more urban, it exposes my students to experiences they might not have gotten otherwise.” 

Advancing Ag Everywhere 

Brooks’ dedication to her students and passion for agricultural education extend far beyond the classroom. Her involvement as a National Teacher Ambassador for FFA not only strengthens her teaching but also elevates the profession. 

“Anna understands that the strength of the agricultural education profession is through the working relationships among the teachers,” says Johnson. “Anna’s professional experience has matured beyond local program management into ways of supporting the profession holistically, and serving as a National Teacher Ambassador for FFA is a way to accomplish that.”