Erin Wollett, Cardington-Lincoln Agriculture educator and advisor, is one of 10 Ohio FFA teachers nominated as finalists for the Golden Owl Award.
This award, established by Nationwide Insurance, the number one farm insurer in the United States, honors the agriculture educator of the year. Nationwide has partnered with the Iowa FFA, Ohio FFA and the Ohio Farm Bureau to introduce the accolade honor in Ohio and Iowa.
After collecting 425 nominations for 153 teachers last Fall, a select committee of individuals met to sort through them and determine the honorees of the Golden Owl Award and in a surprise ceremony at the Cardington-Lincoln High School, Wollett was honored as one of Ohio’s finalists for the coveted award, thus making her eligible to be named Ohio’s Agriculture Educator of the Year at the Ohio FFA State Convention to be held this spring.
She is one of 10 Ohio teachers and seven from Iowa named honorees who also each received a $500 prize, becoming eligible for the final selection stage. One honoree from each state will be chosen for the grand prize, winning the coveted Golden Owl award and a $3,000 prize.
All donations are designed to reward the educator for their dedication and support their continued educational efforts.
Wollett was nominated by one of her students at the Farm Science Review and an excerpt from that nomination reads: “Miss Wollett is the best ag educator in the state of Ohio because she is constantly taking time out of her young life to teach to the best of her ability and to show us how great FFA is. She is always there for all of her students and never gives up on any of us. She is the best in all her students’ eyes.”
Joining Wollett on the stage of the Patrick Drouhard Auditorium when she was presented her award were Brian Petrie, Cardington-Lincoln School Superintendent; Joe Mills, Cardington-Lincoln High School Principal; Troy Ruehrmund, president of the Cardington-Lincoln Board of Education; Heather Goodman, Morrow County Farm Bureau president; Grant Lach, Grace Lach and Gretchen Lee, Ohio FFA officers and Nationwide Insurance representatives.
