GHS Ag Teacher Honored Nationally
The National FFA Organization works to enhance the lives of youth through agricultural education. Without the efforts of highly dedication individuals, thousands of young people would not be able to achieve success that, in turn, contributes directly to the overall well-being of the nation. The Honorary American FFA Degree is an opportunity to recognize those individuals who have gone beyond valuable daily contributions to make an extraordinary long-term difference in the lives of students, inspiring confidence in a new generation of agriculturists.
Recipients in the teacher category are selected on the basis of their contributions in the following seven areas: Classroom and laboratory instruction; students’ experiential learning; the National FFA Organization; building partnerships; agricultural education program marketing, program development and evaluation; and professional development of agricultural education teachers.
Davidson was recognized at the 2013 National FFA Convention & Expo, October 30-November 2, in Louisville, Kentucky. The recipient received a certificate and American FFA Degree medal, and his name was permanently recorded.
Mr. Davidson began his agriculture teaching career in the citrus and farming belt of Central Florida in Plant City and Brandon near Tampa. While teaching in Florida, he had several students earn the State FFA Degree and American FFA Degree. He also had state proficiency winners in citrus farming and dairy farming, and teams who won the Florida state livestock judging contests. After returning to Texas to continue his agriculture teaching, his students have earned the state and American FFA degrees, as well as, the chapter earning recognition as having been a Superior FFA Chapter. His students have also been finalists in “Building Our American Communities” and in the state junior creed speaking and state senior creed speaking. Since beginning his teaching tenure at Greenville High School in 1997, Mr. Davidson’s leadership teams have accumulated over one hundred leadership banners. Ten years later, while GHS was still a one-teacher agriculture department, Mr. Davidson led the Greenville High School FFA chapter to be recognized as a Top Ten National Finalist Chapter, selected from over 7,400 high school FFA chapters in the nation. Greenville FFA has been recognized as a National Chapter award winner and as a Superior Chapter for the past 15 years.
The National FFA Organization provides leadership, personal growth, and career success training through agricultural education to 557,318 student members in grades seven through twelve, who belong to one of 7,498 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.