Born and raised in Northern Colorado, Gracelynn Farago was always aware of the importance of agriculture to the state, but for much of her life, didn’t see herself playing a part in it. Now a junior at Colorado State University, Farago is pursuing a degree in agricultural education with a concentration in teacher development while exploring her unique connections to the field of agriculture.
Her journey into agriculture began in high school when a friend introduced her to FFA. There, Farago’s agriculture teacher suggested that she would make an “amazing ag teacher one day.” Farago was already pursuing her passion for advocating for agriculture, but she had never considered teaching as a career path.
Reflecting, Farago shared that “through experiences at CSU like helping with CAM’s Classroom and other ag education programs, and reflecting on the impact my high school agriculture advisors had on me, I finally recognized my passion for all varieties of education.” This shift occurred when she learned about the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics’ focus on agricultural literacy, an academic path that would allow her to earn a degree exploring and gaining knowledge in teaching, while still being an advocate for agriculture. In her first year at CSU, Farago changed her concentration to teacher development, now fully embracing this new idea.
As a first-generation college student, Gracelynn has immersed herself deeply in both the academic and extracurricular realms of agriculture. In the fall of 2023 and spring of 2024, she spent most of her time at CSU’s Research, Development, and Education Center (ARDEC) at the CoBank Center for Agricultural Education. “CoBank became a second home to me,” Farago noted, as she not only took classes but also engaged in ongoing projects at ARDEC.
Farago has found that her involvement with FFA has also been equally transformative as she discovered the interconnectedness between FFA and CSU. While CSU connected Farago to agriculture, FFA provided her with a platform to showcase her passions and build personal relationships within the agricultural community, serving as a place to connect young minds and ideas.
“Being able to help run and set up FFA events that I used to attend helped me to appreciate the hard work put into this organization for the betterment of our members. In the future, I now hope to be an agriculture teacher in a high school”.
After running for three years in a row, in June, Farago was elected as a Colorado State FFA Officer. Expressing her excitement, she shared, “I had dreamed of that moment for years – running up on stage, hugging my new teammates, getting to hug and call my advisors, thanking my support system, and so many other things.”
During her gap year as a state officer, Farago will travel across Colorado, visiting 23-25 FFA chapters, building relationships with members, and delivering lessons in the classroom, expressing that “she couldn’t be more excited.”
Looking forward, Farago envisions a diverse and innovative future for agriculture. Despite ongoing challenges, her outlook remains optimistic, sharing, “with challenge comes new ideas and innovation.”
This story was written by Paige Bricher
