Jenna Thompson, Bourbon County Middle School agriculture teacher and FFA advisor.
In 2024, Bourbon County made FFA history by chartering the Bourbon County Middle School FFA Chapter and the St. Mary FFA Chapter.
Bourbon County Middle School is within the Bourbon County School District and has offered agricultural education classes off and on, while St. Mary School is a private Catholic school with preschool through middle school students that now offers agricultural education.
Bourbon County now has four FFA chapters, meaning agricultural education and FFA are a huge part of the community. So, it is important to connect with the two new agriculture teachers to learn more about their journeys to becoming teachers and advisors, as well as get a feel for these new programs and their goals for the future.
The first interviewee is Jenna Thompson from Bourbon County Middle School.
Q: How has FFA impacted your life?
JT: It was either my seventh or eighth grade year. High school was approaching, and that meant the opportunity to join FFA. Being an FFA member has been a family tradition. I grew up in agriculture and active in 4-H, so there was no doubt I would be wearing the famous corduroy jacket one day.
Back to middle school, I was so excited that soon I would be an FFA member. I put my dad’s jacket on one night and was beaming; one day I would have my own name on my jacket. From freshman year of high school to my final time in the jacket when I walked across the stage at the National FFA Convention to receive my American FFA Degree, FFA provided me with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to compete in rigorous competitions that I had learned about in class, but applied to real-life experiences that professionals experience everyday.
It allowed me to be a part of something bigger than myself and molded me into the person I am today. But it also gave me quality friendships, and seeing those people succeed today has been wonderful. FFA is more than agriculture — it’s life-changing.
Q: What inspired you to become an agriculture teacher?
JT: I was blessed to come from an agriculture program and FFA chapter where we had three amazing teachers and advisors. Mr. Baird and Mrs. Hamilton always went above and beyond for the students. They made sure we had everything we needed — and more — to succeed.
There’s a reason most students in the school took an agriculture class. The reason why I wanted to become an agriculture teacher is because each student deserves the same opportunity to have someone go above and beyond for them, too.
Q: Why did you decide to start a middle school FFA chapter at Bourbon County Middle School?
JT: Kentucky has had an abundance of middle school FFA chapters chartered in the last five years. I didn’t grow up in a middle school, but I definitely believe each one needs more career and technical programs at that level.
FFA builds character, communication skills, and leaders. At the middle school age, they’re discovering more of who they are, their interests, and soon they’ll be in high school. Providing them with skills ahead of time will help them be more successful in their high school endeavors.
Additionally, I believe each person should be educated on where their basic food and fiber come from. The earlier we can start doing that, the better. FFA provides both agriculture learning and experiences, but it also grows leaders and builds communities.
Q: What are your goals for the chapter?
JT: One of my biggest goals for the chapter is to make sure that I, as their advisor, am doing everything I can to make sure each student feels welcome and provide them with the tools to be successful. That is a goal I will always have and try to get better at each day.
Another goal is be more involved in the community. The community is a big thing — these students one day will be the future leaders and help make Bourbon County even more successful. I want the members to be a part of great causes and give back.
Finally, when my eighth grade members graduate, I see them go on to high school and be a part of agriculture classes and FFA there, too. There are so many wonderful opportunities in high school agriculture classes and FFA. I want them to be excited and eager to join!
Q: Why do you think it is important to expose students to agriculture?
JT: Agriculture is the backbone of society. This industry provides us with food, clothes, medicine, goods, electricity and so much more. We need to know how to take care of ourselves and make smart choices about foods we put into our bodies. [But I also want] students to also see that when they graduate high school, there are so many opportunities in the industry besides production agriculture.
