O’Connor FFA students (l-r) Katlin Wanke, Alexa Geller and Samantha Gerlach pose with their Boer goats in one of the two new ag barns at the school. Photo by Marvin Pfeiffer

Sandra Day O’Connor High School is not only home of the Panthers, but also is home to more than 450 farm animals. To house them, O’Connor’s agriculture program added two new barns this summer for goats, pigs, sheep and steers. The $2.2 million barns make up 24,780 square feet of the C.E. Vickery Agriculture Center.

Named after an educator who headed the ag program at John Marshall High School, the C.E. Vickery Agriculture Center accommodates both the animals and students.

“The animals (previously) had to be housed at a second site, which meant students had to travel there to care for their animals. With the new barns, the ag program can now operate on one site,” said Karen Adler, communications specialist for Northside ISD.

O’Connor FFA student Samantha Gerlach (right) helps Debbie Eller sheer a goat in one of the two new ag barns that have been constructed at the school. Photo by Marvin Pfeiffer

“The ag program had outgrown Marshall and there was no room to expand,” said Adler. “The plan was to move the program to O’Connor and ultimately expand the Vickery Center so that the program could function in one location.”

This “elective-based” program is part of the career technology department and offers 26 courses to prepare students for an array of professions in the agriculture industry.

O’Connor FFA Vice President Katlin Wanke shows off a steer in one of the two new agriculture barns that have been constructed at the school to house all of the school’s animal projects.

In addition to learning animal and plant science and agriculture mechanics, classes such as personal skill development, agribusiness management and marketing and extracurricular animal projects emphasize leadership and discipline.

“The animals are a tool we use to teach kids responsibility, dedication, sense of purpose and work ethic,” said Chumbley.

Students who join the youth leadership program, Future Farmers of America (FFA), are eligible to participate in stock shows, auctions and state and nationwide competitions. Winners keep the money they’ve earned from their animal projects. Last year, students from Northside ISD collected more than $550,000.

O’Connor High School FFA student Sarah Hazell tries to coax her pig, Lil’ Fella, into action at the C.E. Vickery Agriculture Center. The elective-based ag program is part of the career technology department and offers 26 courses to prepare students for an array of professions in the agriculture industry.

The opportunities available to students are endless. Students who take full advantage of the program come away with more than agricultural know-how.

“The most important thing I’ve learned from this program is speaking in public,” said Katlin Wanke, junior and vice president of FFA. “The program has changed my life.”

O’Connor FFA students Katlin Wanke and Samantha Gerlach show off two lambs in one of the two new agriculture barns that have been constructed at the school.

“We look at grades, attendance, discipline and interest in the program,” said Chumbley.

There are no further plans to expand the C.E. Vickery Agriculture Center, but the ag program continues to flourish.

“Most people think of agriculture as a farmer or a rancher, but only about 2 percent of the population feeds this country,” said Chumbley.

“A larger percentage of people work within the agribusiness industry that services the farmers, ranchers and consumers. The agribusiness industry is what we try to teach here.”