Alumni Profiles

RHS Vo-Ag Teacher Earns National Honor

By KRISTEN HOFF

THE JACKSON HERALD

December 12, 2001

 Ripley High School Vo-Ag teacher William West was recently selected by the National Association of Agricultural Educators for the Region 6 Teacher of the Year award. 

West, who has been teaching for 28 years, was thrilled with this prestigious honor.

"I was tickled because this has always been my goal," he commented.

Only six teachers (one from each of the six "regions" in the nation) are nominated for this award yearly.  West was chosen from a group of nominees that came from 12 other northeastern states.

For a teacher to receive this award, he/she must be nominated by fellow teachers, people in the community, school officials, parents, and students.  Once the individual has been nominated, a resume is forwarded to a national panel where the final choices are made.

"This is really an honor," West said. "Only two other teachers in West Virginia have received this award, since 1920."

West is not entirely new to such national honors.  In 1976, he received the Outstanding Young Teacher in Region 6 award, and in 1986 his Ripley FFA chapter was nominated as one of the top six chapters in the country.

Ripley's FFA Vice President Jennifer Stephens has been under West's instruction for the past four years.

"He has helped me so much," she noted.  "He has a saying that he always tells us. ‘If you shoot for the moon and fall a  little short, you're still a star.’ That has really helped me and I’ll always remember it."

Fellow teacher and FFA Supervisor Connie Scarbrough was also quick to praise West.

"He has been instrumental in getting, the Jackson County Farmer's Market started," she stated.  "He was primarily responsible for the State FFA Foundation having outstanding success and many of the improvements to the Jackson County Jr. Fair livestock sale were because of him."

"Bill is an outstanding teacher," Scarborough continued.  "The students have won numerous awards because of his efforts.  He really deserves this recognition."

West traveled to the NAAE banquet in Louisiana to officially receive his award last night.

For further information about the NAAE, log onto www.naae.org.