September 4, 2025 • 50 mins
Aaron Alejandro sits down with Kat Villarreal, an agricultural science teacher and FFA advisor in South Texas, to trace her journey from a non-farm kid to building a thriving IDEA Public Schools FFA program (now ~350 members). Kat shares how mentorship, grit, and student leadership took her chapter from zero to state-level achievements.
What You’ll Learn
• Three leadership skills Kat drills into students: confidence, responsibility, vulnerability
• How to build a program from scratch in an urban, non-traditional ag setting
• Why mentorship and access (college visits, contests, public speaking) unlock opportunity
• Practical ways FFA shapes real-world skills: handshakes, advocacy, communication, teamwork
• The mindset that it’s “okay to win”—and how to earn it
Learn more at MyTexasFFA.org
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the Growing Our Future podcast.
In this show, the Texas FFAFoundation will take on a
journey of exploration intoagricultural science, education,
leadership development andinsights from subject matter
experts and sponsors who providethe fuel to make dreams come
true.
Here's your host, AaronAlejandro.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Well, good morning, good afternoon, good evening, or
whenever you may be tuning into the Growing Our Future
podcast, hey, we always like tosay thank you.
Thank you because you knowtime's the only thing you can
spend.
You can't save it, you can'tput it in the bank for later,
you can only spend it.
So the fact that you're willingto spend a little of your time
(00:50):
with us, I just want you to know.
We appreciate it, you know.
The other thing I like to tellpeople is, if agriculture has
taught me anything, it's taughtme.
If you want to know what thefuture is, grow it.
So the Growing Our Futurepodcast is just about that
bringing on guests that can pourinto us, that can share their
ideas, their experiences, theirinsights, so that we may find
(01:15):
some seeds that we can plant inour lives that will grow an even
better tomorrow, and today isno different.
Wait till y'all meet this lady.
I'm excited to have her.
She's the first ever teacher ofthe year that I've ever had on
the podcast, and we'll talkabout that just in a second here
, but she did receive that honorin 2016.
(01:35):
But we have Catherine Villareal.
Cat, let me make sure I make itright.
Do you want me to call you Cator Catherine.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Cat's fine.
Cat's my childhood nickname, soCatherine to my mother, but Kat
to you, that's fine.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Very good.
Well, ladies and gentlemen,this is Kat For real.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Thank you for joining us.
Thank you for having me.
I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Okay, Kat, Every person that's on this podcast.
We can start every podcast withthe same question Ready.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
What are you grateful for today?
Speaker 3 (02:10):
I am grateful for and I always say grateful and
blessed for where I am in mylife.
One of the things that I reallysit back and look at now that
I'm older is I always kind of itsounds cliche, but was praying
to be where I am.
And when we get into talkingthrough some of the stuff I'll
(02:30):
cover it is I like to remindpeople I'm not the typical
agricultural person.
I didn't grow up on a farm, Ididn't have ranch experience.
I started in high school and Ijust fell in love with it and
that has opened so many doorsfor me to get to the life that I
had.
I remember dreaming andscheming and thinking of one day
(02:54):
being an ag teacher, one dayhaving what I have now with my
husband, with our cattleoperation and I know 10 year old
me that was a ballerina and incheer and never really thought
about it would be like, wow, wegot to do that, like that's our
life now.
So I'm very grateful andblessed for what I've been able
(03:15):
to earn and become throughagriculture.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Wow, OK, we can stop right there.
That was good.
No, that was really good,though.
Seriously, think about that.
I agree with everything youjust said too.
By the way.
One of the things I like totell people when you're on the
podcast or when they'relistening to the podcast, is
practice R2A2.
(03:39):
You might share this with yourkids R2A2.
share this with your kids R2A2.
Recognize, relate, assimilateand apply.
Recognize what somebody says,try to relate to it, take it in
and then apply it.
And already, just in yourgratefulness, you shared
aspirations as a young person,the fact that you've worked hard
(04:01):
for something, the fact thatyou appreciate that you're
getting to live the dream thatyou had.
All of that already is a greatstart.
So thank you so much forsharing.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Thank you, I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
I know that before we got started, you and I were
talking a little bit about whatyou do, and so why don't we
start there and why don't youtake us kind of on a journey of
kind of where you started, whichled you into the role that you
have now?
Because something tells me youdid not just fall into that
chair.
Something tells me.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
There was a journey that took place.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
So walk us through that.
Tell us how you got to whereyou're at today.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Walk us through that, tell us how you got to where
you're at today.
So, like I said before, I wasnot a typical agricultural
person I don't know what theright term would be but I had
the here and there experiences.
I learned and it's so crazybecause my mom always brings it
up like she never reallyrealized what an impact this was
going to be in my life.
(05:06):
I started in high school.
Like I said, my all my parentsare both my parents are
educators.
So at the time that was whendual enrollment became a thing
and there was a lot of campusesdown here in the valley that
were starting their programs,one of them being Progresso High
School, which is where my momworked for 32 years.
(05:27):
So my eighth grade summer thatprogram took off and she kind of
made the executive decision.
She said you know what?
You're not going to go to WestLaco High with all your friends,
you're going to move toProgresso with me and those that
are familiar with Progresso.
There is a very big differencebetween West Laco and Progresso
and those that are familiar withProgreso.
There is a very big differencebetween West Laco and Progreso
(05:52):
and it was a culture shock.
I had always been around thetown because my mom had worked
there forever, like long, longtime.
She retired 33 years later.
But I was like, ok, after I hadmy moment I said you know what?
I'm going to go to school there.
The dual enrollment program yousay is going to be good for me.
I'll try it out.
So we went through the dualenrollment program.
I started going with them toSouth Texas College and it was
(06:13):
really unique because we werelike guinea pigs.
We were the first 25 studentsto go through the program so we
would attend like actual collegeclasses on campus.
They bus us to and from and wewent fall, spring and summer one
.
So I started taking collegeclasses my eighth grade summer
and at the time it was it was alot but I pushed through and it
(06:38):
was really hard on me because Ialso did cheer.
I did a lot of extracurricularactivities and one of the things
that I got interested inthrough my high school best
friend was she's like hey, youhave the morning block open, why
don't you take an ad class?
And I was like what is an adclass?
I don't know what that is andshe's like it's about
agriculture, but you'll be finebecause we can take it together
(07:00):
and high school girl mentalitywas like okay, bestie, time will
be, will be great.
And so I enrolled in that agclass and I met my ag teacher,
mr Gary Dominguez, and it kindof was just like a light
switched on.
I've always been very vocal,very I had the leadership skills
, I think, for like cheer anddance, and I was in GT, so I had
(07:21):
like the brains.
I just didn't put it to anyother potential other than
school and I started to getinvolved.
I always say bless his dearheart, because he had a chapter
full of girls, high school girls, that he had to wrangle and we
weren't crazy, but we were a lotand he, he would take us
(07:43):
anywhere and everywhere.
He became like a second fatherfigure to me.
Um, my parents now they alwaystalk about how grateful they are
for him.
He's a great family friend ofours now.
Um, and it was something that Ijust started to do and I've I'm
the my mom says I have theoldest daughter syndrome.
Like I just kind of have alittle, a little bit of
(08:04):
extraness to me when it comes toleadership stuff and I never
really asked her to do stuff, Ijust said I'm going to.
So he gave me the opportunityto show rabbits.
I had no idea what you do whenyou show rabbits, but he walked
us through it and I made sale atour County show and I was
hooked.
I was like, okay, this is cool,like I'm good at this too, and
(08:25):
so I started running for office.
I started doing contests, um,and I just became super
saturated in everything it isand I became very, very close
with him like a right hand,learned a lot of his tips and
trades.
And then he told me about wherehe went to school.
He's like I went to theuniversity of Kingsville.
They have an ag ed program and Isaid okay.
(08:47):
I said that sounds great.
I said I want to do that, sowent as far as to like plan out
my schedule.
We looked at things online.
Now my mom is going to correctme when she hears this, but this
is honest truth.
She was not ready to let go.
(09:08):
Her plan for me knew I wantedto be a teacher, I just didn't
know what type.
And then I just it clicked.
I said I want to be an agteacher.
And she's like but you can stayhere and go to UTRGV and be
close to home and all of thisand she's like and you still
have to finish like yourbachelor's, you're not done with
your associates.
Because I was also workingtowards that still.
And so she ended up saying likeno, like you're gonna wait, I'm
(09:30):
not sure.
And it crushed me because I hadthis all planned out in my head
like it was, I was ready to go.
And so she's like let's finishat UTRGV and then I'll see how
you I feel about you going intothe spring.
So I started that plan and theyrealized you're already have
your associates, there's nothingelse you can do here.
I said, well, great, that's,that's awesome.
(09:52):
So I took like a mini summeroff, I guess, or fall off, and I
continue to work towards that.
I say, you know, mom, this iswhat I really want to do.
She said, okay, if you want todo that, I'm going to relinquish
you.
So we got all my stufftransferred to King'sville.
I ended up going in like as asophomore junior and she, I kind
(10:14):
of just got dumped headfirstinto everything and I took it
all in.
I took my animal scienceclasses, I got all of that stuff
done and I just became really,really excited about agriculture
and I was so excited to share alot of it with my ag teacher.
He guided me through everythingand it was just something that
(10:38):
really opened my eyes because Iknew what agriculture was from
our small chapter.
But seeing that it was people'sjobs like this is what they do,
it amazed me.
And I was able.
I was one of the youngest inour group and I was able to go
get mentored at a lot of the bigschools at the time, like
Orange Grove.
I did observation at OrangeGrove.
They were a machine like theystill are a machine, but got to
(11:00):
see them train teams and run aprogram.
And then I worked under FrancesNelson at Cal Allen and she I
tell everyone she was the onethat taught me that ladies can
be a boss.
I went in when she was havingher last daughter and she the
first day cause I started inJanuary, mid Nueces County heat.
(11:21):
She was very heavily pregnant,like she was getting ready to go
maternity leave, and there sheis pushing steers through the
chute and I was like you knowwhat I can do that Like, if
she's pregnant and doing allthis stuff, I'm okay, cause I
was still kind of nervous, causeI you get to meet all those
people in college.
You're like my grandpa's had aranch for 50 years and I'm like
I live in a neighborhood and Ihave three dogs like that was.
(11:43):
That was my closest tie.
All my experience was throughmy little county and stuff like
that, and so I learned a lotwith Francis and through that
program and I really, reallythat that got me ready to go.
So I graduated when I was 20.
I never I tell my my kids nowis like I I love dual enrollment
(12:05):
, but I didn't live the collegeyou see in on TV.
I was so and I think it made methe teacher I am today.
Because I was so hyper focused,because I was ready to go.
I only had so many hours Icould do and so I graduated at
20.
And I started looking for a jobwhich I wanted to move back home
.
I knew I wanted to be close tohome and I always tell everyone
(12:27):
I had to GPS my way to my firstjob because I never heard of the
town before.
Um, I think you're familiarwith it because I feel like I've
seen you post from PortMansfield before.
But my first job was in SanFrancisco, texas, population 501
, like very, very small, and myag teacher had heard about the
position and he's like I thinkyou should apply.
(12:49):
And I said it's a singleteacher department.
What do you want me to do?
Like I had just mentored underone of the biggest programs with
four other teachers.
He's like no, you'll be fine,apply.
So I GPS my way, go to theinterview.
And I just remember pulling upand I was like, wow, this,
there's literally one light inthis town.
There's no Starbucks, there'sno gas stations, there's no
(13:09):
McDonald's.
Like it's 20 minutes fromanything and if you're going to
Port Mansfield you'll miss it.
People.
I always tell people you knowthe blinking light where you can
turn left.
That's where we were.
I interviewed, I got theposition and I'm probably the I
think I'm the first female agteacher they had and they're
probably the youngest and I Ikind of went to work and I
always tell teachers that arestarting out you have to start
(13:33):
somewhere and you've got tolearn somewhere.
And so I learned a lot with mykids.
I got hired.
One week later I was takingthese kids to say convention had
never met them before.
We loaded them in a van.
I'm only a few years older thana lot of these kids to say
convention had never met thembefore we loaded them in a van.
I'm only a few years older thana lot of these kids, so we grew
together and my San Prelitachapter is one of my favorite
(13:54):
chapters that I have in my lifebecause it was eight years of me
growing myself in a program andso it's a really small county,
willisee County.
We got in there and I had a lotof.
I followed a very tenuredteacher so it was scary because
that guy had been there foreverand I started to get to work.
(14:14):
We did a lot of the leadershipstuff.
We opened those doors to kidsto do contests.
Um, it was a big show communityso I learned a lot about other
show species.
Um, I showed pigs through highschool but I learned about, I
learned to do different thingswith the different animals, like
the goats, the lambs.
I had to.
I was the only teacher.
So it was a lot of trial anderror and that's something I
(14:36):
always tell people don't bescared to try.
You mess up one time, you canfigure it out, you learn from it
.
And it was a really goodexperience for me because I got
to do everything.
I taught shop, I didhorticulture, I did that,
lifestyle classes.
I did all of the, the SAEprojects with the animals and,
um, even doing like theleadership.
(14:58):
That was something that I feellike I left my mark there with
that, because those kids onlyknew show.
They didn't know what else FFAhas to offer.
And I feel like that's wheresome chapters are at a
disadvantage, because it's notjust about livestock, it's about
the leadership that you getfrom being an FFA member.
You got to take advantage ofeverything and so we ended up
(15:20):
having I really really loved itthere.
It was my favorite, like I Isaid my favorite chapter in my
history and we had kids that Itook my first team to state
there.
Um, my livestock judging teamplaced fourth at area.
Who made it to state.
That was like one of my toptier.
You made it moments, um, and myeye teacher was even like damn,
(15:40):
like you haven't even beenteaching that long.
That's not fair.
And I was like, well, I was anerd.
We put the work in, we got itdone.
We had a lot of mentorship thathelped get there.
I got to experience a lot offirsts with them, all my firsts.
But I went to nationalconvention with one of my girls
I don't know if you remember wayback when um god, I don't know
what year it was she was thetalent contestant at state
(16:02):
convention.
That's staying, selena Carson.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
That was my kid.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Yes, she, she was one of mine and she, she won state
and we went to nationalconvention.
She competed at national.
So she gave me that opportunityand it was a really good
experience with that.
And so it started to grow intoa monster, I say because our
program got so popular.
There was only so much to dothere, but it became a very big
(16:31):
project.
And I got the opportunity fromone of the teachers that moved
to IDEA.
She said look, this is whatwe're trying to do.
It's at a public, it's at acharter school, but I think
you'd be a good fit for theprogram.
So she invited me in, Iinterviewed, I got a position
(16:52):
and we started working togetherto build this program.
She moved on to another schoolbecause she got an opening at
our hometown chapter and I saidunderstood, I got, that's an
opportunity of a lifetime toteach where you grow.
Understood, that's anopportunity of a lifetime to
teach where you grow.
And so it kind of left me in aspace where I was very nervous
because Idea did not know whatthey were doing.
(17:12):
They were relying on us to kindof build this program.
They knew what they wanted, butthe work had to be put in, yes.
So I started putting my headdown and getting to work with a
group of eighth grade kids thatknew nothing about agriculture,
but what I've ever told them,and I told myself you need to
make them fall in love with it,like Mr D made you fall in love
(17:37):
with it.
And so we talked about it inclass.
We started.
I told him.
I said this is a two-yearcommitment.
If we're going to charter, Ineed you guys on board.
And so they said okay, we'reready.
So it was five girls, fiveeighth grade girls, and we went
through the process ofchartering and it's 15 steps.
You got to meet all yourdeadlines.
(17:57):
I was dealing with Gwen, whowas a godsend, and then it came
time to the site visit.
And they said, okay, they'regoing to send the big wigs from
FFA to see if you guys got it.
And I said, okay, how do weprepare?
And they're like, we'll justtouch these touch points, which
I feel is like a test to you tosee what you can do.
And so I said, okay, we got tohit XYZ girls and she's like,
(18:18):
but you can't help them, theyhave to know the knowledge they
have to put together thepresentation.
I was like, okay, great.
So we we grinded those fivegirls really worked at it, we
learned everything, we competedin everything and we kind of
shook it up because we were thefirst idea to get that program
going.
And in our, in our inauguralyear, we had a really good run.
(18:40):
We had one of our eighthgraders end up being a top five
in the state and finalists forSpanish Crete as an eighth
grader.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
That that was wild.
She was officially the youngestcontestant that year and
everyone's like are you lost?
They said no, she's going intosemi-finals heat.
But she ended up top five andthen we also were top four in
the area for horse judging andwent to state that year.
So we hit state two years inour first year it was.
It was a very powerful momentbut it was also scary because I
(19:10):
was like, oh no, what are wedoing?
But we chartered and it's justbeen hitting the ground running
from there.
We've.
We've grown to be from one eyeteacher to we're at four now
with about a little under 350members, and we've just been
moving and grooving since soit's called idea yes, it's
(19:32):
through the idea public schoolsystem and it's a charter school
Speaker 2 (19:36):
yes, sir and you started with one now you're four
, yes, and you started witheight kids.
Is that what you said?
Speaker 3 (19:45):
so we had.
We had eighth graders, so theywere in eighth grade.
Okay, we had, and it's so.
I've been having a moment allall week because we started back
to school.
They're juniors now, but theywere my founding.
We're the aggies also, that'sour, our school mascot.
So they're my founding aggiesand my principal's like okay,
here's your principles aboutclass go.
(20:05):
And so I taught the basicprinciples of ag class to eighth
graders who had never been inag.
It's a very urban place whereI'm at, we're kind of between
Mission and Palmview, but I hadto fuel those kids to understand
what FFA was and what all theyhave to do, and it's a very
(20:25):
heavily Hispanic area.
So when we first started out, Igot the typical like we don't
look like them, this isn't, thisisn't us.
And I always tell them, I jokewith them, because my mom's
Hispanic, my dad's white.
I'm like I'm half offended butI feel you.
So I understand and so I saidif we're going to join them,
(20:47):
we're going to beat them.
And so we got it, we got intoit and we we've been very
competitive ever since.
I've raised little monstersbecause now they feel like
they're the best at everything.
But I'd rather them beconfident and wanting to try
because there's I've learnedalso to never turn them away
from a contest.
We're going to try everythingand figure it out.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Well, I mean, that's life right.
You're helping them understandthat it's a big world out there
and you don't need to be afraidof it.
And the other thing that I likeis Dr Gordon Davis.
He's the gentleman that madethe big contribution to Texas
Tech ICEV.
They named you know it's theDavis College of Agriculture now
.
But I love what Dr Davis says.
(21:30):
He tells everybody it's okay towin.
It's okay to win, and I thinkit's great that you're willing
to tell your kids it's okay towin.
Nobody's handed it to you,nobody's given it to you.
You're going to earn it.
But guess what?
If you earn it, it's okay towin.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
And they've.
They've really enjoyed it.
They've become supercompetitive.
And it made me happy becausewhen we first started a lot of
them were like, well, I'm not,so, not.
So they ran show, which is whatthey would say, like I'm not
from the farm, not from a ranch,and I said neither am I I.
(22:12):
I said I lived in aneighborhood, I I had to buy my
first show shirt in high schoolto show my pig, because I had
never, I'd never, done alivestock show.
And so I said I'm the same asyou.
I'm not, I'm not come from anykind of big corporation of
agriculture history.
I wish I did.
And so it kind of relaxes andeases them in.
Because that was my firstthought when I first moved there
.
I said we're at a disadvantagebecause it's not a school set up
for an act program.
(22:32):
We didn't have a facility.
Um, it was just a typicalschool.
We're in an urban area.
There's not a lot of farmlandor anything around there for us
to go off of.
I'm gonna have to teach thesekids what agriculture is and
teach them to love it.
And they truly have fallen inlove with agriculture and it's
just so crazy to see thoseeighth graders now as juniors,
(22:56):
where they're at and whatthey're capable of.
Two of those girls that startedwith me in eighth grade have
become district officers.
They both wanted to go on trackto be area officers.
Become district officers.
They both wanted to go on trackto be area officers.
It's just, there's been a lotof growth and I'm starting to
see the hard works of what wedid so for the people that are
(23:19):
listening.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
You're hearing this incredible conversation and
you're hearing about South Texas.
I want to kind of put that incontext for people that are not
familiar with South Texas.
Yes, a lot of times people sayI say, have you ever been to
South Texas?
They said yes, I've been to SanAntonio.
And I said now, wait a second.
I said let me help youunderstand that from San Antonio
(23:40):
to Progreso, which is whereKat's at right, from San Antonio
down, that far is right at fourhours, it's right at 260 miles.
Now to put this in even morecontext from where I live in
North Texas to Progreso is ninehours, it's over 600 miles.
(24:03):
And so when we talk about SouthTexas, the Rio Grande Valley,
the Grandísimo Valle, you'retalking about a stretch of land
that goes right along theTexas-Mexico border and it's
just lined with all of thesegreat cities McAllen, west, laco
, mercedes, donna all the waydown.
(24:24):
It just goes all the way downto the Gulf of Mexico and it's
just an incredible part of Texas.
If you've never experienced it,I highly recommend it.
It's just a special place and Ilove talking about the Valley
because I've enjoyed so muchgetting to know the people, the
culture, the food, the lafamilia, the family connection,
(24:51):
food, the la familia, the familyconnection.
So I think all of that isimportant because when we're
listening to you describe yourstudents and describe some of
those mental hurdles that theymay have to get over, they have
to have a mentor that helps themsee beyond the city limits,
that sees beyond the county, andI think that's kind of what
you're lending to theirdiscussion, is you're helping
(25:13):
them see a bigger worldview.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
And I don't think I had ever put it into perspective
until we started to expand andleave.
A lot of my kids have neverbeen outside of the Valley.
When I love the Valley alsobecause something I've learned
to love being in that part,because obviously I'm from the
(25:38):
Valley, but we are also thecitrus capital where, where,
where you find all of yourcitrus it's probably come from
down here, and so I started totie those connections to kids
and I didn't realize just howmuch we were opening doors until
we started to go to differentevents.
Some of the only times mystudents have been out of the
valley have been with FFA.
We've traveled to Texas A&M.
(25:58):
We've traveled to Texas Techthey love Texas Tech, by the way
but they had never been pastMcAllen, they had never seen
outside of the valley and Ireally enjoyed opening those
opportunities to them.
Because now I smile and smirkwhen they talk to other kids
Because like, yes, that one timeI went to tech and we judged
horse judging, like they thinkthey're the coolest things now
(26:20):
because they've seen so much.
But for some of my studentsthat have never experienced
anything like that, for them nowto be like I think I can go to
school here, Like that's whereI'm like, OK, we're doing
something right, they can seewhat they can do.
Not that nothing's availablefor them in the valley, but I
wanted them to open doors and Iwanted them to see what they're
(26:41):
capable of.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
Man, that's good, that's real good.
Man, that's good, that's realgood.
No-transcript.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Like I mentioned before, I always tie back to
being open, and one of thebiggest blessings I have in my
life is the fact that I didn'tgrow up in agriculture, but now
my life revolves around it.
I had mentioned before, or Ihaven't mentioned it yet, but my
husband's also an ag teacher,so we're a family of ag teachers
.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
So you were telling me a little bit about your
husband and go ahead and keepgoing from there.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Yes, sir.
So he's also an ag teacher.
We met in college, goingthrough the ag science program
there at Kingsville, and I'velearned how important support is
through him because he's beenthere so much throughout my
whole entire career.
We started dating outside of mefirst getting my first job.
(27:58):
He was always there for me whenI was learning the ropes
because he grew up in a familythat was agriculture based.
He grew up with his familyowning a cattle business, which
was always a dream of minebecause I said I lived in a
neighborhood, didn't have accessto that.
So he's really taught me all thethings that it takes and the
hard work to own and run aprogram.
(28:20):
So his support has showed mewhat opportunities can provide
to people, just knowing that youhave somebody in your corner
and knowing that there's alwayssomeone there to cheer you on
and help you and teach you whatyou need to know.
He's always taking the time andI think that's something that
(28:40):
people need to do more of is toteach not only his students but
myself and really just show methat everybody's capable of
anything.
You just have to try.
And so he was one of my, is oneof my biggest supporters and
he's helped me get through anddo a lot of what we do as a
(29:01):
chapter, and so he's also taughtme looking for opportunities
for students and we've been ableto figure out and find things
that are available to ourstudents and fit their their
specialties.
So we've figured out theopportunities that open when you
are a good speaker, thingslearning those leadership skills
(29:22):
that are super important to notjust being successful in a
contest but just being a goodperson.
I think the FFA does such anamazing job of that because it
teaches you those real lifeworld skills.
I feel like every coach saysthat they're teaching them
lifelong skills and everyteacher says they're teaching
(29:43):
them lifelong skills.
But I think this organizationgoes above and beyond when it
talks about molding our students.
Something my principal alwayssays is I can tell our students
from typical acts or typicalideas students right away,
because our kids know how toshake a hand, they know how to
talk to adults, they know how toadvocate for themselves.
(30:05):
They've done so much advocatingfor themselves in growing our
chapter.
And she says you don't see that, you don't see that in students
outside of this organization,and so I've learned that that
opens a lot of opportunities.
It's not who you know.
It's what you can do and whatyou bring to the table.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
And success begets success.
So by teaching those kids thoselittle things, they have
success and they're like, wow,igets success.
So by teaching those kids thoselittle things, they have
success and they're like, wow, Ihad success.
Well, maybe I can have it overhere, or maybe I can pursue it
over here.
And then the other thing that Ilike that you're doing.
One of my favorite quotes fromTony Robbins is he says success
(30:43):
leaves clues, and I love that,because your success, you're
leaving clues for them.
Their success, they're nowleaving clues for the kids that
are following in their footstepsand it's just going to keep
getting better and better andbetter.
So talk leadership with me.
If you could give a kid threeleadership skills and say here
(31:06):
are three skills to besuccessful in life, what would
they be?
Speaker 3 (31:11):
Number one is confidence.
That's something that I lackedand I still lack at times, and
that's why I say support is soimportant, because I am very
much an overthinker when itcomes to things and that's what
limited me sometimes when itcomes to putting myself out
(31:32):
there and I kind of have to putmyself in a mindset Like my
husband says you've got this,you can do it, just try it, just
try it.
And so I have to.
I have to put myself out therein a lot of ways and I think
kids need to have thatconfidence.
It's not being cocky, it's notbeing, it's not saying you're
better than everyone else, it'sjust having the confidence in
(31:52):
yourself to just take thatchance with yourself, do what
you need to do.
So confidence, I feel, is keyand I've humbled my kids a lot
because I said you know what?
You're not better than anyone,you're just good.
You got to be better, you canalways be better and we always
look for opportunity to grow.
So confidence is one of my bestones.
I also think a good leadershipskill to have is going to be
(32:16):
responsibility.
With roles comes a lot ofresponsibility, and I've learned
that as I've gone through mycareer is you start to get
offered things.
Like you said, because you'resuccessful, like you know what
you'd be great at this.
Like you said, because you'resuccessful, like you know what
you'd be great at this, you dothis and so it's a lot of
responsibility and it's makingsure that you're able to not
(32:36):
only be responsible for yourself, but if you're leading others,
you need to be a good leader inthat set.
So being able to manage all thethings you need to manage and
be responsible for that, I thinkresponsibility is a big
leadership skill to have.
The other one, I would have tosay, is going to be
vulnerability.
I think that you need to beopen to the ideas of others,
(33:00):
because there's not always goingto be.
Your path changes, right.
Like you said, you find cluesto what you want to do, and just
the change that I've seen instudents has made me realize
they're very vulnerable with mebecause they don't know what
we're doing.
I tell them to get ready for acontest.
We're leaving in the morning.
They're going to jump in and ifthey figure it out, they figure
(33:21):
it out.
Be open to it.
Like a lot of them, I always usemy Spanish creed eighth grade
Spanish creed contestant as myexample.
I talk about this because shewas a EB student, meaning
Spanish was her first language.
She wasn't the most confidentwhen I got her, but she wanted
(33:45):
to be active and she comes froma part of Mexico that has a very
heavy diction.
So me, naturally, I was likeyou know what it's going to be a
challenge because, number one,it's your second language,
you're still learning English.
Number two, you're going tohave to overcome that part of
(34:09):
your life, right.
And so I said you know what?
What about Spanish creed?
I said you speak beautifulSpanish.
I said let's take advantage ofthis, let's let's be vulnerable
and look at it together.
And so I gave her the creed.
She got the creed down and it's.
It was just like a duck towater, like I can listen to her
(34:30):
say the creed every day.
She just has.
It was her passion and they gother to that top five spot as an
eighth grader.
I never thought I would havethat, to be able to say that we
had a top five student in ourfirst year chartering.
So that kind of opened herdoors to be vulnerable to other
opportunities.
Now she's our chapter president, she's a district officer, she
(34:53):
wants to go to school to becomean agricultural recruiter.
She wants to work inagriculture and this is a little
girl if she never wasvulnerable, would not have that
opportunity that she has now.
So vulnerability it sounds likea weakness to some, but I think
you need to be open to ideas.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
Every good leader that I deal with and that I
communicate with, that I talkwith.
These are the veryconversations we have, Because
if you're not willing to bevulnerable, then you might not
be coachable.
Being vulnerable opens you upto be coachable and you know,
sometimes you have to be willingto say critique me, Tell me
what I can do better, Tell mewhere I might have missed an
(35:36):
opportunity.
And if you're coachable, thatbeing coachable is a sign of
vulnerability and most goodleaders have that built into
their DNA.
Speaker 3 (35:47):
And it's been amazing to see her grow into that
leadership role, because she wasa girl that didn't really talk
a lot because she felt like shecouldn't communicate.
And to see her, she she's toldme she's like Ms V, like I want
to do.
This is this, is it.
She's like FFA is my priority,this is where I belong, and so
she's been our biggest advocatefor our students to see, like if
(36:09):
Ximena can do it, I can do it,and so she's in her district
leadership role.
I've been just so proud of herbecause I feel like sometimes
those higher level officers havethat reputation where it's like
, oh, it's so-and-so, whosedaddy was an FFA and they came
from this such great stock,which doesn't take any away from
the kid, but I feel like itmeans a little bit more when you
(36:36):
come from somewhere like shedoes, and you inspire those
other kids, like my kids at PalmBeauty do better.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
Well, I appreciate so much of what you're sharing.
People ask me all the timeabout all the podcasts that I've
done and the people that I'vehad the honor of interviewing
and talking to, and they've beengreat.
But I got to say, when I hearyour story, when I hear Kat
Villareal's story, when I hearJustin Reyes's story, when I
hear Archimedes Reyes's story,when I hear Lata Garcia's story
(37:05):
especially three of y'all,because y'all come from the Rio
Grande Valley it is veryinspiring.
It's inspiring because of someof the cultural norms that
sometimes become barriers totaking risk, to stepping out, to
trusting others, to findingthose clues, and so when I hear
(37:26):
y'all speak and I hear you onyour journey, I hope that
teachers and students alike willhear and say, wow, if they do
it, maybe we can do it too.
If Kat can do it and Della Cernhas done it who's on the
foundation board?
And all these people that arejust extraordinary young leaders
(37:49):
, if they can do it, why can't Ido it?
And that's the reason I wantedyou on the podcast.
So you know one of the things Ilike to share with people is
always ask them I said how manyhigh schools are in Texas, and
they always joke and somebodywill say a lot yeah, so there's
over 3000 high schools in Texas.
(38:09):
Now think about this over 3000high schools, how many of them
are going to have a graduatingclass this coming year?
Every one of them.
That means kids are going to beout looking for a job, a
scholarship or an opportunity.
Question that I ask is what'syour competitive edge?
What separates you from thecompetition?
It could be exactly what yousaid a while ago firm handshake,
(38:32):
look him in the eye.
Yes or no, sir?
Yes, ma'am, no ma'am.
It could be the fact that youmade a connection in Lubbock,
texas, which is miles from theGrand Dix-Saint-Mobilier.
It could be the fact that youwent to Texas A&M and made a
connection.
It could be the fact that youwent to Austin, texas or Waco,
but the end of the day, students.
(38:54):
So, kat, what I appreciate?
Something else that you'resaying?
This is just my soapbox.
I tell the adults our job asadults, our job is to create
opportunities.
That's our job.
And then I look at the kids andI say your job is to determine
the outcome.
You're not entitled to anything.
We're going to do everything wecan to encourage you, equip you
(39:18):
and empower you, but at the endof the day, you've got to
determine the outcome.
You have to find yourcompetitive edge and I just
think it's great that teacherslike you are out there pushing
these kids.
Tell them don't see hurdles,don't see boundaries, look for
(39:40):
opportunities, work hard, beresponsible and get it done and
next thing you know, they couldbe the next podcast interview on
the Growing Our Future podcast.
Speaker 3 (39:54):
And I think competitive edge is such a
controversial topic with kidsthese days because their idea of
competitive edge is what theyalready have within them, like
oh well, I know this because Igrew up doing this and whatever
that they feel like thatentitles them to a competitive
(40:14):
edge.
But seeing my kids come fromnothing to what they've done,
you grow your competitive edgeand you have to create it and
it's something that it's open toeveryone, like I always told my
kids when we first started, Isaid everybody wears the same
jacket.
Everybody is where you're at.
(40:35):
You are all on the same page.
I said how bad do you want it?
You got to put yourself in thegame and it's just locking in
and getting things done.
And that's something that I'vebeen very blessed to have so
many mentors in my life thathave showed me the opportunities
.
But it just means and I knowevery ag advisor thinks their
(40:57):
kids are the best but my kidshave come from nothing and
anytime we would go intoscenarios where we're going to
state contests or an areacontest they have that minute,
like every kid does, wherethey're like oh no, what am I
doing?
And I said you're meant to behere.
You need to get to work, dowhat you need to do, and they've
(41:18):
made my career what it is, andI take no credit other than just
being that ag teacher that'sthere to not let them turn
around because I said I was you.
I, I know what it's like to feellike you didn't come from your
sister showing livestock allyour life.
You your first contest was adistrict contest.
(41:39):
You didn't.
You never knew anything aboutit.
And that's my favorite part ofwatching them grow is because,
when the history and everythingcomes down to it, people on
paper and like, wow, these kidsare so successful.
But it's like if you only knewthat they had no idea what FFA
was before they took an ad class, you would be amazed.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
Well, I mean, life's not a solo project.
You're helping them understandthat.
You're helping them, that youhave to be looking to know, like
you said, you've got somebodythere helping you build the
confidence.
You've got people that arewilling to help you.
But you've got to be looking.
You've got to be working ondeveloping your skills so that
when the time comes to win thatyou can win because you're
(42:21):
willing to outwork somebody.
That was your competitive edge.
So that's why I say I enjoythese conversations so much and
they're not complicatedconversations.
These are not complicated ideas.
It's like I tell people it'swhat you got inside called want
to.
You got to have a little wantto and when you can find a
(42:42):
person like you or a mentor orsomebody that pulls that want to
out of us, it's hard to stopsomebody that's committed to
greatness.
So keep doing what you're doing.
I just want to thank you.
Okay, before we leave, you getone fun question.
Everybody gets a fun question.
Speaker 3 (42:58):
Okay, I'm ready.
Speaker 2 (43:00):
Ready.
What's the best concert you'veever been to?
Speaker 3 (43:04):
The best concert I've ever been to.
That's a tough one.
Well, I have to think aboutthat one for a little while.
Oh, I know what, it is OK.
So the best concert I've everbeen to was actually my first
concert.
So this was back in the day Iwas in elementary school and
(43:27):
this is where I told my parentsI said all the signs were there,
like I was meant to be acountry kid, you guys.
Just I was misplaced at birthor something.
And because now my mom talksabout it and she's always like
man, if I would have known youwould have taken this seriously,
I would have bought you thatsteer, I would have bought you a
heifer, you would have beeneverywhere.
And I said you know what, mom?
I think it makes my story eventhat much better, because I see
(43:49):
all these people that are sosuccessful and they become ag
teachers and they're just thesepowerhouses and I sometimes I'm
like I'm not going to get there,but I'm like it gives me that
edge to show my kids you knowwhat, you can do it.
And I love country music since Iwas little and my favorite
artist was Alan Jackson.
I loved Alan Jackson and he wascoming to the Rio Grande Valley
(44:12):
, and this was back in the daywhen you couldn't buy your
tickets online and you couldn'tdo all that right, and I was
begging my dad.
I said, please, please, please,I want to go.
He's like what do you want togo see?
I said I just I like countrymusic and my dad is a hardcore
rocker, beach boy type vibe,which I love that side of me too
(44:32):
but country was where it was atand he surprised me and he
spent all day on the phone withTicketmaster and bought me
tickets to Alan Jackson and itwas my first concert I was ever
gonna go to and I remember mydad buying the CD and he's like,
okay, we, we got to know thesesongs, like I got to know them
too, and so it became this kindof passion that we had together
(44:56):
and to this day we we fell inlove with Alan Jackson together
and it was just him and I was myfirst thing me and my dad did
alone.
He took me to the concert andour song has always been the
song Drive.
He took me to the concert andour song has always been the
song drive.
And he says that that's ourrelationship, because I did not
want to let you go.
(45:16):
I didn't want you to drive.
And he's like and now lookwhere you've driven, to look
what you've become.
And so he, that is a veryspecial moment to me and I not
only it's my first concert, butit was the one that was most
special to me because he'sgetting up there in age, we're
getting up there in age, andhe's always like remember,
that's the first concert I tookyou to and he'll put, he'll
(45:39):
request that song when we'rehanging out and barbecuing, and
he, it's a very special tie tome it's's beautiful and I
appreciate you sharing that andI know your dad's very proud of
you.
Speaker 2 (45:54):
Thank you, that's a beautiful connection that you
have.
You know, I lost my dad when Iwas 10 years old and caused a
lot of problems for me.
I got sent to a boy's rankbecause of it, but thankfully
God put other people in my lifethat kind of took on some of
that role.
But when I became a dad I cantell you I've drug my kids to
(46:16):
everything.
I've spoiled them.
I've made them go to.
They've got yeah, they've gotto see more concerts than most
kids see in a lifetime.
But to your point, I did thatbecause I want what you just
described and I hope one day mykids look back and say you know
what I remember, we got to dothose things and I hope they
(46:37):
cherish them as much as you do.
Speaker 3 (46:40):
And we had that conversation.
It's funny that it comes up.
We had that conversation justthe other day because I'm older,
I don't live at home, but Ilive near them and me and my
husband spend a lot of timegolfing with him and stuff.
And we were having lunch onetime after around and he said I
gave you a lot of opportunities,right.
And I was like where's thiscoming from?
And he's like I was a good dad.
(47:00):
I said yes, you were a greatdad.
And he's like I took you here.
We did this.
I said, dad, it was never aboutwhere you took me, it was just
the fact that we were doingthings as a family.
We did this together.
And he's like I just want toknow that I did enough and I
don't need to do anymore.
And I said no, I said you'regreat Like retire, retire, live
your life Like you're good.
But I think that's such aspecial connection is just the
(47:25):
opportunities that your parentsgive you.
They don't ever realize whatthey're doing and I I know it's
something that you, you moldyour children, but it's my
parents always tell me we had noidea, like we had no idea this
is where you were gonna end up.
But we're so.
We're so thankful.
Um, they enjoy our, mylifestyle so much more.
Now.
(47:46):
My, my dad, is a chancla cowboywhat me and my husband call him.
He loves to come out to theranch and whenever we go out of
town he's like I'll check thecows, I'll do all this.
He eats it up.
He loves it.
So, him and my husband.
He's taught my, my husband'sgot to give him so many
opportunities too, and it's justopened a whole new door to our
family.
(48:06):
Like we never thought that thiswas where I would end up.
I I always thought I knew I wasgoing to be a teacher.
I love that part, I loveeducation, but being an ag
teacher has made me, made mylife what it is.
Speaker 2 (48:19):
Well, let me tell you , um, uh, I'm honored to know
you, um, I'm glad that our pathshave crossed several times and,
um, that we were able to makethis happen, and I appreciate
you sharing your heart, yourdreams, the challenges, but all
(48:39):
these little steps along the waythat have put you where you're
at, so that you can pour intothe kids that are in your care.
I find all that inspiring and Iwant to wish you the best and
don't ever hesitate to call Ifwe can ever be of assistance.
We're always just one phonecall away.
Speaker 3 (48:56):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (48:57):
All right.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank youfor stopping by for the Growing
Our Future podcast.
You can see why I told you Katwas going to be a great
interview and I hope you foundsome seeds of greatness there.
I sure did, and remember we'vegot to plant them.
You know, if agriculture hastaught me anything.
If you want to know what thefuture is, grow it.
(49:18):
You got to plant them.
You've got to take care of them, you got to harvest them and
then you got to share them.
And Kat just told us thatentire story.
Speaker 1 (49:29):
And it was beautiful.
Speaker 2 (49:31):
So until we meet again, everybody go out, do
something great for somebody.
You'll feel good about it andin the process you might just
make our world a better place tolive, work and raise our kids.
Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 3 (49:45):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (49:51):
We hope you've enjoyed this episode of the
Growing Our Future podcast.
This show is sponsored by theTexas FFA Foundation, whose
mission is to strengthenagricultural science education
so students can develop theirpotential for personal growth,
career success and leadership ina global marketplace.
Learn more at mytexasffaorg.
Welcome to the Growing Our Future podcast.
In this show, the Texas FFAFoundation will take on a
journey of exploration intoagricultural science, education,
leadership development andinsights from subject matter
experts and sponsors who providethe fuel to make dreams come
true.
Here's your host, AaronAlejandro.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Well, good morning, good afternoon, good evening, or
whenever you may be tuning into the Growing Our Future
podcast, hey, we always like tosay thank you.
Thank you because you knowtime's the only thing you can
spend.
You can't save it, you can'tput it in the bank for later,
you can only spend it.
So the fact that you're willingto spend a little of your time
(00:50):
with us, I just want you to know.
We appreciate it, you know.
The other thing I like to tellpeople is, if agriculture has
taught me anything, it's taughtme.
If you want to know what thefuture is, grow it.
So the Growing Our Futurepodcast is just about that
bringing on guests that can pourinto us, that can share their
ideas, their experiences, theirinsights, so that we may find
(01:15):
some seeds that we can plant inour lives that will grow an even
better tomorrow, and today isno different.
Wait till y'all meet this lady.
I'm excited to have her.
She's the first ever teacher ofthe year that I've ever had on
the podcast, and we'll talkabout that just in a second here
, but she did receive that honorin 2016.
(01:35):
But we have Catherine Villareal.
Cat, let me make sure I make itright.
Do you want me to call you Cator Catherine.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Cat's fine.
Cat's my childhood nickname, soCatherine to my mother, but Kat
to you, that's fine.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Very good.
Well, ladies and gentlemen,this is Kat For real.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Thank you for joining us.
Thank you for having me.
I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Okay, Kat, Every person that's on this podcast.
We can start every podcast withthe same question Ready.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
What are you grateful for today?
Speaker 3 (02:10):
I am grateful for and I always say grateful and
blessed for where I am in mylife.
One of the things that I reallysit back and look at now that
I'm older is I always kind of itsounds cliche, but was praying
to be where I am.
And when we get into talkingthrough some of the stuff I'll
(02:30):
cover it is I like to remindpeople I'm not the typical
agricultural person.
I didn't grow up on a farm, Ididn't have ranch experience.
I started in high school and Ijust fell in love with it and
that has opened so many doorsfor me to get to the life that I
had.
I remember dreaming andscheming and thinking of one day
(02:54):
being an ag teacher, one dayhaving what I have now with my
husband, with our cattleoperation and I know 10 year old
me that was a ballerina and incheer and never really thought
about it would be like, wow, wegot to do that, like that's our
life now.
So I'm very grateful andblessed for what I've been able
(03:15):
to earn and become throughagriculture.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Wow, OK, we can stop right there.
That was good.
No, that was really good,though.
Seriously, think about that.
I agree with everything youjust said too.
By the way.
One of the things I like totell people when you're on the
podcast or when they'relistening to the podcast, is
practice R2A2.
(03:39):
You might share this with yourkids R2A2.
share this with your kids R2A2.
Recognize, relate, assimilateand apply.
Recognize what somebody says,try to relate to it, take it in
and then apply it.
And already, just in yourgratefulness, you shared
aspirations as a young person,the fact that you've worked hard
(04:01):
for something, the fact thatyou appreciate that you're
getting to live the dream thatyou had.
All of that already is a greatstart.
So thank you so much forsharing.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Thank you, I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
I know that before we got started, you and I were
talking a little bit about whatyou do, and so why don't we
start there and why don't youtake us kind of on a journey of
kind of where you started, whichled you into the role that you
have now?
Because something tells me youdid not just fall into that
chair.
Something tells me.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
There was a journey that took place.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
So walk us through that.
Tell us how you got to whereyou're at today.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Walk us through that, tell us how you got to where
you're at today.
So, like I said before, I wasnot a typical agricultural
person I don't know what theright term would be but I had
the here and there experiences.
I learned and it's so crazybecause my mom always brings it
up like she never reallyrealized what an impact this was
going to be in my life.
(05:06):
I started in high school.
Like I said, my all my parentsare both my parents are
educators.
So at the time that was whendual enrollment became a thing
and there was a lot of campusesdown here in the valley that
were starting their programs,one of them being Progresso High
School, which is where my momworked for 32 years.
(05:27):
So my eighth grade summer thatprogram took off and she kind of
made the executive decision.
She said you know what?
You're not going to go to WestLaco High with all your friends,
you're going to move toProgresso with me and those that
are familiar with Progresso.
There is a very big differencebetween West Laco and Progresso
and those that are familiar withProgreso.
There is a very big differencebetween West Laco and Progreso
(05:52):
and it was a culture shock.
I had always been around thetown because my mom had worked
there forever, like long, longtime.
She retired 33 years later.
But I was like, ok, after I hadmy moment I said you know what?
I'm going to go to school there.
The dual enrollment program yousay is going to be good for me.
I'll try it out.
So we went through the dualenrollment program.
I started going with them toSouth Texas College and it was
(06:13):
really unique because we werelike guinea pigs.
We were the first 25 studentsto go through the program so we
would attend like actual collegeclasses on campus.
They bus us to and from and wewent fall, spring and summer one
.
So I started taking collegeclasses my eighth grade summer
and at the time it was it was alot but I pushed through and it
(06:38):
was really hard on me because Ialso did cheer.
I did a lot of extracurricularactivities and one of the things
that I got interested inthrough my high school best
friend was she's like hey, youhave the morning block open, why
don't you take an ad class?
And I was like what is an adclass?
I don't know what that is andshe's like it's about
agriculture, but you'll be finebecause we can take it together
(07:00):
and high school girl mentalitywas like okay, bestie, time will
be, will be great.
And so I enrolled in that agclass and I met my ag teacher,
mr Gary Dominguez, and it kindof was just like a light
switched on.
I've always been very vocal,very I had the leadership skills
, I think, for like cheer anddance, and I was in GT, so I had
(07:21):
like the brains.
I just didn't put it to anyother potential other than
school and I started to getinvolved.
I always say bless his dearheart, because he had a chapter
full of girls, high school girls, that he had to wrangle and we
weren't crazy, but we were a lotand he, he would take us
(07:43):
anywhere and everywhere.
He became like a second fatherfigure to me.
Um, my parents now they alwaystalk about how grateful they are
for him.
He's a great family friend ofours now.
Um, and it was something that Ijust started to do and I've I'm
the my mom says I have theoldest daughter syndrome.
Like I just kind of have alittle, a little bit of
(08:04):
extraness to me when it comes toleadership stuff and I never
really asked her to do stuff, Ijust said I'm going to.
So he gave me the opportunityto show rabbits.
I had no idea what you do whenyou show rabbits, but he walked
us through it and I made sale atour County show and I was
hooked.
I was like, okay, this is cool,like I'm good at this too, and
(08:25):
so I started running for office.
I started doing contests, um,and I just became super
saturated in everything it isand I became very, very close
with him like a right hand,learned a lot of his tips and
trades.
And then he told me about wherehe went to school.
He's like I went to theuniversity of Kingsville.
They have an ag ed program and Isaid okay.
(08:47):
I said that sounds great.
I said I want to do that, sowent as far as to like plan out
my schedule.
We looked at things online.
Now my mom is going to correctme when she hears this, but this
is honest truth.
She was not ready to let go.
(09:08):
Her plan for me knew I wantedto be a teacher, I just didn't
know what type.
And then I just it clicked.
I said I want to be an agteacher.
And she's like but you can stayhere and go to UTRGV and be
close to home and all of thisand she's like and you still
have to finish like yourbachelor's, you're not done with
your associates.
Because I was also workingtowards that still.
And so she ended up saying likeno, like you're gonna wait, I'm
(09:30):
not sure.
And it crushed me because I hadthis all planned out in my head
like it was, I was ready to go.
And so she's like let's finishat UTRGV and then I'll see how
you I feel about you going intothe spring.
So I started that plan and theyrealized you're already have
your associates, there's nothingelse you can do here.
I said, well, great, that's,that's awesome.
(09:52):
So I took like a mini summeroff, I guess, or fall off, and I
continue to work towards that.
I say, you know, mom, this iswhat I really want to do.
She said, okay, if you want todo that, I'm going to relinquish
you.
So we got all my stufftransferred to King'sville.
I ended up going in like as asophomore junior and she, I kind
(10:14):
of just got dumped headfirstinto everything and I took it
all in.
I took my animal scienceclasses, I got all of that stuff
done and I just became really,really excited about agriculture
and I was so excited to share alot of it with my ag teacher.
He guided me through everythingand it was just something that
(10:38):
really opened my eyes because Iknew what agriculture was from
our small chapter.
But seeing that it was people'sjobs like this is what they do,
it amazed me.
And I was able.
I was one of the youngest inour group and I was able to go
get mentored at a lot of the bigschools at the time, like
Orange Grove.
I did observation at OrangeGrove.
They were a machine like theystill are a machine, but got to
(11:00):
see them train teams and run aprogram.
And then I worked under FrancesNelson at Cal Allen and she I
tell everyone she was the onethat taught me that ladies can
be a boss.
I went in when she was havingher last daughter and she the
first day cause I started inJanuary, mid Nueces County heat.
(11:21):
She was very heavily pregnant,like she was getting ready to go
maternity leave, and there sheis pushing steers through the
chute and I was like you knowwhat I can do that Like, if
she's pregnant and doing allthis stuff, I'm okay, cause I
was still kind of nervous, causeI you get to meet all those
people in college.
You're like my grandpa's had aranch for 50 years and I'm like
I live in a neighborhood and Ihave three dogs like that was.
(11:43):
That was my closest tie.
All my experience was throughmy little county and stuff like
that, and so I learned a lotwith Francis and through that
program and I really, reallythat that got me ready to go.
So I graduated when I was 20.
I never I tell my my kids nowis like I I love dual enrollment
(12:05):
, but I didn't live the collegeyou see in on TV.
I was so and I think it made methe teacher I am today.
Because I was so hyper focused,because I was ready to go.
I only had so many hours Icould do and so I graduated at
20.
And I started looking for a jobwhich I wanted to move back home
.
I knew I wanted to be close tohome and I always tell everyone
(12:27):
I had to GPS my way to my firstjob because I never heard of the
town before.
Um, I think you're familiarwith it because I feel like I've
seen you post from PortMansfield before.
But my first job was in SanFrancisco, texas, population 501
, like very, very small, and myag teacher had heard about the
position and he's like I thinkyou should apply.
(12:49):
And I said it's a singleteacher department.
What do you want me to do?
Like I had just mentored underone of the biggest programs with
four other teachers.
He's like no, you'll be fine,apply.
So I GPS my way, go to theinterview.
And I just remember pulling upand I was like, wow, this,
there's literally one light inthis town.
There's no Starbucks, there'sno gas stations, there's no
(13:09):
McDonald's.
Like it's 20 minutes fromanything and if you're going to
Port Mansfield you'll miss it.
People.
I always tell people you knowthe blinking light where you can
turn left.
That's where we were.
I interviewed, I got theposition and I'm probably the I
think I'm the first female agteacher they had and they're
probably the youngest and I Ikind of went to work and I
always tell teachers that arestarting out you have to start
(13:33):
somewhere and you've got tolearn somewhere.
And so I learned a lot with mykids.
I got hired.
One week later I was takingthese kids to say convention had
never met them before.
We loaded them in a van.
I'm only a few years older thana lot of these kids to say
convention had never met thembefore we loaded them in a van.
I'm only a few years older thana lot of these kids, so we grew
together and my San Prelitachapter is one of my favorite
(13:54):
chapters that I have in my lifebecause it was eight years of me
growing myself in a program andso it's a really small county,
willisee County.
We got in there and I had a lotof.
I followed a very tenuredteacher so it was scary because
that guy had been there foreverand I started to get to work.
(14:14):
We did a lot of the leadershipstuff.
We opened those doors to kidsto do contests.
Um, it was a big show communityso I learned a lot about other
show species.
Um, I showed pigs through highschool but I learned about, I
learned to do different thingswith the different animals, like
the goats, the lambs.
I had to.
I was the only teacher.
So it was a lot of trial anderror and that's something I
(14:36):
always tell people don't bescared to try.
You mess up one time, you canfigure it out, you learn from it
.
And it was a really goodexperience for me because I got
to do everything.
I taught shop, I didhorticulture, I did that,
lifestyle classes.
I did all of the, the SAEprojects with the animals and,
um, even doing like theleadership.
(14:58):
That was something that I feellike I left my mark there with
that, because those kids onlyknew show.
They didn't know what else FFAhas to offer.
And I feel like that's wheresome chapters are at a
disadvantage, because it's notjust about livestock, it's about
the leadership that you getfrom being an FFA member.
You got to take advantage ofeverything and so we ended up
(15:20):
having I really really loved itthere.
It was my favorite, like I Isaid my favorite chapter in my
history and we had kids that Itook my first team to state
there.
Um, my livestock judging teamplaced fourth at area.
Who made it to state.
That was like one of my toptier.
You made it moments, um, and myeye teacher was even like damn,
(15:40):
like you haven't even beenteaching that long.
That's not fair.
And I was like, well, I was anerd.
We put the work in, we got itdone.
We had a lot of mentorship thathelped get there.
I got to experience a lot offirsts with them, all my firsts.
But I went to nationalconvention with one of my girls
I don't know if you remember wayback when um god, I don't know
what year it was she was thetalent contestant at state
(16:02):
convention.
That's staying, selena Carson.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
That was my kid.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Yes, she, she was one of mine and she, she won state
and we went to nationalconvention.
She competed at national.
So she gave me that opportunityand it was a really good
experience with that.
And so it started to grow intoa monster, I say because our
program got so popular.
There was only so much to dothere, but it became a very big
(16:31):
project.
And I got the opportunity fromone of the teachers that moved
to IDEA.
She said look, this is whatwe're trying to do.
It's at a public, it's at acharter school, but I think
you'd be a good fit for theprogram.
So she invited me in, Iinterviewed, I got a position
(16:52):
and we started working togetherto build this program.
She moved on to another schoolbecause she got an opening at
our hometown chapter and I saidunderstood, I got, that's an
opportunity of a lifetime toteach where you grow.
Understood, that's anopportunity of a lifetime to
teach where you grow.
And so it kind of left me in aspace where I was very nervous
because Idea did not know whatthey were doing.
(17:12):
They were relying on us to kindof build this program.
They knew what they wanted, butthe work had to be put in, yes.
So I started putting my headdown and getting to work with a
group of eighth grade kids thatknew nothing about agriculture,
but what I've ever told them,and I told myself you need to
make them fall in love with it,like Mr D made you fall in love
(17:37):
with it.
And so we talked about it inclass.
We started.
I told him.
I said this is a two-yearcommitment.
If we're going to charter, Ineed you guys on board.
And so they said okay, we'reready.
So it was five girls, fiveeighth grade girls, and we went
through the process ofchartering and it's 15 steps.
You got to meet all yourdeadlines.
(17:57):
I was dealing with Gwen, whowas a godsend, and then it came
time to the site visit.
And they said, okay, they'regoing to send the big wigs from
FFA to see if you guys got it.
And I said, okay, how do weprepare?
And they're like, we'll justtouch these touch points, which
I feel is like a test to you tosee what you can do.
And so I said, okay, we got tohit XYZ girls and she's like,
(18:18):
but you can't help them, theyhave to know the knowledge they
have to put together thepresentation.
I was like, okay, great.
So we we grinded those fivegirls really worked at it, we
learned everything, we competedin everything and we kind of
shook it up because we were thefirst idea to get that program
going.
And in our, in our inauguralyear, we had a really good run.
(18:40):
We had one of our eighthgraders end up being a top five
in the state and finalists forSpanish Crete as an eighth
grader.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
That that was wild.
She was officially the youngestcontestant that year and
everyone's like are you lost?
They said no, she's going intosemi-finals heat.
But she ended up top five andthen we also were top four in
the area for horse judging andwent to state that year.
So we hit state two years inour first year it was.
It was a very powerful momentbut it was also scary because I
(19:10):
was like, oh no, what are wedoing?
But we chartered and it's justbeen hitting the ground running
from there.
We've.
We've grown to be from one eyeteacher to we're at four now
with about a little under 350members, and we've just been
moving and grooving since soit's called idea yes, it's
(19:32):
through the idea public schoolsystem and it's a charter school
Speaker 2 (19:36):
yes, sir and you started with one now you're four
, yes, and you started witheight kids.
Is that what you said?
Speaker 3 (19:45):
so we had.
We had eighth graders, so theywere in eighth grade.
Okay, we had, and it's so.
I've been having a moment allall week because we started back
to school.
They're juniors now, but theywere my founding.
We're the aggies also, that'sour, our school mascot.
So they're my founding aggiesand my principal's like okay,
here's your principles aboutclass go.
(20:05):
And so I taught the basicprinciples of ag class to eighth
graders who had never been inag.
It's a very urban place whereI'm at, we're kind of between
Mission and Palmview, but I hadto fuel those kids to understand
what FFA was and what all theyhave to do, and it's a very
(20:25):
heavily Hispanic area.
So when we first started out, Igot the typical like we don't
look like them, this isn't, thisisn't us.
And I always tell them, I jokewith them, because my mom's
Hispanic, my dad's white.
I'm like I'm half offended butI feel you.
So I understand and so I saidif we're going to join them,
(20:47):
we're going to beat them.
And so we got it, we got intoit and we we've been very
competitive ever since.
I've raised little monstersbecause now they feel like
they're the best at everything.
But I'd rather them beconfident and wanting to try
because there's I've learnedalso to never turn them away
from a contest.
We're going to try everythingand figure it out.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Well, I mean, that's life right.
You're helping them understandthat it's a big world out there
and you don't need to be afraidof it.
And the other thing that I likeis Dr Gordon Davis.
He's the gentleman that madethe big contribution to Texas
Tech ICEV.
They named you know it's theDavis College of Agriculture now
.
But I love what Dr Davis says.
(21:30):
He tells everybody it's okay towin.
It's okay to win, and I thinkit's great that you're willing
to tell your kids it's okay towin.
Nobody's handed it to you,nobody's given it to you.
You're going to earn it.
But guess what?
If you earn it, it's okay towin.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
And they've.
They've really enjoyed it.
They've become supercompetitive.
And it made me happy becausewhen we first started a lot of
them were like, well, I'm not,so, not.
So they ran show, which is whatthey would say, like I'm not
from the farm, not from a ranch,and I said neither am I I.
(22:12):
I said I lived in aneighborhood, I I had to buy my
first show shirt in high schoolto show my pig, because I had
never, I'd never, done alivestock show.
And so I said I'm the same asyou.
I'm not, I'm not come from anykind of big corporation of
agriculture history.
I wish I did.
And so it kind of relaxes andeases them in.
Because that was my firstthought when I first moved there
.
I said we're at a disadvantagebecause it's not a school set up
for an act program.
(22:32):
We didn't have a facility.
Um, it was just a typicalschool.
We're in an urban area.
There's not a lot of farmlandor anything around there for us
to go off of.
I'm gonna have to teach thesekids what agriculture is and
teach them to love it.
And they truly have fallen inlove with agriculture and it's
just so crazy to see thoseeighth graders now as juniors,
(22:56):
where they're at and whatthey're capable of.
Two of those girls that startedwith me in eighth grade have
become district officers.
They both wanted to go on trackto be area officers.
Become district officers.
They both wanted to go on trackto be area officers.
It's just, there's been a lotof growth and I'm starting to
see the hard works of what wedid so for the people that are
(23:19):
listening.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
You're hearing this incredible conversation and
you're hearing about South Texas.
I want to kind of put that incontext for people that are not
familiar with South Texas.
Yes, a lot of times people sayI say, have you ever been to
South Texas?
They said yes, I've been to SanAntonio.
And I said now, wait a second.
I said let me help youunderstand that from San Antonio
(23:40):
to Progreso, which is whereKat's at right, from San Antonio
down, that far is right at fourhours, it's right at 260 miles.
Now to put this in even morecontext from where I live in
North Texas to Progreso is ninehours, it's over 600 miles.
(24:03):
And so when we talk about SouthTexas, the Rio Grande Valley,
the Grandísimo Valle, you'retalking about a stretch of land
that goes right along theTexas-Mexico border and it's
just lined with all of thesegreat cities McAllen, west, laco
, mercedes, donna all the waydown.
(24:24):
It just goes all the way downto the Gulf of Mexico and it's
just an incredible part of Texas.
If you've never experienced it,I highly recommend it.
It's just a special place and Ilove talking about the Valley
because I've enjoyed so muchgetting to know the people, the
culture, the food, the lafamilia, the family connection,
(24:51):
food, the la familia, the familyconnection.
So I think all of that isimportant because when we're
listening to you describe yourstudents and describe some of
those mental hurdles that theymay have to get over, they have
to have a mentor that helps themsee beyond the city limits,
that sees beyond the county, andI think that's kind of what
you're lending to theirdiscussion, is you're helping
(25:13):
them see a bigger worldview.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
And I don't think I had ever put it into perspective
until we started to expand andleave.
A lot of my kids have neverbeen outside of the Valley.
When I love the Valley alsobecause something I've learned
to love being in that part,because obviously I'm from the
(25:38):
Valley, but we are also thecitrus capital where, where,
where you find all of yourcitrus it's probably come from
down here, and so I started totie those connections to kids
and I didn't realize just howmuch we were opening doors until
we started to go to differentevents.
Some of the only times mystudents have been out of the
valley have been with FFA.
We've traveled to Texas A&M.
(25:58):
We've traveled to Texas Techthey love Texas Tech, by the way
but they had never been pastMcAllen, they had never seen
outside of the valley and Ireally enjoyed opening those
opportunities to them.
Because now I smile and smirkwhen they talk to other kids
Because like, yes, that one timeI went to tech and we judged
horse judging, like they thinkthey're the coolest things now
(26:20):
because they've seen so much.
But for some of my studentsthat have never experienced
anything like that, for them nowto be like I think I can go to
school here, Like that's whereI'm like, OK, we're doing
something right, they can seewhat they can do.
Not that nothing's availablefor them in the valley, but I
wanted them to open doors and Iwanted them to see what they're
(26:41):
capable of.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
Man, that's good, that's real good.
Man, that's good, that's realgood.
No-transcript.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Like I mentioned before, I always tie back to
being open, and one of thebiggest blessings I have in my
life is the fact that I didn'tgrow up in agriculture, but now
my life revolves around it.
I had mentioned before, or Ihaven't mentioned it yet, but my
husband's also an ag teacher,so we're a family of ag teachers
.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
So you were telling me a little bit about your
husband and go ahead and keepgoing from there.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Yes, sir.
So he's also an ag teacher.
We met in college, goingthrough the ag science program
there at Kingsville, and I'velearned how important support is
through him because he's beenthere so much throughout my
whole entire career.
We started dating outside of mefirst getting my first job.
(27:58):
He was always there for me whenI was learning the ropes
because he grew up in a familythat was agriculture based.
He grew up with his familyowning a cattle business, which
was always a dream of minebecause I said I lived in a
neighborhood, didn't have accessto that.
So he's really taught me all thethings that it takes and the
hard work to own and run aprogram.
(28:20):
So his support has showed mewhat opportunities can provide
to people, just knowing that youhave somebody in your corner
and knowing that there's alwayssomeone there to cheer you on
and help you and teach you whatyou need to know.
He's always taking the time andI think that's something that
(28:40):
people need to do more of is toteach not only his students but
myself and really just show methat everybody's capable of
anything.
You just have to try.
And so he was one of my, is oneof my biggest supporters and
he's helped me get through anddo a lot of what we do as a
(29:01):
chapter, and so he's also taughtme looking for opportunities
for students and we've been ableto figure out and find things
that are available to ourstudents and fit their their
specialties.
So we've figured out theopportunities that open when you
are a good speaker, thingslearning those leadership skills
(29:22):
that are super important to notjust being successful in a
contest but just being a goodperson.
I think the FFA does such anamazing job of that because it
teaches you those real lifeworld skills.
I feel like every coach saysthat they're teaching them
lifelong skills and everyteacher says they're teaching
(29:43):
them lifelong skills.
But I think this organizationgoes above and beyond when it
talks about molding our students.
Something my principal alwayssays is I can tell our students
from typical acts or typicalideas students right away,
because our kids know how toshake a hand, they know how to
talk to adults, they know how toadvocate for themselves.
(30:05):
They've done so much advocatingfor themselves in growing our
chapter.
And she says you don't see that, you don't see that in students
outside of this organization,and so I've learned that that
opens a lot of opportunities.
It's not who you know.
It's what you can do and whatyou bring to the table.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
And success begets success.
So by teaching those kids thoselittle things, they have
success and they're like, wow,igets success.
So by teaching those kids thoselittle things, they have
success and they're like, wow, Ihad success.
Well, maybe I can have it overhere, or maybe I can pursue it
over here.
And then the other thing that Ilike that you're doing.
One of my favorite quotes fromTony Robbins is he says success
(30:43):
leaves clues, and I love that,because your success, you're
leaving clues for them.
Their success, they're nowleaving clues for the kids that
are following in their footstepsand it's just going to keep
getting better and better andbetter.
So talk leadership with me.
If you could give a kid threeleadership skills and say here
(31:06):
are three skills to besuccessful in life, what would
they be?
Speaker 3 (31:11):
Number one is confidence.
That's something that I lackedand I still lack at times, and
that's why I say support is soimportant, because I am very
much an overthinker when itcomes to things and that's what
limited me sometimes when itcomes to putting myself out
(31:32):
there and I kind of have to putmyself in a mindset Like my
husband says you've got this,you can do it, just try it, just
try it.
And so I have to.
I have to put myself out therein a lot of ways and I think
kids need to have thatconfidence.
It's not being cocky, it's notbeing, it's not saying you're
better than everyone else, it'sjust having the confidence in
(31:52):
yourself to just take thatchance with yourself, do what
you need to do.
So confidence, I feel, is keyand I've humbled my kids a lot
because I said you know what?
You're not better than anyone,you're just good.
You got to be better, you canalways be better and we always
look for opportunity to grow.
So confidence is one of my bestones.
I also think a good leadershipskill to have is going to be
(32:16):
responsibility.
With roles comes a lot ofresponsibility, and I've learned
that as I've gone through mycareer is you start to get
offered things.
Like you said, because you'resuccessful, like you know what
you'd be great at this.
Like you said, because you'resuccessful, like you know what
you'd be great at this, you dothis and so it's a lot of
responsibility and it's makingsure that you're able to not
(32:36):
only be responsible for yourself, but if you're leading others,
you need to be a good leader inthat set.
So being able to manage all thethings you need to manage and
be responsible for that, I thinkresponsibility is a big
leadership skill to have.
The other one, I would have tosay, is going to be
vulnerability.
I think that you need to beopen to the ideas of others,
(33:00):
because there's not always goingto be.
Your path changes, right.
Like you said, you find cluesto what you want to do, and just
the change that I've seen instudents has made me realize
they're very vulnerable with mebecause they don't know what
we're doing.
I tell them to get ready for acontest.
We're leaving in the morning.
They're going to jump in and ifthey figure it out, they figure
(33:21):
it out.
Be open to it.
Like a lot of them, I always usemy Spanish creed eighth grade
Spanish creed contestant as myexample.
I talk about this because shewas a EB student, meaning
Spanish was her first language.
She wasn't the most confidentwhen I got her, but she wanted
(33:45):
to be active and she comes froma part of Mexico that has a very
heavy diction.
So me, naturally, I was likeyou know what it's going to be a
challenge because, number one,it's your second language,
you're still learning English.
Number two, you're going tohave to overcome that part of
(34:09):
your life, right.
And so I said you know what?
What about Spanish creed?
I said you speak beautifulSpanish.
I said let's take advantage ofthis, let's let's be vulnerable
and look at it together.
And so I gave her the creed.
She got the creed down and it's.
It was just like a duck towater, like I can listen to her
(34:30):
say the creed every day.
She just has.
It was her passion and they gother to that top five spot as an
eighth grader.
I never thought I would havethat, to be able to say that we
had a top five student in ourfirst year chartering.
So that kind of opened herdoors to be vulnerable to other
opportunities.
Now she's our chapter president, she's a district officer, she
(34:53):
wants to go to school to becomean agricultural recruiter.
She wants to work inagriculture and this is a little
girl if she never wasvulnerable, would not have that
opportunity that she has now.
So vulnerability it sounds likea weakness to some, but I think
you need to be open to ideas.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
Every good leader that I deal with and that I
communicate with, that I talkwith.
These are the veryconversations we have, Because
if you're not willing to bevulnerable, then you might not
be coachable.
Being vulnerable opens you upto be coachable and you know,
sometimes you have to be willingto say critique me, Tell me
what I can do better, Tell mewhere I might have missed an
(35:36):
opportunity.
And if you're coachable, thatbeing coachable is a sign of
vulnerability and most goodleaders have that built into
their DNA.
Speaker 3 (35:47):
And it's been amazing to see her grow into that
leadership role, because she wasa girl that didn't really talk
a lot because she felt like shecouldn't communicate.
And to see her, she she's toldme she's like Ms V, like I want
to do.
This is this, is it.
She's like FFA is my priority,this is where I belong, and so
she's been our biggest advocatefor our students to see, like if
(36:09):
Ximena can do it, I can do it,and so she's in her district
leadership role.
I've been just so proud of herbecause I feel like sometimes
those higher level officers havethat reputation where it's like
, oh, it's so-and-so, whosedaddy was an FFA and they came
from this such great stock,which doesn't take any away from
the kid, but I feel like itmeans a little bit more when you
(36:36):
come from somewhere like shedoes, and you inspire those
other kids, like my kids at PalmBeauty do better.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
Well, I appreciate so much of what you're sharing.
People ask me all the timeabout all the podcasts that I've
done and the people that I'vehad the honor of interviewing
and talking to, and they've beengreat.
But I got to say, when I hearyour story, when I hear Kat
Villareal's story, when I hearJustin Reyes's story, when I
hear Archimedes Reyes's story,when I hear Lata Garcia's story
(37:05):
especially three of y'all,because y'all come from the Rio
Grande Valley it is veryinspiring.
It's inspiring because of someof the cultural norms that
sometimes become barriers totaking risk, to stepping out, to
trusting others, to findingthose clues, and so when I hear
(37:26):
y'all speak and I hear you onyour journey, I hope that
teachers and students alike willhear and say, wow, if they do
it, maybe we can do it too.
If Kat can do it and Della Cernhas done it who's on the
foundation board?
And all these people that arejust extraordinary young leaders
(37:49):
, if they can do it, why can't Ido it?
And that's the reason I wantedyou on the podcast.
So you know one of the things Ilike to share with people is
always ask them I said how manyhigh schools are in Texas, and
they always joke and somebodywill say a lot yeah, so there's
over 3000 high schools in Texas.
(38:09):
Now think about this over 3000high schools, how many of them
are going to have a graduatingclass this coming year?
Every one of them.
That means kids are going to beout looking for a job, a
scholarship or an opportunity.
Question that I ask is what'syour competitive edge?
What separates you from thecompetition?
It could be exactly what yousaid a while ago firm handshake,
(38:32):
look him in the eye.
Yes or no, sir?
Yes, ma'am, no ma'am.
It could be the fact that youmade a connection in Lubbock,
texas, which is miles from theGrand Dix-Saint-Mobilier.
It could be the fact that youwent to Texas A&M and made a
connection.
It could be the fact that youwent to Austin, texas or Waco,
but the end of the day, students.
(38:54):
So, kat, what I appreciate?
Something else that you'resaying?
This is just my soapbox.
I tell the adults our job asadults, our job is to create
opportunities.
That's our job.
And then I look at the kids andI say your job is to determine
the outcome.
You're not entitled to anything.
We're going to do everything wecan to encourage you, equip you
(39:18):
and empower you, but at the endof the day, you've got to
determine the outcome.
You have to find yourcompetitive edge and I just
think it's great that teacherslike you are out there pushing
these kids.
Tell them don't see hurdles,don't see boundaries, look for
(39:40):
opportunities, work hard, beresponsible and get it done and
next thing you know, they couldbe the next podcast interview on
the Growing Our Future podcast.
Speaker 3 (39:54):
And I think competitive edge is such a
controversial topic with kidsthese days because their idea of
competitive edge is what theyalready have within them, like
oh well, I know this because Igrew up doing this and whatever
that they feel like thatentitles them to a competitive
(40:14):
edge.
But seeing my kids come fromnothing to what they've done,
you grow your competitive edgeand you have to create it and
it's something that it's open toeveryone, like I always told my
kids when we first started, Isaid everybody wears the same
jacket.
Everybody is where you're at.
(40:35):
You are all on the same page.
I said how bad do you want it?
You got to put yourself in thegame and it's just locking in
and getting things done.
And that's something that I'vebeen very blessed to have so
many mentors in my life thathave showed me the opportunities
.
But it just means and I knowevery ag advisor thinks their
(40:57):
kids are the best but my kidshave come from nothing and
anytime we would go intoscenarios where we're going to
state contests or an areacontest they have that minute,
like every kid does, wherethey're like oh no, what am I
doing?
And I said you're meant to behere.
You need to get to work, dowhat you need to do, and they've
(41:18):
made my career what it is, andI take no credit other than just
being that ag teacher that'sthere to not let them turn
around because I said I was you.
I, I know what it's like to feellike you didn't come from your
sister showing livestock allyour life.
You your first contest was adistrict contest.
(41:39):
You didn't.
You never knew anything aboutit.
And that's my favorite part ofwatching them grow is because,
when the history and everythingcomes down to it, people on
paper and like, wow, these kidsare so successful.
But it's like if you only knewthat they had no idea what FFA
was before they took an ad class, you would be amazed.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
Well, I mean, life's not a solo project.
You're helping them understandthat.
You're helping them, that youhave to be looking to know, like
you said, you've got somebodythere helping you build the
confidence.
You've got people that arewilling to help you.
But you've got to be looking.
You've got to be working ondeveloping your skills so that
when the time comes to win thatyou can win because you're
(42:21):
willing to outwork somebody.
That was your competitive edge.
So that's why I say I enjoythese conversations so much and
they're not complicatedconversations.
These are not complicated ideas.
It's like I tell people it'swhat you got inside called want
to.
You got to have a little wantto and when you can find a
(42:42):
person like you or a mentor orsomebody that pulls that want to
out of us, it's hard to stopsomebody that's committed to
greatness.
So keep doing what you're doing.
I just want to thank you.
Okay, before we leave, you getone fun question.
Everybody gets a fun question.
Speaker 3 (42:58):
Okay, I'm ready.
Speaker 2 (43:00):
Ready.
What's the best concert you'veever been to?
Speaker 3 (43:04):
The best concert I've ever been to.
That's a tough one.
Well, I have to think aboutthat one for a little while.
Oh, I know what, it is OK.
So the best concert I've everbeen to was actually my first
concert.
So this was back in the day Iwas in elementary school and
(43:27):
this is where I told my parentsI said all the signs were there,
like I was meant to be acountry kid, you guys.
Just I was misplaced at birthor something.
And because now my mom talksabout it and she's always like
man, if I would have known youwould have taken this seriously,
I would have bought you thatsteer, I would have bought you a
heifer, you would have beeneverywhere.
And I said you know what, mom?
I think it makes my story eventhat much better, because I see
(43:49):
all these people that are sosuccessful and they become ag
teachers and they're just thesepowerhouses and I sometimes I'm
like I'm not going to get there,but I'm like it gives me that
edge to show my kids you knowwhat, you can do it.
And I love country music since Iwas little and my favorite
artist was Alan Jackson.
I loved Alan Jackson and he wascoming to the Rio Grande Valley
(44:12):
, and this was back in the daywhen you couldn't buy your
tickets online and you couldn'tdo all that right, and I was
begging my dad.
I said, please, please, please,I want to go.
He's like what do you want togo see?
I said I just I like countrymusic and my dad is a hardcore
rocker, beach boy type vibe,which I love that side of me too
(44:32):
but country was where it was atand he surprised me and he
spent all day on the phone withTicketmaster and bought me
tickets to Alan Jackson and itwas my first concert I was ever
gonna go to and I remember mydad buying the CD and he's like,
okay, we, we got to know thesesongs, like I got to know them
too, and so it became this kindof passion that we had together
(44:56):
and to this day we we fell inlove with Alan Jackson together
and it was just him and I was myfirst thing me and my dad did
alone.
He took me to the concert andour song has always been the
song Drive.
He took me to the concert andour song has always been the
song drive.
And he says that that's ourrelationship, because I did not
want to let you go.
(45:16):
I didn't want you to drive.
And he's like and now lookwhere you've driven, to look
what you've become.
And so he, that is a veryspecial moment to me and I not
only it's my first concert, butit was the one that was most
special to me because he'sgetting up there in age, we're
getting up there in age, andhe's always like remember,
that's the first concert I tookyou to and he'll put, he'll
(45:39):
request that song when we'rehanging out and barbecuing, and
he, it's a very special tie tome it's's beautiful and I
appreciate you sharing that andI know your dad's very proud of
you.
Speaker 2 (45:54):
Thank you, that's a beautiful connection that you
have.
You know, I lost my dad when Iwas 10 years old and caused a
lot of problems for me.
I got sent to a boy's rankbecause of it, but thankfully
God put other people in my lifethat kind of took on some of
that role.
But when I became a dad I cantell you I've drug my kids to
(46:16):
everything.
I've spoiled them.
I've made them go to.
They've got yeah, they've gotto see more concerts than most
kids see in a lifetime.
But to your point, I did thatbecause I want what you just
described and I hope one day mykids look back and say you know
what I remember, we got to dothose things and I hope they
(46:37):
cherish them as much as you do.
Speaker 3 (46:40):
And we had that conversation.
It's funny that it comes up.
We had that conversation justthe other day because I'm older,
I don't live at home, but Ilive near them and me and my
husband spend a lot of timegolfing with him and stuff.
And we were having lunch onetime after around and he said I
gave you a lot of opportunities,right.
And I was like where's thiscoming from?
And he's like I was a good dad.
(47:00):
I said yes, you were a greatdad.
And he's like I took you here.
We did this.
I said, dad, it was never aboutwhere you took me, it was just
the fact that we were doingthings as a family.
We did this together.
And he's like I just want toknow that I did enough and I
don't need to do anymore.
And I said no, I said you'regreat Like retire, retire, live
your life Like you're good.
But I think that's such aspecial connection is just the
(47:25):
opportunities that your parentsgive you.
They don't ever realize whatthey're doing and I I know it's
something that you, you moldyour children, but it's my
parents always tell me we had noidea, like we had no idea this
is where you were gonna end up.
But we're so.
We're so thankful.
Um, they enjoy our, mylifestyle so much more.
Now.
(47:46):
My, my dad, is a chancla cowboywhat me and my husband call him.
He loves to come out to theranch and whenever we go out of
town he's like I'll check thecows, I'll do all this.
He eats it up.
He loves it.
So, him and my husband.
He's taught my, my husband'sgot to give him so many
opportunities too, and it's justopened a whole new door to our
family.
(48:06):
Like we never thought that thiswas where I would end up.
I I always thought I knew I wasgoing to be a teacher.
I love that part, I loveeducation, but being an ag
teacher has made me, made mylife what it is.
Speaker 2 (48:19):
Well, let me tell you , um, uh, I'm honored to know
you, um, I'm glad that our pathshave crossed several times and,
um, that we were able to makethis happen, and I appreciate
you sharing your heart, yourdreams, the challenges, but all
(48:39):
these little steps along the waythat have put you where you're
at, so that you can pour intothe kids that are in your care.
I find all that inspiring and Iwant to wish you the best and
don't ever hesitate to call Ifwe can ever be of assistance.
We're always just one phonecall away.
Speaker 3 (48:56):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (48:57):
All right.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank youfor stopping by for the Growing
Our Future podcast.
You can see why I told you Katwas going to be a great
interview and I hope you foundsome seeds of greatness there.
I sure did, and remember we'vegot to plant them.
You know, if agriculture hastaught me anything.
If you want to know what thefuture is, grow it.
(49:18):
You got to plant them.
You've got to take care of them, you got to harvest them and
then you got to share them.
And Kat just told us thatentire story.
Speaker 1 (49:29):
And it was beautiful.
Speaker 2 (49:31):
So until we meet again, everybody go out, do
something great for somebody.
You'll feel good about it andin the process you might just
make our world a better place tolive, work and raise our kids.
Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 3 (49:45):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (49:51):
We hope you've enjoyed this episode of the
Growing Our Future podcast.
This show is sponsored by theTexas FFA Foundation, whose
mission is to strengthenagricultural science education
so students can develop theirpotential for personal growth,
career success and leadership ina global marketplace.
Learn more at mytexasffaorg.
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