Megan Rice uses agriculture classes to teach curiosity and problem-solving
LIBERAL — For Megan Rice, the role of agriculture instructor and livestock judging coach at Seward County Community College, is bit of a “full circle” moment. Growing up in Rose Hill, Rice knew “since forever” that she wanted to work with animals. Initially, the desire was to become an equine veterinarian, she recalls.
“I started at K-State, majoring in equine science with the idea of veterinary school, and somewhere along the way, I realized I didn’t want to go to school for that long,” she said. Even so, her love of working with animals remained and she earned a bachelors degree in animal science.
“When I graduated, I took a job with Grant County Feeders, and went the feedyard route for quite a while,” Rice said. “I filled the head doctor position for the most part, and then I worked in the grain marketing industry with the Co-Op for a while.”
In time, Rice moved to education, serving as an agriculture teacher and Future Farmers of America (FFA) advisor at Ulysses High School. The experience showed her that U.S. education is in “boxes,” with required content for each separate subject. While Rice supports accountability and data collection to ensure students make progress, she views CTE education as the missing ingredient for student success.
“I think our expectations are far too low,” she said. “Sometimes it turns out we are ensuring the kids only learn what’s needed, without encouraging them to go further. That’s why I push the CTE classes.”
In Ulysses, Rice encouraged students to explore CTE classes where they could “learn, grow, be creative,” she said. “Yes, there’s a curriculum for animal science or intro to ag, but you can direct the students according to their interests. I enjoyed teaching that and found the freedom to explore and ask questions helped the students excel.”
Indeed, the student body at Ulysses High School has embraced outreach classes from SCCC. Over the last three years, UHS students who earned an associate degree at the same time they complete high school diplomas numbered in the double digits.
As the new animal science instructor for SCCC’s agriculture program, Rice aims to continue the opportunity for concurrent high school students. For full-time traditional Saints students, she plans to build on what she has learned as an instructor.
“I like to give students the bare minimum, and see them go figure it out,” she said. “I firmly believe it depends on the kid. Some are more driven than others. No matter where they start, animal science and agriculture has the potential to get them thinking and learning.”
What’s more, the array of career opportunities resulting from the agriculture program can come as a surprise, even to Kansas-born and bred students, Rice said.
“I started out because I loved horses, and I thought you could be a vet, raise horses, maybe have a ranch,” she said. “I found out that there’s so much more a person can do at all levels of this industry. In hindsight, a ruminant nutrition master’s degree would be my choice, but I’m really happy that I’ve ended up here, in agriculture education. I tell my students, they will be amazed at the opportunities that open up.”
For more information about the animal science track in the SCCC agriculture program, contact Megan Rice at 620-417-1369 or megan.rice@sccc.edu. For enrollment questions or to catch up on college events, visit sccc.edu. This news release was reported and written by human beings in the SCCC Marketing & PR Department, 620-655-4077.