Seeds of change

Steve Priest, the principal of Hanna, Elk Mountain, Medicine Bow (HEM) High School went to Ohio State thinking he was going to major in agronomy. His goal was to graduate and work for the seed company Dekalb.

"In high school I was interested in crops, crop science and seeds, and I knew that is what I wanted to study," Priest said. "Then my Ag teacher told me I should consider going into Ag Ed. Then, another Ag Ed teacher told me I should look at it, too, so I decided to consider it."

Priest was raised in central Ohio, about 45 miles east of Columbus where his family owned a farm.

When he went...