Planning a trip to Chicago leads many visitors to locations like Millennium Park, Navy Pier or one of the stadiums to catch a ball game. But on a little street about midway between the shores of Lake Michigan and the parks of Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve sits one of Illinois’ greatest treasures – The Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, or CHSAS.
As a former student, FFA member, teacher, FFA advisor and department head at the school, JaMonica Marion understands the incredible impact agricultural education can have.
Here, Marion, who is now the principal at Henry R. Clissold Elementary School in Chicago, shares how her agricultural interests formed at a young age and how urban FFA members can make the most of their experiences.
Q: You have experienced CHSAS from several points of view. What drew you to the school in the first place?
A: When I first enrolled in CHSAS, I knew I was going to become an FFA member. I grew up visiting my family’s farm in Mississippi every summer and working in the peach and fig orchards, raising cattle, and stocking our public fishing pond. I was excited to be involved in agriculture from the very start.
Q: It sounds like your passion for agriculture has led to an incredible career that spans many levels of leadership throughout the CHSAS campus.
A: It really has. After serving as chapter vice president, I graduated and went on to study education and receive my teaching license. Fortunately, that same year a teaching position opened at my alma mater and I jumped at the chance to return. I always knew I was going to go into the field of education. Without a doubt I knew it was my job to continue the legacy to inspire others to go further. I had some awesome advisors and mentors who provided me and my classmates with opportunities to travel, network and debunk the myths about agriculture in Illinois. Today, I am only one semester away from completing my doctoral degree, and I work to ensure agricultural education has a strong presence throughout my school.
Q: What advice would you give to other FFA members?
A: My advice to FFA members today would be to not limit yourself. Go out and seek. Sit and listen. And see if what you discover aligns with your core values. Do research to understand how people who look like you and come from the same backgrounds as you have impacted agriculture around the world. And think about what your next step would look like to change the industry.
