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An Interesting Neighbor

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It’s funny how life works at times. Like bringing you back where you started.

For Erica Keen, that starting point and where she now finds herself is the vocational agriculture program at Purcell High School.

Up until her graduation in 2007, Erica’s familiarization with the program was a student’s perspective.

Now she’s settling in on the other side of that classroom divide as agriculture teacher and FFA advisor.

After high school, Erica attended Eastern Oklahoma State College on a softball scholarship.

Her major was animal science, but it was her adviser who steered her to pursue a career in agriculture education.

“He was very genuine,” she said, “and made sure we were where we needed to be.”

After junior college, Erica  attended Oklahoma State  University, graduating in 2011.

She taught agriculture at Lindsay for seven years, half of a two-teacher program that ranged from 106 to 147 students.

Here she will be on her own with 50 to 60 students.

After leaving Lindsay, she took a year off from teaching to try her hand at sales for P&K Equipment in Norman.

“P&K was actually a lot of fun,” she said. “I enjoyed it.”

Then in 2019 she returned to Purcell High School, teaching math and coaching softball.

As time permitted, she helped then-ag teacher Jason Baker, who had run the Purcell program since 2011.

When Baker resigned earlier this year, Erica was the natural choice for his replacement.       

She’s already immersed in  her new role.

Her main focus, she explained, is “getting kids involved more in career development and leadership events.”

Erica grew up showing pigs – Durocs, Hampshires, Yorkshires and crossbreeds.

She will teach five classes when the 2021-22 school year begins in August.

Those include an exploration class for eighth graders.

There’s an introduction to agriculture science for freshmen and Erica said there are contests specifically for the novices, including a Greenhand quiz and creed speaking.

Other basic classes are ag mechanics, animal science and ag communications.

Erica plans to rotate the latter two.

Additional class options are horticulture, plant and soil science, equine science and livestock production.

Mid-America Technology Center also offers horticulture and equine programs, as well as a “very good welding program.”

With so much to choose from, Erica wants all of her students to know the opportunities that come with vocational agriculture.

Erica married Josh Keen 11 years ago. He is the Oklahoma Electric Cooperative district lineman over the Lexington area. They just bought 40 acres on which they hope to build a home at some point.

They have two children – Carli and Carter - both of whom show Hereford cattle. Carli, who will be in the eighth grade, showed sheep last year and earlier this month competed in her first cattle show, bringing home a second and a third.

Carter missed the cattle show after making the all-star team in his baseball league. He will be in seventh grade.

Last week Erica met with Purcell FFA officers, some of whom left Sunday for a leadership camp.

“They are kind of excited to get back out,” she said.

The chapter currently has six officers, but there are openings for new posts.

Interviews for officer candidates will be in August.

It may be summer break, but for Erica the preparations for a new school year continue.

Always with a central goal: “investing in my students to help prepare them for life.”                                                        

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