Nick Armendariz

LITTLEFIELD — When Nick Armendariz became Ayden-Grifton’s Agriculture teacher and  FFA advisor, there were no official FFA members to speak of.

Two years later, Ayden-Grifton boasts a 65-member roster and  successful Career Development Event (CDE) Teams which have placed in the top three in the past two years. Armendariz recently had one state winner in the Creed Speaking CDE and another in Agriculture Issues .

Because of Armendariz’s success with his transformation of the FFA program at Ayden-Grifton, he was recently a recipient of a Teachers Turn the Key Award for the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE).

 The Teachers Turn the Key Award is given to young teachers as a means to encourage them.

 According to NAAE’s website, Agricultural education continually faces a shortage of qualified teachers and the award is meant "to encourage young teachers to remain in the profession and to encourage and recognize participation in professional activities."

Each winner receives a certificate, along with a travel scholarship, which covers all expenses to attend the annual conference in Las Vegas, set for December 7 through December 11.

Armendariz credits his students with the successful FFA program.

"I don’t get anywhere without the kids," Armendariz said. "I’ve kind of got lucky."

Being where he is today is sometimes surprising to Armendariz, who originally had plans to go into the Air Force. Though he was involved in FFA throughout high school and college, Armendariz eventually turned down offers to attend the Air Force Academy and University of Chapel Hill to pursue a teaching degree at North Carolina State University.

"I felt like it was a calling," Armendariz said of teaching. "It’s been a worthwhile decision," he added.

Armendariz currently teachers close to 60 students courses in animal science, horticulture, advanced agriculture studies, agriscience applications and adaptive horticulture and feels blessed to have the opportunity to teach.

Without thinking, he gives all the credit of his success in the program to his students and then adds, “I’m just doing my job.”

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