SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Ralph Allen, an ag teacher of 34 years at Mount Pulaski High School in Logan County, has been named Illinois Golden Owl Award winner and 2025 Ag Educator of the Year.

The announcement came at the Illinois Association of Vocational Agriculture Teachers (IAVAT) conference in June. The Golden Owl Award is given to educators for their positive impact in the classroom and the communities they serve.

This year, the Golden Owl Award had 369 nominations for 111 different Illinois ag teachers. There were 25 section winners and then the list was trimmed to five by IAVAT.

During a school assembly in February, Allen stood stunned as he listened to a parade of speakers explain why he is among the best ag teachers in the state. On June 18, those sentiments turned into reality when Allen was named Illinois Ag Educator of the Year.

Before the announcement, Ralph’s wife, Lori, a Mount Pulaski Junior High teacher, was a bit worried. “He doesn’t like hoopla,” she said. “But he loved this.”

Ralph Allen said, “My favorite thing to do is talk to students. I’ve always had really good families and students. It doesn’t feel like a job.”

Allen, a father of three adult children, farms 400 acres with corn, soybeans and cattle.

Among those who were happy to celebrate Ralph Allen as a Golden Owl was Allie Bode.

“He saved my life in my first-year teaching,” said Bode, who is now District 3 Facilitating Coordination in Agricultural Education (FCAE) program adviser. “He is an incredible teacher who gave away lesson plans like they were candy.”

Allen’s nominations described him as incredibly positive, humble and influential. One nominator stated, “He goes above and beyond for students and teachers alike. He is what every teacher should strive to be. He is humble in winning and courteous in defeat. Mr. Allen is a legacy in Mount Pulaski, but also in the agriculture education community. He inspired me to become a teacher. If I become half of the teacher he is, I will consider myself a good teacher.”

Another shared, “Ralph Allen is an exemplary mentor who prioritizes his students’ growth and well-being. His dedication to fostering a positive learning environment makes him an invaluable teacher and mentor, shaping future leaders in agriculture and beyond. Ralph Allen embodies the true spirit of this award.”

In addition to the title of Illinois’ Ag Educator of the Year, and the Golden Owl Award, Allen will receive a $3,000 Nationwide-funded donation to further Mount Pulaski’s agricultural education efforts.

The rest of the five finalists were Darin Blunier (District-1, Midland FFA, Marshall County), Jessica Chapman (District-2, Flanagan Cornell FFA, Livingston County), Kirsten Wyatt (District-4, Paxton-Buckley-Loda FFA, Ford County) and Jeff Robison (District-5, Goreville FFA, Johnson County). Each of the five finalists were honored at their respective schools during surprise assemblies.

Directly after college, Blunier managed a farm for three years and has been teaching ag for 30 years, while raising eight children with his wife, Kerri, also a teacher, and running a popcorn and produce hobby farm.

“The biggest challenge for ag teachers is managing your time,” said Blunier, who is also active in his church and community in Speer.

Six of Blunier’s children have all won State FFA Degrees and American FFA Degrees. His two youngest are on target for similar achievements.

Growing up in Flanagan, Jessica Chapman still recalls the moment in high school, standing in the ag shop where she now teaches, when she decided she wanted to teach agriculture.

“I can still go stand in that spot and remember when the light bulb turned on for me,” she said.

Chapman just completed her 14th year of teaching.

“It’s all about building relationships,” she said. “I set expectations and build that rapport from the very beginning.”

Kirsten Wyatt is in her 11th year of teaching ag and said it’s hard to think how she is worthy enough to be considered for the Golden Owl Award. To Wyatt, success is watching students do well in contests, but also building relationships with students, witnessing them get their first jobs and more.

“That’s probably one of the most rewarding pieces of my job, seeing when students can get recognized for their achievements but also their interpersonal wins. I love being a part of those,” she said.

For Jeff Robison, who teaches in a southern Illinois school district of 180 students, a pinnacle moment in his 28 years of teaching was watching his son, Ty, become the Illinois FFA Star in Agribusiness.

A second highlight, he said, was working with his students to honor veterans, which eventually led to the publication of a book about their stories. It didn’t stop there, as Robison and his students organized a welcome home party for Vietnam Veterans. Each were gifted with a book that included their stories.

The Golden Owl Award is an annual recognition presented to outstanding educators who have significantly impacted their students and communities. It is a partnership between Nationwide and various state FFA organizations and farm bureaus, aiming to celebrate and support educators who work in the classroom.