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Growing up in Coshocton County, Dena Wuebker didn’t give much thought to her career.

After all, she was perfectly happy with the lifestyle that came along with working on her family’s 500-acre dairy farm.

But serving as District 8 president of the Ohio FFA Association, then as Ohio FFA state president during her senior year at Ridgewood High School, changed her vantage point – and her direction.

“That was an absolutely wonderful opportunity,” Wuebker recalled. “It was kind of career-changing for me. Prior to being the state president, I really thought I wanted to go back home to the family farm.”

Instead, Wuebker went on to The Ohio State University where she met her husband, Jeff, on the first day of school.

“I knew that if I was interested in him, I was interested in Darke County,” she said with a laugh.

Under the tutelage of Sam Custer, Wuebker did her student teaching at Versailles High School where she fell in love with being an ag teacher, her husband, and her service to the community.

Now in her 31st year of teaching at Versailles, her reputation for dedication and hard work precedes her.

“I think what I like most is seeing the light bulb go off,” she said. “I love seeing students come in at a really young age and by the time they leave as seniors, their communication skills have improved and they’re well-spoken and they go out and become active citizens. I really enjoy looking out at the community and seeing all the success of my former students.”

Indeed, the success of her former students is all around her, including in ag education, where some decided to follow suit and teach the next generation. In fact, Marie Carity, who is celebrating her 25th year at Miami East High School, has only had one job as an ag teacher after graduating from The Ohio State University. Her student teacher sophomore year was none other than Wuebker, who went on to serve as her teacher in her junior and senior years.

“She was very good at finding our talents and utilizing them to the best of our ability,” Carity said. “But she’s right there working with you. You’re not doing it on your own. She’s walking beside you. She was my high school teacher 27, 28 years ago, and I still talk to her almost every day.”

Carity added she’s grateful for the direction teaching afforded her at a time when her mother, the wife of a beef farmer who was intent on raising three college-bound daughters, informed her ag teacher that her daughters would not be involved in the field because they were going to college.

“We’re all actively involved in agriculture,” Carity noted with a laugh. “To this day, I don’t know if I would fit in another world. Agriculture teachers are a unique breed. We are quirky as all get out, and we love it.”

While the career path for Greg McGlinch may not have been such a straight line, it didn’t stop him from having any less success in the field. In fact, McGlinch took his interest in agronomy and soil conservation all the way to earning a PhD and becoming an assistant professor of agriculture at Wright State University.

He admitted that he did not have his sights set on any one path when he wandered into Wuebker’s class as a freshman.

“I was the farm boy sitting there like I’m going to go home, work the ground and raise animals. That’s what I wanted to do,” McGlinch said. “Mrs. Wuebker had seen something in me to encourage me to do more and become a chapter officer. But she didn’t just let you kind of hang out there, she actually gave you the guidance to be successful. And she is probably one of the most dedicated ag teachers I’ve seen in the profession.”

Wuebker’s former students are not the only ones to take notice of her steadfast presence in the field. After being recognized as one of 10 Ohio teachers to receive the Golden Owl Award, Wuebker went on to be named the 2023-24 Ag Educator of the Year. The award is a partnership between Nationwide, Ohio FFA, Ohio Farm Bureau, Farm Credit Mid-America, and AgCredit that recognizes outstanding agriculture educators who make an impact in their local communities.

“I appreciate the recognition, and I was very humbled by it,” Wuebker said. “I have a definite purpose, and my purpose is to teach.”

Some might say her purpose is to teach others to teach as well.

To learn more about the Golden Owl Award, or to nominate a teacher, visit ofb.ag/goldenowlaward. Watch for application information this summer.