Missouri Teacher Named “Ag Educator of the Year”

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Scott Stone from Centralia High School honored as Missouri’s Golden Owl Award ® 2025 grand prize winner

Columbia, MO– April 25, 2025 —  As the need grows for more ag educators across the nation, the ag teachers who go above and beyond in educating America’s youth and future leaders are more important than ever. In Missouri, seven exceptional ag teachers were recently named as finalists of the 2024-2025 Golden Owl Award® for their positive impact in the classroom and communities they serve. Of the finalists, Scott Stone, an agricultural teacher at Centralia, Missouri was named Missouri’s grand prize winner and 2024-2025 Ag Educator of the Year.

Nationwide, in partnership with the Missouri FFA Foundation recognized Stone as the Golden Owl Award grand prize winner during the Missouri FFA State Convention. In addition to the title of Missouri’s Ag Educator of the Year, Stone received the coveted Golden Owl Award trophy and a $3,000 cash prize.

Stone’s philosophy is to provide students with an environment where they feel empowered to be their authentic selves. Part of creating that environment is making sure students have the resources and opportunities to excel. For Stone, this has meant taking on projects such as starting a local SAE grant program and partnering with organizations such as the garden club to provide students with hands on opportunities. His nominations describe him as caring and always bringing out the best in his students while at the same time serving as a mentor and inspiration for teachers all over the state.

Nationwide established the Golden Owl Award with its state partners to shed light on the contributions of Missouri’s leading agricultural teachers and provide additional resources to support their programs. “Nationwide is proud to recognize the dedicated teachers who are educating and inspiring students to pursue careers in agriculture,” said Brad Liggett, president of Agribusiness at Nationwide. “We’re honored to have the opportunity to appreciate their contributions, highlight the growing need for their services, and supply additional resources to help provide their students with optimal learning experiences.”

Nationwide supports the future of the ag community through meaningful sponsorships of national and local organizations. In conjunction with the Golden Owl Award, Nationwide is donating $5,000 to each participating state’s FFA foundation, including the Missouri FFA Foundation, to further support the personal and professional growth of students, teachers and advisors alike.
Heather Dimitt-Fletcher, the executive director of the Missouri FFA Foundation shared that “The Golden Owl Award is directly related to the foundation’s vision of cultivating the next generation of leaders for the agricultural industry and our communities. High quality teachers are integral to that vision and a program that recognizes our best teachers is essential.”

The Missouri FFA has 26,900 members representing 365 chapters. The national organization has more than 1,027,273 members representing 9,235 chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

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