Although the students in the Agriscience program make up a big percentage of Ledyard High School, many individuals who aren’t a part of the program know little about what really goes on down those Ag halls. The Agriscience program offers many opportunities and career pathways, from horticulture to mechanics, and small animals to farm animals. Ag is more than a program though; it’s a tight-knit community of individuals who love working with their hands and nature.
What makes Ag so different from the rest of Ledyard High School is that you grow with the same couple of teachers for all four years of school. Ag is also mainly run by the students. There is a student officer board that decides events and fundraisers for the entire program, and that board is nominated and voted on by the students themselves. The 2026-2027 student officers are president Alexis Frech, vice president Alanna Rubin, secretary Olivia Bonanno, treasurer Cecilia Foss, reporter Davis Hill, and sentinel Ryan Hewes. There are so many bonding trips and events throughout the year in Ag with the corn maze field trip, the welcome back picnic, our Christmas/Thanksgiving dinners, and our very popular Big-E field trip.
For many students, these hands-on experiences and tight-knit connections define their high school years.“My experience is getting involved, having the opportunity to be hands-on, and working with others,” says Senior Brooklynn Hepburn. She admits that some of her favorite parts of Ag are getting to “go on field trips and getting to have good classmates.”
Senior Brooklynn Hepburn enjoying a pickle pizza during an AG trip to the Big-E.
Beyond the field trips, the program helps students figure out their future career goals and builds real-world skills. Senior Tatianna McNicol-Eleazer reflects on how her perspective evolved throughout her time in Ag.“As a freshman going into Ag, it was pretty cool, and I made a lot of friends with the classes I had,” McNicol-Eleazer explains. “Towards the middle or end of sophomore year, I decided I wanted to do the livestock pathway. By junior year, it was so much stuff like farm-to-table, vet certifications, and livestock training.” Now as a senior, she sees the long-term value of everything Ag had to offer her. “It’s given me a lot of opportunities to meet other people involved with FFA and Ag,” says McNicol-Eleazer. “It’s giving me a lot of stuff to put on resumes for college and for jobs.”
The Ag program is so much more than a normal class; it’s four great years that have hands-on learning and bonding opportunities Ag also loves to give back by helping make the flower arrangements for many events like the neurodivergent dance at the middle school and the memorial for Mrs. V in the auditorium. Ag also sells many things, such as the mum sale currently happening, student SAE projects, and fresh eggs from our farm here at the school.
Senior Tatianna McNicol-Eleazer in her FFA attire.
Jazmin Bagge, Staff Writer
Senior Jazmin Bagge is a staff writer for the 2026-2027 Colonel News Site. She likes leading the LHS Book Club, a good romance book, and playing tennis.
