Hitchcock-Tulare and De Smet teachers named finalists for Golden Owl Award

Finalists recognized for their contributions and awarded funding to advance their ag programs

RAPID CITY –– Educators devote limitless time, and often their own resources, to helping students pursue their passions. To recognize the contributions of South Dakota’s leading agricultural teachers, the South Dakota FFA Foundation and Nationwide are honoring eight exceptional teachers as finalists for the Golden Owl Award.
From October 1 to December 31, 2025, nominations were collected for the state’s top agricultural teachers from local students, parents, fellow teachers and community members across South Dakota
South Dakota’s 2025-2026 Golden Owl Award finalists are:
District 1: Adam Koll, Florence
District 2: Dave VanderWal, De Smet
District 3: Malynda Penner, Freeman
District 4: Susan Roudabush, Ethan
District 5: Austin Bishop, Belle Fourche
District 6: Shane Gross, Hitchcock-Tulare
District 7: Josh Christiansen, Harrisburg
District 8: Renae Gebhart
Each finalist was presented with an individualized plaque in front of fellow teachers and students and received a $500 check to support future educational efforts. Next, they’ll be entered into a final selection stage for the chance to be crowned as South Dakota’s Ag Educator of the Year, earning an additional $3,000 Nationwide-funded check and the coveted Golden Owl Award trophy.

“Our teachers are the foundation of the FFA. They inspire our members every day, providing them encouragement and motivation to try new things. They coordinate early morning practices, dedicate weekends to FFA events, model a passion for serving others, and endlessly help students grow their passion for agriculture. We are so thankful Nationwide recognizes the valuable work our teachers do and provides this award,” shares Sandy Osterday, SD FFA Foundation Board President.
Nationwide established the Golden Owl Award to honor the contributions of teachers and support their programs with additional resources to assist their continued educational efforts. This year, the award program honors outstanding ag educators in 15 states: California, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Utah.
“As the need grows for more ag educators across the nation, we are proud to thank and honor these hardworking agricultural teachers for their dedication,” said Brad Liggett, president of Agribusiness at Nationwide. “These educators play a crucial role in preparing students for successful careers in the industry.”
About SD FFA
The SD FFA has over 6500 members in 113 high school agriculture education programs. The SD FFA Foundation is proud to support Agricultural Education and the FFA’s mission to make a difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. For more information about the South Dakota FFA Foundation and South Dakota’s FFA programs, visit www.sdffafoundation.org or follow us on Facebook.