Written by Siena Boscaro, Chapter Reporter 22-23
It is time to introduce our new student teacher: Ms. Deanna Payan! Ms. Payan is so excited to be a part of our chapter for the next six months and we’re so excited to have her! Ms. Payan grew up in Rocklin, California, a town about the size of SLO, just 20 miles north of Sacramento. She attended Whitney High School, where she was an active member of their track team, golf team, and even their yearbook! After she graduated in 2017, she received her undergraduate degree at Cal Poly where she majored in liberal studies. Currently, Ms. Payan is receiving her master's degree from Cal Poly so that she can pursue her dream of becoming an agriculture teacher!
During her years in high school, Ms. Payan was involved all around campus and her community, taking on many leadership roles. Over her four years at Whitney, she became an important part of their athletics department, competing in track and golf. After her freshman and sophomore years, she was made captain of both teams and served her junior and senior years. She also found a passion in journalism and graphic design, being a member of her school's yearbook for all four years and editor-in-chief as a senior. On top of her busy work inside of school, Ms. Payan stayed active within her community and participated in a local youth group through her church. While her high school didn’t have an FFA department or any agriculture classes, Ms. Payan continued to be an active student throughout her school!
Once she graduated from Whitney in 2017, she started her college career at Sierra College in Rocklin, where she received a full golf scholarship. During her two years there, she majored in social and behavioral sciences to fulfill her childhood dream of becoming an elementary school teacher. While she was hard at work, she was also a member of their golf team, where they placed second in the state at the 2017 CCCAA Championship and third at the 2018 CCCAA Championship!
After two years, she transferred to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and graduated in 2022 with a degree in liberal studies and a minor and concentration in agriculture education. Throughout her beginnings at Cal Poly, she was exposed to the amazing world of agriculture education and fell in love with it rapidly. She quickly joined the dairy unit and became their calf manager. Her duties included being in charge of a team of eight to twelve people that were part of the unit, scheduling and advising each team member, teaching courses in calving and running auctions/sales, and serving as a chair for an auction at Cal Poly in which they auctioned off some of their home-bred cattle! She even had the chance to live on-site for a year, which truly enriched her experience. Once she graduated in 2022, she excitedly joined the master's program at Cal Poly to receive two teaching credentials: one to teach in the classroom and the other to be an FFA advisor.
Because Ms. Payan didn’t have experience being a student in an agriculture class, her dream of becoming an AG teacher started only after she transferred to Cal Poly. She’s excited about the opportunity to learn alongside the students in the classes she’ll be a part of while at SLOHS. She always knew she wanted to teach, but the importance of agriculture in our society spoke to her, and she knew she wanted to be a part of its advocacy. She believes that teaching has the ability to relate and resonate with people on a level that they don’t even realize, and she can’t wait to start having that influence on so many students.
Besides spending her time in agriculture, Ms. Payan loves to golf, go on hikes with her dog, and loves to hand letter! She even has her own hand lettering business in which she hand letters calligraphy for weddings and other events! When watching TV, her current favorite is Below Deck, and she admits that raunchy reality TV is something she enjoys!
Not only are we so excited for Ms. Payan to become an integral part of our chapter, but she’s excited to be part of our classes as well! She cannot wait to meet everyone and build connections with the students. She is appreciative of constructive criticism to help better herself and hopes students can give her evaluations to improve her educational skills. Ms. Payan is still learning to find her niche within agriculture, but is excited to work in the sciences department of our agriculture biology and chemistry classes! Her positive attitude and her outstanding work ethic are precisely why we cannot wait for her to put her mark on our chapter! If you see Ms. Payan around campus, make sure to help us welcome her to SLOHS!