LEXINGTON, Ky. — Continuing our coverage on Hispanic Heritage Month, a teacher in Lexington is encouraging and inspiring students of color to get more involved in agriculture studies.
This year, she became the state’s first Hispanic agriculture teacher.
What You Need To Know
- Graciela Barajas teaches agriscience and equine communication
- She's passionate about agriculture
- Barajas became the first Hispanic ag teacher in the state this year
- She wants to inspire and encourage students to have their voices heard in the ag industry
For more than a month now, Graciela Barajas has taught agriscience and equine communication at Locust Trace AgriScience Center.
"I’m from California, and so, I've considered myself Mexican. I have a ton of Mexican friends. I come from a very Mexican family and my parents are immigrants from Mexico," Barajas said.
She’s a newly minted teacher.
"Being involved in agriculture is pretty normal over there," Barajas said. "So coming here, it was a bit of a culture shock that I’m the first one. Went back home and it's just normal, you know."
When Barajas' parents first came to America, they were farm workers.
"So when I told them in eighth grade that I wanted to do high school ag classes, they were like, 'Heck no. Stick to engineering, medicine, the stuff that makes you money. We don't want you to have to end up like working in the fields, etc.,'" Barajas said.
One of Barajas’ middle school teachers connected her to the high school ag teacher. That teacher spoke to her parents, encouraging a path in agriculture.
"And so I did. And I was one of very few my freshman year, like, maybe there were three or four of us that were Hispanic in my ag chapter," Barajas said.
She became more involved in her ag chapter, eventually holding a leadership position that led to the start of her career.
"People really rely on agriculture, whether it's the food you eat, the clothes you wear, the stuff we're surrounded by, right, all comes from agriculture, and I think there's a missed market there for only hearing white voices in this huge industry. My voice should be heard. Students of color voices should be heard, and I think it does a disservice to students when we only market that to white students," Barajas said.
One of her aims is to bring more young voices to not only Locust Trace AgriScience Center but to agriculture in general.
"So being the first Hispanic ag teacher has been huge. Mostly for me, but hopefully for the rest of the state to see that voices like mine matter. Our students of color matter," Barajas said. "And I think that's really important for future opportunities for our students."
Future opportunities to educate, expand thought and offer a well-rounded history to students pursuing the agriculture industry.
The agriscience teacher graduated with a master's degree from the University of Kentucky and began teaching at the vocational school for Fayette County Public Schools this year.