Living to Serve

Living to Serve

Ag Education grad commits to making a positive difference in students’ lives

By Kelsey Litchfield

“She’s been in our shoes.”

That’s how Joseph Birrittier, at the time Illinois State FFA president, introduced Mindy Bunselmeyer during the 90th Illinois FFA State Convention in June.

She has walked the convention stage as an agricultural education student, an FFA member, an agricultural education teacher, a facilitator, and now as the executive director of Illinois FFA.

“Illinois FFA was an organization that I wanted to give back to. When I was a state officer, I wanted to do great things for others as leaders in FFA had done for me. I always hoped that someday I would end up back here to complete the circle,” Bunselmeyer says.

To work toward this goal, Bunselmeyer attended a university that gave her more than a quality education.

“I wanted the opportunities of a big campus and as much diversity as possible,” she says. “Being a part of the College of ACES, you could still have that family, that tight-knit group, but being in the big pond of the University of Illinois pushed you to grow.”

Bunselmeyer decided to major in agricultural education because of her positive experiences in high school. “I had a great ag teacher and a world of opportunities in FFA,” she says. “That drove me to go to the U of I and teach agriculture like he did.”

Being a part of the College of ACES, you could still have that family, that tight-knit group, but being in the big pond of the University of Illinois pushed you to grow.

Once on campus, Bunselmeyer was active in many ACES organizations and worked as an orientation student leader and coordinator. These experiences prepared her to take her first step as a teacher at Monticello High School, which hired her after she graduated in 1995. However, she decided that she wasn’t quite done with her own schooling. While teaching at Monticello, she completed her master’s degree in agricultural education in ACES in 1999.

With two degrees in hand, she wanted to expand her impact in the realm of agricultural education and follow in the shoes of her own mentor.

“I wanted to do what my teacher did for me and for countless other individuals in my school—I wanted to be a positive role model and influence in students’ lives. I am a firm believer that there is no such thing as too many positive role models in a child’s life.

“I want to find every student’s strengths and help them develop those strengths and empower them to do more with their lives,” Bunselmeyer says.

Though she loved being in the classroom, Bunselmeyer changed direction in 2003 and became the District 4 advisor for Facilitating Coordination in Agricultural Education (FCAE), a project administered by the Illinois State Board of Education.

She saw the opportunity with FCAE to help grow agricultural education beyond the classroom. She interacted with teachers in her district and helped students get excited about becoming teachers themselves. She even helped communities start their own agricultural education programs.

“I was starting to turn toward impacting FFA and agricultural education on a broader level. I could see firsthand in my district and across the state how agriculture teachers were changing lives and shaping others’ futures,” Bunselmeyer explains.

Joining Illinois FFA in 2013 as associate director, Bunselmeyer helped oversee the many moving parts of the Springfield office; in 2015 she became executive director after the retirement of her predecessor.

Kevin Daugherty, education director for Illinois Ag in the Classroom and a longtime colleague of Bunselmeyer’s, says that “the change from FCAE to FFA was just a natural fit. Her passion not only for agriculture, but also for her students, really shows.”

He also credits her with always keeping students’ interests at heart. Courtney Gerstenecker, who worked with Bunselmeyer as a former state officer, agrees.

“Mindy helped encourage and kindle my passion for others by being a true servant leader,” Gerstenecker says.

“She played a special role in helping me to grow and learn in life. Now I am an agriculture teacher and FFA advisor in Webster County, Kentucky. Mindy has been and continues to be one of the instrumental encouragers in my career of serving others in my classroom and community.”

Bunselmeyer’s impact is inspiring to others, which is the mark she wants to make.

“The biggest benefits of my job are the young men and women I work with every day,” she says. “Their lives are being shaped, changed, and carved into something amazing during their time in FFA. It’s my privilege to be a part of it.”