By Mary Weber, Alcona County Review Staff Writer


What began as a teenager's passion with the Alcona High School FFA program, has flourished into a new career at the same school.

Helen-Ann Prince is delighted to have been named the new FFA advisor for the school and is well prepared for the challenge. Prince, who grew up in Alcona County and graduated from Alcona High School, has not been a stranger to the school or community.

Last year she was a volunteer education coordinator for Huron Pines AmeriCorps and was based at the school where many students saw her on a near daily basis and called her Helen-Ann. This year students will be addressing her as Miss Prince while she is acting in the advisory capacity. The new use of a formal name will be something students and Prince are trying to get used to.

Prince served the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative well in her duties as an AmeriCorps volunteer last year. She was also extremely instrumental during the season as a FFA Alumni member who worked to help rekindle the almost nonexistent alumni membership from 16 to nearly 50 members.

Prince  began her appointment as FFA advisor in June after the departure of Brian Matchett. He vacated the dual position he held for 10 years as FFA advisor and agri-science instructor to begin a new career as the coordinator for the Institute of Agriculture Technology with Michigan State University.

Prince will oversee all aspects of the FFA program while instructor, Beth Read, will teach agri-science classes. Prince believes she is the first female FFA advisor at the school and is proud to follow in Matchett's footprints...


To read the complete article see the PDF version at the bottom of the page.

Created on Monday, September 2, 2013