Wes York (Photo Credit: Kentucky Association of Agriculture Educators)
A beloved community member and agriculture teacher at Caldwell County High School who passed away in 2022 was officially honored recently as one of two recipients of the 2024 Ag Teachers Change Lives Award.
The Kentucky FFA Foundation announced Friday that the late Wes York and Kenny Brammell, an agriculture teacher at East Carter High School, were recognized recently during the Kentucky Association of Agriculture Educator’s annual meeting.
As previously reported by WPKY’s News Edge, the Kentucky Association of Agriculture Educators announced in February that York and Brammell had been selected for the award for their impact on their students, communities, and the Agricultural Education profession as a whole.
York, a Caldwell County graduate, passed away in May 2022 at the age of 48. His career in education spanned 26 years — serving four years in Hampton, Arkansas, and 22 years at Caldwell County High School.
Among his accolades, York received the National Ag Teacher of the Year award in 2016. Among his contributions to agriculture, York served as the reporter for the Kentucky Association of Agricultural Educators from 2010 to 2011 and as the association’s president from 2012 to 2013.
York also was an active member of Fredonia Cumberland Presbyterian Chuch, along with being involved with the Caldwell County Farm Bureau, Lions Club, Optimist Club and FFA Alumni.
In honor of his memory and contributions to the community, the Princeton Optimist Club established the Wes York Memorial Vocational Scholarship during its June 2022 radio auction. The purpose of the scholarship fund is to honor the memory of the late FFA advisor and his love for vocational training and education.
First awarded in 2009, York and Brammell will join over 50 other current and former teachers of agriculture to receive the designation as an Ag Teacher That Changed Lives.
