Alumni Memories

David Krahling

Agricultural Education, B.S., 1983; M.S., 1991

Among the many wonderful memories that I have of my time at Iowa State is the wisdom and guidance that I received from Harold Crawford. Dr. Crawford was the chair of the Ag Ed Department when I arrived there in 1980 and he had a way of making an incoming freshman feel as though I was the most important thing in the world to him. We first met at summer orientation before the school year had begun, and from that time forward, he was a source of encouragement and inspiration as I continued my education and began my career. He also served as a model for how I would endeavor to treat the students entrusted to me. My ISU experience was richer for having had Dr. Crawford be a part of it.

As an ag educator, I would also confess that I probably learned as much about becoming a great teacher from the great professors that I had, as I did from all of my education coursework. There were many, but at the top of the list are people like J. Ronald George in agronomy, Gene Rouse in animal science, Neil Harl in ag law and Thomas Hoerner in ag mechanics and Wade Miller in ag ed.