In the final scene of Wizard of Oz, Dorothy famously talks about the great lesson she learned in her famous journey.
“If I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own backyard; because if it isn’t there, I never really lost it to begin with.”
Sarah Madsen certainly took those words to heart. She’s now in her seventh year of teaching agriculture classes at Weld Central High School in Keenesburg, Colo. – just a few miles down the road from the family farm where she grew up. And she couldn’t be happier.
“I loved growing up on our farm, and as I grew older I kind of knew that I wanted to come back here and teach at the same high school I attended,” said Madsen, who graduated from Colorado State University in 2017 with a degree in agricultural education. “I had such an amazing experience at CSU, and that really helped me decide I wanted to go back to Weld Central, where I went to school, and teach. I’ve always had a passion for educating others, and it just seemed natural to go back to my roots.”
Her roots at CSU run deep. Her grandfather, mother and father were all Rams, and her sister is a recent graduate as well. She loved participating in Sigma Alpha sorority and has great memories of Ag Day celebrations.
“I loved my time at CSU because it felt like family,” she said. “CSU really prepared me for my career as a teacher. I had great professors, and I student taught at Merino (Colo.) High School, which was really great. I made so many connections around the state, which is one of many reasons why the ag community is so special.”
Fittingly, the teaching job at Weld Central opened just as she was graduating from CSU. She now teaches nearly 250 students – roughly one-third of the enrollment – in six ag classes, while also advising the school’s Future Farmers of America chapter. She’s a big believer in SAE (Supervised Agricultural Experience) and works with students on projects on the crop and animal sides.
Each April she brings her FFA students to CSU to compete in the annual Career Development Event.
“We do a lot of competitions because they teach the kids teamwork and really motivate them to be part of something,” she said. “Those kids at my school who don’t feel like they have a place, I help them find a place they can connect to. It gives them a sense of purpose and, hopefully, connects them to a future career.”
Madsen’s always looking for new and better ways to teach. Five years ago, while on vacation in Yellowstone National Park, an ag teacher she met told her about an agricultural science fair. One of her students seemed like a perfect fit for the competition, won state in 2023 and went on to finish third nationally.
“Now she’s pursuing research,” Madsen said. “I really believe she’ll help solve world hunger one day. She’s pretty amazing.”
When she’s not teaching, she’s busy with her husband, Tyler, and young daughters Rayelee, 5, Hayden, 3, and Maesyn, 1. They live not far from the school, with room for a garden and a few animals.
“I’m blessed to have the best life,” she said. “I love teaching, and I love getting professional development so I can be an even better teacher. The group of kids I teach are awesome – they really want to make a difference in the world. I couldn’t ask for anything more than that.”
