Mr. Mark Powell (Agriculture Department)

Hello students, parents and visitors ! 

Thank you for taking the time to visit my page. My name is Mark Powell and I am proud to introduce myself as a Santa Maria High School Agriculture Education teacher as well as the Department Chair for Agriculture. I am a Santa Maria High School Alumni (c/o 2002) and was a member and chapter officer of the Santa Maria FFA Chapter. After high school I attended Modesto Junior College where I received my Associates of Science Degree in Animal Science, Crop Science and also in Fruit Science. After MJC I attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo where I earned my Bachelors of Science degree in Agriculture Science as well as my Masters of Science in Agriculture Education. I earned my teaching credential from Cal Poly and Started my teaching career in 2010. 

I have been teaching at Santa Maria High School Since the Fall of 2012. Over the course of my tenure at Santa Maria High School, I have taught a variety of Agriculture Courses including Agriculture Mechanics, Agriculture Welding, Survey of Agriculture, Agriculture Earth Science, Biology and Sustainable Agriculture, Chemistry and Agriscience, Advance Interdisciplinary Science for Sustainable Agriculture and Agriculture Leadership. Regardless of the course being taught, my goal as a teacher is to inspire students to believe in their ability shift from having a  "Fixed Mindset" to a "Growth Mindset". I also hope to inspire students to see the importance and value that Agriculture has on all members of society and that the Agriculture Industry offers endless opportunities and possibilities as a career choice. 

The Santa Maria High School Agriculture Department and The Santa Maria High School FFA has been recognized as one of the Primer Agriculture Programs not only in California, but at the National Level. The agriculture department has be recognized by the California Agriculture Teachers Association (CATA) as the "Outstanding Agriculture Program" in 2017 and 2021, as well as recognized as the "Outstanding Agriculture Program of the Western Region" by The National Association of Agriculture Educators (NAAE) in 2017. The success of the Santa Maria High School Agriculture Department can be attributed shared belief among the 10 Agriculture teachers in the department, which is to provided students with a comprehensive, high quality, rigorous, learn by doing classroom experience that is reinforced with leadership and career development opportunities. 

Please visit our department website to see the experiences and successes that students in the Agriculture program receiving, as well as learn more about the Agriculture Education model and program that is offered at Santa Maria High School. 

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you might have. 

Thank you,

Mark Powell

Agriculture Department Chair