Reprinted with permission from The Fresno Bee, written by Felicia Cousart Matlosz

    The lauded teaching life of Gary Nelson, Fresno County Teacher of the Year, is reflected in his cluttered classroom at Pershing Continuation High School.

    No desks here. Instead, large butcher-block tables are surrounded by stools. A coat stand is covered by blue FFA jackets. Plenty of student handiwork in the form of floral wreaths blankets most of the wall space, while piles of other materials are ready for student projects. This is written on the white board: “No Put Downs.” One wall is devoted to certificates awarded the FFA program.

    Also on that wall: a copy of a Pershing diploma that Nelson wants his students to earn.

    Seven years ago, Nelson took on a daunting assignment: establish an FFA program at the Central Unified campus where troubled teen-agers have a last chance to stay in school. No other continuation high school in the state had done it.

    When Nelson started, most Pershing students thought the FFA just wasn’t cool. But then, they had never met anyone quite like Nelson, a lean, 6-foot, 7-inch gentleman with a ready smile, handshake and enthusiastic persistence beyond measure.

    Erica Luna, now a senior, remembered her first encounter. She was in the second half of her junior year elsewhere.

    “It was after school. I came to register. I saw him here. As soon as he saw me, he said, ‘Oh you’re going to become part of my FFA, right?’” Luna said. She rolled her eyes and gave him a long “No-o-o.”

    Before long, though, Luna was hooked and now is vice president of Pershing’s FFA chapter. She and other students can see how hard Nelson works, and how much he cares and pays attention, and how much confidence he has in their potential.

    “He talks to us more. He won’t just ask us once and leave it alone,” Luna said, smiling.     

    “He’ll ask us. And if we tell him ‘no’ he’ll keep going and going and going and going.”

    Nelson, who turned 49 this year, admits it was tough to establish the program. But he kept plugging away. He would continually approach students about taking his courses, telling them how much fun it would be and how much they could learn. As he began to know them, he was there for them whether it was a school issue or they just needed someone to talk to.

    He concentrated on floral design, landscaping, greenhouse management, nursery work and a vegetable garden. As students took the courses, Nelson pushed them to enter competitions at the Big Fresno Fair. And they began winning.

    In 1998, the California Agriculture Teacher Association named Nelson the Outstanding Single-Man Agriculture Program in the state. Now, as Fresno County’s teacher of the year, he will vie for the state honor.

    Through all of it, Nelson takes the opportunity to share the recognition with his students, fellow staff members and the district. He also is happy that it gives the Pershing campus a chance to shine as well.

    The school is on McKinley Avenue, in the countryside about 10 miles west of Fresno. The campus is immaculate, adorned with landscaping projects done by students. About 130 students attend Pershing, and about 120 take Nelson’s courses. There’s now a second FFA adviser on board, John Luis.

    Principal David Raygoza said Nelson’s work ethic is “infectious.” He said that “the most important thing I’ve done for Mr. Nelson is just pretty much allowed him the opportunity to use his imagination and to run with it. Look at what he’s done.

    David Yates, and FFA veteran who’s worked 29 years at Madera High School and is chairman of its agriculture department, said Nelson’s persistence, talent and understanding have molded Pershing’s program into a winner.

    “Gary is a student motivator,” he said. “We need more people like that in our profession.”

    As a parent, Robert Baker said the program has helped his son, Matthew, take an interest in school and improve his grades. He said Nelson calls him to tell him how Matthew is doing. Nelson calls parents a lot to share positive news about their teen-agers.

    “It’s turned my kid around,” Baker said.

    Kids such as Isaias Martinez, now a senior. School wasn’t exactly a top priority before he came to Pershing. Now he’s president of its FFA chapter. Like Erica, he plans to go to college and says Nelson helped him broaden his outlook on life.

    “He’s done a lot for me, Isaias said. “I’m graduating. That’s something I didn’t know I was going to do. I thought I was like a nobody, but he’s shown me differently. He’s just a great teacher.

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