A sixth-generation farmer, Breyon Pierce ’09 is distinguishing himself for the teaching of agriculture as well as the practice of it.
Pierce, the agricultural instructor at Surry County High School in Virginia, has been honored as SCHS Teacher of the Year and the school district’s Division Teacher of the Year for 2021. The rural county is located in the southeastern region of the state, halfway between Petersburg and Norfolk.
Pierce started teaching at SCHS in 2017 and has helped build the school’s agricultural program from the ground up. In his plant science and biological applications in agriculture classes, he provides students with opportunities to explore drone technology, hydroponic systems, fish farming, rabbit reproduction and seed cultivation.
His recent awards are extra special, because he graduated from SCHS himself in 2005. After graduation, he attended Chowan University but transferred to N.C. A&T during his freshman year. He credits Associate Dean for Academic Studies Antoine Alston, Ph.D., and the staff at the farm with having an especially large impact on him.
“Dr. Alston really pushed me to excel,” he said. “Back in 2006, Dr. Alston used to encourage me to switch my major from ag business to ag education. At the time, becoming a teacher was the last thing on my mind. Fast forward to 2017, I was employed as the first agriculture teacher at my former high school. Today Dr. Alston and I still keep in touch, and he continues to encourage and motivate me to further my education.”
He was shaped by his experience on the University Farm, where he started working during his second year at A&T. He worked with Farm Superintendent Leon Moses and staff members Pete Burnette, Garry Summers and William Boone.
“I really admired how Mr. Moses ran the farm. It takes plenty of planning, preparation, leadership, teamwork and experience to run a farming operation the way he did.
“Pete, Boone and Gary helped me believe in myself. The three of them trusted me with duties and responsibilities. Because of that, I was able to groom my leadership, self-motivation and mechanical skills.”
He graduated from A&T in 2009 with a bachelor’s in agricultural business, and he worked in the agricultural industry for the next eight years, at Smithfield Premium Genetics in Roanoke Rapids and Murphy Brown, now known as Smithfield Hog Production, North Region, in Virginia.
In 2017, he returned to SCHS to teach agriculture. Being in his home county has allowed him to work with his dad, Glen Pierce, to farm land that has been in the family for more than 125 years. Pierce Farms – on Instagram at @poppabreeze_peanuts and @piercefarms_llc – grows more than 750 acres of row crops, including soybeans, corn, wheat and peanuts. It also is beginning to grow produce such as sweet corn and melons.
“I was blessed to grow up on a farm and able to see third-, fourth- and fifth-generation farmers work,” Breyon Pierce said. “My dad, an ag education major, has really taken our family farm to the next level through his practice and methods.”
These are lessons, along with lessons from A&T, that he shares with his high school students. He’s committed to setting an example with his work ethic and sharing his love of agriculture, animals and nature.
“I take pride in teaching, because our youth are our future, and teaching at my former high school is truly an honor, because Surry is really something special.
“I use my experiences in high school and college to inspire my students. High school is a critical point in most teens lives and it comes and goes so quickly.
“I am using my platform not only to educate, but also to be a positive Black male role model for my students. I want to teach and mold the next generation of farmers.”
