Family: Wife Elizabeth Anderson, and daughter Izabella Anderson
Hometown: Butlerville, Ark.
In Town: Lucas recently graduated with a master’s degree in agriculture education and is the agriculture instructor, FFA advisor and head shooting sports coach at White County Central High School. He teaches eight classes a day, including plant science, animal science, surveying, blue prints, wood working, plumbing, welding and advanced metal fabrication.
He is currently working to update the facilities and working on a grant for a new greenhouse. He is also working to update programs and is working with the local bee club and to grow a livestock program.
He also teaches hunter and boater education, and works with the Game and Fish Commission. He stays busy with events all throughout the year.
“After high school I attended Arkansas State University Beebe with the intention of becoming an ag teacher. I ended up changing my major from ag ed and instead received my associate’s in applied ag technology through the John Deere program.
“I worked for John Deere as an ag technician for two years until an injury forced me to leave. I decided to go back to school and finish my bachelors in ag ed and become a teacher. I completed my degree at ASU Jonesboro. There I was a member of the collegiate FFA chapter. I was awarded outstanding senior of the year and received a job offer from Newport High School, where I taught for four years. After those first four years, I decided to move closer to home and took a job at White County Central in Judsonia. Since being hired I have been working to develop and grow the WCC FFA chapter.”
In the Country: Lucas owns 80 acres and is hoping to grow his own cattle operation.
“Growing up, my family always owned and showed horses. I also enjoyed spending as much time as possible outside hunting, fishing and helping my grandfather with anything he was working on,” he said. “I attended Cabot High School, and in the ninth grade I was recruited by the ag teacher for FFA. In my four years as a member of the Cabot FFA I showed horses, hogs and chickens.
“Being an FFA member gave me a place to belong in high school and meant a lot to me. My 10th-grade year, my ag teacher got me a job at a dairy as a milk hand and I worked at that dairy until I went to college. I milked twice a day, seven days a week, mixed feed, cut hay, pulled calves, learned to artificial inseminate and maintained all the equipment. Being involved in all those things in FFA taught me leadership skills, responsibility and encouraged me to develop a strong work ethic.
