In Morgan County, the work starts early and can last until nightfall. Students feed their pigs before class, the principal stops by between meetings to check on the livestock, and parents and community members fill every seat for a wreath-making workshop later that evening. To hear 2026 Georgia Teacher of the Year and Morgan County High School agriculture education teacher Rachel Kinsaul describe it, the Morgan County Agricultural Learning Lab isn’t just a facility—it’s a symbol of what can happen when a community decides to raise students together.
Kinsaul BSA ’09, MAL ’11, who studied animal science and agricultural leadership in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, never set out to be a teacher. Growing up on a beef cattle farm in Greene County, she didn’t even know agricultural education existed until a mentor encouraged her to explore it. Now, after 15 years in the classroom, she leads one of the state’s most innovative programs, rooted in service and powered by local support.
“We’re connecting classrooms and communities and teaching kids how they can use their skills to serve their communities,” Kinsaul says about her mission for the school. “We’re trying to give back and instill a heart for service in the kids.”
Kinsaul’s path from college student to state honoree traces back to lessons she learned at UGA’s Block and Bridle Club, where she chaired the annual rodeo and honed her fundraising skills. Those early experiences became vital when she launched Morgan County’s floral design program. Created as an entry point for girls who might not otherwise take agricultural courses, the class and activities have transformed the program’s demographics from 28% female in 2017 to 44% today.
“This floral design class is our bright and shining star to get girls in the door,” she says. “Once they’ve taken floral design, I’m like, ‘Oh, you should take intro to agriculture. You should take horticulture. You should take animal science.”
Floral design quickly grew from an elective to a full-scale community enterprise. Students arrange centerpieces for weddings, county events, and even the UGA CAES annual awards banquet, all while learning valuable business management skills.
Kinsaul’s impact is easiest to see in the students who discovered strengths they never knew they had. She points to one in particular—Sydney Fish—as her “floral success story.” Fish, now a sophomore at the University of Georgia, would never have enrolled in one of Kinsaul’s classes if not for floral design. But once she did, she quickly became an officer, a standout FFA member, and a student Kinsaul recognized as having real potential.
“One contest, a little success led to more success,” Kinsaul says, recalling how Fish eventually launched her own floral business and became a State Star in Agribusiness finalist. “She didn’t realize she had potential in the agriculture field until that.”
That entrepreneurial model expanded again with the opening of the Morgan Agricultural Learning Lab, affectionately called the MALL. Now, students can board their animals on site, learn livestock care hands-on, and monitor health and weight daily. The $2.7 million facility began with a $300,000 gift from Meta and grew through matching grants and local donations, ultimately totaling more than $1 million before the school district completed the project.
Kinsaul’s statewide platform, Rooted in Service, aims to make the connection between learning and giving back explicit. On March 18, she is leading a Georgia Public Schools Day of Service, encouraging each of Georgia’s 2,300 public schools to engage in community projects.
Despite the whirlwind of keynotes, board meetings, and award applications, Kinsaul says she’s still drawn back to where it all began. “I love this year, but my heart is in the classroom,” she says. “My work there isn’t done.”