WOODBURY — While welcoming new students to Nonnewaug this school year, campus is also welcoming new agriscience teacher Lee McMillan. She joins Nonnewaug as campus’ natural resources teacher and agriscience program director, replacing Ed Belinsky.
McMillan was born and raised in Middletown, originally without any agricultural background. In her eighth-grade class, McMillan listened to a teacher from the Middletown High School vo-ag program explain to her class about the school’s agriscience program. Word of marine biology and aquaculture in the program sparked her interest. By ninth grade, she immediately signed up.
“I really didn’t know what I was getting into,” McMillan said. “I didn’t know about FFA.”
When McMillan joined the Middletown vo-ag program, she started taking interest in the natural resources department to work with fish.
During her high school tenure, McMillan became more involved with FFA, segueing into a role as a chapter officer and participating in CDE events.
During her first two years in college, McMillan was a state officer in the Connecticut FFA and her trajectory changed from becoming a marine biologist to working in education.
McMillan loved traveling to many different agriscience programs, but one in particular set itself apart: Nonnewaug.
After visiting NHS’ program multiple times, working with students, and doing workshops, she found her calling was indeed in education.
McMillan switched her major from natural resources to education at UConn. The first job she landed was at Essex Agricultural and Technical High School in Danvers, Massachusetts, where she taught in the natural resources department.
She was there for 12 years and then decided to move back to the state to be closer to family.
According to McMillan, she was able to resume her teaching at Bloomfield High School. While there, she enrolled in a sixth-year program training teachers to become administrators. With that certification under her belt, she set her sights on becoming an agriscience program director.
“My director at Middletown High School was inspiring to me and I wanted to follow in his footsteps,” McMillan said. “[Nonnewaug] happened to have an opening for an agriscience director at the time, and as you know, this is the best program in the state. It was an easy decision for me.”
McMillan mentioned how Bloomfield’s agricultural program differs from Nonnewaug. The draw of students coming from Hartford to Bloomfield’s program results created a unique blend of urban students without an agricultural background. At Nonnewaug, many students enter the program with plenty of experience.
“You guys are all in cowboy boots. You guys all have trucks. You guys already know the part. A lot of you already come from an ag background. You guys already have that experience,” McMillan said. “My students did not. They can’t even fathom the word agriculture. It’s a blank slate with them.”
McMillan recollected the difficulties of coming to Nonnewaug from Bloomfield.
“The biggest challenge, to be honest, was learning about the job opening last minute,” said McMillan. “I didn’t know about it until the third week of August. We were already starting at Bloomfield.”
Aside from preparing for her new job, McMillan was challenged with packing up her classroom and training the new teacher that was hired at Bloomfield. Since she arrived in Woodbury in September, however, the start of her first year teaching at Nonnewaug has been nothing short of welcoming and supportive.
“The biggest thing that has been great for me is just the support of you guys, my students,” McMillan said. “You guys have been my rock for the past almost two weeks now. Administration, all of the teachers here, as you know, are fantastic.”
Teachers and students are delighted to get to know McMillan by working alongside her and learning in her classroom and are looking at a bright future for the Woodbury FFA.
“She knows how to advocate for our students and for the program. All of our teachers have worked with her a lot,” said Jennifer Jedd, department chair and vet science instructor. “I am really looking forward to having new ideas, a fresh perspective on things, and kind of revamping our program a little bit. I’m really excited to work with her.”
