Presley's roots run deep at SPC

by Laura Cain, co-feature editor

Taking horticulture field trips and growing plants with his students are what keep Ron Presley teaching.

He has more that just the ability to teach, but a strong passion for agriculture and learning as well. Presley is an associate professor of agriculture at South Plains College. He joined the SPC staff when a friend told him about an opening to teach agriculture. He has been teaching for 19 years and plans on making it his career.

“I just love it!” said Presley.

Presley was born in Lubbock, Texas but was raised in Abernathy. After graduating high school in Abernathy, he moved to Levelland in the fall of 1976 to attend SPC and graduated with an Associate of science degree in agriculture. He moved on to Texas Tech University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in animal business. He also earned his master’s degree in agriculture education.

Right out of college, Presley was involved in agricultural lending. In 1986, he joined the National Grain Sorghum Producers Association. The job required a lot of traveling, and with two young boys at home, he did not want to miss them growing up. So after two years, he began looking for a new job. This is when he got his job at SPC.

Being able to teach at SPC is a privilege to Presley.

“When I come to work, I get to work with mostly young people that have three things on their mind, recreation, education and procreation,” Presley said. “Everyone is looking to a great future, and that makes the karma here and keeps me young.”

Presley said some of the challenges he faces are that in his 19 years of teaching, the agriculture industry has had a technical boom and the learning curve has grown tremendously. Also, keeping his courses current with new technology and being able to communicate that to students is something that keeps him on his toes.

SPC has given a lot to Presley and his family. He originally thought that he was not college material and that he was not smart. The faculty helped him gain his confidence and realize that he was smart and able to do whatever he wanted to do. He was the first in his family to go to college.

Eventually, his two brothers, Dr. Steven Presley and Tim Presley, and their sister Jana Rashbaum, started their college careers at SPC. His mother also attended SPC, and his father served on the advisory board for the diesel mechanics program. He also met his wife when he was a student at SPC. Together they have three children.

During his attendance at SPC he was a resident advisor for the Cowboy dorm, which was McGee Hall. His wife Lisa’s mother told her that she could not date anyone from Cowboy hall because of the crazy reputation the dorm had. By the second week into the semester, he and Lisa were dating. They have the same birthday, and they finished SPC and Tech together. They have been married for 30 years.

Presley’s love for teaching and love for SPC runs deep. He was born in 1957, the year SPC was established.

“SPC is an integral part of the texture of my family, and every day I remind myself I am getting to live my granddaddy’s dream,” Presley said.