Blue ribbons from winning State Fair entries form a curtain of honor in the class where students learn about everything from animal husbandry to agribusiness. School Superintendent Earl Lennard, himself a former ag teacher, said Satin learned better than most the first lesson taught by longtime University of Florida agriculture professor W.T. Lofton. While curriculum is very important, more important is that he teaches students. Howard learned that very well. His greatest concern is for the welfare and advancement of his youngsters.
Satin is a warm heart and gentle voice wrapped in a package of chambray and work boots.
I developed my agriculture interests because that area of Florida has a big citrus industry. Satin majored in food crops while at UF and sought a career in big citrus. But with a war raging in Vietnam, he said many employers were hesitant to give a job to a college graduate who could be drafted at any time. With teachers in short supply in Florida, Satin decided to seek a job with the Hillsborough County school system and sought his education degree in his spare time. Satin taught for four years, then resigned to take a job in agribusiness to learn more about the real-life aspects of what he was teaching.