A lot can happen in seven years.
As I look back on my AgvoKate journey, I’m amazed—and sometimes mystified—by how everything unfolded exactly when and how it was supposed to. From a dark season of loss and uncertainty to building a business (and a life) I love; this story is about courage, faith, reinvention, and the beauty of God’s timing.
So grab some coffee (or tea) and come along for a little trip down memory lane.
2018: The Leap of Faith
After years of brainstorming how to bridge the communication and cultural gap in agriculture, I finally found the courage to start my Spanish for Agriculture courses.
I can still picture it: my laptop perched on a rickety farmhouse table, file boxes stacked high, and one old whiteboard propped up behind me. I was terrified. What if no one signed up? What if people thought I wasn’t qualified? What if it all flopped?
But people did sign up. And with every class, my hope for what this could be grew. What most didn’t know was that this business became my lifeline during a failing marriage and a time when I desperately needed stability. It fed both my pantry and my soul.
2019: Side Hustle Overload
Because I don’t do “idle” very well, I decided to launch not just one, but two side businesses: selling Ask Farmers Not Google merchandise and running an on-farm ice cream business. I bought (and scrubbed within an inch of its life) an old food trailer from Facebook Marketplace to sell ice cream on our farm. It was a labor of love to bring it up to Maryland Health Inspection Standards.
At the same time, I was teaching high school part-time for the health benefits, working on the farm in the evenings, and teaching Spanish for Ag online until 9:30 p.m. Looking back, I can’t decide if I’m impressed with all I accomplished or just plain crazy.
2020: Survival Mode
When the pandemic hit, I was balancing a now full-time teaching job, marriage problems, and a growing business. I felt exhausted, anxious, and stretched beyond my limits. The pandemic added extra stress on top of my quickly falling-apart marriage. By fall, everything—both professionally and personally—seemed like it was crumbling. I was just surviving, not truly living. I had become a shell of my former self. It was a dark time, and I couldn’t see any way out.
2021: Rock Bottom and Rebuilding
That winter, the dam finally broke. My marriage ended. I had nowhere to go but a friend’s basement. I kept teaching high school full-time and hosting evening Spanish for Ag classes. I was a lost soul. I felt that I had lost everything. I cried before and after every session, but would slap a smile on to teach. To this day, my Spanish for Ag students who took that Winter 2021 session tell me they had no idea what I was going through and are in awe of my composure. Looking back, I am too.
By spring, light began to break through. I moved into a small loft apartment in Gettysburg—a place that, fittingly, became my battlefield of healing. I offered my first-ever spring session, terrified no one would enroll. The morning after the enrollment deadline, I woke up to a full roster. I cried again—this time with gratitude. For the first time, I felt things were going to be okay.
2021–2022: New Paths and Purpose
Word spread about my dairy-specific courses, and soon I was approached to create new curricula for the swine and poultry industries. A grant helped fund the research and development, and by fall 2022, I debuted my Spanish for Poultry course. It was so much fun to step outside of my dairy bubble and meet people across the ag industry.
That same year, I invested in a Vibe Smart Whiteboard (goodbye, dingy old farmhouse board!) and upgraded my workspace with an L-shaped standing desk. It finally felt like a professional operation.
Outside of work, I found friendship and joy through my new community and fell into a new routine of evening line dancing, morning walks on the battlefield, and peaceful tea times.
Every day, I’d say out loud to myself, “Whose life is this?! It’s mine.” I thought I’d miss the farm more. Turns out what I missed was myself.
2023: Growth, Burnout, and… the Mailman
The year began with my largest roster ever—80 students! It was exhilarating but exhausting, and burnout wasn’t far behind. Around that time, something unexpected entered the picture: a kind man I’d met behind the counter at the post office. (Yes, the mailman. 😉)
By spring, burnout hit hard. My therapist helped me name what I was feeling: a scarcity mindset—a belief that I always had to hustle just to survive. It’s a lesson I’m still learning—that rest and trust are also part of growth.
That summer, I let myself breathe. I didn’t teach. I road-tripped to Maine, cat-sat in Florida, and reconnected with the creative parts of myself I’d neglected.
By fall, I was back to teaching, still balancing Spanish courses and new physical health challenges that would later lead to…
2024: Healing, Growth, and a New Chapter
A trip to Cuba and a health scare led to my first-ever surgery—a partial hysterectomy that changed my life for the better. Around the same time, I started officially dating that patient, kind mailman (hi, Mike!). Our first date is affectionately referred to as “Coffee and Cuba,”as we discussed our love of travel in a cozy cafe in Gettysburg.
By summer, I felt restless again—in a good way. I started channeling my energy into my long-shelved ESL for Agriculture ideas and secured my first in-person teaching contract. It was exhausting, but deeply fulfilling.
That fall marked three years since my cat, Mr. Mittens died. I decided I was finally ready for another one. So, after a visit to my local shelter, I fell in love with and brought four-year-old Marshall home.
As my business grew, my tiny 800-square-foot apartment began to feel smaller by the day. So, I took another leap and rented my first official office space—right next door. It’s amazing how much peace comes from separating “home” from “work.”
2025: Full Circle
February marked one year with Mike 🥰. My winter Spanish for Dairy roster was thriving, and I taught another round of in-person ESL.
That summer brought another round of funding denials for my ESL program—fourth time’s the charm, right? I decided to take it as a sign to pivot again. Surrounded by orchards and produce farms, I began developing Spanish for Produce, which is now set to launch soon.
By fall, there was a shiny diamond on my finger and a new chapter on the horizon. As I close out my fall courses and prepare for the winter session, I’m also preparing for marriage, a move from my small, cozy apartment, and another season of growth. But life in agriculture is all about growth—growing crops, growing animals, and growing dreams.
Looking Back, Moving Forward
Seven years ago, I was sitting in a farmhouse, terrified, with a whiteboard and a dream. Today, I run a thriving business, teach students across the country, and get to help people across the agriculture industry communicate more clearly—one conversation at a time.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that timing, faith, and courage can transform even the darkest chapters into beautiful new beginnings.
Here’s to whatever comes next. 💚
