The sharp crackle of a welding arc and the constant whirring of a grinder wheel fill the shop as sparks scatter and bounce across the concrete floor.

For many agricultural education students, this moment — helmet lowered, welding electrode shaking in hand — is their first test inside an agricultural mechanics lab.

What begins as fear quickly turns into confidence under the guidance of Nathan Smith, agricultural education teaching assistant professor and field placement coordinator for student teachers in Oklahoma State University’s Department of Agricultural Education, Communication and Leadership.

Smith provides mechanical expertise to help students build confidence and develop the skills needed to succeed in agricultural mechanics, he said.

Smith teaches small gas engines, electrical systems, agricultural structures, welding and metal fabrication courses. These are required for all OSU agricultural education students and include a focus on safety, hands-on experience and career readiness.

After graduation, Smith’s students start careers as agricultural educators or work within the industry, he said.

“My main focus is confidence and competence when they leave the shop,” Smith said. “Are you confident to do it independently? Do you understand what goes into the project? Are you self-aware to tell yourself when you need to learn more?”

With long-term impact in mind, Smith emphasizes the broader role of agricultural educators, both inside and outside of the classroom, he added.

“They’re at a vulnerable place,” said Shane Robinson, professor and head of the Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership. “It’s often the first time students have ever held a welding electrode. It can be nerve-wracking.”

Robinson first met Smith in Fall 2007 when he supervised Smith’s student teaching experience.

“He understood the strengths and opportunities in Oklahoma agriculture and FFA,” Robinson said.

Growing up in Spiro, Oklahoma, helped shape Smith’s passion for agriculture and livestock production. He grew up highly engaged in the poultry industry on his grandparents’ poultry farm, while also showing hogs and sheep through FFA, he said.

In addition to agriculture, Smith excelled on the football field, leading to a collegiate career as a first-generation college student on the Northeastern State University football team.

His original intent was to become a veterinarian, but he soon realized that was not his calling. He transferred to OSU and earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education in 2007 after completing his student teaching in Stratford, Oklahoma, Smith said.

Smith taught high school agricultural education for over 10 years, until he rejoined the Cowboy family in 2018 as faculty. Today, Smith instructs multiple agricultural mechanics classes and coordinates student teaching opportunities across the nation.

Smith’s work during his past eight years in the department has been instrumental in strengthening the agricultural mechanics program at OSU, Robinson said.

He instills confidence within his students and helps them be more prepared for their careers after graduation, Robinson added.

That same commitment to developing confident, capable students extends beyond the classroom, as Smith is recognized nationwide in the field of agricultural mechanics.

Smith serves as superintendent for the Oklahoma FFA Association’s Agricultural Technology and Mechanical Systems contest. This event is modeled after the National FFA career development event contest, Smith said.

Before Smith revitalized the state CDE to better prepare Oklahoma’s agricultural mechanics students, the last team from the state to place in the top 10 at the national level was in 2007. The last five years, three Oklahoma teams have placed in the top four at the National FFA Convention, Smith said.

He often travels throughout Oklahoma and Texas to serve as a judge at other agricultural mechanics shows, including the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, Smith said.

Smith is also a founding superintendent of the Oklahoma Youth Expo agricultural mechanics show.

“The Oklahoma Youth Expo isn’t just a livestock show; it’s also an agricultural mechanics show,” said Josie Doshier, former member of the Woodland FFA Chapter and the 2022 OYE Grand Overall Agricultural Mechanics Team.

Launched in 2020, the agricultural mechanics show included 63 projects in its inaugural year. Since then, the contest grew to more than 300 projects in 2025.

“I had showed livestock at OYE for years without meeting my goal of getting in the grand drive,” Doshier said, “which includes a limo ride and a really cool experience in the big ring.”

Her father, Scott Doshier, a licensed welder and project manager, heard the grand overall team of the agricultural mechanics contest was allowed in the limo. Quickly after, he volunteered his time to be the instructor of the team, she said.

Before starting their one-of-a-kind roll-off trailer, her father reached out to Smith for advice about what to expect at the OYE contest, she added.

“My father knew how to weld and was a great teacher,” Doshier said, “but he never expected how extensive the documentation and presentation side of the contest was.”

Smith designed the show to ensure students know their project inside and out. At the show, students must present their project to multiple rounds of judges and provide a portfolio outlining man-hours, cost analysis, blueprints and more, Doshier said.

Out of all the accomplishments and improvements Smith has implemented in the OSU agricultural mechanics program, his most valuable contribution has been his mentorship of students, Robinson said.

“He invests in students,” Robinson said. “He invests in human capital.”

One of Smith’s goals as a role model to future educators is to emphasize craftsmanship and safety in his courses, Smith said.

“Be craftsmen and craftswomen,” Smith said. “Safety is my number one priority for students.”

While many students are anxious stepping into a mechanics lab for the first time — Smith hopes to ease their nerves by growing their skillset, building courage and instilling confidence in their ability to manage the shop and classroom, he said.

“Agricultural educators teach more than lessons — they teach the teachers who will carry agriculture forward,” Smith said.

By helping students navigate one of the most stressful times in their lives, Smith not only acts as a supportive advisor, but also as an encourager.

“If they leave here confident and competent, willing to get in the shop and teach a student, that’s a success,” Smith said.

Story by Austyn Greenlee | Cowboy Journal