Animal Sciences and Agricultural Education
Joel C. Saldana, Jr.
Joel C. Saldana, Jr.
Student Teacher
Area of Emphasis: Animal Science
Spring 2026 Final Student Teaching Placement: Los Banos High School
Joel C. Saldaña, Jr., was inspired to become an Ag teacher because of the influence his Ag teachers had on his life. He holds an AA from West Hills College, a BS in agricultural education from Fresno State, a Professional Certificate in Peace, Trade, and Development from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, and has earned a Master of Public Affairs from UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy.
During initial student teaching at Mendota High School he taught Basic Fabrication and Construction, Agriculture Biology, and Sheltered Agriculture Biology. He helped the Mendota FFA Chapter in numerous activities and events at the local, section, and regional levels. One example was completing a garden design project entry at the Big Fresno Fair, which was the first entry from the chapter since before the COVID-era. He will be a final student teacher at Los Banos High School teaching Agriculture Biology, Agriculture Chemistry, Introduction to Wood, and Floriculture. He plans to teach in California.
He returns to agriculture education after two decades of experience in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors where he lived in Fresno, Washington, D.C., and served in Thailand as a Peace Corps Volunteer.
Saldaña is a first-generation son of immigrant parents from México. He speaks English, Spanish, Thai, and is conversational in Laos. His connection to agriculture stems from animal and plant production by his ancestors in México, his parents as farm labor workers, and agriculture production and public policy. He enjoys traveling, reading, eating, cooking, dancing, appreciating art, family, and volunteering at food banks and animal shelters.