David Jones for Danville School Board

My Story

 

I am living proof of the power of Career and Technical Education.

 

My journey began in junior high and high school, where I took as many agriculture, welding, and automotive service classes as I could. Those classrooms weren't just about grades; they were where I found my purpose. Shortly after graduation, my automotive instructor, Alvin Foster, did what great CTE teachers do—he went beyond the classroom and helped me land my very first job as an automotive technician.

 

That foundation changed my life.  A few months later, I was hired by the dealership where I would proudly spend the rest of my service career.

 

Because of the profound impact CTE had on my life, I wanted to give that same future to others. In 2005, I stepped back into the high school classroom—this time as the instructor. Over twenty years later, I am still teaching high school students today, helping them discover their own paths.

 

When I look back, I dread to think what my work history would look like without the CTE classes I took as a teenager. CTE didn't just give me a job; it gave me a lifelong, rewarding career, and it is exactly what our students in Danville deserve."