By Michele Handy
Will King, Blue Ridge Community College’s new Career Coach, will serve Brevard High School, Davidson River School, and Rosman High School. King will work with high school students to increase access to education through career counseling. Students will have a new coach helping them with all aspects of college and career planning.
A community college graduate himself, King utilized the comprehensive articulation agreement that allowed him to transfer his Associates degree earned from AB Tech into the University of North Carolina, Ashville, where King earned a BA in Environmental Studies and a teaching certificate in 2008.
King comes to Blue Ridge with thirteen years of education experience as a Science teacher, and a variety of other work experience including skilled trades, management and customer service positions. King has taught in both public and private settings, at the high school and middle school level. King’s most recent position was teaching 7th graders at Valley Springs Middle School.
King said, “The thing I enjoyed most about teaching was building relationships with the kids, and the career coach position allows me to build connections here in Transylvania County and provide students with a service that almost everybody needs during high school.”
Students will find King at Davidson River School on Mondays, Brevard High School on Tuesdays and Fridays, and Rosman High School on Wednesdays and Thursdays. King can help students explore career pathways that may take them to a two-year community college, a four-year university, or certification for a trade.
“What excites me most is opening up the doors for students who don’t know what careers are available to them. Whether it’s gaining a certificate or degree in a technical career, building a bank of credits to transfer to a four year university, or getting an associates degree at Blue Ridge, the Career and College Promise program allows high school students to earn college credit and investigate their options after high school graduation. I view this position as a way to give kids exposure to courses and careers that they may or may not know even exist yet,” King said.
King looks forward to giving students the tools to be happy and fulfilled in the work that they do and a path to earn a good living or tuition-free college credits. “That is what makes me really excited about this position,” King said.
Students will be able to tap into NC Works career resources through King who is excited to show them tools such as Virtual Job Shadow, a resume and cover letter builder, and a local job search board.
About the opportunity for high school students to take tuition-free classes at Blue Ridge as Career and College Promise students, King said, “whichever pathway students pursue, they can earn college credits while they are in high school. The tuition is free, families can save a lot of money, and students gain exposure to classes that may influence their future career choice. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.”
Out of school, King enjoys spending time outdoors camping, hiking, and paddling rivers with his wife Dr. Annie King, dog Alistair, and cat Emmylou.
To contact the career coach or learn more about the Career and College Promise Program and upcoming Blue Ridge courses, call/text Career Coach Will King (828) 243-3960 or email w.king@blueridge.edu.