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Featured photo: Blue Ridge Community College student Alford Davis pictured in the Patton Building on the Henderson County Campus. (Photo by Emily Gill.)
By Emily Gill, Marketing & Communications Dept.
Alford Davis’ career is coming full circle. After graduating from a community college in Jamaica in the 1990s, he began his teaching career. When he graduates from Blue Ridge Community College’s Associate in Arts in Teacher Preparation program in December, he will return to teaching full-time.
“Teaching is the one job I’ve done that makes me feel satisfied,” Davis said. “Teaching the kids, it’s fulfilling.”
Davis’ teaching career in Jamaica covered elementary and high school classrooms. He also taught integrated science and agricultural science to high schoolers.
After graduating, he hopes to teach English or social studies to middle schoolers. He already is a substitute teacher at Hendersonville Middle School and even drove a bus for them for a time.
Davis has exhibited great determination in pursuing his education while working nights as a Certified Nursing Assistant. Despite his full schedule, his passion for teaching keeps him focused.
“The teacher prep program has been great. I’ve learned so many new things about teaching as a profession,” Davis said. “The program gets in-depth and goes beyond the basics. It molds you into a teacher.”
Davis urged anyone in the community to utilize Blue Ridge as much as possible.
“There are brilliant people here who want to help,” Davis said. “This is a great community. I came here in 2000 and I like living here. Part of that is Blue Ridge’s part of the community.”
Learn more about the Associate in Arts in Teacher Preparation program.