Most Golden Apple Award winning schoolteachers have always dreamed of being a teacher. Not this week’s recipient.
Our Golden Apple teacher this week spent 14 years as a commercial carpenter.
“And then my brother who is the construction trades teacher at Erie High told me he heard about a job opoening, and here I am,” said Adam Trippi, this week’s Golden Apple Award winner.
In this construction trades lab, students learn how to build a house from the foundation to the roof.
But for Mr. Trippi, he’s come to learn that what he’s building here is much more important than anything built with a hammer and nails.
“It’s not even all about building, its everything. It’s all aspects of their life they trust me with. I try to give advice on out of school stuff, In school stuff. there’s a lot of kids that have hard times at home and I try to help with whatever they got.
Is he glad he did this?
“Absolutely,” he affirmed.
Mr. Trippi’s been teaching here at the Vo-Tech for three years, and he said doing carpentry is a whole lot easier than teaching it.
“Doing it is easy. way easier. Teaching is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, absolutely,” Trippi went on to say.
“You can really work at your own pace, and he’ll work with you no matter what step you’re at, and he’s really understanding of what skill level you are, and he’ll help you no matter what,” said Robert Umpley, a senior McDowell High School student.
“He’s just always supportive, like if you’re in athletics, and you’re like in his area and you have a game of anything he always does his best to show up and support you,” said Caleb Stover, a senior Fort LeBeouf student.
“To me a good teacher, a good leader, is someone who recognizes those gifts and talents and then helps the student to take those and be successful,” said Dr. Mary Joe Melvin of Penn West University.
Congratulations Adam Trippi this week’s JET 24 Penn West University Golden Apple Award winner.
