For adjunct electrical instructor Jeff Gibson, teaching at Germanna was a way for him to give back to the community. He never pictured himself at the front of the classroom, as he’s always been more reserved.
“Teaching is a little unnerving as I’m not much into public speaking,” he says.
But one month in to his teaching journey, and Professor Gibson really enjoys it.
“I’m getting better. And I like having the opportunity to impact students just as my instructors impacted me.”
Professor Gibson is able to understand his students on a deeper level, as he was just in their shoes mere months ago.
“I just finished Germanna’s electrical level four program in June 2024,” he shares. “So, teaching the same classes I took as a student gives me a very unique perspective and allows me to better lead my students.”
Professor Gibson found himself at Germanna after trying his hand at an online electrical course that he found to be fairly difficult.
Professor Gibson very quickly sailed through the program at Germanna, strengthening his already established electrical skillset. And at the conclusion of his program, Ben Sherman, Germanna’s Business and Career Coordinator, offered him an adjunct teaching position to teach electrical level one courses at the College.
In his classroom, Professor Gibson is able to merge what he learned in his program with his decades of real-world experience in the electrical field.
And though he’s had countless electrical jobs in the past, there was one specific role that laid the groundwork for his successful career at just 17 years old.
“I decided to join the United States Navy two months after graduating from high school. In the Navy, I worked as a gas turbine electrician for six years and had the opportunity to serve in the first Gulf War. And honestly, I loved it.”
Born and raised in Culpeper, Virginia, Professor Gibson’s service allowed him to leave his hometown as a teen and travel to three different continents and 25 different countries. But after seeing the world, he decided to return to Culpeper, where he currently lives and works full-time at Ardent Mills, a flour milling company.
Hoping to leave a mark on his students the way his two favorite electrical instructors did on him, Professor Gibson looks forward to continuing his teaching career at the College and giving back to the very institution that helped him further his career.
When Professor Gibson is not in the classroom, he enjoys spending time with his family, including his wife of 27 years, his two daughters, his son-in-law, and his grandson, and tending to his garden.