Student becomes teacher as Crawford joins JVS

BLOOMINGDALE -- As Robert "Hank" Crawford steps into the welding lab at Jefferson County Joint Vocational School, he is nearly transported back in time to his days as a student.

This time, things are different because the student is now the teacher.

Crawford is taking his place as the new welding instructor this fall. The Irondale native once trained under the tutelage of Roger Hilty and Todd Parker, the latter of whom he will now succeed.

Crawford graduated from Edison High School and earned his credentials from the JVS in 2006. From there, he joined Plumbers and Pipefitters Union Local 495 of Cambridge and specialized in welding for 17 years.

He then gained teaching experience with a yearlong stint at Guilford Technical Community College in Jamestown, N.C., from 2022-23.

Crawford returned to the trade, working with UA Local 421 Plumbers and Pipefitters in North Carolina before heading west to work at Yosemite National Park in 2024.

He said his wife, Amber, whom he met at the JVS as a teenager, was contacted by a familiar face about the available teaching position.

"Shellie Waggoner, my former guidance counselor, reached out to my wife and said the job was available. I wasn't looking at the time but thought I would at least apply," he recalled. "We were planning to stay in California until at least next year, but then I had conversations with Mr. Parker and [Superintendent Ted] Gorman."

Following those conversations, Crawford accepted the job and decided to return to the area with Amber and their daughter, Jozi.

"It's fun and exciting," he said. "I loved teaching in North Carolina at GTCC and the relationship with the students was phenomenal."

Crawford hopes to use his teaching skills to inspire an estimated 28 juniors and seniors at the JVS and help them succeed in the trade.

"I had enjoyed teaching and it was gratifying when students grasped what you were showing them," he said. "I had seen students excel and come out of the program making really good money. It's nice to be back and I have gained support from [Principal Heather Hoover] and Mr. Gorman. We should have some solid entry-levels coming out of the gate; that's my goal."

Crawford also maintains contacts with local unions and industry members, including Local 495, ironworkers, boilermakers, electricians and other organizations. He said there are plenty of paths for students to pursue in the workforce.

He also has reconnected with Parker to order new supplies and safety equipment to update the program's lab. The two will spend time together as Crawford transitions into his new role.

Knowing that he will use many of the same skills he learned at the JVS to teach future generations is satisfying, Crawford said.

"I've learned a ton of work ethic, knowledge, and skills and Mr. Parker and Mr. Hilty demanded a professional program," he said. "It comes full circle [succeeding Parker]. About 80-90 percent of my teaching style comes from him and Mr. Hilty. My goal is, inch by inch, to make it a little bit better. It will be small improvements with a new perspective on things."