The Damascus High School Career and Technology Education (CTE) Department has always been a coal, not pressed hard enough, making it shine a little brighter than other high schools within Montgomery County. Ever since elementary school, it was the only high school I ever heard about.
Composed of six Program of Study (POS) pathways, Automotive Tech, Foundations of Technology and Horticulture are the three that take the podium.
Department Head Jeff Hanson, Cisco Networking, Cybersecurity, Linux Essentials
Mr. Hanson is retiring this year.
Raul Ortiz – Auto Tech 1, 2 and 3
Mr. Ortiz has been teaching at Damascus since 2001 and is retiring this year.
Todd Shiffler, Foundations of Tech and Construction Tech
Mr. Shiffler has been teaching at Damascus since 2002.
Lori Mayhew – Foundations of Tech, Horticulture, Plant Prod/Landscape Design Mgmt B / Intern Enviro
Ms. Mayhew has been teaching at Damascus since 2000. Starting as an education horticulturist and briefly working at Brookside Gardens, Mayhew found her way to Damascus. Through the journey of becoming an educator, one giant nap changed the set course forever, a leap of faith into substituting resulted in the first steps of her impeccable and absolute unit of teaching career.
Having interned and been a part of Ms. Mayhew’s class for the past three years, there has never been a moment of kaleidoscopic chaos I didn’t enjoy. Maybe we didn’t have enough jar-vases, or too many pinecones, be it whatever- someone knocked over all of the colored sand and now there’s no more blue for the succulent unit. The circumstances never mattered; Mayhew is one of the few teachers at Damascus who I’d say is certainly whimsical.
The horticulture department has always brought the natural light back into the not-quite run-down, but not so new wings of the Damascus building.
Ms. Mayhew has been nothing but an inspiration to me. As a student, I think I can happily say I’ve relearned how to be patient with myself and enjoy the processes of my work because of her classes, as well as viewing life through a less-serious lens. I’ve made friends, I’ve found new interests and I’ve gotten to feel like I was a part of a community that I helped shape. As her intern, I’ve learned how to step up when it comes to responsibility, holding myself and others accountable; things as simple as chores pile up, as well as hitting deadlines on senior projects. It’s a great way to learn work-life-balance within a safety net.
Being behind the scenes and occasionally, the wheel too, made me really appreciate all the thought and planning that goes into what might seem like, just an intro to working with flowers and other various DIYs, “You don’t go home and stop being an agriculture teacher […] You water plants on spring break and weekends, you travel with students across the country and assist them at becoming
the best they can be and you work within the community, state and nation to advocate for agriculture and agriculture education.” Every year, trips, activities and labs with direct applications to the agricultural world are presented within an extraordinarily chilly classroom, with a half-functioning projector and a strangely quiet eagerness setting in the atmosphere. The most anticipated event being the summer plant sale, open to all during given hours and certainly a staff favorite, sitting right below, senior/graduate roses for the end of the year. The big picture of both of these events are the hearts and hands behind them; both of these events are student-prepared and led by our very Ms. Mayhew.
“Everyday we interact with agricultural products and so many people don’t understand that delicate balance, it’s my role to assist everyone in gaining that knowledge.” – Ms. Mayhew in response to being asked, “Do you think teaching has changed the way you live your life?”
Upon becoming an agricultural teacher, a mission was set into motion, the National Association of Agricultural Educators and their creed:
I am an agricultural educator by choice and not by chance.
I believe in American agriculture; I dedicate my life to its development and the advancement of its people.
I will strive to set before my students by my deeds and actions the highest standards of citizenship for the community, state and nation.
I will endeavor to develop professionally through study, travel and exploration.
I will not knowingly wrong my fellow teachers. I will defend them as far as honesty will permit.
I will work for the advancement of agricultural education and I will defend it in my community, state and nation.
I realize that I am a part of the school system. I will work in harmony with school authorities and other teachers of the school.
My love for youth will spur me on to impart something from my life that will help make for each of my students a full and happy future.
With all the change that comes with a new year; Mayhew hopes for the future to bring in more of an overall agriculture impact class that will discuss industry and civic involvement in the overall umbrella of agriculture.
The Damascus CTE Program honors and wishes its best to those who gave it just that, Mr. Hanson and Mr Ortiz, Happy Retirement.
