VAIS Vision E-Magazine, Spring 2019 Issue 7

Beyond The Classroom
Peter Hufnagel, Dean, The Miller School of Albemarle, Charlottesville
S
ometimes great classrooms are not classrooms. For Jay Drake, one of his
favorite classes at The Miller School of Albemarle (MSA) takes place in the seat
of a Bobcat excavator deep in the woods of the 1,600-acre campus. He is currently
completing a Land Management independent study, in which he is designing and
building a 1.5-mile multipurpose trail from central campus to the school’s 12-acre
lake. He works daily operating the excavator to sculpt a steep slope into a gently
rolling trail. While absent of white boards, desks, books, and other items typically
associated with schools, Jay has found a learning environment with important
lessons around every bend.
Jay’s love of heavy machines goes back to his childhood.
Jay commented: “Ever since I can remember, I have always loved heavy
equipment -- from dump trucks to excavators to bulldozers. I love them all. Growing
up, my dad owned a flooring company and had a couple of large forklifts, which I
loved to drive around with the operators. There are countless pictures of me as a
little kid sitting in the operator’s lap with a smile as big as my face. Since then, not
much has changed -- I still love heavy equipment.”
Since its founding in 1878, MSA has been a school where teachers bridge
academic understanding with practical hands-on experience so that students gain
knowledge as well as know-how. Jay’s mentor and teacher,
Andy Guptill, recognized an opportunity both to support Jay’s
passion and to promote MSA’s educational mission.
Guptill commented: “Jay is a remarkable young man who
has talent for both trail design and heavy machine operation.
He has the vision to design and the skills to build world-class
trails. This independent study provides him an opportunity to
engage both his mind and hands in a project that will serve the
school for decades to come.”
The trail that Jay is building will allow students and faculty
to access the lake more easily. In addition, the gentle slope and
width of the trail will make it accessible to less-experienced
hikers and even baby strollers.
While Jay has developed many of his skills building trails in
MSA’s Land Management course, he also has benefited from
his summer work with the esteemed local excavating company,
Contour Construction.
Jay commented: “Last summer I worked for Contour
Construction. I got to spend the summer around the machines
that I love, which opened my eyes to the world of heavy
equipment. I learned so much about what it is like to work
around and in them. I finished up the summer with more
knowledge about heavy construction equipment, that will
both help me down the road if I continue into a career in this
industry as well as in my everyday life.”
The lessons that Jay learned extend far beyond the
mechanics of machine operation. One day while driving a
$400,000 haul truck, Jay inadvertently ran over large metal
survey stake that showed exactly where the height of the
dirt needed to reach, known as the final grade. His boss was
infuriated because Jay’s error meant that the area would need
to be surveyed again.
“I learned that in any line of work you have to pay very close
attention to the details, and listen to those who know more
than you. This was an easy lesson to learn on the job. And,
since then, I’ve applied this lesson to other aspects of my life.
Whether in the classroom or when riding my bike, I’ve learned
to pay special attention to the instructions of those who know
more than I do.”
Between his summer job and independent study, Jay has
built his own educational path--one that is the perfect grade
for his passions and talents.
Leaning up against his excavator in the upper meadow, Jay
carefully considered what he has learned from these experiences:
“I’ve gained a sense of confidence and responsibility and an
appreciation for a hard day’s work. As I go forward, I know now
that I am able to meet almost any challenge, as long as I listen,
pay attention, and apply my full effort.
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