'The door that was open for me' - Virginia Tech alumnus reflects on his journey as an educator
Jerry Jones’ life is a testament to resilience.
At 72, the Virginia Tech School of Education alumnus retired from teaching after a more than 50-year career. Jones worked as a high school business instructor in Baltimore, Maryland, as a professor of computer information systems in Virginia, and author of an instructional textbook and two memoirs.
A native of Glade Spring, Virginia, Jones grew up in the era of segregation and would take a bus 90 minutes to and from the nearest Black school every day to receive his education. In that time, his path became clear to him.
“I was destined to become a teacher,” Jones said.
Jones recently shared his life story as one of the Barter Theatre’s featured playwrights during a February event highlighting voices in the region’s Black community. Here he reflects on his life as an educator.
His journey
After graduating from Virginia State University in 1969, Jones was eager to begin his career. However, few opportunities were available to him. He was turned down for jobs in Roanoke, Richmond, and Alexandria. The experience was disheartening.
Rather than settling into defeat, Jones took a job in Baltimore. He was assigned to a school where his one computer science course from graduate school gave him a leg up. Soon after, he and other business educators were trained by IBM in programming, and he soon gained expertise in the emerging field of computer science. This unexpected turn of events transformed his trajectory.
"The door that was closed for me was being a business teacher somewhere in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The door that was open for me was getting computer skills that were priceless in 1969," Jones said.
By the time Jones received his doctorate in education from Virginia Tech in 1979, he had already been working as a teacher for over a decade, first in Baltimore, and then at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College in Richmond.
Alongside his career teaching computer skills, Jones found another opportunity to serve as an educator. This time it was an author. Dissatisfied with the available textbooks in the 1980s, Jones decided to write the manual he wanted to see. His book, “Structured Programming Logic,” was published by Prentice Hall in 1985 and used in educational settings for many years thereafter.
Over the next three decades, Jones' career continued to evolve. He eventually returned to his hometown and served as a freshman advisor and computer literacy instructor at Emory & Henry College.
His resilience
When asked what advice he would give to students facing challenges today, Jones stressed the importance of cultivating a positive mindset.
"If something makes you mad, you can deal with it for awhile, but eventually, you're going to have to let it go," he said. “Holding onto that anger deals more harm to you than the person that is the object of your displeasure.”
Jones has learned to find humor and perspective in challenging situations, which has helped him maintain an optimistic outlook and move forward despite the hurdles he has faced in his life.
"I can find something to laugh about in almost everything that I have dealt with," he said.
Written by Jacob Perkins, a graduate assistant in the School of Education
