Columbia Valley Pioneer staff
At the start of her career, Bobby Wright was one of only 13 female shop teachers in Canada. Now she’s saying goodbye after being a role model to girls for many years.
The retiring educator from DTSS came to the valley 30 years ago with an industrial education teaching degree and a journeyman ticket in cabinetmaking. Her goal was to show female students how to reach beyond gender stereotypes when pursuing careers.
Wright has seen an increasing number of students wanting to enter the trades and she attributes this to the rise in the prestige of trades due to the high demand, increased wages and affordable access to training.
However, due to the cell phone culture over the past decade, she has noticed that many students have come into her courses with far less prior experience manipulating tools and operating machines. She feels they have become distracted with the instant entertainment their phones provide and would rather ‘watch someone do it, then try it out for themselves.’
Wright truly thanks her colleagues, former students and their families for their support throughout her time at DTSS. Her retirement plans include exploring the valley more fully.
