Even before he began serving on the Laurel Ridge Educational Foundation Board, Trenton Clark had seen firsthand the many benefits Laurel Ridge Community College offers its service region.
The Luray High School and Virginia Tech civil engineering grad has been representing Page County on the board for two years now.
Clark’s children, Nicholaus and Laura, attended Massanutten Regional Governor’s School and took additional dual-enrollment classes at Luray High School.
“They graduated with their associate degrees before they even graduated from high school,” said Clark, who is married to former Luray High Principal Nicky Clark, who is now the director of school administration for Page County Public Schools. “For Nicholaus, it took a year off his time at Virginia Tech, so that was very beneficial. Laura was able to take on two minors, in addition to her major, due to the many credits she transferred into Virginia Commonwealth University.
“Dual enrollment provides opportunities for those individuals willing to take it either through the academic or the non-credit side.”
Nicholaus graduated from Virginia Tech with a computer science degree, while Laura is in medical school at Virginia Commonwealth University.
As president of the Virginia Asphalt Association, Clark himself has had a long relationship with another Virginia Community College System institution, Germanna Community College. He has worked with Germanna since 2015 on an asphalt training and credentialing program, and has also had a working relationship with Jeanian Clark, vice president of Laurel Ridge Community College Workforce Solutions.
Clark said he is especially excited about Laurel Ridge’s new Power Line Worker program, saying it is an example of the value Laurel Ridge’s programs add to students’ lives. Not too long ago, he and a colleague gave an in-person presentation on trades education to seniors at Luray High School and virtually to Page County High School.
“It’s just amazing, if you can graduate with credentials and skills, you have tremendous value to employers,” said Clark. “The four-year degrees are great, but they’re not for everybody. If students can complete these programs and graduate credentialed with little to no debt whatsoever, then they have set themselves up for the rest of their lives to start making money.
“I have enjoyed serving on the Foundation Board because I’ve learned a lot more about what Laurel Ridge actually offers.”
Laurel Ridge Community College was known as Lord Fairfax Community College until June 2022. For consistency purposes, the college will be referenced as Laurel Ridge going forward.