picture of Jennifer Byrd helping a student on her computer

RIVEROAK would like to congratulate Jennifer Byrd for being this week's Career and Technical Education Instructor Spotlight.

Byrd is in her 36th year and serves

as the Business Keyboarding, Digital Information Technology and Graphic Design teacher at Suwannee Middle School. Byrd says, “I have taught a lot of different subjects and grade levels over the last 36 years. About 15 years ago the technology position came open at SMS and I jumped on the chance to teach this area. I had always incorporated technology into my other classes I taught, so it seemed like the best thing to do at the time.”

Byrd shares, “Technology is all around us - the students have actually grown up with it. Things are changing every day. They need to take an active roll to stay up with the times. Keyboarding skills are such a necessity in so many careers. Businesses use Microsoft Office programs and it is truly amazing to watch my students earn postsecondary certifications. The knowledge and skills they learn can never be taken away from them.”