About Jobs for Bay State Graduates
Jobs for Bay State Graduates at Drury High School serves sophomores, juniors and seniors. The class focuses on job skills and career paths. Students learn interviewing skills, professional dress and manners, create resumes, cover letters and concentrate on career research reports to better determine a path after high school. We invite many guest speakers throughout the year to come in and give motivational talks and to speak about their affiliations. There is also a follow-up program to assist graduates in school and job attainment.
About Ms. Vale-Cruz
1. What do you like most about teaching?
I really enjoy getting up infront of a class and actively teaching. The students at Drury make each day fun and different than the last. The best feeling for me is having a student get an A on an exam, knowing they really understand the material.
2. Did you always want to teach a class on job and life skills?
No, I always wanted to be a veterinarian. I went to the University of Rhode Island for Animal Veterniary Science. Junior year I decided I did not want to be a vet, but had no clue what I wanted! My husband and I moved to Florida for him to attend school and I started on a path of a variety of jobs. First I took care of abandoned and abused Kodiak, American black, Asiatic black, and Spectacle bears. From there I worked at the Univeristy of Florida's Veterinary College. There I radiographed all land animals big and tall, but I also helped to teach the vet students to radiograph them. It was doing that where I fell in love with teaching. I worked at Drury for Jobs for Bay State Grads (JBSG) in 2002-2003 before returning again to Florida. This past summer I had the opportunity to come back to Drury as the JBSG teacher again and I jumped on the chance! I really enjoy teaching and am currently enrolled at MCLA to get my masters in education.
3. What is your family life like?
I live in Pittsfield with my husband, Dustin. He is currently working at Albany Medical College where he is a postdoc. I also have a 2 1/2 year old daughter, Avery. My parents, brother and his family, sister and her family and almost all my cousins live in Pittsfield as well. We are a very close family and I love being in the same town again.
4. What do you do when you are not teaching?
I enjoy spending as much time with my daughter as I can. We are usually playing dress up as princesses or reading books! I also enjoy dancing, going to the beach, taking walks and watching the Yankees.
