Jim Young been teaching music for nearly four decades. And Wednesday the band director at Beardsley Junoir High was recognized for his hard work.
A normal day for Mr. Young is about eleven hours at school. "I'm usually here from seven to five or six o'clock at night," said Young.
He said teaching is his passion. "Band was important to me as a kid. I had some great teachers growing up and it made a big difference in my life. Hopefully I can be that person for somebody else."
Wednesday's lesson is preparing for their upcoming festivals.
"We're working really hard on three pieces of music that we just really need to woodshed and get down right. So this was a work day today," said Young.
But Wednesday was not a normal day.
Representative from Print Centers interrupted Mr. Young's class to give him and oversized check representing their $1,000 Teacher Scholarship.
This is the first year Print Centers is giving out the award. Every month during the school year a Kern County teacher is nominated by their peers on Facebook. And each month Print Centers delivers a check to the winner.
Young said, "It's really amazing. I'm shocked a company would actually do that."
Print Centers store manager, Noe Paredes, said, "What better way then to give the teachers a thousand dollar scholarship for doing what they do best. And we know that a lot of their expense come out of their own pocket and we see it on a daily basis."
Students told 23 ABC, the way Mr. Young talks to them gets them engaged.
Carolyn Cortez-Mackiewicz is in 8th grade and this is her fourth year in Mr. Young's band. She said, "Mr. Young has always been my favorite teacher, he's always been supportive of everything with band that I do. And he pushes us to our limits to try to be the best that we can be."
Mr. Young said he already has plans for the money. It will help fund the band's annual trip to play in Disneyland's Main Street Parade.
"Last year it was like $12,000 to go to Disneyland with the band. So they fundraise constantly and everything else. So this will make sure that everybody gets there," said Young.
Throughout the course of the year you can vote for your favorite teacher. At the end of the year whoever gets the most votes will win an additional $5,000 towards a vacation.
