Campbell County recognized Gene Dobbs, a long-time teacher at the Campbell County Detention Center’s GED program, for 25 years of service.
Dobbs retired from the Sycamore Community School District as a junior high math teacher in 1998. At that time, the Campbell County Detention Center had just lost its GED instructor, and Dobbs was asked to fill in temporarily.
That temporary idea turned into 25 more years of teaching for Dobbs, now officially retiring. The Campbell County Fiscal Court and Campbell County Jailer Jim Daley recognized Dobbs’ career at a fiscal court meeting on May 7.
“It was supposed to be temporary, maybe a couple of months, but as time went on, I realized it was an important job and I enjoyed what I was doing,” Dobbs said.
Passing the GED exams provides an individual with a high school equivalency diploma. The Campbell County Detention Center offers its inmates the opportunity to obtain their GED during incarceration. Classes are offered twice a week at the detention center and the restricted custody center.
According to the detention center’s website, enrollment in these classes is available to any inmate who does not have a high school diploma and would like to further their education. The GED test is offered once a month. Inmates who complete the course and pass the test are given their diplomas.
“My observation would be that a lot of people who find themselves in jail have a background that makes it difficult for them to break a certain cycle and find their way in the world,” said Campbell County Judge Executive Steve Pendery. “They have a peaceful and productive life, and probably the number one thing they need to have to equip themselves for a better future is some education.”
Dobbs said he has had several students tell him that getting their GED was the first positive thing they ever accomplished.
Daley said the GED program graduates about 100 people per year. That is approximately 2,500 GEDs awarded during Dobbs’ time with the program. He added that about five years ago, with the help of Dobbs and Rohe’s teaching, the Campbell County Adult Education Program won an award for having the greatest number of graduates in the entire state. He said the graduation numbers of the detention center helped with that achievement.
Dobbs said that as he leaves the program, it will be in good hands with his predecessor, Tricia Rohe, with whom he has worked alongside for about 15 years.
“I appreciate Tricia,” Dobbs said. “I leave the program in good hands. She’s excellent, very dedicated to the job.”
Campbell County Commissioner Geoff Besecker mentioned that it was Teacher Appreciation Week.
“So much could be said about teachers and what they do,” Besecker said. “Mr. Dobbs and his projects over the years, I just want to again, thank all the teachers, educators, administrators out there that are working with our kids, working with our students, sometimes difficult, not as easy, but nonetheless, they show up every day to do that.”
Altogether, Dobbs has dedicated 55 years of his life to teaching others.
“I spent 30 years teaching junior high math. When I went to the jail, things didn’t change much,” Dobbs joked. “Actually, the inmates were very receptive, and it was a good experience.”