“I have always loved teaching drafting and CADD,” retiring teacher Kent Jahn said. “I love to experience those moments when the kids finally get it.” Having taken CADD, I can account to his sentiment. It was always special to finally figure something out that had taken me a long time to work through. 

Mr. Jahn has also spent a lot of his time at Ames High in the wood shop. “There is nothing quite like helping someone create a piece of art with their own hands and the pride and satisfaction that they have in knowing they made that,” Jahn said.

Jahn started working at Ames in 1998, after 15 years in Pleasant Hill, Illinois. This will be his 38th year teaching, and also his last. In retirement, he hopes to travel all around the US as well as Europe. He will spend time with his wife and family, while fitting in golf when he can. 

On his first day in Ames, Jahn said: “I was astounded by the sheer number of people that were in the halls.” He had come from a school with 125 TOTAL students. “It was a little daunting, but the students were fantastic and made me feel welcome.” 

What advice would Mr. Jahn offer? “You need to do your best in everything you do,” Jahn said. “Don’t waste the opportunities you are given. You are smarter than you think you are, don’t sell yourself short. You have to have your seat in the seat if you are going to learn. Skipping class may seem like a good idea at the time but there is always a consequence to our decisions. It may not be immediate, but there is a consequence.”