“Southwest Virginia Community College has made me feel like John Le Carre’s character George Smiley who said, ‘I feel like a man who has been given late in age the opportunity to return to all the rained out sessions of my life and play them after all,’” says student Clayton Trout. Trout found the courage to walk away from a successful career after over 20 years to pursue his life-long dream of becoming a teacher and a writer and, in turn, has found a personal satisfaction.
Raised in a hollow (called a ‘holler’) in Belfrey, Kentucky, the son of a Methodist minister, he came from a large close knit family with three brothers, a sister, and a large extended family living nearby.
As a matter of fact, he had two aunts that lived in the house in front of him. “My aunts were both teachers. The upstairs of their house was set up like a schoolroom. It had books, musical instruments and chalk boards. This is where all the kids would congregate.” Young Clayton spent much of his time there reading and writing. “They also had a typewriter. I would spend hours writing. That is where I first got the desire to teach. My aunts had a huge influence on me.”
“In high school, I wrote a lot of plays and variety shows.” After graduating from Belfrey High School, Clayton planned to pursue his dream of becoming a teacher. Life, however, intervened.
“I had been working at Food City for about a year in produce as an after school job. The produce manager got promoted to assistant manager. I took the produce manager job at 18.”
In four years, he was promoted to assistant store manager. At 26, he was produce supervisor over nine (9) stores.
Life went on for Clayton. He got married and had two sons, Justin and Nick. While these were happy times, he never stopped thinking about teaching. He never gave up on his writing either.
In 1992, his father passed away. His father’s death changed things for Clayton. “The color went out of everything. I developed a sense of mortality.” He realized he needed a change, but felt the time wasn’t right. “Justin and Nick were still young and it just wasn’t time to react, to make any sudden decisions.”
In 2005, Trout arrived on the SwVCC campus and talked to Sharon Peery. “Ms. Peery asked me what I wanted to do. I hesitated, because of my age I felt unsure. Then I told her I wanted to teach. She said, ‘Is that what makes your heart sing?’” The counselor set Trout’s feet in the right direction. She helped him get started in substitute teaching and also connected him with Pat Bussard, Public Relations coordinator at the College and advisor of the student newspaper. He began working in the Public Relations Office writing for the paper and other publications.
Trout recalls his first classroom experience. “On my birthday, I got my first call to substitute the 4th grade. It felt great! The training I had done through Food City really helped. At the end of the day, the students drew pictures for me. I still have those pictures.”
“After I got started substitute teaching and writing for the Public Relations Office, I felt everything was right and it hadn’t been for a long time. The people here seek you out, from the top down; everyone just takes a personal interest. If you want the help, you’re going to get it, it’s out there.”
Trout has thrived in the academic environment. He serves as President of Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society for two-year colleges. He is editor of the Charter, SwVCC’s student newspaper. He also serves as the Chairman of the Judicial Board, an Ambassador, and a student recruiter. He was Southwest’s 2006 VCCA Showcase Student and was nominated for the USA TODAY’s All-USA College Academic Team.
The College has opened doors for him, doors he didn’t know existed. “I came here to focus on teaching. I never considered writing as a possibility. Now it seems to be my focus.” He is now working on a book, Some Say this Place is Haunted about hauntings in Southwest Virginia.
“During my time at Southwest, I have worked as a part-time reporter for two local newspapers. It never would have been possible without my connections here. My sons are very supportive of my decision and they have had to sacrifice at times. My girlfriend, Trish Honaker, has also been very supportive.”
Clayton is currently considering his options for transfer. He plans to major in English and teach Pre-K through secondary. He would eventually like to earn a master’s degree and teach at the college level.