Photo by Gabriel Goodwin
Allen Park High School senior Jacob Strawsine displays an acoustic guitar he built by hand to the Board of Education. The acoustic guitar was a student project for a woodworking class at the high school. Strawsine spent time after school and on Saturdays building the guitar under the mentorship of Gary Zimnicki (right) who is a custom stringed instrument maker based in Allen Park.
By GABRIEL GOODWIN
Sunday Times Newspapers
ALLEN PARK — Jeff Goulasarian, Allen Park High School woodworking and building trades teacher, received the Michigan Industrial Technology Education Society’s Harold J. VanWesterienen Master Teacher Award May 10 at the society’s convention in Mt. Pleasant.
The award is given to an “outstanding teacher in industrial technology education” every year.
APHS Principal Janet Wasko addressed the Board of Education on Goulasarian’s accomplishment during the teacher’s presentation of a student-built acoustic guitar.
“He has a keen interest in improving life for those less fortunate and cares deeply about the community-at-large,” Wasko said. “He instills a sense of pride and accomplishment in his students while showing them the importance of giving back to one’s community.
“We are indeed fortunate to have Jeff as part of the Allen Park Public Schools family and so very proud of his exemplary efforts and accomplishments.”
Goulasarian has spoken throughout the state on behalf of the applied arts and Wasko said he led the arguments to add an applied arts credit to the Michigan Merit Curriculum requirements. The state has subsequently changed the MMC requirements and adopted an applied arts credit into the curriculum.
(Gabriel Goodwin can be reached at [email protected].)