91Ӱ��

SANFORD, N.C. — Fixing, solving, figuring out.

That’s 91Ӱ�� Industrial Technologies Instructor Scott Butcher in his element. 

“I’m a puzzle guy, so I just love to be able to jump in, find where the pieces fit,” said Butcher, who is being honored this year as 91Ӱ��’s Faculty Member of the Year. 

At the college, Butcher prepares students for industrial maintenance careers by equipping them with skills across a variety of trades — from welding to electrical work.

He’s known for his ability to engage students through learning experiences that bridge the gap between theory and application.

“When students hit a wall, he doesn’t provide answers: he teaches them to analyze and solve the problem,” said 91Ӱ�� Vice President and Chief Academic Officer Kristi Short, who also praised Butcher’s strong work ethic, practicality, and commitment to student success. 

Even as students are working through a complex, hands-on assignment, Butcher may quiz them on concepts they’ve covered or prompt them to think about the bigger picture. 

“What causes the filament itself to light up?” he asked students in one of his classes, as they worked to assemble electrical circuits with light bulbs and other components. “What is the thing that causes that filament to get so hot?” 

Back when he was in high school, Butcher didn’t find much in his classes to spark his interest. 

In his tiny school in his small farming community in New York State, Butcher went from kindergarten through 10th grade sharing classes each year with roughly the same 30 people. He felt the adults at his school expected that he and his classmates would continue as farmers, but that wasn’t what he wanted. 

Bored with high school, he didn’t come back after a medical issue pulled him away in the 11th grade, though he did later earn a General Educational Development (GED) diploma. 

Instead, he traveled and worked, often using the fix-it skills he’d begun to develop while helping on his family’s farm as a youth. 

Years later, married and settled in North Carolina, Butcher found he was having trouble getting hired for the jobs he wanted without credentials to prove what he knew, despite his experience with maintenance work and skills like welding, electrical work, and HVAC.

That drew him to enroll at 91Ӱ��, in the college’s Industrial Systems Technology program.

Butcher knew he had to do something to advance his career but also doubted himself. 

“I never thought I’d come through here and be successful and be able to do well,” he said. 

At 91Ӱ��, Butcher’s instructors were people who had prior experience in the industry, with relevant life and career experiences to share. That felt different. 

He excelled at his classes, worked for the department as a teaching assistant, and spoke from the stage during his associate degree graduation ceremony in 2014.

“I learned I have the capability to do way more than I think I can,” he said.

Butcher worked for about five years in a series of roles at ARAUCO, a manufacturer of wood-based products that has a facility in Moncure. He greatly appreciated the company and the experience he gained there but was successfully recruited to return to the college by Wesley Womack, who chairs Industrial Systems Technology at 91Ӱ��.

“Scott has a profound impact on students by helping them build both technical competence and confidence in their abilities,” Womack said. “He creates an environment where students feel supported while being challenged to reach their full potential.” 

In addition to his teaching responsibilities at 91Ӱ��, Butcher is the administrator and faculty advisor for the college’s SkillsUSA chapter. He said a turning point for his teaching came when he figured out he could adapt SkillsUSA activities as part of his in-class lessons for his students.

Those activities, he said, are fun, distinctive, and get the students more engaged and involved in their own education. Now he’s seeing fellow instructors building SkillsUSA activities into their courses and lessons too.

At SkillsUSA competitions, Butcher loves to take photos that capture students and instructors chatting or discussing shared passions and interests in their field, conversing as equals.

Another image he savors is the expression on a student’s face when they suddenly comprehend something he’s explaining. 

“It’s like the light bulb turns on,” he said. “I just love that moment.”