Society seeks to train its young people to be well-educated citizens, and that is exactly what occurs at the Great Oaks Institute of Technology and Career Development campuses, every day of the school year.

One of four such campuses, Laurel Oaks, is located in Wilmington but serves students in 10 affiliate school districts and had an enrollment of 524 students last year.

The man responsible for overseeing the success of all these students is Mitchell Culbert, dean of instruction at Laurel Oaks. 

As campus supervisor, Culbert strives to provide quality education for all students. At Laurel Oaks, students can choose from 16 education programs; the most popular are health technology, aviation, cosmetology, automotive technology, and equine science and management. For the upcoming school year, Laurel Oaks will offer a new program for sports rehabilitation and therapy.

“The most challenging aspect of my job is to deal with students who do not take the opportunities that are provided to them,” said Culbert. “It is my challenge to get them to open up and realize the potential that they have. The most rewarding thing about my job is seeing our learners be successful.”

Culbert’s plans for the future include continuous improvement at Laurel Oaks so that the campus remains vital to the educational and economic growth of our community. He also strives to provide students with workforce transition and re-training for displaced workers.

Culbert plans to stay in the field of education until he retires because he knows the importance of quality education.

“It is my belief that education and lifelong learning are of utmost importance to the economic development of each student’s future as well as the community,” he said.