Among West High’s newest teachers is James Clark, who teaches construction and fundamentals of construction. Clark was born in Morristown, Tennessee, attending Fairview Marguerite Elementary School before moving to East Ridge. Clark returned to Morristown and graduated from Morristown East High School, then continued his education at Walters State Community College. Clark initially began his college education hoping to be a medical illustrator, but then decided to shift his attention towards art education. After graduating, Clark went into the field of construction, and stayed there until the opportunity arose for him to become a construction teacher here at West High School.
In his free time, Clark enjoys the outdoors, and lives by the quote “always expect the unexpected.” Clark shared his advice to high school students, stating “...enjoy your time here but take it seriously. Life will really hit you fast once you graduate, so make sure you have a plan in place for work and post education. Know that these teachers here at West really care about helping you achieve your goals.”
Clark is proud to join West’s staff, as he believes, “the staff here at West is top notch,” and encourages students to seek help and advice from teachers whenever needed. Additionally, Clark advises students not to get too used to it, and to expect change following graduation, citing his experience in life with having trouble finding people to support and help him.