I worked for Kingfisher Holding Limited about 5 years doing computer work. I was very happy, but I b egan to go to a university in the evening and I needed a job that gave me more time. So, I found another job at a technical school. At this school I also did computer work and I taught Marketing, too.

However, I did not like my work because there was too much gossiping; but I had a lot of free time to study for my evening classes. I worked at this job for about 3 years and I left this job when I finished my university studies and came to the United States.

In the future I hope to find a job like the one I had at the Kingfisher company which gives me responsibility and was appreciated. If I find a job like that I will work hard and improve my English, too.

I was working night shift and was driving a van to the office to get gas. I filled up the tank and then went home to put some wood in the stove so my pipes would not freeze up.

I left my home. On the way back up the hill, I looked in the rear-view mirror and saw a light. The van was on fire. I tried to put the fire out with a fire extinguisher, but it flared back up. I walked away and turned around. All the windows had swelled up ...the whole thing was swelled up, like a big dog tick. Then it blew up? The windows blew out and glass went everywhere.

I went to my sister's house to call the fire department. When I looked back, it blew up again, with a big ball of fire shooting across the road. After that, the fire department came but the fire was just about out by then. The firemen got some materials out of the back, but that was on fire, too. They said that if I had used twenty-five extinguishers I wouldn't have been able to put out that fire.

The investigators found that the vent tube was igniting off the muffler, which was hot... and that caused the fire.

I was blessed to get away from it without getting hurt or losing my life!

Often people do not pay attention to signs. Some run right through a stop sign. Then we have people who pull the signs up and lay them on the ground. I pick them up and put them in the ground again. That's because it's part of my job.

Over the years I've learned that my job is very important when you spend each day working on the road keeping it in good traveling condition. I've learned that it's a lot of work fixing potholes, cutting bushes, picking up trash, putting down new asphalt, keeping run-off pipes open and clean, keeping signs up and a number of other things we do.

The most important and dangerous job that I do is when I have to keep the roads free from ice and snow. When the weather is bad, people love to go out in it, and that makes my job harder to do, but it's my job and I love it!

As a child in the 50's I remember him getting up early in the morning, cooking biscuits, and eggs, bacon or sausage. Uncle William and two of my other uncles owned a farm and saw mill together. After breakfast he would go to the farm and milk cows. After milking cows he would drive a pickup truck with a house on the back, and pick up the men at their various homes to take them to work at their saw mill. After working at the saw mill all day he would drop each man off at their homes. After dropping off men he would go back to the farm and milk cows again.

I think my uncle worked hard because he was a partner with two other brothers, and he wanted to do his share of work. I think he cooked because he loved his wife, and wanted to help her. He was a Christian and a generous man.

My uncle also was a role model for me. I thank God for him. He is still living in Louisa, Va. He is walking slow, but still smiling.

We have a large family so the laundry has to be done everyday. I gather the clothes up and wash them. There are at least two or more loads a day. The clothes are all gathered up and washed, dried, and put away everyday.

After I help my mom I get to rest awhile before it's time to do my work. We use wood heat to heat the house. Every evening I have to fill up the wood boxes up on the back porch. Sometimes the wood has to be busted to fit the woodstoves.

Sometimes if I feel like it I will cook dinner for everyone. My favorite meal is stir-fry. I fix stir-fry, homemade biscuits for dinner and ice cream for dessert. Everyone enjoys my cooking.

My mother is very grateful for my help. My mother always told me it's better to have a clean house rather than to have a dirty house. A clean home is a happy home but it is hard work.

I worry if I am going to find a new job or what kind of job I will have to take because of my education. That is the reason I started back to scdhool. I feel if I can get my GED, it will open up the doors to better jobs and a better life for me.

I like my job and what I do. I do not mind working hard. The thought of having to start all over again is not a good feeling. I pray, put my trust in God and I know He will see me through.

After several months of working there, a hurricane named Camille came through central Virginia. I couldn't get to work because of high water. It was probably a good thing I could not get there, because the Dairy had an ammonia explosion. The explosion was under the room where I helped make cottage cheese. It was very fortunate that no one was in the cheese room at the time of the explosion, no one else could get there either. Along with all the harm the hurricane did, in this instance it did good.

I was very young when I went to work at the dairy. I soon realized that a part time job was not paying me as much as I needed. Even though I enjoyed my job I needed more income and a set schedule.

A job came available at a local tire store. By this time I had met and fallen in love with the girl that is now mywife. This new job offered me more money, set work schedule, evenings and week-ends off. This was what I really wanted.

I had worked there about a year when Judy and I were married. Then one December for her birthday, I had gotten her a rockig chair, because we were expecting our first child. The men at work teased me so much about the rocking chair, they knew who was going to spoil the baby. As a result of their teasing me so much that night when I was asleep I said something about rocking chair, and about the baby. Judy was not asleep and woke me to ask what I was talking about. I said, "Oh no, I have told you about your birthday present." Two weeks went byand our son arrived. We laugh to this day, 30 years later, about how the men at work had teased me.

My uncle, whom I thought a lot of, offered me a job in a plumbing company. This was a high paying job with benefits. For the first time since Judy and I were married we had insurance. I really hated to leave the tire company, where I had made lots of friends. Now that I had a family and was expecting a second child, I knew I needed the best income possible.

I worked here for a number of years and learned things I never thought I could learn. I became a master plumber and was really making a very good income. We did everything from putting in new plumbing to unstopping toilets. A lot of the time the toilet would be stopped up with a toothbrush or a toy. That sounds like something my son could do.

The years passed quickly and our children were growing up fast. My father-in-law passed away and my mother-in-law's health wasn't very good. We moved to Scottsville where once again I changed jobs. This time not for more money, but for convenience. I was close to home and school when needed. Now our grandchildren and PaPa are in school. How neat!

In my 50 years of life with the different jobs and their different opportunities I have experienced many things. I feel each has been very helpful to me in making my life successful. Now that Judy and I have a second family, two of our grandchildren, I only hope that I can help to teach them to be as successful as I feel I have been. No one has to start at the top, you can always advance in what you are doing.

I went to work for Woolfork Maus the year of 1988. There I made jeans but it was okay back then. I worked there for three years. Then, I started work for a husband and wife. They had a shop called Bishop Corner. We made different types of dresses, pants, and tops for ladies. That was fun.

I enjoyed both jobs because it was sewing and that's what I like to do. I think that's what I'm best at but jobs that involve sewing don't usually stay around here. I worked at that job for 4 years before they went out of business.

I started working at a camp for kids during the summer. My job there was to cook for 500 kids. I enjoyed that but it was only for 6 months of the year.

In March of 1999, I went to work for a company called M & B Headwear. My duties there were to sew the brim around the hat. We sewed hats for the government. The hat was for the Army. I worked there for one year and they went out of business. On April 17, 2000 I started working for atemporary service called At Work. I worked for them for two months. Then I got on full-time at Thomasville Furniture on June 16, 2000 -- not a bad job but that is something close to home. It does give me a chance to work on my GED.

When you make your mistake, you have to do things that you don't want to. My dream job is to get my GED and go to school for hair. I've been wanting to do that for a long time. May my dream come true. I hope in September of 2001 I can try to take my test. Wish me luck.

My job description is housekeeping. I have been there for 2 1/2 months. This is the longest I've ever kept a job. I like it. I mean it's okay because you get a lot of benefits. Sometimes it can be a little nerve-wracking.

I have to get up at 4:30 A.M. My hours are from 6:00 A.M. to 2:30 P.M., Monday through Friday. I get my weekends off. My job is a little on the easy side because all I do is clean such as sweeping, mopping, etc.

Working in a public pace like this can be interesting at times because of seeing all the people that come and go. People look different because some are dressed neatly but some are slopy.

Sometimes my job gets boring at the end of the day because I run out of things to do before my shift is over.

It's important for me to work so I can earn my paycheck for the cost of living. Also it is important because if we didn't do the cleaning at UVA, the library would be a disaster and the students wouldn't be able to use it. Also, I have friends there that told me about the job.

I am also a housekeeper part time for Servicemaster at the Old West hospital in the mornings, which I've done for 10 years.

Now I am attending classes for the G.E.D. on Wednesdays. So my goal is trying to work hard for my G.E.D. so I can get a better paying job.

I haven't missed a single day on this job because I don't mind the work. I like all the people on the job and I get along with all of them very well. I like this job better than housekeeping and also better than when I was at Frank Ix for 26 years running a big machine, lacing the thread from a spool.

When we discharge patients we get a wheelchair and go to the floor and help them in the chair and get their things and we call and put the room in for cleaning. Then we take them down and help them get in their car, or wait till someone brings the car.

My dream job is working as a secretary at a desk. That's why I'm back in school now to increase my skills.

I think the one thing about modeling I would enjoy most would be the traveling. Being able to travel to exotic locations and meet new people would be so exciting. The only down side to traveling so extensively would be the fact that one doesn't get to see their family much.

Being a model gives one the opportunity to meet many talented and intriguing people. To be chosen by designers to display their art would be a great compliment. Hopefully, one day I'll become a well-known model. Until then I'll have to settle for a more ordinary life.

I previously worked at the hospital for seventeen years.

When I worked for construction I cut foundations with loaders and stuff, put subdivision roads in, did a few jobs for the state highways, did flood clean-up. I was in the Nelson County flood in 1969 for three weeks. That's the first time I was in a flood with dead bodies and dead cattle. It was a sight you wouldn't believe. One hundred and eighty six people were killed. A couple of families were completely wiped out. Twnety-seven inches of rain fell all at one time.

I started playing with heavy equipment like front end loaders at the Ivy Landfill when I was thirteen years old. It's hard on you. Here I am, a young man, but I feel like I'm eighty years old. It's hard on the knee joints, ankles, shoulders, back, neck.

My supervisor told me about this class. He walked up to me and asked me would you like to go back to school for four hours a week. VDOT is very nice to me for doing this. I'm hoping to get some education, so I can feel good about myself. I went through tenth grade in high school. I was in special education, and if a teacher didn't want you in the class, she put you on a work detail, picking up papers in the football fields, raking the baseball diamond, washing dishes. You didn't learn anything because if they needed help in the kitchen they came got you out of the classroom. Everything I've learned, I've learned through common sense.

I'm a stock handler; my responsibility is making sure all materials move in and out of the American Phone Center department. I'm also responsible for the operators having parts to do their assignments. In addition, I use the computer for various reasons, such as paperwork. The computer helps me with my job. I am able to find parts easy, to see what parts cost, and to see what the weekly usage is. Also I get to correspond with the buyers about parts.

I like working at Comdial. I go to work every day with a very positive attitude. I am a very friendly and courteous person. I put forth all efforts on my duties. I work very well as a team player with my coworkers.

I went to work one day and the supervisor asked if I would like to do "Operation America Workers." She said it would give me the opportunity to call customers all over the United States. My reply was "Sure, that sounds like fun." All the employees that were asked to participate went into a room. Each of us had our own booths. We were just like operators calling customers. Some customers we could understand, and some we could not. We had so much fun because the customers thought it was great to have employees calling them and making them aware of the promotion.

Every time I had the opportunity to participate in a telephone promotion I did. The customers were always very humorous. Being selected for this opportunity was very rewarding. After thirty years of service I guess my dream job would be dealing with people. The reason is I am a "people person."

Comdial has been sold. It is a frightening feeling to report to work each day and find I may not have a job. Working at Comdial is no longer a secure career. I work one day at a time. I have spent my entire life at Comdial. I am fifty-one years old and will be searching for work soon.

The department contracted out most of the jobs. We do a lot of brush cutting jobs. The manpower has been small for a long time. I would like to see the department quit contracting jobs out. I did like to work at the wastewater plant. The plant was on I-64. One was at Ivy and the other plant was at Afton Mountain. I liked working at the plant because I was working most of the time by myself. In the summer when it got hot, I would go into work early in the morning before it got hot. When the plant tanks were ful, we needed to clean out the big tank. I would go in late at night to clean out the tank. I would get one person to come in to help me. We would work until eight in the morning. I would like to see VDOT take the plant back. I know we can run the plant better than the contractor. I do know the plant was a whole lot cleaner when VDOT ran the plant. The plant was washed down seven days a week.

Honorable Mention

Questions and comments to Susan Erno