Dos Pueblos High teacher wins $50,000 in nationwide contest
GOLETA, Calif. - A Construction Technology teacher at Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta has been named one of 18 winners of the 2020 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence contest.
Mr. Chris Mollkoy will be receiving a total of $50,000 - $35,000 for his school and $15,000 for himself. A full list of the 18 winners can be viewed here.
The Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence was started in 2017 by Eric Smidt, the founder of national tool retailer Harbor Freight Tools, to recognize outstanding instruction in the skilled trades in public high schools and the teachers who inspire students to learn those skills.
“This year has been one of the toughest on record for skilled trades teachers as they switch between in-person, remote or blended learning—all while trying to do their life’s work of preparing the next generation of tradespeople,” said Danny Corwin, executive director of Harbor Freight Tools for Schools. “At a time when tradespeople are more essential than ever, so is trades education. We are honored and grateful to have the chance to shine a spotlight on these teachers’ amazing work.”
Despite struggling with dyslexia and ADD as a young student, Mr. Mollkoy was the first person in his family to graduate from college, earning a bachelor’s degree in English and a teaching credential from the University of California, Davis.
After teaching high school wrestling and English for seven years, Mollkoy decided to switch careers to work more with his hands. He obtained his contractor’s license and started his own finish carpentry company.
Mollkoy later returned to the classroom, this time as an industrial arts teacher, where he teaches students how to design and build objects from a cutting board to a tiny home.
Mollkoy works closely with organizations like Tradart, a career development and workplace preparation nonprofit, and Partners in Education, which helps secure paid internships for disadvantaged students. His students also pursue community service projects, including rebuilding hiking trail signs that were lost in a wildfire.
He received the Marvin Melvin Award in 2018, given to the Santa Barbara County Department of Education’s career and technical education teacher of the year.
Today, Mollkoy teaches more than 200 students annually, and another 100 students attend his summer woodworking camps.
“What I love most about being a construction technology teacher is watching the light turn on for students," Mallkoy told Harbor Freight Tools in his application. "The confidence they feel in my class also carries over to other aspects of the skilled trades and beyond.”
