Business Teacher Motivates Students through Positive Lessons

Once hearing him speak, students realize that the new Marketing, Finance, and Management teacher, Jason Gervais, has his own way of teaching the seemingly simple topic.

Coming from Workman High School, Gervais is a new face on campus.

“I talk about that mindset so much because when I was in my 30s I figured that out and got the proper coaching,” Gervais said, ”and if I can talk to a teenager and give them that, it gives them literally two decades of lead time that I didn’t have.”

Sophomore Giovanna Fernandez said, “The mindset he tries to instill in his students is something that I haven’t seen from any other teachers as strongly as he does. He always tries to keep us motivated and not think about certain things as negatively as we do.”

Gervais’ Business and Personal Finance course teaches students about economic and business related topics that will be or are beneficial once students reach their adult years. The course focuses on ideas such as budgeting, interview etiquette, and taxes.

Gervais has introduced new trips to LAHS students on campus. His upcoming trip is taking over 90 female students to the annual “Hello Future” event, a two-day convention featuring STEAM paths. These science, technology, engineering, and mathematics based career paths give female students the chance to explore various career paths that currently have more males.

“The girls build field trip that he is introducing to our school is something new and interesting that I’ve never seen done here because it’s motivating young woman to go out and choose career options that they usually don’t fall into,” said Fernandez.

Throughout the year, he plans on taking his business students to the Microsoft store in Century, the In-N-Out University, and the Federal Reserve.

“The whole idea behind field trips is to get people outside of where they normally are. Most people stay within a 6-10 mile radius and outside of that, they don’t know what exists,” Gervais said, “The idea is to get people outside of their radius to see what is out there, giving students an opportunity to see what they can learn, what they can see, and who they can meet.”