Luke Huffman
Coalfield Development Corp
Huntington, WV USA
"I got tired of living someone else’s dream. It was my turn. Quit fighting it and just go live it."
Career Roadmap
Luke's work combines: Business, Non-Profit Organizations, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
When Coalfield Development was established and started working in this area, people (including myself) were really skeptical of their motives and what all was actually going on. People in communities like ours tend to fear change, but ultimately all of our suspicions were wrong. I started volunteering with them and eventually took on a full-time position in order to better help Appalachia and all of it's people.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Associate's Degree
General Studies
Marshall Community and Technical College
Associate's Degree
Physical Therapy/Therapist
Mountwest Community and Technical College
Certification
Lead Paint Abatement
Certification
Clandestine Meth Lab Remediation
Certification
Mold Remediation
Certification
Forklift
Vocational
Commercial Drivers License (CDL)
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
Born in West Virginia, but moved to Palm Beach, Florida when I was three years old—moved back to West Virginia when I was 14 and it was a massive culture shock.
2.
After high school, I attended a community college in Illinois, where I played baseball.
3.
Attended Marshall Community and Technical College, where I earned my associates’s degree in physical therapy.
4.
While I was still in college, at 21 years old, my daughter was born—I had to raise her pretty much by myself for the first few years of her life and went to school right alongside her.
5.
After college, I worked as a physical therapist assistant for over eight years—I truly loved it, but after a while, I got tired of doing it day-in and day-out.
6.
I took my passion for helping people and started a community development group that helped feed and clothe local children.
7.
Began volunteering with Coalfield Development, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the development of Appalachia and its people.
8.
Eventually, I took on a full-time position working as a property manager for Coalfield Development, where I help oversee the various projects and properties we work on.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
Who are these guys? Why are they here trying to change things? It can't be good.
How I responded:
When Coalfield Development was established and started working in this area, people (including myself) were really skeptical of their motives and what all was actually going on. People in communities like ours tend to fear change, but ultimately all of our suspicions were wrong. I started volunteering with them and eventually took on a full-time position in order to better help Appalachia and all of it's people.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I was born in West Virginia, but moved to Florida at a young age and didn't return to West Virginia until I was a teenager. Coming back to WV after living in Florida for so long was a massive culture shock, but I came to love this community.
When I was 21 years old, my daughter was born. It was a lot of responsibility to take on at a young age. I had to raise her pretty much by myself for the first few years and I went to school right alongside her.
I started out working as a physical therapist but, after a while, I just got tired of doing it and wanted something different. I started getting involved in the community and discovered Coalfield Development. Starting over is hard, but worth it.