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Wilburn Jude Highlight
Plan B is more important than Plan A. Nothing is ever going to work out the way you plan it, so you’ve always got to be looking beyond what you are doing to see what the next step is.
About Wilburn
- Born and raised in Mingo County, West Virginia—I come from a long line of coal miners, stretching back multiple generations all the way back to the Civil War.
- My father was an avid gardener and instilled that passion in me from an early age—my wife and I have even talked about one day starting a farm or large garden once we retire.
- For over 20 years, I worked in various coal mines throughout West Virginia, but I got laid off in 2013 as the coal industry slowly collapsed in our area.
- After getting laid off, I struggled to find a job and briefly considered pursuing a career in a technical field, but wasn’t sure that was for me.
- I eventually found out about Refresh Appalachia, an agricultural nonprofit providing training in farm and food entrepreneurship, and I applied.
- I joined their 33-6-3 program, where every week I spend 33 hours in on-the-job training, six hours in a college classroom, and three hours learning about personal development.
- I attended Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College, where I earned my associate’s degree in applied sciences in 2019.
- I plan on using the education and experience gained from Refresh Appalachia to start pursuing exciting new career ventures, and I’m even considering continuing my higher education.
