Buckeye hosts Congressman Troy Balderson
NEW PHILADELPHIA (Sept. 5, 2023) – The Congressman whose district now includes Western Tuscarawas County has been using their end-of-summer recess to learn more about the area.
Troy Balderson toured Buckeye Career Center Thursday and got to see students working toward industry-recognized credentials by the time they graduate high school. He was impressed with the size of the facility and the educational opportunities available there.
“I loved it. It kind of brings me back home again, and it’s good for me to be out. This is how I grew up: farming and being a mechanic… God gave us hands, a heart, and a mind. Those are the greatest tools we have, and to have them applied here and get an education from that, I think it’s great.”
Balderson says he’s a big proponent of letting kids know that they don’t need a college degree to be successful.
“I think I’m a perfect example of that. I don’t have a four-year college degree. I grew up on a farm. I worked in our dealership in our back end. That’s what I want these kids to understand, that they can do whatever they want, but we need to make sure that they know that there are great programs at these career centers and there’s great opportunity.”
Superintendent Bob Alsept says he loves showing off the facility, which got to host Governor Mike DeWine last September.
“Congressman Balderson is a big supporter of career tech. He’s from the area, so he’s known about Buckeye, but to get him here and let him see the facilities, the equipment, and then seeing the kids in action, it means a lot to us. And then when he goes back and represents us, he knows what happens here and he can describe it.”
Balderson spent the morning in Newcomerstown and was heading to Strasburg that afternoon to meet with Mayor Steve Smith and other village officials. He’s planning a few more stops around the area this week before traveling back to D.C.