I'm A Pathfinder: Shawn Moore
July 12, 2023
ASHLAND, Ky. – “I was the person who wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do,” said Shawn Moore.
After graduating from Russell High School in 1991, Moore enrolled at Ashland Community College, hoping to determine what path to take for his future.
He says he enrolled in classes three weeks before the fall term was set to begin and married his high school the next month. She would attend ACC with him the next year, and the two would later transfer to Morehead State University to complete their bachelor’s degrees together.
Moore earned a bachelor’s degree in social studies and began his teaching career with Ramey-Estep before transitioning to Russell High School.
He later earned a master’s in counseling and a master’s degree in administration. That led him to a counseling position at Russell and later a principalship at Russell Middle School.
Currently, Moore serves as principal at Russell Area Technology Center (RATC) which hosts students from Russell, Raceland, and Fairview. He began that role this year.
Moore has traveled the Silk Road, a series of interconnected paths that served as the primary trade routes between China and the west.
He has also been named a Fulbright Scholar twice, and received the James Madison Fellowship Award, which is awarded to outstanding social studies teachers.
One thing he has learned from all his accomplishments: “You’ve got to do the work.”
Moore’s aspirations don’t stop there. He says he plans to visit each of the seven continents one day.
“I always tell my students that you’re only limited by your own motivation,” he said.
Many of the students at RATC are dual credit students who are earning ACTC credit as a part of their regular school day.
“Dual credit is an amazing opportunity for students,” Moore said. “I get to see firsthand the commitment that ACTC has toward those students.”
He said that in order to receive opportunities, students have to be willing to take a chance and put themselves out there.
“You’ll never know what you’ll be good at in college unless you enroll. You might go and decide after one semester that it’s not for you, but you’ve at least put yourself out there,” Moore said.
He added, “Baseball wise, you can’t get to home unless you’re on first. As a student, you might start out and take a few classes and realize it’s not for you, and then realize later on down the road that it’s what you want. The first part of finding your path is taking a step.”
