Gavin Taylor is not only “Polytechnic Proud” – he’s Portage la Prairie proud as well.

“Portage la Prairie produces lots of bright, young people who can make a positive impact on this community,” said Taylor, 27, of his hometown.

“Some chase their dreams elsewhere but they can always come back and make this community a great place to live. We need them here.”

You can say as much of Taylor, a 2021 graduate of RRC Polytech’s Business/Technology Teacher Education program.

He’s now in his fourth year as an Applied Commerce Teacher at Portage Collegiate Institute (PCI), where he was once a student.

“I always said I’d take the best job available that suited me. I wanted to be a full-time business teacher. I wanted something rural. I thought it would be somewhere else; it turned out to be Portage.

“My second year, I became the lead business teacher. And the room I inherited was the same room where I studied when I was a student. A lot of the staff were also the same – except now I was calling them by their first name.”

More than 1,100 students attend PCI. As Portage la Prairie’s lone public high school, it reflects all the challenges, opportunities and potential of the city itself.

“Our students are from all walks of life. The demographics are similar to those of Winnipeg’s inner-city schools. We have challenges but there are really great things coming out of our classrooms.”

Taylor teaches a range of business courses for grades nine through 12. The school store plays a big role in the learning. Students order products, take inventory, launch promotions and generally learn how a business operates.

Meanwhile, a venture development course has students seeing their own business ideas to fruition. The course builds up to a tradeshow day in May when students show off their work to the public, including local media.

“We make things as real-world as possible. And whether a student goes on to establish their own enterprise or become an employee, they’re gaining skills that really transcend business.”

Just ten or so years older than his current grade 12 students, Taylor leans into that narrow age gap.

“I do think it’s advantageous. I can pull out examples the kids already know about. I’ll make jokes or use memes.”

Still, the topics in Taylor’s classes are no less important for the lighter-hearted approach. This semester he’s teaching a Grade 12 Economics class. A recent discussion centred on the question: ‘where should the provincial government allocate more money?’

“Students had to rank priorities. We had some great discussions on how these problems aren’t easily solved. They said ‘How can you pick? They’re all important.’ I said I agree but that what’s people in government and people with power do now. And that’s what you’re going to have to do in near future. Critical thinking is one thing I try to help them navigate. I want them to be ready for whatever comes their way.”

Taylor credits RRC Polytech for getting him ready to teach others.

“We started student teaching in year one. That set the tone. We had to microteach a lesson on a topic we knew nothing about – pretending our classmates were high school students. I wanted a challenge, so I chose an arts and crafts lesson. We built our skills in a lot of different ways.”

“There’s something great about our vocational teachers at RRC Polytech. Vocational students flourish. What’s in the coffee?”

One of 41 outstanding graduates featured in the College’s Polytechnic Proud campaign, Taylor had a little misdirection in store for his students.

“They were more excited than I was, I think, to hear I was part of the campaign. They thought my billboard was in Winnipeg, so naturally they wanted to do a field trip. Actually, my billboard was in Portage, right across the street from the school. I walked them outside and said, ‘this is the field trip’.”

He was proud to be the Portage Campus convocation guest speaker this past June.

“This is a special moment for me,” he said at the ceremony. “There are PCI students and former PCI staff being celebrated today, in addition to many more impactful graduates who will shape the future of Portage la Prairie, and the world as a whole.”

Current PCI students needn’t worry Mr. Taylor will run out of enthusiasm for teaching business any time soon.

“I love this stuff. I get excited about it, so it’s hard for students NOT to get excited,” said Taylor three days into the new school year.

“In class, we talk about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs because it’s relevant for business and how we market to customers. I always say I’m in the self-actualized area. This is my dream job. There’s no place I’d rather be.”

Profile by Randy Matthes (Creative Communications, 1993).