Economics extraordinaire

Economics extraordinaire

Economics teacher Mr. Jeffrey McCarthy never pictured himself in this career at a high school in Virginia, but that’s just how things have turned out. The Connecticut-born teacher sees himself working with the school for years to come.

Even though he grew up out of the area, life has led Mr. McCarthy to Arlington, and he has built a new home here. “I think that Connecticut was a good place to grow up,” Mr. McCarthy said. “I liked it there when I was a kid, but as an adult, I really enjoy the DC area.”

Mr. McCarthy feels that because of the county’s focus on quality education, diversity and public safety, he can really look forward to the future that his kids will have here. “I have two daughters who are four-and-a-half and one-and-a-half years old,” Mr. McCarthy said. “I think that they can gain experiences here that I didn’t get, and I plan on sending them to W-L in nine years.”

However, Mr. McCarthy’s own journey to the school was quite unplanned. It started simply as a project to get some working experience while studying at George Washington University, and Mr. McCarthy happened to be assigned to the school. Little did he know, he would still be teaching here more than six years later. “It started as just an assignment, but I really liked the environment I found here.”

Through all of the experiences that led him to Virginia and everything that has caused him to grow so fond of the area, Mr. McCarthy has found a place in which he can settle down. “It was a chance thing,” Mr. McCarthy said. “I never expected I’d end up here, but I like it a lot.”