Ohio County’s Ueltschy Named W.Va. Adult Education Student of the Year
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eWHEELING -- Daniel Ueltschy of Wheeling can't stop smiling these days.
For the past decade, Ueltschy, 41, worked in a tire store. Then, last year, he made the decision to better himself and obtain his high school equivalency diploma so that he could be considered for a job with Ohio County Schools.
He got the job, and is now the manager at Wheeling Island Stadium.
Teachers Gail Adams and Cindy West -- instructors at the Ohio County Adult Learning Center -- next nominated him for West Virginia Adult Education Student of the Year award, and Ueltschy took home the honor. The award ceremonies took place Sept. 11 at the Stonewall Resort in Roanoke, West Virginia. Among those in the crowd was Ueltschy's new boss David Crumm, director of operations for Ohio County Schools.
"I love it, I love it, I love it," Ueltschy said of his new job. "I don't even consider this a job or work after what I was doing. My income has doubled. It was definitely worth it.
"There's not a day that I wake up that I can't believe what I'm doing. Before I never had a smile on my face, and now it's different. I have days off and job security."
Ueltschy knew a high school diploma was something he needed if he were to land his dream job.
"I wanted to apply with Ohio County Schools, but I knew I would get rejected if I didn't have my (high school equivalency diploma)," he said.
Ueltschy explained he was a good student and an athlete when he was in school. As a seventh grader, he played on the first basketball team coached by now Wheeling Park HIgh School football coach/athletic director Chris Daugherty.
"I loved it (school)," he said. "I got good grades."
But Ueltschy explained life for him at home wasn't so stellar.
When he was a freshman at WPHS he met his future wife Kimberly Cox-Ueltschy who was a year older and a "star student," he continued.
Over time, her family actually took him in to live with them. But Ueltschy continued to be concerned about his younger sister Denny Jo Klages, who was still living with his family at home. He started working with his grandfather doing construction with a goal of somehow getting custody of Denny Jo.
Kimberly's father, former Ohio County Magistrate and bail bondsman John Cox, was instrumental in helping Ueltschy obtain a condo where he and Denny Jo could live.
"He put me on the path of the straight and narrow," Ueltschy said of Cox.
Following a heated custody battle, Ueltschy was granted custody of Denny Jo despite only being in 10th grade at the time.
"It was absolutely my home life that dragged me out of school to take care of my sister," he Ueltschy explained. "I had a job and it took her through high school."
He had to drop out of school at the time to work full time. It was 1998, and he would have been a member of the class of 2000.
Denny Jo went on to graduate not just high school, but to obtain both masters and doctoral degrees. She presently oversees an autism program that hires specialists for schools throughout the state.
Over time, Kimberly also came to live with Ueltschy and help raise Denni Jo. They married, and she went on to obtain a masters degree. She has been in education for 22 years, and is currently a third grade teacher at Woodsdale Elementary School.
It was about a year ago that Ueltschy decided he also needed to look into obtaining more education.
"You get stuck in that rabbit hole, and you think you're doing fine," he said. "I had been turning wrenches in a tire shop for the past 10 years. Last October, I realized I didn't want to be doing this the rest of my life.
"I looked around and saw everybody around me had a higher education, and I wanted a high school degree."
He enrolled in the Ohio County Adult Education program at West Virginia Northern Community College, and he obtained his high school equivalency diploma "in about four weeks."
Ueltschy said instructors Gail Adams and Cindy West helped him "hone in on the things I needed to do."
He noted math was especially hard, especially trigonometry and geometry.
"I was in construction for many years, and already knew a lot of it," Ueltschy explained. "They were able to work lessons into what I already knew.
"I understood the Pythagorean theorem. I just didn't know it was called that."
He termed Adams and West "two lovely ladies - the greatest in the world."
"And the program is free. People should take advantage," Ueltschy said.
He isn't the first of their students to win the West Virginia Adult Education Student of the Year award. Last year's winner, Ling Curtis, also was a student of West and Adams in Ohio County.
Adams and West jointly released the following statement about Ueltschy.
"Daniel is energetic and highly self-motivated. Because he had done so much preparation before he enrolled in our program, he was able to earn his high school equivalency diploma in a little over one month," they said.
"For those people who want to complete their high school equivalency diploma, we encourage them to call us to set up an appointment to register. That is the hardest step to take. Once enrolled, they will find a warm, welcoming atmosphere among a community of learners. It is a great place to learn."
Crumm also had something to say about his new stadium manager.
"Daniel is someone who shows perseverance and hard work," he said. "He is constantly on the go while working at Wheeling Island Stadium making sure things are ready for practices and games.
"In addition to being at the stadium, he also helps out around the county through the maintenance department by cutting grass, cleaning grounds and anything else that might be asked to be completed in our schools. We are excited to have him as a part of our Operations Center team."
Ueltschy said he now works closely with his former basketball coach Daugherty, and the two have spoken about his history and how far he has come. Daugherty has told Ueltschy that now is the time he does something for himself.
"I'm definitely going to be here for 20 years, and keep moving up in the county," he said. "Once you get a foot in the door, there are endless options. I want to keep climbing and climbing."