Student spotlight Tim McKnight

It has been a little over ten months since the events that have me writing this started to unfold. Maybe a little background is in order. I was born in Salem, Indiana in 1959. My father was the oldest of nine boys, navy, a union carpenter, construction superintendent and a church builder. My mother, a coal miner’s daughter was born in the hills of Kentucky. She left school at age twelve to work to help a large family.

Our mother brought my brother and me to the Florida Gulf Coast in 1969. I began working for my stepfather and my brother, both builders, after school at age twelve. Immediately after graduating from Hernando High,  Brooksville, Florida in 1977, I started my own construction company at the ripe old age of seventeen.

I met my former wife of twenty six years, Helen in 1980 and have two son’s, Justin and Bryce. At the time, Helen was just starting nursing school. She has been a nurse for thirty years and remains in the profession today. After relocating in South Florida, Bryce attended a Surgical Technology Program in Hollywood, graduating in 1997 and has been working in the operating room ever since.

In 1998 I took the family to Colorado to follow my desire of a simpler life, and to get out of Miami. While in Colorado, Bryce worked at Vail Hospital, with the renowned Steadman-Hawkins Orthopedic Surgical Group. Justin is a chef at Bay City Country Club in Texas. 

Starting as carpenter foreman, I became project manager with Gulf Constructors, Sarasota, Florida; I resigned after ten years and joined Coastal Group. I was promoted to VP in a short time. After ten years in Miami and then Colorado, I was asked to come  back to Coastal to oversee the construction of a twelve and eight story luxury condo in Palm Coast. After completing the projects, rather than returning to Miami, I started Genesis Design and Construction Services, Inc. here in St. Augustine in 2004. 

When the great recession hit the country, I closed down the business and to my surprise; as a former construction superstar, i was unable to find a job. I expanded my search out of state, finally resorting to subcontracting work in Louisiana and Tennessee.

All short duration projects and very little money to be made.

Which brings us to why I’m at FCTC in the Medical Assisting Program. After nearly two years without steady work I became a resort property security officer working the graveyard shift. Little did I know that decision would almost put me in the graveyard. Before I was able to adapt to the hours, I contracted the H1N1 virus and within 24 hours of not feeling well was in a coma and on life support. After nearly three weeks on my sedation vacation, to many people’s surprise, including several doctors, I woke up.

Following two more near death experiences, and nearly two months in the hospital, I knew I had to do something besides building. The professionalism and compassion of the nurses and techs at the hospital, a brief discussion with Ms Robinson and here I am. I would like to thank Ms. Robinson, Ms, Edwards and Ms. Bowyer for their thoughtful and generous guidance and instruction and hope to some day make them proud that they stuck in there with an old construction guy. FCTC and it’s MA students are very blessed to have these three outstanding instructors on the team.