Ben Pitchford, center, of Colquitt County High School, was named Colquitt County's Teacher of the Year Thursday. The other finalists were Carrie Rowley, left, a first grade teacher at Sunset Elementary, and Ty Sutz, right, a fifth grade teacher at R.B. Wright Elementary.

MOULTRIE, Ga. — Trying to strike a new direction than his parent, who were teachers, Ben Pitchford got an engineering degree and went to work in the  business world, but after a few years he wasn’t satisfied in this career course.

Pitchford, who left that career behind to go home to the classroom as it were, was named on Thursday as the Colquitt County  School System’s Teacher of the Year.

“I guess I wanted to do my own thing,” Pitchford, who teaches high school Advanced Placement math, said during an interview  following the afternoon ceremony at Colquitt County High School. “After about five years I realized life is short and you need to do what makes you happy and brings you joy. Teaching has provided that for me.”

Pitchford, who earned a bachelor’s in industrial engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, is in his 14th year of teaching.

He walked into the classroom cold with no training, but has since earned a master’s degree in secondary education and a doctorate degree in curriculum and instruction from Valdosta State University.

“I am always amazed when I observe in his classroom and see the various ways he highlights the use of statistics in everyday life,” Colquitt High Principal Stephanie Terrell said. “Because of his hard work, dedication and creativity, his students continue to excel.”

Pitchford will represent the school system in the competition for Georgia Teacher of the Year.

The other two finalists among the 15 schools and campuses were Carrie Rowley, a first grade teacher at Sunset Elementary  in her 19th year on the job and Ty Sutz, a fifth grade teacher at R.B. Wright Elementary who is in his seventh year of teaching.

Other school winners were:

• Jeff Horne, Colquitt County Achievement Center.

• Jody Beth Stuckey, Cox Elementary.

• Priscilla DeMott, Doerun Elementary.

• April Allegood, Funston Elementary.

• Michael Rewis, C.A. Gray Junior High.

• Lisa Duncan, GEAR Gifted Center.

• Valerie Banks, Hamilton Elementary.

• Lori Lawhorne, Norman Park Elementary.

• Tonja Horne, Odom Elementary.

• Brennen Maxell, Okapilco Elementary.

• Martha Hobbs, Stringfellow Elementary.

• Jason Suber, Willie J. Williams Middle.

Each of the school winners will receive $200 from the school system, with the three finalists getting an additional $200. Pitchford will receive $200 more, for a total of $600.

He also received a check from Commercial Banking Co. and was sized for a ring from Jostens.