A Job to Kiln For: Ventura’s Highway Led to Grossmont College Gig

Grossmont College’s Al Ventura says he loves watching the transformation of ceramics students over the course of the semester.

“At first they get dirty and say, ‘I can’t go to [my next] class like this,’ ” he said. “After a while, they come dressed looking like they rolled around in the mud and end up going to straight to class afterward.”

Ventura is the school’s ceramics lab technician, making him the go-to guy for supplies, machine maintenance and all things creative.

“It’s a labor-intense job,” said Ventura, who’s been at the college for six of his 30 years working in ceramics. “And that’s what I like about it. It’s fire and excitement.”

Ventura maintains six gas and eight electric kilns, and also makes the clay and glazes on-site. Recently, he requested college funds to be allocated for an awning over the students’ outdoor area so they could work more comfortably in the rain or hot weather.

Sandra Goodboy, an adult student in her second year of ceramics, says many of the pieces she makes weren’t what she originally intended.

“I find a lot of things are happy accidents,” she said. “I start out with one thing in mind and come out with something completely different.”

Ventura says working with clay is like a good therapy session—just a whole lot cheaper.

“When you’re working on something, you get so caught up that there is no time,” he said. “You could be working on it until you smell food and realize you’re hungry.”