Since Ledora Hightower first encountered The Crucible at Fire Arts Festival back in 2008, she has become an integral part of our community, encouraging her family and neighbors to come in, take classes, and gain lifelong skills in welding, blacksmithing, glass blowing, and more. An Oakland native who lives just a few blocks away, Ledora Hightower has been The Crucible’s ambassador, directly facilitating scholarships for free Crucible classes for our neighborhood’s youth, adults, seniors, and many more. After working in the East Bay Conservation Corps and driving for AC Transit, Ledora started working as our custodian and as an instructor in our Woodworking Department. We have Ledora to thank for many of the youth who started taking classes at The Crucible on scholarship, and are now lead instructors in their departments.