Calvert City Community Advisory Team Provides Scholarships for WKCTC Industrial Maintenance Students

MEDIA RELEASE: Paducah, KY (08/25/2017) — During its August 22 meeting, the Calvert City Community Advisory Team donated $5,000 to West Kentucky Community and Technical College to be awarded to five eligible industrial maintenance students this fall. Each of the five recipients will receive $1,000.

"The need for well-educated industrial maintenance and engineering personnel will exist as long as the plants in Calvert City are in operation," said Toni Darnall, Evonik Corporation environmental manager. "We believe these scholarships provide a mutual benefit to both the students and the industries that contribute to them. It is definitely a positive opportunity for everyone involved."

Formed in 1992, the Community Advisory Team (CAT) is made up of local citizens and representatives of several Calvert City chemical and industrial plants. CAT members work to promote science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, encourage awareness of critical issues in the area, and enhance emergency preparedness in the region.

Each fall and spring semester, the advisory team donates money to area schools through mini-grants to support STEM related projects in the schools. Darnall, said the Team was pleased to this year add funding at WKCTC and the UK College of Engineering at Paducah on WKCTC's campus for engineering and industrial maintenance scholarships. "We believe the target audience for these scholarships will increase the partnership between the university, college, industry, and the students," she said.

Lee Emmons, WKCTC vice president of institutional advancement, said the college is delighted the advisory team has taken this step to enhance educational opportunities for students. "By providing scholarships for industrial maintenance education, the advisory team is rewarding hard working students while contributing to the growth of a skilled workforce - a perfect industry and education partnership." said Emmons. "We greatly appreciate their support of WKCTC and area students."

Companies that participate in the Calvert City Community Advisory Team are Arkema, Inc.; Ashland, Inc.; Clean Earth, Inc.; Carbide Industries, LCC; Cymtech Corporation; Estron Chemical, Inc.; Evonik Corporation; Lubrizol Advanced Materials, Inc.; Sekisui SC; Wacker Chemical Corporation; Westlake Chemical Corporation; and Westlake PVC Corporation.

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West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC) has been recognized as an Aspen Prize Top 10 Community College each of the four times the Prize has been awarded by the Aspen Institute and has twice been named a Finalist with Distinction for providing students with strong job training and continuing higher education opportunity, for achieving high completion and transfer rates, and for providing strong employment results for its graduates.

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