West Kentucky Community & Technical College

Congratulations to Georgiana Roberts of Mayfield! Georgiana was recently named the West Kentucky Community and Technical College April Student of the Month!

West Kentucky Community and Technical College recognized more than 200 candidates for graduation who participated in its Spring Commencement Ceremonies May 9, 2015 at the Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Center. More than 700 WKCTC students were eligible to receive associate degrees, diplomas or certificates.

Courtney Walker of Grand Rivers was one of 92 students recognized at West Kentucky Community and Technical College's 2015 Honors Ceremony April 30 in the Clemens Fine Arts Center. Courtney was recognized for receiving an Award for Excellence in Communication and the 2014 Coca Cola Leader of Promise award. Courtney received a $1,000 scholarship from Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society as a Coca-Cola Leader of Promise Scholar to further her associate degree studies.This is the first time a WKCTC student has received the Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholarship. Congratulations Courtney for both awards!

Tara Isbell of Mayfield was one of 92 students recognized at West Kentucky Community and Technical College's 2015 Honors Ceremony April 30 in the Clemens Fine Arts Center. Tara received a Who's Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges award and the ADN Florence Nightingale award. She was also named to the 2015 Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) All-Academic Team. The KCTCS All-Academic Team recognizes outstanding students in Kentucky's community and technical colleges. She will be one of two students speaking during the 2015 WKCTC Spring Commencement at the Luther Carson Four Rivers Center Saturday. Congratulations Tara!!

Clarissa Pease of Paducah was one of 92 students recognized at West Kentucky Community and Technical College's 2015 honors Ceremony April 30 in the Clemens Fine Arts Center. Clarissa received a Certificate of Excellence in Education: Elementary. She was also named to the 2015 Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) All-Academic Team. The KCTCS All-Academic Team recognizes outstanding students in Kentucky's community and technical colleges. She will be one of two students speaking during the 2015 WKCTC Spring Commencement at the Luther Carson Four Rivers Center Saturday. Congratulations Clarissa!!

Heather Vandiver of Paducah was one of two West Kentucky Community and Technical College students named to the 2015 All-USA Community College Academic Team. All-USA Team members are selected by USA TODAY and Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. The award is presented to exceptional students at the nation's community colleges with consideration of grades, academic rigor, growth and how well the students use their education to benefit their schools and communities. "I am honored to be awarded the opportunity to be an ALL-USA Academic Team member," said Heather, 25, a Hopkins County Central High School graduate. "From all that I have achieved, it is rewarding for me just to have made it this far. I thought I would never be in college. I thought I would never have the chance." In addition to the All-USA honor, Heather recently received an Outstanding Achievement in Business Administration award and a Who's Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges award. Way to go, Heather!

Cassandra Grace of Boaz was one of two West Kentucky Community and Technical College students named to the 2015 All-USA Community College Academic Team. Graduating from WKCTC in December 2014 with an Associate in Applied Science degree in medical information technologies, Cassandra was recently hired as a medical coding specialist with Lourdes Mercy Health. Her future plans include possibly returning to college to earn a bachelor's degree. Congratulations Cassandra!

The following people recently were initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

Ninety-two students were recognized during the 2015 Honors Ceremony Thursday, April 30 at West Kentucky Community and Technical College.

Sixty-nine WKCTC nursing students will receive nursing pins with 46 representing completion of the Associate Degree in Nursing Program and 23 receiving pins representing completion of the Practical Nursing Program. The ceremony will be held May 9 at 11:30 a.m. at the Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Center.

Nine student artists received more than $500 in awards during the 2015 Paducah School of Art & Design student exhibition April 9, 2015 at West Kentucky Community and Technical College. The winning works in 10 categories were selected by Harris Deller, professor emeritus, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. For the fourth year, WKCTC president Dr. Barbara Veazey also presented the WKCTC President's Award to one artist.

Fifteen West Kentucky Community and Technical College students in the 2015 Radiography Class recently donated money to the College's Radiography Alumni Scholarship and several local charities with money raised at last semester's Paint Me RAD 5K/1K Walk.

Members of the West Kentucky Community and Technical College's Kentucky Association of Nursing Students (KANS) chapter participated in the college's first Teddy Bear Clinic to teach area children the basics of first aid.

Congratulation to Robin Gericke of Paducah! Robin was recently named the West Kentucky Community and Technical College March Student of the Month.

Asheley Thomas of Boaz recently brought home two state honors from the Phi Beta Lambda State Conference held March 20-21 at the University of Pikeville. Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) is a nonprofit educational association of post secondary students Thomas, a student at West Kentucky Community and Technical College, placed first in the macroeconomics and third in the microeconomics categories. She is now eligible to attend the National PBL conference in Chicago, Ill, this summer.

The Zonta Scholarship is awarded annually from the Zonta Club of Paducah to a nontraditional female student pursuing a college degree. The $500 scholarship helps to help pay for tuition, books or any expense that will enable student recipients to further their education.

The Student of the Month program at West Kentucky Community & Technical College is designed to recognize the accomplishments of students on campus. Individuals selected must be currently enrolled at West Kentucky and have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher and are nominated on the basis of exceptional performance, personal attributes, academic excellence and active participation in various student organizational activities.

West Kentucky Community and Technical College student Nichole Paschedag recently received an honorable mention in the Annual Flo Gault Poetry Prize for Kentucky Undergraduates - the only student to receive the honor from a community college.

WKCTC nursing student Sarah Vasquez was recently recognized at the Kentucky Housing Association's mid-year conference in Lexington as a KHA Scholarship recipient.

The following students have earned recognition for their academic work by being named to the West Kentucky Community and Technical College Dean's List for the fall 2014 semester. To be named to the Dean's List, a student must be a full-time WKCTC student earning at least a 3.5 grade point average (GPA) and successfully completing 12 hours or more of course work numbered 100 or above for the academic term.

Dental students at West Kentucky Community & Technical College showed their appreciation to local dentists by preparing and delivering 20 fruit baskets during Dental Assistants Recognition Week March 2-8.

Surgical Technology students at West Kentucky Community and Technical College recently collected a variety of items for the Starfish Orphan Ministry. The students - Zachary Gillum, Keli Jo Compton, Devin Giurintano, Anne McIntosh, Dawn West, Gabriela Hurtado, Greg Wiggins, and Caitlin McManus -  collected diapers, bottles, pacifiers, baby clothing, blankets, toys, and books for the local ministry.

West Kentucky Community and Technical College's "Swain Scrub Bunnies" raised a $1,000 for Special Olympics during the 2015 Polar Plunge at Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park Saturday, February 21. The “Swain's Scrub Bunnies” consist of surgical technology students lead by WKCTC surgical technology program coordinator Deborah Swain. Pictured from left to right are some of the members of the Zach Gillum of Paducah, Greg Wiggins of Mayfield, Caitlin McManus of Symsonia, Swain, and Dawn West of Benton.

Miranda Turner of Paducah has accepted the position as the new pastry chef at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tenn.

Three Information Technology students at West Kentucky Community and Technical College recently received a total of $9,000 in scholarships from Samsung.

Selection of the WKCTC Student of the Year is based on continuous academic performance, active participation in various student organizational activities and community service, while exhibiting a positive and encouraging attitude. Students had to maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.7 or higher and must have held and been successful in a significant leadership role on campus or within the community.

West Kentucky Community and Technical College recognized more than 120 candidates for graduation who participated in its Fall Commencement Ceremony December 15, 2014 at the Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Center. More than 800 WKCTC students were eligible to receive associate degrees, diplomas or certificates during the Fall 2014.

WKCTC's Student of the Month program is designed to recognize the accomplishments of students on campus. Individuals selected must be currently enrolled at WKCTC and have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher and are nominated on the basis of exceptional performance, personal attributes, academic excellence and active participation in various student organizational activities.

More than 25 third semester nursing students from West Kentucky Community and Technical College recently put down their books and rolled up their sleeves to help Paducah-McCracken Habitat for Humanity at two properties in Paducah.

West Kentucky Community and Technical College students Gabriel Crider (pictured on the left) and Jennifer Davis-Cooley (center) will be the student speakers for 2014 Fall Commencement at the Luther Carson Four Rivers Center December 15. Commencement begins at 7 p.m. and will be preceded at 5 p.m. by the 2014 nursing pinning ceremony. Dr. Kevin Gericke (right), professor of economics and statistics at WKCTC, will be the evening's keynote speaker.