West Kentucky Community & Technical College

Paducah's Gavin Posey has been named West Kentucky Community and Technical College's 2017 Student of the Year. Gavin was one of five previous Student of the Month winners nominated for the award. Student of the Month winners were selected between February and November 2017 with Gavin winning in November. Way to go Gavin!

Students in West Kentucky Community and Technical College's surgical technology program recently provided more than 300 area senior citizens with holiday gifts. Debbie Swain, WKCTC's surgical technology program coordinator, said the students were able to distributed gifts through Paducah Family Services. Pictured from left to right: surgical tech students Ashley Brunston, Brandy Bryson, Karson Canup, Kaila Deering, Russell Shemberger, Jessica Devane, Emma Furches and Julie Surerus. Great job students!

West Kentucky Community and Technical College recognized more than 190 candidates for graduation who participated in its Fall Commencement Ceremony December 11, 2017 at the Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Center. More than 1,200 WKCTC students were eligible to receive associate degrees, diplomas or certificates during the Fall 2017.

In early December 2017, WKCTC's 2018 physical therapist assistant graduating class donated a new skeleton to the PTA program to use in its kinesiology lab. The students paid for the skeleton themselves as a Christmas gift to the program! Awesome!

Gavin Posey of Paducah was recently named West Kentucky Community and Technical College's November Student of the Month. Congrats Gavin!

The officers from West Kentucky Community and Technical College's Kentucky Association of Nursing Students (KANS) made a philanthropic contribution to Centerpoint Recovery Center for Men on Tuesday November 21, 2017. Through several fundraising activities, KANS was able to contribute $1000 to this facility. Centerpoint Recovery Center is a Recovery Kentucky residential long term recovery center for men struggling with alcohol and drug addiction. It is a peer-driven community that includes a transitional phase back into society and is part of Four Rivers Behavioral Health. Pictured left to right are: Mikaela Chilton, Chelsea Cartwright, Heather McNeil, Teresa Fleming (LPN, Four Rivers Behavioral Health), Shanna Agin, Kaycee Byrd, Jonathan Bouland and Christy Petitt (KANS Advisor).

More than 100 students from across western Kentucky recently attended West Kentucky Community and Technical College's first IT Connect conference at the Emerging Technology Center November 10.

Mexico native Edson A. Blanco of Mayfield described the importance of West Kentucky Community and Technical College's collision repair program to him during the November 16 ceremony naming the Collision Repair Technology Classroom at WKCTC in memory of B.A. Hamilton.

The Kiwanis Club of Downtown Paducah generously donated $2,475 to West Kentucky Community and Technical College's radiography students for helping out with this year's BBQ on the River. The students will be using these funds to help offset the cost of taking their national registry exam, with a portion of the funds going to charity! Congratulations to the WKCTC radiography program and students!

Paducah resident Brandon Gossett is the first student at West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC) to receive I-CAR Pro Level 1 certification in painting and refinishing. Gossett's accomplishment of receiving the industry-recognized certification was announced during the November 16 ceremony naming the Collision Repair Technology Classroom at WKCTC in memory of B.A. Hamilton

Ballard County resident Brooke Brown was recenly named West Kentucky Community and Technical College's October Student of the Month. Congratulations Brooke!

Nursing and physical therapist assistant students from West Kentucky Community and Technical College worked with patients at the 2017 Purchase Area Diabetes Expo held at the McCracken County Extension office on October 28, 2017. Nursing students performed A1C (diabetes) tests and the PTA students performed foot screenings for peripheral neuropathy symptoms. Over 30 people were screened. Pictured left to right are: Jeriel Clark, Carla Cornelius, Tahneisha Bradshaw, Jessica Mathews, Jami Trevarrow, Veronica Tucker, Amy Bontrager (Bellarmine PT student), Allison Wiles and Nicholas (Scott) Hunter.

Last night (October 25, 2017) dental assisting students from West Kentucky Community and Technical College volunteered to pass out goody bags for Trunk or Treat at Rosebower Baptist Church in Reidland to over 200 kids. Nice job ladies! Left to Right - Parker Wooley, Charla Ring, Kimberly "Brooke" Parnell, Brittany McClure, Graceson Fowler, Ana Bautista-Hurtado

Paducah's Austin Knapp was recently selected as West Kentucky Community and Technical College's September Student of the Month. Congrats Austin!

On Friday, September 29, 2017, the dental assisting class at West Kentucky Community and Technical College volunteered to serve in Paducah's Community Kitchen. Over 200 people received a hot meal, along with oral hygiene instructions, toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss. Way to go!

Eleven students at West Kentucky Community and Technical College make up the college's 2017-18 West Kentucky Stars club basketball team. WKCTC's Austin Knapp is the team's student assistant. Mike Chumbler is head coach and Jeff Hayden is assistant coach. The first home game is set for Tuesday, October 25. Go West Kentucky Stars!!

Fifteen students will serve as student ambassadors at West Kentucky Community and Technical College during 2017-18. Ambassadors represent the college and volunteer for various campus events/activities as well as volunteer within the community. Congratulations ambassadors!

West Kentucky Community and Technical College's 2017-18 Student Government Association officers are Gavin Posey, president; Seyi Aro, vice president; Emily Strasser, secretary; and Kyle Garner; social media coordinator. SGA officers at SGA/International Student Lounge open house on Monday, September 18, 2017. Left to Right - Emily Strasser, Seyi Aro, Gavin Posey and Kyle Garner

Congratulations to Brittany Carruthers, Dylan Howard, Tamera Lott, and Porsche Wilson on being awarded the Minority Educator Recruitment and Retention Scholarship for the 2017-2018 academic year. The Kentucky Department of Education provides the scholarship. These students have committed to seeking a four year degree in Education and teaching in the state of Kentucky. WKCTC is pleased to be able to provide Education courses that assist students on their academic pathway toward their future certification and career!

Six Alpha Epsilon Beta (AEB) students at West Kentucky Community and Technical College reached out to help others with two recent community service efforts. The students and AEB advisor Gary Reese collected canned goods for shipping to Texas for hurricane relief and also collected stuffed animals and children's books for abused, neglected, and disadvantaged children "visiting" the McCracken County Family Court. Hurricane relief items were taken to a central collection point manned by Premier Portable Buildings, who will transport them to Texas. The stuffed animals were delivered and McCracken County Family Court's Judge Deanna Wise Henschel expressed her sincere appreciation for all the support shown the children of our area. AEB is the college's Criminal Justice Club. Great job everyone! Photo on Left - (left to right) Gary Reese, AEB advisor and Leah Beach, AEB vice-president, working the hurricane relief station on campus. Photo on right - (left to right) Gary Reese, Leah Beach, and AEB secretary Jon Wentworth getting ready to deliver boxes filled with stuffed animals and children's books to McCracken County Family Court. Not pictured: Dayla Hale, Mariah Davis, April Clark, Charity Itiav-Gar

Surgical technology students at West Kentucky Community and Technical College recently prepared cookie trays to take to all six of the health care sites where they receive their hands-on clinical training.

Gavin Posey of Paducah was one of two students recently elected by their Student Government Association (SGA) peers to serve on the Kentucky Community and Technical College System's (KCTCS) Board of Regents.

WKCTC student Kyle Clapp was selected this year's winner of the "in the Pits" video competition by the onsite and online training program, Technician Academy. Congratulations, Kyle!

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 Spring 2017 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.

Nearly 200 family members, friends and college faculty and staff celebrated the success of twenty-one students who participated in the 2017 GED Graduation in West Kentucky Community and Technical College's Clemens Fine Arts Center May 18. Sixty-four studenrts were elibible to earn their GED from the college's Graves-McCracken County Adult Learning Centers. Congrats to all the GED recipients!

Over the Memorial Day weekend (May 27-30, 2017), Tyra Henderson, Dr. David Heflin and Sanci Teague (right) presented at the 2017 NISOD International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence in Austin, TX! They presented "Revising and Refining the First-Year Experience Through Dialogue and Research". The presentation outlined how WKCTC reinvented its First Year Experience course with research-based instruction and faculty engagement, as well as discussing policy, procedures, and course design and insight into how the First Year Experience course is an effective retention and persistence tool. Way to go team!

Sixty-five nursing students crossed the Carson Center stage on May 6 to receive nursing pins in their respective programs with 41 receiving pins representing the completion of the associate degree in nursing (ADN) program and 24 receiving pins representing the completion of the practical nursing program (LPN). Congratulations!!!

Five West Kentucky Community and Technical College students performed well in the 2017 Cisco Academy Netriders Competition.

West Kentucky Community and Technical College recognized more than 200 candidates for graduation who participated in its Spring Commencement Ceremonies May 6, 2017 at the Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Center. More than 700 WKCTC students were eligible to receive an associate degree, diploma or certificate.

Paducah's Amia Wright was named February Student of the Month at West Kentucky Community and Technical College! Congrats Amia!