West Kentucky News

Heather Vandiver of Paducah has been selected as September Student of the Month at West Kentucky Community and Technical College.

When Heather Vandiver began taking classes at WKCTC in fall 2012, she was uncertain of herself and the future. Two years later and recently named WKCTC Student of the Month, Vandiver has a new outlook on life.

"When I began my career at West Kentucky Community and Technical College I was timid, unsure of my future, and I didn't know a single person in Paducah," Vandiver said. "Now I can say with pride that I am very sure of my future, I am confident in my actions and work, and I have many friends whom I love. I will never forget my mentors, and the people who have helped me become the strong, independent, confident, driven woman that I am today."

Vandiver said she had a lot to celebrate in the month of September and she credits much of her success to the support of WKCTC faculty and staff.

"It is a true honor to be named Student of the Month. Not only was September the month to celebrate my birthday and my son's birthday, it was a time to celebrate the accomplishments I have made as a student at WKCTC," said 25-year-old Vandiver, whose son, Daegon, just turned seven. "It was not my own accomplishments, however, that led to this achievement. I wouldn't be in this position without the guidance and love of my professors and superiors..."

The 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.

Student of the Month recipients receive $100, a certificate of excellence, recognition on the WKCTC Facebook page, campus announcements and Web site. Winners are also recognized by Pepsi MidAmerica and receive one free month's supply of their favorite Pepsi product.

A Hopkins County Central High School graduate, Vandiver is majoring in business administration and is active on the WKCTC campus and in the community. She is a member of WKCTC's Student Government Association and SGA representative for Phi Theta Kappa and Phi Beta Lambda. Vandiver also serves as the student representative for the WKCTC Business Administration Advisory Board and is a student worker for the college's Clemens Fine Arts Center. She recently volunteered to help the American Red Cross during this year's Barbecue on the River and remains actively involved in her son's school events and activities.

In December, Vandiver will graduate with an associate in applied science degree and then plans to concurrently enroll at WKCTC and Murray State University as she works toward a bachelor's degree in business administration.

"Heather is an ideal student to represent WKCTC as Student of the Month," said Allison McGullion, WKCTC business administration program coordinator. "She is always prepared and goes above and beyond in the classroom in dealing with her fellow classmates as well as in her own coursework. She constantly demonstrates a high level of leadership and is an example for others to follow."

Area families will have a chance to gaze at the stars and constellations in the Challenger Learning Center (CLC) at Paducah’s STARLAB planetarium October 28.

“We are inviting children ages seven and up and their parents/guardians to come to the center to join us in the STARLAB for an up close and personal view of the stars and constellations in our area,” said Mellisa Duncan, CLC director.

The 45-minute STARLAB presentation at the CLC, which is located on the campus of West Kentucky Community and Technical College, is a fun and educational way to teach students about the wonders of astronomy and astrology.

Following the presentation, Dr. Victor Taveras, WKCTC assistant professor of physics, will have a telescope set up to provide students with another view of the night sky. Students will also have the opportunity to make a special STAR Finder to use in their own backyards to locate the constellations.

The event will be held on October 28 from 6-7:30 p.m. The cost is $10 per person. No more than four children per adult. Make reservations today by calling (270) 534-3101.

Participants must remove shoes and adults will need to bend over while entering the STARLAB through a short tunnel. Special accommodations can be made for those with physical limitations.

West Kentucky Community and Technical College will present a special showing of The Orphan Trains: An American Experience, the enlightening film that is the subject of the college’s 2014 One Book, One Campus, One Community Read.

The one-hour film presentation, which is free and open to the public, was produced by the Public Broadcasting System and will be shown October 27 in WKCTC’s Rosenthal Hall, Room 111 beginning at 11 a.m.

The film features the story of Elliot Bobo, who eighty years ago was taken from his alcoholic father's home after his mother’s death, given a small cardboard suitcase, and put on board an "orphan train" bound for Arkansas. Bobo was one of the nearly 250,000 neglected, abandoned, orphaned, and homeless children who were placed with families throughout the United States and Canada during the Orphan Train Movement between 1854 and 1929.

“This movie is a perfect tie-in to our One Book Read of New York Times best-selling author Christina Baker Kline's Orphan Train, said Gail Robinson Butler, WKCTC Clemens Fine Arts Center director and One Book co-organizer. “Like the movie, the book reveals the story of how children and teenagers being sent on orphan trains desperately needed to find a better way of life, and how they fought for that life against devastating odds.”

The One Book, One Campus, One Community Read project is a community wide effort to encourage reading throughout the community with the hope of improving regional literacy rates. The project encourages the community, area school districts, and colleges to read the same book and come together to discuss it in a variety of settings.

Future One Book events, to create awareness of the read and the book, will be announced in the months prior to the project finale when Christina Baker Kline will visit the WKCTC campus on March 31 and April 1, 2015. For more information about Kline’s visit, Orphan Train, and the One Book, One Campus, One Community Read, visit http://westkentucky.kctcs.edu/Student_Life/OneBook.aspx

Max Garland, western Kentucky native and nationally award-winning poet, will visit West Kentucky Community and Technical College next month.

Garland will share his favorite poems from his award-winning poetry collections November 11 in WKCTC’s Matheson Library from 2-3 p.m. The reading is free and open to the public.

Garland was a mail carrier in western Kentucky for ten years before he decided to go to college and pursue his love of poetry. In his first poetry collection, The Postal Confessions, which earned the prestigious Juniper Prize for Poetry, Garland chronicled his everyday experiences of his route that was formerly run by his grandfather.

Garland’s second book, Hunger Wide as Heaven, earned another national prize, this time from the Cleveland State University Poetry Center, a leading force in the publishing and promotion of new American poetry.

Garland, who now resides in Wisconsin, earned a master of fine arts degree in creative writing from the University of Iowa in 1989 and has been teaching since 1990. He is currently a Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

He has won other awards and honors including a National Endowment for the Arts Poetry Fellowship, a Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Poetry Fellowship, and two Wisconsin Arts Board Literary Fellowships. Most recently, he was named the 2013-2014 Wisconsin poet laureate by the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters.

For more information contact Britton Shurley at (270) 534-3243 or britton.shurley@kctcs.edu.

During World War I and World War II hundreds of American Indians joined the United States armed forces and used words from their traditional tribal languages as secret communication codes to battle the enemy.

On November 12, West Kentucky Community and Technical College will offer a free presentation to discuss the long-classified project that was one of the key reasons for the success of the United States during World War II.

“Code Talkers: Native American Languages Used in the World Wars”, which is part of WKCTC’s diversity and inclusion series, will be held in WKCTC’s Matheson Library from 11 a.m. to noon.

According to the National Museum of the American Indian, Code Talkers as they came to be known after World War II, were communications specialists. Their job was to send coded messages about troop movements, enemy positions, and other critical information on the battlefield. They are twentieth-century American Indian warriors and heroes who significantly aided the victories of the United States and its allies.

The presentation will examine the Native Americans that fought in our military, utilizing code from their languages that proved unbreakable by the enemy. An open discussion with the audience will be included following the presentation.

For more information about the presentation, contact Gail Bachuss at (270) 534-3167 or gail.bachuss@kctcs.edu.

More than 120 West Kentucky Community and Technical College scholarship students got the chance to meet and thank their scholarship donors during a reception in the college’s Bistro October 24.

WKCTC President Barbara Veazey said support of the college through generous donor endowments, the annual gala auction and the Community Scholarship Program has allowed the college to award more than $600,000 in scholarships this year. “Over 400 students are able to attend West Kentucky because of you,” Veazey told the reception audience Friday. “You do make a difference.”

Ballard County resident Rhonda Miller is a nontraditional WKCTC criminal justice student who received the Vel Lynn Pace Memorial Scholarship this year. The Pace Scholarship is given to students who are working to earn their GED. Vel Lynn Pace worked tirelessly with GED students at the college before her death in 2006.

Miller said she came to WKCTC in fall 2013 because she knew she had to make a change in her life. “I found out my daughter had quit high school with just three credits shy of graduating. When I told her how upset I was, she told me I didn’t have any room to talk; I knew she was right.”

That was on a Friday and Miller enrolled in the GED program at WKCTC three days later. After earning her GED in just a few weeks, Miller enrolled at WKCTC in spring 2014 and she has never looked back.

Through the support of the college and the scholarship she received, Miller plans to transfer to Eastern Kentucky University when she graduates from WKCTC in May 2015. She continues to encourage her daughter to go back to earn her GED diploma and earn a college degree. “You have to prove you can do it and that they can do it too.”

As Miller tried to thank widower Jerry Pace, who also lives in Ballard County, for his part in helping her achieve her academic goal, both became emotional. “She is saying ‘thank you’ with where she is and what she is doing,” Pace said. “Vel would have been so proud; that’s exactly what she would have wanted.”

Miller also expressed her thanks to Samantha Williams, WKCTC Adult Learning Centers director and Tammy Pendergrast, who also works in the center and is a mentor to Miller. “I never knew the potential I have until I came to this college,” Miller said. “They have changed my life; they’re amazing.”

For more information about WKCTC scholarships visit westkentucky.kctcs.edu.

What do Miley Cyrus, Ashley Judd, Bill Monroe, and Robert Penn Warren have in common? They all contributed recipes to Kentucky author Pamela Whinnery’s book, Favorite Recipes of Kentucky Celebrities.

Whinnery, a Paducah native, will share those recipes and many other celebrity favorites in a free presentation at West Kentucky Community and Technical College November 17 from 11 a.m. to noon in Matheson Library.

Whinnery’s cookbook has over 300 recipes from local and national personalities, highly visible Kentucky businesses, artists, writers, athletes, actors, musicians, and other celebrities from all across Kentucky as well as those who have strong ties to the Bluegrass State.

A portion of book sales from Whinnery’s presentation and book signing will go into the WKCTC student scholarship fund. “We are proud that Pamela’s presentation will not only be a fun experience for everyone who attends, but it’s also going to help us support our students,” said Amy Sullivan, WKCTC resources services librarian and event coordinator.

Whinnery gives fifty percent of cookbook sales to charities or non-profit organizations that wish to use it as a fundraiser. “I feel God has blessed me and this is a way I can give back to the community,” said Whinnery.

Never considering herself as an author, Whinnery said the real authors of her cookbooks are the wonderful individuals who took time from their busy schedules to graciously share their favorite recipes with her. She believes celebrities participated because they knew each recipe is a gift to be shared for raising money for non-profits across Kentucky. Celebrities have also contributed recipes to Whinnery’s Tennessee cookbook, and she is presently working on another Kentucky cookbook and one with Missouri recipes.

Copies of Whinnery’s cookbooks will be available for purchase following the presentation. The cost of the books will be $19.95; cash, checks and credit cards accepted. Visitors can also enjoy a sampling of dishes from Whinnery’s Kentucky cookbook that will be prepared by Matheson Library staff members.

For more information about the presentation, contact Amy Sullivan, WKCTC resources services librarian, at (270) 534-3171 or amy.sullivan@kctcs.edu.

Students who would like to start taking classes at West Kentucky Community and Technical College this spring can register now. Classes begin January 12, 2015.

WKCTC offers more than 400 associate degrees, diplomas, and certificate options with multiple career pathways in 48 academic and technical programs. The college provides students with a variety of ways to begin classes including day, evening and online courses.

WKCTC online courses offer students the opportunity to pursue their educational goals at convenient times and locations. Students can study anytime, anywhere and can select a program that's completely online or a mix of online classes with on-campus classes. Learn about WKCTC online offerings at http://westkentucky.kctcs.edu/Academics/Online.aspx.

WKCTC can also help students who are unsure what field of study or career pathway to choose when first taking classes. Students can utilize FOCUS2, the self-paced, online career and education planning tool that can help students select or change a college major or clarify preferences for a career at http://westkentucky.kctcs.edu/en/Student_Life/Career_Services/CollegeCareerExplore.aspx.

Students can register for classes in the WKCTC advising center located in the Anderson Building, room 106, or by contacting Amanda Scheidegger, WKCTC admissions advisor, at (270) 534-3110. Advisors are available to help with the registration process and offer assistance in creating an academic plan that can help students reach their academic goals. Advising center hours are Monday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Tuesday –Thursday,
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Students are encouraged to make an appointment to avoid waiting during registration. To make an appointment or get more information on WKCTC program offerings and programs, visit westkentucky.kctcs.edu. Students can also submit a free online application by selecting the red APPLY NOW link at the top of the WKCTC Website. Students submitting an online application must still register for classes. Financial aid and grant opportunities are available for eligible students.

With a spirit of magic and the supernatural, The Tempest is Shakespeare’s masterpiece of forgiveness, generosity, romance and enlightenment. Prospero, Duke of Milan, usurped and exiled by his own brother, holds sway over an enchanted island. Prospero raises a great storm to wreck the vessel bearing his betrayers onto the shores of the mysterious island, where he has made his home. There, attended upon by his daughter, a magical sprite and a villainous prisoner, Prospero leads them on a mysterious journey, from vengeance to reconciliation. Come, be swept ashore and feel the fluttering of every winged word in this lyrical romance.

The WKCTC production features 3 members of the Mahoney family; Joe, Rachel and Sally. Taking the role of Prospero is Joe Mahoney, a WKCTC faculty member. Mahoney, a theatre veteran, was most recently seen in Saving Grace, Hairspray and South Pacific. WKCTC student and daughter of Joe and Sally Mahoney, Rachel Mahoney, takes the role of Ariel. Rachel has performed in numerous plays, including the role of Laura in last season’s WKCTC production of The Glass Menagerie. The role of Gonzala is played by Joe’s wife and Rachel’s mother, Sally Mahoney. Sally’s credits include The Taming of the Shrew, 45 Seconds from Broadway, Noises Off, and War of the Worlds Radio Play.

Emily Thompson makes her WKCTC debut in the role of Miranda, Prospero’s daughter. Emily, a WKCTC student, has appeared in The Jungle Book and The Music Man. Caliban is played by Patrick Redden, a WKCTC student who plans to pursue a theatre degree. Patrick, appearing on the WKCTC stage for the first time, is no stranger to the theatre and has been seen in You Can’t Take It With You and The Curious Savage. Tammy Thompson takes the role of Alonsa, Queen of Naples. Tammy, an employee of WKCTC for 18 years, is an experienced performer. Credits include My Fair Lady, Oklahoma, and Quilters. Benjamin Naikih Overfield plays Ferdinand, son of the Queen of Naples. Naikih was seen last season as Tom in the Glass Menagerie. Jewel F. Wilson Jr. plays Antonio, the conspiring brother of Prospero. Jewel has performed in the WKCTC Black Box Theatre, on WPSD Telethon of Stars and was a finalist in America’s got Talent regional competition. Bryce Crim, last seen as Chad in High School Musical, is cast in the role of Sebastian. Hope D. Cook, a former WKCTC student, makes her WKCTC debut as Adriana. Phyllis Hammond, last see on the WKCTC stage in Dead Man’s Cell Phone, performs the role of the Boatswain. Phyllis regularly works backstage at The Clemens and is assisting with costume construction for this production Trincula is played by Lexie RaShea Carper, a Business and Hospitality Management student Performance credits include The Little Mermaid Jr. and Peter Pan. Miranda Bliss is making her WKCTC debut as Stephana. Credits include Our Town, Charlotte’s Webb, Footloose, and Jungle Book. Sara Cheyenne Lavine Bradley plays a nymph and choreographed the Nymph Dance. She was most recently see as Fantine in Les Miserables and Nadine in Dearly Departed at Marshall County High School. Sara Keatan Sherrell and Carolina Lemus take on the roles of magical nymphs. Sara will receive an Associates in Arts from WKCTC in December. Carolina has danced with Paducah Dance Academy for 3 years. WKCTC student, Jessica Vick, plays the Mariner. Credits include Hansel and Gretel and Romeo and Juliet.

The WKCTC Theatre production is directed by Associate Professor of Theatre, Constance Frank. Technical direction and set and lighting design is provided by C. Todd Birdsong, assisted by Chris Kirk. Janine Zerger is stage manager and former WKCTC student, Laura Everett, is costume designer.

Production dates are Friday and Saturday, November 14. 15, 21 and 22 at 7:30 PM. Tickets for evening performances are $10 for adults and $5 for students, children, WKCTC faculty. School matinees are also available on November 14 and 21 at 10 AM. Matinee tickets are $4 per person and available by phoning the box office. For reservations and information, visit artsinfocus.org or call the Clemens Box Office at 270-534-3212.

Medicaid planning, veteran benefits, long term care and disability are just a few of the topics to be covered in an estate planning workshop at West Kentucky Community and Technical College November 13.

Paducah attorney Elizabeth A. Wieneke will present “Estate Planning for All and Additional Elder Law Considerations” in WKCTC’s Emerging Technology Center, Room 140 beginning at 6 p.m. The cost of the two-hour workshop is $10.

Weineke works with Roberts, Houston & Straub, PLLC, and her practice focuses on the areas of estate planning and administration, elder law, real estate and property law, and business and corporate law.

Weineke, a native of Metropolis, IL, received her jurisprudence doctorate from the Southern Illinois University School of Law in 2007.

Space is limited. Call (270) 534-3335 or register online at http://ws.kctcs.edu/westkentucky/category/category.aspx?C=&S=1

More than 90 guests from Kentucky Community and Technical College System colleges (KCTCS) will be presenting science lab research during the Conference in Student Research at West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC) Friday, November 7.

The conference will be held this Friday from 9:15 a.m. – 2 p.m. in WKCTC’s Emerging Technology Center.

KCTCS students will present their lab research with posters they created during the fall 2014 semester that reflect the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, psychology and sociology. Students will describe the research they conducted and respond to questions about their results.

For more information, contact Steven Cahill, WKCTC Biology Instructor and conference coordinator at (270) 534-3242 or steven.cahill@kctcs.edu.

The media is encouraged to attend.

W. David and Ann Denton of Paducah and Janett Blythe of Mayfield were among 31 individuals, businesses and foundations honored by the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) during the 2014 President’s Gala and Benefactors Awards Dinner in Lexington Saturday, November 2.

The annual gala, a black-tie affair brings together college, business and state leaders to recognize some of KCTCS colleges’ most loyal and committed donors. Each year, West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC) has the opportunity to recognize at least two of its outstanding donors.

“We were pleased to be able to thank David and Ann Denton and our colleague Janett Blythe for their commitment to the college, ” said WKCTC President Barbara Veazey. “Supporters like the Dentons and Ms. Blythe who not only provide generous financial support but who also give of themselves to the college help make West Kentucky one of the best colleges in the nation."

Dr. Veazey said the Dentons were recognized Saturday as longstanding college supporters of the college. Ann Denton has served on the Paducah Junior College, Inc., Board of Trustees since 1982. PJC, Inc., is the foundation for WKCTC. She currently serves as PJC Board Chair and served on the development committee that spearheaded the capital campaign that completed WKCTC’s Crounse Hall.

"The Dentons’ appreciation for the arts was the catalyst for their funding an endowment to support WKCTC’s Arts in Focus performing arts series,” Dr. Veazey said. “They have also given generously to various college projects including Crounse Hall, Challenger Learning Center, Emerging Technology Building and the Paducah School of Art and Design."

Blythe, WKCTC’s director of marketing and public relations, established a scholarship fund for surgical technology students in memory of her brother, Donald, after he was killed by a hit and run driver in May 2000. “My brother’s life was turned around after he enrolled in college at West Kentucky,” Blythe said Saturday. “As a surgical technologist, he had something no one could ever take away from him, and he was always very proud of that accomplishment.”

The Donald V. Blythe Memorial Scholarship was established not long after his death. In 2011, when the Blythes’ youngest sibling, Kevin, 38, died unexpectedly in California, his wife, Jennifer, asked that donations be made to the Blythe Scholarship and Kevin’s name was added to the fund.

“I was more than a little surprised and really honored to be sharing a spotlight with remarkable individuals like David and Ann Denton, and the other benefactors recognized at the gala,” said Blythe, the daughter of Henry Blythe and Nadine Blythe, both of Mayfield. “When I think of benefactors worthy of that kind of recognition I think of people like the Dentons, not me. Never me.”

Dr. Veazey said she was happy to recognize Blythe as one of the college’s benefactors, not only for establishing the Blythe Scholarship but also for her commitment to the college during her 21 years as director of marketing and public relations.

"Janett started the scholarship endowment in 2000 and it has grown over the years to a sizable amount," Dr. Veazey said. "I am impressed by her commitment to the memory of her brothers in a way that makes such a difference in the lives of our students."

This year's Blythe scholarship recipients, Zachary Gillum of Murray and Kelli Compton of Paducah, expressed their thanks to her during a recent WKCTC scholarship donors reception.

“Last year my father was forced into an early retirement, had to have multiple surgeries and is still working with physical therapy. My family has been trying to recover financially and with Ms. Blythe's assistance I am able to help my parents in doing so and will forever be grateful for the kindness she has shown me,” said 22-year-old Compton.

A 2010 Reidland High School graduate, Compton said her mother, grandmother and a cousin, all surgical technologists, inspired her to become one as well. She expects to graduate with an Associate in Science degree from WKCTC in May and is engaged to be married.

“Receiving this scholarship not only helps financially but emotionally as well. It means so much knowing that there are wonderful people out there helping to aid our generations in trying to better themselves,” Compton said. "Any donation, grant, or scholarship, no matter how big or small, is help that is appreciated.”

To donate to the Donald and Kevin Blythe Memorial Scholarship fund or any scholarship at WKCTC, contact Becky Alcott-Haus at WKCTC, P.O. Box 7380, Paducah, KY 42002-7380.

West Kentucky Community and Technical College students whose families are non-native to the United States will discuss their heritage and cultural expectations of America during a free presentation November 19.

“In My Shoes: I’m a College Student from Another Country,” which is part of the WKCTC diversity and inclusion series, will be held November 19 from
11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. in the Anderson Technical Building Bistro.

The student panel will share their personal stories and the cultural differences that impact their daily lives at the college. WKCTC’s Kim Russell, English program coordinator, will moderate the panel.

“This event is a great way for our students who are from other countries to open the door of communication so they are able to help other students, faculty, staff and the community better understand their culture and heritage,” said Gail Bachuss, diversity and inclusion series coordinator.

Participants can also sample refreshments from various international countries, sponsored by the college’s Multicultural Appreciation Club.

For more information about the presentation, contact Gail Bachuss at (270) 534-3167 or gail.bachuss@kctcs.edu.

West Kentucky Community and Technical College is saluting veterans this month with various campus activities and a special opportunity for a brighter smile!

The WKCTC dental assisting/hygiene department is offering free dental cleanings for veterans between now and April 1, 2015. Veterans’ families will also receive a 25% discount on dental cleanings. Cleanings are $45 for adults and $35 for senior citizens and children 12 and under. A military ID is required.

“Our military men, women and their families provide selfless service to our country. Offering them dental services is our small way of saying how much we appreciate their sacrifices as well as providing dental services that may be needed,” said Jennifer Miller, WKCTC dental assisting program coordinator.

WKCTC is also offering various campus activities to salute veterans during the month of November. Students, faculty and staff from the college’s Office of Veterans Services will be participating in the 2014 Veterans Day Parade.

Code Talkers: Native American Languages Used in the World Wars”, which is open and free to the public, will be held November 12 from 11 a.m. – noon in WKCTC’s Matheson Library.

The event will focus on how hundreds of American Indian soldiers, who became known as Code Talkers, used their traditional tribal languages as secret communication codes to battle the enemy during WWI and WWII. The unbreakable code was one of the key reasons for the success of the United States during World War II.

To make an appointment for dental cleanings, contact Robert Sirls, WKCTC dental assisting/hygiene program administrative assistant, at (270) 534-3437, rsirls0003@kctcs.edu. For more information about the code talkers presentation, contact Kristen Amaya, WKCTC veterans services coordinator, (270) 534-3861, kristen.amaya@kctcs.edu.

Joseph Taylor served in the United States Army as a military police officer from 1997 to 2003. He used that experience at USEC as a federal police officer until he was laid off in February 2014. Preparing for the future, Joseph enrolled at WKCTC as the first step to a new career - a step that led him to being selected as WKCTC’s October Student of the Month.

“I am honored to be selected, but I can’t take all the credit. I had help from Trio (Student Support Services), the Adult Learning Center, VA benefits and the college’s mentoring program. Lots of hard work and studying, and that help, has made me worthy of this award."

While employed at the plant, Joseph completed two semesters at WKCTC in 2010-11. Now back at WKCTC, he is majoring in business administration with a focus in accounting. He will graduate in December 2014, and plans to transfer to MSU to earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Joesph is an active member of the college’s student veterans organization and has been a student worker in the college’s Adult Learning Center. Currently, he works in the Office of Veteran Services assisting college veterans as they begin the educational process.

Those who nominated Joseph said his level of professionalism in the workplace is second-to-none, and he is truly an outstanding student and a fantastic example of what we want to see in our student body.

Congratulations Joseph!!

Emily Thompson makes her WKCTC debut in the role of Miranda, Prospero’s daughter. Emily, a WKCTC student, has appeared inThe Jungle Book and The Music Man. Caliban is played by Patrick Redden, a WKCTC student who plans to pursue a theatre degree. Patrick, appearing on the WKCTC stage for the first time, is no stranger to the theatre and has been seen in You Can’t Take It With You and The Curious Savage. Tammy Thompson takes the role of Alonsa, Queen of Naples. Tammy, an employee of WKCTC for 18 years, is an experienced performer. Credits include My Fair Lady, Oklahoma, and Quilters. Benjamin Naikih Overfield plays Ferdinand, son of the Queen of Naples. Naikih was seen last season as Tom in the Glass Menagerie. Jewel F. Wilson Jr. plays Antonio, the conspiring brother of Prospero. Jewel has performed in the WKCTC Black Box Theatre, on WPSD Telethon of Stars and was a finalist in America’s got Talent regional competition. Bryce Crim, last seen as Chad in High School Musical, is cast in the role of Sebastian. Hope D. Cook, a former WKCTC student, makes her WKCTC debut as Adriana. Phyllis Hammond, last see on the WKCTC stage in Dead Man’s Cell Phone, performs the role of the Boatswain. Phyllis regularly works backstage at The Clemens and is assisting with costume construction for this production Trincula is played by Lexie RaShea Carper, a Business and Hospitality Management student Performance credits include The Little Mermaid Jr. and Peter Pan. Miranda Bliss is making her WKCTC debut as Stephana. Credits include Our Town, Charlotte’s Webb, Footloose, and Jungle Book. Sara Cheyenne Lavine Bradley plays a nymph and choreographed the Nymph Dance. She was most recently see as Fantine in Les Miserables and Nadine in Dearly Departed at Marshall County High School. Sara Keatan Sherrell and Carolina Lemus take on the roles of magical nymphs. Sara will receive an Associates in Arts from WKCTC in December. Carolina has danced with Paducah Dance Academy for 3 years. WKCTC student, Jessica Vick, plays the Mariner. Credits include Hansel and Gretel and Romeo and Juliet.

The WKCTC Theatre production is directed by Associate Professor of Theatre, Constance Frank. Technical direction and set and lighting design is provided by C. Todd Birdsong, assisted by Chris Kirk. Janine Zerger is stage manager and former WKCTC student, Laura Everett, is costume designer.

Production dates are Friday and Saturday, November 14. 15, 21 and 22 at 7:30 PM. Tickets for evening performances are $10 for adults and $5 for students, children, WKCTC faculty. School matinees are also available on November 14 and 21 at 10 AM. Matinee tickets are $4 per person and available by phoning the box office. For reservations and information, visit artsinfocus.org or call the Clemens Box Office at 270-534-3212.

Just how do things become frozen and unfrozen? The Challenger Learning Center at Paducah (CLC) invites the public to find out with Frozen Science November 15.

Students in kindergarten through the fourth grade will participate in fun science experiments and demonstrations with all things cold. They will also get to take home a special treat and have their pictures taken with a special "cold” character.

“This event takes a scientific twist on a currently popular movie. Participants will have a “cool” time learning why things freeze and melt,” said Mellisa Duncan, CLC director.

Frozen Science will be held in the CLC on the campus of West Kentucky Community and Technical College from 10 a.m. – noon. The cost is $20 per child.

To register for Frozen Science visit clcpaducah.org. Preregistration is required. Call (270) 534-3101 for more information.

More than 90 students, faculty and community members toured the Samsung Mobile U classroom on the campus of West Kentucky Community and Technical College today – the first stop in Samsung’s fall 2014 Mobile U college tour to encourage students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM).

The Samsung Mobile U classroom will be available to tour on the WKCTC campus Wednesday, November 12 and Thursday, November 13 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The tour will not be available November 11 in observance of Veterans Day. It’s free to participate in the tour.

The Mobile U classroom, a state-of-the-art, fully technology integrated mobile truck that converts to a classroom provides participants with the chance to learn about all levels of STEM technology. Through the mobile workshops, participants learn principles from basic computer information and programming to writing computer code and learning more about how to start writing programs that can change the technology world.

“These students that finish and graduate with their technical degree, they could also become our future employees leading us to continue to innovate products that will keep us a technology global company,” said Cindy Chang, Samsung marketing manager. “Not only do you need the community to support these students, but you also need companies like Samsung, corporations that have the shared value to commit fully and support education in a way that we can grow more engineers in the future market.”

Chang said Samsung has selected four colleges, but the company is focusing on the community college as a route to STEM careers. “Whether a student’s goal is to transfer to a four-year institution or to immediately join the workforce, community colleges can provide the preparation, training and services that are needed for success,” Chang said. “And that’s why we are here.”

Tammy Potter, dean of business and computer related technologies, said it’s exciting for WKCTC students to see that no matter whether they are in a beginner’s class, an intermediate or an advanced class, there is a future for them in technology. “This takes them outside the classroom and enables them to see something completely different,” Potter said. “That is so valuable to the students.”

WKCTC President Barbara Veazey said she was impressed with the technology she saw during her tour of the mobile “For Samsung to come here, to have our faculty go through this demonstration and work on this curriculum can only bring what they are learning in the classroom to life,” said Veazey. “For our students to see a bigger job opportunity is huge for them.”

The Samsung tour also includes a scholarship contest, which is an extension of the company’s STEM programming and curriculum. Students can win up to $5,000 in scholarships. Through the Mobile U initiative, Samsung is also conducting a tablet sweepstakes each day. Each participant will have an opportunity to sign up for a random drawing; a winner is chosen daily.

Samsung will continue the 2014 tour with three community or technical colleges across the United States. Each participating college will receive a $5,000 donation, courtesy of Samsung, which will be used toward STEM and computer science programs.

For more information about the Samsung tour, scholarship opportunities and tablet sweepstakes, visit samsungmobileu.com.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, over four million workers were displaced from jobs between January 2011 and December 2013. This is the kind of job market issue that will be discussed at West Kentucky Community and Technical College December 2.

"What's Happening in the Workplace with Four Generations at Work" is a full-day seminar taught by Certified Personnel Consultant, Mickey Brown. The seminar will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Emerging Technology Center, Room 140. The cost of the seminar is $35. Lunch is provided.

Brown will discuss strategies to help bridge generational gaps providing information to help all generations to understand and work well with each other. He will cover how values, beliefs, work ethics and workplace goals for each generation will effect communications, decision-making, how work is refined and how it gets done.

“This is the most important issue impacting the workplace in the next 10 years,” said Kevin O’Neill, WKCTC community education director. “We must be prepared to understand the similarities and differences of each generation in order to build strengths to achieve an organization's maximum potential, and that’s what this seminar is all about.”

To register for the seminar, call 270-534-3335 or online at http://ws.kctcs.edu/westkentucky/course/course.aspx?C=592&pc=1&mc=&sc=

Esther Peters and her dog Gaston are almost inseparable. Peters, a nursing student at West Kentucky Community and Technical College who has Type 2 diabetes, has trained Gaston for a special purpose – he is her personal glucose meter. Gaston comes to campus with Peters and lets her know when she needs to eat to correct her sugar levels. Peters will share her training experience with Gaston during a free science seminar at the college November 19.

During the presentation, which is free and open to the public, Peters will share about how she trained Gaston to be able to detect her glucose levels and how she taught him to alert her. She will also share how that training may be used to help others train their dogs to do the same thing. The presentation will be held from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in Waller Hall, Room 112.

“I trained Gaston as a research project just to see if it could be accomplished,” said 35 year-old Peters, a resident of Mayfield. As a parent of five children, Peters said she it’s important to offer hope to parents of children with diabetes. “I hope to help them learn how to train their dogs to alert glucose levels as a backup detection plan and to provide a sense of security.”

Peters said the training can also help families save money. A canine that is trained in a laboratory can cost over $15,000, she said. “That cost can seem hopeless for families that need a dog to help them with health issues such as diabetes because insurance won’t cover it.”

Always wanting to be in the medical field, Peters said she loves nursing and is exciting about her future-nursing career. But research also continues to be a passion for Peters. In the future she hopes work with physicians to train dogs to detect other diseases. “I want to be able to teach dogs how to detect cancer and alert their owners early; I really feel that’s possible.”

For more information about the science seminar, call (270) 534-3236.

September Student of the Month

Area Families Can Learn About Stars and Constellations in Challenger Learning Center STARLAB

Orphan Train Movie Shown at WKCTC October 27

Nationally Award-winning Poet Visits WKCTC

American Indian Code Talkers Focus of WKCTC Presentation November 12

WKCTC Scholarship Recipients Meet Donors at Annual Reception

Local Author Shares Celebrity Recipes at WKCTC November 17

Registration is Currently Underway for the Spring 2015 Semester at WKCTC

WKCTC Theatre Department Produces The Tempest

WKCTC Offering Estate Planning Workshop

Student Research Conference Held at WKCTC

WKCTC Recognizes Two Local Benefactors at President’s Gala

WKCTC Students Share Cultural Differences

WKCTC Offering Veterans Free Dental Cleanings

Congratulations to the October Student of the Month!

Shakespeare’s The Tempest

Frozen Science Fun at Challenger Learning Center

Samsung Mobile U Classroom Makes First Stop at WKCTC

Future of Workforce Discussed at WKCTC December 2

Learn How Dogs Can Help Save Your Life Free Science Seminar at WKCTC November 19