Community Scholarship 2015

West Kentucky Community & Technical College

COMMUNITY SCHOLARSHIP

PR OG R A M

“The Community Scholarship meant a huge deal to me. Being able to attend classes and eventually getting an associate degree without paying tuition is amazing.”

— Noah Wilkins

Kentucky Community & Technical College System

The goal of the Community Scholarship Program is to increase the percentage of McCracken County high school graduates who transition to postsecondary education after high school.

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The Community Scholarship Program The Community Scholarship Program (CSP) was developed to provide an incentive to McCracken County youth to stay in school and work toward a productive future. The goal of the program is to increase the percentage of McCracken County high school graduates who transition to postsecondary education after high school graduation by helping eliminate the leading barrier to a college education - financial cost.

In just five years, more than 2,600 students have pledged to consider attending college after high school - more than 85 percent of the total number of eligible high school students in McCracken County. For many of the first students finding their way on to the campus of West Kentucky Community and Technical College, the Community Scholarship Program has been more than a scholarship, it has been the opportunity of a lifetime.

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ike many young people, Courtney Nussbaumer would probably have left her hometown soon after graduating from McCracken County High School to pursue her dream of becoming a dentist. The availability of a unique community scholarship changed those plans.

“With the career that I want to go into, there’s many more years of college ahead for me and that means a whole lot more money, but the Community Scholarship has helped lessen the amount I will have to pay for college,” Courtney said. “Two free years of tuition? I would have been crazy to pass that up.”

After graduating with an Associate in Science degree from WKCTC, Courtney plans to attend the University of Louisville, and hopes to one day earn a doctorate.

The youngest of two siblings, Courtney said the scholarship has relieved her parents’ worry about her continuing her education.

“Without the amazing donors caring about the youth of this community many wouldn’t have had the chance to further their education and better themselves,” she said. “It is so important to continue the support of the Community Scholarship because the more you help the youth of this community the more you help the community. The people who are giving to this scholarship are really changing so many peoples’ lives. I know all of those affected are very grateful. I know I am!”

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Courtney Nussbaumer 5

PLAN OF ACTION In 2010, the Rotary Club of Paducah initiated the idea for the Community Scholarship Program (CSP) as a public-private partnership with strong participation from the Rotary, the City of Paducah, McCracken County Fiscal Court, Paducah Junior College, Inc., partnering high schools, West Kentucky Community and Technical College, and a number of local businesses. The intent of the CSP is to provide gap funding to assist students in attaining a two-year degree or industry certification at West Kentucky.

HOW IT WORKS The Community Scholarship Program provides scholarship funding for up to 60 credit hours toward a technical certification and/or an associate degree at West Kentucky Community and Technical College.

Students from all participating Paducah and McCracken County high schools and homeschooled students who enroll by October 1 of their high school freshman year and meet the high school performance guidelines are eligible to receive this gap funding scholarship. The CSP scholarship pays the balance of tuition not paid by federal, state and other scholarship grants for which a student is eligible.

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cCracken County High School graduate Caleb Briggs had one goal in mind after finishing high school – to gain the knowledge needed to begin a successful career in air conditioning technology.

While he had the enthusiasm and outgoing personality to make that happen, what he lacked was the education in the specialized technical field. With the help of the Community Scholarship Program, Caleb recently enrolled at West Kentucky Community and Technical College.

“Getting the Community Scholarship gave me hope that it wouldn’t cost too much to get through college,” said 20-year-old Caleb.

“The scholarship is everything to me. It’s the reason I’m able to learn new things every day.

That’s pretty special.”

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Caleb Briggs

Is the Community Scholarship Program making a difference?

Five years ago, a group of McCracken County eighth grade students were the first to make a commitment to their futures by signing up for the Community Scholarship Program (CSP).

In August 2014 this group of students arrived on the campus of West Kentucky Community and Technical College as the first CSP cohort.

These students kept their commitment to maintain a 2.5 grade point average (GPA) or better, had a 95% attendance rate and had no major disciplinary issues throughout high school. Their arrival on campus meant the community was also keeping their commitment to provide scholarships to these students so they could graduate or transfer without tuition debt.

The past five years have been a learning process for not only the CSP students, but also the community. While there are other cities that have similar programs, there are none that are identical to the Community Scholarship Program. This uniqueness has allowed McCracken’s program to evolve and change to meet the needs of the students. With this knowledge WKCTC has been deliberate about adding support services and developing initiatives that will increase the success of students beyond the scholarship opportunity.

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Support Services for CSP Students The success of the Community Scholarship Program to date has been the ability to couple this unique scholarship opportunity with additional support services available in the high schools and on the West Kentucky Community and Technical College campus specifically for CSP students. To achieve the Community Scholarship Program goals, WKCTC has taken the approach that mentoring and supporting students must begin in eighth grade and continue throughout their time on campus.

This has been accomplished by providing the following resources to students in the high schools: • The WKCTC faculty and staff are facilitating early conversations regarding career pathways and course selection by teaching GEN101: Introduction to College in the high schools. This course is mandatory for all students that are enrolled in CSP. •

Students meet with WKCTC faculty and staff up to 15 times between the end of their eighth grade year and when they graduate from high school.

• The WKCTC faculty and staff are helping students with financial aid, college selection and hosting Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) nights at area high schools to ensure that eligible students are receiving the maximum amount of financial aid.

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Once students successfully graduate and transition to WKCTC, faculty and staff continue closely working with CSP students by providing: • A Success Coach who was hired in 2014 specifically to help CSP students navigate their college experience and connect students that are struggling with various resources.

• A Mentoring Program for those CSP

students who have been identified as “at risk” for various reasons. Faculty and staff

have been paired with these students to mentor and assist throughout their time

at WKCTC. •

A Summer Bridge Program targeting CSP students that do not meet the college benchmarks for reading and math. The Summer Bridge Program is offered in an effort to get students through remedial courses in the summer so they are prepared for college level courses in the fall.

• The FYE 105: Achieving Academic Success course is designed to help new students focus on areas to improve their academic and personal success.

Danielo Pacheco - Rosales

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rowing up in the central American country of Honduras, Danielo Pacheco-Rosales was sure she would never be able to attend college. She knew it would be difficult for her family to provide money to send her.

Her fortunes first changed when she came to the United States to live with her father. But the ultimate changing of the stars happened when she learned she would be a Community Scholarship recipient.

Danielo, 18, a Paducah Tilghman High School graduate, is pursuing an associate in arts degree at West Kentucky Community and Technical College where she loves the small classes and the good relationship she has with her professors.

“This scholarship is very important for people who do not have the resources to go to college,” Danielo said. “It’s something to be grateful for.”

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eather Redd doesn’t remember a time when she didn’t want to go to college.

A Paducah Tilghman High School graduate, Heather got good grades in high school, participated in the Beta Club and was captain of the Paducah Tilghman Band of Blue her senior year.

“I love fashion. I’ve always had the desire to become a fashion designer/stylist. I wanted to go to college to pursue a career in fashion,” Heather said. “I figured that college is the only way to succeed in doing what I wanted to do.

Without education, I wouldn’t get far.”

After completing an associate in science degree from West Kentucky Community and Technical College, Heather plans to transfer to a fouryear university to pursue her fashion career.

She said being awarded a Community Scholarship was not only a great opportunity she just couldn’t pass up, but it also provided her with extra support.

“There are times when a class was getting challenging,” Heather said, “but there are always mentors and tutors that I can go to for help. That means a lot.”

Heather Redd 10

Early Signs of Success The inaugural cohort of Community Scholarship Program students completed their first year at West Kentucky Community and Technical College in May 2015. It will take a minimum of two more years to know if this effort is moving the needle on increasing high school graduation rates, increasing the number of students transitioning to postsecondary education and ultimately receiving a degree or certificate. However, the College is already seeing early success.

• 279 CSP students from across McCracken County enrolled at WKCTC in the fall of 2014. That represents ___% of McCracken County’s graduating seniors.

• 65% increase in African Americans attending WKCTC since the inception of CSP in 2010.

• The average grade point average (GPA) for the first CSP cohort is 2.35 compared to a 1.95 GPA of all incoming freshman not in the CSP cohort.

• Thirteen CSP students have already received a WKCTC certification or credential.

Eligibility and Community Scholarship Guidelines • Be a student at a participating Paducah or McCracken County high school or home school.

• Participate in a pre-enrollment CSP orientation with parent/guardian and enroll before October 1st of their freshman year.

• Obtain a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA during high school (certified by high school administration).

• Achieve a minimum 95% cumulative attendance record during high school (certified by high school administration).

• Incur no major discipline referrals during high school (certified by high school administration).

• Complete high school in eight consecutive semesters (four years).

• Complete GEN 100:Introduction to College while in high school (tuition waived).

• Student and parent/guardian must complete FAFSA (application for financial aid) and WKCTC scholarship application.

• Enroll full-time at WKCTC beginning the fall semester immediately following high school graduation.

• Maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA during the first year at WKCTC in order to qualify for CSP scholarship during second year at WKCTC. • Enroll (second year) at WKCTC for the fall semester immediately following completion of the first college year.

2015 WKCTC graduate Shannon Bright earned college credits through the Commonwealth Middle College program and was able to complete an associate degree in one year after receiving the Community Scholarship.

• CSP scholarship awards will apply fall or spring semesters at WKCTC (after approval for any federal, state, or other scholarship grant for which the student is eligible) up to five consecutive semesters.

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A Parent’s PROSPECTIVE

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enny Asher’s nervousness was more than the pending high school graduation of the oldest of her three children. Asher, a Paducah Community College graduate and registered nurse for 13 years, knew the importance of higher education. Despite the costs, she also knew that she and her husband, Corey, would do whatever it took to come up with the money to get their first born to college.

Thanks to the Community Scholarship Program the Asher’s financial concerns have been lessened tremendously. Asher’s daughter, Erica, a CSP recipient, enrolled at West Kentucky Community and Technical College in the Fall 2014 and wants to be a physical therapist assistant.

The importance of the Community Scholarship to her family could not be overstated, Asher said.

“That my child is getting a free education truly means the world to me,” she said.

Jenny and Erica Asher Asher recalled working two jobs during the summer to save up enough money to attend the next semester and holding down a part-time job during the regular semester.

“I had to come up with it (tuition) on my own, so the fact that my daughter gets to go to college without the struggle I had – free education – it truly means an awful lot to my family.”

We invite you to be a part of this initiative by contributing to the Community Scholarship Program. You may make a tax-deductible donation or make a pledge over a five-year period.

For more information contact:

West Kentucky Community and Technical College Office of Advancement P.O. Box 7380 Paducah, KY 42002-7380 (270) 534-3084 ashley.wright@kctcs.edu

INVESTING TODAY IN TOMORROW’S WORKFORCE WKCTC is an equal educational and employment opportunity institution.

Community Scholarship Program Charter Supporters Bacon Farmer Workman /

Marcum Engineering City of Paducah Community Financial Services Bank Computer Services, Inc. Edward Jones Investments McCracken County Fiscal Court Paducah Bank Paducah Junior College, Inc. Paducah & Louisville Railway Paducah Power System Rotary Club of Paducah William Usher