OCTC Hosting 9th Annual Trailblazer Dinner February 26, 2026
With special guest speaker, Miss Kentucky 2025, Ariana Rodriguez
Owensboro, KY (02/04/2026) — Owensboro Community & Technical College (OCTC) will host the 9th Annual Trailblazer Dinner Presented by Independence Bank on Thursday, February 26, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in OCTC's Blandford Lecture Hall, located in the Humanities Building on OCTC's Main Campus. Check-in for the main event and a program fair featuring OCTC programs and information will begin at 4:30 p.m.
This year's featured guest is Miss Kentucky 2025, Ariana Rodriguez, an advocate, storyteller, and founder of The Lucky Ones Foundation. Rodriguez made history as the first foster care alumna to place in the Top 11 at Miss America, rising above adversity on her journey from childhood instability and homelessness to the national stage.
Through her foundation, Rodriguez works to elevate the voices of foster youth and highlight the challenges young people face when entering the system. Her Suitcase Project, which provides essential items and support to youth entering foster care, has inspired statewide engagement and brought increased awareness to the needs of vulnerable young people.
Guests will have the opportunity to hear Rodriguez's powerful message of resilience, purpose, and hope as she reflects on how education, mentorship, and community played a transformative role in her life. Her story embodies the spirit of the Trailblazer Dinner and aligns with OCTC's mission to uplift students and help them forge their own paths forward.
The event is designed for middle school and high school students, and their parents or guardians, but all community members are welcome to attend.
Space is limited. The evening will include a complimentary meal and an OCTC swag bag. A limited number of swag bags will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Registration is required and can be completed at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/9th-annual-trailblazers-dinner-tickets-1975638730626?aff=oddtdtcreator
The 9th Annual Trailblazer Dinner is sponsored in part by Independence Bank, Toyotetsu Mid America, OCTC Foundation, Inc. and Owensboro Health. Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available. For registration inquiries, contact octc.alumni@kctcs.edu. For sponsorship information, contact sydney.warren@kctcs.edu.
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Owensboro Community & Technical College is one of the sixteen community and technical colleges that make up the Kentucky Community & Technical College System. OCTC serves the KY counties of Daviess, Hancock, Ohio and McLean. OCTC has three campuses in Daviess County and a Center and Annex in Hancock County. OCTC strives to serve the communities in the service area by providing associate degree education for transfer, state of the art technical education for students focusing on entering the workforce, customized business and industry solutions through the Workforce Solutions division, and adult education and business and industry testing through the SkillTrain unit.
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The Kentucky Community and Technical College System is the Commonwealth's largest postsecondary institution with 16 colleges and more than 70 campuses. We also are Kentucky's largest provider of workforce training and online education. Through partnerships with business and industry, we align our programs to meet the needs of local employers. We help students fulfill their dreams of creating a better life through programs that lead directly to jobs or help them transfer to one of our four-year partners.
Connect with OCTC: Owensboro.kctcs | Facebook.com/owensboroctc | Twitter@OCTC_Tweets | Instagram OwensboroCTC
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