OCTC Proudly Partners in Academic Career Exploration Program

by Hailey Ballard

Owensboro, KY (06/01/2023) — In 2021, The Owensboro Black Expo teamed up with Owensboro Community and Technical College to increase the supports that are in place for Black students by partnering to form ACE-Academic Career Exploration. ACE is a comprehensive program that provides a range of resources to support the academic and personal development of Black high school students in Owensboro through self-discovery, career exploration, academics, and leadership development.

Students that participated in ACE for the 2022-2023 year were invited by OCTC's Interim Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Director of Cultural Diversity, Sharmy Davis, to participate in college campus tours that included Western Kentucky University and the University of Louisville.

Sharmy Davis stated "The goal of the ACE program is to develop the necessary skills for students to stay on track to graduate high school and transition to college. We are thankful to have the opportunity to offer this program to minority high school students. I had a blast touring Western Kentucky University and the University of Louisville with these students. I've heard several of the students say they are considering attending one of these universities because of the tours and meeting students that they can relate to. I hope to continue providing campus tours to minority high school students because I believe it can truly be a life-altering experience."

An ACE luncheon was held on Thursday, May 18th, where students who participated in the program were gifted with new backpacks, school supplies, and brand-new laptops to help them succeed throughout their personal and academic careers.

"OCTC is proud to be a partner in the Academic Exploration and Careers (ACE) program with our area High Schools and community organizations. We have found this program to be hugely successful in helping students expand their horizons and be better prepared for post-secondary education," said Dr. Scott Williams, OCTC president.

For more information on OCTC's ACE program, please contact Sharmy Davis, at sharmy.davis@kctcs.edu.

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.

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

Owensboro Community and Technical College

OCTC Proudly Partners in Academic Career Exploration Program

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