I'm a Pathfinder: Dale Queen

Published on Sep 24, 2024

Dale Queen says his path to higher education began at Ashland Community College. 

An Ashland native, Queen earned his associate degree in Arts and Sciences at ACC before transferring to Marshall University, where he received a Bachelor of Business Administration. 

Surprisingly, Queen’s first job post-graduation wasn’t in an office space. He decided to go back to college and earn a trades degree.

“I received my Associate of Applied Process Technology from Kentucky Technical School and eventually began working at Ashland Oil for a few years,” Queen said. “I also worked briefly at AK Steel before working in property management overseeing apartment complexes in Ashland.”

But his journey in education didn’t end there.

He later went on to earn a Master of Arts degree in Higher Education from Morehead State University. With that degree, he says he was able to teach adjunct courses for Ashland Community & Technical College, while simultaneously working in property management and part-time as a sports reporter for The Herald Dispatch.

Queen earned two additional graduate degrees after that: a Master of Arts in Communications from Marshall University and a Master of Arts in Communication Studies from Liberty University. 

He taught adjunct communication courses at ACTC and Kentucky Christian University until he became a part of ACTC’s full time faculty in 2020.

“It is so neat when I look back at the path that started at ACTC and went full circle to end up teaching at this wonderful institution,” Queen said.

He says one of the things that he enjoys the most about teaching communication courses is seeing the transformation in his students as they develop their skills. 

“Working with students in each class gives me the opportunity to gain experience alongside my students,” he said. “Their curiosity, creativity, and dedication inspire me to improve as an educator.”

Queen said for someone thinking about a new career, ACTC is the path to a better life. 

“ACTC’s instructors are top notch, and the faculty and staff deeply care about every student. We are all on your side and will help you any way we can to fulfill your dreams of a new career,” he said.

Written by: Megan Smedley