Pathways to Service a resounding success

Published on Apr 10, 2025

Last month, 35 students from Ashland Community & Technical College (ACTC) participated in Pathways to Service, an expansion of last fall’s “My College Cares Day”. 

The three-week opportunity gives students more flexibility to engage in meaningful service while developing skills aligned with the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education’s 10 Essential Employability Skills, including civic engagement.

Five community organizations partnered with the college in this initiative, including Hillcrest-Bruce Mission, Ashland Animal Rescue Fund (AARF), NEKY Corp Salvation Army, The Highlands Museum & Discovery Center, and Safe Harbor—all in Ashland, KY.

Several of the students who participated plan to continue volunteering beyond this event. 

Elizabeth Lovato, who is earning her associate of arts degree at ACTC, volunteered at The Highlands Museum & Discovery Center. 

“I am very excited to start volunteering here. I plan on coming back often outside of school. It was a great experience, and I look forward to continuing to help,” she said.

Kim Jenkins, Executive Director of The Highlands Museum & Discovery Center, says The Highlands Museum & Discovery Center relies heavily on volunteer assistance to operate the museum’s Clark Family Discovery Center. 

“Partnering with the ACTC Pathways to Service event continues to be a tremendous opportunity for the museum,” she said. “The students who join us for two-hour shifts have been engaged and simply delightful. We appreciate and support the Pathways to Service mission and look forward to partnering with ACTC again.”

In addition to giving back to the community, students gained valuable experience in teamwork and civic engagement, earning digital badges that can be showcased on platforms such as LinkedIn and Handshake. These badges enhance students' profiles, making them more visible to potential employers and contribute toward the completion of the Work Ready Certification. 

“It’s been really rewarding to hear from both the organizations and students about how much they appreciated this event,” said Amy Oakley, Career Services’ student support specialist. “It’s great to see that many students are so eager to continue volunteering, which really shows how valuable these service opportunities are.”

For more information about the 10 essential skills, please visit our website: https://ashland.kctcs.edu/current-students/academic-resources/essential-skills.aspx)

Organizations can express interest in being included for upcoming volunteer opportunities by completing this form: https://forms.office.com/r/qZ8eVvycLq