PAINTSVILLE ROTARY MAKES DONATION TO JOHNSON COUNTY ADULT EDUCATION

The Paintsville Rotary Club recently made a $600 donation to Johnson County Adult Education to pay for GED testing.

It was a natural fit, said Tony Skeans, who serves as assistant lieutenant governor for area 10 in Kentucky and a member of the Paintsville Rotary Club. We got this idea after hearing a presentation on how to revitalize your community and take whats good in your community and make it better. We wanted to focus on the community college.

Jennifer Leedy, director of Johnson County Adult Education, said the donation is not a hand-out to those receiving the help.

Its certainly a hand-up for them, said Leedy. Those who use Rotary funds to pay for their GED test must complete 40 hours of community service to pay it forward. Our hope is that they will volunteer here and mentor students. We also hope this will encourage them to attend college.

Alex Caudill was the first recipient of the Rotary donation. After living all over the country, her family decided to move home to eastern Kentucky after she lost her brother in an automobile accident.

I was practically homeschooled, because public school was not a good fit, said Caudill. My father was very supportive of me working towards my GED.

The work towards the GED was difficult, especially mathematics. Im so thankful to Mrs. (Jennifer) Leedy, Mr. (Joey) Conn and Mr. (Phillip Gullet) for their support, she added. They worked with me and gave me extra packets of work to make sure I clearly understood what I was doing.
Community partnerships, such as that of the Paintsville Rotary, are important to Big Sandy Community and Technical College, said Bobby McCool, vice president for institutional services and Mayo campus director.

Allowing students to obtain their GED opens the doors of opportunity, said McCool. We are very thankful for organizations such as the Paintsville Rotary who are making sound investments in the future of our region.

For more information on Johnson County Adult Education, contact Leedy at (606) 788-2827 or email Jennifer.leedy@kctcs.edu.