Jefferson Community & Technical College

Meet your 2025 Commencement Speaker: Blakely Lewis! 🎓

Blakely has spent the past year dreaming of this moment to stand before her fellow grads to reflect on the journey and celebrate how far they’ve come.

Seven years after earning a bachelor’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology from Tennessee State University, Blakely returned to school at Jefferson to become an Occupational Therapy Assistant. A serious car accident involving her mother showed her the life-changing power of OT and inspired her to help others the same way.

She says delivering the student address is the perfect way to cap off her time at Jefferson.

“It's very special for me. I'm very happy that I was chosen because I feel like this is my time to show others that they can do it,” she said.

After graduation, Blakely plans to pursue a master’s degree in occupational therapy.

We can’t wait to hear your speech, Blakely!

“You just have to take it one step at a time.”

Step by step, Andre Lackey has made it to the final stretch. He’s just days away from one of the biggest walks of his life: crossing the graduation stage to receive his degree in Human Services.

It’s a milestone he once wasn’t sure he’d ever reach.

In 2022, the single father was in rehab for alcohol abuse. Today, he’s a soon-to-be college graduate.

“I'm able to be a positive model for my child, one that I may not have seen when I was a child. That's my biggest achievement," he said.

After graduation, Andre plans to continue his education at UofL to pursue a bachelor’s in social work. He wants to use both his lived experience and education to support others facing challenges with addiction and mental health.

“If I can do it, I know that anybody out there can do it,” he said.

Congratulations, Andre -- and hats off to all of our Class of 2025 graduates! 🎓

Congratulations to our newest Phi Theta Kappa members! We recently celebrated the induction of these new members into the PTK chapters for the Southwest and Bullitt County campuses. Students in this prestigious honor society are required to complete 12 credit hours and hold a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above. What an honor worth celebrating!

A quarter of this year’s graduates are first-generation college students, including Elisha Clark, who’s earning her degree in Business Administration.

Her college journey began in 2002, but life got in the way. She returned in 2023, determined to finish what she started.

On Wednesday, she’ll walk across a graduation stage for the first time—something she didn’t get to do in high school, making this moment even more meaningful.

“It’s just near and dear to my heart to do this and say I'm breaking those generational curses,” she said.

Her advice? Just do it.

“Don't give up. Don't tell yourself what you can't do because you can do anything that you put your mind to. It's never too late to go back, and it's never too late to change your career path.”

Congratulations to Elisha and to all of our Class of 2025 graduates!

This Mother’s Day, we celebrate all moms and mother figures and remember and cherish the memory of those no longer with us.

At Jefferson, we are especially proud of those who balance motherhood while pursuing their education to for themselves and their families. Happy Mother’s Day!

We can’t let Teacher Appreciation Week end without celebrating the educators who empower and inspire our students, like Jefferson’s American Sign Language professor, Darla Miller.

Miller’s passion for teaching was sparked in middle school when she helped another deaf classmate grasp a math concept during an impromptu bus ride lesson. That “aha” moment revealed her calling: to become a teacher for the Deaf.

She began her career as a vocational rehab counselor before spending ten years at Jefferson teaching math, reading, writing, and practical life skills to deaf students.

Now an ASL professor, Miller continues to make a lasting impact. She’s credited with growing the program from fewer than 10 students to over 100. Her students leave class with more than just language skills; they gain a deeper appreciation for Deaf culture. One student was even inspired to change her career plans to become an interpreter for the Deaf.

Seeing her students succeed is what keeps Miller motivated, even after 31 years in the classroom.

“I’m still friends with a lot of my students. I’m so happy that I finally agreed to teach ASL at JCTC. It’s been something that has been really good in my life,” she said.

Thank you for helping students feel seen, supported, and inspired. We’re to celebrate you, and all our incredible educators, this !

Join us in congratulating these high school seniors for ! 🎊

In April, we celebrated Future 42 College Signing Day at our Carrollton Campus, where these students committed to career pathways in high-demand, high-skill industries like Applied Process Technologies, Engineering and Electronics Technology, Computer Information Technology, General Occupational and Technical Studies, and Welding.

They are the future of our workforce, and we couldn't be more ! Congratulations!

More photos 📸 https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCdfmL

As we count down to graduation, we’re spotlighting some of our incredible graduates who will cross the stage next week!

For Emerald Garcia, that moment will be the reward for every late night studying biochemistry, every long clinical rotation, and every tearful setback as she proudly receives her associate degree.

Choosing just one word to describe how it feels to be the first in her family to graduate college – the cherry on top to discovering her passion as a Medical Laboratory Technician – is no easy task.

Surreal. Exciting. Superb. The list goes on.

What does come easily, though, is Emerald’s gratitude for Jefferson. The mother of two says the supportive faculty at Jefferson and career connections opened doors to opportunities she never thought possible.

“I’m on this high that no one will stop me, nothing can stop me. And I'm just going to continue reaching for the stars because I know I can do this, and it's all thanks to JCTC," she said.

Emerald has already landed a job in her field and plans to eventually earn her Medical Laboratory Scientist degree.

Join us in celebrating Emerald and all of our Class of 2025 graduates!

Graduation countdown is ON! Just one week til our graduates cross that stage on May 14! We can't wait to celebrate the Class of 2025 🎓

Did you know that 300 tons of steel are being used to construct our new science building? That's equivalent to the weight of 2.1 million textbooks 🤯

Happy National Nurses Day! Today marks the beginning of National Nurses Week, part of National Nurses Month. Jefferson thanks the incredible nurses whose compassion, dedication, and strength make a difference every single day. We also celebrate our amazing nursing students working hard to join these healthcare heroes.

Finals Week is here! Take deep breaths, stay focused, and finish the semester strong! You got this! 💪