Tylan Collins earned bachelor’s degree in hometown of Hazard with no debt, encourages others to do the same
Tylan Collins loves science and her hometown of Hazard, Ky. After graduating from high school with some dual-credit experience, she moved to a larger university town nearly two hours from home; however, her newfound location did not provide her with satisfaction.
Tylan Collins works at Appalachian Regional Healthcare in the organization's reference
lab. Photo courtesy of Tylan Collins
“I missed the closeness that I had taking those dual-credit classes at ... [HCTC]. I liked being able to get ahold of an advisor when I had a question,” she said.
Collins desired to obtain an affordable education close to home and a good-paying job so she could give back to her community. An opportunity arose that met those desires.
“There’s this misconception that if you stay home, you can’t pursue your dream,” she said.
However, that did not stop Collins from choosing her path. After returning from the university town, she enrolled at Hazard Community & Technical College (HCTC), where she learned about the college’s partnership with the University of Kentucky (UK) Center of Excellence in Rural Health through its University Center of the Mountains (UCM) Transfer Center.
UCM is a dynamic partnership of postsecondary educational institutions bringing bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees to southeastern Kentucky. UCM opened its doors in 2004, two decades ago, and has expanded to include a dozen partners.
Collins’ bachelor’s degree is in medical laboratory science. She currently works at Appalachian Regional Healthcare in the reference lab, where she uses her knowledge and skills to investigate cultures of blood, urine and respiratory bacteria to identify potential remedies for patients.
“When I sat down with them to make my schedule, they already had it very well organized. They were familiar with the … MLS program curriculum and what they required,” she said. “It was very helpful in suggesting elective classes that helped boost my application when I did apply for the MLS program.”
The transition was affordable and easy for Collins.
“Since I had a 4.0 at HCTC, I got a scholarship,” she said. “It made a huge difference in my tuition at UK and I was able to graduate debt free.”
Additionally, HCTC prepared Collins for the intensity of the program she completed during her time as a UK student. The MLS program is an accelerated one, meaning she completed between 16 and 18 credit hours each semester.
“HCTC prepared me for that,” she said. “They allowed me to take on as much as I wanted at HCTC and get done as fast as I could, but they also were there … when that got rough to answer questions and put me in a different class, or whatever it may have been.”
Collins credits her success to the community of faculty and staff at HCTC.
“I feel like I had good instructors at HCTC, I feel like that prepared me for the upper-level science courses I’ve had in the MLS program,” she said. “I was used to taking several science courses in one semester because HCTC allowed me to do that.”
Now, Collins’ experience allows her to encourage future students to pursue their dreams — and to do it in the mountains of eastern Kentucky.
“Don’t listen to other people. Don’t buy into the ‘Well, you can’t get a good education … [unless] you move away from home,’” she said. “If you feel like you want to stay close to home, if you want to have a career close to home, then go ahead and do it. Don’t listen to other people when they try to tell you it’s impossible, or it’s too hard, or you won’t receive the same education.”
HCTC will host a transfer event on March 12. The event will take place at the UCM in the First Federal Center. Many transfer partners will be available to assist students with pursuing undergraduate and graduate programs. For more information, visit the Spring Fling into Transfer webpage.
