HCTCs Accelerating Opportunity Program gives hope and encouragement

Melissa K. Noble said she didn t have a lot of confidence in her abilities but that is changing now because of her success at Hazard Community and Technical College as she pursues her dream of becoming a nurse.
She credits the Accelerating Opportunity Program and former coordinator Lucy Langdon for the change in her life. Lucy encouraged me every step of the way and reinforced that anything was possible if I set my mind to it. She always kept faith in my abilities, Ms. Noble said.

She said she heard about the Accelerating Opportunity Program through a friend at LKLP and that is when she decided to go back to school.

After searching for a job in Hazard for about six months in the latter part of 2013, she heard the HCTC Phlebotomy Program was accepting students. There wasn t anything happening and I got tired of pounding the pavement and decided to take matters into my own hands and fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming a nurse, she noted.

Enrolling in college is what turned her life around. I feel like the sky s the limit, she said. She plans to continue working on her Licensed Practical Nursing degree and then become a Registered Nurse.

Ms. Noble said she would highly recommend HCTC to anyone. There are a lot of good programs offered at our college that are in high demand in today s job market, she said.

Besides the Accelerating Opportunity program, Ms. Noble credits her late father, Capt. Howard W. Noble, for reinforcing in her at a very young age that a person is never too old to learn. My father was 6 hours shy of a bachelor s degree from the University of Kentucky. He went to college at age 51 after dropping out of school in the 8th grade to pursue a career in the Army and Air Force which spanned 26 years.
Ms. Noble, age 43, is divorced with a daughter who is a senior at Hazard High School.

Ms. Langdon noted, Melissa was very dedicated to coursework and her work study position in the AO office. To see her continue her education beyond AO and setting new goals for a stable career makes me very proud.

Anyone interested in enrolling in the Accelerating Opportunity Program can contact Jennifer.Lindon@kctcs.edu via email or by calling 606-487-3136.