Joanna Martin receives outstanding teaching award from HCTC

HCTC Interim President Dr. Juston Pate presents Joanna Martin with the John Brown Outstanding Faculty award.

Hazard Community and Technical College honored Joanna Martin with the John Brown Faculty Award for her excellence in teaching. She and Amanda Spencer-Barnes both were honored on May 7 during Commencement with the recognition for excellence in both teaching and service to the College and to the community.

Ms. Martin of Pippa Passes is the Surgical Technology Program Coordinator. She began in January 2009 as the Surgical Technology Program Coordinator and instructor. She brings a wealth of surgical experience to her position. She holds two associate of applied science degrees one from HCTC and the other from Madisonville Community and Technical College in Surgical First Assisting.

HCTC has the most wonderful faculty and staff that anyone could work with. I am very honored that the faculty chose me to be the recipient for the John Brown Outstanding Faculty Award. Receiving this award, I feel that all my hard work and dedication to my job has not gone unnoticed. I feel as a faculty member, this is the most outstanding accomplishment to receive. I worked hard to make sure the Surgical Technology Program was accredited and continues to stay accredited to allow our graduates to sit for a national certification exam. This allows graduates to work anywhere in our nation as a Certified Surgical Technologist, Ms. Martin noted.

Ms. Martin strives to push her students to not just achieve a degree but create for themselves a lifelong learning career. I have seen a lot of students transition from a quiet student to a graduate excelling in the surgical technology field. The Surgical Technology field has a constant growing demand for graduates in this area. Many students are employed by clinical facilities before they graduate. I plan to continue to graduate well-prepared graduates for employers to fill and keep qualified surgical technologist for their operating rooms. Many of our clinical sites have held jobs waiting for our graduates to complete their degree to fill their job openings. This program has great clinical facilities for student learning but, most of all, employers in those same facilities believe in our graduates knowledgeable skills to come and be part of their team upon graduation, she said.

Teaching is a fulfilling career for Ms. Martin. I am so grateful for this college and students for giving me the opportunity to change and improve one of their life goals -- getting a college degree. It is an amazing feeling to have parents, friends, children of graduates and graduates hug and thank you at graduation for helping them achieve their goal. I have found that most students just need someone to encourage them and build their confidence in themselves to realize they can achieve any goal with hard work and dedication, she said.