PRESTONSBURG — Big Sandy Community and Technical College (BSCTC) welcomed 117 rising sophomores, juniors and seniors to its first Dual Credit Bridge to Success event.

Students received insights into various career pathways and transfer options to help them make informed decisions about their academic and professional futures.

Brittany Foley from the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority discussed dual credit and technical scholarships with the students. She guided the students through setting up their accounts and applying for scholarships, ensuring they could access financial support for their educational pursuits.

Several schools participated in the event, including Martin County Area Technology Center (Chad Williams, principal), Floyd Area Technology Center (Dr. Jeffrey Shannon, principal), Paintsville Independent (Georgia Baldwin, guidance counselor) and Johnson Central (Sherry Grierson, guidance counselor). Representatives from BSCTC’s technical faculty were also present to provide information about the college’s programs, and students had the opportunity to tour the technical facilities.

Tina Terry, coordinator of academic programs/dual credit at BSCTC, emphasized the importance of building relationships with area high school guidance counselors, ATC principals and parents to strengthen the future workforce pipeline.

“BSCTC is committed to providing career pathways to all our dual credit students,” Terry said. “We want every student to know that whatever career path they choose, they can start their journey at Big Sandy.”