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Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC), which has a campus at 2020 Rolling Hills Lane in Winchester, is one of the most well-known facilities in the city’s industrial park area. 

Recently, it had a large reason to celebrate. 

The school held a gala at its Newton Campus in Lexington celebrating 85 years in existence. 

“We’re celebrating…eight-and-a-half decades of dedication, growth, and transformation in the lives of countless students and the community at large [and] eight-and-a-half decades of dedication from our faculty, staff, and our incredible community partners,” said Greg Feeney, BCTC President and CEO. “When this institution first opened its doors 85 years ago, it was born from a vision that education should be accessible to all, a vision that embraced all students, a vision that sought to provide opportunities for individuals to build better lives for themselves [and] their families [and] to strengthen their communities, [and] a vision that focused on the needs of local communities and the industry partners within them…I’m very proud to say that vision today is alive and thriving more than ever.” 

While many individuals that stood out for their academic achievements and stories of resiliency were recognized, other speakers included Rocky Adkins – senior advisor to Governor Andy Beshear – and current Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) President Ryan Quarles. 

“I’m proud…to be here tonight to really celebrate what we’re seeing happening in this unbelievable growth that’s taking place,” said Adkins, highlighting BCTC’s role in contributing education, workforce training, and more. 

“We have 110,000 students. We do workforce training for 80,000 students. On top of that…just last week, we announced that 72% of all KCTCS graduates graduate college debt-free,” said Quarles, highlighting additional economic benefits associated with KCTCS. 

In addition to its 85-year celebration, the occasion celebrated groundbreaking of a new classroom and student services building to accommodate a 9.2% increase in fall enrollment, with hopes to open in 2028.