ASHLAND, Ky. — Ashland Community and Technical College has announced students James Allen Pauley-Barker and Rhonda Denton were named to the Kentucky Community and Technical College System All-Academic Team for the 2021-2022 academic year.

Thirty-two students, two from each of the 16 colleges, were selected by KCTCS for this prestigious recognition. Students were chosen based on a rigorous process that focuses on academic performance and community service.

James Allen Pauley-Barker, of Louisa, will graduate with an Associate in Arts degree in May. In the fall, he will attend Morehead State University in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in University Studies. Later, he hopes to earn a doctorate in education/leadership.

While attending ACTC, Pauley-Barker served as president for ACTC’s Phi Theta Kappa Alpha Omega Gamma Chapter for three years and currently serves as the new Kentucky regional co-president for PTK. In addition to his activities on-campus, Pauley-Barker works full-time as a school bus driver and instructional assistant for the Lawrence County (Kentucky) Board of Education, serves as the vice president for the Lawrence County Fair Board and is a 2022 candidate for the Mayor of Louisa.

“I am profoundly honored to have been selected to represent our ACTC campus, and I am aware that there are many exceptional students at our college, and my experience here has been life changing. This was something I never imagined I would be able to do and being able to accomplish this accolade…it is absolutely amazing. I want to thank everyone who has honored me with this achievement, as well as PTK for shaping me into the person I am today,” he said.

Rhonda Denton, of Grayson, Kentucky, graduated with an Associate of Applied Science from ACTC’s Medical Information Technology program in December 2021. In the fall 2021 semester, she completed an internship with King’s Daughters and is now a full-time employee there.

“Rhonda’s determination, grit, work ethic and non-traditional background shows a perfect illustration of how success can be attained as a college student,” said Janet Thompson, MIT program coordinator. “I am tremendously proud of her achievements which includes a 4.0 GPA, being offered a full-time position with King’s Daughters Medical Center from her internship in her last semester and passing the notoriously difficult exam to become a Certified Professional Coder Apprentice (CPC-A). Getting to work with students such as Rhonda is a privilege and the reason why I love being a faculty member with ACTC.”