Academic and career excellence: Learning beyond the books

Published on Jun 4, 2026

By Dr. Sandy Holbrook, Professor, SKCTC

Two years ago, I experienced a health scare that required me to navigate a series of medical appointments, tests, and treatments. During that time, I came into contact with many healthcare professionals who helped me through one of the most challenging periods of my life.

What struck me most was how many of them were graduates of Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College. From Whitesburg to Lexington, I encountered graduate after graduate who helped to provide me with exceptional care.

I encountered medical assistants who not only took my blood painlessly, but did so with care and concern for my dislike of needles. As my veins became harder to find, they employed new methods to find usable ones all while making me feel safe and acknowledging my fears with compassion. Nurses who graduated from Southeast helped to prepare me for surgery with professionalism and compassion. I listened to them break down the medical terminology and procedures in a way that a child could understand, which I needed! Radiographers performed CT scans, echocardiograms, and x-rays with precision and showed a thorough application of their knowledge in the field often working in tandem with one another like finely oiled machines. Throughout all of the tests and scans, I still felt like a person who was seen, respected, and valued. Respiratory therapists helped me navigate a new diagnosis with both knowledge and kindness. In fact, Respiratory program faculty, Wendy Wright, was instrumental in my diagnosis and her students demonstrated how to manage my new treatment, with which I was struggling.

In those moments, I was reminded that education is about more than mastering content. Success in the workplace requires knowledge and technical expertise, but it also depends on communication, professionalism, adaptability, critical thinking, and the ability to connect with others.

Those are the very qualities Southeast seeks to develop through its Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), ACE: Academic and Career Excellence.

Developed as part of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) accreditation process, ACE focuses on one central goal: helping students succeed both in college and in their future careers by developing durable, transferable skills they can use long after graduation.

The plan was shaped by feedback from students, faculty, staff, alumni, and business and industry partners. Through surveys and focus groups, students consistently shared a desire for more support in preparing for life after college. They wanted guidance in exploring career paths, understanding workplace expectations, learning what employers are seeking, and developing practical skills for success on the job.

Employers echoed those same priorities.

Those conversations are happening not only at Southeast, but across Kentucky. As part of a statewide effort to better align education and workforce needs, the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) engaged employers throughout the Commonwealth to identify the skills today's graduates need to succeed. The result was the Kentucky Graduate Profile, a framework that outlines ten essential competencies students should develop before entering the workforce.

The profile includes communication, critical and creative thinking, interpersonal relationships, adaptability, leadership, professionalism, civic engagement, teamwork, applying knowledge, and information literacy. Together, these skills represent what employers consistently say they value most in new hires—qualities that help individuals succeed regardless of industry or career path.

The conversations that led to the Kentucky Graduate Profile revealed an important reality: there can sometimes be a gap between classroom learning and the skills needed to thrive in the workplace. While employers value technical expertise, they also need graduates who can communicate effectively, work well with others, solve problems, and adapt to new challenges.

ACE was designed with those needs in mind.

At Southeast, our QEP focuses especially on communication, critical thinking, interpersonal relationships, professionalism, adaptability, and applying knowledge in meaningful ways. These skills are intentionally integrated into the student experience, helping learners connect what they are studying today to the careers they hope to pursue tomorrow.

An important part of this effort is helping students understand the "why" behind their learning. Why does this assignment matter? How will it help in a future career? Why is this skill important?

When students understand the purpose behind what they are learning, they are more likely to stay engaged and recognize the value of their education. Learning becomes more than a requirement for graduation—it becomes preparation for life.

Workforce readiness is about more than finishing assignments or passing classes. The real goal is preparing students for careers and meaningful work that allows them to contribute to their communities. That means giving students opportunities to practice these essential skills in real and practical ways. It is one thing to understand concepts in class, but it is equally important to apply those skills in real situations.

Employers want graduates who can communicate well, work with others, solve problems, and adapt to challenges. Our goal is to help students become well-rounded graduates who are prepared not just to get a job, but to succeed in their careers and make a positive difference in the communities they serve.

When I think back to the healthcare professionals who helped me during my own medical challenges, I am reminded that these skills matter. Their technical knowledge was essential, but it was their communication, professionalism, compassion, and ability to connect with others that made the greatest impact.

And that's what we're doing at Southeast. Through Academic and Career Excellence, we are helping students connect learning to purpose, understand the value of the skills they are developing, and prepare for meaningful careers and lives of service. By focusing on both academic knowledge and essential workplace skills, we are preparing graduates to succeed long after they leave our classrooms.