Southeast Professor Carlton Hughes Named SOAR Teacher of the Year

As the 2026 Shaping Our Appalachian Region Summit gets underway, Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College is celebrating one of its own. Carlton Hughes, professor of communication and journalism, has been named the SOAR Teacher of the Year.

SOAR Chief Operating Officer Joshua Ball described the SOAR Inspires Awards as an opportunity to recognize “true changemakers across the region” who are committed to the greater good of Eastern Kentucky. Hughes embodies that spirit through a career dedicated to education, mentorship, and service.

A native of Letcher County and a graduate of Jenkins High School, Hughes’ connection to Southeast began long before he joined the faculty. He was a student in the first off-campus class offered by the college in Letcher County. He later earned a bachelor’s degree in radio television broadcasting and print journalism from Morehead State University before completing a master’s degree in communication arts at Marshall University.

Hughes credits much of his success to mentors who helped shape his educational and professional journey.

“I had a mentor in high school, Robert Cox, who later became my colleague and an English professor on the Middlesboro campus,” Hughes said. “When I graduated with my undergraduate degree in broadcasting, people were not knocking on my door to hire me. Robert Cox and one of my college professors, David Collins, encouraged me to pursue a master’s degree so I could teach at the college level. I went back, earned that degree, and got my first teaching job at a community college in West Virginia. That’s when I realized this was what I wanted to do.”

Throughout his career, Hughes has remained committed to supporting students across Appalachia. While teaching comes with challenges, he believes one of the most significant is helping students develop confidence in themselves and their abilities.

“For someone afraid to stand in front of a classroom, uncertain of their abilities, or simply needing someone to believe in them, Carlton has been that teacher,” said Dr. Lee Harrison, chancellor of Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College. “He has helped students find their voice.”

For Hughes, building that confidence is especially important for students from Appalachia who may question whether their background limits what they can achieve.

“I think a lot of times, students in Appalachia struggle with self-esteem. We talk about that a lot in my interpersonal communication class,” Hughes said. “They think, ‘Because I’m from wherever, I can’t do that.’ Part of my job is showing them that they absolutely can. You can be a doctor, lawyer, teacher, college president, and be from around here.”

Hughes also recognizes the challenges students have faced in recent years, particularly as they have navigated shifts between online and in-person learning. He believes meaningful relationships between faculty and students remain essential to student success, regardless of the learning environment.

Beyond the classroom, Hughes is an accomplished writer who has published a book and is currently working on another. His own experiences help him connect with students who may question what is possible for their futures.

At the heart of Hughes’ approach is an engaging, student-centered teaching philosophy. He believes students learn best when they feel comfortable, connected, and actively involved in the classroom experience.

“I believe that when students are having fun and feel comfortable, they’re going to learn,” Hughes said. “Whether it’s public speaking or interpersonal communication, I try to create activities that encourage participation, build confidence, and make learning memorable.”

More than any lesson or assignment, Hughes hopes students remember that they had an instructor who genuinely cared about them.

“I hope students leave my classes knowing they had someone who cared about their success and their future,” he said. “That’s always been important to me.”

That same sense of care and connection is what Hughes says makes Southeast special.

“From the first day I walked through the doors at Southeast, it felt like family,” Hughes said. “We’re there for one another through good times and difficult times. Knowing you have that kind of support is priceless. Southeast has a way of making everyone feel like they belong.”

The day Hughes learned he had been selected as SOAR Teacher of the Year began like any other. Between teaching responsibilities in Cumberland, Whitesburg, and at Harlan County High School, he was moving from one commitment to the next when the email arrived.

“I was shocked,” Hughes recalled. “I had to read the email more than once because I couldn’t believe it. I even printed it out so I could show my wife. It was surreal.”

The SOAR Teacher of the Year Award recognizes an educator whose dedication, compassion, and commitment to student success have made a lasting impact on students throughout the region. As both an educator and mentor, Hughes demonstrates the transformative power of education and the difference one person can make in the lives of others.

For Hughes, that impact begins with something simple: helping students believe they belong, both in the classroom and in whatever future they choose to pursue.