Super Sunday is an annual Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) statewide initiative intended to increase the college-going rate of students of color.
As part of the initiative, a Super Sunday Hall of Fame has been established, highlighting outstanding African-American alumni. Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College will honor Lee A. Jackson and Michael Alexander as the newest members of its Hall of Fame.
“It’s a tremendous honor for our college to single out the accomplishments of two individuals with roots to Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College,” said Dr. W. Bruce Ayers, president of the college. “Lee A. Jackson and Michael Alexander are being honored as part of the Super Sunday proceedings, as we pay tribute to their contributions to society and to the commonwealth of Kentucky, commending them on stellar careers. However, we note that their journey began many years ago at Southeast.”
Jackson graduated from Southeast over 40 years ago and went on to academic successes at the University of Kentucky. Now retired after 31 years of service in state government, he is the former president of the Kentucky Association of State Employees and is a former vice-president of the state AFL-CIO. Active in his church in Lexington and in community affairs, he serves in the capacity of financial secretary for the Dr. Roy P. and Juanita Betz Peterson Arts and Education Fund Inc., and vice chairman of Evergreen-Brucetown Inc. Furthermore, he is the coordinator of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast held annually by the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government. Recently, he was honored as the recipient of the UK Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award.
Alexander attended SKCTC in the early 1970’s and was a member of the college’s Upward Bound Program. He holds degrees from Western Kentucky University and earned a law degree from the University of Louisville. Since 1993, he has served Kentucky’s governors as the Deputy General Counsel providing guidance on major policy initiatives, legal matters including litigation and the drafting of legislation. He is also a member of the National Bar Association and the NAACP. He is the father of eight and resides in Louisville and is active in his church, Calvary Missionary Baptist Church.
SKCTC will sponsor Super Sunday on Feb. 24 beginning at 1 p.m. at the Cawood and Helen Smith Auditorium located on the Harlan campus at 164 Ballpark Road. The event will begin with a potluck meal followed by the program that will feature appearances by Dr. W. Bruce Ayers, the college’s president and by pastors from participating churches: Clover Town Church of God, pastor Terry Turner, Union Baptist Church of Evarts, pastor Darryl Washington, Mt. Olive Baptist Church pastor and the First Baptist Church of Harlan, Pastor Clarence Hall. A college fair will be held following the program.
The event, now in its third year, will also feature music performed by area musicians and vocalists, noted Carolyn M. Sundy, event organizer and SKCTC’s vice president for Diversity and Inclusion.
“We look forward to once again hosting the Super Sunday initiative,” she said. “The event is our annual student recruitment happening, specifically targeting African-American students and their families; providing them with information and resources to aid them in their enrollment to the college.”
On Feb. 24, all 16 of the KCTCS institutions will partner with African-American churches throughout the state to host college information fairs for prospective college students and their families.
“The day will promote higher education across our state and serve to show prospective students how they can achieve a college education while also highlighting the role of parental involvement and early preparation in enabling successful entry to college for African-Americans,” Sundy said.
For the majority of Kentuckians, higher education begins at one of the state’s community and technical colleges. It is a key component of the KCTCS mission to ensure the state’s diverse populations receive every opportunity to obtain college education. KCTCS’s Super Sunday is modeled after a successful program implemented some years ago by California State University.
For additional information about the local Super Sunday event slated for the Harlan campus of Southeast, which is free and open to the public, one may contact Sundy by phoning 606/589-3052.
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