Hopkinsville, KY – Hopkinsville Community College (HCC) held a “Going Pro” signing event to recognize 35 HOPFAME students and manufacturing industry partners with whom they work during the program.
The ceremony included students who will graduate this week, those in the middle of the program, and the incoming class cohort that will begin classes in August.
2024 HOPFAME Graduates / Company Partner
- Christian Angel of Hopkinsville / Metalsa Structural Products
- Kaedyn Fillers of Elkton / Novelis
- Austin Hale of Hopkinsville / Huhtamaki
- Noah Holt of Elkton / Novelis
- Jackson Jones of Elkton / Toyoda Gosei
- Layton Mason of Hopkinsville / Douglas Autotech/JTEKT
- Curtis Nichols of Elkton / Huhtamaki
- Skylar Wilson of Cadiz / Pregis
Current HOPFAME Students / Company Partner (Class of 2025)
- Isaac Coulter of Hopkinsville / Huhtamaki
- Hayden Hake of Elkton / Huhtamaki
- Jesy Inman of Hopkinsville / Martinrea
- Piper Krohn of Hopkinsville / Novelis
- Marcus Leavell of Elkton / White Drive Products
- Jessica Williams of Hopkinsville / Metalsa Structural Products
Incoming HOPFAME cohort beginning August 2024 / Company Partner
- Jameer Adkinson of Hopkinsville / Freudenberg
- Abigail Allen of Hopkinsville / JTEKT
- Matthew Balthrop of Gracey / Huhtamaki
- Aaron Brown of Lewisburg / Novelis
- Ryley Cantu from Woodburn (company match TBD)
- James Carabajal of Princeton / Novelis
- Joshua Carrender of Elkton / Huhtamaki
- Tyler Evitts of Hopkinsville / Plymouth
- Bennett Farrell of Hopkinsville (company match TBD)
- Daniel Herrera of Elkton / Martinrea
- Horacio Herrera of Elkton / Metalsa Structural Products
- Tyler Knight of Cadiz (company match TBD)
- Kameron Morris of Hopkinsville / Huhtamaki
- Jon Nichols of Cadiz (company match TBD)
- Xaveir Reid of Hopkinsville (company match TBD)
- Xaveiyon Reid of Hopkinsville (company match TBD)
- Jordan Strohl of Hopkinsville / Metalsa Structural Products
- Kary Watts of Hopkinsville (company match TBD)
- Levi Watts of Cadiz / JTEKT
- Thomas Webster of Hopkinsville (company match TBD)
- Liam Woods of Hopkinsville / JTEKT
Two award winners were also recognized during the ceremony. The 2024 HOPFAME Distinguished Graduate Award and the Adrian Tucker MVP Award.
Skylar Wilson
Skylar Wilson has been named the 2024 HOPFAME Distinguished Graduate. Wilson earned an associate in applied science degree in Industrial Maintenance Technology on Friday upon completion of the program. Wilson, who was employed by Pregis during the two-year program, was selected based on his outstanding performance both in the classroom and on the job.
The Distinguished Graduate award is the highest honor bestowed in the local FAME chapter and recognizes the graduate who most fully embodies all the key elements of the program.
The award considers performance at work, application of professional behaviors and manufacturing core exercises, leadership, and grade point average.
The Adrian Tucker MVP Award was added by the HOPFAME Board this year in honor of the late Adrian Tucker, a graduate of the program who passed at 34-years-old in December of 2023. The recipient of this award will be chosen annually by the HOPFAME graduating class and should exhibit the following qualities:
- Demonstrates leadership abilities within HOPFAME cohort,
- Encourages, motivates, and challenges class peers to be their best,
- Dedicates themselves to personal growth and achieving goals.
Kaedyn Fillers
Kaedyn Fillers is the inaugural recipient of the Adrian Tucker MVP Award. Fillers was employed by Novelis during his two years in the program and was recently hired full-time by the company. Fillers’s classmates expressed their appreciation for his encouragement, determination, and growth throughout his time in the program.
HOPFAME is the Hopkinsville chapter of the Kentucky Federation of Advanced Manufacturing Education (KYFAME). HOPFAME is an Industrial Maintenance Technology / Advanced Manufacturing Technician program that offers a five-semester college degree program that matches higher education with continuous real-world experience in an apprentice-style setting. HOPFAME students focus on mastering skills in industrial maintenance, computerized machining and manufacturing, welding, engineering, electronics, electrical and computer assisted drafting.
*According to data provided by Lightcast, those working in industrial maintenance fields in Kentucky earn an average of more than $48,000 annually. The field is projected to grow almost 6 percent by 2028.
About HOPFAME
HOPFAME is the Hopkinsville chapter of the Kentucky Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (KYFAME), a collaborative of manufacturers whose purpose is to implement apprentice-style training to create a pipeline of highly skilled workers. Kentucky is one of 11 states with FAME USA programs. Fifty-nine participants have completed the five-semester program at HCC since its launch in 2016.
HOPFAME students attend classes at HCC two days each week and work at their employer site three days a week. The curriculum includes not only essential hands-on training but also lean manufacturing principles and critical workplace behaviors. Graduates have 18 months of work experience, extensive knowledge in electricity, fluid power, mechanics, fabrication, and robotics, as well as personal skills necessary for success.
For more information. Call 270.707.3738, email hp-hopfame@kctcs.edu or visit rebrand.ly/HOPFAME
About Hopkinsville Community College
For many Pennyrile Kentucky region and Fort Campbell residents, higher education begins at Hopkinsville Community College (HCC). The college serves thousands of area residents each year as a comprehensive regional learning center providing academic and technical associate degrees; diploma and certificate programs in occupational fields; pre-baccalaureate education; adult, continuing and developmental education; customized training for business and industry; and distance learning.
As part of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, HCC is a critical component to transforming the region’s economy by providing citizens with the education and training needed for high growth, high wage careers.
For more information, visit Hopkinsville.kctcs.edu.
