“Go, see the world. Explore new places and learn new things. But we hope you will eventually fly back here and roost in MHC, where we will be working day and night to make sure that we have opportunities for you.” – Kate Keller, president of The Harvest Foundation
Graduates earning a degree/certification at Patrick & Henry Community College’s (P&HCC’s) commencement exercise last week were encouraged to remain or return to the area and invest in the communities that have supported them.
During the May 11 graduation ceremony, Kate Keller, president of The Harvest Foundation, shared with those assembled in William F. Stone Hall on the Martinsville Campus, that “being at graduation reminds me of my mom. My mom was the first and only person in her family to go to college. In her day, and in her family, there wasn’t a need to educate women. She paid her own way, as her dad didn’t see the point. I can only imagine the discussions in her home and her desire for her parents to support her dreams.”
Things were different during Keller’s formative years, she said.
“My mom was the influencer in my family. So, I was raised in a household where going to college wasn’t really a choice. It was always the path. When my mom completed college, she became a high school history teacher,” Keller said, and asked whether anyone in the audience had teachers for parents.
To those who do, “you know that continuing your education is typically the pathway out for you. Thirty years ago, last week, I graduated from college and received my Bachelor of Arts, unsure of the pathway ahead. While college was the path, what to study there and beyond wasn’t clear.”
Noting her own journey, Keller said, “Much to my parents’ dismay, I changed from studying finance to political science – a subject that I thoroughly enjoyed studying but a degree that I had no idea what to do with or an obvious path to self-sustainability. What does one do with a poli-sci degree other than going on to more schooling, which of course is eventually what I did.”
After assuring graduates that “it’s okay for those of you out there that still might be trying to figure it all out,” Keller noted that “Your schooling days are a time of exploration and understanding about what interests you. What are your passions? What are your strengths? What do you want to do every day to get out of bed and make you excited?
“Figuring out the answers to those questions may take you a lifetime, but they are worth the exploration. As a political science major, I wanted to be the president of the United States or Secretary of State. Pretty typical dreams of a young college student,” Keller said. “While I chose not to go down the path of politics, I did eventually become a president. That’s pretty good.”
She encouraged graduates to “use this time in your life to dream big. You’ve worked hard and you deserve the best. These are times to cherish. While they seem hard, balancing all the demands of life, your time here at Patrick and Henry has been all about you and what you need, and that type of focus on yourself is a rarity in life. So today is a very special day.
“Whether today is a final stop or a steppingstone, we are here to celebrate together with all of you. Those of you that return to school, those of you that did dual enrollment, those of you that balanced family and schooling, and those that are upscaling and those that dove right in after high school. We are here to acknowledge your hard work and your transition to the next phase. We are also celebrating along with the Patrick and Henry community and the Martinsville, Henry and Patrick County communities.
“I’m sure you’re all aware of what a great institution P&H is. This school serves as a backbone and workhorse for our local economy. The Harvest Foundation is a local foundation that serves Martinsville and Henry County, and we invest in efforts that help our youth and community thrive. Our vision is to have a community in which everyone has hope for their future and can see a positive life for themselves and their family,” Keller said.
In 2021, The Harvest Foundation announced a 13-year, $10.3 million grant to P&HCC to support the SEED Fund, which will ensure a college education is available at no cost to every high school graduate in Martinsville-Henry County.
Keller noted that funding ensures students can attend P&HCC for up to two years at no cost.
“This long-term investment in our youth is a generational game-changer. Every child in our community from the age of 5 knows that college is a viable path for them. Money will no longer be a barrier to further their education, to further their dreams. The investment ensures that tuition, fees and books are all covered,” Keller said.
After sharing some success stories from students helped through the SEED Fund, “we are betting that by investing in you and your future, we are investing in a stronger future for Martinsville and Henry County,” Keller said, and added that data shows that despite success in job growth and better wages, the poverty rate has held steady at about 20 percent for the region.
Upon learning that, “we were and are frustrated,” Keller said. “Turns out that moving people out of poverty is a lot harder than increasing the number of jobs available.”
But that is where the SEED Fund by “providing advanced learning opportunities to a generation of youth by removing financial barriers, maybe we can increase our local workforce and provide jobs with life-sustaining wages. Maybe this initiative can be both a way to help our youth and our community thrive. Time will tell, but it is looking good so far as our largest enrollment of SEED students this school year,” Keller said.
“We also have a new way we are hoping to bring and retain people to our region. Just a few months ago, we launched a brand new program in partnership with our Economic Development Corporation called PASCO,” she said, and explained the localities are struggling to recruit and retain specific jobs.
To tackle those shortages, “we are providing a tuition loan forgiveness program for professionals who are going to live and work in Martinsville and Henry County” in fields like teaching, health care and advanced manufacturing and engineering. PASCO will pay $5,000 a year for 10 years towards a student loan for someone in the qualifying degrees. That’s a $50,000 tuition repayment,” Keller said.
The program is open to anyone, she added, and encouraged students to consider it.
“What I hope you take from this information is that you have a community that is investing in you. That believes in you. That wants you to stay and grow and be successful right here,” Keller said. “Many of you will want to fly the coop, and I completely understand and encourage you to do what you want.
“Go, see the world. Explore new places and learn new things. But we hope you will eventually fly back here and roost in MHC, where we will be working day and night to make sure that we have opportunities for you,” Keller said.
She also asked graduates that, regardless of where they eventually settle, “engage with your local community. Volunteer your time and your energy to make your local community a better place. So many here have done that for you, so please, pay it forward.
“Reflect on all you have accomplished. Dream about your future. Like I started with, it’s okay if you’re sitting out still wondering what you really want to do with your life, and no need to be jealous of the person sitting next to you who already knows. We each have our own road to take, and you have successfully made It through part of the journey. Take the time to celebrate, and know that if you keep moving forward and keep looking for opportunities, your road will present itself,” Keller said.
“From someone on the other side of building a career and growing a family, no matter your life path, it will be hard with moments of great joy. Most of you will have several jobs along that path. You will fall in and maybe out of love. You will welcome children and lose loved ones. But my advice to you is as you advance in your career or climb the corporate ladder, surround yourself with people who love and care about you. Be picky about who you partner with. Be picky about who you keep in your inner circle,” she said.
“Jobs will come and go, and partners may come and go. But at the end of the day and at the end of the career, what’s most important in life are the people you share it with. It’s not the house, the car, the clothes, the title. It is all about the people,” Keller said. “Invest in them, invest in your relationships. Your support system will be there through the bad times and cheer you through the good times, and you will do the same for them. None of us gets out of this journey without scars, but having close friends and family makes the journey doable and definitely more fun. Hats off to the class of 2024.”
“For 62 years, P&HCC has been this community’s college. As such, we have a singular focus. The economic mobility of the students and the community that we serve,” Dr. Greg Hodges, president of P&HCC, said during the welcome and introduction.
In fact, Hodges said, “We declare that very plainly in our institutional vision statement,” which is P&HCC “will be the educational catalyst that provides access to economic prosperity for our diverse community.
“This means that the students who walk across the stage are not only receiving a credential. They are receiving a ticket into financial stability for themselves and their families,” Hodges said, adding the leadership team and board members who understand P&HCC’s mission of economic transformation and are dedicated to the region’s bright future.
Hodges recognized faculty members receiving awards, and members of the local board attending the ceremony. He noted the annual faculty recognition awards ceremony was held on May 1, and recognized the winners.
P&HCC Distinguished Faculty Member Award, second place, Patty Amos, instructor of Psychology and Human Services. The P&HCC Distinguished Teaching Faculty of the Year Award was presented to Randy Smith, Assistant Professor of Welding.
Jewell Drewery, vice chairman of the P&HCC College Board, offered her congratulations as well, and to the Class of 2024, “best wishes as you begin your next journey.”
