Like those unappreciated valuable collectibles gathering dust in our attics, we have a treasure in our backyards that many of us tend to ignore. In fact, Logan Countians not only have access to this potential gold mine in our backyards, but it can also be found in our front yards and even in our side yards.

The Kentucky Community and Technical College System could well be the best bargain available in higher education. KCTCS helps prepare people of all ages to start earning a good living or to find a new skill when former sources of income flow suddenly go dry. Consider these pluses of KCTCS:

1) Tuition costs are about one-half of those public universities charge.
2) A marketable skill can often be learned and certified in two years or less.
3) The 2010 General Assembly took giant steps to guarantee courses completed at a KCTCS school can be transferred to state universities.
4) Teacher-student ratios are often lower than they are in public four-year colleges.

Those living in the Olmstead area can choose to head west to Hopkinsville Community College. Lewisburgians may opt for Madisonville Community College, and those around Chandlers could make a longer ride to Owensboro Community and Technical College

Most of us, however, tend to be Bowling Green-oriented, and the main campus of Bowling Green Technical College is located just off Russellville Road, between Warren Central High School and the "new Wal-Mart." Adding to the proximity is the easily accessible new BG Tech center located in Franklin with unlimited potential.

My association with Bowling Green Technical College began last fall when Dr. Sally Ray, who hired me to return to college teaching three years ago, came to my Western Kentucky University classroom. She said Bowling Green Tech was in immediate need of someone to teach a speech class for the fall semester and asked me if I would be interested in filling the slot for them.

I have to admit I didn't even know where the school was located. Like so many of us who have been university-oriented, I knew of its existence, but had just assumed it was an advanced vocational school. I was somewhat surprised that they even offered speech classes. I knew students take courses that prepare them for certification in their chosen fields, but had not realized they have access to a broader spectrum of general education courses. In this case, my ignorance was not bliss.

Programs preparing students for specific jobs are, indeed, an important part of the Bowling Green Technical College curriculum. Associate in Applied Science degrees are offered in Air Conditioning Technology, Automotive Technology, Culinary Arts, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Engineering Technology, Fire/Rescue Science Technology, General Occupation & Technical Technology, Industrial Maintenance Technology, Information Technology, Machine Tool Technology, Medical Information Technology, Nursing, Radiography, Respiratory Care Technology, and Surgical Technology. Diplomas and certificates can be earned in Administrative Assistant, Collision Repair Technology, Computer Aided Drafting and Design, Electrical Technology-Construction/Industrial, Financial Assistant, Medical Transcriptionist and Welding Technology. A diploma is available in Practical Nursing and certificates can be earned in Mechatronics Technology, Medicaid Nurse Aide and Medication Aide.

Yet many traditional courses found at four-year colleges are offered as well. This summer alone, students could take such courses as U.S. History, four levels of mathematics including intermediate algebra, two levels of Human Anatomy & Physiology, medical microbiology, developmental psychology, Foundations of College Writing II, public speaking and introduction to computers. Additional fall offerings include introduction courses in literature, art, music, folk studies, physics, psychology and sociology along with New Testament, Comparative Religions, world civilization, history of Kentucky, Spanish I and II, art, literature, Major Black Writers, Native American Literature, History of Sociology of Rock and Roll, Statistical Methods, Technical Algebra and Trigonometry, Interpersonal Communication, Intercultural Communication, macroeconomics and many courses in college writing and reading.

The Franklin Center has much to offer. The 64,000-square foot two-story building is a magnificent, state-of-the-art structure. It's easily accessible off Highway 100 within sight of I-65. Classes are small and space for study is ample. Computers are accessible throughout the building. The upstairs is devoted primarily to academic classrooms. The lower floor has hands-on technology and equipment, learning-by-doing shops and labs. Although the student populations has grown by large percentages each semester since it opened a couple of years ago, the center has the capacity to provide an advanced education for hundreds of more students than are currently attending classes there.

Each of my six classes at WKU and two at the BGTC main campus this year began with at least 25 students this year. My largest enrollment in a class at Franklin so far has been 15.

Dr. Jeff Foshee, who is director of the Franklin Center, and Donna Hayden, the administrative assistant who is the face of the school to the students, are friendly, capable and helpful.

Under the leadership of President Nathan Hodges, Bowling Green Technical College is the fastest growing college in the nation in its enrollment range, says Public Relations Director Mark Brooks. "In Fall 2009 we experienced a 32 percent growth in traditional program enrollment over last year. Spring traditional headcount increased over 50 percent from last year to 2,682."

While my own discovery of Bowling Green Tech is recent, one of Logan County's most respected leaders has been a Bowling Green Technical College advocate for the past 20 years. Retired Logan Aluminum CEO Mike Harris says, "I really started to think about Kentucky and the quality of life for citizens of the commonwealth during my career at Logan and specifically related to my experience with Leadership Kentucky in the mid 1990s. I came to the realization education was a key enabler to Economic Development in Kentucky and therefore the quality of life for our citizens. So in thinking about education I saw the Technical College system as an education path for all Kentuckians! It is relevant, affordable, convenient, and accessible."
Statistics give credence to his 'affordable' contention. In the fall of 2010, tuition at Bowling Green Technical College will be $130 per credit hour. That computes to $1,950 for 15 hours. Tuition for a comparable academic load at WKU, for example, will be $3,780 this fall. The published tuition for Murray State is $328.50 per credit hour. Other public four-year colleges have comparable costs.
BGTC had an estimated pass rate of 88.4 percent for students taking licensure and certification exams in 09-10. BGTC projects to award 1,403 credentials in 2009-2010.
Like other public schools, BG Tech awards and administers significant financial aid for students. According to Brooks, BGTC has awarded $17,553,471 in financial aid and scholarships this year, constituting a 107 percent increase over last year.
Retired Regional Librarian Evelyn Richardson is also a long-time believer in BG Tech: "Many times I've said I wish I could be a public relations person for Bowling Green Technical College. My firsthand introduction to the great education that it provides came when, as regional librarian, I regularly attended BRADD interagency meetings. Our group was hosted one month by BGTC and we were given a tour. I was permanently impressed.
"Students are given what they need to know for the world of work: focused instruction. Students find personal fulfillment and a good job because of the preparation given them. I've seen it happen with individuals whom I know."
One of the unique aspects of Bowling Tech classes is the diversity of the students, not in terms of race or nationality, but in age, experience and life stories. My first class role ranged from the recent valedictorian from Butler County High School to a mother of five from Logan County who had come back to school because her husband's work and income had been greatly reduced. Yet in a class I taught at Franklin this spring, seven of the eleven class members were seniors at Franklin-Simpson High School, part of the On Track program in which they obtain dual high school and college credits. Three of them graduated cum laude from FSHS a couple of weeks later. On the other hand, three of my best students in a class on the main campus were single mothers of multiple children. Another excellent student had just broken free from seven years of an abusive marriage. Three of my students at Franklin have been actively involved in farming.

Jerresha Williams , who recently graduated from Franklin-Simpson High School, completed 18 college hours at the BGTC Franklin Center while she still was in high school. The University of Louisville and WKU both offered her one of their top scholarships. She has chosen U of L and has $8,000 in other scholarships over and above her full ride to Louisville, according to Amy Woodward Hallman, a graduate of Logan County High School who is a counselor at FSHS.

BGTC can meet the needs of different generations. At age 42, Tammy Inscoe of Logan County enrolled in the Culinary Arts program. She earned her degree in two years and immediately found a job in her field. Now a year after graduating, she works for Aramark, serving as a supervisor of catering at WKU. Her daughter, 22-year-old Amanda Davis Mayes of Auburn, graduated from LCHS in 2006, served in the military, and takes pleasure in gardening with her husband Michael. She has just begun course work at BG Tech, seeking a degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography. "I've never enjoyed school as much as I like going to college," she said last week while selling her canned goods at the Logan County Farmers Market.

This summer five of my fifteen students at BGTC graduated from high school in the 1970s, one of whom I first taught at Russellville High School in the fall of 1972. They are among victims of America's economic downturn who are taking advantage of government programs for laid-off workers. Another, who earned her GED, has been a nursing home worker most of her life but now wants to be a registered nurse. Conversely, one of the students is a 2009 high school graduate who attended Murray State University last year but is now taking courses at Bowling Green Tech as a cost-saving measure. He wants to get his general education courses out of the way for about half of the cost of a university and then go back to four-year status to work on a bachelors degree in civil engineering or meteorology.

My current students include a 25-year-old man who has done two military tours of duty in war zones; he's a top-flight student. One man in his fifties owns his own business in Allen County but wants to improve his "total package" by earning college certification.

Diane Wood Wilkins , a graduate of Russellville High School who is an associate professor of English at Bowling Green Tech, says, "I've been teaching college composition for ten years now, and often the first week of classes the older returning adult students will pull me aside after class and tell me that they are really concerned about being out of school for so long. They think they might not be successful. Over the years I have found that these returning adults, once they get into the swing of college, often realize that they have so much to add to class discussions: they have struggled and have life experience, they often have more 'street' sense, they are more motivated because they have been out there trying to make ends meet on a small budget, and they simply realize that learning is much more fun than their previous high school experience because they WANT to be there now (that one aspect alone makes a world of difference). Returning adult students often end up being the top students in the class, and once they successfully complete a couple of college classes they often come back to tell me that they feel like there's nothing they can't now accomplish. This reason alone makes teaching at BGTC a rewarding experience--we really are changing lives for the better and giving people a brighter future."

Lisa Matar , a1976 RHS graduate, says BGTC aided her career over 20 years ago and she hopes it will again. "I attended BGTC in 1988 and received my certification in accounting. At the end of the year, I was one of three chosen to be interviewed for an office position assisting the owner's wife. I was with this company for almost 20 years, so BGTC helped me achieve this goal." She's now back in school, working on an Associate degree in accounting, hoping for an even better job.

"I enjoy BGTC because of the staff and students," Matar says. "I haven't asked one question or met one student who hasn't been helpful in some way."

Larry Shelton , a 1976 graduate of Auburn High School, is attending college for the first time. He and several others who had worked at a Franklin factory for many years found themselves unemployed because of the economy. They're taking advantage of programs designed to help those who have lost their jobs get prepared for new ones. "I felt a small school would be better for me personally. BGTC has small classes and a very diversified group of students," he says. "So far I've felt I fit in with everyone. The smaller classes allow for more interaction and a better learning experience."

Teresa Burgess , who has three children 20 and older, has been out of school for 33 years and says returning to a classroom "was one of the scariest decisions I have ever made. The atmosphere at Bowling Green Tech was just what I was searching for. The campus is personable, helpful and friendly. The teachers are tough but fair, the campus is small but beautiful, and the office personnel are always helpful."

Brenda Hawks has spent much of her adult life caring for seriously and/or terminally ill members of her family. She spoke to classmates last week about how persistence paid off in finally getting a physician to realize that her husband had TB. She has nursed him back to much better health. Now at age 48, she notes she was one of 35 students chosen from 897 applicants for the Registered Nurse program. "I would recommend BGTC to any new high school graduate or older adult as the college to research to further their education. I am delighted to be a student at this college," she says.

Bowling Green Technical College also provides Workforce Training Solutions for business and industry, offering training and certification in high-growth, high wage jobs. So far, BGTC has served 4,851 workforce students through Workforce Solutions in 2009-2010. Brooks notes, "Bowling Green Tech has been KCTCS’ flagship institution in workforce training for the past three years, serving 660 businesses in 2009-2010.

Wilkins notes that the school makes great efforts to help prepare students for college: :"BGTC offers many developmental classes to help prepare students for college-level math, reading, and writing. A large portion of our students are returning adult/non-traditional students who may have been out of school for many years and need brush-up courses. While these courses do not count towards a degree, they ease the transition into college-level classes, and increase one's chances for success.
"Also, a majority of our students are also working either full-time or part-time jobs, raising a family, and meeting numerous other demands outside of academia. To help with these demands, BGTC offers many online courses and evening courses as well."

I remain a great believer in WKU and what it has to offer. It should be noted that technical colleges don't meet the desires and needs of all students. There are no sports teams, band, drama productions or Greek fraternities and sororities. BG Tech doesn't have a cafeteria or dormitories. Yet it is an ideal way for students who need to work and go to school at the same time and who want to save money to start their college education.

Originally named the “Western Trade School,” the College was established in 1939 under the joint sponsorship of the National Youth Administration (NYA) and Western Kentucky State Teachers College as an NYA training facility. In 1962, through passage of legislation in the Kentucky General Assembly, the school became independent of Western Kentucky University. In 1968, services were relocated to the current main campus location. In 1996, the name was changed to Bowling Green Regional Technology Center.

With the passage of the Kentucky Postsecondary Education Improvement Act of 1997, the Kentucky Community and Technical College System was established. Bowling Green Regional Technology Center became Bowling Green Technical College, one of 16 colleges in KCTCS.

Bowling Green Technical College serves ten counties located in the Barren River Area Development District. These counties include Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Simpson and Warren with a total population of 261,407. BGTC has six campus locations - three in Bowling Green, two in Glasgow, and one in Franklin. The College is easily accessible to all the communities within its service area.