Gateway Honors Alumni In New Hall Of Fame

Gateway Community & Technical College has named two alumni to a new Kentucky Community and Technical College System Hall of Fame intended to highlight outstanding African-American alumni.

Tynea Harris, a spring 2010 graduate with an associate in arts degree, and Kinta Joseph, a 2009 graduate with an associate in applied science degree, are the first inductees in the Hall of Fame. The honor was created as part of the Feb. 27 Super Sunday event, a statewide recruiting initiative sponsored by KCTCS.

Tynea and Kinta distinguished themselves during their years at Gateway, and we are very proud to count them among our graduates, said Ed Hughes, Gateway president/CEO. We expect great things from them.

Harris began her association with Gateway as an AmeriCorps volunteer. Since earning her associate degree, she accepted a position at Gateway in the adult education program and is continuing to take classes, this time in business administration. Her ultimate goal is to work in the human services field.

The experiences I have gained in my educational journey at Gateway have been a big part of who I am today; my whole outlook on life has changed, Harris said.

Joseph settled in Northern Kentucky after she lost her home in New Orleans to Hurricane Katrina. She eventually found her way to Gateway, finished with a 4.0 grade point average, and won the Presidents Award for outstanding leadership, academic performance and community service. Her plans include a bachelors degree from Northern Kentucky University and a career in criminal justice as a youth counselor.

Gateway is wonderful, Joseph said. I love what Gateway represents: families, community, love and, through all of that, fun. If I have anything to do with it, my kids will definitely attend college, and they will be students of Gateway.

Gateway will sponsor the Super Sunday recruiting fair at 3 p.m. Feb. 27 at its Urban Center at 525 Scott Boulevard in Covington. On this day, Gateway and each of the other 15 KCTCS colleges will partner with churches in their communities to host information fairs for prospective college students and their families. The statewide Super Sunday outreach is intended to increase the college-going rate of students of color to enable them to benefit from the states educational opportunities.

Locally, Grace of God Ministries is co-hosting the Gateway event, which is being held at the Urban Center to accommodate as many people as possible.

Super Sunday will be an annual initiative for Gateway and KCTCS. In subsequent years, the program will be expanded to extend outreach to students from other racial and ethnic groups, such as the emerging Latino population, as well as include more church partners.

To read more about Super Sunday, visit kctcs.edu.