Last week, officials with Hopkinsville Community College held their annual “Going Professional” signing event — recognizing 35 HOPFAME students and the manufacturing partners with which they will work for following graduation.
And one student stood above the rest.
A Cadiz native, Skylar Wilson was named the 2024 HOPFAME “Distinguished Graduate,” after earning an associate in applied science for industrial maintenance technology.
He was employed by Pregis during the two-year program, and was selected based on his outstanding performance both in the classroom and on the job.
It 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 honor also considers performance at work, application of professional behaviors and manufacturing core exercises, leadership and grade point average.
Last week’s HOPFAME ceremony also celebrated those who graduated last week, those in the middle of the program, and incoming class cohorts beginning relationships this summer.
GRADUATES
CADIZ
— Skylar Wilson of Cadiz / Pregis
HOPKINSVILLE
— Christian Angel of Hopkinsville / Metalsa Structural Products
— Austin Hale of Hopkinsville / Huhtamaki
— Layton Mason of Hopkinsville / Douglas Autotech/JTEKT
ELKTON
— Kaedyn Fillers of Elkton / Novelis
— Noah Holt of Elkton / Novelis
— Jackson Jones of Elkton / Toyoda Gosei
— Curtis Nichols of Elkton / Huhtamaki
CLASS OF 2025
HOPKINSVILLE
— Isaac Coulter of Hopkinsville / Huhtamaki
— Jesy Inman of Hopkinsville / Martinrea
— Piper Krohn of Hopkinsville / Novelis
— Jessica Williams of Hopkinsville / Metalsa Structural Products
ELKTON
— Hayden Hake of Elkton / Huhtamaki
— Marcus Leavell of Elkton / White Drive Products
INCOMING
HOPKINSVILLE
— Jameer Adkinson of Hopkinsville / Freudenberg
— Abigail Allen of Hopkinsville / JTEKT
— Tyler Evitts of Hopkinsville / Plymouth
— Bennett Farrell of Hopkinsville (company match TBD)
— Kameron Morris of Hopkinsville / Huhtamaki
— 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)
— Thomas Webster of Hopkinsville (company match TBD)
— Liam Woods of Hopkinsville / JTEKT
GRACEY
— Matthew Balthrop of Gracey / Huhtamaki
LEWISBURG
— Aaron Brown of Lewisburg / Novelis
WOODBURN
— Ryley Cantu from Woodburn (company match TBD)
PRINCETON
— James Carabajal of Princeton / Novelis
ELKTON
— Joshua Carrender of Elkton / Huhtamaki
— Daniel Herrera of Elkton / Martinrea
— Horacio Herrera of Elkton / Metalsa Structural Products
CADIZ
— Tyler Knight of Cadiz (company match TBD)
— Jon Nichols of Cadiz (company match TBD)
— Levi Watts of Cadiz / JTEKT
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 died in December of 2023. He was 34.
The recipient of this award will be chosen annually by the HOPFAME graduating class and should exhibit the following:
— Demonstrates leadership abilities within HOPFAME cohort,
— Encourages, motivates, and challenges class peers to be their best,
— And dedicates themselves to personal growth and achieving goals.
This went to Fillers, of Elkton, who 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 offers a five-semester college degree program that matches higher education with continuous real-world experience in an apprentice-style setting, and its students focus on mastering skills in industrial maintenance, computerized machining and manufacturing, welding, engineering, electronics, electrical and computer assisted drafting.
