For Pineville High School senior Emmie Dishman, a paid work experience through EKCEP’s Prosper Appalachia program has done more than provide a paycheck. It has helped confirm her career path, build her portfolio, and show her that the skills she is developing can make an impact close to home.
Through Prosper Appalachia, EKCEP’s in-school youth program that connects students with career development support and paid work experiences, Dishman has been working with The County Courier, a Bell County newspaper formed in 2024 and owned by Emily Cole. The placement has given Dishman hands-on experience in journalism, photography, video production, website work, and social media—areas that align closely with her growing interest in communications.
Dishman first learned about Prosper Appalachia through her school counselor. From there, she began working with Career Development Specialist Taryn Mills at EKCEP’s local partner, Bell-Whitley Community Action, who helped her find an employer that perfectly aligned with her interests.
The opportunity stood out, Dishman said, because it was designed for students balancing school, work, and plans for the future.
“It’s hard to work when you’re also in school,” she said. “So having a program where they know you’re in school so they can be flexible, I thought that was really great. And obviously I’m going to college soon, so that money helps as well.”
Before joining the Courier, Dishman gained experience through her school’s Mountain Lion Media Network and another Prosper Appalachia placement with the Bell County Chamber of Commerce, managing their social media. The Courier gave her a chance to expand those skills into local journalism.
Since starting with the Courier in late December, Dishman has helped cover community events, manage the website, and assist wherever needed. The experience also allowed her to build practical skills with tools used in modern media, including Adobe Premiere, WordPress, and Canva.
“Things have been going great,” she said. “I’ve been really loving going to certain events and meeting people in our community. There’s been some really wholesome things I’ve been able to cover.”
For Cole, who launched the Courier with its first issue in December 2024, the Prosper Appalachia partnership came at a critical time. Cole first learned about the program from Sam Lawson, the workforce development director at Bell-Whitley Community Action, while covering a Chamber dinner. At the time, she lacked the resources to hire help and was running the entire operation herself.
“It just was not in the realm of reason for me to be able to afford to pay someone,” Cole said. “I was literally doing everything. When he told me about [Prosper Appalachia], it was like the Lord had opened a door for me to be able to get some help.”
As Dishman entered her senior year, she was still unsure about what career path she may take. While her school’s media program sparked an initial interest in communications, she said the opportunities she gained through Prosper Appalachia turned that interest into a definitive career plan. The program layered her social media experience at the Chamber with hands-on journalism at The County Courier, giving her the real-world confirmation she needed to confidently commit to studying communications in college this fall.
“Working with Prosper Appalachia has really helped me to know for sure what I want to go into later,” she said. “I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything because it did confirm that this is what I want to go into, and college is so big. You don’t want to go into something and be like, ‘I don’t really know.’”
While many young people hear they have to leave Eastern Kentucky to find opportunity, Emmie’s experience has helped her see how her skills can make a difference at home. Rather than taking her talents elsewhere, she said she wants to bring her education and media skills back to the region after college to help tell its stories.
“I think that this area doesn’t get enough media coverage, so I don’t want to go somewhere else and take what I have and put it into somewhere else that already has so much,” Dishman said. “I love what we do here. There’s so many great things we do, and I don’t think it’s shown enough. So I want to bring my skills that I’ve learned and bring it back here.”
Prosper Appalachia is funded in part through support from the Kentucky General Assembly, but private donations help EKCEP expand critical work experience opportunities for students across Eastern Kentucky. To invest in the future of our region’s young people, donate directly at ekcep.org/donate.
EKCEP, a nonprofit workforce development agency headquartered in Hazard, Ky., serves the citizens of 23 Appalachian coalfield counties. EKCEP is funded by the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, along with various federal and state grants and private donations, and is a proud partner in the American Job Center network.