A Martin County high school senior is successfully bridging the gap between education and the professional workforce, leveraging a specialized local work experience to prepare for a future career in civil engineering and business.
Abigail Osborn, a graduating senior from Martin County, recently completed a paid work experience at the Martin County Public Library. The opportunity was made possible through Prosper Appalachia, a youth workforce development initiative operated by the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP).
Because Osborn plans to pursue civil engineering, Prosper Appalachia staff worked with her to identify a local placement that could help her build the organization, communication, and leadership skills that will support her long-term career goals. During her time at the Martin County Public Library, Osborn helped organize library materials, learned about scheduling and front desk operations, and played a role in planning and leading community programs.
“They helped me find a place that I could work in in my county that could give me as many opportunities as I would need and experience,” Osborn said. “Working with the people, it made it very easy to find these jobs and get the experience instead of having to go searching myself.”
In addition to operational responsibilities, Osborn spearheaded major community programs at the facility. She developed and ran “Teddy Tales,” a youth literacy initiative that began as a library story hour and successfully expanded directly into local kindergarten classrooms. She also facilitated a technology-focused coding camp, teaching foundational software programming skills to children throughout Martin County.
The initiative provides young adults with a competitive wage, allowing them to gain financial independence while balancing academic obligations. For Osborn, the earnings directly funded senior trips and extracurricular school travels that would have otherwise required extensive fundraising while also giving her a stronger sense of responsibility.
“It’s more an adult role, and it makes you feel more accomplished in the end,” Osborn said.
The experience also helped Osborn think more clearly about how she wants to work in the future. She said the library placement gave her a better understanding of responsibility in a professional setting and helped reinforce the value of gaining work experience before college.
Following graduation, Osborn plans to attend the University of Kentucky to major in civil engineering with a minor in business. She credits the organizational and management milestones achieved at the library with giving her a distinct professional advantage.
“Prosper Appalachia helped me gain the experience I needed,” Osborn said. “And I believe every student should join Prosper Appalachia.”
Prosper Appalachia is funded in part through support from the Kentucky General Assembly as part of the Putting Young Kentuckians to Work initiative, 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.