Anna Noe did not begin her senior year at Harlan County High School certain about what career path she wanted to follow. She had considered the medical field and knew she wanted work that felt meaningful. But through Prosper Appalachia, a placement at the Boys and Girls Club in Harlan County gave her a clearer answer than she expected.
“I didn’t know what I wanted to do at the time, but after I got involved with Prosper Appalachia, it showed me that I did want to be a teacher,” Noe said.
Prosper Appalachia, EKCEP’s in-school career exploration initiative, helps high school students across Eastern Kentucky connect with local career opportunities and learn about possible paths before graduation. In Harlan County, EKCEP works with Harlan County Community Action to deliver the program locally. Through Prosper Appalachia, students work with Career Development Specialists who help them explore career interests and, in some cases, gain real-world experience with employers close to home.
Noe first heard about Prosper Appalachia at the beginning of her senior year, when Career Development Specialist Rhett Alred came to speak with students about the program and the opportunities available to them.
At the time, Noe was working at a boutique, but said the job was not the right fit for her. Through Prosper Appalachia, she learned about several possible placements, including the Boys and Girls Club in Harlan County.
She ultimately began working at the Club, where she helped with meals, reading, homework, activities, and daily programming for children in kindergarten through high school. Each day, she left school in the afternoon and reported to the club, where she helped support a schedule that could include reading, homework help, STEM activities, and other enrichment activities.
The placement quickly changed how Noe thought about her future.
“I had always said my whole life, I’m not going to be a teacher because my mom and my nana are both teachers,” she said. “But whenever I started my job with Prosper Appalachia, I was just like one week with the kids, because I work at the Boys and Girls Club, I was like, yeah, this is what I’m going to do.”
Noe said the experience helped her understand that teaching would allow her to do the kind of meaningful work she had been looking for.
“I love the kids,” she said. “I love spending time with them, building the relationships with them. It’s just a lot better for me.”
Prosper Appalachia has also helped Noe better understand the expectations of the workplace. In addition to working a regular schedule Monday through Thursday, she has learned to track her hours, manage timesheets, and stay aware of pay periods.
After graduation, Noe said she plans to attend Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College, where she will continue building on the 32 college credit hours she has already earned. She then plans to transfer to the University of the Cumberlands and complete her degree online so she can continue working locally.
Noe said she expects Harlan County to remain home and that she plans to build her life here in Eastern Kentucky.
“Yeah, I’ll stay in Harlan probably for the rest of my life,” she said. “I don’t plan on moving.”
Looking back, Noe said Prosper Appalachia opened the door to opportunities she did not know were available and helped her find a path forward.
“Whenever I got there, it was just life changing because it really did lead me to my career,” she said. “It really just led me to my path, which I didn’t even know where I wanted to go, but it really did help me.”
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.