When Ashley Burke walked across the graduation stage at Letcher County Central High School, she did so already holding more than a diploma. With support from EKCEP’s Prosper Appalachia program, she gained hands-on classroom experience, successfully completed college coursework with extra guidance, and charted a clear path to her dream career in early childhood education.
Prosper Appalachia provides paid internships and other career exploration services to high school students across Eastern Kentucky, connecting them with meaningful work experience in fields that match their career interests. In Letcher County, EKCEP partners with LKLP Community Action to directly assist students in working toward their goals.
Burke first heard about Prosper Appalachia during her senior year, when Career Development Specialist Darlene Campbell introduced the program to students at her school. When asked about her goals, Ashley knew right away that she wanted to become a teacher.
“I came to Darlene and I told her that I wanted to do something with education, mainly primary education,” Burke said. “I want to teach elementary and she was able to set me up at a head start with children that I could actually interact with and work with.”
That placement at LKLP Community Action’s Mayking Head Start quickly turned into more than just an internship. Ashley gained practical experience in early childhood classrooms. The day after graduation, she transitioned into a full-time position with Head Start, and just recently, she was promoted to Assistant Teacher.
Ashley said her time at Head Start made it clear that teaching is the path she wants to follow.
“I instantly knew this is what I want to do forever,” she said. “Just being around little kids, seeing how they act, being able to care for them, teach them right from wrong, look out for them. That’s what I wanna do.”
Ashley plans to pursue an associate degree in early childhood education through a program offered by LKLP before earning her bachelor’s degree, with the ultimate goal of becoming a kindergarten teacher. She credits Prosper Appalachia for giving her both the confidence and the stepping stone she needed to start strong.
The paid internship through Prosper Appalachia also helped Ashley achieve another important milestone: buying her first car. Most importantly, she said the program gave her a way to build a future in her native Eastern Kentucky.
“I do plan to remain here (in Eastern Kentucky),” she said. “I want to teach kids and inspire them to be all they can be because I had teachers that taught and inspired me, and that’s why I am a teacher.”
“I’ve known several people that have come to me and been like, hey, I heard you were in this program. Is it good? Should I do it? What’s the pros and cons?” she said. “And I’m like, well, here’s all the pros. And there’s not any cons unless you don’t like working, you know? This internship is such an incredible opportunity.”
Prosper Appalachia is funded in part through Putting Young Kentuckians to Work, a statewide initiative established in House Bill 1 of the 2024 Kentucky Legislative Session.
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. Learn more at ekcep.org.