Focus 21st Century Minority Leadership Program celebrated its graduating class Saturday night at the Pioneers, Inc. Complex and heard from a distinguished member of the inaugural graduating class.
Dr. Vernell Larkins is a retired professor from Hopkinsville Community College and was a member of the 1991 charter Focus Leadership class.
She gave this year’s class four “c’s” that will help them transition from leadership to service in the community, beginning with compassion.
Next, she says you must overcome the fear of failure with courage.
Dr. Larkins says it takes commitment to follow through when service becomes difficult.
She talked about tutoring local middle school students after the first leadership class and said it took confidence that they could succeed to continue in times when it would have been easy to give up.
The 2022 graduates were: Asya Bell, Teacher at Madisonville North Hopkins High School; Nikki Chambers, Hopkinsville Water Environment Authority Supervisor at Moss Water Treatment Plant; Twan Doan, Teacher at Hopkinsville High School; Sherica Ferguson, Teacher at Freedom Elementary School; Nichelle’ “Niecy” Hillis, Certified Fair Housing Coordinator and Occupancy Specialist for Kentucky Housing Corporation; Rhoda Knight, Owner of SBN and co-owner of Lo’Phine’s Speciality Catering; Lucretia McGee, General Manager at Zaxby’s; Verdell Smith, retired from Urology Associates as a Purchasing Manager in Nashville, Tn.; and Shannon Snorton, deputy clerk at the Christian County Circuit Clerk office at the Justice Center.
The Spirit Award Winners were Sherica Ferguson and Asya Bell.
Diane Croney-Turner and Carrie Caples are the co-program directors, Bernard Standard is the president and Sherry Chambers the secretary of Focus 21st Century Leadership.
