MCTC Adult Ed Director one of MSU’s "Outstanding MA Students of the Year"

Published on Jun 5, 2024

By Megan Smedley

For Dustin Grooms, serving vulnerable populations through adult education is something that he finds great purpose in.

A former English teacher, Grooms made the transition to adult education in 2014. He currently serves as the Director of Adult Education at Maysville Community & Technical College, a role he began last December.

Last month, Grooms completed his Master of Arts in Adult and Higher Education from Morehead State University and was also recognized as Outstanding MA Student of the Year in his program.

“Knowing that the faculty recognized my devotion to the field and how that is expressed in my work was humbling and encouraging,” he said.

He says the majority of his coursework in the master’s program aligned with work he was doing in the field, which allowed him to conduct research that would directly benefit the students he serves.

“The longer I work in adult education, the more it becomes a passion, rather than just a vocation,” Grooms said.

The MCTC Adult Education Program helps anyone 18 and older who is not currently enrolled in a secondary school with a variety of educational goals, such as preparing for the GED exam, learning English as a second language, or preparing for college or employment.

According to a 2019 report from the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, about 22 percent of working-age Kentuckians have a low level of literacy. The same report indicated that roughly 33 percent of Kentucky residents aged 25 years and older had a high school degree or equivalency as their highest level of education.

“There are thousands of individuals across our area still without a high school diploma or its equivalent, and they stand in the greatest need of our core services,” Grooms said.

MCTC Adult Education classes are available in Bracken, Fleming, Harrison, Lewis, Mason, Nicholas, and Robertson Counties.

For more information, visit MCTC Adult Education.