Skilled, trained, and ready: Connor Vance is ‘Going Pro’
Published on Apr 22, 2025
By Rachel Adkins
Throughout April, May, and June, Maysville Community and Technical College will feature
12 students graduating in May 2025 who have committed to high-demand careers.
This is a Going Pro initiative, which strives to bring awareness to the possibilities unlocked as a traditional-age college student with little to no experience in the workforce.
With many different programs offered at MCTC, prospective students can enter the workforce right after finishing their credentials.
Connor Vance, 20, is a student enrolled in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) program on the Montgomery Campus. Starting his journey with MCTC as a dual credit student in high school, Vance is currently seeking an HVAC diploma.
According to Vance, he already knew he would pursue a trade when he enrolled in dual credit. He noted his desire to get those credits fulfilled early on.
Before Vance chose which career he would fall into, he discussed it with his now-late cousin, who inspired him to seek credentials related to HVAC. As for how he chose MCTC, Vance shed some light on that topic.
“I picked MCTC because it was the closest campus, and Adam Hawkins (Vance’s instructor) had really good reviews in what I wanted to do (HVAC courses),” Vance explained.
Vance has been employed with Big Blue Heating and Air since November 2023. Once he finishes his credentials with MCTC, Vance will move out of the role of an apprentice and into the role of a journeyman.
“Essentially, I’m going to go from 14 to 20. That’s how it’s been explained to me,” he remarked.
Vance’s supervisor, Kody Fugate, said the company has hired other Kentucky Community and Technical College System students before.
In a continuing relationship with Adam Hawkins, an HVAC instructor at MCTC, Fugate met Vance when seeking students to employ. Fugate discussed the benefits of hiring a traditional age college student.
“They (the student) don’t really know anything (in the field), but they know enough to get into it and you can train them the way you want to train them to do the job for you,” he remarked.
Noting the benefits of attending college as an HVAC student, Hawkins explained the balance of working and taking courses at the same time.
“One thing I always tell them (students) is if you can get a job and go to school, then that’s the best of both worlds,” Hawkins remarked. “They’re (the employer) going to show you the what and we’re going to tell you the why. When they come to school, they see things that they saw yesterday at work and think, ‘Oh, that’s why we did that’ or “I saw this yesterday, can you explain?’”
Fugate added to Hawkins’ remark.
“That’s what’s great about school, you learn a lot more than just what I’m doing (at Big Blue Heating and Air) and it can help you later,” Fugate said. He noted it helps to learn the fundamentals of the field at school and then apply them at work and commended Hawkins for his efforts as an instructor.
