Building a brighter future: A local student’s journey beyond MCTC

Published on Jul 30, 2025

By Rachel Adkins

As a college student, it can be worrying to not know what the future holds. Derek Stevens, a student of Maysville Community and Technical College’s Rowan Campus, shared his story to give some insight and comfort to those who are questioning the benefits of completing a college education.

Stevens initially enrolled at a larger university, but realized he wasn’t going to get much hands-on experience after a year of taking courses. He chose to transfer to MCTC, enrolling in the Construction Technology program in the fall of 2023.

“I just couldn’t learn anything being online all the time,” he explained. “I heard everything’s basically hands-on at MCTC and that’s really what made me want to do it (transfer). And it’s true, I learned a lot more.”

According to Stevens, he has learned a lot on the job with his current employer, Eastern Kentucky Handyman (EKH), but has also received a lot of help from MCTC regarding the basics of his trade.

“MCTC has helped me a lot with framing stuff—just building stuff from the ground up and blueprints…I’m really grateful,” he remarked. 

Nathan Lands, owner of EKH, noted that Stevens is his first hire from MCTC. He discussed the experience thus far. 

“It’s been great, really. When he first started compared to now, there’s been a lot of knowledge growth that didn’t come from me,” Lands explained. 

After significant storm damage to her property, MCTC’s Marketing Director, Mary Morris, recently hired services from EKH, where she met Stevens and Lands for the first time.

“It wasn’t fun to experience that kind of damage at home. But it was fantastic to see one of our students employed with a company doing good work in our community,” she began.

With quality and trustworthy service, Morris was glad to see an MCTC student doing so well. 

“They were prompt, friendly, and did an excellent job. It was a relief to know that the repairs were in good hands,” she concluded.

Find more information about the Construction Technology program at MCTC.