Groundbreaking held for ECTC Family Scholar House facility

State and local officials joined business and educational leaders at the Elizabethtown Community and Technical College campus Wednesday as ground was broken on the future sight of Family Scholar House’s residential unit at ECTC. 

ECTC says the facility will include 48 housing units for low-income students and their families along with a family services building that will offer resources such as access to childcare, food, and support as students navigate their education while providing support for their families.

ECTC President and CEO Dr. Juston Pate said Family Scholar House helps students remove barriers, and the $14.8 million housing facility allows students to focus on their dreams rather than worry about where they’ll sleep that night.

“We take that supreme talent that they’re using to just survive and we remove that barrier, giving them a platform to thrive, and that benefits us all because they’re going into healthcare, they’re going into manufacturing, they’re going into fields that matter for us,” Pate said.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said Family Scholar House’s efforts go hand in hand with the state’s efforts of creating a “New Kentucky Home” where everybody can succeed.

“It’s no surprise that Family Scholar House and the ‘Chief of Possibility’ herself, my great friend Cathe Dykstra, are getting ready to change everything in this community and to make sure everybody has a shot at a great job at BlueOval or any other business in Kentucky or outside of it,” Beshear said.

Ambriana Smith is a single mother and student at ECTC. She said Family Scholar House has helped her succeed, and this project is a testament to their efforts.

“This land is more than just earth and stone,” Smith said. “It is a symbol of belief. Belief in people like me and families like mine. It is a symbol of faith in our potential and the transformative power of community, and in the difference a safe, stable home can make.”

Learn more about the project on ECTC and Family Scholar House’s websites.