Claire Fisher - 91ԭ��

91ԭ�� Foundation Member Josh Conlee Serves as Panelist at Arkansas Rural Development Conference

Claire Fisher — Wed, 20 May 2026 14:02:31 +0000

91ԭ�� Foundation member and St. Bernards Healthcare’s Senior Vice President of Strategic Services Josh Conlee served as a panelist in the opening session of the Arkansas Rural Development Conference.

Along with several other healthcare professionals, Conlee spoke on rural health care, how it is changing, and why rural care matters to the community.

Lynn Hawkins (left) and Josh Conlee (right).

The opening session was moderated by Lynn Hawkins, Chair of the Arkansas Rural Development Commission.

This year’s conference was held at the Embassy Suites and Red Wolf Convention Center in Jonesboro. The three-day conference draws in over 600 attendees, including local, state, and federal leaders. The Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) says participants “have the opportunity to learn more about the many programs and services available through AEDC that assist rural communities and their leaders with development, planning, and revitalization efforts.”

For more information about the BRTC Foundation visit /brtc-foundation/.

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91ԭ�� Foundation Member Honorable Alex Bigger Named to 40 Under 40

Claire Fisher — Wed, 20 May 2026 13:54:21 +0000

91ԭ�� Foundation member and Arkansas District Judge Alex Bigger has been named to Arkansas Business’s 40 Under 40 list which recognizes intriguing business and political leaders under 40-years-old.

According to Arkansas Business, the 40 Under 40 list is comprised of rising young Arkansas professionals across a variety of industries and professions. They will be honored at a luncheon on June 3 at the Statehouse Convention Center in downtown Little Rock. Each year, Arkansas Business receives more than 400 reader nominations for 40 Under 40 candidates. A group of internal judges selects the best of the best.

For more information about the BRTC Foundation, visit /brtc-foundation/.

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91ԭ�� to Hold Paraprofessional and Support Staff Informational Session

Claire Fisher — Wed, 20 May 2026 13:30:45 +0000

On Tuesday, June 2, 91ԭ�� will be holding an informational session for paraprofessionals and school support staff who are interested in becoming licensed teachers.

During the session, attendees will receive information about BRTC’s education degree pathways, 2+2 university partnerships, scholarship opportunities, and financial aid. Individuals will also have the opportunity to meet with BRTC’s admissions and financial aid teams to receive assistance with applying to the college and completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The session will begin at 1:00 p.m. in the Richard Gaines Technology Building on the Pocahontas campus. Interested individuals have through May 28 to register for the event.

Registration link:

For more information contact Darenda Kersey, Dean of General Studies, at darenda.kersey@blackrivertech.edu or (870) 248-4183.

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VP of Academic Affairs Presents at Crowley’s Ridge College

Claire Fisher — Tue, 19 May 2026 13:37:47 +0000

91ԭ�� Vice President of Academic Affairs Brad Baine recently visited Crowley's Ridge College (CRC) in Paragould. He spent his time talking with faculty, staff, and students, as well as presenting to students.

Baine presented to a few classes led by Dr. Treka Clark, and his conversations were centered around effective leadership and management of leaders.

For more information about BRTC visit /.

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91ԭ�� Holds Spring 2026 Commencement Ceremony

Claire Fisher — Mon, 18 May 2026 22:05:21 +0000

91ԭ�� held its Spring 2026 Commencement ceremony in Pocahontas on Thursday, May 14. The keynote speaker was BRTC Director of Clinical Education for Respiratory Care Jessica Alphin.

For the Spring 2026 semester, BRTC awarded over 700 credentials to over 500 students. Around 150 graduates walked across the stage to receive their diploma, 80 of them being high school students who earned a college credential before graduating high school.

Credentials awarded included two-year Associate of Arts, Associate of General Studies, and multiple Associate of Applied Science degrees, one-year technical certificates, and one-semester certificates of proficiency.

For more information about BRTC visit /.

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91ԭ�� Holds Spring 2026 Registered Nursing Graduation and Pinning Ceremony

Claire Fisher — Mon, 18 May 2026 21:49:59 +0000

91ԭ�� held its Spring 2026 Registered Nursing graduation and pinning ceremony on Tuesday, May 12, in the Randolph County Development Center. The class consisted of 11 students earning an Associate of Applied Science in Registered Nursing.

During the ceremony, nursing faculty handed out awards to acknowledge the hard work the students put in during the duration of the program. The awarded students were Kristin Wantulok, TRN I Highest Average; Alisha Tidwell, TRN II Highest Average and Distinguished Simulation Nurse; and Keeley Dawson, TRN III Highest Average and Perfect Attendance.

A member of the cohort was also presented with the Florence Nightingale Award. This award is given to the nurse who is “passionate and dedicated to the field of nursing and who exudes excellence in the delivery of direct patient care.” The Spring 2026 recipient was Kyle Olsen.

For more information about the RN program visit /college-coursework/academic-units/allied-health/nursing/.

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Phlebotomy Students Pass Certification Exam

Claire Fisher — Tue, 12 May 2026 13:40:31 +0000

A combined 24 phlebotomy students from the Pocahontas and Paragould campuses recently passed their Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) Exam.

According to Stepful.com, the CPT Exam has a 2-hour limit to complete 100 questions. The questions cover topics like operational standards, patient preparation, equipment, storing samples, and medical terminology. Students taking the exam must make a score of at least 390 to pass the exam and become a CPT. CPTs can work in hospitals, clinics, blood donation centers, and other healthcare facilities.

91ԭ��'s phlebotomy program prepares individuals to draw blood samples from patients using a variety of invasive procedures. After completing the program students should be able to demonstrate competency in collecting blood samples, apply knowledge of venous anatomy, and illustrate clinical safety.

For more information about BRTC’s Phlebotomy program visit /college-coursework/academic-units/allied-health/phlebotomy/.

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Alphin Named Spring 2026 Keynote Commencement Speaker

Claire Fisher — Tue, 12 May 2026 13:39:11 +0000

91ԭ�� is pleased to announce that the Spring 2026 Commencement Keynote Speaker is Jessica Alphin, Director of Clinical Education for Respiratory Care.

Alphin is a dedicated educator and healthcare professional. She is also a proud graduate of BRTC, where her journey in respiratory care first began. With 23 years of experience as a respiratory therapist, she has built a career grounded in compassionate patient care, clinical excellence, and a deep commitment to the profession.

91ԭ��'s Spring 2026 Commencement will be held Thursday, May 14, in the Randolph County Development Center. The ceremony will begin at 6:30.

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91ԭ�� Holds 10th Annual Child Abuse Awareness Event

Claire Fisher — Tue, 12 May 2026 13:30:16 +0000

91ԭ�� hosted the 10^th Annual Child Abuse Awareness Event on the Pocahontas campus on Thursday, April 30. Around 60 people attended the event, along with members of the BRTC Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) chapter.

Rachel Koons, Social Science Instructor, started the event by welcoming all attendees and advocacy groups. BRTC’s Law Enforcement Training Academy Director Jared Bassham followed by reading the 2025 Arkansas statistics for child abuse cases. The survivor speaker for this year’s event was Ally Bowman, and the foster parent guest speaker was Cheyenne Kimble.

After hearing from Bowman and Kimble, the event moved outside and Officer Trason Johnson of the Pocahontas Police Department lead the pinwheel garden ceremony. The blue pinwheel is a national symbol for child abuse prevention. They represent healthy and safe childhoods for all children and hope for a better future. To show further show their support, all guests planted blue pinwheels outside of the Administration building to create the pinwheel garden. The garden stands as a beacon of hope for children and as a memorial for the children who lost their lives at the hands of maltreatment.

The Child Abuse Awareness event was created in 2016 by a social work class instructed by Rachel Koons and has only missed one year due to COVID-19. Each year there are multiple child advocacy groups that attend and give out information about the services they provide.

Pictures from the event can be found on BRTC’s Flickr page, BlackRiverTech.

For more information about the Child Abuse Awareness Event contact Rachel Koons at rachel.koons@blackreivertech.edu, or call at (870) 248-4172.

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91ԭ�� Holds Ribbon Cutting for New Adult Education Location in Paragould

Claire Fisher — Thu, 07 May 2026 13:25:20 +0000

On Thursday, April 30, 91ԭ�� held a ribbon cutting ceremony in conjunction with the Paragould Regional Chamber of Commerce to celebrate BRTC’s relocated adult education site in Paragould.

The adult education site is now located in downtown Paragould at 209 North Pruett Street. Several members of BRTC faculty and staff, BRTC Board of Trustees, Paragould Regional Chamber, Greene County ambassadors, and local legislators gathered at the new location to see the renovated space and support BRTC.

“BRTC is always looking for ways to fulfill our mission of transforming lives and enhancing the community we serve,” Vice President of Academic Affairs Brad Baine said. “I cannot think of a better way to do that than help someone attain their GED.”

The new location has already helped several students looking to expand their education. Baine said adult education staff have impacted have many lives and they look forward to helping more people overcome their learning challenges.

To help with exterior renovations and building signage, BRTC received a $5,500 grant from Main Street Paragould. The grant, funded by the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program and Main Street Arkansas, provides “Downtown Revitalization (DTR) Grants for qualifying building improvement projects for Downtown businesses and property owners.”

91ԭ��’s Adult Education program offers a variety of general education development (GED) classes to all adults ages 18 or older free of charge. Students enrolled in adult education classes are enriched through a wide range of available studies and have the opportunity to review or learn new skills necessary for career and educational improvement.

For more information about BRTC’s Adult Education program, contact Tammie Lemmons, program director, at tammiel@blackrivertech.edu or (870) 248-4130.

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91ԭ�� Announces Date for Spring 2026 Commencement Ceremony

Claire Fisher — Mon, 04 May 2026 21:42:48 +0000

91ԭ�� is pleased to announce the Spring 2026 Commencement Ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 14!

The Spring 2026 commencement speaker will be Director of Clinical Education and Respiratory Instructor Jessica Alphin. The ceremony will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Randolph County Development Center on the Pocahontas campus and is open to the public.

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91ԭ�� Announces Date for Spring 2026 Registered Nursing Graduation and Pinning Ceremony

Claire Fisher — Mon, 04 May 2026 21:40:17 +0000

91ԭ�� is pleased to announce the Spring 2026 Registered Nursing Graduation and Pinning Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, May 12!

The ceremony will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Randolph County Development Center on the Pocahontas campus and is open to the public.

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