WKCTC Graduate Receives Scholarship at WKU

Dallas McKinney, a West Kentucky Community and Technical College graduate, was recently one of two students to be awarded scholarships by the American Meterological Society.

McKinney, the son of Tim and Tonya McKinney of Mayfield and a senior at Western Kentucky University (WKU), received the AMS/Glickman Family Scholarship. Olivia Cahill, daughter of Pat and Billie Cahill of Dry Ridge, received the AMS/Ken Reeves AccuWeather Scholarship. Both are pursuing bachelor's degrees in meteorology at WKU, according to the college.

Twenty-one senior undergraduate scholarships were awarded this year. The scholarships, awarded for the senior year, are designed to encourage outstanding senior undergraduates to continue pursuing careers in the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences. The various scholarships are based on merit and are awarded to students who have shown the potential for accomplishment in these fields.

McKinney was awarded the Kentucky TRIO Programs Susan Adams Leadership Award (April 2019), NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship (May 2018), and West Kentucky Community and Technical College Unsung Student Hero Award (May 2017). He is interested in weather forecasting. McKinney plans to attend graduate school and looks forward to conducting research in climate change and making weather forecasts more accurate. He aspires to work as a forecaster with the National Weather Service.

Congratulations on receiving the scholarship, Dallas!!