Hopkinsville Community College awards Spirit Cup and academic honors at commencement

Hopkinsville Community College has recognized the recipient of its Spirit Cup and three Academic All-Stars among the college’s 387 spring graduates.

The Spirit Cup, an honor given to an outstanding student leader every year since HCC’s first graduation in 1967, went to Jada Poindexter, of Hopkinsville.

Poindexter, who earned an associate in arts degree with a 4.0 grade point average, was a presidential ambassador for HCC and served as Minority Student Union president. A student editor for the 2024 “Round Table Literary Journal,” she is the executive assistant for the Hopkinsville Human Rights Commission.

Two employees of HCC nominated Poindexter, the college said in a press release.

The Spirit Cup Award was established at the former Bethel College in Hopkinsville and carried over to HCC when Bethel closed.

“The purpose of the award is to recognize the most outstanding graduate of HCC,” the release states.

During the May 3 commencement ceremony, the college also recognized three members of the 2023-24 Kentucky Community and Technical College All-Academic Team:

• Samyra Newman Vale — representing transfer associate degree students.
• Gina Weber — representing technical/occupational program degree students.
• McKenzie Hyams — recognized as the college’s first Early College graduate.