Jaden Pugh is a first-generation college student from Isom, Kentucky. A senior business major at Alice Lloyd College with minors in entrepreneurship and communication studies, Jaden first heard about ALC from family members and knew he wanted to pursue a degree in business administration to help with his family business and come closer to his long-term goal of being an entrepreneur. He hopes to one day take over his family’s business and start his own companies. On his path to becoming a successful businessman after graduating from Alice Lloyd, Jaden plans on attending the University of the Cumberlands’ online program for a Master’s of Business Administration with an emphasis in Project Management.
In addition to his studies, Jaden is involved in numerous extracurricular activities on campus and his community, and he participates in the college’s Student Work Program. Jaden is the current president of the Alice Lloyd College Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society (APO), is a former member of the College’s Future Business Leaders of America chapter, and is active in his local church. He is also active in his community, orchestrating Christmas present drives with his family, assisting in the organization of local car show events, helping FBLA package food bags for local children, organizing a fundraiser for the Alpha-1 Foundation, and helping his neighbors during the Eastern Kentucky flooding of 2022.
Through the College’s Student Work Program, Jaden is a teacher’s assistant for Mrs. Natalie Holt, an Assistant Professor of English at ALC. Jaden is a 20-hour worker for Professor Holt and assists with tracking classroom attendance, sanitizing the work environment, and theatre-related tasks during the production season (Professor Holt directs theatrical productions for both the June Buchanan School and Alice Lloyd College).
Jaden has made the most of his time at ALC, earning awards and reaching numerous achievements while walking along the Purpose Road. In addition to being accepted into the College’s Business & Leadership Program, Jaden’s accomplishments include the following awards: the Theatre award, the Campus Spirit award, the Ella M. Geddes Servant Leadership award, the award for Outstanding Senior in Business Administration, the Alice Geddes Lloyd Leadership award, and an Academic Assistant award.
Alice Lloyd College has helped Jaden find his passion for the arts, especially film and music. Jaden participates in the theatre program, which has allotted him the space to express his creativity and passion for the arts through music, graphic design, and cinematography. Even in his free time, Jaden loves to practice writing, playing music, and editing film.
ALC has made a lasting impact on Jaden’s life. He loves the sense of community the campus environment has and the connections he has made in Pippa Passes, such as meeting his future wife, Himala. He has loved all of his business classes because his professors and classmates have made the experience enjoyable and entertaining. Jaden has been on Caney Creek since 2012 when he started at The June Buchanan school. “For twelve years, Alice Lloyd College has been my second home. I feel that individuals that come to ALC are guaranteed an outstanding education, great connections with friends and faculty, and will leave with a sense of belonging and a sense of truly feeling appreciated,” he says. “I am thankful for the opportunities that God has blessed me with through Alice Lloyd College, and I am proud to be an Eagle and a future alumnus of this great institution.”
Photos by Suzanne Deaton Photography
