Dr. Rebekah Epps – Associate Professor of Agricultural Education, University of Kentucky
Dr. Epps serves as an associate professor of Agricultural Education in the Department of Community and Leadership Development. Rebekah is much more than a teacher preparing teachers, she is the family, mentor, emergency contact, and voice of reason that most of these students can rely on when they are away from home. Dr. Epps takes time out of her personal schedule to nurture her students in ways that most teachers and/or professors do not. She make sure that they feel included regardless of their personal preferences, race, ethnicity, or background through frequent check ins, lunch or event invites, assistance with other classes or personal obstacles, and helping provide a cohesive family atmosphere among the students in her program. She and her family host parties, offer laundry facilities, and support her students in their outside activities. Rebekah has even stepped in when students were faced with mental health, physical health, and financial obstacles. As a student of Dr. Epps, you become part of her family and you know that you have someone in your corner to walk through life’s ups and downs with you even once she has helped you apply for jobs, prepare for interviews, and sent you out into the world to be an adult, Mrs. Epps is still available to provide support, advice, or just listen as you work through a problem. I admire Dr .Epps for her dedication to her students and as a result the communities in which they end up serving. She is an asset to the University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, and the entire education community.