BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Later this month, Warren County high school seniors will receive their diplomas. Some will head off to college while others are getting ready for a job in the trades.

What You Need To Know

  • Payton Bowden is the first woman to graduate from the Heavy Equipment Operating class at the Warren County Area Technology Center

  • She will intern for local construction company, Scott, Murphy & Daniel, before heading to the University of Kentucky

  • Bowden and other students learned to operate heavy machinery on equipment while in the class

  • Students in Warren County Public Schools graduate May 24-25 

Warren County Public Schools and the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce hosted an event Tuesday to celebrate those students. One is breaking barriers in her field. 

Payton Bowden is the first woman to ever graduate from the Warren County Area Technology Center's Heavy Equipment Operating class. She said she's excited about being an example for others. 

“The idea that I get to help women being in (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is just really interesting to me," said Bowden, South Warren High School senior. 

She was one of many students graduating from the class, many of whom will go straight into a trade job. Bowden will intern for local construction company, Scott, Murphy & Daniel, before heading to the University of Kentucky to major in civil engineering.

She said she wants to use her experience in the classroom to give back to the commonwealth.

“Kentucky has a lot to offer," Bowden said. "There (are) so many different biomes and ecosystems and room for improvement that I thought it would be a great industry to build in.”

Bowden and other students learned to operate heavy machinery on equipment while in the class. It's the first class in Kentucky to offer such a simulation.

“We play with antique Caterpillars, antique tractors, so I figured it’d be a fun job to go into since I already know a bunch about it," said Dylan Weckerly, a student also graduating from the class who took a job with Scott, Murphy & Daniel. 

These preparations made by industry leaders are a big reason students can easily get into the workforce once they graduate high school, said Warren County Superintendent Rob Clayton. 

“They have in most cases provided the equipment for our students to gain the skill sets that prepare them for success, and we’re really optimistic that this is just one example of many positive examples to come for the future," Clayton said. 

Bowden said it’s bittersweet to say goodbye.

“The idea that it’s coming to an end (is) just really sad for me," she said. 

But it’s another step on her journey of being a woman in STEM.

Students in Warren County Public Schools graduate May 24-25. 

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