Kentucky Wesleyan College announces the launch of its Priority Panther Admissions Program, a new early action initiative designed to reward high school seniors who take decisive steps in their college…
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KWC hosted a build-a-bed project on campus on Monday, Aug. 25, 2025, from 8 a.m. – noon. During the event, students, staff, faculty and community members worked side by side…
more: Kentucky Wesleyan hosts build-a-bed project for local children
Owensboro, Ky. (Aug. 14, 2025) – The Nonprofit Coalition of Owensboro will host a half-day workshop, “Financial Excellence for Nonprofit Organizations,” at Kentucky Wesleyan College on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025,…
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This article originally appeared in the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.
In a few weeks, professional pianist Diane Earle will be heading back to the Big Apple for another performance engagement.
The musician, Owensboro Symphony pianist and professor emeritus of music at Kentucky Wesleyan College, will be in the New York City spotlight as part of the world premiere performance of Lloyd Larson’s new choral cantata “Amazing Grace: From Blind to Free” at 7 p.m. July 12 on the Perelman Stage, inside the Stern Auditorium, at Carnegie Hall.
For Earle, who estimates playing the venue around “a dozen” times, 2025 marks her 20-year anniversary since making her debut at the concert hall back in 2005.
“(It’s) amazing …,” she said. “It has gone by very quickly. I’ve had major life events in the 20 years — I’ve lost both parents and retired from my Kentucky Wesleyan job, but I feel like the same person.
“(I feel) very blessed to still be playing the piano,” Earle said.
According to a joint press release from True North Presents and Jubilate Music Group, the presenting entities of the premiere, “Amazing Grace: From Blind to Free” will detail the “compelling and extraordinary story” of English evangelical Anglican cleric and slavery abolitionist John Newton, who previously served as the captain of slave ships and an investor in the slave trade.
Surviving a life-threatening storm at sea eventually led Newton to write the popular Christian hymn “Amazing Grace” in 1772, which went on to be published seven years later. From then on, Newton crusaded for the abolishment of slavery, according to the release.
Kentucky Wesleyan College is pleased to announce the launch of its new Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, offering in-person or fully online degrees, both with accelerated seven-week courses, and…
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Kentucky Wesleyan College is thrilled to announce a groundbreaking Guaranteed Admission initiative for qualified students from Daviess and Hancock counties in Kentucky, beginning with the fall 2026 enrollment cycle. This step reaffirms the College’s enduring commitment to serving its neighbors and opening new doors of opportunity for local students.
“This initiative reflects the Kentucky Wesleyan’s commitment to our community,” said Dr. James Cousins, president of Kentucky Wesleyan College. “It’s more than a promise, it’s a pathway to the same transformative educational experience the College has provided to generations of graduates from Daviess and Hancock counties.”
Students who meet academic eligibility requirements will be automatically granted admission, removing barriers and creating a clear, supportive transition from high school to college. Once on campus, students will experience the power of The Wesleyan Way—an educational philosophy grounded in honor, support, integrity and Christ-like love.
“Local alumni know for a fact that choosing Kentucky Wesleyan means choosing a College that’s close enough to home to stay grounded, yet far-reaching enough to launch you wherever you want to go,” notes Matthew Ruark ’09, assistant vice president of Enrollment Management. (more…)
Kentucky Wesleyan College celebrated its 157th Commencement on Saturday morning at Owensboro Christian Church, recognizing the academic achievements and resilience of the Class of 2025.
The ceremony marked the conclusion of undergraduate studies for more than 150 students, including first-generation college graduates, international students, and students completing online degree programs. More than 40 percent of the class earned additional academic or leadership distinctions.
KWC President Dr. James Cousins opened the event by welcoming graduates, families, faculty, staff, trustees and guests. His remarks acknowledged the significance of the moment and the years of determination behind each student’s success.
“You persisted without the inherited playbook that others take for granted,” Cousins said, recognizing the many students who navigated college as the first in their families to do so. “Your success speaks to your character as much as your coursework.”
He praised the students’ ability to push forward through academic, personal and financial challenges, noting that the journey to a degree was often made one essay, one quiz or one commute at a time.
Nearly half of the graduates were the first in their families to complete a college degree. Many balanced coursework with jobs, caregiving or other personal responsibilities. He described their journey as a series of daily efforts—essays, commutes, assignments—that built momentum over time and ultimately brought them to commencement.
Kentucky Wesleyan College’s Baccalaureate celebration will take place on Friday, May 2, at 7 p.m. at the Jack T. Wells ’77 Activity Center’s Young Auditorium (3300 Frederica Street). Rev. Jamelle…
more: Kentucky Wesleyan College to celebrate Class of 2025 with Baccalaureate May 2
This article originally appeared in the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer on Friday, April 25, 2025.
By Scott Hagerman, Messenger-Inquirer
Dr. James P. Cousins was inaugurated as Kentucky Wesleyan College’s 36th president on Friday during a ceremony at Settle Memorial United Methodist Church.
Cousins has served as Kentucky Wesleyan’s president since July 1, 2024. He had previously served as the college’s provost and vice president of academic affairs since 2021.
“I stand before you today humbled, humbled by the trust you’ve placed in me, humbled by the legacy inherited … humbled by the incredible potential of KWC,” Cousins said. “Inaugurations are special because they are touch points in a college’s history. They give us time to come together and reflect on our past as we think about the road ahead.”
Fred Wright, a 1980 graduate of KWC and chairman of the school’s board of trustees, gave the welcoming statement.
“Dr. Cousins, the presence of everyone here today is an expression of our confidence in you,” he said, “and reflects our commitment to support you as you lead us into the next chapter of the life of Kentucky Wesleyan College.”
This article originally appeared in the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer on Wednesday, April 23, 2025.
By Scott Hagerman, Messenger-Inquirer
Dr. James Cousins has been president of Kentucky Wesleyan College since July of last year.
But at 1 p.m. Friday at Settle Memorial United Methodist Church, 201 E. Fourth St., Cousins’ inauguration as KWC’s 36th president will be held.
“Inaugurations are a time for everybody to come together and celebrate the college, kind of in familiar ways and unfamiliar ways,” Cousins said. “We get together and celebrate what we’re doing in a way that’s unique from commencements or baccalaureate ceremonies, or convocations — it’s a different idea, but a lot of the same sort of feelings, emotions. Alumni come together and trustees with faculty and staff and students and celebrate the college. But this is a different way of doing that.
“Historically what inaugurations mean are a new chapter, a turning point, celebrating what was past, what is present, and what’s coming in the future. That might be embodied in a convocation or commencement address, but this is an opportunity to really focus on that specifically.”
Cousins, who had served as KWC’s provost and vice president of academic affairs since 2021 until being named president, said the inauguration will represent the “fulfillment of a dream.”