Four Owsley County students selected for 2026 Rogers Explorers program

Four Owsley County students, Jorge Perez, Jinger Marshall, Erick McIntosh and Chaya Hudson, earned places in the 2026 Rogers Explorers program, a regional opportunity that gives rising ninth-grade students a closer look at leadership, science, math and technology.

Rogers Explorers is a three-day, two-night leadership program coordinated by The Center for Rural Development with regional colleges and universities. It is designed for students interested in STEM and leadership, and it focuses on leadership, technology, math, science, community service, teamwork and creative thinking. For students from Owsley County schools, that means more than a summer-style enrichment experience. It is a chance to build skills and connections that can shape what comes after middle school.

The selection also puts the four Owsley County students into a much larger regional field. The Center for Rural Development said 181 students from Southern and Eastern Kentucky were chosen for the 2026 program. That total keeps the event competitive and selective, especially in a part of the state where access to academic and career-building programs can make a lasting difference. A year earlier, 185 students were selected, showing that the program continues to draw a broad pool of rising freshmen from across the region.

The application timeline underscored that competitiveness. Applications for Rogers Scholars and Rogers Explorers were due Jan. 31, 2026, and one school posting later extended the deadline to Feb. 6. For families and teachers in Owsley County, the four selections offer a visible point of pride and a reminder that local students can compete for opportunities that reach well beyond the county line.

The Center for Rural Development says its youth programs are meant to build leadership and college and career potential in Southern and Eastern Kentucky. Rogers Scholars remains the organization’s flagship youth program for rising high school juniors, while Rogers Explorers gives younger students an early start. For Owsley County, having four names on the 2026 list turns that mission into something immediate and local, with Perez, Marshall, McIntosh and Hudson now representing the county in a program built to widen horizons.