Dr. Carolyn Sundy

Dr. Carolyn Sundy, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College, well loved and a mentor to many.

Dr. Sundy was a first-generation college student whose professional career began at SKCTC more than forty years ago. 

She began her education with an Associate degree from Southeast Community College in Medical Laboratory Technology and working as a laboratory technician for ARH. 

She furthered her education and was hired at Southeast to head the Upward Bound Program and later received a Master's Degree in Higher Education from the University of Kentucky.  She also received a PhD in Higher Education Leadership from Mississippi State University. 

Her experiences, including attending segregated schools much of her life, led her to become an advocate for women, minorities, and low-income students.

It was through her leadership in the Upward Bound Program that she made an impression on countless lives of Southeast students.

Dr. Sundy was the recipient of many awards and accolades.

In 2019, she was chosen for the East Kentucky Leadership Award for Public individual, an award acknowledging her throughout the region.

“If you were to ask me what I want to be remembered for, it would be for leadership,” Dr. Sundy said in an interview with WYMT in April 2019. She was a leader indeed.

Prior to that award, Dr. Sundy was lauded with the highest honor bestowed by the Tri-City Chamber of Commerce - the Tony Turner Leadership Award - in 2012 and the President's Award in 2009.

She also used her skills to bring recognition to her community. For some 30 years, she penned the column "Always Sundy" in the Tri-City News which featured "News, History and Events from the Black Community".

In addition, Dr. Sundy was coordinator for the annual Martin Luther King Breakfast, a member of the Greater Mt. Sinai Baptist Church, an original cast member of SKCTC's acting group Higher Ground,
a member of the Eastern Kentucky Social Club and a former board of trustee member for the Appalachian Regional Hospital system among a long list of other achievements, recognitions and awards.

Dr. Sundy is preceded in death by her father, Henry, JR, mother, Evangeline “Miss Boo” Turner Mitchell, brother, Henry Mitchell, III, and sister, Mary Lucinda Williams.

She leaves to mourn her passing, sons, Terry, JR (Lillian “Hanna”) Sundy and Trevor (Becky “Kila”) Sundy both of Lexington, Kentucky, sisters, Delores “Lois” Jackson of Lynch, Kentucky and Kimberly (Jim) Vanderpool of Lexington, Kentucky, brother, Kelvin "Bruce" (Geneva) Mitchell of Lexington, Kentucky, grandchildren, Teran, Tyrus, Tressany, Torrie and Tahiry, a host of other family members.     

Dr. Sundy will lie in repose at the Godbey Appalachian Center Theatre at her beloved Southeast Community College on Friday, October 2, 2020, from 10 am to 3 pm.

Visitation will be held Saturday, October 3, 2020, at the Greater Mt. Sinai Baptist Church, beginning at 10 a.m. until the funeral hour of 12 noon, with the Rev. Ronnie Hampton officiating.

Burial will follow in the Monte Vista Cemetery in Cumberland, KY with family and friends serving as pallbearers.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Carolyn Sundy Scholarship at SKCTC, 700 College Road, Cumberland, Kentucky 40823.

Anyone attending the visitations or service, must wear some form of facial covering and utilize social distancing.

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