<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><item href="/news/stories/ky-higher-ed-fuels.html" dsn="news"><hide/><featured/><pubDate>08/04/2021</pubDate><title>President’s Message: Kentucky higher ed fuels optimism, even during pandemic</title><description>Higher Education Matters, now more than ever. As we witnessed during the pandemic, Kentucky workers with a college degree or credential were far more likely to stay employed than high school graduates. And as Kentucky continues its recovery, we are seeing new opportunities open up every day.</description><image><img src="/_resources/images/AT-presidentsmsg-2018.jpg" alt="Aaron Thompson"/></image><tags><tag>president</tag></tags></item>