Nicholas Hazelett

Born in the foothills of Appalachia in Paintsville, Kentucky, Nicholas has tried his entire educational career to uplift the issues facing mountain families, most especially students in our public schools.

Both of hisdad’s parents, Ed and Betty Hazelett, taught for a total of 86 years combined in Johnson County schools. He believes it is incumbent on himself to keep his grandparents service alive by advocating for increased school funding, teacher pay, and educational opportunities for our communities, as we’ve faced a generational crisis of many families going undereducated not by choice but by their zip-code or geographic placement in life.

He believes We cannot build a better Commonwealth for all if we still face systematic disinvestment into our most vulnerable communities: rural and Appalachian Kentucky. He served from May of 2023 to May of 2024 on KDE’s Student Advisory Council to shed light on the issues and challenges facing Eastern Kentucky students, teachers, and schools, while also recognizing the region’s triumphs and accomplishments throughout that academic period in the classroom.