John Pulley begins this article by sharing the story of Richard Quiroga, a shining example of what can happen when an at-risk student in an economically disadvantaged region gets the right training at the right time. As a young man, Quiroga was living on his own and at risk of getting sucked into the whirlpool of poverty and despair that often bedevils economically depressed rural communities such as the one he grew up in, Jasper, Alabama. Despite his circumstances, he excelled in high school and received a scholarship to play linebacker for the University of West Alabama (UWA) football team. Diploma in hand, he returned to Jasper, where he went on to earn an associate degree at Bevill State Community College. A combination of classroom instruction, hands-on learning, and real-world work experience put Quiroga on the path to success. Through a partnership with Country Music Television (CMT) and the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) looks to replicate Quiroga's success and the triumphs of others like him in Appalachia and rural regions across the country. Among the solutions already being pursued are workforce development training programs for presidents of rural community colleges and large-scale information campaigns designed to reach rural audiences where they live. However, as Pulley illustrates through several case examples, workforce training challenges are seemingly embedded in the fabric of rural communities.