Kodiak College celebrates golden anniversary
April 19, 2019 It started with eight small classes taught at Kodiak High School and a vision for bringing higher education to the Emerald Isle. Now the University of Alaska Anchorage Kodiak College (KOC) is a thriving community college housed in four buildings across 50 acres and more than 700 full-time and part-time students.
In an interview with the Kodiak Daily Mirror, Betty Walters, interim director for Kodiak College, talked about how KOC has grown to meet the needs of the students and community. The college has added programs including elementary and early childhood education training, nursing degrees and vocational education courses, such as welding.
“There are so many programs that have been built upon the needs of the community,” said Walters, an adjunct professor for 25 years. “The best part about teaching was the students; there is nothing more important than them. We had great classes and had students who could have gone to Princeton University but chose to start their college education here.”
Last weekend, KOC celebrated its 50th anniversary with a series of events that commemorated its growth and achievements of their students. The celebration kicked off with a reception honoring those who made the dream of accessible higher education a reality for the Kodiak Island community and a Student Showcase of Excellence, which displays the crème de la crème of KC students’ writing, art and reports.
“It’s to honor those who have come before us, particularly Carolyn Floyd, who began Kodiak College with her ideas and her vision when there wasn’t a structure for Kodiak College,” said Walters in an interview with KMXT radio’s Talk of the Rock. “It’s also the 20th anniversary of the Student Showcase of Excellence A lot of us get kind of weepy. You see students who have never been to college and they are producing work that is equal or greater than something from a larger college.” shared Thia Falcone, BSW, MA who celebrated with her Sociology students.
KOC is featuring alumni and employees from 1968 to present in the Instagram Series—“Faces of Kodiak College” to show the impact of the College. Follow them on Instagram @kodiakcollege.