Forward
THE MISSION & MOVEMENT OF SCCC
Saints Fight Fire Innovative approach pays off for students, community
Dr T’s Vision SEWARD COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Volume 2, Issue 2
SUMMER 2018
Relationship-building is key to college’s future success
In the books Graduates, Saints athletics, Top 10: Another great year!
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SEWARD COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
2017-18 in review
Articulations SCCC signed more
than 15 agreements with Fort Hays State University and another with the Ks. Department of Education, which allows all Kansas high school students to receive college credit at SCCC for certain courses.
Drama & Theater New
light and sound systems in the Showcase Theater enlivened two plays and a musical. The improvement to this resource, shared with Southwest Symphony Society and the Rainbow Players is ... dramatic!
Prairie View Partners As
college partner for this K-5 elementary school, we took part in morning “walk & talks” and career assemblies. Next year, we’ll expand our outreach to the youngest Saints at other schools in town.
Speaker Series We are
committed to lifelong learning and thoughtful dialogue, so SCCC brought guest speakers Jimmy Cabrera, Blane Harding, and Spencer Stone to speak about grit, bias, belonging, and patriotism.
Energy Industry Ties
With our Business & Industry department, SCCC helped revamp the Southwest Energy Institute for job training. And, internships with OneOK, Black Hills Energy, & CAT gave Industial Tech students an edge!
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Greenhouse 2.0 The SCCC
gym’s new sound system served Saints and groups like 1,500 children and families at Cinco de Mayo. Look for giant digital scoreboards soon, thanks to donations from local businesses.
Louie’s Place It’s the go-to spot
for hot, fresh pizza, cinnamon rolls, and custom salads in the upgraded student lounge at Industrial Tech. Students flocked across campus for good eats, and the public partook as well.
Excellence Awards piled up, from
student Chris Koons’ acceptance to KU pharmacy school to English instructor Janice Northerns’ scholarship to the Sewanee Conference for poetry, and Dr. T’s national publication of editorial writing.
Connections The Pathway
System across campus continues to expand, thanks to grant funding from the Kansas Dept. of Parks, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. It’s a healthy win-win for SCCC and the community.
Movin’ on Movers
We crafted fresh strategies for success as we implemented Digital and Academic transformation, strengthened inclusivity, and helped students persist and complete.
TRUST VALUING OTHERS INTEGRITY QUALITY STUDENT SUCCESS
Our core values drive everything we do.
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FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT
TRUST
LEADS TO GROWTH For students to realize their talents and gifts, we must give them what we want for our own children, starting with trust and credibility. SCCC Vice President Celeste Donovan Two of the most exciting days to work on a college campus are “Welcome Day,” when students arrive on campus and “Graduation Day,” when we celebrate the achievement of earning their degrees. Both days are high-energy, filled with hopes and new beginnings. In SCCC student services, we work to see those aspirations become reality. We help students navigate challenges and barriers to reach their goals. Finding solutions to assist along the way might take the form of helping students complete the financial aid process, receive disability accommodations, or lending an ear to the student who just broke up with her boyfriend. As Dr. Elton Mayo said, “One friend, one person who is truly understanding, who takes the trouble to listen as we consider our problems, can change our whole outlook on the world.” Growing up in a small, rural farming community, I was blessed to learn a lot about diversity and striving to utilize the talents we are given to our fullest. My father was born with Cerebral Palsy in a single parent household. Despite these challenges, he became a band director and earned state honors for his marching bands; he did all the choreography. I didn’t think of him as having a disability until someone in my junior high class called him “crippled.” It was devastating to me. I never saw him as being any different than anyone else. He later went on to work for the governor
of South Dakota and earned many awards for his work with individuals with disabilities. For the lessons he taught me, I am very blessed. Many of our students just need to be shown their talents so that they, too, can achieve their fullest potential. Providing students with opportunities to enrich their social, cultural, emotional, spiritual, academic and recreational growth is the primary role of student services. It is the responsibility of the staff to facilitate programs that foster students to realize their talents and gifts, and to provide support to students in meeting the challenges of the college experience. To do this, we must first establish trust and credibility, be an active listener, respond, convey respect, show genuine enthusiasm, maintain confidentiality and follow through with our promises. In other words, we must give our students what we want for our own children. After watching graduates walk the stage during commencement, we are already preparing to welcome new students in the fall semester. Both experiences are full of emotion for us, as well as our students. They are here to get a college education, but what will also happen, which we see each year, is that they will grow closer to maturity. Through student services, we are able to play a role in this process. One student at a time, we are able to change the world.
Celeste
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C O N T E N T S
Vision
Moving through 2017-18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Vice-President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Meet the Deans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5 President in Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
Feature Stories Resident Firefighter Program launches . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11 Galen McSpadden heads home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15 Katie Kline’s long-distance odyssey . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Our Work Intelligent Work: Partnership with KU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7 Commencement Highlights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
WANT MORE? Throughout the magazine, you’ll find “Read More” notes that direct readers to our official college news blog, operated by the Marketing/Public Relations office. We invite you to stop by to read longer versions of several stories, including conversations with retiring instructors, in-depth descriptions of our 2017-18 Top Ten, and a full-length profile of Manny Serrano, the student who won’t stop, and his fellow AllKansas Academic Team Scholar, Tina Guenther.
scccnews.com
Saints Seven-sport Roundup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13 Alumni Connections move to Forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Save the Date for our 50th!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Worth Noticing Gary Damron: Teaching days are history . . . . . . . . . . 17 Ed Anderson retires from RT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Gayla Myers bids TRiO farewell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Where are They Now? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Forward magazine is published by the Seward County Community College office of Marketing & P.R. Contact us at 620-417-1125 or via email, marketing@sccc. Cover photos: Fire crew, Rachel Coleman/SCCC; Graduate, Amberley Taylor/Crusader News.
Meet the Team Louie the Saint
MASCOT
Athletics & campus Louie served as monarch of France for 44 years, from 1226 to 1270. Since 2016, he’s served as the official mascot of SCCC. After more than 800 years of life, Louie has remained an enthusiastic supporter of education, health care, and animal rights. When he’s not at Saints athletics events, Louie volunteers his time at local elementary schools, and as the patron saint of barbers.
Meet the Team Travis Combs
DEAN
Industrial Technology A former Liberal High School track athlete, Travis headed to K-State to run track and become a doctor. Along the way, he found his passion was education. He hasn’t looked back. Along with Industrial Tech, he oversees the Colvin Adult Learning Center, serves on USD 480 board of education and volunteers for Cinco de Mayo. He also tries to keep up with his Siberian Husky, the only one to possibly have more energy than him.
F R O M
T H E
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E D I T O R
YOU CAN’T HAVE TOO MUCH EXCELLENCE,
— but it almost felt like a problem as we compiled the Summer issue of Forward. Twenty pages doesn’t offer enough room to share the stories we have to tell about the amazing work our team members do on the regular, and how the wider world is taking notice.
During the year that just concluded, more than 300 graduates walked the stage in three separate ceremonies. We are just as proud of our 75 Kansas GED recipients as we are of associates degree graduates like Christopher Koons, who earned entrance to the KU School of Pharmacy — an honor usually reserved for four-year grads. Look for stories about these respective barrier-breaking achievements on our college newsblog, scccnews.com.
call you —our friends and stakeholders —during the 2018 Phonathon, and raised $30,000. The students also took to the streets in a good way, logging more than 1,600 hours of volunteer work while studying hard, playing hard, and moving their own lives forward in the most positive way. I hope you’ll take a moment to link to electronic versions of articles written by our own Dr. T, which have found their way to the prestigious journal of higher-ed, the Hechinger Report, and the national newspaper, the Washington Post. Finally, join us in celebrating with English and Creative Writing Instructor Janice Northerns, on her invitation to the competitive and elite Sewanee Writers Conference this summer. A full feature about her poetry is on the blog, where we post new chapters in SCCC’s story each week.
There, you can also find accounts of the everyday excellence that is part of life on campus. Our students volunteered to
Meet the Team Suzanne Campbell
DEAN
Allied Health Growing up in Kingman, Suzanne Campbell’s excellence as a student led her to medical laboratory science. She still recalls hearing of the explosion of the Challenger space shuttle while on clinical rotation. These days, with a doctorate degree and a myriad of duties as dean and program director, she gets a high level of satisfaction knowing SCCC’s MLT graduates save lives daily. In her free time, she runs marathons, reads, and gardens.
Meet the Team Luke Dowell
DEAN
Instruction Luke graduated from Colby High School with the idea of becoming a math teacher, and did not stray from the path, all the way to his many positions at SCCC. With degrees from Colby Community College, K-State, and Fort Hays State, Luke lives out the reality of keeping a growth mindset. He and wife Tanya participate in community and church activities, and enjoy the adventures that come with raising their three children, who range from age 14 to 23.
Rachel Coleman Executive Director of Marketing & P.R.
Meet the Team Annette Hackbarth-Onson
DEAN
Student Services With degrees from the University of Wisconsin system, a father in the Navy, a husband in the Air Force, and 30 years in higher ed, Annette saw the U.S. before arriving in Kansas. She never gets tired of seeing first-year students grow. A long-distance runner and cyclist, she’s also an animal lover. “I learned the best leadership skills from a little gray mare named Kala,” she said, “and the depth of pure devotion from a Chesapeake Bay Retriever named Jonesy.”
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Intelligent work KU partnership offers early start in national security work By PHILLIP LEE SCCC Marketing & PR The need to adapt, diversify and mature is an old and continual challenge — and it’s even more critical in a globalizing society fraught with conflict. To keep up, the intelligence community has turned to partners in education. The search led to Seward County Community College, where students can now get a head start on an intelligence career. SCCC’s newest course of study, offered in partnership with the University of Kansas, offers a certificate in Intelligence and National Security Studies (INSS). It’s the first step towards a degree — and a career — that’s often depicted in “James Bond” or “Jack Ryan” movies, but has many other applications. The final destination may be the CIA or something less cinematic; either way, the journey can begin at Seward. Intelligence work isn’t limited to “being a spy,” points out Luke Dowell, SCCC Dean of Instruction. The intelligence community needs diversity in terms of skills and more. “The goal of the program is to increase the diversity of the intelligence community not only as ethnic diversity but also diversity in their backgrounds and skills,” Dowell said. “Not only are we encouraging students from different backgrounds to pursue intelligence careers but this is for students that are majoring in engineering, computer sciences and languages.” And just what is the “intelligence community?” It is a group of 17 federal intelligence agencies responsible for supplying accurate, usable information to make national security decisions. Issues range from terrorist financing to drug trafficking, from climate change and environmental issues to foreign technology threats and nuclear proliferation. The two most well-known agencies are the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
RECRUITING Leslie Von-Holten describes the new KUSCCC partnership program to students. Photo: Phil Lee
Others include Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Defense Intelligence Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, National Reconnaissance Office, Department of Energy, the Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, Department of the Treasury, Drug Enforcement Agency, and the five military branches – Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard. SCCC students are perfect for this work, said Leslie VonHolten, education coordinator, Kansas Consortium-Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence (ICCAE). “Seward County has one of the highest foreign-born populations in the U.S., so naturally SCCC has an ethnically diverse student population,” Von-Holten said. “They also represent what we call ‘geographic diversity,’ a vital perspective from an agricultural and industrial part of the country.” Traditionally, the intelligence community has recruited from colleges along the East Coast, VonHolten noted, “but agencies are recognizing that in today’s global world, we need people from all types of backgrounds.” A CIA recruiter recently told her that the most important attributes for new
FORWARD I Summer 2018 I 7 agents are curiosity, critical thinking and strong writing. “In the ICCAE, we can help you with critical thinking and writing,” she said. “What we need are curious students who are willing to work hard.” As the intelligence community in the U.S. looks to the future, it’s opted to invest in developing intentional partnerships with colleges that can help fill the gaps in personnel with a wide array of recruits. KU got a $1.5 million grant from the Defense Intelligence Agency. “This is an innovative project for KU—in regard to developing an intelligence curriculum, and also in partnering so strongly with SCCC,” VonHolten said. “The first phase starts this fall with the launch of our 12-hour undergraduate certificate. We hope to expand to a minor in KU’s Political Science department, and eventually a Bachelor’s degree by the end of the grant in 2022.” To complete their certificate in INSS, students will take four online classes through KU, while enrolled at SCCC: * Intro to Intelligence and Statecraft * US Intelligence Community * Intelligence Analytics * Counterintelligence. The first class offered at SCCC will be “Intro to Intelligence,” with enrollment open now. A major benefit to completing the certificate is that students are eligible for opportunities that would be significant in their future career goals. “Students will receive mentoring and extracurricular activities that will connect them to professionals working in intelligence,” VonHolten said. “We also have scholarship, research, and study abroad funding. At the national level, they will be eligible for internships and summer seminars in Washington, DC. We are also developing internship opportunities with NORTHCOM in Colorado and EUCOM in Germany. These experiences will give ICCAE students a competitive edge when they enter the workforce.” For more information about this new program at SCCC, contact Luke Dowell at (620) 417-1500.
Graduation celebration!
NEW TRAJECTORY
This mother and her daughters relish the course she has set in life by earning a Kansas State High School Diploma (GED) at the Colvin Learning Center. Photo: Phil Lee
ALUMNI LUNCH
Commencement speaker Sheina Fernandes (SCCC ’11)‚ husband Thiago Guilherme and Dr. T at the first-ever alumni luncheon. Photo: Courtesy Ken Trzaska
AWARDS GIVEN
Emanuel Serrano smiles as he receives the Student of the Year award, as selected by his peers. SCCC Instructor of the Year Dr. Russ Reglin. Photos: Phil Lee
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President IN Motion Progress on campus — and in the community — starts with personal connections, says Dr. Ken Trzaska By RACHEL COLEMAN SCCC Marketing & PR If you stop to visit Dr. Ken Trzaska, Seward County Community College president, the top of his desk is likely clean and bare — and he’s probably not sitting behind it. Trzaska is more likely to be traveling across campus, where he has made the student experience a top priority. He may be picking up fruit and coffee from the updated cafeteria, chatting with students along the way, or visiting an instructor who has taken on a dual-level class as part of the college’s new focus on flexible course offerings. Then again, he might be on the road back from Topeka, where the work of keeping SCCC on the mental map of legislators is an extension of his role. “It’s a matter of not assuming that people understand the daily experience in Southwest Kansas. We have to help people on the eastern half of the state understand the difference between their needs and ours,” Trzaska said. “We have to stay at the forefront to articulate rural life and our students’ circumstances.” As the tenth president of SCCC,
Trzaska is keenly aware of the business and industry collaboration. foundation crafted by his predecessors. “Beyond all that, the issues touching “The issues we work on today have the lives of our students, and the Installed electronic grown1.out of the work done by thekey ninecards challenges we face as a college are the presidents whofront held the position before for the door of the resi- challenges we face as a community,” he me,” he says. “Their informs mine, said. “If we don’t look at situations — in dence halls work (KD3) and it creates a dynamic flow, whether the city, in the county, economically, 2. Secured anonAlcohol Aware-demographically, the organizations here that means I’m riding the bus with the basketball team,that or speaking to high us— through the same lens, we’re going ness grant has enabled schooltostudents visiting our campus, or to be trying to solve the problem in our offer more activities and connecting with emerging leaders.” own way, and it won’t have meaning, educational programming forit doesn’t have impact, it doesn’t Whatever his focus, Trzaska is students. (KD1,It’s3)fitting for undoubtedly in motion. contribute to the community.” the person who coined the college’sUnion That perspective drives Trzaska’s 3. Remodeled Student current theme and focus, “Moving vision of SCCC as it will be in five years. including opening Louie’s Seward Forward,” and it’s what he “The most important thing is the does daily as he builds team spirit. He interconnectedness,” he said. “A great challenges his colleagues to do good example of that is our trail system, work, and do a bit better every day. which began as a way to connect two “We can’t be perfect, but the vision sections of our campus, and evolved is to advance a little more, continually, into a way to connect the community through our five key directions,” to our college as well.” Through Trzaska will say, listing them: create partnerships with the Liberal Area a safe and healthy campus; invest in Coalition for Families, the Sunflower teaching, learning and curriculum; Foundation, and even Blue Cross Blue enhance financial and organizational Shield, a simple sidewalk grew into a vitality; expect high outcomes in network of overlapping, interlocking recruitment, retention and graduation; pathways, with expansion planned. broaden community, educational, Trzaska routinely walks the route
FORWARD I Summer 2018 to check the dozens of newly-planted trees. Solar lights and charging stations will soon be installed. Someday, he says, “this is going to be the kind of place where a family can come out with the stroller and the dog and a picnic and have a really nice day in a place they can enjoy.” An added benefit? Pedestrians will have even easier access to shopping locations on the north side of town. Another important project has been alignment of the institution’s vision for the future with the community’s needs. College capital campaigns focus tightly on campus priorities and program needs; at SCCC, Trzaska pointed out, the “Students First Community Always” campaign is built on interlocking needs rooted in regional realities. As plans are finalized for the Sharp Family Champions Center, a multipurpose indoor sports facility on the SCCC campus, Trzaska is keenly aware of the back stories that have fueled its conception. There are major donors Gene and Jo Ann Sharp, longtime community members who not only carry a lasting affection for baseball, but also played key roles in establishing the college, serving on local boards and in elected offices, and advocating for children’s sports. The project will honor that longstanding tradition of community initiative, and serve Liberal’s needs as well as the Saints athletes and the local semipro baseball team, the Liberal BeeJays. Then there’s the Colvin Family Allied Health Center, slated to begin construction next spring. The new teaching and lab facility not only bears the name of major donors and economic players in Liberal, it reflects a commitment to the region as a whole. Currently housed in Liberal’s original Epworth Hospital, the SCCC Allied Health program produces healthcare professionals who literally keep people in a 200-mile radius alive and well. “Our graduates are going out and working at rural hospitals and clinics and nursing homes, in these little towns where an outsider might drive through and think, ‘there’s nothing, that’s an
anemic place with no possibilities,’” Trzaska said. “But these towns are full of talent and opportunity, and people working hard to make a difference.” Trzaska, who completed his college degrees in upstate New York and worked in Chicago, finds the grit and community in rural Kansas inspiring. “I was at the national college conference in Washington, D.C. recently, and it seemed that whenever I connected with people, they’d ask a few questions about me and my background, and then they’d ask, ‘Why in the world are you in Kansas? Isn’t that a state that’s kind of messed up?’ Trzaska shakes his head.
I’d say, ‘there’s a lot of great things happening in Kansas. Let me tell you about Liberal.’ “I had this conversation something like four times. I’d say, ‘There’s a lot of great things in Kansas. Let me tell you what’s happening in Liberal.’” Trzaska loves to list the can-do spirit that characterizes the community, as well as the newest collaborative projects taking form. He tells them about the seven new schools recently constructed, expansion on the north end of the city, and the excitement of elected officials who want to “Move Seward Forward.” “The last joint meeting I attended was profound,” he said. “Everywhere in the room, you felt determination to make changes, to think differently, to go forward, not compartmentalizing. That’s the way to solve problems.” SCCC’s president credits that awareness to a childhood experience that transformed his life trajectory, and ultimately led him to college. “Growing up, I moved all around the world because my father worked
for the government,” he said. “So, I learned a lot about getting along with people, basically by being exposed to communities where I didn’t speak the language. You have different different cultures, different attitudes, different religions. To me, it was the norm. I don’t shy away.” In Germany, the Trzaska family lived in a home that abutted a refugee housing complex. “I didn’t know what that was, I just walked down there,” he said. “Here were all these kids playing soccer. I remember standing on the sides, watching. Then one of the kids kind of waved me over and started speaking in his language, and I just started playing.” Forty years later, Trzaska said, “I remember the faces of these kids I played soccer with, in between two buildings. We played soccer at all hours of the day with no shoes.” Trzaska gained more than good childhood memories. “We learned to communicate together through our passion for soccer,” he said. “I learned that others may look, speak, think, believe differently, but there are still more things in common than there are different. At the college, we talk about this idea of belonging. But wow, did I feel like I belonged.” He also learned that generosity is not dictated by possessions and power. “Those kids had very different experiences than I did,” he said. “I would be what you probably call pretty lucky. I didn’t have to worry about anything. I had shoes; I took them off because all my friends played with no shoes, but these kids lived in a world where they had to worry, ‘how do I survive?’ By allowing me into that circle, they did something for me. They made me a pretty good soccer player. I had the opportunity to go to college and play, but it all started from somebody just kind of waving their hand and saying, ‘come on into this circle.’” Trzaska gives the Boy Scouts organization equal credit for infusing him with responsibility and Continued on Page 11
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Fighting fire with saints Seward Co. Fire & Rescue, college launch Resident Firefighter program this fall By RACHEL COLEMAN SCCC Marketing & PR It’s a quiet Friday afternoon without a cloud in the sky — except for a dark plume of smoke spiraling from the north. Firefighters Braden Steckel and Jake Pewthers pause from the puzzle of a faulty electrical system on one of the Seward County tanker trucks to listen to the radio’s crackle. Moments later, they’re gone, suited up, lights and siren blaring from a completely different truck. In three months, they’ll be training students from Seward County Community College to replicate those actions. SCCC’s newly-designed Resident Firefighter Program will launch its first cohort in August with six applicants who meet the criteria: full-time students with an interest in fighting fires and a willingness to serve. In return for joining the on-call team as full-time residential members, students will receive free housing at a new station immediately adjacent to SCCC, meals through the SCCC cafeteria and at the station house, tuition reimbursement, and on-the-job training that interlocks with their courseload. It’s a generous offer that comes with a two-year commitment. “It doesn’t matter if you’re going to school for corrosion, for nursing, for auto tech,” says SCFR chief Andrew Barkley. “We want a student who wants some help with college, is willing to have an unusual job, and will learn.” Dr. Todd Carter, SCCC Vice President of Academics, sees the partnership as a win-win-win, for students, the community, and the college. “Education is a sum of all of our life experiences inside and outside of the classroom,” he said. “We provide opportunities to work in teams, develop new skills, think critically, and apply knowledge in all of our programs. The
READY TO TRAIN
SCFR crewman Jake Pewthers is prepared to train SCCC students. Photo: Rachel Coleman resident firefighter program will enable development of these skill sets in a short amount of time. It’s a unique opportunity. At the same time, students are providing an important service to communities in the region.” At a recent multi-board meeting, stakeholders from the county, city, school board, hospital, Chamber of Commerce and college echoed Carter’s perspective. Liberal Fire Department Chief Kelly Kirk says the resident firefighter program, “is a service back to our community to train workers we desperately need.” County Commissioner Jim Rice, a rural resident, agrees. Recent Fires have come “pretty dang close” to his home. “Last year, that fire started up wiped out about four of my neighbor’s houses,” he said. “It got right up to the windbreak. If it had made it through, we would have lost ours.” Thanks to SCFR, county road and bridge, and an farmer who tilled up a dirt barrier, the Rice home survived. The experience reinforced the rural reality that “it’s pretty important to have a fire department that is capable of reacting when necessary,” Rice said. “We need somebody to be there to head that direction. This program is certainly going to get more hands on deck.” A California native, Barkley saw a similar program at University of California Davis. “Across the nation, there has been a drastic decline in those paid-call firefighters — lots of people refer to them as
‘volunteers,’” Barkley said. “Believe it or not, 10 to 15 years ago, a lot of stay-athome moms who were also firefighters. The economy has changed, and employers no longer let their personnel leave to fight fires.” During Barkley’s three-year tenure at the helm of SCFR, he’s overseen the hiring of Deputy Chief John Steckel, and three full-time firefighters to boost the dwindling pool of “volunteers.” The first cohort of six resident firefighters will be joined by five new applicants each subsequent year. That adds up to a force of 10 SCCC resident firefighters. Full-time firefighters Pewthers and Braden Steckel will train Resident Firefighters, living at the new station in turn. Experts predict fire departments in the western half of Kansas will need around 200 firefighters in coming years. A student survey at LHS identified 55 students with a strong interest in firefighting. That bodes well for the region. “It is a tremendous responsibility to provide fire protection and EMS to rural areas,” Carter said. “From1985 to 2000, I served as a volunteer firefighter and saw a drop in the volunteers as farm families and local employers diminished.” Barkley, who’s been fighting fires for more than 20 years, said on-the-job training is essential. “You can read the book and take a certification test, but if you don’t have experience, you’ll have a hard time getting hired,” he said. “This is a way to gain job skills, a way to get a taste of it.” The program begins with a threeweek, full-time session in early August. “They’ll move into the new station south of the main campus and start learning everything that’s typically covered in a Firefighter I class,” said Barkley. “Once they’ve completed that, they can test and get their certification.” Classes at SCCC begin mid-August, and the resident firefighters “will be paired with the career guys who work
full-time, and be on shift 48 hours. When they have class, they’ll take a radio and answer the call if one comes in. When class ends, they’ll go back to the station. If you’re on shift, you’re on shift and you do the responsibilities there, cleaning, yard work, vehicle maintenance. There’s down time when chores are done … they’re going to eat meals together, work out together, check equipment together, work as a team for two years.” The first year will require tweaks to the plan, and flexibility from students, fire personnel, and SCCC faculty. “We know they’ve got to go to school, take classes,” Barkley said. Program requirements include a minimum GPA of 2.5 with a course load of 15 hours. It’s a heavy load, he acknowledged, “but that is the kind of person we need, someone who can take on a lot of responsibility, and learn to handle it.” “On weekends and evenings, they’re having dinner, reviewing class or homework. When we catch the big fires and calls, you’re looking at an immediate response out the door of 11 people, including our career person. That makes a tremendous difference.” Carter sees student benefits, too. “The program provides funding for college expenses with the flexibility for the student to attend college full time,” he said. It’s work worth doing, as research shows that “all of these factors substantially increase student success.” Barkley hopes to see a rush of applicants. Firefighting life isn’t for everyone, he said, but it’s a good life. “You spend spend those hours on call together, and it becomes a family for male and female firefighters. You develop a really tight bond. You know that if something goes wrong, that’s the person who’s gonna save you.” Applications are available at SCCC admissions, with online access at sccc. edu. For more information, call Chief Barkley at (620) 626-3267 email abarkley@sewardcountyks.org.
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DR. T...
Continued from Page 9 resourcefulness, having become an Eagle Scout at 16. Along with duties at the college, Trzaska is an active Rotary member, serves on the Liberal Area Chamber of Commerce board, the Baker Arts Center board, and various state and national committees affiliated with the academic world. “More and more, I see potential and generosity. If you make an assumption about rural America, because you take I-70 across the state, and not the real roads, you’re not going to see the real communities.” Trzaska finds inspiration in the connections between the college and its students and the world. “To get to Liberal, Kansas, you’ve got to go through a lot of the country, and that creates an awareness that there are a lot of people who are making everything work,” he said. Far from “a place with problems,” as conference colleagues imagined, Kansas — and Liberal — Trzaska said, “is one of the economic engines of the country, from an agriculture perspective, an energy and economic perspective.” “We have no shortage of talent and energy in this community,” Trzaska said. “It is the college’s role to empower people to build their families and their community. It’s exciting work, and it goes beyond the edge of campus.” In the long view, and the in the near future, and right now, Trzaska said, “Liberal can be a better community, a more prominent community, a place where people look at us and say, “wow, look at what they’re doing.” Sometimes, what it takes to get to that point, he said, is a friendly nod and a wave that invites others to join in the game.
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Saints year in review Athletics sees new beginnings and bittersweet endings By IAN APPLEGATE SCCC Sports Information Director The Seward County athletic department saw four programs begin afresh with new head coaches, while two others saw the end of an era. Still, it was another successful year for Seward County athletics. All in all, 44 athletes were named to All-Conference Teams, while six were named All-Americans spanning all seven sports. Four sports won the Jayhawk Conference, while three won Region VI, with two more reaching the Region VI championship game.
earning a home playoff game and advancing the Region VI Quarterfinals for the first time since 2014. Sophomore Ke’Sean Davis (Signed-Utah State) and freshman Isiah Small were named to the Jayhawk All-Conference teams. After losing nine games by five points or less in 2017-18, look for the Saints to make a jump in 2018-19 with more maturity.
Volleyball
As the men began a new era, the Toby Wynn era was coming to an end. After leading the Lady Saints to a 31-4 record, Jayhawk West Championship, Region VI Championship and a 5th place finish as the NJCAA National Tournament, Wynn took the head coaching job at Emporia State, ending a 13-year run with the Lady Saints. Before he left, however, he led Seward County on a masterful run. Freshman Silvia Veloso and sophomore Mollie Mounsey (Signed-Colorado State) were both named 1st Team All-Conference and 1st Team All-Region, while Mounsey became just the second Lady Saint to be named a two-time 1st Team NJCAA All-American. Lady Saint fans can look forward to the start of the Austin Mefford era in 2018-19, as the Florida Gulf Coast assistant coach was hired to replace Wynn.
Thais Baziquetto-Allen and the Lady Saints volleyball squad got Seward County going, winning their first 14 matches before rattling off 19 consecutive wins. Sophomore Giovanna Kuntze (Signed-Youngstown State) had a breakout season for the Lady Saints, becoming the first 1st Team All-American setter in program history and the first 1st Team All-American since 2004. Kuntze helped lead the Lady Saints to a 33-2 record, going undefeated in Jayhawk Conference play before falling in the Region VI Championship match. The Lady Saints were ranked as high as No. 3 in the country in the NJCAA National Polls, tying a program record.
Men’s Basketball
The Jason Sautter era began for the Saints this season as he led a group of 15 fresh faces to an 18-14 record, a nine-game improvement from a season ago. Projected to finish 10th in the Jayhawk Conference, the Saints finished in the top half,
Women’s Basketball
Softball
The Lady Saints softball program began the Abby Bolton era, after Bolton’s nine years as assistant coach. Bolton got her squad ready for conference play, posting a program
FORWARD I Summer 2018 I 13 best 22-6 record against Jayhawk West teams. For a second straight year they finished as runners-up in both the Jayhawk West and Region VI Tournament. The program set a record with 10 All-Conference selections, but two Lady Saints stood out. Sophomore pitcher Monique Ashley broke the Seward County record for wins (54), and became just the second Lady Saint to strikeout at 500 batters, finishing her career with 527 k’s. Sophomore Sage Harrison used the long ball to put her name in the Seward County record books, breaking the single season home run record (22 HR), while tying the career record with 35 home runs.
Baseball
Following a poor 2017 campaign, the Saints baseball program bounced back in 2018, posting an even .500 record at 30-30. They finished the season strong, winning 11 of their final 16 games. Seward traveled for a Region VI Tournament matchup against the No. 2 seeded Fort Scott Greyhounds, blasting them for a two game sweep for a
combined score of 26-8. After beating Colby in Wichita at the Region VI Tournament, they finished the season in 6th place following back-to-back losses to Region VI Champion Barton and Hutchinson. With the season over, Hall of Fame Coach Galen McSpadden called it a career, ending a 37-year stint with the Saints (see story, next page).
Women’s Tennis
The final two programs to wrap up the 2017-18 year were Men’s and Women’s Tennis, led by first-year head coach Chase Ashley. After Greg Owen accepted a job midway through the year, Ashley stepped in and pushed the program to new heights. The Lady Saints squad won their second straight Region VI Championship, just a year after winning their first title in history. At the NJCAA National Tournament, Seward County finished in 6th place. Of the nine flights, six finished in 5th place or higher, while freshman Patricia Panta finished in 3rd place in No. 1 Singles.
Men’s Tennis
The only thing that kept the Saints from breaking the single season win mark was weather. They finished the season with a 17-2 record, losing only to No. 1 Tyler and No. 2 ASA Miami. Seward won their fourth straight Region VI Championship with six of the nine flights winning their titles. The Saints finished a program best 3rd place at the NJCAA National Tournament. Of the nine flights, eight finished in 3rd place or higher, while four individuals earned All-American status after having just one in program history. Sophomore Duro Opacic (No. 2 Singles), freshman Hugo Lobo (No. 3 Singles), and the freshman team of Ben Finet and Carlo Izurieta (No. 3 Doubles) all finished as the National Runners-Up in their flights to be named Second Team All-Americans.
STAR SAINTS
Opposite page, Giovanna Kuntze; upper left, Mollie Mounsey; lower left, Duro Opacic. Photos: Ian Applegate
WINNING COVERAGE
Our very own Sports Information Director Ian Applegate earned the prestigious Grant Burger national award for his coverage of volleyball.
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Galen’s Goodbye After 37 years as head baseball coach, McSpadden retires By RACHEL COLEMAN SCCC Marketing & PR When Galen McSpadden took over as head baseball coach at Seward County Community College in 1981, he inherited a program with a mere handful of players. The previous coach had been dismissed and plans to fill the roster had not begun. McSpadden, exiting the worlds of professional baseball and pitching coach at Southeast Missouri State University, needed a team. “It kick-started my coaching career,” he recalls. He put together a “great bunch, with three or four pitchers, and ended up with a 33 and 7 season; back then, you only had 40 games a year.” Two thousand games later, McSpadden ended his run as head coach on May 21. Though his last day on campus comes at the end of summer, McSpadden has one clear focus: the needs of the players, the program, and the institution. He’s proud of more than 1,240 wins over 37 years, but more likely to talk about the students he met along the way. “There’s a lot of young men who were coached in this program who appreciate Seward County and what it did for them through the way they were treated,” he said. “That’s what I’m proud of — having built a program that gives young men the opportunity to come in, play and advance their academics, open doors to their futures… I don’t believe we’re put on this earth for any reason but to help others.”
PADRES MEMENTOS McSpadden displays the photos used for his Topps Bubble Gum collectible baseball cards. Photo: Rachel Coleman McSpadden’s timing comes down to that standard. After a lifetime of playing a game he came to love as a boy, he says, “it’s time for me to take care of my family,” wife Debbie, and his dad, Junior, who will soon be 94. “I want those players who are coming back and for the new recruits to have confidence,” he said. “The program is healthy and will compete.” As the program transitions from the McSpadden model, SCCC Director of Athletics Roy Allen and longtime Assistant Coach Mike Davidson will shepherd the process. McSpadden, who simultaneously
served as SCCC Athletic Director and baseball coach for 34 years, stepped down from the dual role two years ago. He said the experience gave him valuable insights about transitions. It’s nearly impossible for McSpadden to envision life without baseball. Growing up in southeast Missouri, he spent his childhood immersed in nature and the game. “We lived on a wildlife refuge, so I had 30,000 acres for hunting and bass lake that I lived on. I hunted, I fished, I helped farmers, and I played baseball,” he said. “My dad says, ‘When you were two years old, everything that was lying
FORWARD I Summer 2018 I 15 on the ground, rock or whatever, you’d pick it up and throw it.’” When McSpadden was five years old, his dad signed him up for summer baseball, coaching as the years went by. Though the McSpaddens were people of modest means, “my parents supported me all the way through. Living in the country my parents had to drive me everywhere to play. They sacrificed some things for me,” McSpadden said. After high school he walked on to the team at Southeast Missouri University at Cape Girardeau. “I was very small in stature, and I didn’t think I was good enough to play college ball, but things worked out and I had a great, four-year career.” Being a left-handed pitcher, McSpadden added, “is a plus in the game of baseball.” After his sophomore year and for two summers, McSpadden played for the semi-pro Liberal Bee Jays, where he got the attention of professional scouts. After graduating from SEMO in 1974, he was drafted by the San Diego Padres. During the seasons that McSpadden filled the dugout for the Bee Jays, he met his future wife, Debbie Pottroff. The young married couple moved often as his baseball career developed — to Walla Walla, Wash., to Reno, Nev., to Phoenix, Ariz., to pitching in major league spring training, to a Triple A team in Hawaii, and Double A in Amarillo. An injury in 1978 brought McSpadden’s career to a close. When he looks back on his playing days, McSpadden doesn’t view negatives. He treasures the original Topps Bubblegum Company baseball card he bought years ago, and the bright memories of fellow players, and love of the game it represents. “I’m so grateful that I was given an avenue to explore my love of baseball,” he said. “I’ve was blessed to stay in a game I fell in love with as a kid. That doesn’t happen for a lot of people.” Back in Debbie’s hometown, changes at the 10-year-old junior college, created a coaching vacancy.
“I decided to throw my hat in the ring,” McSpadden said. “Dr. Hooper and the board took a chance on me. I’ll always appreciate that.” Galen, Debbie, and their newborn daughter Kelli moved to Liberal. As the years at SCCC passed, the family grew with the birth of a son, Josh. Then, despite his busy coaching schedule McSpadden was presented with another unexpected opportunity. “Dr. James Hooper took an even bigger chance on me when he talked me into taking the athletic director position that opened up in the middle of the year,” he said. “My goal was to create an athletic department that was competitive, respected, and would represent this community at state, region and national levels as well to wallpaper that gym with banners, and
I was blessed to stay in a game I fell in love with as a kid. That doesn’t happen for a lot of people. gosh, we’ve come close,” he said. “Being AD and baseball coach, I had a full-time assistant coach, and that really helped the program,” he said. “I’ve had three assistants over the years. Paul D’Amico for 5 years, Darin Thomas for 9 years, and, for the last 18 years, Mike Davidson.” The program could not have been built without them. But it’s the student-athletes who bring the biggest smile to his face. “The memories are outstanding,” he said. “Most of the guys I’ve coached went on to play at four-year schools. The graduation rate is above 90 percent, and close to 100 players had the opportunity to play professionally.” That’s no surprise to McSpadden, who believes baseball is vastly
underrated for its deeper lessons. “There’s intricacies of the game that people don’t see if all they’re hoping for is a big home run, or a no-hitter,” he said. “Baseball is a game where you can go sit and visit and have a great time with family and friends, and not miss anything. That pace is human, and allows for interaction.” As he views his own trajectory through life, McSpadden is ready to embark on a new season. It’s no surprise that baseball will still play a role. Son Josh and his wife, Jessica, live with their two sons, Boston and Cannon, in Midlothian, Texas. Kelli, married to Terry Tiffee, lives in the same community with their twin boys, Talan and Brennan, and daughter McKenli. McSpadden’s new home sits exactly halfway between the two, making it the perfect meeting place for grandchildren. “I’ve been blessed by baseball and I owe a lot to this college. It gave me an opportunity to have a coaching career, raise two children, coach my own son in college ball, and it gave me a chance to deal with hundreds of students, staff, team members. It’s a special place with a Seward County Way.” McSpadden’s only regret is that he will not witness the dream that started years ago — the Sharp Family Champions Center. “It will be a reality in the near future,” he said. “I hope all of the past, present, and future Seward County Baseball Players and supporters contribute to a vision that will raise the bar of pride and success of the SCCC baseball program, and Liberal.” SCCC President Dr. Ken Trzaska said he has learned from the coach, too. “It’s been an honor to work with such a legend,” he said. “I’ve learned significant, meaningful lessons from Galen, and I’m going to miss him. His humility and commitment to the work we do at Seward are unparalleled.”
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$10k, 166 miles & COUNTING RT alum Katie Kline raises research funds By RACHEL COLEMAN SCCC Marketing & PR Katie Kline isn’t running for her life, even though it might look like that. The Liberal native, former LHS and WMS coach, respiratory therapist, and alumna of the SCCC Respiratory Therapy program is running for the lives of others. She calls them “MS Warriors,” people who live with the chronic disease and hope for a cure — people like her mother, who was diagnosed with Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (SPMS) when she was 33 years old. “I was a year old at the time, so my entire life until she passed away kind of revolved around that. I don’t remember a time of my childhood that she was able to walk without the aid of a cane or walker,” Kline said. Kline’s mother eventually became confined to the use of a wheelchair, and in the last few years of her life, bedridden: “Although she faced many battles on a daily basis, she always had a smile on her face and was the rock of our family. I have never met someone so full of faith, strength, determination, and grace. To be even half the woman she was is what I strive for on a daily basis. She was my biggest fan. She is my hero,” Kline noted. Kline’s stint on Segment 9, 166 miles from Wray, Colo., to Holdredge, Neb., is her way of doing her part. “I cannot think of a better way to honor the memory of my mom than to combine my passion for running with raising funds for research towards a cure for so many still being
LEGACY RUN Katie Kline and a portrait of her mother, who, “showed me how to fight through the challenges” life brings. Photo: Katie Kline affected by this disease,” she said. “MS can be a debilitating disease. It was a struggle to watch her battle, but at the same time, it also really showed what her true character was, the kind of person she was. So strong. Resilient.” Kline will definitely call upon her mother’s toughness as she tackles six consecutive days of 28-mile runs across eastern Colorado and western Nebraska, June 6 to 11. A support team and RV will accompany Kline to provide food, water, shelter, and a place to sleep after the day’s run. For Kline, a lifetime athletes and runner, the challenge is welcome. A graduate of Liberal High School, Kline participated in basketball, track and cross-country, participating in the
only LHS XC state championship team to date. She went to college, only to return to Liberal when her mother’s health took a downward turn. “This time of year, that time in my life — 2009, nearly 10 years now — was a summer I’ll never forget,” Kline said. “I was enrolled in respiratory therapy at SCCC and we were preparing to start clinical rotations in Lubbock, Texas.” Kline, having married her high school sweetheart, Michael, was also seven months pregnant. Kline had just moved into a shortterm apartment in Lubbock, when she got a call: her mom wasn’t doing well. “It progressed very quickly,” Kline said. “I started my way back, and got home in time to say goodbye June 1.”
ALUMNI CONNECTIONS I FORWARD I Summer 2018 I 17 Kline did continue to earn her credentials as a respiratory therapist that long-ago summer. In 2013, the family moved to Florida, where Katie continues RT work, and her pursuit of health and wellness. “Running and working out is my release from life, something that I really just legitimately enjoy,” she said. “I’ve seen the other side of things. I work in a profession where you see it every day. It motivates me to be as strong as I can for as long as I can, do things with my kids.” Kline regrets the fact that her two children, Brady and Ally, never got to meet their grandmother. “She was always laughing. She was one of the funniest people I had ever met, had a smile that could light up the room,” she said. Kline’s children, though “are a good combination of all the best things about my mom,” she said. “My son is a really old soul, has that deep concern for other people, but very funny, trying to crack the jokes. My daughter is the mini version of her, stubborn, and fierce and feisty, and a personality bigger than life.” Kline’s children, husband, and mother-in-law joined her for various races to prepare for the big MS run, helped design business cards, worked at bake sales, and added their smiling faces to raising money. “Each of the runners participating in MS Run the US committed to raising $10,000 for research,” Kline said. She reached the mark, “mostly through small donations from people who care. I’m incredibly grateful. I’ll be thinking of them with gratitude, while I run,” she said. Of course, the main person on her mind will be her mom. “It was tough, really hard to watch her struggle and fight through the challenges,” she said. “A lot of who I am, who I learned to be, who I strive to be, came from those qualities.” That’s what Kline is counting on to keep her going as the miles tick by.
RETIREMENTS
10 YEARS Gary Damron
Social Sciences instructor, church pastor and newspaper columnist, Gary Damron applied an array of skills to the 10 courses he taught over a decade-long span at SCCC. Read a feature article about his achievements and his plans at the college news blog, scccnews.com.
6 YEARS Gayla Myers
A lifelong educator, Gayla Myers came to SCCC as part of the TRiO student services office. She impacted nearly 1,000 students during her time at the college, encouraging them to overcome barriers and find personal success. READ MORE at scccnews.com.
30 YEARS Ed Anderson
Respiratory Therapy Director Ed Anderson is headed out to fish after three decades teaching RT students. Learn more about his journey through medical and academic worlds on our newsblog, scccnews.com.
IN MEMORY Joy Fosdick
Business & Industry Facilitator Joy Fosdick planned to retire in June, after 26 years. She died March 26, 2018. An alumna of SCCC, Fosdick’s zest for life and good humor brightened the community enrichment classes she organized. A tree was planted in her memory on the Industrial Tech campus.
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Calling all saints!
By RACHEL COLEMAN SCCC Marketing & PR Connection continued to be the key concept in the SCCC Alumni office throughout 2017-18, as executive team members reached out to Saints scattered across the nation. When President, Dr. Ken Trzaska and Vice President of Academics, Dr. Todd Carter, travel to conferences, they often meet up with Saints for dinner and great conversation. On campus, the alumni office welcomed Chandler Kirkhart, as executive director Charity Horinek shifted her focus to concentrate on grant funding. Kirkhart serves as head of the annual SCCC Foundation Party Auction and MEET ME IN KC the Phonathon. In addition to taking on Dr. T stopped in Kansas City for a community college conference and was able to the employee giving campaign, Kirkhart reconnect with Saints alumna Daigen and her partner Blake. Other Saints get-togethers works closely with the SCCC Foundation have occurred in Oklahoma City, Dallas, and New Orleans. Photo: Ken Trzaska Capital Campaign and other major-gifts MAKE A MARK initiatives. And, did we mention he’s in Alumni tiles continue to charge of all things alumni? Reach him at add a touch of color and 620-417personality to the concrete As the 2017-18 academic year came to a close, graduating Saints were once again dividing wall near the invited to leave their mark on campus by amphitheater on the main painting a tile that will find a permanent campus. As the 2018 SCCC place on the amphitheater wall at the graduating class took center of campus. If you graduated from part in commencement SCCC prior to this colorful, ever-evolving ceremonies, these two project, contact our alumni office to learn future Saints searched for how you might schedule a quick tilethe tile painted by TRiO/ painting session the next time you are on Student Success tutor campus. Blanca Castro. Photo: And while we’re speaking of catching Rachel Coleman up, please take a moment to shoot us an email with the latest, greatest news in JOIN US? your life. As the former “Connections” If you want to add your newsletter is incorporated into our campus name to the tile project, magazine Forward, we want to include contact Chandler Kirkhart news about our greater Saints family. We at 620-417-1135. love photos, too!
Email your news to publicevents@sccc.edu!
CAREER MARRIAGE BIRTH AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS TELL US ABOUT IT!
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Where? are they now
A number of former Seward County Basketball players continued their success at the next level during their 20172018 seasons, playing around the country in NCAA Divisions I and II as well as at the NAIA level. l Two-time Saint AllAmerican Niem Stevenson helped lead the Texas Tech men’s basketball program to one of its best seasons in history, reaching the Elite Eight of the NCAA. l Joining perennial NCAA power Oregon State was 2017 All-American Joanna Grymek. Grymek helped the Beavers reach the Elite Eight of the NCAA. l Another former Seward starter now at the Division I ranks was Tamara Seda at UTEP. Seda was phenomenal for the Miners in 2017-18, averaging just shy of a double-double with 14.9 points per game and 9.6 rebounds per game. l Joining Seda at UTEP was Neidy Ocuane, but she missed the 2017-2018 season after a knee injury sustained in the Lady Saints quarterfinal win at the NJCAA National Tournament last March. l The other half of the Lady Saints Twin Tower combination, Axelle Bernard, transferred to Washburn to finish her playing career. l After a 1,000-point career with the Saints, Charles Beauregard took his talents to Southwestern Oklahoma State where he didn’t waste any time. l Coming off a National Championship season, Daniela Galindo had the Oklahoma City Stars flying high again in 2017,
earning honors at all levels. l Known for her fierce skills on the defensive end of the floor, Rebekah Hatchard finished her career at Montana State where she played in all 31 games for the Bobcats this season. l After two years in Liberal, Ernest Carter remained in state where he played for Kansas Wesleyan last season. l Last season’s breakout star for the Lady Saints, Erin Richardson was busy for Delta State University, playing nearly 23 minutes per game. l Leslie Speer was a force in the Ottawa University lineup, named Honorable Mention All-KCAC for Ottawa. Speer was named a 2018 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athlete. l After a brief one-year stop in Liberal that included a rash of injuries, Spencer Franklin is now donning the blue and white at Longwood University in Virginia. l 2015 Saint Marcus Mathieu journeyed to South Dakota where he is at Mount Marty College, and averaged 18.2 points per game. l The rifleman, Delano Jones returned to the court this season for Cameron University where he played in nine games. l Manuela Fungate is at Belmont Abbey College in N.C. l Clitan de Sousa is with Saints Athletics Hall of Famer Jim Littell at Oklahoma State University, but missed the 2017-2018 season with a knee injury sustained last season. — Ian Applegate, SCCC SID
Mark the calendar
May 30 —Sept. 2, 2019 It’s hard to believe, but the college is approaching the half-century mark, with celebrations slated to kick off in a little more than a year. Seward County Community College officially opened its doors to its first students on Sept. 2, 1969. Planning has begun for a fun-filled weekend to start Seward’s 50th year. Plan now to make Liberal your destination on Labor Day weekend, 2019. We’re making arrangements now for a full roster of events for alumni, former employees, family, and friends as we look back on 50 great years, and look forward to many more in the future. Beginning on Friday, May 30, and continuing through Monday, Sept. 2, 2019, SCCC will host a variety of events. We’re contemplating a family fun festival, golf, games, a ribbon-cutting, a pancake breakfast, and a festive reception. At the heart of it all is renewal of old friendships, the warmth of connection and belonging, and anticipation of a bright future. As plans develop, we’ll keep you posted with print and online updates!
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