SKAGIT VALLEY COLLEGE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY PUBLICATION
PUBLISHED BY THE SKAGIT VALLEY HERALD goskagit.com
SKAGIT VALLEY COLLEGE CENTENNIAL 2026
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CENTENNIAL GALA SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2026 Swinomish Casino and Lodge
Join us for an evening celebrating the people, stories, and impact that have shaped Skagit Valley College over the past 100 years. Together, we'll honor a century of learning, achievement, and community while looking ahead to the next chapter of SVC's history.
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To purchase tickets and learn more about the festivities, visit: skagit.edu/celebration
WHIDBEY ISLAND
MOUNT VERNON goskagit.com
SKAGIT VALLEY COLLEGE CENTENNIAL 2026
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CONTENT College Presidents: Past & Present........................ 6 College Timeline.......................................................10 Centennial Graduating Class.................................12 A Century of Someone Believing First................16 The Associate of Arts Degree...............................22 A Century of Champions........................................24 From Community College to Community Imact: Meet our Alumni..............28 Here’s to the Next 100...........................................32
SKAGIT PUBLISHING 1215 Anderson Road, Mount Vernon, WA 98274 Phone: 360.732.1751 | ads@skagitads.com © Skagit Publishing 2026 All rights reserved. EDITORIAL & PHOTOS Skagit Publishing, Skagit Valley College PRODUCTION May Askins-Huber WASHINGTON REGIONAL PRESIDENT : Rebecca Poynter rpoynter@skagitpublishing.com 4
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2026 Staff | Skagit Valley College goskagit.com
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COLLEGE PRESIDENTS
PAST & PRESENT Dr. George Hodson
Served 1962-1965
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r. Hodson was the first officially named President. Predecessors being Dean Joseph Reeves (1926-1929), and Dean Charles Lewis (1929-1944).
Dr. Norwood Cole Served 1965-1977
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r. Cole joined the SVC staff in 1947. He began as a history teacher and basketball coach. Dr. Cole became the Academic Dean before serving as a president.
SVC totem |Skagit Valley College Archives 6
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After serving as Dean, Dr. Cole became president in 1965. Cole continued to be an active member of the Mount Vernon community, being a member of the Mount Vernon Kiwanis Club and served on the board of trustees for 3 years. Dr. Cole retired after serving as president for 12 years. goskagit.com
Dr. James Ford
Dr. Lydia Ledesma-Reese
Served 1977-1995
Served 1995-2003
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r. Ford became president of SVC after doing just about every other job he could in the college. Starting as a biology teach and coach to several teams, he wrote a few textbooks, and really pushed to gather community support for the college.
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r. Ledesma-Reese stands out in history as SVCs first female and Latina president. She joined SVC after spending her years working at UC Irvine, Dean of Cerritos College and De Anza College in Cupertino, and two years as vice president at Hartnel College in Salinas.
President Norwood Cole hired Dr. Ford on as the Dean of Instruction and when While president, Dr. Ledesma-Reese Dr. Cole retired in 1977, Ford became the president of SVC with the goal of reaching out to community members in Skagit Valley traveled abroad to China, Japan, and Jalisco, Mexico on behalf of the SVC International Program. who did not have the resources for higher education. Dr. Ford helped to found the SVC Foundation in 1978 and since then it has become one of Washington’s oldest community college foundations. Dr. Ford’s passion for higher education for all reached far. Ford would say that the college must meet a changing enrollment program. Dr. Ford desired to “keep the college out in front of the community” by “making the college an exciting place, both for the regular students and townspeople.”
Dr. Gary Tollefson Served 2003-2012
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uring his nearly 10 years of service as SVC president, Dr. Gary Tollefson of Yakima led a transformation of the college by modernizing Skagit’s infrastructure and facilities, focusing on innovations that support student achievement, and forming partnerships with community and business leaders
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that respond to the need for a highly skilled workforce. He has been a teacher and administrator at the secondary and post-secondary levels for 40 years. He earned his doctorate in education from Seattle University and started working for Yakima Valley Community College in 1981. Under Dr. Tollfson’s tenure, the school has constructed several new buildings and remodeled other parts of the college at the Mount Vernon and Whidbey Island campuses. SKAGIT VALLEY COLLEGE CENTENNIAL 2026
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Dr. Thomas Keegan
Dr. Christopher Villa
Served 2012-2022 & 2026
Served 2022-2026
Dr. Thomas “Tom” Keegan is a longtime higher education leader with more than four decades of experience in Washington’s community and technical college system. He returned to Skagit Valley College in 2026 to serve as Interim President through Dec. 31, after previously serving as SVC President from 2012 until his retirement in 2022.
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r. Villa is a former president of Portland Community College’s Rock Creek campus (2018-20), where he worked to improve student equity as a member of the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission’s Equity Leadership Council. He is an advocate for Career Technical Education and partnered with Caterpillar and Peterson to build an electric power facility, expanding high-wage jobs for the
During his tenure, Dr. Keegan led significant advancements in next generation. student success, access, equity, and academic innovation. Under his leadership, SVC earned national recognition for student enDr. Villa was the president of Portland Community College’s gagement, participated in the inaugural national Guided Path- Rock Creek campus pervious to his role at SVC. He also served ways project, and became a baccalaureate-granting institution. 12 years as vice president of student services at three California He initiated the college’s efforts to become a Hispanic Serving colleges: Los Angeles Mission College, Fresno City College and Institution and championed innovative programs, including Long Beach City College. Washington’s first two-year Craft Brewing program and the Dental Therapy program, developed in partnership with the SwinThroughout his career, Dr. Villa has been an advocate for stuomish Indian Tribal Community. Dr. Keegan also established dents, leading efforts in an initiative to close student opportuSVC’s Guiding Principles of respect, integrity, open and honest nity gaps through a culturally competent, equity framework. communication, collaboration, and compassion, which continue to shape the college’s culture. Dr. Villa supported numerous initiatives to support the school’s Latino community such as the College Assistance Migrant ProAn SVC alumnus himself, Dr. Keegan began his higher edugram and was able to announce that SVC officially became a cation journey at Skagit Valley College, earning an associate Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in 2025. degree before going on to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Puget Sound, a master’s degree from Western Washington University, and a doctorate from the University of Washington.
FUN FACT The programs at SVC with the highest enrollment are Associate in Arts, Nursing, Pre-Nursing, Associate in Science Transfer, and Business 8
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FUN FACT Skagit Valley College Archives
Eleanor Roosevelt came to SVC to give a guest lecture in 1956. Here she is pictured with then-Dean George Hodson
SCHM PRESENTS
WHERE OUR FOOD COMES FROM:
HONORING THE FARMWORKERS AND FARMERS OF SKAGIT COUNTY Through the photos of Craig J. Barber, this exhibit looks to shine light on the hard and invaluable work that the Skagit farmers and their workers do every day to produce the food we eat.
THE SKAGIT COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM (360) 466-3365 | MUSEUM@CO.SKAGIT.WA.US WWW.SKAGITCOUNTY.NET/MUSEUM THIS PROJECT RECEIVED FUNDING FROM SKAGIT COUNTY WWW.VISITSKAGITVALLEY.COM
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Exhibit will be open Now - October 25th, 2026 SKAGIT VALLEY COLLEGE CENTENNIAL 2026
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40th Anniversary; inauguration of President Charles Ingman (2nd). Focus on upgrading curriculum. Speech: “Changing Values in American Society.”
GI Bill boosts enrollment; the college acquires 3 surplus military barracks. Mount Vernon Junior College opens at Union High School. Joseph Reeves serves as first principal
College accredited by the University of Washington
1926
1928
1933
1929
1944
New library built.
1946
1945
Secretarial program introduced.
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1948
1950 1951
1960
1955
1957 1959
Korean War reduces enrollment. Community approves a six-mill tax levy to keep the college open. Vocational nursing and agriculture programs added. San Juan Center Extension opens in Oak Harbor.
Pre-professional programs added (medicine, law, dentistry, education, engineering). Evening school offers non-academic classes (Dressmaking, Citizenship, Norwegian).
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SVC adopts affirmative action policy for minorities and women. New bookstore opens.
Legson Kayira completes a two-year, 2,500-mile trek across Africa to attend SVC.
Charles Lewis on leave; Donald Ferris acts as Dean
1940
Mount Vernon College moves from the high school to Roosevelt Elementary. Night school begins. College offers pilot training.
More prescriptive degree requirements (state gen-ed alignment with WWU). First TEXPQ Exposition. SVC accredited.
San Juan Center students housed in Old Roosevelt School and surplus military buildings.
New occupational disciplines: nursing and agriculture.
1941
Mount Vernon Chamber pledges to support the college. Charles Lewis named dean.
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Name changes to Skagit Valley Junior College. First dormitory: converted farmhouse on Clear Lake Road. First AA degree offered. Leroy W. Good becomes Dean.
WWII: Enrollments plunge; junior colleges assume more vocational responsibilities.
Washington State Junior College Association established to advocate for junior colleges.
Agreement with WWU: SVC’s AA degree accepted by Western.
1964 1966 1967 1962
1965
SVC becomes a community college. Dean George Hodson becomes first president.
Campus opening; Angst and Lewis Halls dedicated.
State BOE approves 5 buildings and parking for ~800 students. Permanent 35-acre campus purchased. Name becomes Skagit Valley College.
1969 1970
1971 1972
Whidbey Island Branch campus opens. SVC offers vocational and basic-skills training at Swinomish, Lummi, and Tulalip reservations. KSVR begins local broadcasting as a 10-watt station.
First distribution requirement adopted (Humanities, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, English Composition, PE & Health). Hodson resigns; Academic Dean Norwood Cole named Acting President. Jim Ford first Dean of Instruction; Del Tillotson first Dean of Administrative Services. goskagit.com
SVC celebrates 100 years Northwest Career & Technical Academy and Marine Technology Center open.
Campus View Village housing opens. Running Start brings qualified HS students; enrollment grows. Persian Gulf War demonstrations at Whidbey.
Norwood Cole retires; James Ford appointed president; Dick Nowadnick appointed Dean of Instruction. 50th Anniversary celebrated.
75th Anniversary celebration. George Smith hired as Interim President.
Dr. Christopher Villa named seventh president. Partnership with Swinomish Indian Tribal Community launches a nationally accredited Dental Therapy Education program. Community pickleball pavilion opens (June 30). New childcare center opens.
Core themes developed with focus on equity in access, achievement, and community.
SVC Art Gallery (a Foundation project) opens, showcasing local artists.
First Summer Bridge Program; new B.S. in Computer Science launches; SVC Foundation receives multimillion-dollar endowment.
McIntyre Hall opens. Hayes Hall opens at Whidbey Island Campus (named for dean Harlow Hayes).
New Charles Lewis Hall opens with Student Services and classrooms.
60th Anniversary celebration with Gov. Booth Gardner as speaker. 1980
1976
1986 1983 1984
1978
New 2-year program in Computer Science.
1990 1988
1989
Dedication of James Ford Hall.
1993 1995
2003
Anthony Wong (Wong Chau-Sang), Hong Kong actor, graduates. Little Theater in Hodson Hall renamed Phillip Tarro Theatre. First annual Artsphere festival launches. goskagit.com
2009
Dr. Gary Tollefson named president. Oak Hall opens at Whidbey Island Campus.
SVC Hall of Fame established. SVC Foundation created.
2010
2004
2001
Dr. Lydia Ledesma-Reese named president—the College’s first female and Latina president.
Laura Angst Hall opens, replacing original 1959 structure.
2014 2012
2019 2016
Cardinal Craft Brewing Academy opens.
2022
2023
2021
2026 2024
2025
Grand opening of Fire Technology Building; launches Bachelor of Applied Science in Advanced Manufacturing and Design.
SVC receives $2.5M federal grant to provide college access to migrant and seasonal farmworker families.
Dr. Thomas Keegan, SVC alum, becomes sixth president. First bachelor’s program launches: BAS for Environmental Conservation and started accepting students.
SVC becomes an HSI (Hispanic-Serving Institution).
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CENTENNIAL GRADUATING CLASS Ava Ronning | Skagit Publishing
Ava Ronning | Skagit Publishing
Skagit Valley College Holds Graduation Ceremonies
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kagit Valley College held three graduation ceremonies in 2026, one at its Whidbey Island campus and two at its Mount Vernon campus.
It was the college’s 99th graduating class, as this year the college is celebrating its 100th anniversary. “Commencement is one of the most meaningful traditions at Skagit Valley College because it celebrates the determination, resilience, and achievements of our students,” Skagit Valley College President Tom Keegan said in a news release. “As we honor the Centennial Class of 2026, we also celebrate the generations of students who have come before them and the bright future these graduates will help create for our communities.” The college awarded 1,130 degrees, certificates and diplomas, including 772 academic degrees and 358 profes12
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sional-technical degrees and certificates. This year’s graduates included 78 Running Start students, and 74 students earned high school diplomas. Forty graduates earned bachelor’s degrees. The college celebrated the first graduating class in the bachelor’s degree program for Applied Science in Advanced Manufacturing and Design. This program prepares students for high-demand careers in advanced manufacturing and engineering. Ava Ronning | Skagit Publishing This year, 573 students were the first in their families to graduate from college. Fourteen international stuBurlington-Edison High School graduate. dents graduated — from Brazil, Gambia, Japan, Kenya, the Netherlands, Spain, Turkmenistan, the United King- Zamora was recently recognized with the Associated dom and Zambia. Students of Skagit Valley College Governance Award and the Lewis Award. Graduates ranged in age from 15 to 72.
The Lewis Award goes to the overall outstanding Forty-two students received President’s Medals, one graduating student at the Mount Vernon campus. of the college’s highest student honors. To quality, graduates must have maintained a minimum 3.9 GPA and attended Skagit Valley College for at least three quarWe ters.
Rock!
Ashley Zamora, president of the Associated Students of Skagit Valley College on the Mount Vernon campus, was the student speaker for the Mount Vernon commencement ceremonies. Zamora is a first-generation college student and a goskagit.com
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Zamora plans to study abroad, then pursue a bachelor’s degree in political science and a career in public service. Maria ‘MJ’ Gallegos, president of the Associated Students of Skagit Valley College on the Whidbey Island campus, was the student speaker for the Whidbey Island graduation. During the past two years, Gallegos has led student government and served as president of the Tea and Tough Topics Club.
Whidby Island Graduation | Skagit Valley College Archives
According to the news release, Gallegos has facilitated meaningful dialogue across various perspectives, advocated to equitable solutions, and helped create a more engaged and inclusive campus community. Gallegos plans to transfer to a four-year university to earn a bachelor’s degree in public policy to pursue a career as an immigration attorney. Gallegos received the Yates Award for leadership, community service and academic achievement. At the Mount Vernon ceremony, prelude music was performed by the Bellingham Pipe Band and Skagit Community Band. The Whidbey Island ceremony featured the Bellingham Pipe Band. Both ceremonies featured the Skagit Valley College Showcase Singers.
Ava Ronning | Skagit Publishing 14
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Welding Technology | Now Skagit Valley College Archives
Welding Technology | Then Skagit Valley College Archives
Automotive Technology | Now Skagit Valley College Archives
Automotive Technology | Then Skagit Valley College Archives
Nursing | Now Skagit Valley College Archives
Nursing | Then Skagit Valley College Archives
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A CENTURY OF SOMEONE BELIEVING FIRST Skagit Valley College
SVC Foundation’s Executive Director Kathleen Petrzelka | Skagit Valley College Archives
As Skagit Valley College launches its Centennial Fund, the story of how a 1927 scholarship, a professor’s card file, and a president’s vision built the foundation behind it — and where it’s headed next. “We hear it constantly,” said Kathleen Petrzelka, the Skagit Valley College Foundation’s executive director, “from students telling us a scholarship made them feel seen, made them feel like someone believed they belonged here.” The occasion is Skagit Valley College’s centennial and a new Centennial Fund inviting donors to help write its next hundred years — a campaign with roots nearly as old as the college itself. That belief has a long history. In 1927, William E. Mowrer created the first scholarship ever offered at Mount Vernon Junior College, the school that would become Skagit Valley College. Mowrer had lost his mother at nine; his father sent him to live with relatives, and he never lived with his father again. He built a career anyway, in banking and federal service, then as America’s most successful goldenseal grower, and shaped his gift around his own hardest years. The original $500 award covered a full year of tuition, books and fees for a student without family 16
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support. A century later, the William E. Mowrer Scholarship still carries that purpose. What Mowrer gave the college wasn’t an organization. That came fifty years later, when faculty member Jack Kenney — the strict, no-nonsense “Mister Kenney,” whose own path to teaching began in wartime Europe, among children who’d lost everything — restarted the college’s dormant Alumni Association, tracing graduates by hand back to SVC’s first class in 1926 and building a card file on a typewriter, one name at a time. Kenney brought the idea to President James Ford, who agreed a foundation was the right vehicle, enlisted a local attorney to draft the articles of incorporation, and brought in trustee David Strong to shape a communitybased governing board. The SVC Foundation was formally established in 1978, launching with a 35-member Board of Governors.
SVC Foundation’s Breakfast 2026 | Skagit Valley College Archives
It was Ford’s leadership that gave the foundation its start, the drive behind the line he was known for: “If there’s going to be a number one, it’s going to be Skagit.”
The reach goes beyond tuition. Emergency funds cover rent, food, transportation, utilities and the bills a student didn’t see coming; last year the foundation granted more than $200,000 in childcare and emerSince that founding, the foundation has awarded gency funds to students in acute moments of need. more than $23 million in scholarships and program Athletics scholarships put more than $100,000 toward support to SVC students. The pace has only accelerated: 127 student-athletes. Donor-funded equipment — a for the 2026–27 academic year, it awarded more than semi-truck for Diesel Power Technology, CNC machines $1.5 million in scholarships to 525 students, a record, for Advanced Manufacturing, donated cars and boats with nearly 850 applying. The foundation now manages for Automotive Technology and Marine Technology a $29 million endowment and over 220 endowed and programs — turns training into jobs. Some donors have annual funds and is the largest scholarship-granting partnered with the foundation for more than 40 years. organization in Skagit, Island and San Juan counties by a wide margin. Petrzelka’s goals for the next five to ten years go begoskagit.com
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yond growing those numbers. Looking ahead five to 10 years, she wants to see the foundation supporting every graduating high school student in the region with a scholarship. “Getting a student in the door is the first step,” she said. “The conversation around college access starts with that first year, but the real test comes in year two, or years three and four, when the first excitement has worn off, aid has run thin, and life has gotten harder: a car breaks down, a shift changes, a family member gets sick.” She wants the foundation known for closing that completion gap — staying with a student from their first day on campus through the day they walk across the stage. “Our students and their families are making tremendous sacrifices: time, work, family, money, energy, sleep, basic needs,” Petrzelka said. “They understand that the sacrifice they’re making is worth it. Our donors understand that too, and their hard work shows up in every scholarship and opportunity they make possible.” That’s the thinking behind the Centennial Fund. Partners can add to existing endowments, create new ones, or document a legacy gift, and the college recognizes them with special signage — “a visible record of the people who chose to keep education accessible for generations they may never meet,” Petrzelka said. It’s a description that could just as easily apply to William Mowrer, whose 1927 scholarship is still opening doors a century later. The tools have changed since Kenney’s typewriter and Mowrer’s $500 gift. The promise hasn’t: no student here has to imagine their future alone.
FUN FACT SVC Foundation Breakfast 2025 | Skagit Valley College Archives 20
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At the 2026 Foundation Breakfast, the Skagit Valley College Foundation celebrated awarding more than $1.5 million in scholarships for the 2026-2027 academic year.
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THE ASSOCIATE OF ARTS DEGREE: A PURPOSEFUL PATHWAY TO EDUCATIONAL AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
of Arts degrees at all four-year colleges and universities in Washington state,” Knutson explained.
This means that when students receive a Direct Transfer Agreement degree, the courses they have taken at Anna Rose | Skagit Publishing SVC will be counted toward completion of a bachelor’s degree in the major any of the degrees offered affordable educational opportunities at Skagit Valley College are that are based in the communities that program of their choice. specialized to equip students most of our students are living in and There are meaningful partnerships with the skills and knowledge that focused on equipping students with between Skagit Valley College and they will need for careers in particuknowledge, skills, opportunities, and lar fields. Some students come to SVC connections that will support achieve- these four-year colleges and universities to make the transfer of credits and with educational and career goals that ment of their personal, educational, ongoing support of students as seamare undefined, not built into a special- and career goals.” less as possible, Knutson added. ized degree program, and/or include the need or desire to earn a bachelor’s An Associate of Arts degree is a twoIt is particularly valuable for Running degree. In these cases, the associate of year undergraduate program that arts degree offers opportunities to take requires about 60 credit hours of study. Start students, who complete their classes that will prepare students for It focuses on broad general education Associate of Arts while finishing their high school education. a wide array of professional roles and classes in the liberal arts, humanities transfer to four-year colleges and uni- and social sciences. “I attribute the high enrollment to the versities in Washington State. “Most of our students who pursue an meaningful pathway that it provides students for achieving various career “There are so many benefits to getAssociate of Arts degree receive a Diting an Associate of Arts degree and, in rect Transfer Agreement degree that is and educational goals,” Knutson said, particular, getting an Associate of Arts designed to ensure that the Associate as well as the “work that has been done from a college in the community where of Arts degree that students receive at to establish the partnerships between you live,” said Communication StudSkagit Valley College, or another com- SVC and four-year colleges and universities.” ies faculty member Brittany Knutson. munity and technical college in the “Community colleges provide more system, will transfer to most Bachelor
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PROGRAMS TO KNOW From bachelor’s degrees to specialized career training, Skagit Valley College offers pathways into fields ranging from technology and healthcare to environmental conservation, maritime trades and brewing. Here are just a few of the college’s offerings.
CAREER & SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS
BACHELOR’S DEGREES
dəxʷx̌ayəbus — Dental Therapy Developed by SVC in partnership with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, the program addresses oral-health workforce disparities, particularly among American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
Advanced Manufacturing & Design Gain the technical, problem-solving and leadership skills needed for careers across a broad range of manufacturing industries, from hands-on technical positions to management roles.
The program is based at both SVC’s Mount Vernon campus and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community’s Dental Clinic. Its Lushootseed name, dəxʷx̌ayəbus, translates to “A Place of Smiles.” Training emphasizes clinical excellence, cultural humility, public health, community awareness and holistic healthcare.
Computer Science The Bachelor of Science in Computer Science is a direct-entry, fouryear program preparing graduates for careers in computer science and other high-demand technical fields. Early Childhood Education
Nursing SVC’s nursing program prepares students for careers in nursing practice across a variety of settings, including hospitals, extended-care facilities, home health agencies, physicians’ offices, mental-health facilities and corrections.
A three-year, 98-credit program for students who have completed an associate degree and want to earn a Bachelor of Applied Science degree along with a P–3 teaching certificate.
Note: This nursing pathway is distinct from the RN-to-BSN bachelor’s degree listed as well.
Environmental Conservation Students take advantage of the region’s forests, shorelines and wilderness areas while gaining handson experience in natural-resource management. The program also includes access to an accredited waterquality laboratory. Healthcare Management
Park Ranger Law Enforcement Academy SVC’s academy specializes in parks law enforcement and is one of only six National Park Service-approved academies in the United States with an accredited curriculum also approved by other federal land-management agencies. Graduates have pursued positions with the National Park Service, Washington State Parks, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs and local park agencies.
This bachelor’s program develops people-first leadership, systems thinking, adaptability and technology skills for today’s healthcare workplaces. Online flexibility and community-based support help make the program accessible to working students. Management The Bachelor’s in Management focuses on people-first leadership, adaptability and technology. Online coursework combined with community-based support gives students flexibility while preparing them for leadership across a range of industries. Nursing — RN to BSN The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN) program helps registered nurses expand their careers through advanced study in evidence-based practice, population health and leadership. The program is designed for working nurses and students concurrently enrolled in an ADN-RN program.
Marine Maintenance Technology The program prepares students for marine-trade careers in two major areas: marine mechanics and marine electrical systems. Students can earn one-year certificates in either discipline or complete both areas through a two-year Associate of Applied Science degree. Hands-on lab training complements classroom instruction, with opportunities for industry credentials and specialized training. Cardinal Craft Brewing Academy This specialized program provides an introduction to the craft brewing business, combining brewing-science theory with hands-on experience in the brew lab, local brewery tours, industry professionals, and internship opportunities with regional breweries. Note: Students must be 21 or older.
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A CENTURY OF CHAMPIONS Anna Rose | Skagit Publishing
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t’s nothing short of a twist of fate when a college can celebrate its centennial and win two championships in the same year. “Winning NWAC Championships in both men’s basketball and men’s golf during the same academic year is one of the most significant accomplishment in the history of Skagit Valley College Athletics,” said Athletics Director Mitch Freeman. “These championships represent far more than wins on the scoreboard — they reflect the commitment of our student-athletes, coaches, faculty, staff and the entire college community.” For nearly a century, Cardinal Athletics has been one of the most visible and meaningful ways Skagit Valley College has connected with the community. Over the years, the department has fielded a wide variety of sports, including football, track and field, cross-country, men’s and women’s tennis, soccer, volleyball, basketball, baseball, softball and golf.
Volleyball | 2018 Skagit Valley College Archives 24
SKAGIT VALLEY COLLEGE CENTENNIAL 2026
Today, the department supports nine intercollegiate goskagit.com
programs across six sports, providing student-athletes with opportunities to compete at a high level while earning a quality education, Freeman said. But Cardinal Athletics has always been about more than wins. The program has forged lasting relationships with alumni, local businesses, youth organizations, families, volunteers and fans throughout Skagit County and beyond. “That tradition didn’t happen by accident,” Freeman said. “It was built by generations of leaders who believed athletics could change lives.” The standards of excellence have always been high. Since its beginning, Cardinal Athletics has earned 21 NWAC championship titles, including 12 in men’s soccer, four in women’s basketball, two in men’s basketball, two in men’s golf and one in volleyball. The program has also captured more than 35 North Region/North Division championships since the 1940s.
Tennis | 2019 Skagit Valley College Archives
Womens Golf NWAC Championship Winners | 2022 TJ Mullinax | Skagit Valley College Archives
Gary Knutzen was integral to that success. He served as athletics director for 54 years and helped shape Cardinal Athletics into one of the most respected programs in the NWAC. “His legacy continues to be felt every day,” Freeman said. Freeman also credits leaders such as Wally Sigmar, Richard Ford and Tom Keegan, who each played an important role in strengthening the athletics department and creating opportunities for thousands of studentgoskagit.com
Mens Soccer | 2025 Skagit Valley College Archives SKAGIT VALLEY COLLEGE CENTENNIAL 2026
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athletes to succeed both on the field and in the classroom. Student-athletes give back to their fans through service projects, youth camps and clinics, school visits and partnerships with organizations such as the Boys & Girls Club and Children of the Valley. Womens Basketball NWAC Send-Off | 2025 Skagit Valley College Archives
Cardinal Athletics also hosts promotional game nights
that bring families, alumni and community members together while celebrating veterans, educators, youth organizations and other community partners. “Championships are exciting, and we’re proud of every banner we’ve earned,” Freeman said. “But what I’m most proud of is seeing our student-athletes graduate, transfer to four-year institutions, enter the workforce, and become leaders who give back to their communities.” That, Freeman continued, is the true measure of suc-
Mens Golf NWAC Championship | 2022 TJ Mullinax | Skagit Valley College Archives
cess for the program. “If we continue changing lives, creating opportunities for students, and helping them achieve their goals, then we’re honoring the incredible legacy that has been built at Skagit Valley College over the past 100 years.”
FUN FACT Womens Soccer | 2025 Skagit Valley College Archives 26
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In 2022 SVC opened the Sue Krienen Early Learning and Childcare Center serving as a Head Start Facility. goskagit.com
Mens Basketball | Then Skagit Valley College Archives
Mens Basketball | Now Skagit Valley College Archives
Baseball | Then Skagit Valley College Archives
Baseball | Now Skagit Valley College Archives
Womens Basketball | Then Skagit Valley College Archives
Womens Basketball | Now Skagit Valley College Archives
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FROM COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO COMMUNITY IMPACT BRYSON FICO
Anna Rose | Skagit Publishing
“At the time, I was exploring several career paths,” Fico recalled. “I knew above all that I wanted to help people.”
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Bryson Fico at Mount Rainier | October 2023
fter growing up in Las Vegas, Bryson Fico found himself in an entirely new world — Lopez Island in San Juan County, to be exact — working on the south end near Aleck Bay after graduation, caring for four horses, hauling hay bales, cleaning stalls and the like. “I decided to move to Washington state without any local family or connections,” he said. During that time, he was enrolled online at the College of Southern Nevada to take advantage of in-state tuition granted to Nevada high school graduates. In 2019, he applied to what he considered to be one of the finest community colleges in Washington: Skagit Valley College. His goal was to complete prerequisite courses so he could transition straight into a bachelor’s program.
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Occupational therapy, law enforcement, and working as a National Park ranger were all viable options for him. So was business, with a focus on nonprofit management, as Fico has been an active community volunteer since he was 16. “Skagit Valley College made an impression right away with its modern facilities, high-caliber programs, distinct architecture, comfortable dormitory-style living, and active campus life,” Fico said. Groups like the Welding Club, Radio Club, and Manufacturing and Innovation Club “added a lot of vitalgoskagit.com
ity to campus.” “Walking into the central financial aid building for the Today, he brings that same compassion and underfirst time felt welcoming, and the instructors stood out standing to his career as a judicial assistant for the immediately for their deep passion and dedication to Okanogan County Superior Court. teaching,” Fico said. “Skagit Valley College provided a strong foundation Several courses had a lasting impact on Fico; Lifespan for exploring different potential paths for my career,” Psychology, Technical Writing, Intro to Mass Media, In- Fico said. “It taught me patience and self-motivation, terpersonal Communication, News Reporting and Pro- reminding me that personal growth doesn’t happen on duction, and American Government, specifically. a rigid schedule, but depends on how much determination you bring to the table.” “The professors taught me essential skills and perspectives that I rely on daily as a working professional,” Fico hopes that for the next 100 years, SVC continhe said. ues to foster its supportive environment, supporting students to use what they learn to make a meaningful He also built strong friendships. One such friend was impact in their communities. classmate and fellow club member Antonio Guerrero, who lived just two buildings away from Fico in the dorms while working on his AAS-T in Engineering Technology. That friendship remains strong today. Guerrero is an active volunteer with Fico’s current nonprofit initiative, Pages of Redemption, which donates paperback books to correctional facilities across Washington state. At the end of the day, Fico is most grateful for the practical life skills and perspective he gained during his time at SVC. “The faculty treated students with genuine empathy, recognizing that life brings unexpected obstacles,” he said. goskagit.com
Bryson Fico takes selfie with his parents at Wright Park | June 2025 SKAGIT VALLEY COLLEGE CENTENNIAL 2026
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LEGSON KAYIRA
His search led him to Skagit Valley College, which he had found in a directory of U.S. college.
Later, he transferred to the University of Washington, where he earned a degree in political science. He eventually won a scholarship to study history at Cambridge University in England.
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Legson Kayira | Skagit Valley College Archives
ong before Legson Kayira became an internationally known novelist, he was a young Malawian determined to find a better education. Born in the Karonga district of what was then Nyasaland, Kayira grew up in a Tumbuka community and received his early education at mission schools. Dreaming of better educational opportunities, he left Livingstonia in 1958 with little more than a Bible, a copy of “The Pilgrim’s Progress,” and a shirt that bore his motto: “I will try.” Kayira walked roughly 2,500 miles through Tanganyika and Uganda, eventually reaching Khartoum in 1960.
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His journey became the subject of “I Will Try,” published in 1965. The autobiography turned Kayira into a literary sensation, spending 16 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and reaching readers far beyond Africa. Kayira went on to write four novels: “The Looming Shadow,” “Jingala,” “The Civil Servant,” and “The Detainee.” While his early novels explored village life, tradition and the difficulties of modernization, “The Detainee” confronted the fear and repression of Malawi’s political system under Hastings Banda. Kayira himself experienced that political climate. Exiled from Malawi in 1967, he remained in England, where he built a long career in government service while continuing his literary work. He died in London on October 14, 2012, after a brain hemorrhage. goskagit.com
EUGENE ANDERSON
C eye.
armen Bruner was scrolling through Facebook one day when a post about the first graduating class of Skagit Valley College in 1928 caught her
She sent the photo to her sister and asked, “Is that Uncle Gene?” It was indeed. Uncle Gene — Eugene Anderson — was one of the nine inaugural graduates of SVC.
Eugene Anderson | Graduating Class of 1928 | Skagit Valley College Archives
Superintendent C.A. Nelson began a campaign to sell His father, Bruner’s grandfather, immigrated from Sweden in 1896. Originally settling in Pennsylvania, he the community on the idea of a junior college shortly heard of work in the La Conner area and relocated west. after. Anderson, born in 1907, was one of four children who In 1926, Mount Vernon Junior College opened at survived past the age of two. He and his brothers went Union High School. There were 26 students. on to attend Stanford University and graduated with The first graduating class of 1928 had five women and medical degrees. four men, including Anderson. Anderson moved to California, where he worked as a surgeon. He passed away in 1976.
FUN FACT
In 1920, construction was completed in Mount Vernon KSVR-FM, the student and community run radio station has on a building designed to accommodate up to 700 stu- been on the air since 1973 and now offers about 50% of its prodents, though only 500 were enrolled at first. gramming in Spanish. Listen at 91.7 FM or KSVR.org goskagit.com
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HERE’S TO THE NEXT 100 President Thomas Keegan speaking at centennial celebration | Skagit Valley College Archives
President reflects on a lifetime intertwined with SVC Anna Rose | Skagit Publishing
It’s full circle.
and role models who paved the way to a career in the field. Mike Witmer, for example, was a psychology inWhen Thomas Keegan attended Skagit Valley College, structor who sparked Keegan’s interest in psychology. he did not know what he wanted to major in or what he wanted to do as a career. But upon graduation, he knew Keegan was president of Peninsula College for 11 he’d found his path: And that was, ironically, working at years and racked up a total of43 years of experience in a community college. Washington state’s community and technical college system. Keegan is the current interim president of SVC. Prior to that, he served as president for 10 years, retiring in When he retired in 2022, he was on the tail end of 2022. navigating SVC through the pandemic. “I take the greatest joy from working on behalf of and “We were one of the early colleges in Washington that opening the door to higher education to incredibly di- had students exposed,” he recalled. verse communities of students who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to go to college,” he said. When he learned the certified nursing students at a senior care facility had been in contact with the disDuring his time as a Cardinal, Keegan had mentors ease, Keegan had to take swift action. 32
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“We were told on a Sunday night. I gathered the college leadership on Monday and shut down the campus.” Only three days later, SVC was up and running. “The spirit of the faculty and staff was incredible,” Keegan remembered. Some faculty already had established online or hybrid systems, but there were a number who had to completely adjust their curriculum. SVC set up Wi-Fi hotspots in the parking lot so students without home internet access could sit in their cars and work. “We negotiated it with safety first for everybody — for students, faculty, staff, community,” Keegan said, noting how he found not only the faculty, but the students, incredibly innovative and flexible. Despite those setbacks beyond anyone’s control, Keegan was able to achieve several of his goals during goskagit.com
Foundation Breakfast 2026 | Skagit Valley College Archives
his tenure and was pleased to see that the college kept flourishing when he returned as interim president three and a half years later. One such win is that SVC has officially reached Hispanic-Serving Institution status. “When I started initiating that effort, we were at 12% and got to 24% right when COVID hit,” Keegan said. Now, it’s at 25%. Some things changed, of course, even in such a short time. Community colleges are facing federal funding challenges and enrollment drops across the country. But the important things, Keegan said, have not changed. And he does not believe they ever will. SKAGIT VALLEY COLLEGE CENTENNIAL 2026
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“The commitment to equity and serving all of our communities in the three counties, that has not changed,” he said.
BIPOC LGBTQ+ End of the Year Social 2023 | Skagit Valley College Archives
Culinary Arts | Scandanavian Luncheon 2025 | Skagit Valley College Archives
“Working in an environment of respect and integrity, open and honest communication, collaborating with others and having compassion for our fellow human beings … It’s that environment and faculty staff who are committed to these two areas of joy: the joy of working in that environment, and who the college is committed to serving,” Keegan said. Meeting students where they are and providing them opportunities to succeed brings Keegan his own profound sense of fulfillment. He considers himself fortunate to work alongside colleagues who feel the same way. “Every student comes to the college in a different way, with a different background, different challenges, and
Music-Man 2024 | Skagit Valley College Archives 34
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different goals,” he said. “The support of the community, the love for the college within the community” gives Keegan great hope and confidence that the college will continue to thrive another 100 years. As SVC embarks on a new century, Keegan thinks it is critically important in these times that all communities engage in a thoughtful, respectful, compassionate civic life.
Powwow 2018 | Skagit Valley College Archives
“We can disagree on politics — we can disagree on anything — but the individuals thrive when the community thrives,” he said. “And I think, as we look forward, the college is a place to model that. Look to the college about how you individuals, small groups, large groups, our community can interact and work toward the common good.”
Back to School Blessing 2023 | Skagit Valley College Archives
Bhangra 2019 | Skagit Valley College Archives goskagit.com
Breaking Ground on Childcare Center 2021 | Skagit Valley College Archives SKAGIT VALLEY COLLEGE CENTENNIAL 2026
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