By Jeff LaubeKRC assistant professor of process technology

KPC teams finished second and third in the 2016 National Troubleshooting Competition, April 22-23 at Lone Star College in Kingwood, Texas. The team from AES earned second place, while

the KRC team finished third. A UAF Community & Technical College team finished fourth, giving UA squads three of the top four places. South Central Louisiana Technical Col-lege finished first in the eight-team na-tional competition. Last month, 25 teams competed for

the right to go to nationals, which were sponsored by Process Troubleshooting Skills in Energy (PTSE). Three-person teams from AES and KRC advanced from that qualifying round. An AES team coached by Rick Ad-ams, AES assistant professor of process technology, took first place in 2012. A

UAF-CTC team coached by UAF’s Bob Hook, UAF assistant professor of process technology, took first place in 2013. There were no competitions in 2014 or 2015. Jeff Laube, KRC assistant professor of process technology, coached the KRC team, known as the Kenai Kings consisting of Andrew Davis, Brett Meyer and team captain Joshua Wolf.Adams once again coached the AES team, known as Team 907 comprised of Kadeen Sanford, Philip Valenta and team captain T.J. Krier.

The National Troubleshooting Competition represents a culmination of skills by advanced students in pro-cess technology programs from across the country that have won at the quali-fying round. “At the national troubleshooting competition there is a lot of talent,” Laube said after the event. “We are proud of the Alaska teams.” The event is supported in part by grant funding from the National Sci-ence Foundation/Advanced Technologi-cal Education to the Process Trouble-shooting Skills in Energy Consortium. For more information on the competi-tion, go to the PTSE web page at http://ptseonline.com/ or the PTSE Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Process-TroubleshootingSkillsinEnergy.

Kenai Peninsula College, University of Alaska Anchorage May 2016 Volume X, Issue 6

By Suzie KendrickKPC advancement programs manager

At certain points along the journey, graduating from college can seem like an elusive dream. Mile-stones come and go, credits accumulate, knowledge grows, and as semesters pass, the end goal starts to materialize: graduation and the long-awaited degree. Whether it’s a first step in a longer educational plan or the final ticket for a career path, commencement marks both an ending and a beginning: a hard-earned goal realized and a springboard to a new future. The 46th annual KRC commencement ceremony will be held at 7 p.m., May 5, at Kenai Central High School’s Renée C. Henderson Auditorium. The key-note speaker will be Dr. James E. Powell, UAS assis-tant professor of public administration. The 2015-16 KRC valedictorian for the Arts and Sciences Division will be Jonathon Bruxvoort and Dagmar Badger is the valedictorian for the Business and Industry Division For some students, the night will be even more special because of whom they’re sharing the experi-ence with. Susan Loreen Lee, graduating with an as-sociate of applied science in digital art, along with her daughter, Renetta Ilene Watson, earning her associate of arts degree, will be celebrating their achievements

together. “I am so excited that I get to walk with my best friend!” Lee said. “We do almost everything together—why not graduate? When it became clear that we would finish at the same time, we really began looking for-ward to graduating together. Right now Netta is in Juneau, and we are counting the days until May 5.” “Going to KPC at the same time as my mom has been fun,” said Wat-son. “We’ve gotten to take a couple of classes together, so we were able to study and do homework together, which is usually filled with laughing to the point of tears.” KBC will hold its 34th annual commencement at 7 p.m., May 4, in Homer High School’s Mariner Theater. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Elizabeth Graber, retiring as KBC professor of English after more than 32 years. The KBC student speaker will be Shannon Reid, who is graduating with an associate of arts degree. Each year, AES honors its graduates at a gradua-

tion luncheon. This year’s event took place April 22 at the Moose’s Tooth restaurant in Anchorage. Accord-ing to AES staff, most AES graduates will also partici-pate in the UAA ceremony to be held at 1 p.m. May 1, at the Alaska Airlines Center on campus.

KPC commencement ceremonies: the long awaited mountaintop

Photo provided by Clark Fair

KPC’s Kenai River Campus class of 2015 are all smiles as they line up to en-ter the Kenai Central High School Renée C. Henderson Auditorium to receive their hard-earned certificates or degrees.Photo provided by KPC advancement

KPC teams garner silver and bronze at national troubleshooting competition

KRC team members (l to r Brett Meyer, An-drew Davis and Josh Wolf (captain) with Jeff Laube, KRC assistant professor of pro-cess technology.Photo provided by KPC advancement

AES team members Kadeen Sanford, TJ Kri-er (captain) and Philip Valenta.Photo provided by Rick Adams, AES assistant professor of process technology

KBC mover and shaker, Mary Epperson, dies and leaves behind a legacy Mary Epperson, a primary force in making KBC what it is today, died April 11 in Homer. She was 93. Epperson had served on the KBC Advisory Board since 1985, including a long-term period as its chairperson. She fostered the role and growth of higher education and life-long learn-ing opportunities on the southern Kenai Penin-sula for more than 30 years. She received the Governor’s Award for the Arts in 1988. Homer named her its Citizen of the Year in 2004. She had lived in Homer since 1954. Epperson also served as clerk/treasurer for the City of Homer for 18 years, was a founder and president of the board of directors of both the Homer Council on the Arts and the Kenai Peninsula Orchestra in the early 1980s, and was one of the primary founders of the Homer Community Foundation in 1991. Epperson was awarded a UA Meritori-ous Award in 2011, and last month the en-dowed KPC Mary Epperson Student Support and Scholarship fund was established after a two-year fundraising campaign resulting in an outpouring of donations from individuals and businesses on the southern Kenai Peninsula

and others around the state. Anyone wishing to donate to the Mary Epperson fund should contact Carol Swartz at ciswartz@kpc.alaska.edu or Suzie Kendrick at wskendrick@kpc.alaska.edu. For a tribute to Epperson, go to this link on the Homer Tribune website: http://homertribune.com/2016/04/miss-mary-remembered-for-profound-impact-on-community/

Numerous summer conferences set for KRC residence hall Residence Life has continued discussions with several groups seeking to schedule confer-ences at KRC this summer and stay in the resi-dence hall facility. So far, the eight conferences that have been confirmed are: EPSCoR, 28 people, May 2-4; EXCEL, six people, June 11-July 9; Alaska Christian Col-lege work crew, 30 individuals, June 11-18; Girl Scouts, exact number yet to be determined, July 18-22; Take Wing, 56 students plus sup-port staff, July 22-25; Kodiak Rural Leadership Forum, 20 people, July 26-30; Brown Univer-sity Environmental Leadership Lab (BELL), 35 people, Aug. 1-10; Wounded Heroes, 30 in-dividuals, Aug. 5-6. Two other conferences are being negoti-ated and may eventually be added to this list.

FAFSA accessible 3 months earlier in 2016 The 2017-18 FAFSA will be available to all applicants on Oct. 1, three months earlier than in previous years, and will use Prior-Prior

Year (PPY) tax information. The Department of Education has labeled this change as the “Early FAFSA.” The Early FAFSA can positively affect KPC students three ways: (1) Students should know their award amounts sooner. (2) Stu-dents and their families will have more time to resolve financial aid processing issues—a huge plus for Native/rural students. (3) KPC FAFSA Completion Nights for the public will move to the fall. Most families will be able to import their tax information directly from the IRS on those nights rather than estimating. The open letter from the National Associa-tion of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) concerning the Early FAFSA can be found at https://www.nasfaa.org/uploads/documents/PPY_Open_Letter.pdf

Lower GED passing scores allows more students to earn diplomas GED Testing Services has announced new lower cutoff passing scores. This change is ret-roactive going back to tests taken beginning January 2014. A score of 145 is now passing, which replaces the previous pass score of 150. As a result of this change in passing scores, the GED program at KRC has seen 17 GED graduates since August 2015; in addition, 16 others who tested at KRC between January 2014 and June 2015 have also now earned their diploma.

Page 2 KPC Connection May 2016

The KPC Connection is pro-duced by Kenai Peninsula Col-lege students, faculty and staff, and is intended to serve as an internal communication tool as well as a means to inform Pen-insula residents about what is happening at the college. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the of-ficial opinions or policy of KPC, the University of Alaska Anchorage or University of Alaska, nor of KPC employees or students. If our readers be-lieve there has been an error in a story, they should contact Gary Turner at 262-0315. We will make every effort to pub-lish corrections as necessary in the next edition.

The KPC Connection edito-rial team consists of:

-Gary J. Turner, KPC director

-Suzie Kendrick, KPC advance-ment programs manager

-Clark Fair, KPC Connection coordinator

Questions about the KPC Con-nection or how to submit ar-ticles for this newspaper can be directed to Suzie Kendrick at wskendrick@kpc.alaska.edu or by calling 262-0320.

Produced in cooperation with the Peninsula Clarion, Kenai, Alaska.

www.peninsulaclarion.com

Campus Abbreviations KPC Kenai Peninsula College KRC Kenai River Campus KBC Kachemak bay Campus RBES Resurrection Bay

Extension Site AES Anchorage Extension Site UAA University of Alaska

Anchorage

see BRIEFS, page 4

By Gary J. TurnerKPC director

It has been quite a semester, or maybe it would be accurate to say it has been one heck of a legislative session that could go on and on and on. At the time of this writing, the legislature was in its 99th day. The legislature tackled and continues to tackle bills that have a direct impact on the Uni-versity of Alaska: the budget, and guns and knives on cam-pus. The budget is in conference com-mittee and there is a high end cut ($50.8 million as proposed by the House) and a low end cut ($25.8 million as proposed by the Senate). The committee could wind up anywhere within this range, but no matter where it winds up it is going to be ex-tremely painful to the university and KPC.The $25.8 million cut would

result in a projected $879, 501 budget gap for KPC. The $50.8 million cut would result in a budget gap of about $1.681 mil-lion. The KPC Executive Com-mittee and supervisors have planned for how we would deal with these reductions via lay-offs, reductions in hours worked in a pay period, and reductions in pay periods worked in a year. When making these decisions, supervisors and the Executive Team looked at the mission of the departments, employee skill sets and how restructuring de-partment personnel would im-pact the service provided to stu-dents, faculty and staff. Based on the low cut, affected personnel were notified of reductions the week of April 25. If we get the high cut, there will be more re-ductions. The university and KPC will look different because of these drastic cuts, but we will con-

tinue to be strong and serve our state to the best of our ability. Our faculty and staff are com-mitted to our mission and their strength and hard work will be key to our future success. The guns and knives on cam-pus bill (SB 174) is still stuck in the House Finance committee and rumors have it that it will die there as legislators grapple with the budget and revenue bills. I hope the rumors are right. If the bill does die, you can be assured a new bill will be submitted for the next legislative session. During one of the commit-tee meetings a few weeks ago, a legislator was asked why the bill did not address guns in the capi-tol. The response was that this bill was about UA and that it’s quite possible that a bill would be introduced next session deal-ing with guns in the capitol. If some legislators feel so strongly that they must intro-duce a new bill, I have a better

idea. The next bill should in-clude both the capitol and UA. That way the legislators have some skin in the game and when their staff and some legislators balk, they’ll understand UA’s position and maybe they will lis-ten to reason when an unhappy constituent with a Glock could be roaming the halls if the bill passes.

Money and guns: Drastic budget reductions and maybe concealed guns on campus

Gary J. TurnerKPC directorPhoto by KPC advancement

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By Clark FairKPC Connection coordinator

Natasha Trethewey, who from 2012-14 served two terms as the 19th Poet Laureate of the United States, will be the keynote presenter when aspiring writers gather at KBC’s 15th annual Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference in Homer this summer. Sponsored by KBC, the conference runs June 10-14, mainly at Land’s End Resort. Besides the opening key-note dinner and four luncheons, the nationally recog-nized conference features daily workshops, panel pre-sentations, readings and craft talks. Joining Trethewey at the conference will be 16 other award-winning, nationally recognized authors, editors and agents who will focus on creative fiction, nonfiction, poetry and the business of writing. Eight of the presenting writers hail from Alaska: Rich Chiappone, Nancy Lord and Peggy Shumaker (for-mer Alaska State Writers Laureate), Lee Goodman, Erin Coughlin Hollowell, David Stevenson, Sherry Simpson, and Frank Soos (current Alaska State Writer Laureate). Other presenters include editor Jane Rosenman, agent Miriam Altshuler, and writers Dan Beachy-Quick, Jennine Capo Crucet, Forrest Gander, Alison Haw-thorne Deming, Richard Hoffman and Sarah Leavitt. Optional activities include manuscript reviews,

editor-agent consultations, receptions, a boat cruise and open “mic.” Evening readings June 11-13 by visit-ing writers will be free to the general public. A special post-conference writing workshop will be held across Kachemak Bay at Tutka Bay Lodge for conference regis-trants, and a June 10 Young Writers Workshop (for stu-dents entering grades 10-12) will feature graphic novels and comics. “Whether you are voracious reader of literature, appreciate the richness, diversity and perspectives of the written word, are an emerging writer, teacher, stu-dent or essayist or poet, this conference will inspire you,” said conference founder and KBC Director Carol Swartz. Early registration for the conference is open until 5 p.m., May 2. The early registration fee is $375, and a re-duced rate of $325 is available for UA admitted degree-seeking students. After the early registration deadline, the price rises to $400 until June 9. On the first day of the conference, if space is available, the price is $450. Lower- and upper-division academic credit is avail-able through UAA. Those interested should complete a registration form and pay the tuition fee at the confer-ence by June 13. To register, view a detailed full schedule of events, or learn about fees for optional events, go to the confer-ence website at http://writersconf.kpc.alaska.edu/.

By Suzie KendrickKPC advancement programs manager

Due to popular demand from students and the general public, there will be an expanded selection of evening class-es in the fall. Having the option of working toward a degree or certificate after work will assist students with family obligations and off-campus jobs. Fall semester registration is available now, and classes begin on August 29. These are some of the fall classes that will offer an evening section: AKNS A101C (Elementary Dena’ina Lan-guage I), ART A160 (Art Appreciation), BA A151 (Busi-ness Foundations), BA A231 (Fundamentals of Supervi-sion), COMM A111 (Fundamentals of Communication), ENGL A111 (Introduction to Composition), ENGL A212 (Technical Writing), MATH A105 (Intermediate Alge-bra), PETR A101 (Industrial Hand Tools), PETR A240 (Industrial Process Instrumentation), PHIL A313 (East-ern Philosophy & Religion), PRPE A108 (Introduction to College Writing), PRT A101 (Introduction to Process Technology), PSY A262 (Research Methods in Psychol-ogy), SPAN A101 (Elementary Spanish I) and SPAN A102 (Elementary Spanish II). With the recent downturn in the oil and gas industry, faculty at both KRC and AES are encouraging laid-off em-ployees to take advantage of the temporary slowdown.

“I am telling people to use the time to verify their skills and update their knowledge base through KPC’s process tech, instrumentation and welding courses,” said Henry Haney, KRC associate professor of process technology.

“Now is the time to prepare. We have a one-year certificate in petroleum technology that is an overview of material that would be useful to those who want to increase their employability. This certificate also puts students on track to obtain the two-year process technology associate of ap-plied science degree which is recognized and highly valued by the process industry.” KPC students working toward bachelor degrees must complete upper-division courses (300-400 level) to com-plete their degree requirements. To support these stu-dents, KPC will offer these upper-division courses this fall: ANTH A325 (Cook Inlet Anthropology), ART A311 and ART 411 (Intermediate and Advanced Sculpture), ART A323 (Color Photography), ART A367 (History of Photography), BIOL A481 (Marine Biology), CHEM A321 (Organic Chemistry I), EDEL A395 and EDEL A495 (Elementary Education Practicum I and 2), HIST A341 (History of Alaska), HIST A355 (Major Themes in U.S History), PHIL A313 (Eastern Philosophy), PSY A366 (Perception), PSY A372 (Community Psychology), PSY A375 (Social Psychology). More information can be found by using KPC’s search-able online schedule at: http://www.kpc.alaska.edu/aca-demics/schedule/.

KPC Connection May 2016 Page 3

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Acclaimed poet is keynote speaker at Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference

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2016 Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference keynote speaker Natasha Trethewey.Photo provided Matt Valentine

By KPC Connection staff

Three women with ties to KBC were among those honored at the 2016 South Peninsula Haven House Women of Distinc-tion awards ceremony earlier this month. Those recognized were KBC adjunct Car-men Field as Woman of Distinction, KBC Learning Resource Center coordinator Car-oline Venuti as Woman of Wisdom, KBC JumpStart student Lilli Johnson as Young Woman of Distinction, and South Peninsu-la Hospital forensic nurse Chris Fontaine as Hero of the Heart. Each year, Haven House honors Homer women who contribute to the community and encourage leadership in women. “Biologist, naturalist and educator Car-men Field, who helped found Nature Rocks in 2008, might be the only Woman of Dis-tinction who counts as one of her achieve-ments getting kids muddy,” said the Homer News in announcing the awards. Nature Rocks is a local organization that seeks to get children outside in nature. Through her work as an educator with the Kachemak

Bay Research Reserve, Field, 52, has taught hundreds of children and adults to learn about the outdoors. Born and raised in Kodiak, Caroline Venuti, 69, received her bachelor of arts in education from UAF in 1972. Before teaching third grade at Paul Banks Elemen-tary School in Homer, she taught in Hope, Sterling, Nikiski and Quebec. She switched with the third-graders to West Homer El-ementary in 1992 and retired from there in 2006. But she didn’t quit teaching. At KBC, she taught in the Youth Training Program, and she is now coordinator of the Learning Re-source Center. Lilli Johnson, 17, works as a peer educator at Kache-mak Bay Family Planning Clinic’s R.E.C. Room, vol-unteers at Haven House, and has

worked on the Lead On program for the last three years. In addition to her work in the community, Johnson is graduating from Homer High School in May, a year early. Johnson moved to Alaska from Los Angeles with her family, spending a year in Palmer before arriving in Homer at age seven. Over the years, Johnson has grown to be a leader in the community, especially among her peers. In addition to being a JumpStart student, Johnson is the daughter of Nancy Johnson, KBC’s student advisor.

Page 4 KPC Connection May 2016

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Haven House honors three with KBC connections as ‘Women of Distinction’

By Sara HadfieldKRC ESL instructor

More than a dozen local children and their parents gathered April 22 in the chil-dren’s area of the Soldotna Public Library to hear Jeanneth Quinche-Bernal read sto-ries in Spanish. It was the library’s first bilingual story time (thanks to a KRC stu-dent), an event the library staff hopes to of-fer again in the future. Quinche-Bernal read two stories in Spanish and taught a Spanish children’s song. She alternated reading the well-known Los Tres Cerditos in Spanish with library staff member Linda McMilin, who read the same tale (The Three Little Pigs) in English. Children from toddlers to ele-mentary school kids, including some Span-ish speakers, eagerly engaged with familiar themes in the Spanish stories and songs. Quinche-Bernal, a native of Colombia, has resided locally since arriving in the United States nearly two years ago. She began English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at KRC in fall 2014. Soon after, she took Preparatory English 108 and complet-ed her Certified Nurse’s Aide license. She has continued attending ESL classes over

the last two years and will take Introduction to Compo-sition English 111 this sum-mer. With a background in business administration in Colombia, her goal is to com-plete a business degree at UAA. When invited to volun-teer at the children’s story time at the Soldotna Library, Quinche-Bernal jumped at the chance. She feels it is important to give kids op-portunities to explore differ-ent languages. “They learn so quickly—the sounds, the pronunciation—it’s part of their education,” she said. Besides her desire to invest in children and share her language, she also wanted the opportunity for face-to-face communication with people in the commu-nity. “I’m learning, too,” she said. Quinche-Bernal feels her ESL classes were valuable preparation for getting out and interacting with the public. “In my Conversation class I had the opportunity

to practice [English]. In my reading class I read the newspaper and learned vocabulary and language skills to get involved in the community,” she said. Quinche-Bernal felt her first experi-ence volunteering at the bilingual story time at the Soldotna Library was wonder-ful, and she looks forward to the next time, probably later this summer.

KRC student uses language skills to pay it forward to her community

Jeanneth Quinche-Bernal reads Los Tres Cerditos (The Three Little Pigs) to children at the Soldotna Public Library.Photo provided by Sara Hadfield

diploma. The GED will now have tiered pass rates: a GED passing score of 145-164; a score of 165-174 certifies readiness for college-level work without remediation; a score above 175, earned by about one in 10 test takers, may make students eli-gible for up to 10 hours of college credit through ACE’s Credit Recommendation Service.

Former KRC Learning Center office manager tabbed for ABE award Thelma Musgrove, recently retired KRC Learning Center office manager, has been chosen as the runner-up for the Outstanding Administrator of the Year award by the Commission on Adult Basic Education. Musgrove, who served in her posi-tion for 20 years and retired Oct. 16, was nominated for the award by Terri Cow-art and Bev Edwards, ABE instructors in the KRC Learning Center. COABE is a national organization comprised of 13,000 members that pro-vides “leadership, communication, pro-fessional development and advocacy for adult education and literacy practitio-ners in order to advance quality services for all adult learners.” The commission engages in these activities by spotlight-ing excellence in the field.

Camp Kick Ash provides Aniak stu-dents with firefighting training Earlier this month, KPC offered high school students from hundreds of miles away the chance to bring their dreams of becoming emergency trauma technicians and firefighters one step closer to reality. KRC hosted students from Aniak’s Kuspuk School District April 3-8 to participate in Camp Kick Ash, which offered students a preparatory training program. After an initial ETT session in Aniak March 22- April 2, students trav-eled to Kenai for the Fire Fighter Ap-prentice portion of the program. Students spent the first day of class with a tour of the Nikiski Fire Station #1, receiving short informational lec-tures and hands-on participation in both personal protective equipment drills and self-contained breathing apparatus drills. The next three days were held at the Nikiski Fire Station #2, where students learned about water supply: hydrants and portable tanks, hoses and nozzles/fire streams, ladder carries and tying tools for hoisting. Students also witnessed a rope rescue demonstration and participated in live exterior fire drills and a complete vehicle extrication.Student accommodations and meals were provided through the Log Cabin Inn in Kenai.

...BRIEFSContinued from page 2

KPC Connection May 2016 Page 5

Word on Campus:“Why is music important to you?”Compiled by KPC advancement department

Robert Lopez, AES, associate of applied science process technology“There are many reasons that music is important to me. Music is international – it is global. Music creates an emotion that brings people together. Music has a power as strong as gravity.”

Pedro Ochoa, KBC, bachelor of arts justice“Music to me is important because it helps me concentrate before I run a race.”

Phillip Hemphill, AES, associate of applied science process technology“Music isn’t all that important to me, but I do enjoy listening to it on the radio.”

Hannah Soplanda, KBC, associate of arts“Music is a universal language and has an amazing power to bring people together.”

Myles Burton, KRC, associate of applied science process technology“Music keeps me focused. Different genres help me stay focused depending on what I’m doing. For example, I like to listen to something upbeat when I work out, like hip hop or trap* music, and I tend to listen to jazz or R&B when I’m doing my home-work. Music is very important to me.”

Jaclyn Hall, KBC, associate of arts“It reminds me that other people share my same emotions and helps me express them in a healthy way.”

Janet Umstead, KRC, associate of arts and associate of applied science general business“Music is very important. We hear music from the very beginning of our existence, in the beat of our mother’s heart. It sets the pace or can change our mood just with a beat and a rhythm. We can listen while we read or do our chores, it intensifies a good movie, and we celebrate victories and commemorate defeats. It ties us together. Learning to play an instrument teaches us a different language and makes math and complex tasks easier. I love music.”

Sadie Sprenger, KRC, associate of arts“Music is important to me because it helps me express my emotions and release pent-up emotion that I have that day.”

1 - 8 0 0 - Q U I T - N OW

New KRC 3-D/sculpture studio revealed to the public at open houseBy Suzie KendrickKPC advancement programs manager

Since Cam Choy, associate professor of art, arrived at KRC in 2013 he has worked tirelessly to establish a state-of-the-art studio classroom where he could effectively teach his preferred medium, the art of sculpture. His dream became reality as the public, faculty, staff and students were invited to an open house on April 22 where new art instruction capabilities were demonstrated. When the Ward Building’s antiquated KRC mechanical technology lab was being retired, Choy worked closely with facilities planners to transform the space. Several modifications were required to ensure proper ventilation, adequate work stations, and areas for welding metal, working with wood, plaster and clay for the production and firing of ceramics, and to create a gas-fired foundry for metal casting and molding. The new space is a major expansion of the Anna Leah Fosset-Goodrich 3-D Art Studio, formerly located in a maintenance bay that held pottery wheels and a kiln. “Sculpture and ceramics have been offered here in the past with limited resources and space,” Choy said. “The new space will allow for both studio areas to be offered with appropriate facilities. “The vision for this type of studio began in 2003 with a generous donation from the Damon Foundation to develop a facility for three-dimensional arts.” The studio is a fully functioning, 3,200-square-foot, open-air work space with several specialty areas dedicated to specific media, such as woodworking, welding and fabrication, molding, foundry work, ceramics and plasterwork. “Our new facility would be the envy of any other 3-D art program,” Choy said. “We have the equipment, space, and support to allow students to explore their creative visions. Along with new equipment, we have a fantastic facilities crew providing a high level of technical support for the studio. As the space becomes established, I believe the work created in it will make an important impact on the local and regional art scene.” Choy said he is also excited about KPC’s partnership with Central Peninsula Hospital. “I have been commissioned to create an outdoor sculpture garden to be viewed from patient suites. The project will be constructed in our facility during the summer of 2016,” said Choy. “This project will lead the way for student service learning projects in the semesters to follow. The new studio will serve as a platform for community outreach and engagement which will enhance student learning and enrich the community at large.” For more information about the studio and KRC three-dimensional arts courses, email Choy at cchoy2@kpc.alaska.edu

*Editor’s Note: From Wikipedia; “Trap music is a music genre that originated in the early 1990s in the Southern United States. It is typified by its aggressive lyrical content and sound, where the instrumentals are propelled by 808 kick drums or heavy extend-ed sub-bass lines, double-time, triple-time and other faster time division hi-hats, layered synthesizers, and ‘cinematic’ strings.”

Brandi Kerley, KRC developmental advisor and graduate student in the UAA masters of art in art program, is enrolled in Professor Choy’s advanced sculpture class. Kerley is pictured with her body of work titled, “Artefact,” a series of pieces featuring fish that will be exhibited in a solo show at the Kenai Fine Arts Center in August 2016. Photo provided by Rachel Bon

Page 6 KPC Connection May 2016

Mollie MurrayKRC writing lab tutor

KRC introduces new staff

Welcome!"#

1. What are your duties?As a tutor in the KRC Writing Lab, I help students with writing assign-ments at any stage in the writing process. In addition to my time spent tutoring, I promote the writing lab’s services. Come see us! Really, we can help!

2. What was your last position? Where?I’m a writer. I’ve worked lots of dif-ferent jobs to support my writing habit, including running a hotdog stand and cooking for construction workers in the Arctic. Most recently, I worked as a dog handler, reception-ist, and freelance journalist in Hom-er. During the tail end of those posi-tions, I taught PRPE 108 at KBC.

3. Where did you go to school?I received my Master of Fine Arts degree from UAF in 2012. While pursuing my degree, I taught English courses at UAF and worked as a tu-tor in the UAF Writing Center.

4. What brought you to Alaska?I moved to Alaska in the fall of 2008 and spent the winter working with sled dogs in Willow. I’m proud to have limited myself to a mere three dogs in the years since. (It’s been a struggle.) I stayed in the state to go to graduate school in Fairbanks, and now Alaska is home.

5. What are your long-term goals at KPC?I’d like to work with others in the community to expand the KRC Writ-ing Lab’s services. Right now we’re mostly serving KPC students, which is a fantastic start. I’d like to see us offer community workshops and get student tutors involved in this out-reach. I believe that writing has the potential to promote not only effec-tive communication, but also com-munity wellness.

Added savings, just for youAs a student at Kenai Peninsula College, you may be eligible for a discount on your monthly AT&T bill.To find out if you qualify, go to http://www.att.com/getIRU, enter your student email address and see how much you can save!© AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T and the AT&T logo are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property.

1. What are your duties?I share the low-down on numbers and everything else that is important in life. More seriously, I help KPC students better understand math-ematics.

2. What do you like most about be-ing a tutor?I enjoy getting to learn more about math as a job. Teaching and explain-ing math concepts helps me better understand them, which I value. Mathematics helps people think more logically, critically and simply better. Getting to become a better thinker and to help others do the same is what I like most about tutor-ing students in math. Also, I get to spend time with Huey Winston, my 30-year-old role model.

3. What is the most challenging part of the position?Logarithms seem to be a more dif-ficult concept for me to explain and for students to grasp. Also, as a first-year math tutor I am consistently explaining things for the first time, which can make the struggle get real at times.

4. What would you tell someone who was becoming a student tu-tor?Embrace the process. Going back and re-learning concepts and figur-ing out the best way to explain them can be difficult and frustrating at times, but it only contributes to both your own and the students’ under-standing.

5. What are your academic goals at KPC?I would like to receive a bachelor of science degree in psychology while earning a math minor along the way. My goal is to perform well enough here at KPC to get into a graduate program.

1. What are your duties?My duties are to be available to stu-dents when they need help and to seek out students who might need help in the future.

2. What do you like most about be-ing a tutor?I most enjoy having general conver-sations about the subject matter and being able to say things in different ways.

3. What is the most challenging part of the position?The most challenging part of this position is having the solutions stu-dents need when and where they need them. That is, the delivery.

4. What would you tell someone who was becoming a student tu-tor?I would tell someone who was be-coming a tutor, “Congratulations! You must have been a seriously at-tentive student and know a lot about this stuff.”

5. What are your academic goals at KPC?My academic goals at KPC are to fin-ish this semester to achieve an in-dustrial process instrumentation de-gree and to take courses that might apply to my career.

Courtney McGeeKRC student mathematics tutor

1. What are your duties?I greet those who come into the math lab and ask if they need help. Then I answer any questions and give any help I can.

2. What do you like most about be-ing a tutor?I love to see a student have a moment of clarity - especially with something they had been struggling with. It’s so nice to hear them say, “Hey, I get it now!”

3. What is the most challenging part of the position?The most difficult thing is when I don’t understand enough to be any help. Like with trigonometry. I haven’t taken the class, so I’m not much help if that’s what a student is asking about. I also have to be on top of things. It’s easy to forget something I’ve learned even just a year ago. Then to have to explain it to someone, I may almost have to re-learn the topic. It’s humbling to have to say, “Wait, I don’t remember this. I need a few minutes to refresh my memory.”

4. What would you tell someone who was becoming a student tu-tor?It’s rewarding, and it’s worth it. It will help you excel at whatever you decide to tutor. After all, you learn best when you teach. Just don’t slack off on your subject.

5. What are your academic goals at KPC?Currently I’m halfway through a dual associate degree in instrumen-tation and process tech. My ultimate goal is to teach college-level math, so I have to go on to at least a master’s. I have to transfer to a different col-lege for that, though. But I love it here! I wish I didn’t have to leave!

Eric GordonKRC student mathematics tutor

Eric BrownKRC student process instrumentation tutor

KPC Connection May 2016 Page 7

A RamboResident assistant of Glacier Commons

1. What is your favorite part about being an R.A.?The connections I make with not only my fellow staff but students as well. I love that I’m able to help others at any moment. I’m good at connecting with the quiet residents, so that is pretty rewarding. My staff is like my family, too, and that’s really good to have when you’re away at school.

2. Why did you become an R.A.?I became a resident assistant so that I could help anyone and everyone, and it’s a positive use of my free time. An R.A. has to have the ability to drop ev-erything when someone needs help, and that’s some-thing that I think I can do. I am a good shoulder to cry on when someone just needs to vent the stresses of life.

3. What is the most surprising thing about being an R.A.?It’s hard work. There is almost always something happening that requires my attention, but it’s ex-tremely fulfilling. Sometimes it feels like I’m always running non-stop, but its fun.

4. What is your favorite thing about living in the hall?There is never a dull moment around here. There’s always some sort of activity happening.

5. What kinds of activities have you hosted/par-ticipated in at the hall?I’ve hosted movie nights and gingerbread house con-struction, and attended game nights, card games, and cereal night (we played games and ate cereal in our pajamas for a stress-free activity)! I also go on the grocery trips sometimes.

6. How has living on campus helped with your life goals?It’s allowed me to go to school in Alaska and be out on my own. Without the resident hall I couldn’t be in school in Alaska and pursuing my life goals.

R.A. Skylar K. TaylorResident assistant for Wolfpack, the Process Technology Community

1. What is your favorite part about being an R.A.?My community draws a high volume of students for KPC. So I get to see people from all over the state and country. I enjoy being their R.A. to support them and help them transition to college life.

2. Why did you become an R.A.?I thought it would be a great learning opportunity. With all of the training that we go through before each school year, we gain a lot of skills.

3. What is the most surprising thing about being an R.A.?The ever-changing environment is surprising. Also, I have worked for a lot of superiors, but my bosses, Tammie and Leslie, work like a well-oiled machine; they have given me lots of support and helped my tran-sitions be less stressful.

4. What is your favorite thing about living in the hall?For me it is the interaction among the residents. You can always find someone to study with or play a game of pool. The ability to walk across the street to get help from instructors is amazing. I spend a lot of time over there and don’t have to worry about driving home late in bad weather.

5. What kinds of activities have you hosted/partici-pated in at the hall?I have hosted Capture the Flag, magic games, cooking classes, team building, wallyball, and a fitness clinic. I participate in the other R.A.s’ programs. I cooked the turkey this past Thanksgiving. I have led hikes, a trip to Alyeska and weekly grocery trips. I co-hosted the Welcome Back event this past fall.

6. How has living on campus helped with your life goals?It has helped me transition from the Marine Corps to school - which was scarier than being shot in com-bat! The ability to find convenient assistance when I struggle has helped me get good grades. It is helping me finish school and get good jobs for my wife and me. It has boosted my confidence in myself

Sean McBrideResident assistant of Kustitan Commons

1. What is your favorite part about being an R.A.?Being a resource for residents. I’m very good at prob-lem solving, and being an R.A. comes with all sorts of unique challenges. Some of the most recent things I’ve done are: designing an entire race of aliens for a resident’s tabletop role-playing game, and helping another resident get a job.

2. Why did you become an R.A.?For the adventure. I used to work across the street for the maintenance department, and it was really cool seeing the campus growing with two new buildings. Then when it came time for R.A. applications, I had several KPC staff encouraging me to apply. So I went through the application process and now here I am.

3. What is the most surprising thing about being an R.A.?The amount of time that R.A.’s invest in the residents. Programs and events are the biggest things we do. The beginning of the year is a lot of guesswork, but as we get to know our residents we can do events that they want to do. For example: Last year a lot of residents liked the idea of hiking. So we filled our big van full and went together up the Skyline Trail. It was a blast, and we got a lot of beautiful photographs..

4. What is your favorite thing about living in the hall?There is always something going on. On nights when I can’t sleep, I’ll take a walk around the hall and will usually find someone watching a movie, playing a game, or doing homework. I’m almost never bored.

5. What kinds of activities have you hosted/par-ticipated in at the hall?My favorite program has been Nerf wars. We’ll get 10- 20 people together with various Nerf toys, split into teams, and go at it like we’re all eight years old again. Probably everyone’s favorite program is the First Friday potluck. The variety and combinations of food is absolutely astounding! Agutuk (“Eskimo ice cream”) and bacon-fried cabbage go really well together.

6. How has living on campus helped with your life goals?Meeting people who want to do similar things as me after graduation has been a big help. I’m a very intro-verted individual and don’t get out much, but living in a building with like-minded individuals has been very beneficial. Whether it’s plotting world domina-tion or discussing graduate schools, there’s always someone to talk to.

Q&A

Kenai Peninsula

College System

Kenai River Campus (KRC)156 College Road

Soldotna, Alaska 99669(907) 262-0300

toll free (1-877) 262-0330www.kpc.alaska.edu

Kachemak Bay Campus (KBC)533 E. Pioneer Ave.

Homer, Alaska 99603(907) 235-7743

www.homer.alaska.edu

Resurrection Bay Extension Site (RBES)

P.O. Box 1049Seward, Alaska 99664

(907) 224-2285www.kpc.alaska.edu

photo by Carol Griswold

Anchorage Extension Site (AES)University Center

3901 Old Seward Hwy #117B Anchorage, Alaska 99503

(907) 786-6421www.kpc.alaska.edu

Page 8 KPC Connection May 2016

Kenai Peninsula

College System

Kenai River Campus (KRC)156 College Road

Soldotna, Alaska 99669(907) 262-0300

toll free (1-877) 262-0330www.kpc.alaska.edu

Kachemak Bay Campus (KBC)533 E. Pioneer Ave.

Homer, Alaska 99603(907) 235-7743

www.homer.alaska.edu

Resurrection Bay Extension Site (RBES)

P.O. Box 1049Seward, Alaska 99664

(907) 224-2285www.kpc.alaska.edu

photo by Carol Griswold

Anchorage Extension Site (AES)University Center

3901 Old Seward Hwy #117B Anchorage, Alaska 99503

(907) 786-6421www.kpc.alaska.edu

Photo by Yvonne Leutwyler

THANK YOU, ADJUNCTS!KPC’s adjunct faculty make a world of difference. We couldn’t do it without you.

Thank you for all you do!

Find your place at KPC! Located in Soldotna, Homer, Seward, Anchorage & online.

1 (877) 262-0330www.kpc.alaska.edu

The University of Alaska is an AA/EEO employer and educational institution.