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E-Newsletter | April 2024

Director's Message
April is National Community College Month! This month we'll sharing with the region what you already know about Kalamazoo Valley - that we should be the first choice for many college-bound students because our college is so caring, inclusive and affordable. But that's not all! We are vital to our local and state economies. For more than 58 years, Kalamazoo Valley has been at the forefront of change and at the workforce and economic development table, collaborating with local, regional and state partners to create innovative educational programs that fuel the economy.

That means that the work you put into your education and training at Valley has helped make our community better. Your dedication, passion and willingness to work hard have had ripple effects throughout our region. Thank you!


Alisha Siebers
Associate Vice President for College Advancement
and Executive Director for the KVCC Foundation
asiebers@kvcc.edu
269.488.4821

Where are Kalamazoo Valley's Alumni?

Kalamazoo Valley alumni are well represented, residing in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Across the world, our alumni reside in 17 foreign countries. The top five states that Cougar alumni call home are, by number of resident alumni, Michigan, Florida, Indiana, Texas and Illinois. Internationally the top three countries with resident Kalamazoo Valley alumni are Canada, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia.

Keep us up to date on where you are. Update your contact information here.



 
You're Invited to the Kalamazoo Valley Community College Alumni 501 Event
April 16 | 5 p.m.
 
 
Hosted by the KVCC Foundation and Alumni Committee
Marilyn J. Schlack Culinary and Allied Health Building
418 E. Walnut Street, Kalamazoo
 
Featuring food and beverages created by
Kalamazoo Valley Culinary and Brewery Students.

Presentation of the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award to
Rose Mary Wood.

Reservations are not required.
Beverages will be available for purchase. Food is complementary.

Please join us!

Alumni Business Directory on Foundation Website
Want to showcase your business to other alumni?
Wait no longer! If you earned a degree or certificate at Valley and own your own business, you can complete an online form to be included in the Alumni Business Directory. The Directory will offer a direct link to your business and connect you with other alumni, students and community.  

Not a business owner? We encourage you to support the Kalamazoo Valley alumni or student-owned businesses in your community by tapping into their services and offerings. You will have the ability to browse all of the listings or search for a specific service. Business Directory
 


April is Community College Month

In celebration and acknowledgement of community colleges across the nation and their importance, here are some interesting facts:
  • The first community college to be established in the United States was Joliet, located in Illinois.  It was founded in 1901 by William Rainey Harper, president of the University of Chicago.
  • According to the American Association of Community Colleges, there are currently more than 1,000 community colleges in the U.S., with more than 90% of them being public institutions.
  • In 2019-20, community colleges awarded over 860,000 associate's degrees, almost 600,000 certificates, and more than 21,000 baccalaureate degrees.
  • The average annual tuition and fees at a community college are $3,800 compared to $10,740 for in-state students attending a public 4-year college.
  • About 6.2 million students are enrolled in community colleges: 2.2 million full-time, and 4 million on a part-time basis.
  • The economic payoff from earning an associate's degree is considerable. The median annual salary for a full-time worker with an associate's degree is about $8,000 more than the average pay for a full-time worker with only a high school diploma.

Kalamazoo Valley Week of Giving - April 8-12
Annually, in recognition of Community College month, the KVCC Foundation hosts a Week of Giving.  It is an opportunity to donate towards assisting students attain their goal of an education.

Last year, 51% of our students received some form of financial aid and although our tuition is one of the lowest in the state of Michigan, over 900 students received additional financial assistance through the KVCC Foundation amounting to over $530,000.  

As the need continues to grow for removing barriers to education, philanthropic support is critical for the success of our students and the institution.  If you would like to contribute please donate here.

 


Tour of the Food Innovation Center
ValleyHUB is a farm, food hub, and education center based at the Food Innovation Center at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. The Urban Farm at ValleyHUB showcases a range of sustainable agricultural practices. The five-acre site includes an indoor grow room, a heated greenhouse, outdoor raised beds, and two passive solar hoophouses. The Food Hub is a licensed food processing facility equipped to produce fresh-cut fruits and vegetables at a range of production scales. Join us on this *FREE* tour to explore our beautiful site, and learn about our programs and practices.
Sign up here
 

 

Register Now for Kalamazoo Valley Youth Summer Camps
Looking for some summer fun for your children? Explore Kalamazoo Valley's wide variety of youth summer camps. From athletics to hands-on learning, there's plenty at Kalamazoo Valley to keep kids busy all summer long! Click here to register and learn more.
 



April 11, 2024
Kai Harris | Craft talk at 10 a.m., Reading at 2:15 p.m.
Student Commons Theatre, Room 4240 at the Texas Township Campus

Harris is a writer and educator from Detroit, Michigan who uses her voice to uplift the Black community through realistic fiction centered on the Black experience. She is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Santa Clara University. Kai Harris

Harris's novel, "What the Fireflies Knew," a 2023 Michigan Notable Book, is the college's common read selection for Winter Semester 2024. After her father dies of an overdose and the debts incurred from his addiction cause the loss of the family home in Detroit, almost-11-year-old Kenyatta Bernice (KB) and her teenage sister, Nia, are sent by their overwhelmed mother to live with their estranged grandfather in Lansing.

New Interactive Exhibit Illuminates the Wonders of Skin
Explore the shape-shifting, color-changing and adaptable nature of skin and the technological innovations it inspires in the interactive, traveling exhibit "Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity," available from Feb. 10, 2024 through June 2, 2024 at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. The free exhibit aims to inspire wonder and curiosity about this uniquely complex organ, illustrate the incredibly adaptive properties of skin across all organisms, and spark dialogue and reflection about skin's role in shaping human culture and identity.
 
Staff Support
If we can be of any assistance to you please give us a call.

Alisha Siebers                    Annette Chapman                          Denise Thomas
Executive Director                Foundation Officer                           Alumni Association Coordinator
269.488.4821                       269.488.4442                                  269.488.4314
asiebers@kvcc.edu              achapman@kvcc.edu                     dthomas1@kvcc.edu







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Kalamazoo Valley Community College Foundation · 6767 West O Avennue · Kalamazoo, Michigan 49003 · USA