Another announcement to make is that Leza Madsen will be retiring from the University. Leza has been with Mat-Su College since 1976 and has overseen the growth of our library from a tiny 900 sq. ft. space housed in what is now the cafeteria with a staff of one, to what we have today. The Okeson Library is a beautiful, full-service, electronic library with over 18,000 sq.ft. of space on two floors and employs a staff of seven. Leza has accepted a position as a librarian at Western Washington University in Bellingham. We wish you the best of luck Leza, you will surely be missed at Mat-Su!

A retirement reception for Dr. Betty Boyd-Beu was held on April 22 in the College Atrium. After retiring from a 28 year career of teaching adults at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Dr. Boyd left Alaska and moved to Florida where she earned a master’s and a doctorate degree. Betty returned to Alaska in 1989 and began teaching at MSC.

Because of their strong commitment to helping students become successful in pursuing higher education, Betty and her husband Edwin Beu have established a scholarship fund to help adult learners who are returning to school. Students attending Mat-Su College will be eligible for a $2,500 scholarship. Details on the critera for eligibility are currently being worked out.

A plaque recognizing their contribution to Mat-Su College has been place in the Fred & Sara Machetanz building. Engraved names of future scholarship recipients will be added to the plaque. We sincerely wish to thank Betty and Edwin Beu for their generous contribution to the students of Mat-Su College.

Connie Fuess will be joining the MSC staff on June 17. Connie was selected by the search committee for the new academic counselor position in the Academic Advising Office. No stranger to UAA, Connie comes to us from the Anchorage campus where she has worked as an advisor in the Native Student Services department, so she should be able to hit the deck running, so to speak. We are looking forward to Connie’s arrival and hope everyone will make her feel welcome.

On Thursday, June 6, there will be a potluck at noon in the cafeteria. Bring a favorite dish to share and we’ll also have some steaks leftover from the graduates dinner to grill. This potluck is for all staff, faculty and students who are on campus that day.

The Colony Days Parade will be on Saturday, June 8, at 11:00 a.m. downtown Palmer. We will be participating and can use volunteers to help pass out candy and schedules. This parade is always lots of fun. We hope you’ll join us. We will begin lining up around 10:30 a.m., somewhere along the road behind the train depot. Rumor has it that Paul Dauphinais will be joining us!

Summer session I is well underway and enrollments are looking real good with a total headcount of 274. That is 57% over last year’s closing and marks the highest headcount we have seen since 1997 when we had a credit headcount of 281.

John Rogers, Associate Professor of TECT, will be attending Cisco Instructor Level IV training in Seward next month, and Finn Rye, from the CTS department, will be going for his Cisco Level I and II instructor training.

Connie Cannon is currently in Reno, Nevada attending the WASFAA conference. She was the recipient of a scholarship to attend this conference on student financial aid.