AUDIO TRANSCRIPT:
During the summer of 2012, I worked at a zipline course in Maine. One of the other staff members and I became really good friends. He was a student at Fort Lewis College and invited me to ski in Colorado for the first time. Of course, I said yes. In January 2013, I visited for the first time and immediately fell in love with Durango.
I returned in May 2013 to make sure that FLC was the right fit for me. That trip spanned the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic weekend, so the energy was extra high. I explored campus a little more, wandered downtown, hung out by the river, and met more people who became fast friends. I returned home and began packing my things before moving to Durango in August 2013.
Immediately, I felt at home when I picked my keys up to my Residence Hall, Snyder C , which will always hold a special place in my heart! I still keep in touch with some of them to this day. I declared as an English/Communications major and jumped straight into my classes. I studied creative writing, video production, radio, media law, etc. I can honestly say I’ve used most of the knowledge I learned at FLC in my various career paths. I graduated Magna Cum Laude in April 2016.
Spring Commencement 2022 will likely be one of my fondest memories of working at FLC. I had not attended a graduation ceremony since I graduated in 2016. The morning of, I found myself becoming overwhelmed with emotions as I walked among our graduates in the Student Life Center and across the football field straightening chairs. I got goosebumps as our newest alumni threw their caps. This ceremony felt very different from the day I walked across the stage, so there was a bit of bittersweetness in the day too. I also felt so inspired by what our graduates had accomplished that I went home and immediately began researching Master’s programs. I look forward to being a part of many more ceremonies and I can’t wait to welcome our next class of Skyhawks into the alumni club.
My name is Elaine Severson and I am the event and conference coordinator at FLC.