‘The doors are wide open’

Published 1:30 am Friday, May 15, 2026

Students walking in the Kenai Peninsula College commencement ceremony at Kachemak Bay Campus last Wednesday, May 6, received recognition for their accomplishments and heard exhortations from several speakers to be mindful of how they navigate their future after graduating.

In her welcome speech at the beginning of the ceremony, University of Alaska Anchorage Chancellor Cheryl Siemers spoke to the graduates about being open to dreams for the future that they didn’t even know they had, and how their community can invest in and help support those dreams.

“I almost, as I came in, picked up some of the little sticks that we’ll use for selfies later — the one that says ‘Dream Big.’ Sometimes we don’t even know what the dream is until someone taps up on the shoulder and says, ‘You might consider this,’” she said.

“I hope that’s been your story here at Kachemak Bay Campus … that people have tapped you on the shoulder and said, how about taking this class, or thinking about this next step or this next degree?

“That’s what small communities do, and that’s how small communities invest.”

Siemers encouraged the graduates to use their experience and knowledge to invest in their communities in return.

She recognized the typically non-traditional nature of the KBC student body, which historically has included high school students completing dual enrollment college courses, adults returning to school after a number of years and perhaps even a degree or two, and lifelong learners in addition to traditional students entering college fresh out of high school. She acknowledged the many and diverse roles they have had to navigate in addition to being a college student, noting that those roles were “vitally important” to how each student showed up on campus.

“What you bring into the educational environment is as important as what you get out of it,” she said. “Those roles that you inhabit are really important. With those roles, though, comes great responsibility.

“We’re celebrating you here today, and your achievement and your success. But in that, there’s a call to give back. Be encouraged … dream big and continue to give back. We wish you success, and we look forward to how you’ll contribute here in the state and in the world.”

Professor emerita and keynote speaker Beth Graber encouraged the graduates to celebrate this year’s commencement both as a major milestone in their lives and as the starting point for the new doors it would open in their lives.

“Every milestone carries with it this promise of both change and challenge — and here’s the kicker,” she said. “How you choose to face and navigate these pivotal moments will, in turn, steer the course of your life.”

Graber offered the graduating students three keys to navigating the inevitable changes and challenges she said they were sure to encounter in the future. First, she said, recognize the tremendous power of self-talk.

“I’m sure you’ve all heard the old adage, ‘Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right,” she said. “Your thoughts can empower you to do great things, but just as easily can drown your confidence and hold you back.

“You will be much more in control of your life and where it leads if you tune in to your self-talk and consciously change self-defeating thoughts into positive, self-affirming ones whenever you need to build up courage and confidence, rather than giving in to self-doubt.”

Key number two, she said, is to let go of fear.

“So many of our limitations, both mental and physical, are self-imposed, and fear is often the catalyst behind them all — fear of failure, fear of ridicule, fear of rejection, fear of the unknown, fear of imagined or unrealistic expectations,” she said.

Instead of avoiding what they feared, Graber encouraged the graduates to put their fears into perspective.

“Break down the thing that you fear into manageable steps. Ask for help or guidance. Think positive thoughts and then, just do it. When you face your fears head on, in time, confidence really does follow,” she said.

Key number three is to cultivate empathy and kindness.

“I recently read something that, in my mind, helped explain the source of a lot of friction going on in the world today, and probably for millennia: people were created to be loved, and things were created to be used. The source of a lot of chaos in the world today is that, too often, things are being loved and people are being used,” Graber said. “If you’re among the many who also believe that people were created to be loved rather than used, then human connection gives purpose and meaning to your life.”

But the hitch, she said, is that creating meaningful human connections requires being vulnerable.

“The truth is, almost all of us want the same things as human beings — we want to be loved and accepted, and to feel it’s enough to simply be our own authentic selves doing the best we can, which isn’t always easy,” she continued.

So how do we cultivate important, meaningful human connections? According to Graber, “we do it face to face, by being empathetic, by being kind, and being genuine.”

“It’s often said that whatever you put out into the world comes back to you — so yes, go after what you want in life. Face your fears head on. Think ‘I can,’ rather than ‘I can’t,’” she said. “But also remember, put down your phones when you’re in the company of other people. Be your most authentic self, nurture your relationships and genuinely care about other people.

“The doors are wide open. So be brave, be caring, and go do it. The world needs all that you are yet to do, and all that you are yet.”

Hannah Klima, who graduated last week with her Associate of Science degree from UAA, echoed similar thoughts to Graber in her valedictorian speech.

“There’s a quote that says, ‘Do one thing every day that scares you.’ Standing up here giving my speech is mine, so if my voice cracks a little, just know I’m taking my own advice,” she said.

Klima, who competed on the Homer High School cross country ski team, grew up downhill skiing and “basically lived on the slopes.” After her family moved to Alaska, she discovered that the nearest downhill ski slopes were four hours away and that locals cross country skied instead.

“In my junior year of high school, I decided to do something completely different. I got a pair of cross country skis and I joined the ski team. I was not good at it,” she said.

Klima continued illustrating her perseverance in the sport, from skiing through pitch-black trails with only a headlamp guiding her way to following her teammates’ fresh ski tracks when she couldn’t yet keep up herself.

“It wasn’t perfect technique that got me through these practices and races. It was making the decision to keep going,” she said. “I kept choosing to do something that scared me over and over again. This determination got me to state for Nordic skiing and our team won, and I got sixth in our division.

“The truth is, everything that has made you who you are so far has probably scared you at some point in your life. But these moments, they open you up to new opportunities.”

Klima echoed Graber’s points on the power of self-talk and on letting go of fear.

“Instead of asking yourself, what if I fail, ask yourself, what if this works? And what if, instead of avoiding something and regretting it years later, you take it on?” she said. “At the end of the day, it isn’t about how many shots you make. It’s about what you learn along the way — how to not give up when things get tough and don’t go your way.

“If you commit to doing one thing each day that scares you, you will keep on moving forward when it’s hard.”

In welcoming Klima to the stage, KBC campus director Brian Partridge highlighted her academic drive and future aspirations. Klima earned her Certified Nursing Assistant Certificate last week in addition to her associate degree, and will graduate from Homer High School on Monday. Partridge said during the commencement ceremony that Klima “has aspirations to pursue further degrees in nursing and eventually become a doctor who specializes as a pediatrician, (and) then plans to return to Homer to serve her hometown.”

The KBC Staff and Faculty Choice Award went to Erick Paulsrud, who graduated with his Associate of Arts degree. In presenting the award, KBC Associate Professor of English and Communications Lia Calhoun highlighted Paulsrud’s diligence, curiosity and care for the learning experience.

“Erick is interested, thoughtful, hardworking and thorough. His genuine desire to grow and to learn is contagious and has been an extraordinary asset to this learning community,” Calhoun said. “Erick embodies the spirit of KBC and the resilience of our community, a graduate who balanced work, life and study with perseverance and grit.”

The KBC Alaska Adult Education Student of the Year Award was presented by program coordinator Bridget Clark to Shyreen Ruiz, who graduated last week with her high school equivalency diploma. Clark said the award celebrates a “memorable student who embodies perseverance, determination and resilience as they navigate and overcome many challenges that life presents in pursuit of their aspirations.”

“Shyreen Ruiz … exemplifies these qualities (as) someone who has devoted countless hours of instruction this year to strengthening their foundational skills and who, in the face of setbacks, remained steadfast and unwavering on her educational journey,” she said.

Clark also said, during the presentation of high school equivalency diplomas, that a majority of the adult education program graduates this year went on to enroll in college classes.

Overall, 59 degrees were conferred on Wednesday, including 13 undergraduate degrees, three graduate degrees, eight high school equivalency diplomas and 35 certificates.

2026 Commencement — Kenai Peninsula College Kachemak Bay Campus

High School Equivalency Diplomas (KPC)

Javan Akee

Rocco Bertuccio

Emmy DeLumeau

Julian Kuzmin

Gabriel Ortega

Kurt Rowzee

Shyreen Ruiz

Marty White

Certified Nurse Aide Certificates (KPC)

Nessa Affleck

Payton Boze

Hannah Dunn

Hanna Embre

Ella Gustafson

Hannah Klima

Jamie Pennington

Anna Springer

Kaitlyn Vonbuelow

Occupational Endorsement Certificates

Phlebotomy (UAA)

Randon Birchette

Marine Mammal Biology (KPC Semester by the Bay)

Chloe Atkins

Erika Ayers

Jordan Best

Mallory Bradley

Heather Cormier

Lauren Fliearman

Logan Hytten

Cory Johnson

Lee Jones

Reagan King

Savannah Lyle

Claire Murphy

Emily Poteat

Conservation Ecology (KPC Semester by the Bay)

Gina Barbosa

Jordan Best

Olivia Coleman

Brookelyn Gotschall

Colby Griffin

Amelia Keesey

Arabella Levinsky

Noble Moody

Gabriela Pagan-Hernandez

Emma Price

Grace Ruebling

Molly Walters

Associate of Applied Science

Elsie Smith, cum laude — Surgical Technology (UAA)

Emily Sloth, cum laude — Medical Assisting (UAS)

Associate of Applied Science, Nursing (UAA)

Sarah Dailey

Mattie Eighmey

Jeannette Read

Lucas Robins

Aimee Valencia

Associate of Arts (KPC)

Erick Paulsrud

Associate of Science (UAA)

Hannah Klima, summa cum laude

Kaitlyn Vonbuelow, cum laude

Bachelor of Arts

Celeste Fairbanks, cum laude — Psychology (UAA)

Rita Campbell — Interdisciplinary Studies (UAA)

Bachelor of Science

Jacob Clark — Marine Biology (UAS)

Master of Business Administration (UAF)

Emily Ault — General Management

Ethan Anderson — Business Analytics

Master of Security and Disaster Management (UAF)

Casey Fetterhoff — Disaster Management