The Kuspuk School District’s EXCEL Alaska program recently facilitated “mini-bridging” camps that brought 20 students to Kenai Peninsula College’s Kenai River Campus for five days and another group of 20 for ten days. Students attending the camps come from the western Alaska villages of Stony River, Chuathbaluk, Crooked Creek, Kalskag, Aniak, Emmonak, Marshall, Pilot Station, Alakanuk and Sheldon Point. According to the EXCEL Alaska website, its mission is to provide high school students the necessary transitional skills and career exploration opportunities to help them be successful in their lives.

The students and their advisors/chaperones were housed at the KRC Residence Hall. One day during each of the camp sessions was spent participating in KRC’s Taste of College program. Because of the camp’s activity schedule and the size of the groups, Tammie Willis, associate director of Residence Life, solicited volunteers from the current residents in the hall to help with the program. The volunteers served as KPC ambassadors for the visiting students and they were matched based on the students’ interests. The visiting students attended classes with their ambassador for the day and met with faculty, financial aid representatives and Student Services staff between classes.

Most of the high school students were freshmen and sophomores and by all accounts their time on campus made a huge, positive impression. A few of the students said they weren’t ready to go home and that they will be back in the future.

According to Willis, the Res Hall is seeing the results from previous programs. “We currently have five students living with us that came as part of Taste of College events; two from Seward, two from Ninilchik and one from Seldovia,” said Willis.

Winter diversion: Learn to fly fish

Dave Atcheson, well-known local fishing expert and author of “Fishing Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula: A Complete Angler’s Guide,” will be offering his beginning fly fishing courses at both the Kenai River and Kachemak Bay campuses this spring. The late-starting classes begin at KRC on March 18, meeting from 7:15-9:15 p.m. in Brockel room 159 (through April 22) and at KBC on March 20, meeting from 5:30-8 p.m. in Pioneer room 212 (through April 24).

The one credit course introduces the basics of fly fishing, including selection of equipment, types of line, flies, and techniques geared toward local lakes and streams.

For more information, call 262-0330 (central Peninsula) or 235-7743 (south Peninsula) or email Atcheson at daatcheson@kpc.alaska.edu.

KRC professor speaking at historical society

Jane Haigh, KRC assistant professor of history, will be speaking to the Kenai Historical Society at 2 p.m. on Feb. 8, at the Kenai Convention and Visitors Center. She will be giving a special talk on how she did the research for her book, “Searching for Fannie Quigley,” and sharing some of her research materials.

For more information, Professor Haigh can be reached at 262-0375 or email jhaigh@kpc.alaska.edu.

Ambulance simulator rounds out paramedic program

Paul Perry, KRC paramedic coordinator, worked with the company Simulator-Solutions to install a fully functional, modern ambulance simulator in the KRC paramedic lab. The unit will, according to Perry, “make it possible to offer a whole new level of EMT and paramedic training to the Kenai Peninsula.”

Perry recognized KRC’s facilities and maintenance, IT and advancement departments for assisting with the project. The simulator is the only one in Alaska and one of the few in the United States.

This column is provided by Suzie Kendrick, Advancement Programs Manager at Kenai Peninsula College.