SVC Faculty-Mike Beemer, President Susan Macek, Kyle Von Stroberg
We took our meeting “on the road” May 22 for dinner, a program and a tour at Skagit Valley College’s Marine Technology Center, a school for boat mechanics, construction and repair. Mike Beemer, the college’s marine technology chair and instructor at the center, talked about the program, which graduates 28 students a year, ready for high-demand jobs in the marine field. The school was founded in 1968, and the new facility was built in Anacortes in 2010. High school and college classes are held there, and students can earn a one-year certificate or a two-year associate degree. They also offer adult classes on weekends and special one-week classes during the summer. We also heard an inspiring talk by Kyle Von Stroberg, an ex-inmate and graduate of the technology center. He said the school changed his life so much that he raised funds for and started a Second Chance Scholarship fund for ex-inmates that is managed through the college foundation.