Official SLCC Blog

  On April 3, Salt Lake Community College will open two new exhibitions at the South City Campus that platform voices, tell stories, and foster empathy for individuals experiencing incarceration or homelessness. According to curator James Walton, “these exhibits give our community a glimpse into the lives of people who are consistently overlooked, avoided, and undervalued.” Freedom of Expression: Artists Incarcerated The first exhibit is “Freedom of Expression: Artists Incarcerated.” This exhibit features three mural-sized paintings created by young, incarcerated artists in collaboration with local muralists. The paintings were produced in a series of 10 workshops led by local artists, in which youth experiencing incarceration expressed themselves creatively, learned artistic skills, and practiced collaboration to achieve a mutual goal. The project was organized by Walton and SLCC criminal justice professor Dr. Anthony Nocella. The workshops were led by these local muralists: Walto...

  Salt Lake Community College’s prestigious Distinguished Alumni Award honors SLCC graduates and former students for professional excellence and exemplary service to their communities in their chosen professional or academic fields. It’s the highest award the college bestows upon alumni. Traditionally, one female alumna and one male alumnus are selected as honorees each year.       Dawn R. Ramsey   AS Degree, General Studies, 2017   Mayor, City of South Jordan   Dawn Ramsey experienced SLCC at two very different points in her life. The first time, she was just a few years out of high school, and later, after raising six children, she returned to the College as a nontraditional student. “I chose to take a break from my education that unexpectedly lasted 20 years,” says Dawn. “I cannot imagine there ever was a nontraditional student as excited as I was to be back in school.”    As she began attending SLCC for a second time, Dawn recalls the de...

  Salt Lake Community College’s prestigious  Distinguished Alumni Award  honors SLCC graduates and former students for professional excellence and exemplary service to their communities in their chosen professional or academic fields. It’s the highest award the college bestows upon alumni. Traditionally, one female alumna and one male alumnus are selected as honorees each year.         Daniel Barney Stirland, M.Ed.     General Studies    Principal, Kearns High School          Danny Stirland has been a part of the Kearns High School’s community for 25 years, first as a student, then as a basketball coach, then as a history teacher, and now as the school’s principal. He has also worked for the Granite District as a School Leadership Director, where he supervised high school and junior high school principals.      “I’m just lucky and blessed to be here; there’s something special about being where you grew up,” says...

  Social Good Software founder and SLCC alumnus Rick Hernandez (left) with Jon Beutler, Director of the Mill Entrepreneurship Center at Salt Lake Community College.   Rick Hernandez, Founder and CEO of Social Good Software, recently won the highly competitive Morgan Stanley Inclusive & Sustainable Ventures Lab pitch competition, securing $250,000 in exchange for 5% equity—valuing his company at an impressive $5 million. This win not only provides funding to accelerate growth but also positions Morgan Stanley as an investor, significantly increasing the company’s future acquisition potential. Hernandez was one of over 7,000 applicants nationwide—including 250+ from Utah—competing for a place in Morgan Stanley’s six-week, in-house accelerator program in New York. Hernandez was one of two winners selected from Utah. The program offers entrepreneurs of technology-driven startups access to capital, mentorship, and an exclusive network of investors poised to scale high-gro...