Official SLCC Blog

  Nearly two dozen graduates from Salt Lake Community College’s (SLCC) Lineworker Pre-Apprentice Program put their skills to the test today in an exhilarating rodeo and skills competition at the Miller Campus in Sandy. The event drew a crowd of family, friends, and industry leaders, including local utility companies on the lookout for promising new talent.    In a major boost to the program, the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation presented a generous $15,000 gift, aimed at supporting tuition assistance and funding two new rescue manikins for vital hands-on training.    “We are thrilled to receive this generous gift from Rocky Mountain Power Foundation, which helps us train the next generation of lineworkers while ensuring the highest safety standards," said Rhett Bigelow, program manager of SLCC’s Energy, Utility & Licensing Programs. “Rescue training is essential in this field, and this donation allows us to continue offering life-saving instruction at an affo...

  U.S. diplomat shares why what he learned at SLCC matters now more than ever—intellectual humility, fighting certainty of thought, and leaning into curiosity.     Today, May 9, Salt Lake Community College proudly celebrated the achievements of more than 3000 graduates during its 2025 Commencement Ceremony at the Maverik Center in West Valley City.    SLCC’s Class of 2025 comprises 3,385 students, including 1,580 first-generation college students and 151 military veterans. Graduates range in age from 16 to 67, and the most earned degrees are from the General Studies and General Education programs followed by Nursing, Business, and Computer Science & Information Systems.    “To be a part of the energy and excitement of this day, surrounded by thousands who have just achieved a hard-earned milestone in their lives, fills me up with hope for our future and awe at the immense potential among this class of graduates,” said SLCC President Greg Peterson, ...

  On May 12, 28 students graduated from Salt Lake Community College’s (SLCC) Prison Education Program (PEP) at the Utah State Correctional Facility. Students earned Associate of Science degrees in Anthropology, Business, Criminal Justice, and General Studies, with one student completing a degree in Computer Science and Information Systems. Four graduates spoke to a small audience about how earning an associate’s degree has changed their lives. Melissa Richmond, who earned an associate’s degree in Criminal Justice, shared how earning an education became important to her after she had been stuck in a cycle of addiction and suffering, “mostly self-inflicted,” and was over 40 years old and in prison. “School became my life. It made me realize I have the ability to make great changes in the world.”   Richmond added, “Life is fragile. Things are broken, things are stolen, things get lost—friends, family, cars, phones homes. Everything can be taken from me, but not my education. I am...

Joy, gratitude, and an immense sense of accomplishment were the three main emotions present at SLCC’s commencement ceremony on May 9. The institution has been educating and preparing students for almost 77 years. Students wore those emotions on their graduation regalia to commemorate the end of a chapter. Here are just a few of the over 3,000 new SLCC graduates. David Schafler David, a Missouri native, decorated his cap with a St. Louis Blues hockey theme. For David, having a piece of home as he walks across the stage represents all the hurdles that have motivated him to get to this place. “The journey to obtain this degree was challenging. However, every struggle I faced only fueled my motivation to be here. We all have to start somewhere; for me, this is halfway.” Dylan Khauv Dylan always knew he was meant for greater things. As a former bartender, he decided to stop dreaming about his passion for working in the healthcare field and pursue it. “There were days that it got hard. I am ...

  For innovation, they say to strike when the iron’s hot. For Kyle Dreifus, founder and CEO of ShredHook, the time to strike was actually when the iron was cold, blanketed in snow, and at altitude. Dreifus was at the Mammoth Mountain ski resort in California with his father when the concept for ShredHook first came to him. The two were traversing between lifts, and, since Dreifus was on a snowboard and his father was on skis, Dreifus was struggling to keep up. “After getting off the lift, we had about 200 yards of downhill to traverse to another lift. And you know, we’re trying to kind of boogie up there to get the fresh tracks,” Dreifus explained. As a snowboarder, those scant 200 yards involved skating off to the side and strapping his back foot in – all for a 10-second traverse. But for his father, who was on skis? “He just kind of skied off the lift and rode that 200 yards of downhill immediately, and I was like, man, there’s got to be a better way that I can get over to that o...

Folio 's Fall 2023 issue, Renaissance , was awarded the rank of Superior by the NCTE's REALM program, marking the third time the publication has been recognized.  For SLCC's Literary and Art Scene,   Excellence is Becoming a Habit In what has become an almost annual event, Folio: SLCC’s Literary and Art Magazine , has won yet another distinction from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) via that organization’s REALM program. The Renaissance issue, published in fall of 2023, received the rank of Superior from REALM’s judging committee. REALM, or Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines, celebrates student-produced, faculty-supported publications, meaning that faculty can advise and guide, but can’t put their own hands on the publication itself. For Daniel Baird, associate professor of English and Folio ’s faculty advisor, learning that balance was the key to unlocking a national award that’s become almost automatic. When he initially assumed fu...