Letter from the President

DIXIE TECHNICAL COLLEGE MESSAGE

Late spring ushers in a season of many things, including graduations. This year, Dixie Technical College celebrated the largest graduating class in its history. 625 graduates were recognized and celebrated by their families and friends, and many of these graduates crossed the stage at Tuacahn to formally receive their certificates and acknowledge this milestone. They are moving from their college education into a wide variety of careers. I’m thrilled for them and proud to assure you that each one will make our communities better.

This year, I personally joined the graduating class under circumstances that couldn’t be more different. While we all looked forward with great anticipation, the students left the stage ready to launch their careers, and I left the stage bidding a grateful farewell to mine. After a rich and rewarding thirty-year career in technical education—with ten of those years serving faculty, staff, and students as president of Dixie Technical College—I’ve graduated as well by retiring and moving into another adventure.

Sitting down to write one last President’s Message for St. George Health & Wellness Magazine, my thoughts turn to students whose lives are forever changed for the good because of a year or so that we spent together at Dixie Tech.

Jerico Donovan, Lindsey Smith, Ricardo Damian, Kasidi Havens, Ryan Martin, Denise McConnell, and thousands more will stay with me for the rest of my life. All are amazing people who developed talents and skills to make their own lives better and to enable everyone in our communities to enjoy the good life to which we’ve all become so accustomed.

Students come to a tech college because they know what they want to do. It’s a purposeful decision. They understand and respect time and money. They are ready to get out there and prove themselves. A technical college education enables students to engage deeply in a course of study that will yield a rich and rewarding career for them. They turn to the Discovery Channel, the History Channel, or YouTube to learn other things when they are interested and the time is right. A tech college education, which on average takes less than a year, earns them an industry recognized, accredited certificate, often accompanied by an industry certification or license. They go into the workforce with no college debt and start earning right away. They engage their minds and their hands in a career field that they are passionate about.

When graduates couple education with passion, they find joy in their chosen life’s work. They become contributing members of society who serve their communities. I have been richly blessed to have spent my career with tech students and tech graduates. I love and respect them. They are nothing short of amazing, each and every one!

Please join me in celebrating the Dixie Technical College graduating class of 2022! There are twenty-six ways to appreciate this year’s class. If your AC goes out this summer, if you need a plumber, if you have plans drawn up for a new home or business, if your check engine light comes on, or if you go to a medical appointment, start up a conversation with your technician. Chances are, you’ll come to appreciate a Dixie Tech graduate as much as I always have.

Kelle StephensPresident of Dixie Technical College