Fort Lewis College marked two important milestones within days of one another.
Last Saturday, on a crisp, sun-filled morning at Ray Dennison Memorial Field, 460 students received bachelor’s degrees alongside graduate students and certificate recipients beginning new chapters in their lives (Herald, May 4). Friday, the college announced that a scholarship initiative tied to President Heather Shotton’s investiture had raised more than $4.68 million – more than nine times the campaign’s original $500,000 goal.
Taken together, the events reflected a college community reaffirming its commitment to student success, access and excellence during a difficult period for higher education nationally.
The “Strengthening the Promise” campaign centered on scholarships and college access, priorities Shotton has emphasized throughout her first year as president. She also wanted her April investiture celebration to focus as much, if not more, on students and their experiences as on the presidency itself.
The fundraising campaign formally launched in February, but donor conversations had been underway since last summer after Shotton became the college’s 11th president on July 1.
More than 70 donors contributed over 90 gifts, ranging from $5 to a planned gift commitment of over $2 million. The effort reflected strong work from the college’s advancement staff, leadership from the FLC Foundation board and generosity from alumni, parents, faculty, staff, community members and donors who believe in FLC’s mission.
Another positive development this spring is the arrival of Lori Cook, the new vice president for advancement and FLC Foundation CEO. A first-generation college graduate from rural South Texas, Cook brings both personal commitment and significant fundraising experience from leadership roles at the University of Texas at El Paso, Utah State, Tulane and the University of Louisiana Lafayette. Cook has spoken about her commitment to educational access and opportunity, a perspective that aligns naturally with FLC’s mission.
The fundraising success also followed FLC’s loss of a $2.27 million Native American-Serving Non-Tribal Institution grant last year when the Trump administration’s Department of Education shifted funding away from NASNTIs and other minority-serving institutions (Herald, Oct. 8, 2025). The loss affected tutoring, peer mentoring and bridge programs supporting student retention and graduation.
Shotton publicly challenged the cuts, arguing the federal government has both a legal and moral obligation to support Native education. FLC serves Native students representing more than 128 Tribal Nations and Alaska Native villages.
At a time of growing political pressure from this administration on higher education and diversity-centered programs, FLC is fortunate to have a president willing to advocate forcefully for students and for a mission centered on inclusive learning, innovation and community engagement.
That same focus surfaced during commencement.
Associated Students of Fort Lewis College President Kathryn Paul delivered memorable remarks about kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold so that imperfections become part of its beauty.
Many students, she noted, arrived at college carrying grief, financial strain, family obligations or uncertainty about whether they belonged in higher education at all.
“Our education wasn’t about the final product,” Paul said. “It was about the struggle. The failing 100 times before succeeding, because that’s where meaning is found.”
Her comments offered a thoughtful response to a culture increasingly drawn toward shortcuts and artificial intelligence. Learning, she argued, comes through discipline, relationships and perseverance.
Scholarships support that process in practical ways. They help students remain enrolled, reduce financial pressures and participate more fully in campus and academic life.
Keynote speaker Sterlin Harjo, the Emmy-nominated Indigenous filmmaker behind “Reservation Dogs,” reinforced those themes. Harjo encouraged graduates to keep open minds, not fear failure and simply be good to people. He reminded students that they are descendants of survivors and urged them to improve whatever professions and communities they enter.
Those lessons extend well beyond one commencement ceremony.
They remind us that higher education at its best is about more than workforce preparation. It develops resilient, thoughtful people capable of growth, empathy and leadership.
For current and future FLC students, the nearly $4.7 million scholarship campaign represents more than financial support. It is a powerful statement that this community believes in their potential and is willing to invest in their success.
