When I was a senior in high school, I only had one priority in mind: get out of the small town in New Mexico that I was from. I had lived in a small town my entire life, a place where everyone in town knows your family, where you can’t go to the store or a movie without seeing at least one person you know, and where nearly everyone knows your business.

Completing an undergraduate education in four years can be a challenge. But the rewards can be many -- personal accomplishment, financial savings, and moving on to the next stage of your career-building.

The joyous moment has finally arrived: my last semester of college…gasp! The disbelief is mixed with the overwhelming excitement of what is to come May 3rd, which is graduation, on into the rest of my life. Being an extremely traditional student, having been in school constantly since pre-Kindergarten, the thought of school not being my first priority is a strange idea to digest.

We were only two weeks away from spring break and I was already getting ready to be home for a week in my hometown of Glenwood Springs. Every year since I had arrived at Fort Lewis, the tradition was for me to return home for all of the breaks; I really treasured that time with my family since I was now living away from them for eight months.

Fort Lewis College is only the second college in Colorado to sign the Real Food Challenge (RFC) Commitment. To commemorate this milestone, the College is hosting the Real Food Chow Down on March 18th in the Student Union’s San Juan Dining area. 

I came to college simply expecting a degree, a simple diploma in hand. Now almost half way through my time here, I can already affirm I’ve gained so much more. I’ve walked a knotty road of stretching myself far too thin and had to bounce back from a fluctuating ebb and flow of people and places buzzing around me in a busy chatter.

Assistant Professor of Biology Heidi Steltzer is the first recipient of the Sulzman Award for Excellence in Education and Mentoring from the American Geophysical Union. The award acknowledges both creativity in research and leadership in forging the next generation of scientists.

In hockey-crazy Durango, having a new game in town is always welcome. And Durango has zealously welcomed the squad from Fort Lewis College as it brought collegiate hockey to the town's home ice.

Fort Lewis is enjoying a thirteenth day of sunny skies and balmy January temperatures between 45 and 50 degrees. It is early Monday morning, the beginning of the third week of the semester. Each day is starting to blur into the next as a comfortable routine has developed.

On Sunday, February 9, Fort Lewis College will host College Goal Sunday. The aim is to connect students interested in college and their families with financial aid professionals. The event offers guidance on ways to pay for college, specifically how to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is a crucial step in the college planning process.