A legacy of success at FVCC

On Friday, May 15, Flathead Valley Community College will proudly celebrate the Class of 2026 at our 58th commencement ceremony. This is a moment to honor the determination, resilience and accomplishments of our graduates. 

For 27 years, I have had the privilege of watching students walk across the stage and into the next chapter of their lives. Twenty-five of those years I have served as president of this remarkable institution. 

As I prepare for my own next chapter, I find myself reflecting on what has always made FVCC extraordinary. Not the buildings or the programs, but the people. The faculty, staff, community and especially our students. Each graduating class has reinforced my belief that education changes lives and that our community is committed to making that possible. 

The Class of 2026 is no exception. These graduates come from many different backgrounds and have taken many different paths, but they share a commitment to learning and growth that will serve them well. 

JiaJia Farr began taking classes at FVCC at age 16 through the Running Start program and will graduate with her associate of arts degree, having earned more than 30 college credits while still in high school.

A violinist since age 5, JiaJia created a community service initiative called “Play It Forward,” performing at hospitals and assisted living facilities because she believes music is one of the most powerful ways to bring people together. On campus she is a member of the Honors Program and serves as a Communications Senator in Student Government. 

She credits FVCC’s small class sizes and engaged faculty with making her feel at home. After earning her degree, she plans to serve a mission before transferring to a four-year university. 

Kaden Froese grew up around tractors and heavy equipment and knew early on that hands-on work was his calling. He is graduating with his heavy equipment operator certificate from FVCC’s Trades Institute, already running a dump truck and ready to pursue a career in trucking. Scholarships have supported his tuition and housing on campus, making it possible to focus fully on his training. This fall he returns to FVCC to complete the welding program, adding another valuable skill to his toolbox. For Kaden, community college has been exactly the right fit: purposeful, hands-on and built for where he wants to go. 

Heather Maestas is proof that it is never too late to find your purpose. She came to FVCC as an adult and has earned her associate of arts degree. She plans on a career in nonprofit management where she can help others find their footing. Heather immersed herself in campus life from living in Founders Hall to becoming the Student Government president. 

One of her many accomplishments is the grant she received through the Montana Campus Network for Civic Engagement. Heather used it to organize a hunger awareness event for FVCC students and faculty, partnering with the Montana Food Bank Network to create an interactive experience around food insecurity locally and globally. It is a preview of exactly the work she hopes to do. She credits her TRIO advisor Leslie Greene and a strong network of mentors with helping her find her path. Her goal is simple: to give back to the kind of community that changed her life. 

When Olivia Krause’s husband was diagnosed with cancer in 2020, she made a decision that would shape the rest of her life. Watching his journey through more than 600 medical appointments she saw firsthand what nurses meant to patients and families on their hardest days. She wanted to be that presence for someone else. 

Olivia enrolled in FVCC’s nursing program while her husband was still fighting. He passed away in September 2022. She kept going. As a former educator and now a single mother, she navigated grief, financial change and the demands of a rigorous program, supported by scholarships that made it possible to focus fully on her studies. Now she walks across the stage with her nursing degree and plans to pursue her bachelor’s degree through Western Governors University. 

In this community, she has heard the same thing: FVCC produces outstanding nurses. She is proud to be counted among them. 

As we celebrate the achievements of this year’s graduates, I also express my deep appreciation for the FVCC Board of Trustees, faculty, staff and families whose unwavering support has made a meaningful difference in every student’s journey. I am grateful to our community for championing FVCC, opening doors and creating opportunities for our students year after year. It has been the honor of my life to serve this college and this community. I am immensely proud of the graduates I have celebrated over these 27 years. 

Congratulations, Class of 2026. Go make your mark on the world. 

Jane A. Karas is president of Flathead Valley Community College.