Friends of Olympic College Foundation,
A few weeks ago, I had the honor of attending OC’s commencement ceremonies. What a beautiful day of celebration! It was such a treat to meet and talk with so many graduates and their families. While conversing about her dad’s accomplishment, an excited daughter of one of the graduates labeled her father a “lifelong learner.” What high praise!
Olympic College is one step in someone’s educational journey. Sometimes it’s the last stop before starting a career as a filmmaker or a Licensed Practical Nurse. Sometimes it’s a midpoint step before going on to get a degree at another institution. And sometimes, OC is a part of a person’s life at many points along their journey of lifelong learning.
Just as there are many ways to learn, there are many ways to be a lifelong learner. Lifelong learners are those who read and those who stream and those who write and those who question and those who engage in discourse to better their understanding. They attend workshops, classes, art walks and studio tours. They read books and articles and watch documentaries and YouTube videos. We live in a time when knowledge is abundant, and we humans are endlessly creative and informative.
If you consider yourself to be a lifelong learner (and I hope we all do!) summer can be a great time to incorporate learning into the lengthened and sunnier days. By no means exhaustive, below is a short list of learning opportunities taking place this summer:
Take a continuing education class at Olympic College! From “Ceramics for Fun” to “The Publishing Roadmap” and everything in between, OC’s continuing education classes are a great place to learn something new or dig a little deeper.
Dive into Discovery with Kitsap Regional Library’s Summer Learning 2025. With incentives, tracking sheets, and cute graphics, Summer Learning is fun for kids and adults alike!
Minus tides in Kitsap County are just begging to be explored! Get your questions answered and learn about the underwater world alongside Kitsap Beach Naturalists at a Kitsap Beach Exploration event.
And for those who like to expand their understanding of the world through the art of film, make sure the West Sound Film Festival is on your calendar for August 1-3, 2025 in Downtown Bremerton.
Stay curious. Keep learning. And I will see you next month!
In gratitude for your partnership,
Kim
Executive Director
Olympic College Foundation
P.S. I am reaching out to our donors one-by-one, however, if you haven’t heard from us in a while and want to know the status of your endowed fund or scholarship, email me or call me at (360) 475-7120. I would love to connect!
Student Gratitude
Thank you so much for what you have provided me with. It is hard to put into words how receiving this feels. I feel a huge weight off my shoulders knowing that a huge amount of my first year of schooling is paid for. Although I just graduated from high school, I hope down the road I am back there, but instead of being the student, I want to be the teacher. I want to leave a positive impact on all of my students, and make sure every one of them knows they are cared about. The care you have showed to me by providing this is more than I could have ever asked for. Thank you!!
OCF Happenings
OC Foundation sponsored the OC Athletics Hall of Fame Golf Tournament on Friday, June 6! 
What a lovely day to mingle with golfers while talking about how much we all love OC. We met alumni, parents of students, community fans, and dedicated local professionals. A great day on the course!
Congratulations graduates! On Saturday, June 21, OC Foundation joined Olympic College in celebrating the accomplishment of over 1,000 OC graduates, 500 of whom walked across the stage during commencement. OC Foundation Board members handed out alumni pins to the graduates, and OC Foundation hosted the Commencement Reception. We wish the new graduates the best on the next leg of their journey! (And a many thanks to OC Foundation Board members Sharon, Sandra, Eric and Charles for volunteering at the event!)
Thus far, OC Foundation has awarded 212 scholarships totaling a preliminary $460,340 for students studying in the 25/26 academic year! This doesn’t include the mostly healthcare-focused scholarships offered in our fall scholarship cycle opening later this month. MANY THANKS to those who helped us review scholarship applications. We so appreciate your time and attention.
The fall scholarship cycle reviews take place between September and October of this year so stay tuned for volunteer opportunities to review scholarship applications!
Volunteer Spotlight
Olympic College Foundation’s June Volunteer Spotlight is Board Member Sandra Rocha Evanoff! Sandra is deeply committed to advancing access, achievement, and student success at Olympic College through her dedicated board service.
She brings a personal understanding of the transformative power of education, inspired by her own journey from Bahia, Brazil, where her mother dreamed of college for her daughters. Sandra is passionate about supporting opportunities that remove barriers for OC students, ensuring everyone in our community has a chance to thrive.
Beyond her work with OCF, Sandra is a tireless advocate for food justice and fighting food insecurity, both locally and globally. She has raised funds for hunger-relief efforts in Brazil, collaborated with local food banks and churches, and supported World Food Day activities. Sandra’s commitment to service and her belief in building healthier, more equitable communities also shine through in her small business, Brasil Comes to You, which celebrates Brazilian food culture while promoting fresh, sustainable, and diverse meals for all.
