The Opportunity Can’t Wait campaign will leverage $42.1M in public dollars and $15M in private philanthropy to create a world-class skills center, ensure scholarships are fully accessible, and improve our athletic facilities—elevating opportunity for our students and our region. Funds will be raised over three years, 2023 through 2025.
Philanthropic investments of $15M from our community will accomplish the following:
LEADING CHANGE: $4.0M
Red Devil athletics is a point of pride for the College and has long enjoyed strong community support. LCC’s athletic programs bring top talent to our community, including many of the College’s most well-known alumni. Even through economic downturns, athletics remains a stable part of the College’s enrollment and revenue.
"Between our coaching staff, culture of achievement, and supportive college environment, we have found a winning formula in helping student-athletes succeed in the classroom and on the field.”
- Kirc Roland, LCC Athletic Director
Lower Columbia College boasts the premier junior college men’s baseball program in
the Northwest. Our historic Story Field at the heart of our campus is beloved by the
thousands of athletes and visitors who use it every year. Now 60 years old, we must
address limitations by improving grandstands,
lighting, and the entrance.
Additionally, the College shares many outdoor athletic facilities with area clubs
and schools, and as a result these facilities are heavily used and long overdue for
upgrades and maintenance. Now is the time to invest in facilities for LCC women’s
soccer team and women’s softball team, in partnership with the community, to provide
year-round, accessible fields and amenities that will allow them to reach their potential.
- The LCC women’s soccer team shares use of Northlake Field with Longview School District. High use and wet weather result in a field that fails to meet the Red Devils’ and community’s needs. The College will work with the school district to invest in improvements, such as synthetic turf, lighting, and covered benches for the players.
- Our women’s softball team shares a field with multiple clubs for both its practices and games, resulting in scheduling stress and unpredictable field conditions. We seek to work with the City of Kelso to improve the shared softball field. Furthermore, investing in an on-campus softball batting cage will provide the team greater flexibility for practice.
"I am forever grateful for the community at Lower Columbia for believing in me when nobody did.”
- Kyla Pires
Meet Kyla Pires, an alum from small-town southern Oregon. With only 12 players on her high school
soccer team and few opportunities to succeed, Kyla thought her soccer career was over.
That is until she
received an email from the coach at Lower Columbia College, offering her a scholarship
to play soccer at the next level. LCC gave Kyla an opportunity that no one else would,
and with their support, she played three successful seasons as goalkeeper, including
a conference championship and third place in the NWAC. Today, Kyla is on an 80% scholarship
at Midland University in Nebraska, and she credits it all to the support she found
at LCC.
Northlake Field
Softball Field
Story Field
Funding Partners for the Softball fields
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Lower Columbia College
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Lower Columbia College Foundation
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City of Kelso
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Kelso Girls Softball Association
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Kelso Recreational Council
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Rose Foundation
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Cheney Foundation
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Cowlitz County
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Kelso Rotary
DRIVING INNOVATION: $5.0M
LCC will create a new 46,000 square foot facility to replace three vocational and science buildings, designed and constructed more than 60 years ago. The new building will:
- Bring together the College’s welding, machining, and manufacturing programs
- Provide modernized facilities for information technology and computer science programs
- House preparation for apprenticeship and transitional programs
By design, students coming to campus for GED and adult basic education programs will learn adjacent to our trade programs, exposing them to career pathways that could be the next step in their educational journeys.
LCC is working with the Washington State legislature to secure capital funding for the new building.
To complete the facility, the College is seeking community support to bring in new, state-of-the-art equipment.
Cutting-edge tools and equipment will ensure the new Center for Vocational and Transitional Studies becomes a world-class skills center serving local high schools, industries, and unions. Students will go directly from college to career, filling the high-demand and living wage jobs of today and tomorrow.
The College partners with business and industry leaders to prepare students for high-demand STEM, health care, and trade jobs vital to our region’s economy. Collaboration includes training programs, internships, and job fairs and placements. We also work with local school districts to promote the idea of “graduation plus” to address the fact that about one-half of local students are not pursuing a college degree or credential.
"The vocational program prepared me well for my career, and I’m thrilled about what the new center will do for students like me.”
- Nicole Page
Nicole Page’s journey to becoming a Certified Pipe Welder with United Association (UA) Local 26 began with a chance encounter. After repairing watches at a jewelry store for several years, she bumped into a former middle school counselor who suggested she enroll in LCC’s welding program. Nicole took the opportunity, and at 29 years old, began her journey to becoming a welder.
After completing the program, Nicole secured a job with JH Kelly. LCC’s high-quality welding program gave her the foundation she needed to excel in her career.
Nicole was able to apply herself to her studies at LCC thanks to the scholarship support she received. Now, she enjoys sharing her experiences with aspiring students and speaking at career fairs focused on the trades. She is proud to be helping blaze the trail for women and minorities in the field and is grateful for the opportunity that LCC provided her.
EMPOWERING STUDENTS: $6.0M
Community colleges play a vital role in our higher education system, creating affordable and accessible programs that allow students to obtain the skills necessary for the modern workforce. As we recover and rebuild after COVID-19, Lower Columbia College is positioned to deliver a new level of service to the community. LCC’s academic programs—including bachelor’s degree offerings—and supportive environment help students persist through graduation, build their job readiness skills, and fill the high-demand job needs of our region and beyond.
Through the Opportunity Can’t Wait campaign, we will increase our investments in our College Success Funds, Student Success Funds, and scholarships to unlock the transformational power of education for our students, and their families and communities. Included is a new student-athlete scholarship fund—providing scholarships to 60 students each year. Student success depends on more than covering tuition; Foundation support helps students with housing, books, technology, and travel expenses.
"My college adviser asked me what I wanted to do when I go back to work, and I thought, ‘OK, this is my opportunity.’”
- Vidal Villagran
Vidal Villagran was working in construction when he fell 12 feet off a roof on the
job. He lost mobility in both hands. The injuries were so serious he needed surgery
and spent six months in a cast. When Villagran’s hands finally healed, he wanted to
return to work, but going back into construction was not an option with his injuries.
A 36-year-old father of three who lives in Woodland, Vidal had few choices. That’s
when he decided to enroll at Lower Columbia College to pursue his dream of auto mechanics.
Though he faced many challenges as a non-native English speaker and classes were expensive,
he was able to earn scholarships and grants that covered
his school expenses in full. Thanks to the support of the LCC Foundation, Vidal was
able to pursue his dream of becoming an auto mechanic. The Foundation provided emergency
grants to help students like Vidal overcome barriers and access the resources they
need to succeed. In June 2023, Vidal graduated with an associate’s degree in automotive
technology. As he begins his new career, he is grateful for the opportunities and
support he received at LCC.
Student Support
LCC at a Glance
Enrollment
4,242 Total students
438 Running Start students
Student Intern
37% Transfer students
32% Workforce students
17% Basic Skills students
14% Other students
Demographics
70% Female
3% Asian
1% American Indian/Alaskan Native
2% Black or African American
15% Hispanic Latino
<1% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
6% Two or more Races/other race
72% White
29 Average age
NWAC Varsity Sports
Men and Women's Basketball
Men's Baseball
Women's Softball, Volleyball, and Soccer
Annual Tuition
$4,346 Tuition and fees
(2022-23, 36 credits)
*2022-23 data, unless noted
