[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 58 (Tuesday, April 4, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S2213]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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             RECOGNIZING FLATHEAD VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

 Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, today I have the honor and 
privilege of recognizing the faculty, administrators, staff, and 
students of Flathead Valley Community College for their service to the 
people of northwest Montana--2017 marks the school's 50-year 
anniversary. FVCC serves thousands of students of every age and 
background. In its five decades of existence, the college and its 
faculty have won numerous awards for providing a high-quality and low-
cost education in Kalispell, MT.
  The college provides more than 50 career and technical programs, 
while also giving students a cheaper and more convenient option for 
their first 2 years of college. FVCC also has developed programs that 
can help high school students get a ``Running Start'' on their college 
careers. FVCC has given generations of students the tools they need to 
succeed. The college also serves a vital role in supplying the region's 
employers with a skilled workforce.
  The idea for a community college in northwest Montana began in 1960 
when Kalispell School Board chairman Owen Sowerwine noted a study that 
80 percent of local high school graduates were receiving no higher 
education whatsoever. Sowerwine worked with other local educational 
leaders such as Bill McClaren, Thelma Hetland, Les Stirling, and Norm 
Beyer to create a new community college. The college opened its doors 
in 1967, and today we celebrate their legacy.
  FVCC continues to grow and find new and better ways to serve the 
community. Its Kalispell campus has grown to eight buildings, with new 
on-campus housing opening this year. FVCC also has an extension campus 
in Libby, MT.
  I look forward to seeing what the next 50 years will hold, and I 
congratulate all involved in the success of FVCC on reaching this 
milestone.

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