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This content was published: September 8, 2005. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.

Keven Kulju, transfer student, University of Portland

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Keven Kulju found his calling while attending Portland Community College. Now at the University of Portland’s nursing program, Kulju says his path to a nursing career would not have been possible without earning his Oregon Transfer degree at PCC.

"Being at PCC was the perfect storm," Kulju said. "Everything fell into place and it led me to the direction I wanted to go. I’m not sure it would have happened anyplace else."

After graduating from PCC last year at the age of 35, Kulju was accepted into U of P. He said the coursework at the community college prepared him for the four-year university and gave him the work ethic he needed. Now he is able to do what he loves – learning how to help people.

But like many new students, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do, especially after 15 years of being away from school. He said that he liked PCC because it gave him space to find what he really wanted to do.

Kulju encourages new students, and returning ones like himself, to get their feet wet at PCC so they can hit the ground running when they move on to a four-year school. "My experience at PCC was very positive and I think was a good choice," Kulju said. "The variety in availability of classes, especially night classes, I found could fit into my schedule nicely."

About James Hill

James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »