Welcome to life after graduating FLC

We are the Fort Lewis College Alumni Engagement Office, your hub for staying connected and engaged with our vibrant alumni community. Regardless of when you graduated, our goal is to support and enhance your relationship with Fort Lewis College.

We foster lifelong connections, celebrate your achievements, and provide valuable opportunities for networking, professional development, and personal growth through events, career services, mentorship programs, and community initiatives.

This is a dynamic and inclusive space where alumni thrive, contribute, and make a lasting impact. Join us as we build upon the legacy of Fort Lewis College and celebrate the journeys of our alumni.

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Upcoming events

Alumni stories

Partnerships of Yore
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Partnerships of Yore

Heart Fund Drive
Birthplace of the Bed Races

Between the 1950s and the 1970s, the FLC Student Senate transformed a two-day fundraiser into a weeklong, raucous community affair sponsored by local businesses and individuals. The fun and games drew Durango residents to campus to help raise money for students who couldn’t afford medical care. Events over the years included cake auctions, sock hops, bowling tournaments, motorcycle rallies, tug-o-wars, “raunchiest shoes on campus” contests, and the legendary bed races, which were resurrected in 2019 by Durango’s renowned Snowdown Winter Carnival.

On February 12, 1971, the Fort Lewis Independent newspaper declared “Heart Fund Week Successful,” after they raised $2,393.54 (roughly $15,675 in today’s dollars!). The event that year kicked off with a Student Senate-Faculty basketball game organized in part by Duane Smith, professor emeritus of History; the faculty team won 66-61.

While the Heart Fund no longer exists, its collaborative essence carries on through Durango’s Snowdown celebration each February.

RADIO KIUP
Fort Lewis on the air

Live from Durango, it’s KIUP! In 1935, Durango’s first local radio station, KIUP, launched in the Four Corners. FLC staff and students often partnered with the station to present music shows, dramatic readings replete with sound effects, and informational programs on a range of topics from “post-war business opportunities” to “dairying.” Legendary dorm mother and professor at the Old Fort, Margaret Good (pictured far right), often oversaw the collaborations. KIUP still broadcasts today on 930 AM, featuring programs from ESPN Radio.

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FLC Summits

An alumni story video series

FLC Summits S2 E4 | Steven Leash FLC Summits S2 E4 | Steven Leash

FLC Summits S2 E4 | Steven Leash

Entrepreneur and Cahuilla Band of Indians Tribal Member Steven Leash, (Adventure Ed/Business '17), attended FLC as a non-traditional student. After being elected to the Cahuilla Band of Indians Tribal Council, Steven organized a donation to FLC's Outdoor Pursuits program that helps Indigenous students travel to fantastic locations. Steven describes his time at FLC, how Native Government works, and his motivations for organizing the donation.
FLC Summits S2 E3 | Reed Clément FLC Summits S2 E3 | Reed Clément

FLC Summits S2 E3 | Reed Clément

Reed Clément, English Communications ’05, created his own degree emphasis in videography while at FLC. After graduating, Reed headed for the locus of all things cinematic, Los Angeles, California. He now heads up Netflix’s CREATIVE LABS division at their Hollywood branch headquarters. Reed discusses his time at FLC, how it changed him, and how what he learned at the school informs his work today.
Justin Beals (English-Theatre, '95) Justin Beals (English-Theatre, '95)

Justin Beals (English-Theatre, '95)

In the fall of 2022, entrepreneur Justin Beals stopped by the school to have a look at his old haunts. Beals has built a career in cybersecurity and credits his success to time spent pacing the boards of the FLC Mainstage, where he learned to tell stories.
Jacquelene & Angelo McHorse Jacquelene & Angelo McHorse

Jacquelene & Angelo McHorse

In 2012, FLC alums Jacquelene and Angelo McHorse started Bison Star Naturals, a small family business whose products are made with organically, naturally and locally sourced ingredients. FLC caught up with the McHorses to chat about their time at FLC, their approach to entrepreneurialism and community, and their plans for the future!
Ray Boucher Ray Boucher

Ray Boucher

1980 Class President Ray Boucher talks about life at the Fort in the Seventies, bed racing, his professors and the importance of conviction.
P.T. Wood (Business Administration, '90) P.T. Wood (Business Administration, '90)

P.T. Wood (Business Administration, '90)

P. T. Wood isn’t the first person to have his life changed on a river trip. Nor is he the first to imbibe some liquid spirits on said trip. But for Wood, the convergence of the two has led to a life and occupation in one of those unique mountain-lifestyle ways: as a distiller and mayor of a thriving Colorado mountain town.
Joshua Been (Art '99) Joshua Been (Art '99)

Joshua Been (Art '99)

For Joshua Been, a career in art has been an art unto itself. As a working artist, change, adaptability, and growth – as well as the U.S. Army and the wildlands of the American West -- have been essential to his success. And that eclectic, self-crafted path was enabled by his ability to carve his own academic vision – both personally and professionally – at FLC.
Ricardo Caté (Education, '06) Ricardo Caté (Education, '06)

Ricardo Caté (Education, '06)

The most prominent Native American cartoonist working today, Marine veteran, speaker, and standup comedian Ricardo Caté was employed by the Santa Fe New Mexican immediately after his graduation from FLC in 2006 to publish a daily single-panel cartoon called “Without Reservation,” which he had created while working for FLC’s student newspaper, The Independent.