Northwest College alumna Devon Curtis, ‘21, described herself as “completely introverted” in high school.

But just two years later, she was the student speaker at the 2021 commencement ceremony in front of hundreds of people.

“It felt pretty scary,” Devon said. “That was my first time ever doing a big public speaking event, but I just had to embrace it and go for it.”

However Devon, who started at NWC in 2019, was no stranger to getting involved on campus from the get-go. As a freshman, she began working in Lewis & Clark Hall as a resident assistant, a position she held for a year and a half.

Additionally, she was a captain for the Women’s Volleyball Team, a sophomore representative for NWC’s Student Senate and worked as a member of the Student Activities Board.

“Toward the end of my experience at Northwest, I really loved going out and meeting people and getting to know everybody that I could on campus,” she explained. “I think that really impacted me for the better.”

Though Devon had many memorable moments during her time on campus, she especially enjoyed working for Student Activities.

“Getting to put on activities for students and help them have a more enjoyable time at Northwest is a lot of fun because college can be stressful,” she noted.

Through all her extracurricular activities, she really enjoyed the sense of community she felt while at NWC and hopes that others can have the same experience.

“My biggest piece of advice for new students is to get involved on campus,” she said. “Join clubs and meet people and go to programs in the dorms—it elevates your experience so much and allows you to make connections.”

She is currently studying kinesiology at the University of Wyoming. After graduation, she plans to apply for occupational or physical therapy school.

Devon, who is the fifth in her family to attend NWC, has roots deeply intertwined with the College.

Her parents, Jay and Erin, as well as her siblings, Colton and Gracen, are also NWC alumni.

Before attending Northwest College, Jay and Erin met just before their senior year of high school on a ranch in Shell during the summer. Erin, who was from San Diego, said she was considering attending college in Wyoming.

“At that point, I really hadn’t even given any thought to college,” said Jay, who is currently the Superintendent of Park County School District #1 in Powell.

But after participating in an event at the College where he toured campus and stayed in the residence halls, he began to imagine himself attending Northwest. Before long, he and Erin were both starting their college careers and getting involved on campus.

“We developed a lot of friends within the school. I just don't think that we could have scripted a better experience with regards to the professors that we had and the rigor of the classes,” Jay said.

Jay and Erin got married the summer after their second year at NWC and decided to stay a third to manage the Trapper Village Main Apartments on campus.

“To this day, I still keep in touch with several of the people that I became friends with during my first year of college,” Jay said.

After earning his associate degree in agriculture business from NWC, Jay enrolled in the University of Wyoming and received a bachelor’s in agriculture business and economics. He later completed his master’s in education management from the University of LaVerne in Bakersfield, California. He is currently working on his doctoral degree in educational leadership from Liberty University.

Jay, who described himself as a “lifetime student,” noted that he was the first in his family to graduate with a college degree.

“I guess you just get in the habit of going to school. But I do think once I get my doctorate, I’ll probably stop,” he joked.

Although he’s had a longstanding passion for education, Jay wasn’t always sure what his career path would be. After moving to California, he was working as a commercial real estate appraiser when he learned of a statewide teaching shortage.

“I started substitute teaching and loved it so much,” Jay said. “And my mother-in-law, who was a teacher, said, ‘well, if you love substitute teaching, you would really love having your own classroom.’ Boy, was she right.”

Though he’s currently in education administration, Jay considers himself first and foremost a teacher. He advises those who are new to college to “not feel like you have to have it all figured out in your first couple years,” and encourages students to experiment with their classes and interests.

“I believe this to my core: the support that you get through the relationships that you're able to build with your professors at Northwest is second to none.”