New SCC Dean Brings Rural Education Focus to Colville

Dr. Katie Kleinhesselink, 49, was announced as the new dean of rural education at Spokane Community College (SCC). Although Kleinhesselink will be based at the SCC Colville branch, she will also oversee extensions in Inchelium, Newport, and Republic to support their campuses. According to SCC officials, Kleinhesselink has a Bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies, and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Montana, as well as a PhD in Higher Education from the University of Denver, Colorado. Kleinhesselink said she is new to the Colville area, but she was born in Spokane and grew up in Red Lodge, Mont.

With a love for rural living and moving closer to family, Kleinhesselink sees this opportunity as “kismet,” her fate or destiny. She credited her inspiration to pursue a career in rural education to her father, who has since passed. Kleinhesselink said her father worked in the mining industry, and she remembers his work ethic and tenacity as someone who was not afraid of challenges. After an injury, her father retired from the mines and decided to attend college to pursue a new career.

“He had to commute one-anda-half hours each way. Watching that experience of him going back to school in his late 40s, and then my experience as a first-generation college student, I became really passionate about rural educational access and what it means for rural people to be able to determine their own futures,” she said. Kleinhesselink said her path as an educator began in Colorado, where she spent 15 years at a Research One Institution, a top-tier doctoral university in the U.S. with very high research activity. “As much as I admire the work that Research One Institutions do, I’m a much more placebased person. I believe in bringing all resources possible to rural communities to develop an education that meets the needs of the locals,” she said.

She added that connecting with people “where they are at,” especially with her students, is one important aspect of her role. “When I think about the mission of SCC, it’s both about students’ education and helping the communities where our colleges are thriving and flourishing by growing place-based education opportunities. I can’t do my job right if I don’t meet people where they are.” Despite being in Colville for only six weeks, Kleinhesselink considers herself an advocate for higher education in the area.

Although she has only scratched the surface of communicating with employers and local businesses, she said she has learned about potential students and the increasing need for good healthcare in the area. “When I have the conversations that I’ve had with local employers, [the question is] how do we create the educational opportunities that give traditionally-aged students pathways to build thriving lives here, to stay in their communities, and not have to go to college someplace else and then not come back? What is our role, or how can we help as folks may need retraining or moving into new careers?” Starting her new role has come with new challenges.

One of her main concerns is that rural education faces steep hurdles with broadband access and transportation. Kleinhesselink said she believes that part of addressing these issues is individualizing learning plans and recognizing that everybody’s situation is different. Kleinhesselink noted that another need in the community is recruiting students for pre-nursing, dental hygienist, and other healthcare programs. This means encouraging them to stay and work in their hometowns, she said.

Another priority is creating more equal opportunities for students, Kleinhesselink said, adding that SCC has plans for enhancing financial assistance for low-income students. “At Colville, we’re trying to think of creative ways to help students meet basic needs. As I learn more about the landscape, and I get to know the folks at our foundation, I hope we’re able to grow more resources for rural students to succeed.” Kleinhesselink discussed interacting with different cultures within the communities, including the Colville Indian Reservation, which houses the Inchelium campus.

She said she feels privileged to work with the reservation and wants to assist them however she can. “I want to take time to build those relationships in ways that are based on trust and reciprocity so that anything we’re doing is done through the lens of what the tribes want and need for themselves,” she said. “The degree to which we can make those programs relevant and culturally appropriate is my priority. We are there at their grace, and we have a mission to work with them to serve their communities in the ways they best see fit.”

When speaking about her hopes for the future of rural education, Kleinhesselink stated, “I want to make sure that our communication lines are open and robust with the Spokane campus so that we’re taking advantage of all the resources and opportunities that there are for people in this region. What I’m trying to learn, as quickly as possible, is what is available and what people want and need, and how we marry those things together in ways that are beneficial for the folks here and for our campuses.”