I still miss SJ. When I think of the one place I truly consider “home,” I think of Sitka, and SJ. When I remember my fondest memories, most of them took place in Sitka and SJ. My two best friends, I met at SJ. My independence found me at SJ. I found my voice, my confidence, my security at SJ. I learned to speak publicly and actively about anything. I discovered it was ok to be who I am and not care what others want me to be. I discovered there are people of deep, devout faith that will not judge me because my faith is different.
To me, and the majority of the 119 students who attended SJ, she was so much more than a college. She was our home, our life and our family. Hidden away on that island in Alaska, cut off from roads, and occassionally even from the internet, we learned to depend on eachother. Often in the winter we would go two or three weeks without cable, internet and barely a phone signal. We adapted. We relied on our fellow students and faculty to lend support when needed.
When one of the students experienced a death in the family and couldn’t afford to fly home, many of us pitched in to help. When couples broke up, we flocked to the injured party to lend support.
In 2007, the school closed after years of struggling financially and poor leadership. It was devestating. We were given no notice. She was closed over summer break and faculty was fired with zero notice (same day). In a matter of minutes, our close knit family had been thrown apart – tossed across the country.
Now, after three years (nearly to the day), and still not reopening, the Board has fired the man I blame for my home being taken away. Dr. David Dobler (officially Rev. Dr. David Dobler, but he can kiss my ass if he thinks he deserves that title). The man at the helm who promised us everything only to take it all away.
SJ will never reopen. Perhaps there will be another institution on her beautiful grounds one day, but SJ is gone forever. I can accept that. I don’t want to, but I can. But I wont forgive him for what he did. I hope, with this little piece, I can keep alive the knowledge that he brought down that school, that family, without a second thought. And for three years, he did nothing to repair the damage – and now it never can be fixed.
And so, let this be my final farewell to a place that was so much more than a college to me. SJ was my home, Sitka is where my heart truly belongs.
It’s obvious you care deeply. I am sad for you.
I’m sorry to hear this. Sorry for your loss. You didn’t lose a place; you lost a friend.
But I hope the memories keep bringing a smile to your face. And I hope you do get to see some sort of consequence befall that Dobler guy.
He is a villain above all else. I cannot blame him for the poor position the school was in. Well, not entirely. The school struggled under poor leadership and poor financial management since the 90s. But Dobler was the President of the Board then. And finally, he took over as President of the College.
When he took over, we all sat down to a meeting in the Chapel. He told us how things were going to change. How there was going to be more transparency. Howe students would be kept “in the know” about our accreditation issues (it was up for renewal). Less than a year later, he calls a staff meeting and tells them all they have been fire – effective immediately. Waits six weeks to tell students (at which point we already knew) until four weeks before school was supposed to start for the next year.