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Giving thanks

I always enjoy the moment when family and friends sit around the Thanksgiving table and share what they are thankful for each year. It is often hard to decide which blessings to showcase during the annual dinner ritual but our table often includes thanks for family, friends, health, laughter, love and adventures big and small.

For Iowa Valley Community College District (Marshalltown and Ellsworth Community College), it is equally hard to narrow our gratitude. We are thankful for so much.

Our students for allowing us to be a part of their educational journey and for bringing us into their lives in meaningful and authentic ways. Students are the heart of what we do every day and the reason we all come to work.

Local business and industry for partnerships that allow Iowa Valley to collaborate with them to strengthen our communities through a well-trained workforce and economic growth. Local employers, big and small, allow us to fulfill our mission by allowing us to help them reach their business goals.

Community members support us in many ways. The most significant are the investments that the community makes in us via their tax dollars. The community welcomes our students into events and provides support to some of our neediest students.

Our local legislators who take the time to visit our campuses to learn about our programs and students so they can advocate for us at the state house.

And for me, I am thankful for my colleagues at the colleges. I work with amazing individuals who work hard every day to fulfill our mission, serve our communities and make a difference in student lives. My colleagues do this work with passion, laughter and an authenticity that makes every day a joy.

——

Kristie Fisher is the president of the

Iowa Valley Community College District.

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