ALUMNI OF THE YEAR: 2023
Rod & Pam Calhoun
Tradition, family, and community are what come to mind when you hear the names Rod and Pam Calhoun. Hutchinson Community College Alumni & Friends is pleased to announce the 2023 Alumni of the Year and the first couple to receive this award.
Rod Calhoun was born in Goessel, Kansas, and moved to Hutchinson at a young age. He attended Hutchinson High School, graduating in 1969, and decided that Hutchinson Community College was the logical choice. He could work to pay for school and live at home to save money. After attending 3 semesters, he married the love of his life Pam Showalter and then joined the United States Navy Reserves during the Vietnam War in September of 1971. He was stationed on the aircraft carrier USS Midway and served from 1971 to 1973. He was a 3rd Class Petty Officer working as a Disbursing Clerk, handling payroll records for the ship officers. Rod returned from the War and began attending Washburn University where he graduated with his Bachelor of Business Administration specializing in Accounting in 1976. The Calhoun family then headed home to Hutchinson, where Rod began working at Cessna as an employment interviewer. In 1977, Rod wanted to seek additional knowledge about the manufacturing industry he was a part of and enrolled in evening classes for the MET Program (Manufacturing Engineering Technology) at Hutchinson Community College. He graduated with his AA degree from HCC in 1979 and later began teaching part-time classes and summer sessions for the MET program along with other business-related classes. He also received his MBA from Wichita State in 1993 and started a job at Mid American Credit Union where he was the CFO and Vice President of Finance for 35 years.
Rod’s advice to current and future HutchCC students is… “Force yourself to get involved in things that are uncomfortable for you. If you don’t speak well in front of groups of people, put yourself in that position. Stay out of debt. Take a little longer to finish a degree if you need to work to pay as you go. Work experience along with an education is important. Learn to work with all types of people and when you are in a position of leadership, remember your job is to help those you are leading to succeed.”
Rod is currently a Hutchinson Community College Board of Trustee, and AMBUCS member and sits on the Hutchinson Planning Commission. He enjoys woodworking and working on his trucks.
Pam (Showalter) Calhoun, was not your traditional student. After graduating from Hutchinson High School, Pam moved with her family to Wichita due to her dad’s job. She enrolled at Wichita State University deciding that the Nursing Program was what she wanted to do. After Pam and Rod were married in March of 1971, life happened, Vietnam happened, kids happened and nursing was put on the back burner. After having several jobs, Pam began to work at WIBW Channel 13 television station in Topeka in the accounting department. The station paid the tuition for her to enroll in accounting classes. After taking those courses she knew this was the path she would take instead of nursing. In 1976, when they moved back home to Hutchinson, Pam was a stay-at-home mom for a while. Later she went to work for Cessna. She began to notice that people around her were doing the same job but making more money due to having a college degree. Cessna offered a tuition reimbursement program, so she enrolled in classes at HutchCC. After being one of the 700 as part of the layoff at Cessna Corporation in 1980, Pam decided to continue her degree in accounting and graduated in 1981 from Hutchinson Community College. She then went on to receive her BA in Business from WSU in 1984. Pam went on to work in several accounting positions over the years but retired from DCI in 2014 after 23 years of service to the company. She also taught classes in continuing education at HutchCC and also at the prison. In Pam’s spare time, she loves to quilt and spend time with her family.
“My favorite class was Kansas History, taught by Barbara Pierce. Rod and I took that class together. HCC allowed me to take night classes after working all day and the small class sizes were a plus. My favorite memory was of graduation. I was the first member of my immediate family to get a 2-year degree and then a bachelor’s degree.” Pam said.
Rod and Pam have two daughters, Amy Taylor, and April Calhoun, both of Hutchinson and HutchCC Alumni. Along with one grandchild, Bryce Calhoun, also a Blue Dragon.
The Calhouns have been married for 52 years and are longtime members of their local church. They love attending sporting events at the college and are members of the Club 1928, the HutchCC Quarterback Club, the HutchCC Gridiron Club, and generous supporters of the HCCEA Scholarship Program. Their philanthropy throughout the college and community is truly inspirational.
2023 Rod & Pam Calhoun
2022 Frederick A. Bichet II
2021 Charles V. Rees
2020 No award due to Covid-19
2019 Dr. Edward Berger
2018 Harley Macklin
2017 Kevin Bowen
2016 Tom Elliott
2015 Robert Glover
2014 Tony Dyer
2013 John H. Shaffer
2012 Diane K. Steed
2011 Jack V. Parker
2010 George “Bud” Janner
2009 Dr. Konrad Rock
2008 Dr. Michael Wamsley
2007 Charles Brown
2006 Ron Sellers
2005 Dallas Crable
2004 Frances Garcia
2003 Jake Clark
2002 Leo A. Rogers
2001 Delos V. Smith Jr.
2000 Robert J. Gilliland
1999 Merl Sellers
1998 Stewart Oswalt
1997 Jack Campbell
1996 Dick Parker
1995 John Crutcher
1994 Helen Week Stone
1993 John Baldwin
1992 Barbara “Skip” Patton
1991 Al Wagler
1990 Guy Holt
1989 Jack Caton
1988 Norman Krause