Now in her second year as president at Kirkwood Community College, Dr. Kristie Fisher is maintaining her focus on student success, while being recognized for her strength as a leader.
According to a recent college press release, Fisher is “…one of 25 innovative leaders selected from across the country to participate in the second cohort of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program’s Aspen Presidents Fellowship, sponsored by JPMorgan Chase. The fellows will engage in a unique year-long professional development experience that will help them refine and enact a reform agenda to help more of their students succeed both during and after college.”
Fisher said her biggest priority is to grow each student to their fullest potential and to make sure that every student gets as much out of their time at Kirkwood as possible. She added her goal is to “be intentional with the way we work, not only for our campus, but also for our community. We are important to the whole region we serve.”
Born and raised in Shueyville, Iowa, Fisher graduated from Kirkwood before moving on to the University of Iowa and Iowa State. Fisher said at Kirkwood she learned how to be a college student, and the small classes made that possible.
As she recalled her journey to presidency, she said she urges students to take one step at a time and reminds them she is here and working for them.
First-year student Mikey Russo said, “We are so lucky to have a president that works just as hard for us as we do for our future.”
Growing up, Fisher said her friends used to joke with her, claiming that she would become the president of the United States. She said she always knew she wanted to have a position in leadership, choosing her path to ensure success.
Fisher said one former vice president at Kirkwood, whom she worked under, shared, “You can eat an elephant, but you can only eat it one bite at a time.” This quote illustrates Fisher’s success, and the way she chose each part of her life to help make her dreams come true.
When asked what she wants her students to remember the most, Fisher said she wants students to know that it’s okay if they want to change their mind about their career path, as she herself changed her major “roughly 7 or 8 times,” she recalled. “It is just as important to figure out what you don’t like as it is what you do like.”
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