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Written by: Caleb Sanderson Butler Community College now offers Welding Technology classes at Rose Hill High School taught by Butler Welding alumni and industry-professional Jake Duerksen. Classes begin in August at the new state-of-the-art welding lab. Seats are limited and open to all students, including the Early College Academy (ECA). Duerksen has collaborated with both Butler’s Facilities Management team and Rose Hill High School USD 394 to address the industry standards students must meet as working welding professionals. The curriculum at this new location is the same applied learning

Written by: Caleb Sanderson Former Chair of the Art Department Lynn Havel passed away in late May at his home in Colorado, leaving behind a loving family and a legacy at Butler Community College. Havel was a gifted artist, leader and educator who valued art, nature, music, friends and family. To honor his memory, a selection of Havel’s pieces will be displayed in the Erman B. White Art Gallery of Art and will be open to the public Aug. 25 – Sept. 17. The Lynn Havel Art Scholarship has been established to benefit art students at Butler Community College. Donations may be made in Lynn’s honor at

Written by: Caleb Sanderson Before graduating from the Diesel Technology program at Butler Community College, Ponca City native Logan King secured a technician position at Grask Truck Group (GTG) Peterbilt in Wichita. Less than two years later, the company invested in the Butler graduate by sending him to Peterbilt Technician Institute (PTI) in Texas with paid tuition and housing. He now serves as a lead technician at GTG, mentoring and leading other technicians. As a lead tech, Logan is responsible for aiding and guiding other technicians. “I like seeing them pick up things and learn as they

Butler Community College Criminal Justice student Kathryn Geier was one of seven college students from across the state to complete the Kansas Collegiate Law Enforcement Academy, hosted by the Kansas Highway Patrol May 19-23, 2025. This marked the seventeenth consecutive year that at least one Butler student participated in the Academy. Criminal justice students from community colleges and universities across Kansas apply for the prestigious program. Students are then selected based on their academic history, level of participation in their college’s criminal justice program and interest in

Butler Community College has announced the President’s and Dean’s Honor Roll Recipients for the Spring 2025 semester. To be named to the President’s Honor Roll, students must have earned a 4.0 GPA, and students on the Dean’s List earned a 3.50 - 3.99 GPA. For each list, students are organized by in-state versus out-of-state, then alphabetically by hometown and last name. In addition, students from Wichita are broken out by zip code. View the President’s Honor Roll here. View the Dean’s Honor Roll here.

Butler Community College is pleased to announce that longtime head women's basketball coach Mike Helmer has been promoted to be the next Director of Athletics. Helmer, who recently completed his 17th season at Butler as head women's basketball coach, will continue in that role for one more season (2025-26) while also overseeing the athletic department. He becomes the 19th athletic director in Butler Community College history, taking over for Todd Carter who is the longest tenured athletic director in Grizzly history. Carter announced his retirement at the end of May, with Helmer set to take

Butler Community College has released the full list of graduates for the 2024-2025 school year, including Order of the Gold and Order of the Purple honorees, members of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society and a special notation for first-generation students. To receive Order of the Gold, students must have earned a 4.0 GPA and completed 30 credit hours at Butler. In order to receive Order of the Purple, students must complete a similar number of credit hours at Butler and finish with a 3.75 or higher GPA. Graduates are organized by in-state versus out-of-state, then by hometowns and last name

On Monday, May 19, Butler Community College faculty, staff, and administration gathered to honor the life and legacy of a beloved educator at the dedication of the Lindsey Fields Biology Lab on the Andover campus. Nestled in the northwest corner of the 5000 building, the classroom served as Fields’ primary teaching space. With a bronze plaque now located on the wall next to its main entrance, the lab bears her name as a tribute to the lasting impact she had on the college and its students. Fields tragically passed away in the American Airlines Flight 5342 crash this past January, a loss that

Butler Community College held its 98th Commencement and 77th annual Honors and Awards Recognition Ceremony on Friday, May 16. Four hundred and seventy-four students walked at commencement, while more than 600 students earned their degrees. More than 30 students earned their GED diplomas or high school equivalency. The Hubbard Award of Excellence was established in 1985 by R.D. Hubbard to recognize and encourage excellence at Butler. This prestigious award is the highest achievement a Butler student can achieve and is presented annually at commencement with a transfer scholarship amount. Each

At just 18 years old, Barrett Pirtle isn’t your average teenager. While most high school seniors are still deciding on a college or summer job, the Leon, Kansas, native was putting himself in position to land a six-figure job in a competitive industry—all thanks to a welding hood and a relentless drive. A student of Butler’s Early College Academy, Pirtle’s journey kicked off with a spark. Drawn to welding for its peace and artistic precision, he finds solace in the silence beneath the hood. “All I think about is keeping that electrode steady and constant,” he said. He entered his first-ever