Goergen named this year’s Distinguished Alumni

Peggy Goergen and her family have strong ties to Southwestern Oregon Community College dating back to the beginning of the institution.

The Brookings resident’s parents were vital to the creation of the Southwestern College District in Coos County and, continuing in those pioneering ways, Goergen played a crucial role in bringing Southwestern’s courses and services to the residents of Curry County. Her accomplishments make her a natural selection for the Southwestern Distinguished Alumni award.

“Southwestern made it entirely possible for me to do what I wanted to do, which was work in education,” Goergen said. “Even though I did not earn a degree from Southwestern I would not have been able to obtain a degree at all without Southwestern.”

Goergen – a Brookings community member since 1964 – is retiring June 30 after 12 years of full-time service to the College. Goergen worked as a part-time community education coordinator with the Brookings-Harbor School District before moving to the Curry Education Service District, where she coordinated and developed classes for community education throughout Curry County and for Southwestern. Goergen came to work for Southwestern in 1995 when a citizen movement to bring greater college resources to the area resulted in a successful vote for Curry County to join the College District. The Curry program has grown by leaps and bounds during Goergen’s tenure to offer college transfer programs as well as enrichment and University Center opportunities through local classes and distance education opportunities throughout the county. Goergen plans to remain in the Brookings area and to continue providing input into the creation of a new Curry County Campus.

Goergen was asked by the College at that time to serve as interim associate dean for the transition and eventually rose to the rank of Dean for Curry County. Similar to her role with ESD before the annexation, Goergen has been spearheading the offering of various degree and community education opportunities for community members in Curry County. She understands the need for outreach education as well as anyone. She completed a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Oregon University and master’s from Oregon State University from Brookings via distance education in the 1990s.

Press Release Date: June 14, 2007