Alumni Spotlight: Les Lamkin '01

Starting college at nearly 40 wasn’t part of Les Lamkin’s original plan. Unsure of his academic abilities, Les admits, “For the first six weeks, I was convinced I’d bomb my classes and looked for reasons to quit.” However, the support and encouragement from Wenatchee Valley College’s faculty helped him gain confidence, and soon, he found his footing. One class made quite the impact for Les. “Derek Sheffield’s English classes were my favorite part of WVC. They completely shifted my career goals.”

Originally planning to teach music, Les discovered a love for English. This led him to pursue a career as an English teacher instead. Today, Les is the sole English teacher for grades 7-12 at Mansfield School. In addition to teaching, he’s a musician in “The B-Side” band, and serves as the music director at his church. Les has also spent some time as an adjunct English and Humanities instructor at WVC and worked for several years teaching in rural Alaska.

When asked about his time at WVC and how his coursework prepared him for the future, Les says, “It proved to me that I could succeed academically, and gave me the foundation I needed to pursue further education, preparing me for life at the university level.” After graduating WVC in 2001 with his Associates of Applied Science, he enrolled at Central Washington University where he earned a Bachelors in English Teaching, followed by a Masters in English Literature and an Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing.

For students currently striving towards their educational goals at WVC, Les has a clear message: “Believe in yourself and keep going, no matter your age. If I can return to college at almost 40 and find success, so can you."