Mar 16, 2026 | Alumni, Community, News
Dayna Cahill, Director of Teaching and Learning for North Bend School District
After graduating from North Bend High School, Dayna Cahill didn’t plan on staying in the community where she grew up. She went straight to work in construction. College wasn’t on her radar, until someone suggested she might be a great teacher. That single comment started her down a completely different path.
She enrolled at SWOCC, where she earned her transfer degree. For Dayna, it was the ideal place to start.
“SWOCC allowed me to grow up,” she said. “It was the perfect landing zone while I was working, living locally, and looking to further educate myself.”
Dayna later went on to complete her bachelor’s degree through a local satellite program. But it was her time at SWOCC that helped her build the confidence and direction she needed.
“I honestly believe my trajectory would have changed significantly had I not opted to go to SWOCC,” she said. “SWOCC gave me a plan. That plan is what gave me my life.”
Today, Dayna serves as the Director of Teaching and Learning for North Bend School District, leading efforts that shape classrooms and impact hundreds of students each year. Her career spanned roles as a substitute, educational assistant, teacher, reading specialist, and even leading as a principal.
One of her proudest moments was returning to teach at North Bay Elementary, the same school she attended as a kid.
“I never thought I would stay in the same community I had grown up in,” she said. “But one of the greatest honors of my life was returning to that school as a teacher. I have a deep sense of pride coming full circle and giving back to the district that raised me.”
Throughout her journey, Dayna leaned on local scholarships and community support to make college work. She encourages others to do the same.
“Money was tight during college. I worked part-time and lived with roommates,” she said. “But there are local organizations with scholarships that can really help. You just have to look.”
Now, she and her husband Chris are raising their own family in North Bend, where they remain deeply invested in the community.
“Our community and SWOCC both have so much to offer,” she said. “If you live here and are looking for connection or opportunity, start with your local community college. You don’t have to go anywhere else to get a fantastic education or live a fantastic life.”
Mar 10, 2026 | Alumni, Community, News
For Coos County native Nathan Midyette’s connection to SWOCC largely started through dual credit courses at North Bend High School, where he earned an associate’s degree from SWOCC at the same time he graduated high school. As part of his education, he was able to complete a senior-year SWOCC internship at 7 Devils Brewery that introduced him to fermentation science.
With his Oregon Transfer degree from SWOCC, Nathan entered the University of Oregon well-prepared to pursue chemistry. With his degree and previous internship under his belt, he did two internships at King Estate Winery during college.
Today, Nathan works as a lab technician at King Estate Winery. “I really love this job as it is the perfect blend of art and science.” Nathan said, “No two years are the same, and you are constantly learning from each individual vintage.” Driven by a passion for the wine industry, he is dedicated to ongoing learning and development.
Mar 6, 2026 | Community, News
COOS BAY, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College (SWOCC) invites students in grades 6 –12 to participate in SWOCC’s STEAM Breakout, a one-day Spring Break event taking place March 26, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on SWOCC’s Coos Campus (1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay).
Students will spend the day exploring with hands-on activities and demonstrations across science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) while learning directly from instructors and participating in interactive experiments and projects. Activities will include projects related to chemistry, engineering, physics, art, nursing, and more!
The registration fee is $25, with scholarships available. Space is limited to 20 students, on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration closes March 19, 2026.
To register, contact Cassie Coyner, SWOCC STEAM Pathways Coordinator, at
cassie.coyner@socc.edu or call 541-888-7416.
Mar 4, 2026 | Curry Campus, Curry News, News
Brookings, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College (SWOCC) will celebrate Pi Day on Friday, March 13, at 12:30 p.m. at the Curry Campus in Brookings (96082 Lone Ranch Parkway). Dr. Marilyn Hart — statistics instructor and professor emerita from the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh — will make pi as appealing as pie! Join her to explore the history and practical uses of pi through hands-on activities and games.
For those who are up to the challenge, a prize will be given to whoever can correctly recite the most digits of pi. Pie and ice cream will be served, and there is no charge for this community event.
In addition, the college’s portable planetarium will be on-site. The presentation featured is Magnetism and is scheduled at 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 12:00 p.m.
For additional information, please contact the SWOCC Curry Campus at 541-813-1667.
Visit the SWOCC Curry Campus website for more information about the Curry Campus located in Brookings, Oregon.
Feb 27, 2026 | Alumni, News
Nichole Rutherford knows what it means to show up for your community. As City Manager for the city of Coos Bay, she spends her days working alongside elected officials, city staff, and residents to shape the future of the place she calls home.
Her leadership is grounded in service.
“Community continues to inspire me,” Nichole says. “We all play a role in making Coos Bay a great place to live, work, and recreate.”
Nichole’s path to this role didn’t follow a straight line.
She grew up in the tiny southern Oregon town of Butte Falls, eventually moving and graduating from Reedsport High School. She started her college journey at Southern Oregon University. A year later, she transferred to SWOCC. Her decision was driven by practicality. SWOCC offered an affordable option close to home that allowed her to save and stay close to her support system.
Nichole didn’t complete her degree right away. Her life took another direction. She got married, started a family, and put her college plans on hold. Nearly 15 years later, Nichole returned to SWOCC to finish what she started.
“From high school graduation to earning my bachelor’s degree, twenty years passed by,” Nichole says. “Returning to school as an adult raising a young family, made the process accessible and doable. I took one course a term.”
SWOCC was affordable, but more than anything at SWOCC, Nichole felt seen and supported.
“The class sizes and the professors were more accessible — like real people,” she recalls. “It felt like the SWOCC team met me where I was.”
Ultimately, Nichole earned her Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer degree and completed her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. She’s grateful for the flexibility and care SWOCC offered throughout her journey.
Today, as City Manager, Nichole sees the vital role community colleges continue to play. And not just in individual lives, but in building strong local infrastructure.
“SWOCC is a key part of what the Coos Bay of tomorrow looks like,” she says. “The college has heard the needs of the community and is developing training programs to help fill employment gaps — like the diesel mechanic curriculum and the partnership with local fire departments on the fire tower.”
Nichole believes more people should know how accessible SWOCC is.
“Access to quality college education at an affordable rate is available just outside our back door,” she says. “Because of SWOCC, I enjoy an engaging and fulfilling career.”
It’s a path she hopes inspires others to explore their own educational or professional goals.
Feb 26, 2026 | Community, Curry Campus, News
COOS BAY, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College invites the community to join us on Friday, March 6, 2026, at 6:00 pm, for “Confessions of a former lecturer: 10 years after flipping my classroom” with KC Walsh, Teaching Professor Department of Physics, Oregon State University. This is a free event; all ages are welcome.
Coos County residents can join us in-person in the Umpqua Hall lecture room (room 184) on the Coos Campus, 1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay.
Curry County residents can join us for a watch party in the Community Room on the Curry Campus, 96082 Lone Ranch Parkway, Brookings.
For those not able to attend in person the lecture will be streamed live on the College’s YouTube channel at: www.youtube.com/@southwesternOR/streams.
About the Lecture:
Introductory Physics at Oregon State University has gone through a tremendous transformation over the past 10 years. From transitioning to active engagement lectures, to building open education resources, to going online pre-pandemic, to navigating genAI, the landscape looks entirely different now. Professor Walsh will share the ten most valuable lessons he has learned during this time and talk a little about the challenges we now face.
About the Presenter:
From Professor Walsh: “I consider myself equal part educator and education researcher. It was not always this way. I graduated with my PhD in Physics studying condensed matter theory. As a TA in graduate school, I fell in love with teaching. Upon graduation I decided to focus on it as it felt more fulfilling than research. After years of teaching, I realized that I still possessed an innate curiosity to study the world and was looking for a creative outlet. In 2015 I decided it was time to make a huge curricular change with my class – I was going to completely flip the classroom – and that presented a unique opportunity to study the change. I was very concerned that students would not watch the required “pre-lecture” videos before class, which free up time for problem solving and critical thinking in class. That year I got my first grant where I received modest funds to create a data collection tool to study students’ engagement with pre-lecture videos and reading. The following year a unique opportunity arose in the COS to perform Action Research with the Enhancing STEM (ESTEME) Group. The spark from that initial grant, combined with a new community based around evidence-based instructional practices (EBIPs) and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), paved a clear path for sustained growth in both the quality of my teaching, and the expansion of my career into research. Six years later I’ve had 4 research fellowships, received 8 grants, built a nationally recognized quantitative physics education research group, completely redesigned introductory physics to adhere to modern EBIPs, designed and implemented a completely innovative and highly successful Ecampus intro physics sequence, and won the highest teaching award for faculty in their first 10 years at OSU. All of this was possible because of the agency I received being part of a community centered on EBIPs and SoTL.”
For more information about the lecture series contact Dr. Aaron Coyner, Associate Professor, Physics and Engineering at aaron.coyner@socc.edu or 541-888-7244.
For more information on upcoming lectures contact Cassie Coyner, STEAM Pathways Coordinator, at 541-888-7416, or cassie.coyner@socc.edu .
To learn more about STEM degrees at Southwestern visit: https://www.socc.edu/programs-classes/stem/.
