Dr. Keith Hamilton, president of Alaska Christian College, presented a campus update to the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly on May 20, describing 24 years of growth, recent facility additions and new academic and vocational offerings.

Hamilton told the assembly the faith‑based, accredited college has grown from a single building on 10 acres to nearly 30 acres and 27 building projects; he said the college is debt free. He outlined four associate degree programs currently offered — professional education, behavioral health, Christian ministry and general education — and said roughly half of students enroll in the general education program as a two‑year pathway to the workforce or further study.

New and planned programs: Hamilton described a new vocational technical course in marine motors offered in partnership with Yamaha and an upcoming large‑equipment operations program planned for the fall; both courses are designed to provide career pathways for rural and Alaska Native students. He said marine motors began with five students in the fall and increased to 12 in the spring, which he characterized as the current capacity for the single instructor.

Facilities and services: Hamilton highlighted a new athletic center that opened recently (available for community use), a 152‑bed campus with dorms and cabins, a counseling center (New Hope Counseling Center) that serves students and the broader community, and a planned Gloria Chapel funded in part through wills and trusts. He said volunteers have contributed heavily to building the campus and that the college expects to be able to host larger athletic and community events once new lobby and gym infrastructure complete.

Why it matters: Alaska Christian College positions itself as a residential college serving primarily Alaska Native students from rural communities; the college emphasized workforce and vocational pathways to meet local needs and said its facilities are available for community events.

Assembly response: Several assembly members thanked Hamilton and noted local partnerships. Hamilton answered questions about program capacity (marine motors: five students in fall, 12 in spring; current maximum capacity with present staffing is about a dozen) and overall student headcount trends (he said the college hoped to accommodate up to 60 students in the coming fall term).