Windward Community College‘s new chancellor, Ardis Eschenberg, has served at the college since 2010 as vice chancellor for student affairs, dean of language arts, humanities and academic support, and, most recently, as vice chancellor for academic affairs.
“This is a very humbling experience. I’m very thankful for the chance to serve my colleagues, the students and this community,” says Eschenberg. “I’ve been so blessed since I moved to Kāneʻohe with a community thatʻs come out and supported myself and my children.”
She says her top two priorities are to deepen the connection with the region’s communities by bringing in all segments of the population from keiki to kūpuna, and to ensure that the college’s students are thriving.
Eschenberg says, “Windward Community College is a place of excellence. We’re known for the aloha spirit that we have here. We’re known for the caring and support. When our students come here, they feel valued, they feel part of an ʻohana and they give back as part of their kuleana.”
The vision for Windward CC is Ka Mālamalama o ke Koʻolau or “Enlightening Koʻolau.” Eschenberg says her vision is to support the college’s vision and mission.
“Our mission is to provide innovative programming and education to our community, especially supporting the needs of our Native Hawaiian community members,” she says. “I’m just very thankful for this position and for all of my colleagues and the students who work together hard to ensure that we are accomplishing our mission. There’s no better place to be than Windward Community College.”
—By Kelli Trifonovitch
