Alumni

David Allen Spring Valley Alumnus (class of 1991) After sustaining extensive injuries in a car accident, David Allen attended the CMC campus in Spring Valley, graduating in 1991 with an associate degree. He went on to study business at Phillips University in Oklahoma. Allen, who was named to the Alumni Hall of Fame posthumously, left a lasting impression on many of his classmates and leaves an ongoing legacy at CMC. His family gives credit to the college’s staff and faculty for assisting him in overcoming the many challenges he faced. In his honor and through his estate, a CMC scholarship was established to support students experiencing personal or financial difficulties while endeavoring to achieve their goals in higher education. In 2006, the college dedicated the David Allen High Ropes Course, at Spring Valley. Allen was an active participant in the college’s experiential learning program, of which the ropes course is now part. A plaque at the rope course reads: “Despite a debilitating head injury, David pursued his education with tenacity, perseverance, his grin and a sparkle in his eye. He stubbornly overcame the odds. He graduated. He succeeded. Never give up.” His parents, Paul and Joan Allen, who were present at the ceremony, currently reside in Enid, Oklahoma.

Copi Vojta CMC Spring Valley Alumnus (class of 2009) Derek Johnston, program director of photography at CMC, said that when Copi Vojta arrived at Spring Valley, he brought a passion for fly-fishing. “His love and understanding of the sport – and more importantly, an understanding of why the pursuit of fish on a fly rod and being in these environments was special to him – allowed him to make images that went beyond the typical ‘grip and grin’ images and other clichés that were the norm in this type of photography,” Johnston said. To be a successful photographer, he added, a person must find their own unique vision and voice. Vojta found success in fly-fishing trade magazines, standing out so much that the editors at “The Flyfish Journal” head-hunted him. Vojta is currently the photo editor at the magazine and works remotely from Carbondale. The magazine was recently awarded a Western Publishing Association “Maggie” award for best quarterly, about which Johnston said, “Copi Vojta’s vision is a critical component to this collective voice.” Vojta, who attended the ceremony, said, “The best thing this school has going for it is the passionate faculty and staff.”