What it Means to Be a Blackhawk

Ask ten SCC students what makes someone a Blackhawk, and you'll get ten different answers. You'll hear about packed gyms in West Burlington and early-morning labs in Keokuk. You'll hear about the first-generation student figuring it out as they go, the returning adult learner balancing classes with a full-time job, the athlete chasing a scholarship, the high schooler earning college credit before graduation. Different stories, different starting points, same colors. Red and black. Same name stitched across the chest: Blackhawks.

So what does it actually mean?

More Than a Mascot

Champ the Blackhawk has been the face of SCC athletics for decades, cheering on national championship teams and showing up wherever students gather. But the name goes deeper than the mascot suit. When SCC was formed in 1967, bringing together Burlington Junior College and Keokuk Community College, the institution needed something to unite two campuses and a growing student body spread across southeast Iowa. The Blackhawk became that something. Today, whether you're taking classes on the West Burlington campus, studying in Keokuk, learning at the Mount Pleasant center, or logging in online, you're part of the same flock.

A Tradition of Showing Up

Blackhawks show up. On the court, our men's basketball teams have claimed three NJCAA national championships in 2000, 2003, and 2004. Our softball program brought home a national title in 2003. Our baseball, volleyball, soccer, and golf programs compete in the NJCAA Division I and the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference, regularly sending athletes on to four-year universities and, in some cases, the pros.

But the Blackhawk spirit isn't reserved for athletes. It shows up in the welding lab when a student finishes a certification ahead of schedule. It shows up in the nursing simulation suite at three in the afternoon, when someone stays late to run through one more scenario. It shows up in the Center for Business and Industry Services, where working professionals come in after their shifts to sharpen their skills. Showing up is the baseline, not the goal.

A Community That Has Your Back

One of the things you hear again and again from Blackhawks, past and present, is how close the community feels. SCC isn't the kind of place where you're a number. Class sizes stay small. Instructors learn your name in the first week. Advisors check in. Tutors know your major. When a student hits a rough patch, there's a network to catch them, from faculty to Student Services to peers who have been exactly where you are.

That network doesn't disappear at graduation. SCC alumni are woven into the fabric of southeast Iowa. They're teaching in local schools, running businesses along Jefferson Street, serving in the Iowa legislature, coaching in local gyms, and yes, occasionally sending their own kids back to SCC to start the journey all over again.

You Don't Have to Go Far to Go Far

There's a phrase around campus: "You don't have to go far to go far." It captures something essential about being a Blackhawk. You can start close to home, keep your costs low, stay connected to the people who matter to you, and still build a future that takes you anywhere. Some Blackhawks transfer to four-year universities. Some step directly into careers in healthcare, skilled trades, business, or technology. Some start businesses. Some come back years later to learn something new. All of them carry something with them.

Becoming One

If you're thinking about enrolling, here's the honest answer: becoming a Blackhawk isn't about hitting a GPA or passing an audition. It's about deciding you're ready for what's next, whatever that looks like for you, and choosing a place that will meet you where you are.

We are ready for you, Blackhawk.