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Reintegrating Through Art, Routine, and Reflection: Kevin Carroll

The College of Liberal Arts is proud to honor Kevin Carroll as the 2024–2025 Outstanding Bachelor of Fine Arts Student in the Department of Art. A senior with a minor in art history, Kevin’s path to this recognition includes years of military service, parenthood, and a deepening creative practice grounded in discipline, reintegration, and intention.

Carroll’s return to the classroom came after nearly 11 years of service in the military. That transition—from a world of constant structure and accountability to one of open-ended possibility—was jarring. “It is hard to reintegrate into a society where nothing’s really expected of you,” he said. “One day you’re accountable for someone else’s actions in another department… and the next, you’re just allowed to be in the world. It’s kind of weird.”

What helped, he said, was UAF’s unique environment—one where the art department, student employment, and veteran-friendly support systems offered connection and purpose. “Being part of the UAF community really helped with reintegration,” Carroll said. “It was so relaxed, and the professors were wise to the idea that there are a lot of veterans in the community.”

Carroll began working full-time for UAF Facilities as a sheet metal technician while taking one or two classes at a time, building relationships across the campus and community. “That job let me meet lifelong friends—not just other students, but people from Fairbanks itself,” he said. “And UAF always has things going on that involve the community. I love that about this place.”

Now a full-time student and father to a toddler, Carroll’s motivations are rooted in both personal values and practical realities. “This is a job for me,” he explained. “I’m using the GI Bill, and if I don’t pass my classes, I lose the monthly housing allowance that helps support my family. So I have to show up. I have to produce.”

And yet, beyond necessity, there’s meaning. “Even if I don’t like the class, I try to extract something from it that makes that time away from my kid worth it,” he said. “I feel guilty when I’m not with him, so I have to make it count.”

Carroll brings a wide array of interests to his academic path. In addition to his BFA in art, he’s nearly completed minors in physics and mathematics. “I don’t know if I’ll do that on this iteration of my degree,” he said with a smile, “but maybe on the next one.”

As for the future, Carroll is keeping his options open. He’s drawn to teaching and mentoring, especially given the state’s need for educators, but he’s also interested in hospice work or even becoming a death doula. “Having gone through a lot in my life, I feel like I could give something to people on either end of the spectrum—those just starting out, or those on their way out,” he said.

Carroll’s story speaks to the strength of the UAF Art Department and the College of Liberal Arts more broadly—spaces that embrace nontraditional students, support creative exploration, and empower individuals to align their academic work with the challenges and transformations of real life.