PORT ANGELES — Corey Delikat has wanted to spend his time in parks.
During his 19-year career, he has climbed the ladder in Port Angeles to become the parks and streets superintendent.
But he always knew returning to school for a bachelor’s degree would be key to continuing to advance his career.
Delikat will receive the diploma for his business management degree as he participates with about 150 other Peninsula College graduates in commencement ceremonies at the college’s gymnasium on the Port Angeles campus at 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd., at 2 p.m. today.
State Supreme Court Justice Susan Owens, who served 19 years as a District Court judge in the West End before she was elected to the Supreme Court in 2000, will deliver the keynote address, “Why Bother?”
A reception will follow the ceremony.
A total of 356 students applying for degrees are receiving 382 degrees or certificates.
Delikat said he chose Peninsula College because it was close to home and he could take classes in person.
“This is a great local program and for it to be here and not an online program and actually go to classes and get questions answered, I feel that we have the best instructors as well,” he said.
Juggling a full-time job and near full-time school wasn’t always easy.
Delikat — who already had an associate degree from Peninsula College — selected the three-year program for a bachelor’s degree instead of the two-year program.
“It has definitely been a juggle,” he said.
“But the city was always willing to let me take time off if I had to go take a test or something like that.
“Then after that I’d go and make up my hours and work after hours.”
Delikat said his ultimate goal is to become a parks director.
“I feel like I have the 19 years of experience and the business management degree will go hand-in-hand with that as well as with a lot of the issues I deal with,” he said.
He said that in addition to his 40 hours a week at work — “and that is minimum,” he said — he also did about 20 hours a week in homework alone.
“Even though it was a lot of work, I would say anyone who wanted to further their career and do it from here at home, this program is great because of the instructors and the smaller classes and everything about it,” he said.
He said his wife, Melissa, was tolerant of his busy schedule.
“She works up at the college so that was also very helpful,” he said.
One thing that did fall by the wayside were his daily workouts, though, he said.
“I officially finished in March and since then I’ve gone back to the gym and lost about 45 pounds,” he said.
“I ran the half-marathon last weekend and have been doing some work on my house that has been on hold for the last several years.”
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.