Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Class of 2025: After decades away from college, Kelly Grant is launching toward a career as an astrophysicist

Photos and story by Misty Bouse

Kelly Grant isn’t just graduating; he is launching.

After returning to Portland Community College nearly three decades after first enrolling, Grant graduated this June with a trio of degrees, high honors and a mission aimed at the stars. A member of the 2025 All-Oregon Academic Team, he is an aspiring astrophysicist whose academic journey has defied gravity, time, and convention.

Grant began his PCC story in 1996, stepping away shortly after to care for his terminally ill father. He spent the following decades raising a family and working full time, all while caring for others, including his wife, who is disabled. When tech industry layoffs opened an unexpected door, the Southern Oregon resident saw a deferred dream finally within reach.

“This has been a long journey filled with challenges,” he said. “But I’ve somehow balanced schooling with the rest of life while managing a 4.0 GPA, placement on the President’s List every semester, induction into two honors societies, and now selection to the All-Oregon Academic Team.”

Along with these honors, Grant graduated with three associate degrees (Arts, Science and General Studies). In the fall, he will transfer to the University of Oregon’s Physics Program, aiming his intellectual telescope toward a doctorate in astrophysics.

For Grant, the physics program is more than a curriculum; it is propulsion.

“Physics provides the perfect foundation for a doctorate in astrophysics,” he said. “I’m especially interested in adaptive optics, dark matter, and big data research. Science is a rigorous, ever-evolving lens through which we examine and understand the universe. I want to ensure that discoveries benefit everyone, especially underrepresented groups in science.”

His aspirations revolve around democratizing access to research tools and data through innovations in adaptive optical systems to view outer space. He said these tools could one day enable citizen scientists to contribute to cutting-edge discoveries from backyard observatories.

Along the way, Grant credits PCC’s student support infrastructure and key programs to launch him toward his goals. He received powerful boosts from PCC’s TRIO Program, faculty, and a network of scholarships and college resources. Plus, the college’s flexible course delivery approach, where students can take classes online, in person, hybrid or a mix, allowed him to take classes remotely.

“I had corporate experience but no idea how to navigate college,” he said. “TRIO, PCC’s instructors and countless scholarships made the difference. They didn’t just help me succeed; they helped me believe it was possible.”

He received plenty of financial assistance along the way. Grant earned the Oregon Opportunity and Promise grants, the federal Pell Grant, Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholarship, and numerous state and local foundation scholarships. Last summer, when financial aid was delayed due to the FAFSA changes, he said that, “PCC provided emergency support to help keep a roof over our heads.”

Grant has returned the favor by serving as a student peer mentor in TRIO, facilitating online study halls and mentoring fellow students. To him, PCC is more than a college, but a launchpad for student success.

Now, Grant has been awarded much-needed fuel to launch him into the next academic phase in the form of multiple UO scholarships (General University, Diversity Excellence, Academic Recognition Award, and Crankstart Re-entry), in addition to the Renaissance Foundation and Mercer Family Foundation scholarships.

“I’ve been accepted into the UO TRIO program, and I am in the process of becoming a McNair Scholar as well,” added Grant. “PCC gave me the freedom and tools to pursue what I once thought was impossible. That means everything.”

For more information on student belonging at PCC, visit the college’s resource page.