A new program has sprung up at Kalamazoo College that stands as a testament to the Kalamazoo community’s collective efforts to make K more accessible and sustainable. This winter break, Student Development helped shuttle students to and from airports to address the burden of high transportation costs for out of state students.  

This initiative was the brainchild of Sally Read, Director of Student Engagement and Haley Mangette, Assistant Director of Student Engagement, who now coordinate the program. They began offering rides last winter break in 2024 after hearing concerns from students about the obstacles they face getting to the airport to travel home for breaks. Students flying out from Grand Rapids (GRR) sometimes have to pay $60-100 for an Uber ride to the city from Kalamazoo. Alternatively, flights from Kalamazoo (AZO) are more accessible, but tend to be more limited in airlines which can lead to higher prices. There also tend to be more direct flights coming out of GRR or Detroit compared to a smaller airport like AZO, which significantly reduces carbon emissions compared to connecting flights. This program is primarily focused on making K more accessible for out of state students who face larger functional and financial challenges. The shuttle service transported 21 students leaving for winter break in 2024 and 43 students returning in January 2025. The program ramped up last year, with more students relying on the shuttle service for last year’s spring break and the start of the 2025 fall trimester. This past winter break, 64 students were driven to airports in November and 42 students were shuttled back to school in January.

The shuttle service is not just a step forward in accessibility and community-building, but also advances sustainability efforts on campus. Most of the students were transported in groups, especially on further trips to GRR where they usually drove 3-5 students at a time, and sometimes upwards of ten students at once. Compared to each student individually taking an Uber, this cuts trips to the airport by half. “This program is really important to me because it speaks to the value of a community like K, and how social justice and environmental justice have to go hand-in-hand,” says Sally Read, “The more we see ourselves as a community, not just individuals, the better we can share resources to make sure everyone gets what they need.”  

So who makes this program possible? The K community does! Read explains, “We rely heavily on volunteers, and we’ve been really grateful for people’s willingness to give their time to help students.” In addition to the Office of Student Activities, other groups have provided support and funding for this program, such as Outdoor Programs, the Intercultural Center, and the Center for Career and Professional Development. Most drivers are regular volunteers, with 15-20 staff and faculty involved. It speaks to the investment and cooperation of the K community that volunteers come from every part of Kalamazoo College, from student drivers to members of the President’s staff.  

The future of this sustainable initiative looks quite positive! Mangette and Read are hoping to improve the program by coordinating some larger group rides to Detroit or Chicago next winter, with the possibility of taking up to 35 students at once using one of the college buses. It would not only save students money to fly from one of these hubs, but reduce carbon emissions by taking even less trips as well as cutting the need for connecting flights. We can’t wait to see this initiative bloom and provide support to more members of the K community.