Jessica Conway / Roundup
“I will miss my colleagues a lot, but I know I will keep in touch with them, it’s the students I will really miss, they are such an incredible part of my experience here.”
Among the indigenous material of Pierce College’s Botanical garden professor of biology, Kate Kubach, discussed her future retirement.
Her and her husband, professor James Rikel are both planning to retire after this semester.
Kubach has been teaching here for more than 18 years, along with Rikel who has been teaching here for nearly 32 years.
“We are ready to go on and see what the next phase of life brings,” she said with excitement in her eyes, “We plan on going to the Central Coast one day, to experience the world and a new community.”
She plans to live through her passion for plants and life in more ways such as traveling, hiking, and bike riding.
“I love to be active and get myself out there in new ways, my biggest passion is birding, which I plan to continue outside of my career.”
Along with countless bright future she has played a huge roll in, she will be most remembered for the Botanical Garden she helped create along with the wonderful Biology Major Program.
“Helping form the Botanical garden with Pat Farris, and Dr. James Rikel started around 7 years ago, with lots of hard work involved.”
Pierce College will always be reminded daily of the amazing things Kubach has done, through the beautiful garden.
In return she will never forget the hard work and help her students who volunteered to do when she had put the Botanical garden together with no money.
“My students and colleagues have made an incredible impression on my life and to the college during my career here,” she said.
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Professors Kate Kubach and James Rikel have a combined 50 years of teaching between them. ()