On SUA’s 25th, Katherine King Reflects on Community and Connection

Next month marks 25 years since Soka University of America opened its Aliso Viejo campus, and Katherine King, executive vice president for university community and chief human resources officer, has been a part of SUA for the entirety of that journey. She first joined SUA staff in 1991 as an office manager at the Calabasas campus, where she helped open the graduate school in 1994. In those early days, King recalled, “everybody pitched in and did everything and anything” — whether that meant doing administrative work or lending a hand in the gift shop or cafeteria.

In her current role, King especially appreciates how overseeing the Office of Student Affairs and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has given her more regular opportunities to interact one-on-one with students.

“Seeing people from all different countries and walks of life coming together and having dialogue — that never leaves you,” she said. “It becomes a part of who you are. It nurtures you and helps you grow and develop.”

As SUA’s Homecoming and 25th anniversary celebration approaches on May 2, King reflected on the university’s achievements and what she hopes the next 25 years will hold for the university community.

As someone who has been a part of SUA since before the Aliso Viejo campus opened, what inspires you to do the work that you do?

I think it’s our community and the deep commitment everyone has to making our mission a reality. Our university founder, Daisaku Ikeda, gave us this profound mission of fostering a steady stream of global citizens committed to living a contributive life. Our students are what truly bring this mission to life.

As alumni, they each contribute to society in their own unique way, making a difference in their communities around the world. And we have amazing staff and faculty who bring genuine care to their work. Seeing that gives me joy and fulfillment, and it keeps me going every day.

What are some of the institutional milestones that stand out to you as you reflect over the past 25 years?

There are so many. In the early days, before the campus was built, we just had an architectural model and a vision of what it would look like. Seeing the buildings come together and finally moving to campus was the first milestone.

But the Aliso Viejo campus really came to life when we had the opening ceremony and welcomed our first students. There were many different people who contributed to making this happen: the faculty who worked hard to create the curriculum, the staff who helped bring everything together, and the donors whose contributions made everything possible.

I can vividly remember the feeling of excitement and anticipation, seeing the first students arrive. We weren’t accredited yet, so it was a big commitment for students to decide to come to SUA. And they arrived with so much hope. I will never forget that memory and why we’re doing what we’re doing.

What do you think should make SUA students, alumni, faculty, staff, and donors feel proud to be a part of this community?

We should feel proud of our sense of community and our ability to come together, even during challenging times. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, our faculty and staff ensured that students were able to have online classes. It took a lot of effort, especially since we didn’t have online classes previously, like other institutions. The faculty worked tirelessly to maintain classes. The IT department worked to make sure students had the right technology. The staff kept departments running to support students. 

The students were very resilient, even though it was hard to go home, and there were so many unknowns. It was a difficult time for everyone. But the community came together and focused on what was important: helping students receive the education they came to SUA for. And the university made sure that we didn’t have to cut any positions. There was such resilience and commitment from all over the community.

I believe we can also be proud of the difference students and alumni are making, both on campus and in their own communities around the world. It makes me proud to see how students and alumni care for one another, maintaining continuous connections and being there for each other. I often hear stories from alumni who say that the compassionate care they learned while at SUA inspired them to give back to their home communities.

The 25th anniversary celebration at Homecoming is coming up on Saturday, May 2. Why do you think it’s important for our community to celebrate this achievement?

It’s an important time for us to reflect on everything we’ve gone through to get where we are and how much each person has contributed to who we are at this moment. I’ve heard stories from our amazing donors, many of whom couldn’t get a higher education themselves, who did everything they could to support students getting an education at SUA.

We also share the same birthday with the city of Aliso Viejo, so it’s exciting for us to see how we’ve grown together with our local community. It’s a time of appreciation and a time to look toward the future with a lot of hope.

Looking forward to the next quarter century, how do you hope to see the SUA community continue to grow?

I’m really excited to see what the next 25 years will bring. What I look forward to most is seeing our students continue to inspire us and shape the future of the university. Over the years, I’ve seen how each generation of students brings something new, and I expect that will continue in ways we can’t fully imagine yet. And that’s really exciting.

I hope we can continue to expand our impact in our communities and be a source of hope and meaningful change, always grounded in our mission and the core values of wisdom, courage, and compassion. Each of our students and alumni is following their own unique path and contributing to the betterment of the world — and each member of the SUA community has played, and continues to play, a part in that.