Kirk Anderson, a 1993 graduate, sat down with the Observer to reflect about his current position as chief financial officer and vice president for finance and administration and his memories of his time at Augustana.
As the chief financial officer and vice president for finance and administration, Anderson oversees many different aspects that financial affect the college.
“First of all, it (the vice president of finance and administration) oversees the operation of the business office,” Anderson said. Then it oversees the operation of the bookstore, food service, grounds and maintenance, human resources, and IT. There’s a head of every one of those departments but they all funnel up through this role.”
Anderson didn’t think that he would be returning to Augustana as an employee.
“I really did not,” Anderson said. “I’m not sure why, after you always kind of thinking of moving on to other things and using the skills and people that you’ve met here to build on your career. But no I never really envisioned on coming back.”
Anderson graduated from Augustana in 1993. During his time at Augustana, he became one of the best scoring players in Augustana history. He is currently sitting fifth on the all-time scoring list with 1528 points.
Other highlight moments of his career was the game against the University of Wisconsin-Platteville where Anderson not only scored 41 points to give the Vikings a 100-86 win over one of the best teams in the country at the time, but also set a still standing NCAA record, in all divisions, of making 12 three-pointers in one game.
The coach of UW-Platteville recently stated in an article that he still thinks about the loss almost 12 years later.
The article stated, “’I ran two or three different defenders at a guy who made 3-point shots sideways, falling backwards,’ Ryan recalled as he illustrated the various angles of Anderson’s field goals. ‘I was waiting for him to head one in.’’”
Another moment was Anderson helping lead his time to the NCAA Division III tournament championship game, which Anderson said was the greatest moment in his Augie career.
“It was our run that we made our senior year in the tournament because our season was very similar to the season that the team had last year, where we made it all the way through the season, but were beaten in the final game,” Anderson said. “It was a downer where we had one more game… but as I reflect back 22 years after this happened, the things that I really value the most are the friendships that I developed and the teammates that I had.”
Anderson came from Arizona and remarked that he started playing “as soon as I (he) could walk.”
What drew Anderson to the school was the fact that his mom and his uncle were Augie alumni. But, Anderson didn’t see any aspects about Augie until he started there in the fall of 1989.
“I had never set foot on the Augustana campus until my first day of school. And at the time I had a close friend that was going here. That kind of drew me to the school, along with the fact that I had contact with the basketball coach and they were interested. The idea of playing basketball and going to a school that had an excellent reputation and also that backing from the standpoint that my mom being here.”
Anderson’s school spirit never left him as he still tries to go to basketball games when he can, cheering for the team as well as looking at the court that he made Augustana history on.