Libby High to induct two distinguished graduates
Libby High School’s chapter of the National Honor Society will induct its new members Monday evening, in a ceremony which will also feature the addition of two new alumni into the Distinguished Graduates Hall of Fame.
“With the National Honor Society and the Distinguished Graduates on the same evening, we’re seeing the best of the current and the best of Libby’s legacy at the same time,” said Libby High School teacher Jeff Gruber. “In my personal opinion there’s a lack of appropriate role models in society today. Recognizing these distinguished alumni provides positive role models and ideals to which our students can aspire.”
This year’s Distinguished Graduates Hall of Fame inductees are Craig and Sandi (Rose) Solem. Craig Solem is a retired U.S. Navy captain currently working for Lockheed Martin and Sandi Solem is associate director for patient care services and nurse executive at VA San Diego Healthcare System.
After graduating from Libby High School, Craig was appointed to the United States Naval Academy by then-Senator Mike Mansfield. He played football for one year for the Midshipmen and competed for four years in track and field events, earning his letter throwing the javelin.
He graduated from the academy in 1975, with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, and earned his commission as a naval officer. He worked his way up the naval command structure, serving nine overseas deployments of six months or more. He earned a Master of Arts degree in national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College in 1993, and was promoted to captain in 1998. He commanded the amphibious assault ship USS Bellau Wood, with a crew of 950 sailors and 200 marines.
Additionally, he served as Assistant Chief of Staff for Communications, Computer and Combat Systems and Intelligence Systems on the staff of the Commander of U.S. Surface Forces coordinating and tracking the fielding of combat systems, C4ISR, cryptographic and IT upgrades. For is his final Navy assignment he commanded the Officer Training Command in Newport, RI for officer candidates and new officers joining the Navy.
Solem retired from the United States Navy after a 30-year career in 2005. He was then hired by Lockheed Martin, where he has worked with contracting opportunities involving the Navy’s space warfare systems centers. He was promoted to Senior Program Manager by the company in 2010 and relocated to San Diego, Calif.
Sandi Solem went from Libby High School to Montana State University in Bozeman, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing. Earning that degree was the beginning of her personal motto, “embracing change,” as the requirements of her degree program included travel to a number of locations around the state.
After graduation from MSU, Sandi moved to Roseburg, Ore., where she took a job with the VA hospital. In 1976 she and Craig married and she relocated to San Diego, Calif., where she continued her work with the Veterans Administration health care services. While there she earned her Masters of Science in nursing at the University of San Diego and began her career in education. She began her teaching career with a post at the University of Hawaii, following one of her husband’s many military relocations.
After another move back to San Diego, Calif., Sandi was teaching at Point Loma Nazarene University and took the opportunity to return to her own education, earning a PhD in nursing from the University of San Diego in 2002. She then took over as the director of the Master of Nursing program at Point Loma and championed the program from that position. She was honored with the 2015 Arthur E. Hughes Career Achievement Award from the University of San Diego based upon her impressive career and accomplishments. She retired in 2015.
Craig said the award is a glimpse into Sandi’s character.
“[The award] gives a very nice tribute to her accomplishments,” he said. “As I was assigned various new jobs regularly in the Navy, many of which required us to move, she always had to find employment and was the one who spent the most time raising our two great children while I was making overseas deployments.”
Sandi said being recognized as a Libby High School Distinguished Graduate is a humbling experience.
“I am humbled to accept this honor and contribute my career to the encouragement and consistent support from family, teachers and mentors to further my education.”
Craig echoed similar sentiment.
“I am very humbled to be selected and was blessed with a great foundation to excel as I left Libby High School,” he said.
Craig said he would encourage students today to be bold and enjoy their lives without fear of making mistakes.
“Be bold, be curious, be confident and be true to yourself and to your values,” he said. “Enjoy each step of your lives’ journeys and do not be afraid to make some mistakes.”
Sandi said her message to today’s students is to be their best self.
“Continue to ask questions,” she said. “Be your best self and find joy in the work your pursue.”
The Solems have a son, Eric, and his wife, Sarah, and two grandsons, Sam and Owen and a daughter, Kara. They are in the process of building a home in the Whitefish area and plan to return there into live full time in the summer of 2016. They continue to enjoy hiking, fishing, golf, bicycling, skiing and snowshoeing and camping.