Dr. Isaac Pope, a Pueblo Junior College alumnus who played on the 1961 National Junior College Basketball Championship team, will deliver the keynote address Sunday at the commencement ceremony in Durango for graduates of Southwest Colorado Community College, a branch of Pueblo Community College

SCCC will graduate 151 on Sunday. The ceremony is on May 17 at 2 p.m. in the Fort Lewis College Community Concert Hall.

Since growing up in Tennessee, Pope has lived his credo that one individual can make a difference in peoples' lives. Perhaps it was instilled in him by his parents, who raised five children of their own and took in children who had lost their parents and elderly people who needed help.

"They and other members of the church were good examples of people taking care of people," Pope said.

He served in the Air Force for three years at Lowry Air Force Base in Colorado. While there, he attended and received his high school diploma from the Emily Griffith Opportunity School in Denver. Next, he attended Pueblo Junior College on football and basketball scholarships, and he was part of PJC's 1961 national championship team.

Pope went on to earn a bachelor's degree at Gonzaga University before joining the Peace Corps as a volunteer high school science teacher in West Africa. When he returned, he attended the University of Washington in Seattle and earned a master's in public administration.

Pope fulfilled a lifelong dream he'd had since being a child when he earned a medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine in 1974. After serving his internship and residency at the Madison Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash., he became a staff pediatrician at an Army hospital in Missouri.

After going into private pediatric practice in 1979 in Washington state, he devoted himself to improving the lives of children and families. He helped establish clinics for children with special health needs, low-cost exams for area high school athletes, free exams for Special Olympics athletes, and services to juveniles in correctional facilities.

Later, a bout with cancer caused Pope to sell his medical practice and launch Pope's Kids Place in Southwest Washington to provide comprehensive health and social services with a focus on children with special needs or who are financially disadvantaged. It now has a pediatric clinic, a day treatment and respite center for children and families, and an outreach program that identifies children and families with special needs.

"Special consideration is always given to identifying our commencement speaker, as I consider this individual to be a "gift" to our graduates," said Pueblo Community College President Patty Erjavec. "Dr. Pope is sure to bring a powerful, lasting message that will culminate our students' dedication to their pursuit of a higher education."

Mostly retired now, Pope remains active in his community and works as a part-time pediatrician at a juvenile correctional facility, and with The Chehalis Foundation.