A remarkable journey

This year’s recipient of the Community College President’s Award in Honor of Val Ogden is Evans Kaame, a student who has been through much and traveled far to pursue his educational dreams.

About Evans Kaame

Evans Kaame was born and raised in a small community in northwestern Kenya. After his father died, the family was thrown into hardship and poverty. “I watched my younger siblings crying as my mom left early in the morning and came home at 9 p.m.,” he recalled. “We didn’t know if we were going to eat at night or not.” 

When Kaame was in his early teens, he decided to leave home and live on the streets to ease the burden on his mother and siblings. “The street was a new life with so many barriers … but because tragedies happen in life, I had to do this,” he said. “I had no other option. I fought cold nights in the street … being on drugs and breaking into people’s homes. I had to survive. I had no choice.” 

In 2009, the course of Kaame’s life changed once again, when a charity called New Hope Children entered him into its program providing housing and education to street children. At New Hope, Kaame’s academic potential became realized. He graduated from high school in 2016 at the top of his class. However, his challenges were not yet over: He could not afford to enroll in college in Kenya. 

New Hope’s founder, Rachael Swanson, lives in Vancouver and graduated from Clark College. She encouraged Kaame to apply to Clark, and in 2018, after securing a student visa and scholarship funding from Clark College Foundation, Kaame enrolled at Clark as an international student. 

Kaame has thrived at Clark College. This past academic year, he has served as student government president. He has run on the college’s track-and-field and cross-country teams. He has volunteered with multiple local organizations, as well as at Clark College’s Penguin Pantry and as a Peer Mentor for international students. And he has earned a Grade Point Average of more than 3.9 while doing so. 

After graduating from Clark College with his transfer Associate in Arts degree, Kaame intends to continue his studies, focusing on business administration, political science, and comparative religious studies. He hopes to one day create a global initiative focused on leadership and management. 

About the Community College President’s Award

The Community College President’s Award in honor of Val Ogden is given each year to a student who has completed their studies at Clark College and is transferring to Washington State University Vancouver. They receive full tuition and fees for two years while they finish their bachelor’s degree at WSU Vancouver. The award is traditionally announced during that year’s Commencement ceremony.