Honorees with their nominators, left to right: Jody Campbell, Rhona Sen Hoss, Temple Lentz, Jim Mains, Deena Pierott, Paul Speer, Carolyn N. Long, Lisa Schauer, Judie Stanton, and Jane Johnson.

On March 8, while people around the world celebrated International Women’s Day, members of the local community gathered in Gaiser Student Center to honor five women’s contributions to Southwest Washington at the 2017 Iris Awards.

Guests enjoyed refreshments and light fare provided by Beaches Restaurant as they celebrated the honorees. Ceremonies began with greetings from Clark College Chief Information Officer Chato Hazelbaker and President Bob Knight, after which the evening was turned over to emcee Renee Newman, who introduced speeches by both the honorees and their nominators.

Emcee Renee Newman, welcoming Iris Award attendees

This year’s Iris Award recipients were:

• Jody Campbell of The Columbian
• Temple Lentz of Cascade Sotheby’s International Realty and High Five Media
• Deena Pierott of iUrban Teen and Mosaic Blueprint
• Carolyn N. Long of Washington State University Vancouver
• Judie Stanton of the League of Women Voters of Clark County

This annual ceremony has a long tradition in this community. The event began in 1985 as a photography exhibit during Women’s History Week, which later developed into a larger awards program and ceremony known as the Southwest Washington Women of Achievement Awards. In 2012, the event was reintroduced as the Iris Awards with the same core mission: honoring the women of Southwest Washington for their outstanding contributions in the categories of public, private, and philanthropic service.

The 2017 Iris Award Recipients

Jody Campbell

The first honoree to take the stage was Jody Campbell, who joined The Columbian at 21 years old and is now the newspaper’s co-owner, editorial board member, and director of community partnerships. As director, Campbell supports hundreds of nonprofit organizations in Southwest Washington by providing a platform for promotion and exposure of their important work in the community.

“In my role as The Columbian’s Community Partnerships Director, I’m able to give back on a different level,” said Campbell, as she was presented with her award. “This includes having the unique opportunity to give away money every year to local nonprofits through advertising partnerships. The programs we offer provide the support necessary for them to thrive in Southwest Washington.”

Campbell’s generous spirit extends beyond her work at The Columbian. Along with her friend, Rhona Sen Hoss—a previous Iris Award honoree who presented Campbell with her award at the ceremony—Campbell co-founded Pink Power, an annual fundraising event that helped build the Kearney Breast Care Center at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center.

Temple Lentz

Next, an award was presented to community advocate and marketing professional Temple Lentz. In her decade-plus of living in Southwest Washington, Lentz has made a sizeable impact on the region.

Lentz is a business director for Cascade Sotheby’s International Realty, as well as a partner and director of content and communications for High Five Media, a political and marketing consulting firm. High Five Media produces the popular live talk show, “Hello Vancouver!” which Lentz co-created and hosts on a regular basis.

From her former days as the anonymous blogger behind the satirical website The Daily ‘Couve to the current host of “Hello Vancouver!” Lentz has long shown herself to be a champion—and sometimes good-humored critic—of all things Vancouver, said High Five Media partner Jim Mains, who presented Lentz with her award.

In her previous role as executive director of the Parks Foundation of Clark County, Lentz facilitated close to $1 million in grants and donations for local parks and recreation programs over a year and a half period, according to Mains.

Lentz’s love of Vancouver shone through as she received her award.

“When I got here [to Vancouver], I finally felt like I was home. … There are good people here who work together to make a difference,” Lentz said. “I am endlessly impressed by our community, and I am impressed by the dedication of the people here to make their home a better place. Not just for now, but for generations to come.”

Deena Pierott

Deena Pierott delivered a special message to her granddaughter Leila

Next on stage was Deena Pierott, the founder and executive director of iUrban Teen, a nationally recognized program providing career-focused education and mentoring to underrepresented teens. Pierott is also the president and CEO of Mosaic Blueprint, a boutique consulting firm specializing in recruiting, multicultural communications, and equity and inclusion training.

“For me to work in diversity, equity, and inclusion work was a natural—that was my calling,” said Pierott as she received her award. “And with iUrban Teen, making sure that these youth, who don’t usually have access to information or jobs, making sure that they are exposed to these opportunities and they are given every opportunity like everyone else, that they’re being included—to me, that’s success.”

While Pierott’s work has been recognized by many organizations, from Ebony Magazine to the White House, she had never received an award in her hometown, and she expressed how meaningful it was to have her family attend the Iris Awards ceremony. As Pierott spoke of her family, she invited her young granddaughter, Leila, to the stage and spoke directly to her.

“In honor of International Women’s Day, Leila, I have a message for you,” she said. “I hope that one day you will recognize what this honor is for your grandmother, and that you will recognize the path that I am laying out in front of you. We are the dream of our ancestors. We’re standing on their shoulders. And it’s our responsibility to honor them by moving forward in life with grace, purpose and integrity.”

Dr. Carolyn N. Long

Dr. Carolyn Long with former Washington Secretary of State, Sam Reed

A new addition to the 2017 ceremony was the Iris H-RoC award, presented to Washington State University Vancouver political science professor Dr. Carolyn N. Long. This award category honors women in the community who have promoted civil discourse, teamwork, collaboration, and cooperation. H-RoC, a non-partisan political action committee dedicated to the advancement of women leaders in Southwest Washington, sponsored this award.

“We’re proud to be recognizing tonight the contributions of a pioneer, a champion, and an advocate for civil discourse,” said H-RoC member and previous Iris Award honoree Lisa Schauer as she introduced Dr. Long.

Recently, Dr. Long was named the Sam Reed Distinguished Professor in Civic Education and Public Civility. In 2015, she helped launch the Initiative for Public Deliberation, a program sponsored by WSUV and the Thomas S. Foley Institute that brings together the community to foster discussions on difficult issues.

“I want to thank you for this award, but I actually think my receiving it is less important than what the award actually represents. And what it represents is a community identifying the issues of incivility in our politics and how damaging that can be to our political culture.”

Dr. Long said she sees a way through political rancor and encouraged attendees to have conversations with and listen to one another, especially when holding differing viewpoints.

Judie Stanton

The ceremony concluded with the presentation of the second annual Iris Legacy Award to Judie Stanton. This award category honors a previous Iris or Women of Achievement award recipient whose continued leadership remains an enduring inspiration for others. Stanton was first honored in in 2002 as a Woman of Achievement for her leadership as a Clark County Commissioner.

Currently, Stanton is the co-chair of the League of Women Voters of Clark County, where she runs board meetings, provides direction and oversight, and represents Clark County at various regional levels within the organization. In 2014, Stanton was appointed by Governor Jay Inslee to the state of Washington’s Commission on Judicial Conduct.

“It has been my good fortune to be a member of many boards and organizations over the years,” said Stanton as she spoke about her community service work. “I’ve learned from every experience. [Being a member of the League of Women Voters] provides a great education in civics, civility, and the value of inclusiveness. I would encourage all of you to take advantage of learning experiences available through your involvement with boards and organizations.”

For more information about the Iris Awards, visit clark.edu/cc/irisawards.

View photos from the event on our Flickr page.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Students competing at the 2017 Southwest Washington Regional Science Olympiad.

Burning marshmallows, miniature hovercrafts, robotic arms, and the perennial favorite, bottle rockets, were a just a few of the 48 activities featured at this year’s Southwest Regional Science Olympiad Tournament, which took place at Clark College on Saturday, March 4.

Mid-experiment at the Science Olympiad.

More than 350 young scientists from 20 middle-school and 18 high-school teams competed in the Olympiad, coming from as far north as La Push, Washington, and as far south as Corvallis, Oregon. Winning teams from the regional competition earned spots in the Washington State Science Olympiad, which will take place at Highline College in Des Moines, Washington, on April 15.

Science Olympiad is a national nonprofit organization that encourages a love of science through educational opportunities, hands-on activities, and regional, state, and national tournaments.

STEM Coordinator Erin Harwood, who oversaw the planning and logistics for the tournament, said she was very pleased with the outcome of the event.

“We’ve had a four-year break from hosting any Science Olympiad event this large, and it’s been a very long time since we hosted a regional event, so this was a nice change and a great way to get back to hosting again,” she said. “It was really amazing how many students volunteered, and the faculty and staff–even the Dean!–got in on helping out.”

Clark students volunteered to help make the Olympiad possible.

More than 130 volunteers—most of them Clark College students, employees, and alumni—helped make the event possible.

At the end of the day, the school teams, event volunteers, and others who participated in the tournament gathered in the O’Connell Sports Complex gymnasium for an awards ceremony filled with energy and enthusiasm. Students from the Quileute Tribal School, whose team had traveled the farthest to participate in the Olympiad, shared a song and words of encouragement with the other attendees before the awards were announced. Eleven teams, five from middle schools and six from high schools, will be continuing on to the state tournament. Camas schools will represent a full five of those eleven teams moving on to the state level.

The following teams will be advancing to the Washington state competition:

B DIVISION (MIDDLE SCHOOL)

• 1^ST PLACE: Skyridge (Blue Team)
• 2^ND PLACE: Liberty (Black Team)
• 3^RD PLACE: Skyridge (Green Team)
• 4^TH PLACE: Jason Lee (Red Team)
• 5^TH PLACE: ExCEL

C DIVISION  (HIGH SCHOOL)

• 1^ST PLACE: Camas (Black Team)
• 2^ND PLACE: Camas (Red Team)
• 3^RD PLACE: Woodinville
• 4^TH PLACE: Union (Black Team)
• 5^TH PLACE: Skyline
• 6^TH PLACE: Washougal (Black Team)

For more photos of the event, visit our Flickr album.

Article contributed by Nova Gump

Photos: Clark College/Nova Gump

Temple Lentz, Deena Pierott, and Jody Campbell are recipients of the 2017 Iris Awards.

Five women will be honored at the 2017 Iris Awards, honoring women of achievement in Southwest Washington. They will receive the awards at a ceremony held March 8 at Clark College.

Three Iris Awards for exceptional leadership, philanthropy and community service will be presented to Deena Pierott, founder of the nonprofit iUrban Teen and president of Mosaic Blueprint; Temple Lentz, host of the “Hello Vancouver!” talk show and former Parks Foundation executive director; and Jody Campbell, director of community partnerships for The Columbian newspaper.

Dr. Carolyn Long is the recipient of a new award category, sponsored by H-RoC, a non-partisan political action committee dedicated to the advancement of elected and appointed female leaders in Southwest Washington, to honor a woman in the community who has promoted civil discourse, teamwork, collaboration and cooperation. Additionally, the second annual Legacy Award will be presented to Judie Stanton, co-chair of the League of Women Voters of Clark County. Stanton was first honored in 2002 for her service as a county commissioner. The Legacy Award is presented to a former Iris Award or Women of Achievement recipient whose continued leadership remains an enduring inspiration for others.

The event is open to the public and tickets are on sale through the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce at http://www.vancouverusa.com/events/details/2017-iris-awards-reception-13714. The cost is $35 per person. A table sponsorship, which includes eight tickets, can be purchased for $310. Seating is limited.

Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps. Anyone needing accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services Office at (360) 992-2314 or (360) 991-0901 (VP), or visit Penguin Union Building room 013, by February 26.

About the Iris Awards

The Iris Awards follow in the tradition of the Southwest Washington Women of Achievement Awards, which began in 1985 at Clark College. In 2012, the event was reintroduced as the Iris Awards, still celebrated on or around International Women’s Day (March 8) and with the same core mission: honoring the lasting and far-reaching contributions of women in Southwest Washington and beyond.

This year’s awards are sponsored by Clark College, the Clark College Foundation, the Vancouver Business Journal, the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, and H-RoC. The Iris Award winners will be featured in the Vancouver Business Journal’s 2017 “Women in Business” directory, the only Portland/Vancouver metro area directory of businesses that are owned, directed or managed by women.

2017 Iris Award Recipients

Deena Pierott

Deena Pierott

A passion for inclusion and equal opportunity drives Deena Pierott’s work in both the private and public sectors. As the founder and executive director of iUrban Teen, a nationally recognized program providing career-focused education and mentoring to underrepresented teens, Pierott helps expose science, technology, engineering, arts and math careers to young men of color and aims to create an employment pipeline of diverse talent into technology fields. Since the organization was founded in 2011 in Portland, Oregon, iUrban Teen has served over 4,000 youth and expanded to five states.

Pierott is also the president and CEO of Mosaic Blueprint, a boutique consulting firm located in Vancouver, Washington. The company specializes in recruiting and on-boarding; multi-cultural communications; equity and inclusion training; and event planning. For the past seven years, Pierott has been the chief organizer of the Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast at Clark College.

Pierott’s achievements have been widely recognized. In 2013, she was honored by the White House as a Champion of Change for Technology. Her other recognitions include: Washington State African American Achievement Award (2017), AKA Global Impact Award (2016), Ebony Magazine Power 100 List (2013), Business Journal Orchid Award (2013), and MED Week Minority Business of the Year (2010).

Temple Lentz

Temple Lentz

Community advocate, fundraising and marketing professional, and political consultant Temple Lentz has made a sizable impact on Southwest Washington during her 10 years of residency. As the former executive director of the Parks Foundation of Clark County, an agency that administers donations and gifts for local parks and recreation programs, Lentz was instrumental in facilitating more than $750,000 in grants and donations to support projects throughout Clark County. Showing her interest in good governance, Lentz was elected as a Clark County Freeholder in 2013; in that position, she helped write and pass a new county charter.

Lentz is also a partner and director of content and communications for High Five Media, a political and marketing consulting firm. High Five Media also produces “Hello Vancouver!” a live talk show about Vancouver and Clark County that Lentz conceived and co-created, and which she hosts regularly in Downtown Vancouver. Through the show, she provides an important spotlight for local causes and organizations.

Early in 2017, Lentz joined Cascade Sotheby’s International Realty as business director.

In addition to her professional efforts, Lentz is an active volunteer, having served as board member for Friends of the Columbia River Gorge, Arts of Clark County, Leadership Clark County, and KXRW Radio.

Jody Campbell

Jody Campbell

Jody Campbell joined The Columbian newspaper at 21 years old. Three decades later, she is now a co-owner, sits on the editorial board, and spearheads The Columbian’s community giving efforts. As the director of community partnerships, Campbell has been instrumental in supporting nonprofit organizations in Southwest Washington through advertising sponsorships and public service announcements. Each year, Campbell manages the advertising portfolios for hundreds of nonprofits that work for diverse causes, including: breast cancer research, hunger and homelessness, affordable housing, social justice, education, and women’s rights. Through community partnerships with The Columbian, nonprofit groups are able to promote their programs and fundraising efforts more effectively.

Campbell is a board member of the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington and the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce and a member of Empower Women + Girls, a giving circle of more than 50 local women that uses member donations to award grants to organizations working towards gender equality. She also co-founded Pink Power, an annual fundraising event that helped build the Kearney Breast Care Center at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, Washington, which provides digital mammography and medical care services for breast cancer.

2017 Iris H-ROC Award: Dr. Carolyn Long

Dr. Carolyn Long

Washington State University Vancouver political science professor Dr. Carolyn Long has an extensive history in the field of civics and promoting civil discourse. She received bachelor’s degrees in political science and in rhetoric and communication from the University of Oregon and a Ph.D. in political science from Rutgers University. Dr. Long’s research interests focus on American institutions, public law, and American public policy, and she was recently named as the Sam Reed Distinguished Professor in Civic Education and Public Civility.

In 2015, Dr. Long helped launch the Initiative for Public Deliberation, a program sponsored by WSUV and the Thom

as S. Foley Institute that brings together students, faculty, and community members with different opinions and perspectives for small-group discussions. Participants learn listening skills, practice facilitating conversations, and enhance understanding of complex policy issues. The ultimate goal of the program is to strengthen democratic government by replacing partisanship with collaborative problem-solving.

In addition to her academic work, Dr. Long is a regular speaker and panelist for local organizations such as the Rotary Club, CREDC Clark County, and H-RoC. Dr. Long’s recent topics of discussion have included local economic forecasting, intergovernmental relations, and an examination of incivility in the 2016 elections.

2017 Iris Legacy Award: Judie Stanton

Judie Stanton

Judie Stanton is the co-chair of the League of Women Voters (LWV) of Clark County. Formed in 1920, LWV is a non-partisan civic organization that encourages active participation of all citizens in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy. As co-chair, Stanton runs board meetings, provides direction and oversight, and represents Clark County at the local, state, and national levels within the organization. Stanton was instrumental in leading discussions for a Washington state study on climate change and supporting the national LWV “Get Out the Vote” initiative. She is recognized within the Clark County community for providing consistent, thoughtful, and balanced leadership.

Stanton also serves as a member of the state of Washington’s Commission on Judicial Conduct (CJC), an appointment she was granted by Governor Jay Inslee in 2014. The CJC oversees the process of all complaints and discipline of judicial officers in the state of Washington.

Stanton received a Women in Achievement award in 2002 for her leadership and commitment to community involvement as a Clark County Commissioner. Through her ongoing contributions to the region, Stanton continues make an invaluable impact on Southwest Washington.

Gov. Jay Inslee visits with children in the Oliva Family Early Learning Center.

Governor Jay Inslee stopped by Clark College on Jan. 24 to tour the Oliva Family Early Learning Center and learn about the college’s approach to early learning.

Inslee had a chance to tour the 5,000 square-foot building, which features large windows and many natural elements in a space that comprises a toddler classroom, a preschool classroom, an industrial kitchen, and a spacious family meeting area warmed by a stone fireplace.

It was in that family room that a small group of staff, parents, and students gathered with Inslee to share what makes Clark’s Child and Family Services (CFS) program special, including the focus on experiential education for children, the workforce training for students studying Early Childhood Education (ECE), and the unusual level of parental involvement.

Parents whose children are enrolled in the CFS program attend parenting classes each quarter. “The parent credit is very unique,” said Michele Volk, Director of Child and Family Services. “Families are the first and best teachers for young people.”

Lisa Trisler attended Clark’s CFS program as a child and later enrolled her own daughter, Laurel, in the program. “As a part of my daughter’s education, I participated in the classroom, I was involved with her teachers, and I gained additional knowledge as a parent,” said Trisler. “I was pulled right into her education. We wouldn’t have had this experience in a traditional preschool setting.”

Gov. Jay Inslee gives a commemorative coin from his last inauguration to Laurel Trisler while Laurel’s mother, Lisa, observes, in the building that her family helped fund.

Her family so appreciated their experience that Trisler’s parents, Jan and Steve Oliva, donated funding to help make the new Early Learning Center a reality. The state of Washington provided $1 million for the project on the condition that the college raise matching funds. The Olivas’ gift allowed the project to move forward.

“We are proud of our public-private partnership,” said Dr. Tim Cook, Vice President of Instruction. The program may need to reach out to more private donors in the future: While the Oliva Center is considered a model child care facility for the region, much of the Child & Family Studies program is still housed in older buildings that will need to be replaced.

Inslee expressed his plans to fund early childhood education through the state budget and emphasized the importance of making an early investment in Washington’s youth, noting that there is a legal imperative as well as a social one for investing in education—namely, the recent McCleary Decision on Public Education Funding and Reform, which ordered state lawmakers to fully fund public schools through the state budget and address disparities between districts.

“The McCleary decision doesn’t include early childhood, but we think it is vital,” said Inslee who has stated in the past that he considers early learning an important part of closing the opportunity gap. In 2015, Inslee helped pass the Early Start Act, which raised standards for early learning facilities statewide.

Inslee’s visit to Clark concluded with a tour of classrooms led by current ECE student Miranda Malagon and a look the Little Penguins Garden outdoor play area. Clark’s CFS program places an emphasis on outdoor learning and is one of the few preschool programs with a dedicated outdoor teacher.

Summer Brown, Clark College Counseling & Health Center employee and parent of 2-year-old twins enrolled in CFS, sees the value of CFS in both her own life and the community: “My children are taught by teachers of 30 years. Former graduates go on to be teachers themselves. There is a continuous effort to keep people involved in the community.

“My kids have really benefitted,” said Brown.

To view more photos of the Governor’s visit, please visit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/clark_college/albums/72157679608103825

Photos: Clark College/Nick Bremer

Haley Tucker

Thirty-Eighty Penguins got up and moving during the month of October for the second Walktober Challenge against the WSU Vancouver Cougars and the Lower Columbia College Red Devils. Collectively, Clark logged in 12,412,963 steps — earning second place in the college challenge. Way to go, Penguins!

The top three participants at Clark were:

• 1st Place: Haley Tucker 1,019,955 steps
• 2nd Place: Garrett Hoyt 953,790 steps
• 3rd Place: Travis Kibota 673,157 steps

Article and photos submitted by Vanessa Neal.

Clark staff, faculty, and students participated in a special Veterans Day photo on Nov. 10, 2016.

The Veterans Resource Center would like to thank everyone who participated in our Veterans Day photo on November 10. As you can see from the image, it was a huge success. We hope to grow this annual celebration so veterans in our community know how much we appreciate their service. Thank you for all you do for our veteran community.

This photo and article submitted by Kelly Jones.

On Thursday, October 6, Clark College will host a panel discussion about the rise in income inequality and the widening opportunity gap.

Income Inequality: Is the American Dream at Risk? takes place at 6 p.m. in Foster Auditorium on Clark’s main campus. An opening reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Four Clark College faculty from diverse disciplines will offer their expertise on the topic in a discussion that stems from the ideas set forth in a New York Times bestseller, Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis by Robert D. Putnam. Discussion topics will include increasing disparity in income, the shrinking middle class, and the lack of opportunity for many Americans.

“The idea of attaining success through merit and achieving the so-called American Dream is more difficult than ever,” said economics instructor Patricia Atkinson, who will be one of the panelists. “Statistics show that the middle class is shrinking at an alarming rate and there are fewer and fewer opportunities to get ahead in our current economy.”

Panelists are economics instructor Patricia Atkinson, political science professor Michael Ceriello, women’s studies professor Kushlani de Soyza, and sociology professor Dr. Don Ludwig. The discussion will be moderated by Dave Kosloski, professor of Communications Studies and former Speech and Debate coach for Clark’s award-winning debate team. Biographies of each panelist are listed below.

Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps. Anyone needing accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services Office at (360) 992-2314 or (360) 991-0901 (VP) prior to the event.

About the Panelists

Patricia Atkinson has been an Economics professor at Clark College since 2008. She holds degrees from Marist College and Portland State University and is currently studying for her doctorate in education at Washington State University-Vancouver. Professor Atkinson’s research focuses on macroeconomics, economic growth and income inequality in the U.S.

Dr. Don Ludwig has been a professor of Sociology at Clark College since 2007. He holds degrees from Rutgers University, Princeton Theological Seminary and Whitworth University and earned his doctoral degree from Portland State University and the International University for Graduate Studies. Professor Ludwig’s research has focused on social change and transformational leadership as well as the equitable support systems for disadvantaged youth.

Kushlani de Soyza has been a professor of Women’s Studies at Clark College since 2008. A former newspaper editor, reporter, and radio producer, she holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati, Portland State University and Oregon State University. Her areas of interest in feminist theory include media and representation as well as exploring theories of race and racialization. Most recently she has been involved with Clark College’s growing Learning Community Program.

Michael Ceriello has been a professor of Political Science at Clark College since 2007. In addition to providing political commentary for newspaper, radio, and television outlets in Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington, he also served as the director of Clark College’s award-winning Model United Nations program from 2008-2011. Professor Ceriello holds degrees from the University of California at Santa Barbara and Western Washington University. His areas of interest include American national government and public policy.

Dave Kosloski has been a professor of Communication Studies at Clark College for the past 19 years. He served as Clark College’s Director of Speech and Debate from 1998 until 2015; the program earned top honors among all Northwest community colleges for 14 of those years. He is currently serving his fifth term as chair of the Curriculum Committee.

For the 13th year in a row, Clark College employees donated backpacks and supplies to 52 school-aged children of Clark College students.

Names of children are gathered and referred by Workforce Education Services, Financial Aid, Veterans Affairs, Child & Family Services, and the Diversity Center. Each child is asked their favorite color and characters so the donors can find a backpack that is specific to that child.

This year, the Backpack Project provided 55 backpacks, adding to the grand total so far of over 730 backpacks collected throughout the years – thank you!

Here are some expressions of thanks from students and their children after receiving their backpack:

“Just wanted to say THANK YOU!!!! for all you have done for me through my college life, along with helping me with school supplies and a backpack for my son for the last two years also. It helped us out so very much, I am off to my new educated life. Thank You All, You Will Be Missed.”

“Thank you for the backpacks. I loooooove them I can’t wait to go back to school.”

“Thank you for your kindness and for the school supplies. I hope that everyone that goes to school in Clark College does really good.”

This article was contributed by Cindy Heck

Photos: Clark College/Cindy Heck

Clark College received approval last week from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), the college’s regional accrediting body, to offer and begin the Applied Management baccalaureate program in January 2017. The college received approval earlier this year from the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC).

The Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Management (BASAM) is a two-year, career-oriented degree that combines technical, academic, and professional management courses. The 90-credit program prepares technically skilled graduates—those with an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) or Associate in Applied Technology (AAT) degree—to enter their respective career fields with a bachelor’s degree that provides the managerial knowledge and expertise to meet industry demand. Sample courses include Foundations of Management, Social Media in Business, Organizational Communication, Organizational Behavior, Operations and Logistics, and Applied Management Internship.

“This program is ideal for students with an AAS or AAT degree who are looking to move ahead in their careers, take on managerial positions in their organizations, or have the skills to operate their own businesses,” said Patti Serrano, BASAM Program Director and professor at Clark College. “We have heard the demands from local businesses for this program, as well as from working adults who are seeking a bachelor’s program that fits with their schedules.”

Clark College is now accepting applications for students interested in joining the first program cohort. The cohort is limited to 35 students, and classes will begin January 2017. Courses will be offered through online, hybrid, and face-to-face evening formats.

For more information or to apply, contact Patti Serrano at 360-992-2178 or pserrano@clark.edu. Information is also available online at www.clark.edu/cc/basam.

About Clark College

Located in Vancouver’s Central Park and serving up to 14,000 students per quarter, Clark College is Washington State’s second largest single-campus, for-credit community college. The college currently offers classes at two satellite locations: one on the Washington State University Vancouver campus and one in the Columbia Tech Center in East Vancouver. Additionally, its Corporate & Continuing Education program is housed in the Columbia Bank building in downtown Vancouver.

Judy Starr, director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at Clark College Foundation, center, receives a check from David Reiter, senior vice president and private client manager for Bank of America, and Jessica Hewitt, vice president of Enterprise Business & Community Engagement for Bank of America.

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation recently awarded Clark College a $20,000 grant to support a full-time financial literacy coach at Clark College. The coach works directly with students to help them stabilize their finances and increase the likelihood of students meeting their economic, educational, and career goals.

The grant, delivered to Clark College Foundation, provides ongoing support within Clark College’s Career Services department for students. Assuring that a full-time financial coach remains on staff allows the college to continue providing workshops, classroom presentations, and individual sessions focusing on how to budget, balance a checkbook, set long-term financial goals, and understand credit cards, credit scores and loan repayments.

“The full-time coach has been highly valuable for our students,” said Lisa Gibert, president and CEO of Clark College Foundation. “The coach assisted 64 students in one-on-one sessions over a seven-month period, held 27 different budgeting workshops for scores of other students and conducted specialty workshops for the Veterans Resource Center and the Pathways Center.”

Jamie Madison was one of those students. She was ready to graduate from Clark’s nursing program in 2015 when unforeseen circumstances led her to withdraw. When she was contemplating a return, she was unsure if she had the resources to do so. She met with Clark’s financial literacy coach, Craig Ebersole, who helped her outline her personal finances and discover ways to limit her spending and create a budget.

“I am now confident with my finances and proactively use the resources I have learned about,” said Madison, who returned to Clark to finish her degree. “These resources help me through college and prepare me for my career after graduation.”

Approximately 54 percent of Clark students come from families living below the poverty level, and 60 percent are unemployed or receive public assistance. Moreover, nearly three-quarters of Clark students are the first generation in their families to attend college.

“Bank of America understands that financial fluency and empowerment are key drivers for future financial mobility and success,” said David K. Reiter, senior vice president at U.S. Trust Bank of America Private Wealth Management in Vancouver. “That is why we are proud to support Clark College Foundation on this important decision to retain a financial coach. When individuals feel financially secure and are able to achieve their financial goals, communities are made stronger and we all benefit.”

A budgeting course delivered by the financial literacy coach was added to the College 101: College Essentials course last year. All students working toward an Associate of Arts degree are required to complete the course, which introduces students to campus resources, such as campus navigation, technology, tutoring support, and financial aid.

Text and photo provided by the Clark College Foundation.