Congratulations to the 84 Clark College employees and students who participated in the 2023 Walktober Challenge! They walked a total of 23,344,718 steps and an average of 277,913 steps. Yes, you read that right. Clark peeps walked more than 23 million steps in October!

Notable achievements

• Department with the most participants: Dental Hygiene – 12 participants
• Department with the most steps: Dental Hygiene – 3,472,767 total steps
• Department with the largest average steps: Veterans Center of Excellence – 536,981 average steps

Special congratulations to those who logged more than 400,000 steps:

• Sydney Brahmavar, METR: 812,535
• Terri Anderson, Dental Hygiene: 623,862
• Aaron McPherson, Facilities: 575,229
• Donna Larson, Veterans Center of Excellence: 567,893
• Megan Anderson, Veterans Center of Excellence: 506,069
• Josh Nichols, Central Services: 492,525
• Cecelia Martin, Assessment & Institutional Research: 482,449
• Veronica Brock, Dental Hygiene: 471,100
• Ronald Anderson, Security: 457,917
• Cath Busha, Student Affairs: 448,530
• Andrew Shaman, Library: 433,319
• Gene Biby, Theatre/Drama: 423,977
• Wende Fisher, Advising Services/Student Affairs: 416,035
• Jennifer Dean, Library: 405,467
• Kevin Damore, Communications & Marketing: 405,395
• Nicole Marcum, OOI: 401,481

Clark competes in the Walktober Challenge with WSU Vancouver (WSUV) and Lower Columbia College (LCC) in Longview. The winner is determined according to which college has the largest number of average steps. This year, WSUV took first place, LCC took second place, and Clark took third place.

1st place: WSU Vancouver

• Participants: 15
• Total Steps: 4,358,294
• Average steps: 290,553

2nd place: Lower Columbia College

• Participants: 15
• Total Steps: 4,357,888
• Average steps: 290,526

3rd place: Clark

• Participants: 84
• Total Steps: 23,344,913
• Average Steps: 277,913

“Clark College came back this year after being away from the Walktober Challenge for the past two years,” said Vanessa Bural, Human Resources Consultant, Talent Development. “There was heavy participation amongst the whole Clark community. While the challenge is a fun competition with Lower Columbia College and Washington State University Vancouver, I believe the challenge was just as I had anticipated, the penguins sticking together and taking this challenge as a collective team. Way to go, Penguin Nation!”

Prizes consist of Clark College merch and a gift card to either the Clark College Bookstore or McClaskey Culinary Institute. The winning department wins a celebration lunch. Special thanks to collaborating departments who assisted with this event, The Clark College Foundation, ASCC, and Communications & Marketing.

For many Southwest Washington families, the beginning of this school year was particularly challenging, featuring teacher strikes and last-minute scrambles for child care. But one thing remained unchanged: Dozens of Clark College students could depend on Clark employees to purchase and fill backpacks so that their children could start the school year off prepared.

The Clark College Backpack Project is a long-standing tradition at the college. Names of the children are gathered and referred by Workforce Education Services, Financial Aid, Veterans Affairs, Transitional Studies, Child & Family Services, and the Penguin Pantry. Volunteers gather information about each child–grade level, supply list, color preferences, etc.–and send a shopping list to an employee who has agreed to sponsor a backpack. Children receive their backpacks about two weeks before school starts in the fall.

This year, donors provided backpacks to 65 children. All told, the Backpack Project has delivered almost 900 backpacks to children of Clark students over the last 15 years.

“This year has been rough, and without this help my children wouldn’t feel as secure with their schooling,” wrote one student whose children received backpacks. “I appreciate my Clark Family.”

Other parents expressed their appreciation for what the college community has done:

• “Your kindness and generosity will never be forgotten.”
• “Thank you so much for thinking of our family and providing such a meaningful thing for my kids to have. It makes my heart fill with love knowing they are starting the school year off right.”

The children were also very excited about their backpacks, sending messages like:

• “Thank you for my backpack, you did good job.”
• “Thank you I really like the backpack, when I saw it I said it was sooooooooooooooo cool!”

The annual backpack project is coordinated by Cindy Heck, Susan Maxwell, and the Office of Planning & Effectiveness. Thank you to all of the employees who sponsored a backpack this year! These backpacks make a positive start to the school year for our students and their children. Thank you!

This article and photos were contributed by the Office of Planning & Effectiveness.

Backpacks collected during the 2017 Backpack Project.

Earlier this year, Clark College employees donated 91 backpacks filled with school supplies to the children of Clark students–a new record for what has become known as the Backpack Project.

Approximately one quarter of Clark’s students have dependent children, and back-to-school supplies can easily run to more than $100 per child. Recipients for the backpacks are identified each year by staff in Clark College departments like Workforce Education Services, Financial Aid, Veterans Affairs, Transitional Studies, Child and Family Studies, and the Office of Diversity and Equity.

As one family wrote, “Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is absolutely amazing and I am so taken with your generosity and thoughtfulness. Our family is so grateful to you!”

This was the 14th year that employees have participated in the Backpack Project. We want to acknowledge and thank all of you who have helped to provide more than 822 backpack over the years.

Each backpack is unique because the project’s organizers ask the children what their favorite colors and characters are. Many donors go out of their way to find the perfect backpack for a child, scouring stores or the Internet for the perfect Seahawks or My Little Pony theme. Others load the backpack with extra supplies and fun items. This year, one Clark employee created a book about her own horses for a young child who liked horses.

More than 70 employees donated backpacks to the project this year, for a variety of reasons. Some do not have children at home but want to participate in the excitement of back-to-school time, while others are parents who are working to instill the value of giving in their own children. Many departments also make this a team project and take an after-work shopping trip together. Whatever their reasons, the Backpack Project brings as much joy to those who give as it does to those who receive the backpacks.

If you would like to participate in the Backpack Project next year, watch for a collegewide email sent in July; backpacks are generally due by mid-August so that children can receive them before the new school year starts.

This article was contributed by Planning & Effectiveness Administrative Assistant Cindy Heck and ctcLink Manager Susan Maxwell, who co-organize the Backpack Project each year. Photos contributed by Clark College Workforce Education Services and by student parents.

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.

Clark’s 30th Hood to Coast relay team looks fresh and ready for the challenge at the beginning of the race.

For the 30th straight year, a hardy team of Clark College Penguins banded together to run the annual Hood to Coast relay race, a grueling 199-mile course that starts at Timberline Lodge on the slopes of Mount Hood, goes through the Portland metropolitan area and over the Oregon Coast Range, and finishes on the beach of Seaside, Oregon.

The race traditionally occurs the Friday and Saturday of the weekend prior to Labor Day weekend. Slightly more than 1,000 twelve-person teams participate in the relay. Clark’s team is one of the longest-standing teams in the race’s 35-year history. Because Clark has fielded a team for more than 20 years, it has a lifetime guaranteed entry as long as it continues to field a team, thereby avoiding the highly competitive lottery entry system that other teams have to use.

Tired but triumphant, Clark’s 30th annual Hood to Coast team poses at the finish line.

“Temperatures in the mid-90s on Friday August 26th made the running difficult,” reports team co-captain and Vice President of Instruction Dr. Tim Cook. “Once the sun went down, the night runs down Highway 30 into the Coast Range were full of stars and perfect running weather. The team finished in Seaside about 5:00 p.m. after starting approximately 34 hours earlier on Mt. Hood. It was 199 hours of smelly vans, little sleep and lots of Penguin camaraderie!”

This year’s team included: Tim Cook, Instruction; Kushlani de Soyza, Women’s Studies faculty; Lizette Drennan, Financial Aid; Kael Godwin, Planning and Effectiveness; Haley Gordon, Event Services; Chris Jacob, Athletics; Darcy Kennedy, Chemistry faculty; Kim Marshel, Credentials; Joe Pitkin, English faculty; Paul Raines, Facilities Services; Jenny Walsh (volunteer); Vanessa Watkins, Enrollment Services. The team is supported by generous donations made through the Clark College Foundation.

More HTC history: The 2005 team poses at the end of the Hood to Coast relay race.

For Clark history buffs, here’s the lineup for the original 1987 HTC team, which comprised mostly science faculty, as well as then-Athletic Director Roger Daniels: Dave Allen; Dean and Berna Deanne Blackburn; Wayne and Susan Colony; Roger Daniels; Mike Greenwood; Bob MacKay; John Martin; and Mike and Carol Pick. At the time, the race finished in Pacific City, had 11 runners, and just 186 teams.

Interested in joining the 2017 team? These persevering Penguins are looking for at least one more runner, as well as volunteers to help with driving and supporting the team. Find out more at this year’s kickoff meeting on Thursday, September 29 at 2 p.m. in JSH 127.

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

We are in the midst of change at Clark College. The STEM building is being built and people will begin moving next year. ctcLink has many of us reviewing our business processes and anticipating a modern ERP (enterprise resource planning) college-wide management software. The new Academic Plan is focusing us on developing academic pathways that will lead students to gainful employment and further education.

What hasn’t changed is Clark College employees’ willingness to go above and beyond to help students. This year, for the 12th annual Backpack Project, employees donated backpacks and supplies to 52 school-aged children of Clark College students. The support and generosity of employees has sustained this project through the years, and employees tell us that they always look forward to the announcement of the project.

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. The characters from the children’s movie Frozen were the favorite this year.

This year we received some wonderful drawings and heartfelt thank-you notes we wanted to share with you.

“Hey, thank you for the backpack, it was very helpful for me. I know you guys didn’t have to do it but I’m very thankful so thank you!”

“Thank you so much for the backpacks, you have no idea how much this helped out our family.”

“I ♥ my backpack!”

No matter how things change, we know we can count on Clark employees to keep helping our students and their families, year after year. Thank you!

Members of Team Penguin 2013 show off their tees. (Organizer Joe Jenkins is standing in the center of the front row.) Photo: Clark College/Alison Pezanoski-Browne

Once again, academic advisor Joe Jenkins is organizing a Clark College team to run in the next Shamrock Run, held March 15 in Portland. Last year, 96 members of Team Penguin completed one of the courses–which range from a 3.1-mile walk to a 13.1-mile half-marathon run–raising $480 for the Alex Montoya Scholarship Fund at Clark College Foundation. Interested in learning more? Jenkins has created a Facebook page for team members to share information, schedule training runs, and cheer each other on.

February 26 marks the beginning of Clark College Bookstore’s sixth annual Oswald on Spring Break Photo Contest.

Customers, students, faculty, and staff are invited to participate in the contest by simply stopping by our store to complete an “adoption form” and pay a $2.50 (plus tax)  entry fee. Participants will receive an official 2014 Oswald toy and can begin snapping pictures of Oswald on location immediately. Participants enter their best picture of Oswald enjoying spring break before April 9 to be eligible for one of three Bookstore gift cards awarded to the pictures with the most customer votes.

Contest rules are available at the cash registers and on the Bookstore’s website. Bookstore employees may not enter the contest, but they may vote daily.

Contest Dates

February 26 – April 9  (or until Oswald toys are gone) Customers may enter the contest

April 9                        Contest entries are due

April 16-24                 All qualifying entries will be displayed in-store for voting. One vote per person per day

April 25                      Winners will be announced  (This is also World Penguin Day!)

Brandi Roberts contributed this article. Photo: Clark College Bookstore

Members of Team Penguin 2013 show off their tees. (Oddly, organizer Joe Jenkins,front right, is wearing a shirt and tie.) Photo: Clark College/Alison Pezanoski-Browne

Once again, academic advisor Joe Jenkins is organizing a Clark College team to run in the next Shamrock Run, held March 16 in Portland. Last year, 115 members of Team Penguin completed one of the courses–which range from a 3.1-mile walk to a 15-kilometer run–raising $575 for the Alex Montoya Scholarship Fund at Clark College Foundation. Interested in learning more? Jenkins has created a Facebook page for team members to share information, schedule training runs, and cheer each other on.