Clark College President Robert K. Knight will deliver the annual State of the College address on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 11:00 a.m. in Gaiser Student Center.

During his speech, President Knight will address the college’s ongoing work to better meet the needs of students and the community. Among the things he will highlight are the college’s progress on implementing the “Guided Pathways” model of higher education. He will also convey the excitement created by fresh voices in the college’s leadership and by an ambitious new fundraising campaign launched by the Clark College Foundation. Additionally, he will update the community on the college’s progress toward implementing its five-year Social Equity Plan.

President Knight will also showcase the achievements of the college’s highly regarded academic and technical programs, including the launch of its third bachelor’s degree program, the recognition of its Pharmacy Technician program as No. 1 in the country, and the historic significance of the college’s nursing program graduating its 130th class. He will also share the findings of the college’s accreditation report, which was recently released by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

Looking ahead, President Knight will advocate for the Washington State Legislature to pass a capital budget that provides for much-needed improvements in the state community and technical college system, including Clark College’s new advanced-manufacturing training center at the Clark College at Boschma Farms location in Ridgefield. He will also explain the need for the Legislature to pass an operating budget that addresses longstanding salary inequities in the system.

The State of the College address, which is free and open to the public, will take place at 11:00 a.m. in Gaiser Student Center on the college’s main campus. Doors will open at 10:30 a.m. and seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, Wash. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps.

If you need accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event, you 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, as soon as possible.

Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2019 Iris Awards, which honor outstanding women in Southwest Washington. The winners will be announced at the end of January, and the recipients will be honored at a reception and ceremony on Wednesday, March 7, 2019, from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. in Clark College’s Gaiser Student Center. Tickets will go on sale in January.

Award criteria and nominations forms are available at www.clark.edu/cc/irisawards. Nominations must be received by January 11, 2019. A list of past award recipients can be found at http://www.clark.edu/campus-life/arts-events/iris/iris-award-honorees.php.

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.

One Iris Award recipient may be selected in each of four areas: service in the public sector; service in the private sector; philanthropic leadership; and leadership in the promotion of civil discourse, teamwork, collaboration and cooperation. This last category is a new addition to the Iris Awards, sponsored by H-RoC, a non-partisan political action committee dedicated to the advancement of elected and appointed women leaders in Southwest Washington.

Anyone may submit a nomination, and more than one person can fill out a nomination form or provide letters of recommendation for the same nominee.

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.

Dr. Fumiaki Kubo

Clark College will host a renowned Japanese academic for a lecture on Japan-U.S. relations on Thursday, December 6, at 11:00 a.m. This event, which is free and open to the public, will be held in Gaiser Hall room 213, located on Clark College’s main campus at 1933 Ft. Vancouver Way. The closest parking is in the Green Lot. Directions and maps are available online.

Dr.  Fumiaki Kubo will give a lecture entitled “U.S.-Japan Relations under Trump and Abe: Challenges and Hopes.” This event is sponsored by the Consular Office of Japan in Portland.

Individuals who need accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services (DSS) Office at 360-992-2314 or 360-991-0901 (VP). The DSS office is located in room 013 in Clark’s Penguin Union Building.

About Professor Fumiaki Kubo

Dr. Fumiaki Kubo has been the A. Barton Hepburn Professor of American Government and History at the Graduate Schools for Law and Politics of the University of Tokyo since 2003. He is affiliated with the Japan Institute for International Affairs as a Visiting Scholar, as well as the Tokyo Foundation as a Senior Research Scholar. He studied at Cornell University in 1984-1986, Johns Hopkins University in 1991-1993, and Georgetown University and the University of Maryland in 1998-99. In addition, he was an Invited Professor at SciencesPo in Paris in the spring of 2009, and a Japan Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in 2014.

Dr. Kubo attended the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo and received his B.A. in 1979 and Ph.D. in 1989. He is the author of many books which include: Modern American Politics (with Hitoshi Abe), Ideology and Foreign Policy After Iraq in the United States, and A Study on the Infrastructure of American Politics. In 1989, he received the Sakurada-Kai Gold Award for the Study of Politics and the Keio Gijuku Award.

In 2001 and 2002, Dr. Kubo served on the Prime Minister’s Commission on the Study of Direct Election System of the Prime Minister. Since 2007, Dr. Kubo has been a member of the U.S-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange (CULCON). In February, 2015, he became a member of the Japan-US Educational Commission. From June, 2016, he is the President of the Japanese Association for American Studies.

Clark College Theatre begins its 2018-2019 season with The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl.

A 2005 Pulitzer Prize finalist, The Clean House is a romantic comedy about loss, love, change, and redemption. A career-oriented doctor has hired a quirky Brazilian maid who hates to clean and instead longs to be a comedienne. The doctor is deserted by her husband, who leaves her for his mistress, a passionate, older woman upon whom he recently performed a mastectomy. Sarah Ruhl’s play reminds us that there is humor and beauty to be found in life’s most unlikely messes.

This production’s cast includes:  Danielle Neblock, Becky Morin, Amy Baldwin, Kyle Reese, and Dee Harris.  The director is Mark Owsley. With the exception of Dee Harris, who is an employee of Clark College, all cast members are current students.

This show contains adult themes, language, and content.

Show Dates: November 9, 10, 15, 16, and 17. All show times are at 7:30 p.m. in the Decker Theatre, Frost Arts Center, on Clark College’s main campus. Maps and directions are available at www.clark.edu/maps.

Ticket Information: Students (with ID) $10; Alumni (with membership) $10; Senior Citizens $12; General Admission $15. Tickets may be purchased online at http://www.clarkbookstore.com/site_theatre.asp, or call 360-992-2815.

If you need accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event, contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services Office at 360-992-2314 or 360-991-0901 (VP), or visit Penguin Union Building room 013, as soon as possible.

The Penguin Pantry provides Clark students with free food and supplies.

Clark College’s Penguin Pantry will celebrate is first year of serving students with an open house on Thursday, October 25, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

The Open House will be a ‘reverse reception’ — an opportunity for students, staff, faculty, and community partners to drop by, visit the space, and bring donations of unexpired, unopened food items; gift cards; and toiletries.

The Penguin Pantry supports a healthy college community by reducing hunger on campus and connecting students to essential resources. It provides students with a safe, comfortable place to get something to eat, pick up a necessity, and connect with additional resources and services as needed. These include counseling, public benefits, and more connection to local food banks and other local resources.

According to surveys, 43 percent of Clark College students are low-income, and 23 percent have dependent children. The Penguin Pantry has become an important resource to help students stay on the path to graduation.

The Penguin Pantry offer the following types of food/supply services to currently enrolled students:

• Grab-to-go snacks
• Groceries
• Toiletries and school supplies

The Penguin Pantry is located at Clark College in the Science Building Complex (SCI), Room 101. (Closest street is East Reserve. Park in the Orange 2 Lot.)

For additional information, visit www.clark.edu/cc/penguinpantry or call 360.992.2100.

This article contributed by Estancia Cota.

The skies above Sleep Country Amphitheater filled with heavy gray clouds on June 21, but nothing could dampen the bright spirits of the more than 700 students participating in Clark College’s 2018 Commencement ceremony.

Members of the college’s 82nd graduating class encompassed every imaginable background, age bracket, and life goal. Approximately 75 of them wore the light blue robes that indicated they were celebrating their high school diploma or GED completion; another two dozen or so wore the white robes reserved for those receiving their Bachelor of Applied Science degree. The class included a record 476 Running Start graduates who were graduating from high school and college simultaneously; meanwhile, other graduates were old enough to have children of their own–and, in at least a couple cases, dressed them in matching royal-blue robes so that they could cross the stage as a family.

All told, more than 2,300 degrees and certificates were conferred upon the Class of 2018.

As the ceremony began, however, it became clear that certain themes held these graduates together. When President Bob Knight asked all graduates who had worked while attending Clark to stand, almost the entire class rose to their feet. When he next asked the first-generation college graduates to rise, the result was only slightly less unanimous.

Valeria Flores

Student speaker Valeria Flores spoke about her experiences as the first in her family to attend college. “Being a first-generation student in college is like learning a foreign language,” she said. “You don’t become fluent overnight. I had no idea where to begin. I did not know that I could apply for FAFSA. I didn’t know how to register for classes, or even how to find my classes.”

Flores went on to say that she did eventually find her path through college, and that working at the college’s child care facility had led her to decide on a career as a speech pathologist, a path that would require her to continue her education to a master’s degree.

The ceremony’s keynote speaker, retired Evergreen Public Schools superintendent John D. Deeder, spoke of his own experiences as a first-generation college student. “I recall that 51 years ago tonight, I finished my junior college career in Couer d’Alene, Idaho,” he said. “It was a big deal, because I was the first in my family to ever graduate beyond high school. It opened so many doors–I can’t tell you how important this night is for you.”

John Deeder

Deeder also spoke about the importance of education in broadening people’s perspectives. “I really believe we need to be more tolerant, we need to be more inclusive, we need to be better listeners, we need to be accepting of differences in every way–cultural, religious, political, social, etcetera,” he said. “If we do that, this society and the world that you’re going to lead in the next few years will be a better place, and that is critical.”

As is traditional, the ceremony was occasion to announce two major awards. Early in ceremony, President Knight announced the names of the recipients of the 2018 Exceptional Faculty Awards: computer technology instructor Bruce Elgort; English as a Second Language professor Sara Gallow; music professor Richard Inouye; mathematics professor Dr. Kanchan Mathur; and addiction counselor education instructor Don Wissusik. Later during the ceremony, he announced that graduate Grace Moe was the recipient of the 2018-2019 Community College Presidents’ Award in Honor of Val Ogden. This annual scholarship is given to a Clark College graduate who demonstrates leadership potential, a commitment to community service, and academic achievement. The scholarship award provides full-time tuition at WSUV and is renewable for one additional year, essentially providing full tuition to complete a bachelor’s degree.

Grace Moe

Thanks to the Clark College Foundation, scholarship finalists Chad Lipka and Mckenna Pozsgai also received $1,000 each to attend WSUV.

The ceremony ended with the traditional sounding of bagpipes. And as for those looming storm clouds? By the time the last graduate had crossed the stage, they’d broken up to reveal patches of golden sunshine. And when the graduates left the amphitheater and headed toward what their new futures held, they walked into the last golden rays of a gentle sunset, with the cheers of family and faculty greeting them on every side.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley. To see more photos, visit our Flickr album. 

It’s become an annual tradition: hundreds of Clark College students showing up to meet potential employers as graduation looms near. But while Clark’s Career Fair has become a familiar part of the academic cycle, not everyone realizes how many of those employer booths are staffed by former Clark students—some of whom attended the fair themselves, once upon a time.

Leslie Matheney, an HR generalist for Burgerville, remembered attending the fair before graduating from Clark in 2008 with her associate degree. “At the time, I wasn’t really ready for it,” she said, noting that she had just been looking for part-time work as she geared up to transfer to WSU Vancouver, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in human resources and personal psychology.

Matheney, who was at the May 3 fair to recruit seasonal crew members and managers, said she felt being a Clark graduate helped her when she did start looking for full-time, permanent employment. “I think, especially because I was looking for a position at a local company, it was good,” she said. “I think that Clark is really well respected in this area.”

Sgt. Fred Nieman stands with a colleague at the Clark County Sheriff’s Office table.

Sergeant Fred Neiman, who was recruiting for the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, said that his workplace also values the diversity of Clark’s student body. “What we look for is folks who have a variety of education and background,” he said. “You deal with all kinds of people in public safety. So to have a background of diverse education and experiences, and knowing how to interact with lots of different kinds of people—that’s valuable.”

Neiman has a long personal connection with Clark College. Not only did he attend classes here in the late 1970s, but he came back to work as its Director of Security for eight years. Clark is also where he met his wife, and their three children all earned associate degrees from the college.

“It’s a wonderful institution,” he said. “I enjoyed attending here when I was a student, and I enjoyed working here when I was an employee.”

Vicky Barnes also has a child who graduated from Clark. She earned her own associate degree here—with highest honors, no less—while he was still a teen.

Vicki Barnes

“I often got mistaken for a professor on campus,” laughed Barnes, who was at the fair to recruit for Woodland Public School, where she is the HR coordinator and district office manager. Barnes said she enjoyed her time as a Penguin, even though it meant long days—she attended Clark while working at WPS. “This is something I wanted to show my kids—that you can be a life-long learner.”

“It definitely benefited me in HR,” she said. “You learn how to engage with people, how to get out of your comfort zone.”

As if to prove this, she quickly turned to a woman eyeing her display of job descriptions to answer questions about open positions in the district.

According to Clark College Employer Relations Specialist Scott Clemans, 15 of the 110 employers who registered for this year’s fair indicated that they would have Clark College alumni present.

“Smart companies send alumni to events like these because they’re great role models and mentors for current Clark students,” Clemans said. “The alumni show current students what’s possible after college, and give great advice on how to achieve it. And of course, they relate to Clark students on a level that other recruiters simply can’t.”

Clemans added that the fair was an impressive success. “Not only did we have 110 employers registered to attend—the maximum the O’Connell gym would hold—but we had to create a wait list for interested employers and probably had about 20 more who were interested but contacted us too late to register,” he said.

This year’s job fair included not only employer booths but also a photo booth where visitors could get a professional portrait taken for their LinkedIn accounts. Leading up to the fair, Clark College Career Services also hosted numerous workshops and events, as well as the annual Career Clothing Closet, to prepare students and guests for the day. The fair, which is open not just to Clark students but to all job-seekers in the community, saw 923 visitors this year—up 15 percent from last year’s attendance.

Top photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley. Photos of Nieman and Barnes: Clark College/Hannah Erickson.

Clark College welcomes the community to its third annual Healthy Penguin Walkabout on Saturday, June 2, on its main campus. This free, family-friendly event offers a wide range of opportunities for personal health assessments, wellness-related education, and healthy activities.

Activities run 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and will take place both indoors and outside. Guests will begin their visit in Gaiser Hall, where they can register and receive an event passport as early as 9:30 a.m. Gaiser is most easily accessed from the Green 1 and Red 3 parking lots. Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps.

This year’s event is organized and volunteer-staffed by Clark College faculty and students from the Business and Health Sciences Unit,Clark College Athletics, and Child and Family Studies.

Free health assessments and learning activities include:

• Blood glucose levels
• Oral Health and Wellness
• Body mass index (BMI) and body fat percent
• Grip strength and balance
• Diabetes risk level
• Blood pressure and pulse
• Stress reduction strategies
• Sports skills challenge with Clark College athletes
• Children and families connecting with nature
• Medication safety
• See inside an ambulance

Stations on the walkabout will include children’s activities, fun souvenirs, healthy snacks, a raffle for both adults and children, as well as additional prizes that include an annual membership to the college’s Thompson Fitness Center. Children’s activities include a “ninja warrior” obstacle course in the O’Connell Sports Center gymnasium. Guests are also invited to walk a half-mile “Penguin Pathway” through the college’s beautiful, 90-acre campus and arboretum. Organizers are also collecting donations of non-perishable food and personal-hygiene items for the college’s Penguin Pantry. Guests will receive one extra raffle ticket for every four pantry items they donate.

To learn more about the details of this event, visit www.clark.edu/cc/walkabout.

This event is a part of the college’s focus on inter-professional learning for Clark Business and Health Sciences students. “When healthcare disciplines work together, including business, healthcare is more efficient in terms of cost, resources, and time,” said Dean of Business and Health Sciences Brenda Walstead. “The event also increases engagement and learning among Clark College’s students, and provides the community with access to a wealth of information that can lead to healthier outcomes for all individuals.”

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.

Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

On Thursday, June 21, Clark College will honor its 82nd graduating class at the 2018 Clark College Commencement ceremony. The ceremony will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the Sunlight Supply Amphitheater. The keynote speaker is John D. Deeder, recently retired superintendent of Evergreen Public Schools.

More than 700 students are expected to participate in the ceremony, celebrating the completion of their bachelor’s degree, associate degree, certificate, and/or high school diploma or equivalency.

The ceremony also will include the announcement of 2018-2019 Community College President’s Award. This annual scholarship is given to a Clark College graduate who is transferring to a degree program at Washington State University Vancouver (WSUV) and who demonstrated leadership potential, a commitment to community service, and academic achievement. The scholarship award provides full-time tuition and is renewable for one additional year, essentially providing full tuition to complete a bachelor’s degree.

The Sunlight Supply Amphitheater is located at 17200 NE Delfel Road in Ridgefield, Wash. Tickets are not required to attend. 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. For more information visit www.clark.edu/cc/commencement.

About John D. Deeder

John D. Deeder

John Deeder served as Superintendent of Evergreen Public Schools for 15 years. He retired in 2017 after 48 years as an educator. Prior to his time at Evergreen, he was an administrator, principal, teacher, counselor, and coach in several Oregon school districts.

Deeder received his Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Idaho and his Master of Arts in Teaching from Lewis and Clark College. He has his Principal Credential from Portland State University and Superintendent Credential from Lewis and Clark College.

Deeder has done private consulting, including work for the Northwest Regional Laboratory as an “Onward to Excellence Trainer” and as an adjunct professor of instructional theory for Portland State University.

While in Clark County, Deeder has served on the boards of numerous organizations and non-profits, including the Fort Vancouver National Historic Trust, Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, the Columbia River Economic Development Council, the Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council, Partners in Careers, nConnect, the STEM Network, Columbia River Mental Health, Boys and Girls Club, and others.

Deeder and his wife, Janet, have two grown children. They recently welcomed their first grandchild.

This article was updated on June 8 to reflect a change in keynote speaker.

Lydia Fleming and Sterling Buck star in Clark College’s production of “The Shape of Things.”

Clark College Theatre continues its 2017-2018 season with The Shape of Things by Neil Labute.

A dark tale of what people will do for love and art, the story revolves around four college students whose lives are inalterably changed when two of them become involved romantically. At first, Adam is flattered when attractive art student Evelyn takes an interest in him. But complications ensue as Evelyn begins to exert more and more influence over Adam’s appearance and behavior.

“In the play, Evelyn talks about the subjectivity of art; how different people can come away with different feelings from the same thing,” writes director Ted Jonathan Gold in his program notes. “While there are many ways to make what some consider good or provocative art, I believe art makes you feel something. Sometimes it makes you feel a way you didn’t expect or want to feel. I believe that if you leave the theatre and you feel nothing and the play fades quickly, then you did not witness true art. My hope for this production is that you leave having experienced good art that sticks with you. I hope you leave affected, whether you enjoy that feeling or not.”

First staged in 2001, the play was made into a film featuring the original cast in 2003.

This production’s cast includes: Lydia Fleming**, Sterling Buck*, Stevie Riepe*, and Olga Gula*. Note: Cast member names marked with a single asterisk are current Clark College students; double asterisks indicate Clark College alumni.

This show contains adult themes, language, and content.

Show Dates: May 18, 19, 24, 25, and 26. All show times are at 7:30 p.m. in the Decker Theatre, Frost Arts Center, on Clark College’s main campus.

Ticket Information: Students (with ID) $10; Alumni (with membership) $10; Senior Citizens $12; General Admission $15. Tickets may be purchased online at http://www.clarkbookstore.com/site_theatre.asp, or call 360-992-2815.

If you need accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event, contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services Office at 360-992-2314 or 360-991-0901 (VP), or visit Gaiser Hall room 137, as soon as possible.

Photo: Jenny Shadley/Clark College. More photos can be found on our Flickr page.