Archer Gallery was packed, animated, and noisy as dozens of student artists stood in front of their creations and talked to art appreciators about their work. The opening reception and awards ceremony for the Art Student Annual exhibition of Clark College art students drew students, faculty, staff, family members and the community on June 4.

This annual juried exhibit features Clark College art students’ work created in the past year chosen by their Clark College art professors. The strength and breadth of this artwork reflect the hard work, dedication, and unique voices of Clark students.

“This year’s exhibit received 100 more submissions and features almost twice the pieces compared to last year’s exhibit,” said Archer Gallery Director Kendra Larson. Students created their work in the past year. Their art professors curated the work.

Grant Hottle, art professor and head of the art department, said, “I’m absolutely stunned by the level of craft, emotion, passion, and sheer creativity on display this year. We have a superb group of student artists who are producing work at an exceptional level and their hard work and energy is palpable in Archer Gallery.”

“Clark art students contributed some stunning artwork to this year’s exhibit,” said Larson, “The creativity and craftsmanship was top notch. The opening reception was a great way to celebrate all their hard work this year.”

2024 Art Student Annual by the Numbers:

• 250 submissions
• 122 pieces chosen for the exhibit
• 69 student artists included
• 17 awards
• 15 sponsors

2024 Awards

• Best Painting: Hana Lowenthal
• Second in Painting: Casey Maomay
• Third in Painting: Lindsey Bross
• Best Drawing: Maddy Bisila
• Second in Drawing: Yuliia Umanets
• Third in Drawing: Ally Rounds
• Best Ceramics: Raina Perkins
• Second in Ceramics: Mara Schwenneker
• Best in Printmaking: Lee Weselmann
• Best Graphic Design: Gretel Schmidt
• Best Silver Gelatin Print: Raiden Concannon
• Best Photography: Oliver Romero
• Second Photography: McKeena Green
• Third Photography: Olivia Smith
• Best in Metals: Lindsey LaPore
• Best in Show: Esmirna Zeledon
• Most Ambitious: Maddy Bisila

Awards prizes were provided by Gamblin Paint, BarbaMingo Restaurant, Clark College Bookstore, I’ve Been Framed Art Supply, Collage, Georgie’s Ceramics, Blick Art Materials, McClain’s Print Supply, Independent Publishing Resource Center, Blue Moon Photo, Pro Photo, Portland Art Museum, Oregon Contemporary (Ox), and Niche Wine Bar.

Exhibition Schedule:

• Dates: June 4-14
• Gallery hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday until the closing reception and “Phoenix” unveiling from noon-3 p.m. on June 13.

Learn more at https://www.clark.edu/campus-life/arts-events/archer/.

Four newly tenured faculty members were honored at the 2024 tenure reception on May 28 in PUB (Penguin Union Building) 161. Clark’s Board of Trustees, President Dr. Karin Edwards, faculty, staff, and families gathered to celebrate the achievement of the recently tenured faculty.

During her welcome message, Dr. Edwards said, “Some have described the tenure process as a three-year professional development plan. It’s an intense process and a journey for all of you. Congratulations on your achievement.”

The following faculty members were honored:

Bruce Elgort, Computer Technology

Dean of WPTE and STEM Dr. Theo Koupelis presented Professor Bruce Elgort with his certificate.

Feedback from Professor Elgort’s students:

“You can tell he has real passion for the field and for teaching students.”

“He keeps the class engaged and he is very responsive to our needs. He is respectful, providing clear instructions and pathways to success.”

“Bruce connects with each student individually… He remembers every student by name and makes sure to address each one during the lesson. I never feel alone in his classes. He always checks if everyone is keeping up with his speed (which can be challenging at times, to be honest). Rest assured; you won’t fall asleep in his lessons!”

“Throughout my time studying at Clark College, I have not encountered a more engaging teaching style.”

“He is amazing when it comes to technology and people… He continues to help and support many of his students even after they graduate.”

Heidi Fay, Pharmacy Technician

Dean of Business and Health Sciences Dr. Scot Headley presented Professor Heidi Fay with her certificate.

Dr. Headley said, “Heidi is caring, competent, and committed. She has exceptional technical skills, teaching skills, and administrative skills. She maintains good relationships with our external partners, who provide our students with externships, and later, jobs.”

Feedback from Professor Fay’s students:

“Heidi provides detailed feedback on your work and how you are achieving course outcomes. She answers all questions and makes certain that all her students fully understand before moving on.”

“You can tell that Heidi wants all her students to succeed. She makes certain that her students have a full understanding of the coursework and know about available resources.”

“Heidi made it possible to understand the material well and to practice doing the work in order to be able to make a career.”

Mackenzie Loyet, Biology

Dean of WPTE and STEM Dr. Theo Koupelis presented Mackenzie Loyet with her certificate.

He read comments from her colleagues, including: “Mac is an excellent instructor. She’s positive, well-organized, patient, knowledgeable, communicative, energetic, kind, caring, respectful, and very supportive of her students, who love having her as their Human Anatomy and Physiology professor, as evidenced by the glowing comments on her student evaluations.”

Feedback from Professor Loyet’s students:

“She has amazing knowledge of the content and can seamlessly explain anything you need to know. She teaches in a way that is easy to understand. Easily the best professor I’ve had at Clark.”

“She ensures her students comprehend the complex material. Her knowledge and expertise in the subject matter are evident, allowing her to effectively convey information and answer questions with clarity. What sets Professor Loyet apart is her ability to create

an engaging, enjoyable learning environment. She utilizes various teaching strategies, incorporating interactive activities, visual aids, and real-life examples to enhance understanding and retention. This approach fosters a deeper comprehension of the subject matter and keeps the class motivated and eager to learn. Professor Loyet’s approachability, teaching methods, and commitment to student success make her the best teacher I have encountered during my time at Clark.”

Heather Reynolds, Nursing

Dean of Business and Health Sciences Dr. Scot Headley presented Professor Heather Reynolds with her certificate. Associate Dean of Health Sciences Jennifer Obbard accepted the certificate on Heather’s behalf.

She said, “Heather is an exemplary faculty. She speaks up, has vision, and contributes to the department and students in so many ways that make a difference. She is a leader among faculty in the department who brings ideas that lead with equity and inclusion… Heather’s students express that she creates a safe environment, leans into challenging conversations, and supports students to deepen their learning. Heather conveys passion for teaching and genuine care for students and their success.”

Feedback from Professor Reynolds’ students:

“Professor Reynolds has been the best teacher I have experienced. She is thoughtful, funny, receptive, and shows vulnerability which provides an enriched learning environment. She makes you feel heard. She’s a good one!”

“She inspired and empowered me. I loved the personal, detailed feedback she gave for each assignment. She is thoughtful and kind with her approach.”

Learn more

Read an earlier story about Professor Elgort’s tenure here.

Read an earlier story about the tenure of professors Fay, Loyet, and Reynolds here.

The fifth class of Clark’s Broadening Understanding, Intercultural Leadership and Development program (BUILD) presented their projects to the college community on May 20 and 23. The BUILD cohort’s graduation was May 24.

BUILD is a nine-month cohort-based program designed to develop intercultural competency and equity in leadership amongst Clark College staff, faculty, and students. The program encourages participants to explore power, privilege, and inequity and their implications through awareness, learning, and practicing social equity.

Our BUILD program challenges faculty and staff to work together for nine months to go through the equitable decision-making process leading to the creation of a thought-provoking project proposal that challenges the status quo and has the capacity to make a difference in the equity work at the college.   

Below are this year’s eight teams of the BUILD Silver Cohort and their projects:

Project: Microaggressions: Recognition & Response

Team: Dr. Tina Redd (Office of Instruction), Jennifer Obbard (Nursing), Brad Avakian (Human Resources), Sudha Frederick (Information Technology Services), Heidi Summers (Transitional, English, Communities & Humanities)  

Description: Create a community of practice around speaking up when microaggressions occur based on a basic assumption and strategies to interrupt.

Project: A Tool for Increasing Access to PPI Training

Team: Mike Arnold (Physical Education), Thao Schmidt (Human Resources), Cole Timpone (Entry Services), Stacie Murdoch (Office of Instruction)

Description: We have created a Microsoft Form survey that can be sent to all Clark employees and will capture helpful scheduling information to help increase inclusion and campus-wide allies.

Project:  Accessibility – Accessible Document-Making Tool

Team: Donna Potts (Nursing), Vanessa Bural (Human Resources), DJ Scates (Student Success Programs), Billie Trimbo (Child & Family Services), Dan Palow (Clark College Foundation)

Description: Using accessible technology is vital to the success of all members of our college community. Equip yourself with this Accessible Document Making Tool to make your communication more accessible for your audience.

Project: Understanding the challenges and triumphs of ESL students at Clark College: A learning, reflecting, and action session for faculty and staff

Team: Rocio Rodriguez (Office of Instruction), Olga Lyubar (Health Information Management), Tyler Frank (Career and Academic Preparation), Emily Meoz (Advising), Justin Stokes (Clark College Foundation)

Description: Staff and faculty are invited to participate in an interactive learning and reflection session about how to better support current and alumni ESL students in Transitional Studies. Hear real student stories and reflections on what successes they had and why, what challenges they faced, and what could have been better.

Project:  Social Justice Canvas Shell

Team: Tre Sandlin (Teaching and Learning Center), Tosha Big Eagle (Workforce Education Services), Cecelia Martin (Planning and Effectiveness)

Description: The project centers on a Canvas Shell meant to help student employees at Clark explore Social Justice issues asynchronously and learn about the various populations of students they’ll support here.

Project: Proposal to implement an I-BEST model for Allied Health (AH) 100 to recruit and retain more English Language Learners in the allied health pathways.

Team: Amy Castellano (Phlebotomy), Alejandra Maciulewicz-Herring (Medical Assisting), Hudson Fox (Disability Support Services) Grace Spadoro (Advising)

Description: Creating a list and canvas page of resources and supports at Clark College. Also creating a list and template of classroom modifications to implement in the classroom.

Project: Using I-Best to Help English Language Learners Succeed in Allied Health Programs

Team: Donna Larson (Veterans Resource Center of Excellence), Angie Bailey (Nursing), Aaron Campbell (Advising), Kelly Eagan (Transitional Studies), Sarah Kuzera (Medical Assisting)

Description:  Proposal to implement an I-BEST model for Allied Health (AH) 100 to recruit and retain more English Language Learners in the allied health pathways.

Project: English Conversation Groups: Connecting ESL Students to Clark College

Team: Karl Bailey (Chemistry), Sara Gallow (English as a Second Language), Lauren Wooten (Economic and Community Development), Lucy Mackintosh (Libraries)

Description: An event that connects instructors and staff from outside the ESL program with students in the ESL program. The purpose is to increase students’ knowledge of the college and to encourage them to continue their education after they complete their CAP classes.

Learn more:

• Because BUILD is a leadership and development program, the true value is the inward reflection needed for outward action and commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism work.
• As with most leadership development programs, a foundational component is learning that before one leads others, there is great importance in leading oneself. This means intentional self-reflection to better understand one’s values and beliefs while also doing internal work to expand knowledge and understanding to grow.
• During the BUILD program, participants complete a series of ODEI antiracist trainings to build knowledge and skills toward equity leadership and intercultural competency. 
• Upon completion of the program, folx are expected to serve as equity ambassadors in their respective areas to advocate that policies, processes, procedures, decision-making, communications, and services are developed, implemented, and assessed equitably and in ways that center student and employee populations that most often experience inequitable outcomes in learning and workplace environments. 
• The ODEI team adds graduates to a BUILD Graduates listserv, which allows folx to reach out to these graduates to serve on a committee, workgroup, and so on. The college community, and beyond, continues to have a high interest in growing in intercultural leadership and development.

Apply to join the 2024-2025 BUILD Yellow cohort: View the application here.

Photos: Clark College/Susan Parrish

Generations of veterans connected to Clark College gathered to celebrate how the college and its partners have impacted veteran students over the years. The May 21 event in Gaiser Student Center celebrated 10 years of the Veterans Center of Excellence (VCOE) at Clark College. The college has offered unique resources for veterans for much longer than a decade.

Several speakers shared the history of the Veterans Center of Excellence at Clark and reflected on how the VCOE has changed lives.

Cheree Nygard, chair of Clark College Foundation Board of Directors, a veteran, and a long-time supporter of the center said, “Reflecting on the inception of the VCOE fills me with pride and nostalgia. A decade ago, we embarked on a journey filled with hope and determination to support our veterans. Over the years, I’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of the VCOE on veterans’ education and their successful integration into civilian life. Together, we’ve achieved significant milestones and made a tangible difference in the lives of our military-affiliated students.”

Nygard added, “Today, I stand before you as a testament to the resilience and determination of our veteran community. The VCOE has been more than just an educational resource; it has been a lifeline, providing guidance, mentorship, and a sense of belonging to so many of us. As we celebrate our past achievements, let us look towards the future with optimism and determination. Clark College remains steadfast in its commitment to serving and supporting our military-affiliated students, ensuring they have the necessary resources to succeed.”

A video highlighted Clark College student veterans sharing their stories and talking about how the support of the VCOE impacted their lives and their ability to succeed in school.

William (Bill) Erickson, General Council Secretary of the Cowlitz Tribe, contributed a land acknowledgment and shared the importance of veterans to his tribe. A high percentage of Cowlitz Tribe members are veterans.

Clark College President Dr. Karin Edwards and Donna Larson presented appreciation certificates to those who have made substantial financial contributions to the VCOE.

Jane Hagelstein (pictured above receiving recognition from Dr. Edwards), a founding member of Clark’s Veterans Advisory Board, began supporting Clark Student Veterans in 2011 with a scholarship. She continued supporting student veterans by providing funds to build out the Veteran Resource Center for facilities, staffing, and emergency grants. Her overall support of veterans with scholarships and emergency grants, along with facilities and staffing support has totaled $300,000 from 2011 to 2019. Without her generosity and belief in helping student veterans, there would not be a Veteran Center of Excellence today. She was a founding member of the Veterans Advisory Board.

The Cowlitz Tribal Foundation contributed $250,000 at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing the VCOE to expand basic needs and to provide needed technology devices student veterans needed to transition to remote learning.

People had opportunities to write thank-you notes to veterans and to meet others who are connected to the VCOE.

Donna Larson, associate director of the VCOE, said, “This event was truly a celebration for student veterans, alumni, staff, and supporters of the VCOE to celebrate this important milestone. The atmosphere felt like a tight-knit family gathering.”

She added, “A short history of the VCOE was shared, along with several inspirational student stories. The highlight of the event was presenting Clark College student coins to Jane Hagelstein and Bill Erickson of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe in appreciation for large donations to support the VCOE. After the program, employees, students, partners, and honorees mingled while they enjoyed coffee and festive cupcakes and cake.”

About Veterans Center of Excellence

The center assists military-affiliated students with their educational journey. Focused on supporting veteran student success, the center provides a single point of contact to coordinate comprehensive, individualized support services that address the academic, financial, physical, and social needs of Clark College’s student veterans. A Clark College veteran is any military-affiliated student at Clark: veterans, active duty, or a military dependent, either spouse or child.

The center’s staff can connect student veterans to agencies, programs, and support. The center also provides tutoring, help with books and calculators; useful workshops; a study area with computers and printers; a lounge and games for relaxation; networking with other veterans, and more.

Connect with VCOE:

• In-person: Penguin Union Building, PUB 015
• Phone: 360-992-2073 or 360-992-2864
• Web:  Veterans Center of Excellence (clark.edu)

Timeline: Veterans Center at Clark College

• November 2013: Clark College President Bob Knight began a new tradition: a college-sponsored celebration honoring veterans held the Thursday before Veterans Day in Gaiser Student Center. At that event, Knight announced the college would one day have a Veterans Resource Center on campus.
• At that same Nov. 2013 event: Jennifer Rhoads, president of Community Foundation for Southwest Washington, announced in honor of the foundation’s 30th anniversary, they would donate six grants of $30,000 each to help alleviate poverty. The first grant was for Clark College to create its Veteran Resource Center.
• March 2014: First open house at new Veterans Resource Center at Clark College—less than four months after the CFSWW announced the grant, the center held its first public event to welcome student veterans and the college community
• Feb. 2021: The Veterans Resource Center received a $449,460 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education to establish a Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success over three years. Clark was one of only two community colleges in the state to receive the grant. Focused on supporting student success, the Center will provide a single point of contact to coordinate comprehensive, individualized support services that address the academic, financial, physical, and social needs of Clark College’s student-veterans.

Read previous stories about the VCOE

• Gratitude for Those Who Served
• Creating a Home for Student Veterans
• Veterans Resource Center Receives Grant
• Clark College honors Vietnam War veterans by dedicating Witness Tree | Clark 24/7

Dana Quintana, Clark College student, employee, and disability rights advocate, shared her story with Clark students, faculty, and staff at the Spring Disability Luncheon on May 16 in a presentation titled “Disability Rights: It’s Not All About Ramps and Restrooms.”

The free event is presented each term by Clark’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The purpose of the luncheons is to allow students and employees to hear inspiring stories, connect with faculty, meet new friends, consider different career paths, and identify community resources and potential mentors.

Quintana is a peer mentor in Clark’s Disability Support Services office. Last academic year, she held the same position for the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Not so many years ago, Quintana says, “I was healthy. I was running marathons. Lifting weights.”

She had thrived in her nursing career, which was physically demanding. But after running the 2014 Portland Marathon, something changed. Her body was very sore. Months later, the soreness persisted, and she began to have health problems. Over the years, she has been diagnosed with multiple diseases and chronic conditions. Eventually, she retired from nursing due to her health.

For her safety, Quintana gets around in a wheelchair. She demonstrated that she can walk slowly with a cane, but it takes great effort, and she could collapse or faint at any time.

At Clark College, she advocates for people with disabilities, and she encourages them to advocate for themselves.

After retiring from a rewarding career as a nurse administrator in 2015, she embarked on a new journey, pursuing computer science and engineering as a second career, and plans to earn a doctorate in biomedical engineering.

Advice from Dana Quintana

Quintana encouraged students who would benefit from accommodation to contact Disability Support Services.

“You do not need a doctor’s note to receive accommodation. Hear my words: You are worth getting accommodation.”

“Part of advocating for yourself as a handicapped person is you must be forceful. You have to advocate. Do not ask. Tell.”

“The worst thing that can happen is being told ‘No.’ But if you don’t ask, the answer will always be ‘No.’”

Clark College Disability and Support Services

• Web: https://www.clark.edu/dss
• Main phone: 360-992-2314
• Video phone for ASL: 360-991-0901
• Email: dss@clark.edu

Photo: Clark College/Susan Parrish

Clark Creative Writing welcomed over 120 attendees for the annual Spring Creative Writing Workshop. 

The third annual event, hosted on May 11, invited the Southwest Washington writing community to Clark for free workshops, readings, and lectures. Participants chose three events to attend from the 12 offered and received free lunch, coffee, and pastries. A mix of Clark employees, students, and community members joined. This year, attendance notably increased. 

Alexis Nelson, creative writing lead and Clark faculty said, “We wanted it to be something special for Clark students and employees, something that would add even more value and enrichment to our Creative Writing program, and something that would also bring more of the community to campus and help build the sense of Clark as a center for the arts within the area. And we wanted the event to be welcoming and open to all, just like the college. It felt like we accomplished all that.” 

Clark faculty Jennifer Denrow and Jesse Morse are workshop co-directors. 

Workshop instructors came from as far as Southern California. Sessions focused on poetry, nonfiction, fiction, imagery, and developing story stakes. Vintage Books, a local bookstore, set up a space to sell books by workshop instructors (pictured below). 

Instructor Stephanie Adams Santos, a Guatemalan-American writer living in Oregon, taught Dreamscape of the Altar, inviting participants to create their own altar with art supplies, a candle, and an oracle card. She then led poets through an altar meditation to inspire language. 

Another workshop led by HR Hegnauer, a poet and book designer specializing in independent publishing, covered the crucial aspects of book cover design and invited participants to design their own book covers. 

Poet Mathias Svalina, founder of Dream Delivery Service, which delivers personalized poems by bicycle to subscribers, taught participants to write with dream logic. 

Clark’s own Joe Pitkin shared industry knowledge, including using the resource Duotrope to connect with publishers. 

Other workshop leaders included: 

• Sara Jaffe 
• Lisa Bullard (Clark instructor) 
• Emily Chenoweth 
• Michael Guerra (Clark instructor) 
• Debra Gwartney 
• Meredith Kirkwood (Clark instructor) 
• Pauls Toutonghi 
• Claire Vaye Watkins 

About Clark Creative Writing 

Clark Creative Writing, part of the English department, offers a creative writing associate of arts track with electives in poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, graphic fiction, and publishing. Clark Creative Writing: 

• Spring Writing Workshop 
• Annual Creative Writing Festival 
• Student run-journal, The Swift 
• Columbia Writers Series 

Photos: Clark College/Carly Rae Zent

Clark College graduate, social worker, and restorative justice champion Ezekiel Wells presented an inspiring keynote address at Black Student and Family Night on May 14 in Gaiser Student Center. The event was presented by the college’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Guided Pathways.

The purpose of the free event is to provide opportunities for Black students, and folx of the African diaspora, of all ages, their families, and community to learn about the ways Clark College can be a pathway to college, careers, and beyond. Students and their families learned about Running Start, financial aid, various programs at Clark, and career opportunities. Attendees also learned about available community resources, such as the NAACP and iUrban Teen, among others. A delicious catered dinner of soul food was served. Entertainment for the youngest potential penguins was provided by Nikki Brown Clown.

Dr. Debra (Debi) Jenkins, a tenured professor in the Department of Early Childhood Education/ Psychology and department chair of Early Childhood Education, was an honored presenter. She shared her journey that began as a student at Clark, where she earned an associate degree in Early Childhood Education. She then achieved a bachelor of arts degree and her first master’s degree in Human Development specializing in Developmental and Bicultural Development. Next, she acquired a second master’s degree in Psychology and a doctorate in Higher Education Administration.

She was first hired at Clark as an adjunct faculty member in the Psychology, Sociology, and Early Childhood departments. Now she is a tenured professor and chairs the college’s Early Childhood Education department. Dr. Jenkins has been an influential member of Clark College for 32 years and was the first African American woman to receive tenure at Clark College.

The event’s emcee was Kevin Thomas, Director of Workforce Education Services. In attendance were Clark College Board Vice Chair Denise Gideon and Trustee Marilee Scarbrough as well as Clark College President, Dr. Karin Edwards, Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Vanessa Neal, and Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Michele Cruse.

Other presentations included:

• Professor Earl Frederick (a.k.a. “Chef Earl”) represented the college’s culinary programs. He shared his own story, the grandson of Black sharecroppers whose education ended in fifth grade. He applied for 150 scholarships and told the students: “Don’t think you can’t get scholarships. Apply for every scholarship you can.”
• Gaby Posteuca, an admissions recruiter, discussed Clark College programs and told the high school students: “Your story matters.”
• Professor Carol Hsu presented an overview of Clark’s engineering specialties and encouraged students to register for Clark’s free Guided Pathways STEM camp June 27-28.
• Hernan Garzon, a recruiter for the Automotive Technology program, talked about the program’s hands-on learning opportunities, paid internships at local dealership shops, and the 100% employment rate for the program’s graduates.
• Lisa Barsotti, a recruiter for Allied Health programs, gave an overview of Allied Health programs and said, “We really need more people of color in the health care field. If you want a job in high demand that pays well, go into health care.”
• Chelsea Perrone explained the various types of financial aid and encouraged students and their parents to complete either a FAFSA or WASFA.
• Dany Depuy-Grobbel talked about Running Start and invited the students to check out Clark’s new Penguin Early Center (PEC).
• Panelists professors, alumni, and students: Dr. Debi Jenkins, Chris Smith, Chishayla Kimmons, and Ezekiel Wells answered questions about their experiences in college and at Clark.

Some highlights of the panel discussion:

• “When we talk about motivation, we consider hopes, wants, and needs. In Black and brown communities, hopes and wants are not something we get to. It was about survival. What would bring me the biggest paycheck?”
• “My mom always said: ‘They can’t take away your education.’”
• “My advice to someone who is afraid to speak in class is: Speak up! Be bold.”

The event’s success was immediately apparent. A high school student approached Professor Hsu and asked for details about the STEM camp. Professor Hsu offered her a flyer about the camp and then gave her several more to take to her friends.

A woman who has worked in her field for more than 22 years told Vanessa Neal that listening to the speakers had impacted her so deeply that she was inspired to go back to school to learn about STEM fields. She told Neal: “I know a lot of people in the community, and I can’t wait to tell them about tonight and the programs Clark offers. There are many people I work with hoping to finish their education, and I will bring them to Clark.”

Another high school student stepped up to Gaby Posteuca’s table and asked how to apply for Clark College. Posteuca smiled and was happy to oblige.

About Keynoter Ezekiel Wells

Ezekiel Wells responded to adversity by vowing to be the change he wanted to see in the world. First, he got an education. He is a first-generation college graduate who earned an associate degree at Clark College and then a bachelor’s degree in social work from Eastern Washington University. Learn more about his work in restorative justice here.  

Photos: Clark College/Susan Parrish

Clark students, alumni, community members, and local employers participated in Clark’s Career Connect event geared for students enrolled or interested in programs in the college’s Public Service, Society and Education area of study on May 7 in PUB 161.

Advising Services, Career Services, and Student Success Coaches worked together to staff the event and assist students. These departments partnered with faculty to coordinate timing for the event that would make the most sense for Education student participation.  Faculty also participated in the event as one of the important supportive resources for students in this area of study.

The Career Services team organized the event: Emily Meoz, Trisha Haakonstad, Niira Krupnick, and Alex Kison, with support from student employee Liz Knapp. Kison led logistics.

In 2023, the Career Services team hosted a large-scale Career Fair in Gaiser Student Center that included all the college’s departments and programs. This year, the team is creating smaller events called “Career Connect” focused on only one or two areas of study per event. The first Career Connect in March focused on the Business and Entrepreneurship area of study.

Emily Meoz, director of Advising and Career Services, said, “After hosting two Career Connect events in the last few months, we are optimistic that the format of these smaller scale and more focused area of study events will create tangible opportunities for students and community members to make meaningful career and academic connections. We plan to offer Career Connect events for every area of study at Clark during the 2024-2025 academic year.” 

Connecting with Clark’s services

During the Career Connect event, Clark student Dana Bunnell chatted with DJ Scates, one of Clark’s three Student Success Coaches who work with students on time management, study skills, goal setting, and more.

Bunnell graduated from Clark College with an associate degree in early childhood education in June 2023. Now she has nearly completed her first year in Clark’s Bachelor of Applied Science in Teacher Education (BASTE) program. It’s the next step on her career path to become a teacher.

Like most Clark students, Bunnell has become an expert multitasker who squeezes time for schoolwork between caregiving for family members, household responsibilities, and more. But even an experienced multitasker can learn new practices to make her more productive and her life less stressful. Scates stepped up to help.

Connecting with employers

As students checked in, they were given a list of sample questions that make it easier for students to practice talking with a potential employer about opportunities. Questions include:

• What qualifications do you typically look for in candidates?
• What type of college major or degree/certificate is valuable in this industry or typical positions you hire for?
• Are there professional organizations or connection events/opportunities that you suggest I know about?

Students also received a Career Connect BINGO card that identified specific tasks to complete at the event. These included having a conversation with an employer, learning about a job opportunity, and receiving guidance from an academic advisor.

Then, with questions and BINGO cards in hand, students entered PUB 161, where local employers were ready to talk with students about job opportunities. The following employers participated in Career Connect:

• Vancouver Public Schools talked with students about paraeducators to work with children in a variety of settings, from classroom to playground.
• Educational Services District 112 spoke with students about job opportunities including special education paraeducators, bus drivers, secretaries, and more.
• Washington DSHS Behavioral Health Administration talked about 250 positions the agency will hire to work at a new residential treatment center opening in spring 2025 near WSU Vancouver.
• Educational Opportunities for Children & Families (EOCF) talked to students about positions including Early Head Start teacher assistant, preschool bus driver, preschool teacher assistant, and more.
• iUrban Teen shared their Future Teachers Pathway Fellowship program with students. This paid work-based learning opportunity for young adults to provide academic support and mentorship to elementary and middle school students is in partnership with the Cowlitz Tribal Foundation, Vancouver Public Schools, and other local school districts.

Make connections

Advising Services: advising@clark.edu or (360) 992-2345 or GHL 108
Career Services: careerservices@clark.edu or (360) 992-2902 or GHL 108
Student Success Coaches: Schedule a session here

Photos: Clark College/Susan Parrish

Andrew Leland quoted Georgina Kleege’s Sight Unseen to explain his own relationship to his work: “Writing this book made me blind.”

Authors Andrew Leland and Justin Taylor discussed Leland’s new memoir, The Country of the Blind, at the Spring Columbia Writers’ event. It was attended by Clark creative writing students, students from the nearby Washington State School for the Blind, and staff from Cannell Library and Disability Support Services (DSS).  

Leland’s book shares his experience of slowly losing his sight due to a degenerative eye disease, Retinitis Pigmentos (RP).  More than a description of his life, his memoir explores history, disability justice, and what it means to identify as blind.

With emotion, Leland said a blind reader described his memoir as “the story of our people.” Leland added, “it’s incredibly moving for me that it might have value.”

Writing the book helped Leland process his recently accepted identity as a blind person. At the beginning of his journey, “blindness did not feel like a word connected to me.” As he wrote, he evolved from using third person to describe the blind community (they) to using the first-person plural (we).

The book covers some of the history of innovation driven by blind people. The first typewriters, audiobooks, and LP records were adaptations designed for blind accessibility. Adaptations can become their own form of art as blind people experiment with how to communicate information within the world’s inaccessible design. As Leland put it, “Alt text is poetry.”

An early form of Optical Character Recognition was the Kurzweil Reading Machine, which scanned print books and turned them into computer-spoken words. The inventor designed it for blind people, working closely with the National Federation of the Blind.

When Xerox purchased the machine, the company laid off the blind sales staff. The technology then became a foundation for the internet, which today remains largely inaccessible to the blind. Only 2% of home pages are fully accessible to screen readers.

Leland said, “Often, after it [the technology designed for accessibility] gets coopted into the mainstream, the accessibility falls away.”

According to Leland, information access is one of the biggest barriers affecting blind people. The disability justice movement seeks to change barriers to access for blind people and for all those experiencing disabilities — including multiple disabilities. Key to the movement is understanding how experiences of disability intersect with other identities such as race, class, and gender.

He shared his own experience of diving into disability justice, and how his views started out as naive but became more complex as he talked with more people. “My privilege is intact and will continue to be intact as a blind person… to be a blind person of color is a radically different experience.”

He advised college students to be unafraid to engage with the disability justice movement even if their knowledge is incomplete. “It’s an important first step to be like, ‘I think it’s like this’ and then you take the tires off.”

Leland also shared his advice on writing. He advocates for a regular writing practice — even if you’re not writing with a goal of being published — to prepare you to write when you have something important to say.

“The butt-in-chair principle I think is really important,” Leland said and added “don’t be a hermit… it’s important to be sharing your work with readers.”

Find books by Andrew Leland and Justin Taylor at Clark’s Cannell Library or local independent bookstores.

About Andrew Leland

Andrew Leland’s debut book, The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight, about the world of blindness (and figuring out his place in it), was published in July 2023 by Penguin Press. His writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, McSweeney’s Quarterly, and The San Francisco Chronicle, among other outlets. From 2013-2019, he hosted and produced The Organist, an arts and culture podcast, for KCRW; he has also produced pieces for Radiolab and 99 Percent Invisible. He has been an editor at The Believer since 2003. He lives in western Massachusetts with his wife and son.

About Justin Taylor

Justin Taylor is the author of the novel Reboot, the memoir Riding with the Ghost, the novel The Gospel of Anarchy, and two collections of short fiction: Everything Here Is the Best Thing Ever and Flings. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s, Bomb, and Bookforum, among other publications. He has taught writing at the graduate and undergraduate levels in programs all over the country, including Columbia University, N.Y.U., the University of Southern Mississippi, and the University of Montana. He is a contributing writer to the Washington Post’s Book World and the Director of the Sewanee School of Letters. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

About the Columbia Writers Series

The Columbia Writers Series has been a part of Clark College since 1988, bringing local, national and international authors to the college throughout the year. Writers who have visited Clark College through the series include Ursula Le Guin, Donald Justice, Sherman Alexie, Marvin Bell, William Stafford, Jamaica Kincaid, Gerald Stern, Carolyn Forchè, Natalie Diaz, Karen Russell, Jess Walter, Dana Spiotta, Mitchell Jackson, and many others.

Next up: Learn more about the Creative Writing Festival

Photo: Clark College/Carly Rae Zent

Near the stage in Gaiser Student Center, a preschool girl wearing a polka dot dress and neon yellow rain boots jumped up and down and clapped her hands to the lively music that filled the air. Mesmerized as she watched the Folkloric Ballet of SW Washington dancers on stage twirling in their colorful skirts, she mimicked their twirling movements.

She was joined by many other young children who danced, stomped, and twirled during Clark College’s ¡Celebración de Primavera! / Día del Niño (Celebration of Spring/Day of the Child) on the evening of April 26. Clark’s annual community event offered an evening of free, family-friendly activities that celebrates Latiné culture, children, literacy, and Earth Day.

Students in Clark’s Spanish Club volunteered all around the center to assist dozens of children, from toddlers to young teens. Clark students painted faces, helped children make sock puppets, created tissue paper flowers, designed aluminum foil artwork, drew on reusable cloth bags with markers, and helped kids play the apple game. Without using their hands, kids tried to take a bite from an apple suspended in the air by a string.

Spanish Club students Michael Scheidt and Jonathan Gauna became puppeteers for the evening. As they worked colorful marionette birds, they talked with children who edged closer to watch. A curious but cautious toddler watched the puppets as she kept a firm grip on her mother’s leg.

At a nearby table Clark student Emily Subroto, who was helping a girl create a sock puppet, asked, “How do you want to decorate your puppet?”

The girl chose a purple sock for the puppet body, a lime green felt tongue, a purple pom pom nose, and wooden buttons for the eyes. Then the girl chose the most colorful hair for her puppet: bright blue, curly yarn. With a hot glue gun, the Clark student attached the elements to the colorful sock puppet. Perfect!

Then the girl gently put her hand into her puppet and moved the mouth. Open and close. Open and close. She looked at her puppet, thanked Subroto, stood up, and headed to the next activity.

Activities included:

• Songs by Harney Elementary students
• Reading by author Christopher Cousins
• Games and crafts
• Dancing by Vancouver Ballet Folklórico
• Tammy Boyer from Cannell Library brought Spanish-language children’s picture books 
• City of Vancouver Urban Forestry staffed a booth with Friends of Trees
• Dinner provided by Los Amigos in Milwaukie, Oregon
• Dance lessons and dance party
• Clark College Spanish Club did the first of three presale tabling events for its tamale fundraiser. Follow the Spanish Club’s Instagram profile @clarkcollege.spanishclub 

There was so much to do, listen to, and experience. But the event’s focal point was the dancing by Vancouver Ballet Folklórico. Folklórico is a type of traditional dance, music, and colorful costume that highlights regional Mexican cultures.

The evening ended with salsa lessons and a dance party. To prepare for the dancing, members of the college’s Spanish Club had taken two salsa lessons at O’Connell Sports Complex recently. Advisor Felipe Montoya said the students were ready to salsa!

Event organizer, Michelle Golder, offered many thanks to the event’s planning committee: Betsy Ubiergo and Erika Nava, Spanish faculty; Felipe Montoya, Spanish Club advisor; and Rosalba Pitkin, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion representative.

Clark College Spanish Club

Spanish Club promotes the Spanish-language culture around campus and its communities through events, fundraisers, and activities that provide an active learning experience for students and the community. To learn more, contact Advisor Felipe Montoya at fmontoya@clark.edu

Photos: Clark College/Susan Parrish