Have you heard the latest buzz?

Just in time for Earth Day, Clark College was certified as an affiliate of the Bee Campus USA program on April 20, joining 165 other college campuses and 179 cities across the country united to make their landscape attractive to pollinators.

“Through a variety of sustainability initiatives, college students, faculty, and staff have championed creating environmentally friendly campuses,” said Clark College President, Dr. Karin Edwards. “I was fortunate to help sow wildflower seeds on campus in early spring. I anticipate that we will be enjoying beautiful native wildflowers—and seeing more bees on campus—in the coming months.” 

Biology Professor Steven Clark is coordinating the college’s Bee Campus initiative and has led the college in laying groundwork, such as planting native wildflowers, to make the campus more attractive to bees and other pollinators.

“Bee Campus helps bees because we provide food and habitat for bees,” Clark said. “But it may help humans more because we learn how to live in harmony with nature.”

Pollinators—including mason bees, bumblebees, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, and hummingbirds are essential for the planet. They are responsible for the reproduction of almost 90% of the world’s flowering plant species and 30% of our food.

As part of the college’s Bee Campus initiative, it is offering opportunities for student research and service learning. Faculty, staff, and students have worked together to study and create pollinator habitat with native plants.

As a certified Bee Campus, Clark College will offer education to students and community members about the region’s native pollinators, potentially via biology labs, community science research contributions, environmental science service learning, Continuing Ed seminars, and Bee Units offered to nearby elementary schools.

During Clark’s Take Your Child to Work Day event on April 27, he led a group of college employees and their children on a bee walk just outside the front door of the STEM Building. Within minutes the kids were identifying and counting mason bees, bumblebees and more.

Professor Clark will teach two Clark College community education courses focused on bees and their habitat. Bee Walks and Bee Lives begins May 26. Bee Walks and Bee Biology begins June 6. Both courses include classroom time followed by a “bee walk” around campus.

Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA are initiatives of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, a Portland-based nonprofit. Bee City USA’s mission is to galvanize communities and college campuses to sustain pollinators by providing healthy habitat, rich in a variety of native plants that are free of pesticides.

For more information, visit:

• Clark College’s Bee Campus USA initiative
• Bee Campus USA
• Four simple ways to help pollinators

Clark College Engineering Professor Carol Hsu is an immigrant, a woman of color, and a pioneer of sorts who pursued a mechanical engineering degree at a time when only 10% of engineering students were women.

But did you know she’s also an avid gamer who plays World of Warcraft?

Professor Hsu talked about these things and more when she spoke to more than 70 Clark College students, faculty and staff at the Spring Student of Color Luncheon on April 25.

The free event is presented each term by Clark’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Multicultural Student Affairs. It provides opportunities for students to be encouraged by inspiring stories, meet faculty and new friends, consider different career paths, and identify community resources and potential mentors.

Professor Hsu shared her story and her lessons learned and shared tips to help students navigate college. She grew up in Taiwan, where she attended school seven days a week. When she was in high school, her family emigrated to Houston, Texas. She didn’t speak English, but thanks to her high school’s ESL classes, she learned.

Recognizing her aptitude to working with her hands, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. Before her teaching career, she was an engineer at various companies including Chevron, Motorola and Hewlett-Packard. In her work, she traveled to many countries and experienced diverse cultures.

Now in her 13^th year of teaching at Clark, she also co-directs NERD Girls and other STEM outreach in the community.

She encouraged students to “find opportunities whenever possible. Get involved.”

Professor Hsu’s advice to students:

• Design is a process. It takes a team.
• Join clubs on campus and get involved to make connections.
• Get to know your professors, who know about opportunities and can write recommendation letters.
• Join a study group and make friends; encourage each other to keep going.

Her words of wisdom:

• “If you tell me ‘no,’ I’m going to show you that I can.”
• “Your reputation follows you, so do a good job.”
• “There’s nothing you can do about the past, but you can change the future.”

Fun Facts about Professor Hsu:

• She is an inventor who holds two U.S. patents.
• She is an avid gamer. In World of Warcraft, she is a warlock.
• She commutes to campus via bus and listens to audiobooks; she has listened to 377 audiobooks.
• Her favorite genre is fantasy; favorite authors include Brendon Sanderson and Neil Gaiman.

Photo: Clark College/Susan Parrish

Author Cecily Wong will speak about her work on Tuesday, May 2, from 11 a.m. to noon in Penguin Union Building 258. This free public event is part of the Clark College Columbia Writers Series.  

Wong is the author of three books. Her debut novel, Diamond Head (Harper, HarperCollins), was a Barnes & Noble’s Discover Great New Writers Selection, recipient of an ELLE Readers’ Prize, and voted a best debut of the 2015 Brooklyn Book Festival.  

Her latest novel, Kaleidoscope (Dutton, Penguin Random House) was published in July 2022 to rave reviews. Wong is also the co-author of The New York Times bestseller Gastro Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to Food (Workman Publishing). 

Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The LA Review of Books, Self Magazine, Bustle, Atlas Obscura, and more. She has spoken at book festivals across the country and was keynote speaker at the Hawaii Book and Music Festival.  

A graduate of Barnard College, Wong spent 13 years living in New York. She now lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and daughter.  

Upcoming Writing/Literary Opportunities at Clark: 

• Clark’s Spring Writing Workshop is Saturday, May 20. It will be an in-person event featuring a variety of speakers and workshops. Learn more here.  
• The Swift: Clark College Literary Journal 
• Learn more about Columbia Writers Series at www.clark.edu/cc/cws. 
• More events are planned for the week of May 15—look for announcements about the Subtext Literary Festival.

Photo: Heather Hawksford

Clark College celebrated its annual Sakura Festival on April 20. Rain and cool temperatures moved the community event from underneath a canopy of cherry blossoms to inside Gaiser Student Center. The event was presented by Clark College, the city of Vancouver and Vancouver Rotary.

Clark’s Sakura Festival honors the historic ties of friendship between the sister-cities of Vancouver, Washington and Joyo, Japan. Sakura, or cherry blossoms, are the national flower of Japan. Sakura represents a time of renewal and optimism.  

Clark College President, Dr. Karin Edwards welcomed the community and shared highlights from a trip representing the college in a delegation that visited Kyoto and Tokyo, Japan in March.  

Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnery-Ogle shared the history of the college’s grove of cherry trees and read a letter from Mayor Toshiharu Okuda of the City of Joyo, Vancouver’s sister city. Consul General Yuzo Yoshioka, representing the Japanese consul in Portland, explained that the arrival of the first cherry blossoms in Japan is a big story in Japanese media.  

The entertainment opened with a koto performance by Shigemi Getter, dressed in a traditional kimono, and followed later by Clark College Treble Ensemble under the direction of Jake Funk performed “Sakura” and “Travelin’ Train.” The college’s Japanese Club presented a kimono fashion show. Camas Kendo Dojo demonstrated kendo, a modern Japanese martial art using bamboo swords and protective armor. Portland Shishimai Kai performed the traditional celebratory lion dance of Tokyo, the Edo Kotobuki Jishi.  

A variety of other offerings included early childhood education student art showcase, exhibits including ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) demonstration by Miwa Satoh of Ohara School of Ikebana, a tea ceremony, lessons on using chopsticks to pick up a grain of rice and more. Refreshments of tea and cookies intricately decorated with Sakura blossoms were provided by the college’s Professional Baking & Pastry Arts students.

Some braved the rain to visit the grove of blossoming cherry trees in the Royce Pollard Japanese Friendship Garden at the southwest corner of campus.

PenguinsGive at Sakura Festival

PenguinsGive, Clark College Foundation’s 24-hour fundraising event also was on April 20. At the Foundation’s table at Sakura, members of the O Squad, Clark’s employee giving committee, visited faculty and staff about contributing $90 to support Clark students in celebration of the college’s 90^th anniversary. The Foundation offered free coffee and smoothies at the IQ Credit Union coffee cart.

History of Clark College Sakura Festival

Over 30 years ago, the City of Vancouver received a gift of friendship: 100 Shirofugen cherry trees. They were planted at Clark College, creating an enduring reminder of the bonds between our region and Japan. Over the years, additional cherry trees were added to the college’s Royce Pollard Friendship Garden, including 200 trees gifted by SEH America were planted campus wide. The trees have grown and blossomed—as has that friendship, creating traditions like establishing a sister-city relationship between Vancouver and Joyo, Japan, in 1995 and our annual Sakura Festival in 2006.

Learn more about the history of the Sakura Festival.

View more photographs from the event on our Flickr page.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

More than 125 people attended the Black Student and Family Fair in Gaiser Student Center on April 15. Although most students were of high school age, middle school and elementary students also attended. It was the first time Clark College held this event, a partnership of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Guided Pathways.

This free event was designed to introduce Black students of all ages, their families and community to Clark College as a pathway to college, careers and beyond. Students and their families attended workshops, learned about Running Start, programs at Clark and career opportunities. Elementary and middle school students visited the college’s STEM Building and attended a workshop by Girls Inc. Students also learned about community resources available through WorkSource Vancouver, Gear Up, NAACP and more.

Speakers included Clark College President, Dr. Karin Edwards, Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Michelle Cruse and guest musician and keynote speaker, Chibia.

The event also celebrated the unique experiences of Black culture through food, music and the arts.

“It was a joy to have Black students and their families on campus in an intentional space of belonging,” said Nicole Harris, Director of Student Equity and Inclusion. “The fair provided a cultural representation for the Black community through art, dance, music and storytelling.”

Entertainment included SEI Elite Dancers: Cuff It Challenge (center bottom photo) and a Kid Zone featuring face painting and games (Nikki Brown Clown, far right photo). Students received Clark College swag bags and had a chance to win door prizes and gift baskets. Light breakfast, lunch and refreshments were catered by Ja’Das Soul Eatz.

For some students, it was their first visit to Clark College or any college campus. Harris said, “A few students and family members told me it was their first time on campus, and that it was beautiful.”

Photos provided by Rosalba Pitkin and Amy Tam.

More than 250 high school juniors and seniors explored degrees and programs offered at a career pathways event at Gaiser Hall on April 18. Funded by Guided Pathways and Career Connect Washington, 14 high schools in six Clark County school districts participated in this Career and Technical Programs Showcase.

“To have that much interest was astounding,” said Ellie Phillips, CTE Transitions Navigator who organized the event. Trout Lake High School in Klickitat County traveled the farthest, taking a 90-minute bus ride through snow to reach Clark’s campus. Hayes Freedom High School in Camas brought 40 students, more than any other school.

Each student chose two workshops to attend from a list of 18 offerings, including observing CTE classes in action, from Automotive Technology, Welding Technology, Phlebotomy, Surveying and Geomatics, Engineering, Cybersecurity and more. Other workshops offered included Admissions and Financial Aid, Running Start and Career Exploration.

After a lunch catered by Big Town Hero, students gathered in Gaiser Hall to hear a panel of Clark College alumni talk about how their education at Clark led to rewarding careers.

“This event works!” Phillips said. “Students chose their workshops, experienced the programs and made active decisions about their future.”

Students Skyla Crenshaw and Ava Schuman, both from Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, had observed a Professional Baking & Pastry Arts class working in the kitchen, and then stood at the counter of Clark’s retail bakery to look at pastries and talk with a student baker. Both students said they were impressed with the collaborative teamwork of baking students and are considering enrolling in the program.

A high school counselor told Phillips that he saw immediate, positive results from his students during the financial aid workshop. One student began filling out Clark’s financial aid form. Another student, who had not planned to go to college, asked his counselor, “Will you call my mom? I want to start filling out my FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).”

“Hearing those stories was the highlight of my day,” Phillips said. “College can be daunting. Some students see it as unattainable, but this event brings high school students to Clark’s campus so they can get excited about Clark and their future. That’s why we’re here.”

Photos: Clark College/Susan Parrish

The Clark College Veterans Center of Excellence welcomed student veterans and potential students during its spring open house on April 17 and 18.

Center Work Study employees Tristan Fleming and Zack Monzon, both veterans and Clark students, greeted people and answered questions.

Often when veterans enroll at Clark College, they aren’t aware of the assistance they can receive at the center, said Megan Anderson, manager. Even students who are not veterans themselves but have a parent or spouse who is or was a veteran, may qualify for Veterans Affairs (VA) education benefits. Staff can connect student veterans to agencies, programs and support.

“We want to let students know we are here and let them know about the services we offer students who are veterans,” Anderson said.

Representatives from the following participated in the open house:

• Veterans Administration, providing healthcare and veteran’s benefits
• WorkSource, providing employment training and job search tools for veterans
• Whole Health for Life, providing health and wellness education
• Disabled American Veterans, providing resource information
• Veteran Administration’s Therapeutic Garden Program
• Art therapist and Gold Star mother offering papermaking workshops

Employees at the center can help students with their educational journey by connecting them with tutoring for math, science and English; loaning textbooks and calculators; offering useful workshops; providing a study area with computer and printers; offering networking with other veterans and more.

For information, contact the Clark College Veterans Center of Excellence:
In person: Penguin Union Building, PUB 015
Phone: 360-992-2073 or 360-992-2864
Email: veterans@clark.edu

Photo: Clark College/Susan Parrish

Submitted by Clark College Foundation 

PenguinsGive, Clark College’s 24-hour fundraising event, is Thursday, April 20. In celebration of Clark College celebrating its 90^th anniversary this year, all Clark College and Clark College Foundation employees and retirees are challenged to “Give $90.” Join the members of the O Squad, your employee giving committee and give $90 to support Clark students. 

PenguinsGive at Sakura Festival 

If you’re attending the Sakura Festival on Thursday, on your way from the cherry trees to Gaiser Hall, get a FREE coffee or smoothie at the IQ Credit Union cart from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and make your donation. 

At the Foundation’s table, members of the O Squad will visit with faculty and staff about contributing during PenguinsGive and students can write thank-you notes to donors. 

The annual Sakura Festival returns to the Clark College main campus on Thursday, April 20 beginning at 1 p.m. The free community event underneath a canopy of cherry blossoms is presented by Clark College, the city of Vancouver and Vancouver Rotary. 

$15k Available for Matching Gifts 

Join colleagues in supporting Penguin Nation. Thanks to generous donors, gifts of any amount will be matched dollar-for-dollar. More than $15,000 is available to double donations. For example, a $50 gift to student scholarships becomes $100; a $90 donation to STEM programs becomes $180; $150 to the Music program becomes $300, thanks to some generous donors. 

Visit www.clarkcollegefoundation.org/penguinsgive 

Gaiser Hall’s Student Center bustled with activity as students, staff, and faculty gathered for Clark’s Spring Term Involvement & Financial Wellness Fair in the Gaiser Hall Student Center on April 5. Students had the opportunity to learn more about the college’s support services, student clubs and programs.

Clark College President Dr. Karin Edwards and Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Michele Cruse (pictured above) made the rounds to chat with attendees. Students met peers with shared interests—from building a drone to drawing comics to International Club to swing dancing and much more. Students could learn about budgeting and financial resources at booths staffed by employees representing Columbia Credit Union, IQ Credit Union, Key Bank, and US Bank.  

Fun activities included a photobooth and free smoothies from Pacific Perks Coffee. At the photobooth, Dr. Edwards and Dr. Cruse donned colorful boas, hats, and oversized glasses and posed for the camera.

Photos: Clark College/Susan Parrish 

Three Clark College students are among those being recognized for their academic excellence and community service.  

Alexandria (Lexi) Kneipp overcame her social anxiety by stepping up to be a leader, first in high school and now as a Phi Theta Kappa officer. Volunteering has helped her become more connected to the college and her neighborhood community. She enjoys leading and assisting others in navigating difficulties or making someone’s life easier. After she graduates this spring, she will transfer to Western Washington University to pursue a degree in Elementary Education. 

Lexi received another PTK honor by being selected as a Coca-Cola Bronze Scholar. She will receive a $1,000 scholarship and a bronze medallion. She will be recognized at the PTK International Conference and the All-Washington Academic Team ceremony, both in April.  

As one of the top 16 award recipients of the PTK’s All-Washington Academic Team, she will receive a $750 scholarship from Washington State Employees Credit Union (WSECC). 

Bruce Adams was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. It significantly impacted him and his ability to do his job as a lab courier. His new career goal became to have a career again. He is determined to earn his degree. As he returned to college, Bruce initially was concerned about online learning, but the resources available for virtual learning eliminated his fears. He will graduate this fall with honors in the Health Information Management program and looks forward to returning to the workforce. 

Ella Merusic was motivated by her parents, who worked hard to overcome difficulties in life for her benefit. They gave her the support she needed to improve her life and future. Ella is looking forward to graduating with honors in Biological and Biomedical Sciences this summer. She plans to transfer to Washington State University to continue her studies to become a software designer/engineer who can better others’ lives through her work. 

The top three recipients will be announced at the Washington State Conference. Each will receive a $1,000 scholarship from the Association of College Trustees (ACT). The ceremony will be livestreamed via the SPSCC YouTube channel. 

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley