Something to Smile About

Dental Hygiene ribbon cutting

A crowd applauds the ribbon cutting of the new Firstenberg Family Dental Hygiene Education and Care Center.

The Firstenburg Family Dental Hygiene Education and Care Center officially opened with the cutting of a ribbon during a ceremony on June 17, 2014. About 75 guests joined President Robert K. Knight, dental faculty and students, Clark College trustees and Clark College Foundation board of directors to thank individuals, foundations and groups that provided funding for upgrades and new equipment.

Knight thanked the dental faculty, staff and students for doubling up on lab time and dedicating themselves to the refurbishing process. He noted that schedules were extra demanding—some classes ran from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.—because of space restrictions.

At $1.5 million, The Firstenburg Foundation provided the lead gift for the care center. Knight noted how The Firstenburg Foundation is an example of partnerships that make Clark County and Southwest Washington a better place to live and work.

“The Firstenburg Foundation is supporting enhancements to a facility that helps our students get the experience of working in a modern dental setting. Our students, in turn, are sought-after to fill dental hygiene jobs in the region and beyond. The Firstenburg Foundation, therefore, has a direct impact on the health and welfare of our region and on Clark’s ability to maximize student learning,” he said.

Bill Firstenburg said his father was a stalwart supporter of Clark College and would have been proud of the new facility.

“Some would have called him conservative, but he didn’t mind spending money if he got value out of it. You’ve got value here to the community. The Dental Hygiene program in particular, gives support and care to those who can’t afford it,” he said.

Dental student and All-Washington Academic nominee Amelia Longbons ’14 said an important lesson she learned was the overall health effects proper dental care has on society. “Dental hygiene is about prevention and attaining and keeping good health. This facility helps students learn so we can help improve the health of the community.”

Blake Bowers, the dean of Business and Health Sciences, said Clark’s Dental Hygiene department and its Clark County partners offer $600,000 worth of free dental services to children during its annual Children’s Dental Health Day, in addition to other outreach efforts.

“There is a lot of caring and compassion that occurs within our program at all levels,” he said.

The renovations included adding six more patient chairs, new equipment and technology, paperless charting and an advanced radiology suite. The clinic now complies with federal patient privacy and confidentially requirements so that they can continue to serve thousands of community members.

Nearly $3.3 million in donations from a variety of entities—including The Firstenburg Foundation, Roy and Virginia Andersen Endowment, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, John A. and Helen M. Cartales Foundation and many others—made the renovations possible.

Upgrades were necessary in order for Clark to keep pace with the demand for workforce readiness and federal patient privacy rules in the dental hygiene field.

The Oregon-based company, A-dec, built custom-made work stations including modular chairs, cabinets, lights and computer monitor mounts for the space.

Clark’s Dental Hygiene program provides education and access to oral health care to low-income residents. The clinic fills 3,200 appointments for 2,000 patients annually. Students serve the community by participating in oral health programs in area schools and caring for patients at the Free Clinic of Southwest Washington, Clark County Skills Center, and Share, a Vancouver-based homeless service.

See more photos on Flickr

A version of this story originally appeared on the Clark College Foundation website.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley




A Night to Celebrate

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Natasha Hambrook, recipient of the Community College President’s Scholarship, receives her diploma from President Robert K. Knight at Thursday’s commencement ceremony.

Clark College honored its 78th graduating class—the largest in the college’s 80-year history—at the 2014 Clark College Commencement ceremony held Thursday evening, June 19, at the Sleep Country Amphitheater. Approximately 2,100 degrees and certificates were conferred on the next generation of our community’s workers, leaders, and scholars—up from 1,900 the year before. Approximately 715 graduates participated in the commencement ceremony, including 235 Running Start graduates—again, a new record for the college, which has the largest Running Start program in the state.

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Lines rapped around the amphitheater as the number of students participating in commencement reached an all time high. Linda Calvert, Associate Director of Running Start, escorted Oswald through the crowd.

During the ceremony, Clark College President Robert K. Knight announced the names of the recipients of the 2014 Exceptional Faculty Awards. The 2014 awardees are Kelly Fielding, instructor of psychology; Chris Martin, instructor of computer technology and computer graphics technology; Sarah Theberge, professor of early childhood education; and Jim Wilkins-Luton, professor of English.

Graduate Natasha Hambrook was the recipient of the 2014-2015 Community College President’s Award. The annual scholarship is given to a Clark College graduate who is transferring to a WSU Vancouver degree program 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.

Hambrook, who lives in Vancouver with her family and will turn 18 in July, came to Clark through Washington State’s Running Start program, which allows high school students to earn college credit while still enrolled in high school. While at Clark, she maintained a 3.98 grade point average while taking classes in Clark’s challenging biology and chemistry sequences and contributing more than 15 hours a week in volunteer work. Some of that work was through her personal commitment to the Southwest Washington Humane Society, where she helps care for cats and trains other teen volunteers; Hambrook has also served as the Student Volunteer Coordinator for Clark’s Service and Leadership in the Community (SLIC) program. In that role, she has organized groups of students on volunteer trips to organizations like Habitat for Humanity and Clark County Food Bank, as well as a beach-cleaning trip to Cape Disappointment State Park. 20140619_5259

Hambrook says her commitment to community service comes both from a love of helping others and from her own family’s experiences. “My family has received help from the food bank in the past, so I know there’s a need for community service,” she says. Like 73 percent of Clark’s student body, Natasha Hambrook is a first-generation college graduate. She plans to study medicine and become a pediatric surgeon. “It feels so amazing to have won this scholarship,” Hambrook said after President Knight’s announcement at commencement. “I am so grateful I had the opportunity to participate in Running Start, because Clark helped shape me into the woman I am today.” This year’s commencement speaker was ABC Evening News anchor Byron Pitts, who delivered an inspiring speech about the importance of helping others.

Read more stories from Clark’s commencement on Clark 24/7 early next week.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley. More photos from Clark’s commencement ceremony are available on the college’s Flickr site.




Photo Album: Spring Thing

Ah, life in the Pacific Northwest! After a month of unseasonably sunny days, the Friday of Spring Thing featured rain and clouds. But like true Northwesterners, the Penguin Nation was undaunted by a little “liquid sunshine” pouring down on the annual event that celebrates the end of the academic year and the countdown to Commencement for our graduating students. Celebrants enjoyed free food and treats, inflatable obstacle courses, games, a climbing wall, and numerous other activities organized and provided by the Associated Students of Clark College. Here are a few scenes from a fun-filled day.

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Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley




Helping Our Community

food bank award

Sarah Weinberger and Edie Blakley of Clark College Career Services accept an award from the Clark College Food Bank on behalf of the college.

Clark College was recognized for volunteering more than 400 hours at the Clark County Food Bank on Monday, June 9, during the food bank’s Volunteer Appreciation Night.

Clark has a long relationship with the food bank, which provides bulk food to 29 different food pantries and meal sites throughout the county. Students and employees have donated time to the food bank through the college’s Volunteer & Service-Learning program and its Service & Leadership in the Community program, as well as through Communication Studies and Human Development classes.

Present to accept the award on behalf of the college were Edie Blakley, Director of Career Services, and Sarah Weinberger, also of Career Services. The food bank presented them with an engraved cutting board, which will be displayed at the food bank’s facility in northeast Vancouver, and with a paper certificate, which will be displayed in the Career Services office at Clark.




A Bright Evening for Clark College Foundation

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Clark College student Petya Grozeva sings “At Last” to start the evening’s performances.

A multimillion-dollar gift of land, a matching grant for STEM, and a prestigious Presidential Award bestowed to a regional trust–these were all on the menu this year at Savoring Excellence, Clark College’s annual donor appreciation dinner and program.

President Robert K. Knight announced a $3.1 million gift of land from the Boschma family as the location of Clark’s next satellite campus during the May 21 event. When combined with private and state funding, the transaction consists of a $5.67 million land purchase by Clark College Foundation. The new campus will be located in Ridgefield, Wash., on 59.24 acres.

Knight said that future students and the North County community will reap the greatest benefits of the Boschma family gift.

“For our students, the door of opportunity and access will be opened wider. For the city of Ridgefield, this announcement is monumental,” he said. “Once built, the North County campus will be known as Clark College at Boschma Farms.”

Lisa Gibert, president and CEO of Clark College Foundation, who was instrumental in securing the gift and brokering the land purchase, said the gift sets the tone for the future of North County.

“This type of partnership demonstrates the overwhelming generosity that people of Southwest Washington have for Clark. Making education more accessible for people in the region means greater prosperity for the residents and a brighter economic future,” she said.

Meyer Memorial Trust

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Clark College student Saeed Nasser sings “Bawadaak”

In addition to the land gift news, Gibert announced that Clark College Foundation received a $400,000 matching grant from Meyer Memorial Trust to outfit the college’s upcoming science technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) building with equipment and furnishings.

Economists predict that there will be 18,700 STEM jobs in Clark, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties by the year 2021. To meet the demand, Clark is poised to be a regional leader in STEM education and job training. The college will break ground on a new public/private-financed STEM building this summer. The more than 70,000 square-foot facility will house many of Clark’s STEM programs at its campus on Fort Vancouver Way. When completed in 2016, the center will serve in partnership with industry and other educational institutions to foster exploration, interactive learning and innovative teaching techniques for women and men.

Meyer Memorial Trust, funded through the estate of Fred G. Meyer, founder of the Fred Meyer supermarket chain, invests in people, ideas and efforts that deliver significant social benefit to Oregon and Clark County, Wash., through inspiring, innovating, partnering and leading to improve the quality of life in those regions.

Community Foundation for Southwest Washington

Also during the Savoring Excellence celebration, Gibert noted that a $25,000 grant from the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington was awarded to Clark to benefit the college’s Pathways program. The grant will assist in helping break cycles of poverty through access to education, literacy training, mentoring and career services.

Murdock Charitable Trust

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Clark College student Chris Crosland plays “Tears of the East”

Sandwiched between song and musical instrument performances by Clark students, Gibert presented her Presidential Award for Excellence during the event. M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, which provided $250,000 to Clark College in 2013 for new dental equipment, received the accolade. The money purchased modern technology to ensure student access to current advances in the industry and meet federal privacy regulations.

“The grant allows Clark’s nationally recognized Dental Hygiene program to meet rapidly changing technology advancements in the profession. Students must be trained in the use of modern tools in order for them to secure jobs. M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust is also directly affecting the wellness of residents in Southwest Washington because Clark students care for hundreds of underserved patients each year,” said Gibert.

The Firstenburg Family Dental Hygiene Education & Care Center opened earlier this year after undergoing renovations, adding paperless charting software and updating its digital radiography area. The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust grant enabled the college to purchase instructional cameras, workstation computers, radiology computers, patient privacy materials and vacuum systems.

Savoring Excellence is a yearly event presented by the Clark College Foundation to honor major contributors to the programs and students of Clark College.

See more images from the event on our Flickr page.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley
Video: Clark College/Nick Bremer-Korb




Affairs of the Art

20140514_1778May 14 was a particularly artful day at Clark College, as the afternoon saw both the unveiling of the 2014 Phoenix as well as the opening reception and awards presentation for the 2014 Art Student Annual.

Phoenix Unveiling

Mike Shank read his poem “Small Things Cost the Most.”

Phoenix staff distributed free copies of the award-winning annual arts and literary journal to students in PUB 161. Clark student Mike Shank read from his moving poem, “Small Things Cost the Most,” which earned Editors’ Choice Award for literary work in the journal. Afterward, guests headed downstairs to Archer Gallery to view works by student artists, many of whom also had work published in Phoenix. Seventy-five students showed a total of 127 works in the show, in media as varied as watercolor, photography, welded metal, ceramics, and video. Awards were announced and presented during the reception.

For more photos of these events, visit our Flickr albums of the unveiling and art show.

2014 Art Student Annual Awards

Joy Margheim “Gate”, welded sculpture
Best Welded Sculpture award
Sponsored by Airgas and the Clark College Welding Department

Irina Burchak “Self Portraits”, photography
Excellence in Photography Award
Sponsored by Knight Camera

Phoenix Unveiling

The 2014 Phoenix staff.

Erin Merrill, “Columbia River Series”, photography
Excellence in Photography Award
Sponsored by Pro Photo Supply

Shelby Warner “Drawing Room Chair”, photography
Photography Award
Sponsored by Pro Photo Supply

Garry Bastian “The Act of Characterization”, photography
Darkroom Photo Award
Sponsored by Blue Moon Camera and Machine

Anthony Abruzzini “There’s Nothing Wrong with Having Only One Eye…”, drawing
Works on Paper Excellence Award
Sponsored by Frame Central Framing

Sherrie Masters “Greys”, watercolor
Works on Paper Excellence Award
Sponsored by Frame Central Framing

Phoenix Unveiling

Students at the Phoenix unveiling waited patiently until the end of the program to open the paper wrapping around the new publication.

Jenny Avens “Flour Effect”, photography
Holga Camera Award
Sponsored by Freestyle Photographic Supplies

Lauren Dwyer “Organic Free Form”, ceramic
Best Ceramics Award
Sponsored by Georgie’s Ceramic and Clay Company

Luke Entwistle “Puntitled”, painting
Muse Art Award
Sponsored by Muse Art and Design

Krista Zimmerman “Self Obstruction”, painting
Muse Art Award
Sponsored by Muse Art and Design

Liz Alexander “Out of Place”, video
Film and Video Award
Sponsored by the NW Film Center

Anni Becker “John”, video
Film and Video Award
Sponsored by the NW Film Center

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Director of IT Services, Phil Sheehan was the asked to juror the student show this year. He has been a supporter of student work throughout his time at Clark.

Riley Donahue, “The Day I Became a Man”, installation
Best Contemporary Art Award
Sponsored by the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art

Belinda Luce “Type in The City”, typography
Best Graphics Award
Sponsored by Intel

Filip Popa “Matches”, painting
Painting Award
Sponsored by Dick Blick Art Materials and the Clark College Bookstore

Jeremy Crane “Germ Evolved”, painting
Painting Award
Sponsored by Dick Blick Art Materials and the Clark College Bookstore

Elise Cryder “Thank Your Mother”, painting
Best in Show Award
Painting Award
Sponsored by the Clark College Bookstore and the NW Film Center

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After the awards are presented, students had an opportunity to talk to each other about their work.

Mariah Lewis “Muse”, painting
Painting Award
Sponsored by the Clark College Bookstore

Martin Stone “Still Life #2”, painting
Painting Award
Sponsored by the Clark College Bookstore

Megan Ostby “30 Minute Pose”, drawing
Drawing Award
Sponsored by the Clark College Bookstore

Jason Cardenas “The Island”, drawing
Drawing Award
Sponsored by the Clark College Bookstore

Lauren Pucci “Botany”, watercolor
Special Recognition Award
Sponsored by Kiggins Theater and Anna Banana’s Café

Grace Edwards “Sun Color”, watercolor
Special Recognition Award
Sponsored by Kiggins Theater and Anna Banana’s Café

Sara Robison “Hipster George”, digital illustration
Special Recognition Award
Sponsored by Kiggins Theater and Anna Banana’s Café

Matthew Caravaggio “Abstract Revelation”, drawing
Special Recognition Award
Sponsored by Kiggins Theater

Michael Jasso “For the Glory of Rome”, ceramics
Special Recognition Award
Sponsored by Kiggins Theater

 

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley 

 




Clark College receives $730K land gift

map of new locationClark College has received a second land gift in as many weeks—for a total of more than $3.85 million in gifts—which when combined with private and state funding, will be the location for a future Clark campus in Ridgefield, Wash.

A $731,549 gift of land from Ridgefield East 1 Associates, LLC in addition to a May announcement of a $3.12 million land gift from the Boschma family, will have a long-lasting effect for the region, including expanding access to education.

Lisa Gibert, president/CEO of Clark College Foundation, who was instrumental in securing both gifts and brokering the land purchases, praised the Ridgefield East gift as the ideal location for an entrance to Clark’s upcoming campus. “These 10 acres will be the gateway to Clark College at Boschma Farms,” she said. “In the years to come, we will work with the city of Ridgefield to encourage retailers such as eateries and coffee houses to open shops, making it an attractive entryway for a vibrant new campus.”

Clark College will benefit by the acquisition of the new property through the combined generosity of Ridgefield East 1 Associates, LLC, the Boschma family and the charitable support of Clark County residents, Clark College alumni, philanthropic supporters, trusts and foundations.

The Ridgefield East transaction consists of a $1.99 million purchase price by the Clark College Foundation, accompanied by a $731,549 land donation—providing a total of 10.28 acres for the future expansion of Clark College. Once built, the North County campus will be known as Clark College at Boschma Farms.

The land is adjacent to the 59.24 acres that was partially gifted from the Boschma Family, LLC and purchased by Clark College Foundation in May. The Ridgefield East property is located on the east side of N. 65th Avenue. It is east of Interstate 5 and Pioneer Street. The address is 264 N. 65th Avenue, Ridgefield, Wash.

The gifts and acquisitions represent a long-term visionary chapter for the growth anticipated at Clark College. The college’s 2007 Facilities Master Plan identified North County as an area where the college could fulfill its mission of providing access to an underserved area of the service district. The Washington Legislature approved the project concept in 2009.

Recently, the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges prioritized building projects for the upcoming biennium. Though no money has been allocated yet, funding for design and building has received a green light.

The population in the area has continued to expand. Clark College believes that once facilities and programs are available on a North County campus, students from the northern region of Clark and South region of Cowlitz counties will utilize this location for their educational needs and career advancement.




A Supreme Opportunity

Washington State Supreme Court visits Clark College

Washington State Supreme Court Justice Susan Owens, standing, answers questions from students in Clark’s Business Law class, which she visited with Chief Justice Barbara Madsen and Associate Chief Justice Charles Johnson.

In 2012, the Clark College Law Club took a field trip to Olympia, where they visited both the State Legislature and the State Supreme Court. While there, paralegal student Richard Thomas got the chance to chat with then-Justice James Johnson, who retired from the court last month.

“Justice Johnson and I were talking, and I asked him, ‘Does the court ever go out and visit places around the state?'” recalled Thomas. “And he said, ‘Yes! We love going on the road. The problem is, we have to be invited.’ So I came back here the next day and started trying to get this going.”

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Clark Law Club member Richard Thomas helped make the Washington Supreme Court’s visit a reality.

Two years later, Thomas’s efforts—along with those of the rest of the Law Club and the college itself—resulted in the Washington State Supreme Court spending two days at Clark College. The nine justices visited classrooms, met with members of the community, and heard three cases during their time at the college. Justice Mary Yu, who had been appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee but not yet sworn in at the time of the visit, also attended many of the events, including an open forum.

Many students from Clark’s highly regarded Paralegal program attended the open forum, gaining career advice from the member of the highest court in the state. The justices were emphatic about the importance of paralegals in their work.

“A paralegal really is part of the team,” said Justice Mary Fairhurst, who spent 16 years working in the Washington Attorney General’s Office before becoming a judge. “We couldn’t do our job without them.”

“A good paralegal is a little bit like a fortune teller,” added Justice Yu. “Somebody who knows which deadlines are coming and makes sure everything’s taken care of to meet them. That is so helpful to the lawyers.”

The court heard three cases in Gaiser Student Center on the second day of their visit: one on whether or not drug court staffing should be presumptively open to the public; the disciplinary case of a lawyer; and a case questioning whether or not past acts of domestic violence were admissible evidence in assessing the credibility of an alleged victim. Joining the court to hear these cases was Justice Pro Tem Joel Penoyar, who was temporarily filling Justice James Johnson’s seat until Justice Yu was sworn in.

Supreme Court visit

Clark paralegal student Becky Pomaville listens as Washington State Supreme Court justices answer her question about appellate law.

The justices took questions from the courtroom audience after two of the hearings. “There are hardly any lawyers in this area who practice appellate law,” said Clark paralegal student Becky Pomaville. “What is it that makes it so difficult?”

“That’s true, though of course there are some,” replied Justice Debra Stephens, who practiced appellate law for many years. “The beauty of being an appellate lawyer is that you don’t often have to go to court very often. You can do it from your deck chair, so to speak. … What makes an excellent appellate lawyer is a study of where the court is headed. If you’re interested in that, I hope you do pursue it.”

Afterward, Pomaville said she was heartened by Justice Stephens’ words. She hopes to continue on to law school after graduating from Clark, hopefully in spring 2015, and to specialize in appellate law. Surprisingly, just six months previously, Pomaville hadn’t even considered going to college. “When I graduated from high school, I got a bunch of scholarships, but I didn’t complete college,” she said. “I joke that I got my ‘MRS’ degree instead.”

But when the recently single mother of eight stopped by Clark’s Career Center for some job-hunting help, she noticed a poster for the college’s Eligibility Programs that mentioned tuition assistance for displaced homemakers.

“I hadn’t even thought of the possibility of coming here,” she said, but stopped by Eligibility Programs and quickly found herself enrolled for winter quarter. Now she is thriving in the Paralegal program. “I am learning a lot. Last term I took a criminal law course and it was really tough—and I enjoyed every minute of it.”

State Supreme Court visit

The justices heard three real cases during their visit to Clark.

For paralegal student Richard Thomas, whose offhand question during a field trip resulted in this visit, the event was a fitting way to end his time at Clark; he anticipates graduating this quarter and is hopeful that his current internship may turn into a full-time job. Looking every inch the professional in his suit and tie, he said he valued the opportunity to not only witness the justices hearing cases, but also to spend time socializing with them during private receptions organized by the college during the visit.

“When you have a chance to rub elbows with those who are at the pinnacle of your profession, I think it’s incumbent on you to absorb their experience and their wisdom,” he said. “But then at the same time, once you get to talk with them one-on-one, you realize they’re real people, too.”

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley. For more photos from this event, visit our Flickr album




Photo Album: Fun for the Whole Familia

Not even an accidental fire alarm could stop the festivities at this year’s Día del Niño/Día del Libro celebration, held in Gaiser Student Center on May 9. Approximately 225 guests enjoyed the evening-long celebration of Latino culture and literature, which included a bilingual puppet show performed by Clark Spanish language students, dance performances by Olincalli Ballet Folklorico, free food from Panadería Cinco de Mayo, and hands-on activities for children. Oswald the Penguin was on hand to greet children and pose for pictures–even when the party moved outdoors temporarily after an inquisitive toddler managed to pull a fire alarm. The celebration quickly moved back inside to continue the festivities, which are held each year around April 30, the date of Mexico’s Día del Niño (“Day of the Child”) and the American Library Association’s Día del Libro (“Day of the Book”).

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Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley




Honoring Those Who Fell, Supporting Those Who Served

Veterans Resource Center ribbon-cutting

Members of the 142nd Wing of the Portland Air National Guard formed the color guard that opened the Veterans Resource Center ribbon-cutting event on May 22.

On May 22, the Thursday before Memorial Day, Clark College hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its recently opened Veterans Resource Center (VRC). The event began with a color guard and the singing of the National Anthem by student Petya Grozeva. VRC Coordinator Kurt Kolch introduced the event by reminding guests that unlike Veterans Day, which honors those among us who have served in the military, Memorial Day is a day to remember those men and women who died while serving.

Physics professor Dick Shamrell, a 25-year Air Force veteran, spoke about how veterans resource centers like Clark’s helped him and his wife to succeed at second careers outside of the military. He also described how his military experience enriches his teaching–when asked by a student what the speed of sound was, for example, he can accurately describe what is is like to go twice that speed.

20140522_3305A ceremonial ribbon to the VRC’s doorway was cut by Clark College President Bob Knight, student veteran Alex Peraza, VRC donor Jane Hagelstein and Jennifer Rhoads, president of the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington, which contributed $30,000 toward the VRC in November. The Vancouver Barracks Historical Society provided military uniforms and maps relevant to the region for guests to view.

Peraza, a veteran of the U.S. Army who served as an infantryman in Iraq, is in his second year at Clark pursuing a Associate of Applied Technology degree in electrical engineering; after graduating from Clark, he plans to pursue his bachelor’s degree at Washington State University Vancouver. A single father of three children, he said he is motivated to continue his studies “not only by my children’s needs, but by my nation’s needs,” citing President Obama’s 2011 State of the Union address that connected the country’s success to an increase in graduates from fields related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

“The people at the Veteran Resource Center at Clark College are the reason why I have been so successful in the past and moving forward,” Peraza added. “From [Veterans Affairs Program Specialist] Mike Gibson to [VetCorps Navigator] Tim McPharlin, as well as supporting staff, all have helped me navigate the hurdles and obstacles of being a student veteran.”

Approximately 700 veterans enroll at Clark College every quarter, about 500 of whom use GI Bill benefits to help pay for tuition, fees, housing, books and supplies.

More photos from the event at our Flickr page.

Video: Clark College/Nick Bremer Korb
Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley