More than 30 women veterans from various military branches gathered at Clark College on March 4 for an inaugural listening session designed to cultivate connections, share their struggles, and address their unique needs.

Hosted in partnership with the Clark College Veterans Center of Excellence, Clark County Veterans Assistance Center and the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, the event provided a space for open dialogue, with additional participation from veterans via Zoom.

The idea for the session emerged from last fall’s Veterans Resource Community Fair, where women veterans voiced the need for dedicated spaces to share their experiences and available resources, and access support.

Additionally, representatives from various Veterans Affairs departments joined via Zoom to listen to the women and to offer information about available resources.

Veteran Sonja Wood, who works at Clark County Veterans Assistance Center, was one of the organizers. She said, “For four or five years, I wanted to do a women’s symposium where women vets could meet other women vets in their community and talk about issues women vets have faced.”

The organizers listed issues experienced by women veterans, from believing they do not have a voice or a place at the table to knowing what benefits and services might be available to them and to their families.

Wood added, “Our goal is to listen to you, and work to find solutions and resources.”

Veteran Veronica Roberts, Washington Department of Veterans Affairs, said, “Knowledge is power. Some women who served in the military do not believe they are veterans. They do not realize they qualify for benefits.”

She stood at the front of the room and encouraged women veterans to share their stories, ask their questions, and find their voices.

Donna Larson, Associate Director of the Veterans Center of Excellence at Clark College, said, “I am so pleased that so many women veterans participated in this opportunity to build community and share useful resources across all service branches and ages.”

Larson, who is a veteran, added, “It was fulfilling to witness the connections formed at this first community roundtable. I look forward to our next gathering and anticipate this group of women veterans will continue to forge relationships, build community, and help one another find resources that can enrich their lives.”

Learn more

• Veterans Center of Excellence at Clark College
• Clark County Veterans Assistance Center
• Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs

Photos: Clark College/Susan Parrish

Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs made two stops at Clark’s campus on June 4.

Veterans Center of Excellence

The secretary, who is an Army veteran and is an active lieutenant colonel with the Washington Army National Guard, first stopped in Clark’s Veterans Center of Excellence. Secretary Hobbs met VCOE staff and current student veterans, who had gathered for a barbecue to celebrate graduating student veterans. Secretary Hobbs shared his story about his working-class roots, military service, and his work as secretary of state.

He learned the value of hard work and education, but there was no money for college, so at age 17, he enlisted in the U.S. Army as a private and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel with the Washington Army National Guard. He served in Kosovo and Iraq and was mobilized to command 750 service members during Washington’s COVID-19 response. As state senator, he worked with service members to develop legislation ranging from help in education, finding good family-wage jobs, and protecting veterans’ rights.

With help from the G.I. Bill, he was able to pay for college. He received an associate degree from Everett Community College and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science and public administration, respectively, from the University of Washington.

He is the first person of color to serve as secretary of state in Washington and only the second in state history who was born in Washington.

Donna Larson, associate director of the VCOE, said, “We were thrilled that Secretary Hobbs took time to visit our students. Being a veteran, he was able to connect with our students and offer insights into transitioning in public service.”

ASCC Leadership

Next, Hobbs sat down with ASCC student leaders to talk about what the Secretary of State does, the myriad services his office provides, the responsibility of being an elected official, the important role of youth voting, and about ensuring Washington’s election security.

A Running Start student who is 18 said she will be voting in her first presidential election in November.

Director of Student Life Sarah Gruhler, who had arranged the secretary’s visit, said, “The visit was a great opportunity for students to learn about the role of the Secretary of State. We really appreciated him encouraging students to vote.”

Learn more here: https://www.sos.wa.gov/.

The Clark College Veterans Center of Excellence welcomed student veterans and potential students during its spring open house on April 22.

The Clark College veteran is any military-affiliated student at Clark: veterans, active duty, or military dependent (spouse or child).

Often when students enroll at Clark College, they aren’t aware of the assistance they can receive at the veterans center. 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.

VCOE staff can connect student veterans to agencies, programs, and support. Fostering a sense of belonging and space here at Clark is important, and the Veterans Club for students is starting up again.

We were excited to have a great turnout from our current VCOE students, college staff, the Clark College Foundation, and our VCOE advisor board members. We are working on creating a video with the Digital Media Arts 215 class, and we were so encouraged when half the class came to the open house to hang out and get to know our staff, and see our space.

Our veteran staff at the center can help military-affiliated students with their educational journey. We have an academic advisor, VA certifying official, veteran workstudy employees, and more. We offer free tutoring for math and English. We have programs for student success focusing on the whole health of the veteran. That includes help with books and calculators; offering useful workshops; providing a study area with computers and printers; lounge and games for relaxation; networking with other veterans and more.

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
• Website: https://www.clark.edu/campus-life/student-support/vrc/
• Let’s be social: Instagram | Facebook

The Veterans Center of Excellence at Clark College (VCOE) hosted an informational session with Lt. Col. Natasha Waggoner, Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps instructor from the University of Portland on February 5. More than a dozen Clark students participated in this opportunity to learn about the AFROTC program and options available to them.  

The AFROTC program at University of Portland has consortium agreements with Clark College and more than a dozen other colleges in the Portland-Vancouver metro area that allow students at those institutions to participate in the University of Portland’s AFROTC program at no additional cost to the student. Students who participate in AFROTC must attend weekly AFROTC classes at the University of Portland. 

The Air Force is interested in recruiting cybersecurity professionals. Professor Dwight Hughes, the director of Clark College’s Cybersecurity Bachelor of Applied Science program, joined Lt. Col. Waggoner in talking with students about opportunities for collaboration between the college’s Cybersecurity program and AFROTC, including career development, military job opportunities and Air Force ROTC guest speakers in cybersecurity classes. 

Full-time students may be eligible to join the AFROTC program at University of Portland, whether they are enrolled in a bachelor’s program at Clark or completing a bachelor’s degree at another college where AFROTC has an agreement.  

About AFROTC 

Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC): 

• Must be a full-time college student pursuing a bachelor’s degree 
• Eligibility is determined by Air Force ROTC 
• Opportunity to become an Air Force officer after completing a bachelor’s degree 
• Designed to prepare the student for active duty as an officer with increased responsibility year after year 
• AFROTC offers numerous programs and scholarship opportunities leading to an academic degree and a commission in the Air Force as a second lieutenant 

Learn more about AFROTC at University of Portland: 

• Web: www.up.edu/afrotc/
• Email: rotc695@up.edu 
• Phone: 503-943-7216 

About the Veterans Center of Excellence 

The Clark College Veterans Center of Excellence coordinates comprehensive support services for veteran students. These support services address academic, financial, physical, and social needs for student veterans and include math, science, and English tutors; textbook and calculator loans; textbook purchase; quiet study space; computer lab with printers; practical workshops; break area with comfortable furniture, piano, air hockey table, TV screen and more. To learn more, click here or visit PUB 015. 

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley