Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Community college scholars honored by governor

Photos and story by James Hill

PORTLAND, Ore. – Oregon’s 38 Outstanding Community College Student Scholars will be honored by Governor Kulongoski in the governor’s ceremonial office at the state capitol at noon on Friday, April 25 to help shine the spotlight on community college excellence in Oregon.Six scholars from Portland Community College will be recognized for academic and personal accomplishment: Napolian Stewart and Tracy Jones, Cascade Campus; Jesse Lohrke and Serena Lohrke, Rock Creek Campus; and Jennifer Baldwin and Sarah Wheeler, Sylvania Campus. This is the 11th year of the event, which is sponsored by the Oregon Community College Association. Before meeting with the governor, community college presidents and legislators will honor the students at a brunch which begins at 9 a.m. at the Wittenberg Inn in Keizer, Ore."Each scholar represents the diversity and academic excellence that are hallmarks of Oregon community colleges,"said PCC President Jesus "Jess"Carreon. "Many of our students make significant sacrifices daily to commit to their education. These scholars are best examples, but by no means unique. We are very proud of their accomplishments."Each scholar is eligible for a $1,000 scholarship from 19 public and private Oregon universities and colleges.PCC’s six scholars include 30-year-old Sarah Wheeler. Wheeler is raising her three young children and excelling in a rigorous and highly selective dental hygiene program while her husband is on active duty in the Middle East. A Marine staff sergeant, Wheeler’s husband was deployed in January. Wheeler, despite family hardships, has maintained a 3.97 GPA. She says, "I love school and learning. I could be a student forever, staying challenged, but my kids couldn’t take it … my husband and I know it’s a sacrifice."Raised by a logger family in Clatskanie, Ore., she is proud and excited that she is the first person in her immediate family to earn a college degree. Wheeler, who resides in Longview, Wash., plans to transfer to the University of Missouri for her bachelor’s of science degree in dental hygiene. Wheeler will represent PCC’s Sylvania Campus, along with scholar Jennifer Baldwin. Baldwin, 35, is the current student body president at Sylvania Campus. The 4.0 GPA computer science major, who grew up in Boise, Idaho, plans to obtain a bachelor’s degree at Portland State University. She hopes to eventually work with non-profit organizations, providing technology-related support. She lives in southeast Portland.Jesse Lohrke and Serena Lorhke will represent the Rock Creek Campus of PCC this year. Jesse Lohrke enrolled in PCC after serving in the Navy in Pearl Harbor as an electronics technician on a submarine. Lohrke is the current student body president of the campus and brings strong skills as a National Issues Forum moderator, political activist (he organized a gubernatorial debate at Rock Creek in 2002) and as chair of the Oregon Community College Student Association. He also serves on the Columbia Solid Waste Advisory Committee. Lohrke, who is 27 and holds a 4.0 GPA, said his passion for political science was nurtured by PCC political science instructor Michael Sonnleitner. "He had a profound impact on me ? his passion for political science changed the course of my life,"said Lohrke. The Scappoose resident will transfer to Willamette University and major in political science.Serena Lohrke, age 26, has a 3.76 GPA and is active in the mentor intern program at the Rock Creek Campus, is a student ambassador, a National Issues Forum moderator, a member of Phi Theta Kappa and student government, and is on the board of directors for Columbia County Community Television. Lohrke, who is married to Jesse and resides in Scappoose, plans to return to Hawaii for her bachelor’s degree and major in international relations at Hawaii Pacific University. While at Rock Creek, Lohrke organized a student services fair and developed a mentor program for the aviation department. She eventually wants to go to law school. For both Lohrkes, the opportunities to participate in Service Learning (earning credit while volunteering) and Learning Communities (team teaching focused on various topics) have made college a rich experience. Napolian Stewart and Tracy Jones are the scholars representing PCC’s Cascade Campus. Stewart, age 24, who has a 3.94 GPA, dropped out of high school. "I wasn’t really liking high school much, the social scene,"he said. He enrolled at Clatsop Community College in Astoria and earned a GED before moving to Portland. He grew up in Naselle, Wash. At PCC, he is earning a general studies degree and a certificate in the Cascade Campus Professional Music program.Stewart says the faculty at PCC have made all the difference for him. "Jorge Espinosa (speech), John Koroloff (biology) Shirely Geiger (philosophy) – they really care about their students and you can have one-on-one interaction. The teacher is really important to me."Stewart lives in north Portland, and is interested in teaching environmental and adventure education, and at some point developing an outdoors-education organization. He is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the two-year community college honor society, and serves as the vice president and Webmaster. In addition to being a musician, Stewart is a wilderness trip leader, and has been a Campfire counselor and a personal growth workshop assistant. He plans to attend Prescott College in Arizona. Tracy Jones, age 36, is a single parent of three young boys. Jones, who has a 3.47 GPA, has managed to juggle the demands of school and raising her sons while maintaining leadership positions in college student government, and volunteering for her church and community organizations, including YWCA’s Safehaven shelter. She organized the first harvest festival for Cascade Campus and hopes to pursue a career in event management. Jones, who lives in north Portland, grew up in Aberdeen, Wash. She is a member of Phi Theta Kappa and is a National Issues Forum moderator.Jones enrolled in the Cascade Campus Project Independence program for displaced homemakers in winter of 2000. At the time, she was living with her three boys in a women’s shelter, overcome by financial difficulty. The program leaders inspired her to continue with her education. She found a place for herself at Cascade."My three sons all have learning disabilities, and having a learning disability myself, plus working 20 hours a week and attending school full time has been a tremendous challenge,"said Jones of the commitment to stay in school and earn a degree. "These struggles have not always allowed me to maintain the grades I desire, but the total experience as a mother, a student, a student leader and community activist has been invaluable."Jones plans to transfer to the University of Maryland and earn a degree in fine arts. She eventually wants to pursue a master’s degree in student personnel administration.