Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

PCC announces all-state scholars

Photos and story by James Hill

PORTLAND, Ore. Oregon’s Outstanding Community College Student Scholars will be honored by Gov. Ted Kulongoski in the governor’s ceremonial office at the state capitol from 10:45 to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 6 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: Tricia Rojas, Rajni Lata, Puifai Santisakultarm, Adrienne Donovan-Boyd, Rylee Keys and Christine May. Each scholar is eligible for a $1,000 scholarship from 19 public and private Oregon universities and colleges.This is the 12th year of the event, which is sponsored by the Oregon Community College Association. After meeting with the governor, community college presidents and legislators will honor the students at a lunch in the Grand Ballroom on High Street in Salem from noon until 2 p.m.Here are PCC’s student scholars for 2004:Cascade CampusTricia Rojas (Dallas, Texas), 28, who majors in psychology, has a 4.0 GPA and plans to transfer to Portland State University to study social work. Rojas is currently student body president at the Cascade Campus and is a member of the Latino Student Union. She has two children and plays the violin in a local band. She lives in northeast Portland."I have seen the struggles that many Latin American immigrants face in assimilating into a new culture,"Rojas said. "I would like to give back to my community by providing support for Latino families and individuals that need to develop tools to overcome the many barriers."Rajni Lata (Suva, Fiji), 25, who is majoring in English literature and intends to pursue a law degree, is a current resident of north Portland. With a 3.7 GPA, Lata has made the honor’s, dean’s, president’s and the national dean’s lists, as well as honors through Phi Theta Kappa and the Red Cross Volunteers award. She works as a peer advisor and is vice chair of the Women’s Resource Center’s student advisory board and president of the Fiji and India student union. "College has helped enhance my leadership skills and it has inspired me to become a resourceful individual,"Lata said. Sylvania CampusAdrienne Donovan-Boyd (New York, N.Y.), 24, sports a 3.85 GPA and isstudying German and English, with plans to eventually work at the grassroots level in the non-profit sector. Donovan-Boyd serves as student body president of the Sylvania Campus. "I’m ecstatic to receive financial help as I head toward a four-year school,"Donovan-Boyd said. "I was shocked I received this honor. There were a lot of talented people who were going for these scholarships."She lives in northeast Portland.Puifai Santisakultarm (Bangkok, Thailand), 18, is a pre-med and international studies major who plans to eventually become a neurosurgeon. Santisakultarm, who has a 4.0 GPA, is also a pianist. "I feel honored being named a scholar because I’m not from the U.S.,"said the native of Thailand. "As an international student and a non-native English speaker, this award is huge for someone like me."She lives in southeast Portland.Rock Creek CampusRylee Keys (Banks, Ore.), 20, has a 3.68 GPA and is focused on international studies. She plans to transfer to American University or Lewis and Clark College to study political science and economics. As president of the Rock Creek Campus student body, she is heavily involved in student government affairs, working to help students and the community. Eventually Keys would like to work in an international outreach organization. "I’m very active, especially with the migrant workers clothing drive here at the campus,"said Keys. "I also help students on issues that affect everyone on campus like the Register to Vote initiative. I’m grateful and honored to have received this recognition."Keys was also awarded a PCC Foundation scholarship. She is currently living in Beaverton.Christine May (Seattle, Wash.), 54, is studying sociology and women’s studies, and possesses a 3.82 GPA. She plans to transfer to Portland State University. May is a board member of the "Come Rest A While"program, which helps women recover from substance abuse. She is also a volunteer with the Oregon Children’s Foundation. She is part of the national honor society Phi Theta Kappa and has made both the president’s and dean’s lists. "My experience at PCC has been very rewarding,"says May. "I have been fortunate enough to have had instructors who are concerned with my progress, offered guidance and inspiration, ideas, support and avenues of teaching outside the ?textbook exam’ boundaries."Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon, serving almost 100,000 students at three comprehensive campuses, five workforce training and education centers and more than 200 community locations in the Portland metropolitan area.