Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Scholars love to volunteer

Photos and story by James Hill

Hard work and academic success have paid off for a select group of PCC students. Six students are being recognized as Oregon’s Outstanding Community College Student Scholars for academic and personal accomplishment. This is the 14th year of the event, which is sponsored by the Oregon Community College Association.

At the Sylvania Campus, Jennifer Jones is a mechanical engineering student who possesses a 3.70 GPA and plans to attend Portland State. The 26-year-old is a regular volunteer, working for such events and organizations as the Providence Hospital’s Festival of Trees, Oregon Food Bank, PCC America Reads program and Free Geek, a computer recycling and education center. She is a regular on the President’s and Dean’s List and has been awarded a Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship sponsored by the Oregon NASA Space Grant Consortium and Caltech at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

“As an independent student, it has been possible for me to work and also take classes at PCC,” said Jones, who works as an engineering technician. “My career goal is to do research, and work and teach in the field of mechanical engineering, specializing in renewable energy or aerospace.”

At the Rock Creek Campus, Justin Fritz is a history major with a 4.0 GPA. The 27-year-old is active with student government, Phi Theta Kappa and the Rock Creek Review literary magazine. A regular on the Dean’s List, Fritz plans to go on to Lewis and Clark College.

“My time at PCC has benefited my educational experience both by enhancing my leadership skills and by affording me an opportunity to excel in my classes by giving me the chance to lead,” Fritz said. “I know that the skills that I have gained here will benefit not only me, but I also hope they will benefit the four-year university where I plan to transfer.”

Also at Rock Creek, Marty Hearn is studying psychology and sports a 3.75 GPA. The 54-year-old is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, advocate for the Women’s Resource Center, AmeriCorps student scholar and is president of the Rock Creek Equine Club. She has also made the Dean’s List and is a PCC Foundation scholarship recipient. She plans to transfer on to Portland State.

“In my younger days, I lacked an educational support system,” Hearn said. “Consequently, I missed out on the opportunity to complete school. My husband died and I was left with six children to support and no education. Coming to PCC to earn my GED began a reawakening in my life I realized how much I loved learning.

Related Pages:

Oregon Community College Association