Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Cascade Campus student wins state honor

Photos and story by James Hill

Cascade Campus student and southeast Portland resident Lisa Hummel has been named Oregon’s 2007 New Century Scholar by Phi Theta Kappa, the national two-year college honor society.

The New Century Scholars program, sponsored by Coca-Cola and the American Association of Community Colleges, is an extension of PTK’s All-USA Academic Team. Hummel, who will receive a $2,000 stipend from the Coca-Cola Foundation, was the highest-scoring student in the state for the All-USA Academic Team competition. As a result, she will attend the 87th Annual American Association of Community Colleges Convention, to be held in Tampa, Fla., in April. Both Hummel and PCC will receive special recognition at the convention.

Hummel said she was “amazed and excited” when she got the news.

“I feel like all of the community service work I’ve been doing for the past four years is being recognized,” she said. “It’s hard to describe. It’s a great feeling.”

Hummel, 40, is a product of Project Independence, a PCC program that helps single parents and displaced homemakers transition into higher education or into the workplace.

“Before I started with Project Independence, I was cleaning houses and struggling with two part-time jobs,” said Hummel, a single mother. “But even as an older student, I came to realize that I could go back to school. Project Independence has helped make my dreams come true.”

She said her experience at the Cascade Campus (705 N. Killingsworth Street) has made her aware of an inner potential for achievement that she didn’t know existed before she began her studies.

“Being in student leadership has made all the difference,” said Hummel. “I never thought of myself as a leader; I was always more of a follower. The opportunities I’ve found here have given me the courage to strike out on my own.

“I’m really thankful for the awesome teachers I’ve had at PCC,” she added. “They have inspired me and opened my eyes to what’s possible for me.”

Hummel plans to transfer to Portland State University to pursue a degree in Social Sciences with an emphasis on aging populations. She plans to develop a number of service programs for seniors in area retirement communities for her community service component. She’s also been an AmeriCorps volunteer, and donates her time with the Cascade Campus student government office. And if she weren’t busy enough, she also serves as president of the Cascade Campus chapter of Phi Theta Kappa.

Hummel’s honor falls on the heels of last year’s Oregon New Century Scholar, Shanta Anderson, who was also a Cascade Campus student.

Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon, serving approximately 88,200 full- and part-time students. For more PCC news, please visit us on the Web at www.pcc.edu/news. PCC has three comprehensive campuses, five workforce training and education centers, and 200 community locations in the Portland metropolitan area. The PCC district encompasses a 1,500-square-mile area in northwest Oregon and offers two-year degrees, one-year certificate programs, short-term training, alternative education, pre-college courses and life-long learning.