Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

College’s Board of Directors welcomes new student representative

Photos and story by James Hill

Lauren Riddle, who goes by the pronouns they/them/theirs, has been selected to represent the Portland Community College student body on the PCC Board of Directors. Riddle, who is earning a degree focused in management and supervisory development, will serve as student trustee for 2022-2023.

“I want to thank PCC for this amazing opportunity to grow my passion for leadership and advocacy while I pursue my degree,” Riddle said.

After leaving a career as a hairstylist, Riddle found their passion in working with underserved and marginalized populations during their time at a Portland nonprofit in 2019-2020 as a peer support specialist and group facilitator for the HIV+ community. Shortly after the pandemic hit, Riddle decided to enroll at PCC in the fall of 2020, but had issues adapting to higher education.

“After a couple terms of struggling as a first generation college student (who never believed college would be an option) I was connected to TRIO SSS,” Riddle said. “There I learned ways to improve my college experience and became involved with the Student Leadership Ambassador Program. As a student leader, I helped evaluate policies and worked as a team with my fellow ambassadors to create an updated equity statement that we all could be proud of.”

Started in 2010 at the Cascade Campus, TRIO Student Support Services provides qualified students with academic advising, college success and guidance courses, tutoring and support resources. The program serves around 140 students each year and has one of the most successful completion rates of any program at PCC.

No stranger to adversity, Riddle said they are passionate about supporting others in overcoming difficult circumstances and is excited to represent the college’s students.

“I feel honored to be able to be the voice for PCC students,” Riddle said. “I strive to be accessible, transparent and authentic to anyone needing someone to listen, support them during difficult times and share in problem-solving.”

The PCC Board of Directors consists of seven members, plus the student representative, elected by zones to four-year terms. As part of its mission, the board supports student success by delivering access to quality education while advancing economic development and promoting sustainability in a collaborative culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion.