Dancers_with_Twirling_Skirts.jpg

April 26, 6-9 p.m. - ¡Celebración de Primavera! /  Día del Niño
April 23, 4-8 p.m. - Noche de Familia

Vancouver, Wash. – Clark College invites the community to its annual free, family-friendly Latine cultural celebration of children, literacy and Earth Day. ¡Celebración de Primavera! / Día del Niño (Celebration of Spring/Day of the Child) is from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, April 26, and its Noche de Familia event on Tuesday, April 23, from 4 to 8 p.m.

Both events are held at Gaiser Student Center on Clark’s main campus, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way. 

¡Celebración de Primavera! / Día del Niño

Celebrate children, families, reading, dancing, and singing with environmentally friendly games, arts and crafts and snacks on April 26 from 6 to 9 p.m. See the complete schedule here. Activities include: 

• 6 p.m. - Snacks
• 6:30 p.m. - Songs by Harney Elementary students 
• 6:45 p.m. - Reading by author Christopher Cousins 
• 7 p.m. - Games 
• 7:30 p.m. - Dancing by Vancouver Ballet Folklórico
• 8 p.m. - Dance lessons 
• 8:15 p.m. - Dance party!

Noche de Familia

In addition, Clark College is hosting Noche de Familia on Tuesday, April 23 from 4 to 8 p.m. in Gaiser Student Center. This is a special night for Latine families to learn about academic options and resources available at Clark. Offered every term by the college and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, this free, public event includes activities for kids and dinner for all. 

Attendees will have opportunities to speak with Clark representatives from Financial Aid, Transitional Services, Workforce Education Services, Disability Support Services, Counseling and Health Center, Career Services and more. Workshops will be offered to explain the processes of applying for Clark College and applying for financial aid. Information will be available in both Spanish and English. 

Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps.

Clark College expressly prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, perceived or actual physical or mental disability, pregnancy, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, creed, religion, honorably discharged veteran or military status, citizenship, immigration status, or use of a trained guide dog or service animal in its programs and activities. Learn more at www.clark.edu/nds. 

If you need an accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event, please contact Clark College’s Human Resources Office. Phone: 360-992-2105 or email hr@clark.edu 

About Clark College 

Founded in 1933 and celebrating its 90^th year, Clark College provides residents of Southwest Washington with affordable, high-quality academic and technical education. It is a public community college offering more than 100 degree and certificate programs, including bachelor’s and associate degrees; professional certificates; high school diplomas and GED preparation; and non-credit community and continuing education. Clark serves a wide range of students including high school students, displaced workers, veterans, parents, non-native English speakers, and mature learners. Approximately 45% of its students are in the first generation of their families to attend college. 

To learn more, visit the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion https://www.clark.edu/campus-life/student-support/diversity-and-equity/    

####

Clark College amidst cherry blossoms

ANNUAL EVENT CELEBRATES FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN CULTURES 

Vancouver, Wash.— The annual Sakura Festival returns on Thursday, April 25 to the Clark College main campus, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way. The free community event underneath a canopy of cherry blossoms is presented by Clark College, the city of Vancouver and Vancouver Rotary. 

Opening remarks begin at 1 p.m. in the Royce Pollard Japanese Friendship Garden, located next to Beacock Music Hall on Clark’s main campus. In case of inclement weather, the event will be inside Gaiser Student Center in the Penguin Union Building.

Schedule 

• 12:50 p.m. - Koto performance by Mitsuki Dazai
• 1:10 p.m. - Greetings from Dr. Karin Edwards
• 1:15 p.m. – Greetings from City of Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle
• 1:22 p.m. – Greetings from Mr. Yuzo Yoshioka Consul General
• 1:25 p.m. – Greetings from Clark College student, Daniel Wall
• 1:28 p.m. – Clark College Treble Ensemble performance
• 1:40 p.m.– Guests walk through Japanese garden and up to Gaiser Student Center
• 2:30 p.m. - The celebration continues in Gaiser Student Center with a performance by Oregon Koto-Kai, Haiku reading by Clark College Japanese Club, martial art demonstration, and art share by children enrolled in Child and Family Studies program. There will be a variety of cultural displays and demonstration tables around the room. Hand-painted cherry blossom cookies will be provided by the college’s Professional Baking & Pastry Arts students.
• 3:30 p.m. - Event ends

History of Sakura Festival at Clark College: More than 25 years ago, the City of Vancouver received a gift of friendship: 100 Shirofugen cherry trees. They were planted at Clark College, creating an enduring reminder of the bonds between our region and Japan. Over the years, those trees have grown and blossomed—as has that friendship, creating traditions like the establishment in 1995 of a sister-city relationship between Vancouver and Joyo, Japan, and our annual Sakura Festival, begun in 2006. Learn more about the history of the Sakura Festival.

Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps.

Clark College expressly prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, perceived or actual physical or mental disability, pregnancy, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, creed, religion, honorably discharged veteran or military status, citizenship, immigration status, or use of a trained guide dog or service animal in its programs and activities. Learn more at www.clark.edu/nds.

If you need an accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event, please contact Clark College’s Human Resources Office. Phone: 360-992-2105 or email: hr@clark.edu

About Clark College 
Founded in 1933 and celebrating its 90^th year, Clark College provides residents of Southwest Washington with affordable, high-quality academic and technical education. It is a public community college offering more than 100 degree and certificate programs, including bachelor’s and associate degrees; professional certificates; high school diplomas and GED preparation; and non-credit community and continuing education. Clark serves a wide range of students including high school students, displaced workers, veterans, parents, non-native English speakers, and mature learners. Approximately 45% of its students are in the first generation of their families to attend college.   

####

Lisa_Segretto.jpg

Clark College announces honor students on All-Washington Academic Team

Four Clark College scholars to be recognized at state ceremony 

VANCOUVER, Wash.— Four honor students will represent Clark College at the 27^th annual All-Washington Academic Team ceremony on April 25 at South Puget Sound Community College in Lacey. The annual event recognizes students from Washington State for their academic excellence and community service. The All-Washington Academic Team is a program of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the international honor society for two-year colleges. 

These Clark students are among 92 PTK honor students from across the state named to the All-Washington Academic Team. They are pursuing transfer and workforce pathways at Washington’s 34 community and technical colleges.  

The ceremony will be livestreamed at 12:30 p.m. on April 25 on the SPSCC YouTube channel.  The keynote speaker is Governor Jay Inslee. 

Each student will receive a medal and a $250 scholarship from Key Bank. They also are eligible for additional scholarships from private sponsors and transfer scholarships for four-year colleges and universities. 

The four Clark College scholars are Alexander Cole, Addison Johnson, Ethan Mahan and Lisa Segretto. 

Alexander D. Cole 

Alexander D. Cole did not attend school until he was 15 years old. With determination, he taught himself to read and write, and graduated from high school. While learning to repair his car, he found his future career. Alexander is enrolled in the T-TEN automotive technician program at Clark College and is apprenticing at a local Toyota dealership garage. After he earns an associate of applied technology degree in June 2025, he will be a full-time repair technician at the same dealership. His dream career is to work on vehicles for Toyota.  

Addison Johnson  

Addison Johnson’s mother and grandmother encouraged her to work passionately toward her goals. The Running Start student will earn her diploma from Camas High School and her associate degree from Clark College in June. She plans to transfer to Oregon State University to earn a baccalaureate degree in bioengineering. Next, she plans to pursue medical school and a career as an orthopedic surgeon.   

Ethan Mahan  

Ethan Mahan’s high school teacher inspired him to pursue a career in healthcare. Ethan will earn an associate in applied technology degree in Medical Assisting with an additional certification in Phlebotomy from Clark College in August 2024. He plans to work as a medical assistant, gain healthcare experience, and eventually, continue his education to become a physician’s assistant. It has been challenging balancing work, assignments, and a phlebotomy internship, but worth it as he prepares to begin his career.  

Lisa Segretto 

After breaking free from generational cycles of abuse and neglect, Lisa Segretto was inspired by her daughter to seek therapy and attend college. She’s graduating from Clark with a 4.0 and her associate degree and plans to attend either Portland State University or Washington State University to pursue a Bachelor of Psychology. She dreams of earning her Master of Clinical Psychology and Doctor of Psychiatry, eventually opening a mental health practice for children and adults who have experienced childhood trauma. 

About All-Washington Academic Team Program

The All-Washington Academic Team is a program of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges. Sponsors of the All-Washington Academic Team program are Washington Association of Community and Technical Colleges, Washington State Association of College Trustees, Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society of two-year colleges. 

Scholarship sponsors are Key Bank ($250 awarded to every member); Washington State Employees Credit Union ($750 awarded to the top 16 members); and Washington State Association of College Trustees ($1,000 awarded to the top three team members). 

About Clark College 

Founded in 1933 and celebrating its 90^th year, Clark College provides residents of Southwest Washington with affordable, high-quality academic and technical education. It is a public community college offering more than 100 degree and certificate programs, including bachelor’s and associate degrees; professional certificates; high school diplomas and GED preparation; and non-credit community and continuing education. Clark serves a wide range of students including high school students, displaced workers, veterans, parents, non-native English speakers, and mature learners. Approximately 45% of its students are in the first generation of their families to attend college.   

####

Department of Education Grant to Enhance Institutional Programs and Education                                                                                                               

Vancouver, Wash. - Clark College has been awarded a $2.2 million Title III Part A Strengthening Institutions Program grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The grant will provide Clark College about $450,000 annually for the five years during the grant period through September 30, 2028.

The Title III program helps eligible institutions of higher education to become self-sufficient and expand their capacity to serve low-income students by providing funds to improve and strengthen the academic quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability of eligible institutions.

Clark College will use the grant money to increase completion rates through implementing data-informed, technology-enabled career pathways. To achieve this, three strategic objectives were selected by a cross-institutional strategic enrollment management team: 

• Evaluate the effectiveness of programs and services to continuously adapt and improve.
• Implement Penguin Path, an integrated student success model that connects each student with evidence-based practices that address their individualized needs.
• Create flexible learning opportunities through a centralized career hub that integrates career information into course outcomes and increases equitable access to work-based learning opportunities for students.

A portion of the Title III funds will be used to hire three project staff: a Title III project manager to oversee the grant’s implementation, a career connections liaison, and a planning, assessment and integration manager. 

Clark College is one of five community or technical colleges in Washington to be awarded a Title III grant this cycle. The other colleges are Bellingham Technical College; Clover Park Technical College, Lakewood; Lake Washington Institute of Technology, Kirkland and South Seattle College, Seattle. 

About Department of Education Title III-Strengthening Institution grants

Funds may be used for planning, faculty development, and establishing endowment funds. Administrative management, and the development and improvement of academic programs also are supported. Other projects include joint use of instructional facilities, construction and maintenance, and student service programs designed to improve academic success, including innovative, customized, instruction courses designed to help retain students and move the students rapidly into core courses and through program completion, which may include remedial education and English language instruction. Learn more here.

About Clark College 

Founded in 1933 and celebrating its 90^th year, Clark College is Southwest Washington’s largest public institution of higher education and serves over 8,000 students per term. Clark College provides residents of Southwest Washington with affordable, high-quality academic and technical education. 

Clark College offers more than 100 degree and certificate programs, including bachelor’s and associate degrees; professional certificates; high school diplomas and GED preparation; and non-credit community and continuing education. Clark serves a wide range of students including high school students, displaced workers, veterans, parents, non-native English speakers, and mature learners. Approximately 45% of its students are in the first generation of their families to attend college.   

####

Mackenzie Lovett

VANCOUVER, Wash.— Clark College Board of Trustees unanimously granted tenure to three outstanding educators. These newly tenured faculty members are: 

• Heidi Fay, Pharmacy Technician
• Mackenzie Loyet, Biology
• Heather Reynolds, Nursing

 Tenure is awarded by the college’s board of trustees based on professional excellence and outstanding abilities in their disciplines. The granting of tenure is based on the recommendations of tenure review committees to the Vice President of Instruction, which are then forwarded to the President, who presents a final recommendation to the board of trustees. Recommendations are based on self-evaluations, tenure review committee evaluations, student evaluations, supervisory evaluations, and peer evaluations. The final decision to award or withhold tenure rests with the board of trustees. 

Heidi Fay, Pharmacy Technician 

Heidi Fay began teaching at Clark College as an adjunct in 2009. She has been a full-time professor since 2010. Fay is the department head, lead instructor and clinical coordinator. She began her tenure-track position in 2021 after the program returned from hiatus. 

Fay has taught nearly every course in the pharmacy technician program at Clark College and developed two new courses recently added to the program, Pharmacy Capstone and Pharmacy Advanced Simulation Lab. 

She said, “As the program’s department head, I am responsible for all aspects of the program including scheduling of classes, ordering equipment and supplies, participating on committees and in recruitment activities, maintaining the state credential, and preparing for program accreditation.” 

She worked as a certified pharmacy technician at Legacy Health including Legacy Good Samaritan and Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Centers for 15 years. 

Fay earned her Associate of Arts degree at Clark College. She earned her pharmacy technician certification from Clark College. 

She is an active member of several pharmacy professional organizations including the Washington State Pharmacy Association, Oregon Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and Pharmacy Technician Educator’s Council.  

Teaching philosophy: “As someone who completed the Clark College Pharmacy Technician program years ago, my goal as an instructor is to bring a positive attitude, enthusiasm about pharmacy and healthcare, and real-life experiences. I strive to motivate students to be their best by providing a safe, welcoming environment for them to learn through hands-on, real-world simulations, and studies.” 

Mackenzie Loyet, Biology 

Mackenzie Loyet earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology and biology at Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois. She attended graduate school at Indiana University, earning a Master of Arts in biological anthropology and a Master of Science in anatomy education.   

Loyet joined Clark College as a tenure-track biology professor in September 2021. Previously, she taught anatomy to medical and dental students at Midwestern University in Chicago. She was instructor and laboratory coordinator at Midwestern University in 

Downers Grove, Illinois for seven academic years and an adjunct instructor at City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College, Chicago for one academic year.  

At Clark, she teaches General Biology, Anatomy and Physiology I and II. She is an active member in the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society (HAPS) and a certified yoga instructor. She published the book “Yoga and Anatomy: An Experiential Atlas of Movement” and has led several yoga/anatomy sessions at HAPS meetings in previous years.  

Loyet has completed both the Clark Universal Design for Living certificate and the Clark eLearning professional certificate. She values the scholarship of teaching and learning and plans to complete more eLearning workshops.  

Teaching philosophy: “My goal is to make sure all course materials and content are accessible to students. I recognize that students have different learning styles and come from different educational backgrounds. I truly believe that education is a fundamental human right. As I continue my career at Clark College, I want to ensure that courses are accessible and that students have a strong, supportive environment in the classroom.”  

Heather Reynolds, Nursing 

Heather Reynolds earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at University of Washington and her Master of Science in Nursing Education at Western Governors University.  

She started her nursing career in a burn center and has worked in critical care and emergency nursing. She was part of the opening of Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center.  

Reynolds said, “In all my roles, I have always had a passion for teaching.” 

She started teaching nursing at Clark as an adjunct professor in Fall 2015. She left to teach full time at Portland Community College, where she was on faculty for two years and director of nursing for three years. Desiring to return to the classroom, Reynolds returned to Clark College as a tenure-track faculty in nursing in September 2021.  

Reynolds is co-lead of the sixth quarter (final quarter) of Clark’s Nursing program. She teaches students a course on ethics and policy in healthcare and in their final clinical practicum. 

She said, “I enjoy volunteering and getting involved around campus to build community with colleagues and to support students. I enjoy ushering at Clark College theater productions, volunteering at graduation, and being a volunteer patient for the dental hygiene program students. I am also passionate about encouraging youth to consider a career in nursing and have been involved in several programs including Clark’s Healthcare Pathways Camp and the Alliance of Black Nurses Association of Oregon’s Mini Nurse Academy.”   

Teaching philosophy: “I am a nurse educator who is passionate about empowering future nurses to recognize their own value and worth and their capacity and duty to improve themselves, the lives of others, and the healthcare system to create a more equitable and just world. I do this through modeling authenticity, vulnerability, and continual personal and professional growth with empathy, humor, and grace. I strive to approach others with curiosity and care.”                            

 About Clark College  

Founded in 1933 and celebrating its 90^th year, Clark College provides residents of Southwest Washington with affordable, high-quality academic and technical education. It is a public community college offering more than 100 degree and certificate programs, including bachelor’s and associate degrees; professional certificates; high school diplomas and GED preparation; and non-credit community and continuing education. Clark serves a wide range of students including high school students, displaced workers, veterans, parents, non-native English speakers, and mature learners. Approximately half of its students are in the first generation of their families to attend college.   

 About Clark College Board of Trustees  

Appointed by the Governor of Washington, the Clark College Board of Trustees consists of five members who serve a five-year term and must live in the college’s service district. The Board seeks to ensure the quality and relevance of college programs and provide stewardship of public resources. In this role, the Board is responsible for strategic planning; development and approval of college policies; and approval and oversight of the operating budget. The Board of Trustees meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Learn more.

###