The Clackamas print., January 31, 2001, Page 5, Image 5

----------------— Feature
Young mom finds road ba
*■ ^*********
E ie CL ac I camas P rint
I
JENNYCHAVEZ
Copy Editor
When Charity Hess entered
lackamas’Young Parent Oppor-
mity Program as a high school
I ropout, her only goal was to get
I er GED to qualify for a job at Hol-
lywood Video; she never dreamed
er first job would be in a presti­
gious Portland lawyer’s office.
I Hess left high school as a
lophomore and became one of
10,621 other Oregon kids who
I ropped out of school in 1997. Ac-
I ording to the Oregon Department
I f Education, 42.7 percent of those
Itudents were from the Portland
Metro area, which includes
Clackamas, Multnomah, and
Washington counties. But Hess
Indn’t know she just became an-
tther statistic - all she knew was
hat she felt worthless and de­
pressed.
“I did nothing for two years but
lay on the couch and watch TV. I
I vent through a lot of hard times,”
I aid Hess. “I didn’t really care.”
I According to the National Cen-
I er for Educational Statistics, self-
Loncept was a big issue among
Itudents surveyed. Dropout re-
jorts showed that one-half of the
itudents felt useless at times, one-
hird thought they were “no good
it all”, and nearly one-fourth said
hey didn’t have much to be proud
pf.
There are other factors that in­
fluence students’ decisions to drop
out of school. Not getting along do things on your own.”
with peers and faculty, getting too
With praises from her instructors,
far behind to catch up, substance Hess went through the program so
abuse and dysfunctional home successfully that she began to feel
lives are some of the most influen­ she had potential.
tial factors. Hess struggled with
“I realized I was actually kind of
some of those factors.
smart when I had always thought all
“ I started missing more and more that learning was beyond me,” Hess
school,” remembered Hess. “ The said.
next thing I knew, I just stopped
After getting her GED, Hess
going.”
moved on to Clackamas’ Bridges
Hess had been
program where
out of school for
students were im­
two years when
mersed in career
she got preg­
exploration. They
"When I got preg­
nant. She sud­
toured the col­
nant I started to
denly realized
lege, learned to
reevaluate my
that she had
set goals, and
someone else to
prepared for the
We'*
Charity
think about.
transitional stage
Hess
“When I got
in their lives
student
pregnant,
I
where they would
started to re­
either find their
evaluate my life,”
place in a work
explained Hess.
environment or further their educa­
“ I had to redefine what I was doing tion. Hess did both.
with my life and how I would provide
“Leslie Black (Bridges instructor)
for my child.”
directed me to an emergence pro­
Hess heard of the College’s YPOP gram in Portland,” said Hess.
program through her mother who at­
“ Instead of working at Holly­
tended Clackamas. She met with YPOP wood Video, I went to a six week
Instructor Toni Krummenacker for an
intensive office skills training pro­
interview and was accepted into the gram and got my first job making $9
program. Instructors Linda Durham
an hour as a receptionist in a lawyer’s
and Krummenbacker played a major office.”
role in influencing Hess to continue
Hess also enrolled at CCC and
her education.
plans to transfer to Portland State
“They really encourage you to go University for a degree in computer
to college and 1 had no intention of science or psychology. But teach­
going to college,” said Hess. “ They ing is on her heart because of the
help you a lot, but they also help you mentoring she received in YPOP and
___________ L
WEdNEscky, J anuary 51, 2001
to education
JENNY CHAVEZ I Clackamas Print
Charity Hess dropped out of high school as a sophomore.
After getting pregnant, she evaluated her life and decided to
join the YPOP program at Clackamas.
Bridges.
“They all boosted my self-esteem
way up,” beamed Hess. “I had such
good experiences with Linda, Toni
and Leslie that I’ve carried that on to
this part of the campus and feel com­
fortable.”
When Hess earned her GED, 1,170
other previous dropouts in Oregon
earned theirs as well. But along with
her GED, Hess also gained a better
understanding of herself and her fu­
ture.
“I know I can do whatever I want
to do,” said Hess. “ All I have to do
is apply myself.”
Passion for environment motivates new program coordinator
CORINNE RUPP
ship out on the river.
“I’m still with them. It’s five
years later, and to this day I am
Enthusiasm shines from still doing work for H2O.”
Francesca Woodruff’s face as
Volunteering turned into a
she talks about her new posi­ paying position for Woodruff.
tion as program coordinator for It also served to whet her ap­
the Environmental Learning petite for teaching kids about
Center
the environment.
“There’s so much to do. I’ve
“I love working with kids,
really not even hit the ground and my passion is definitely in
running, but running at full taking care of the environ­
speed.”
ment.”
A
recent
After graduat­
graduate
of
ing with her
love working
Marylhurst
environmental
with kids, and my
University in
science
de­
Lake Oswego,
gree,
she
was
a
passion is definitely
this Oregon na­
coordinator for
in taking care of the
tive fell into en-
Oregon' Trout
vironmental
as an environ­
environment ”
sciences
al­
mental educa­
Francesca Woodruff
program director
most by acci­
tion specialist.
dent.
The organisa­
“I had this re­
tion works to
ally cool science teacher.” She promote understanding in the
remembers of her introduction community about our native
to the field. He recommended fish and their environment.
she volunteer for a local pro­
“We’d go and see endan­
gram, Headwaters to Ocean gered salmon spawning in their
(H2O), that ’teaches steward­ own habitat.” She said.
Opinion Editor
Think You're Pregnant?
Part of her duties as program co­
ordinator will be to develop pro­
grams and become involved in com­
munity outreach. She has already
begun the process of getting local
kids interested in the ELC’s wetland
habitat. Shortly after starting, she
began a program that encourages
kids to become park rangers.
“Instead of coming out to the site
and trashing it, which is what bored
kids do, they apply to be park rang­
ers,” explained Woodruff.
Rangers are responsible for walk­
ing the grounds and telling their
peers about the plants and animals.
She hopes the program will dis­
courage vandalism. Being a ranger
lets them know that they can make a
difference in the environment di­
rectly.
“It gives them ownership of the
site,” she said.
Woodruff is excited about her new
position at the College. She empha­
sizes one mission that she wants to
fulfill her new job.
“I’m just basically dedicated to
opening up the minds and hearts of
kids and adults.”
Ü
MIKE POLLOCK / Clackamas Print
Francesca Woodruff is the new program coordinator for the
Environmental Learning Center at Clackamas. Her duties as
coordinator include developing programs and becoming
involved in community outreach.
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