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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 26, 2014)
PRINT: News Wednesday, February26,2014 »X» 3 GSA: Community provides resources Continued from Page 1 with the teens,” Morgan said. “They are what makes my job awesome.” In fact, because The Living Room is a youth-centered orga nization, his first interview for the position was conducted by the teenagers involved in the pro gram, he said. Morgan says his main job is to provide a link between the teens and adults. The Living Room focuses on helping teens in Clackamas County, he said. “[We] provide a service that wasn’t being provided out here,” Morgan said. “The Living Room is just about to start their middle school out reach program,” Blixhayn said. Enrique Solama, co-chair of the youth advisory council, has been involved in The Living LeBron planned last year’s summit as part of her Oregon City High School senior project. Currently she is working on a transfer degree at CCC focused on business. “I plan to transfer to PSU for non-profit management,” LeBron said. Already she helps coordinate the Wednesday youth drop-in activities for The Living Room in Oregon City. Jefferson Morgan, program coordinator, has worked with teens for a long time in various organizations, but has only been the project coordinator for TLR since January 2014. “Office stuff is alright, but I’d rather spend time hanging out Room since he himself showed up as a drop-in when he was 14. Now he helps facilitate the GSA summit. But what o f the teens that “age-out” o f The Living Room by turning 21? Kat Taylor, one such individu al, came back to volunteer. She is also involved in creating YOTA (youth of transitioning age) for young adults 21 and over to con tinue having a safe environment after they leave The Living Room. According to Blixhavn, Taylor is one of the first to have actually “aged-out” of the program, so this is new territory for them; “Currently, the only options available are to volunteer or get elected to the board,” Blixhavn said. for life. Students are able to learn how to borrow-less, borrow smart and repay their Ioans efficiently. I he nonprofit has created articles, videos, lessons, infographics and comics that help students digest information about student loans on its website. SALT specializes in U S sui 7%<? college has been advertising a program called S A L T on Facebook, MyClackamas and school email. Why should I care? _ .. . _ . has just partnered with American EditOi-in-Ghisf profit, to bring a program called &i«im mrTnrTwiirrr"rin..wr-t L , C JS A kyjg* StudfffflB. But what exact- Vriackamas Community College students may have already seen that the college ' ■ ....... * iy is SALT? , SALT is a free online infbr- mational outlet that is designed to give students financial skills /■... I dent loans. I he> offer student loan repayment counselors who work with students one-on-one the counselors work over the phone seven days a week with students to help manage loan payments Although SALT is focused on loans which students take out for tour-year college, the website also has resources for students at com munity colleges, fliey offer les sons on how to get read} for trans ferring to a four-year university and where to find scholarships and jobs through their free database. According to Ailesandra Lanza, a spokeswoman for ASA, SALT has partnered with 250 higher education institutions and PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY G rhduA tc S cho o l, ò fi É d u c a tio n Your chance to exploit’ our 50+ graduale programs in: welcome to the GSA summit has over 500,000 cuneht students and alumni w ho are members of SALT “1 think it is very crucial to try and educate students early,*’ said Lanza. “We want to teach students how to live like students now so they don’t have to once they are out of school.'’ In the 18 years that Lanza has worked with ASA the saddest and most common thing she has seen with regards to students is not how much they are borrowing but the ways students are managing their loans without help, she said. Lanza also sees a lot of students not taking advantage of scholar ships, grants and federal loans, which in many cases will have lower interest rates than private SALT through social media, smart device applications and online they will be able to reach out to students before they need help with their loans. Dustin Hare an ¿dusing ialist for CCC, explained SALT is another avenue to get information out to students Although Clackamas’ financial aid office does reach out io many students, SALT will help get that same information out to a larger and more diverse audience, he said “We are working to be pro active,” said Bare “We want to help students understand finan cial literacy." Navigating financial aid options may be daunting but loans and a variety o f paym ent options. . . • . , cult. STYlJ offers a roadmap “We are teaching them how to budget,’’ Lanza said. “It is very crucial to set them up for success once they are out of school ” Lanza hopes that by spreading ____________________________ ■ It doesn’t have to be diffi to understanding the pitfalis, byways and best routes to pay ing for higher education, tai lored to each student FINISH YOUR DEGREE « BBH Graduate School of Education OPEN HOUSE Thursday, March 6, 2014 Noon— 2pm | Room 296/298 Smith Memorial Student Union 1825 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97207 ja <2® W Graduate Schoo, of Education PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY L
