9
NEWS
New navigator takes over
COLLEGE EMPLOYEE HELPS STUDENTS GET BENEFITS
STORY BY C O N N O R MCCOY
STAFF W RITER
The Clackamas Print sat down
with Helen Paz, the benefits
navigator at Clackamas Com m unity
College, to talk about the benefits
students can get.
Th e Clakam as Print:
W hen did you
first come to CCC?
Helen Paz: I didn’t go to school
here, unfortunately. I started at
C CC in the fall o f 2012. I’ve been
here a while I initially started as
a GED instructor witht e h skills
development department.
TCP:
W hat do you do?
Paz: A lo t o f students don’t knowthat
there are benefits like government
and community college state
benefits thatbelongtoyou.So maybe
you’re struggling with hunger or
buying groceries, let me find a
connection for you. Or maybe you’re
struggling with paying some utilities
or finding low-cost utilities or rent;
any o f that stuff, childcare. It’s just a
wide variety of things that I can help
students locate, to help alleviate'
some of the stressful financial
burdens or childcare burdens, so
and maybe they got connected with
SNAP. But now you’re realizing that
[you] can’t afford internet, or [you]
don’t have a way to get to the college.
There are other benefits that you
qualify for. So students could come
to me, and I’d tell you something
like, “Hey, you’re on SNAP, well, you
qualifyfor a low cost Wi-Fi, XFINITY
for like $9.95 a month, let’s get you
on that.” So if you’re on SNAP, we
can sign up on that. And, you know,
maybe pay for some books, or pay
for some clothes related to your job,
like you need a polo shirt for your
job.
went from there. I taught from 2012
up until the pandemic hit.
TCP:
How can students reach you?
There’s a couple o f ways. We’re
currently working on a survey link
for people to express to me their
situation, and then it gets submitted
to anom ail, and then I write it back.
But while we’re working on that,
there is an email that anybody can
reach me. It’s benefits@clackamas.
edu. And then my school email is
helenp@clackamas.edu. And then
m y m y extension is 594-6180. Any
time anybody wants to get in touch
with me, they can get that way for
TCP: Was there anything about being
a GED instructor that made you now, and there will be an update in
want to do the job you have now? ; the process as well.
Paz:
TCP: How many students do you
Paz: I love instructing. My entire
career, I’ve had a teaching position, think are in need of resources?
but it’s been in many different forms.
And it’s always about helping people. Paz: Oh, quite abit, alarge percentage
W hen I started teaching GED, I of Clackamas. There are quite a few
quickly realized that m y students students who probably don’t know,
had a ton o f different things going or access as m uch as they could.
on that weren’t allowing them to So I’m looking for the percentage
focus. So one of them being hunger, o f students that have the zero to
I made sure to always bring snacks some, so we can again, get them
and talk about how chewing is really more, but I’d be willing to say that a
important for thinking. I don’t know large percentage of students at CCC
they can actually stay.
if you’ve ever heard the whole gum- would qualify or need some sort of
assistance, and maybe they’re just
chewing theory.
TCP: What services are students
Like, I don’t know if it’s necessarily too proud to ask or talk about it. Or
accessing?
true, but it got people to eat in class maybe they don’t even perceive it as
so that we can focus on other things a problem.
Paz: A lot o f students may be
working already with some services like math. And then it just, I mean, it
T h e C la c k a m a s P r in t
What are your ideas for
reaching those students who don’t
know where to go for resources?
TCP:
t h e c l a c k a m a s p r i n t .c o m
Paz: So I continue to invite m yself to
these meetings where I don’t belong.
I try to connect with, you know, I
count on maybe ASG, for y’all to help
me a little bit when we’re on campus.
Hopefully, that comes back soon.
And there’s, you know, some plans
for some fliers, as m any as possible.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Helen Paz is the benefits navigator for
CCC. Photo by Joseph Lohmolder.
Ju n e 2022