www. port landobserver. com
Committed to Cultural Diversity
November 21. 2007
I___
C areers
SPECIAL EDITION
^Jortlanh (¡Observer
Career Unfolds in Unexpected Ways
Satisfaction runs
high for TriMet
employee
retina Russell needed a bit of
coaxing from a friend before
applying at TriMet as a part-
time bus operator 17 years ago.
Russell had been working in ac­
counts payable at a department store
but felt it was a dead-end job. She
wanted to work at TriMet because
she heard the agency offered great
opportunities. But, after applying for
several positions in the Accounting
Department, she became discouraged.
“My friend told me that those posi­
tions were often filled internally and
that I should consider getting hired as
a part-time operator and see if I could
transfer to accounting,” Russell said.
“I didn’t think I’d like driving, though,
because the buses are such big ve­
hicles.”
Despite reservations, Russell ap­
plied for a part-time operator position
and was hired in October 1990. She
began driving buses full-time after Partway through the hiring process,
about a year. After several years, a however, she changed her mind.
“I realized I really liked driving,”
position opened for an accounts pay­
able clerk and she applied for the job. she said. “I liked being outside. I liked
A
MM
Arelina Russell, a field
scheduler at TriMet,
enjoys the challenge o f
working with bus
operators on their
routes to discover why
buses run late and
resolve scheduling
issues. Her 1 7-year
career at TriMet has
taken many interesting
twists and turns.
photo by G abriel
interacting with all the different people.
I decided I wanted to stay an opera­
tor.”
However, Russell’s career devel­
opment at TriMet wasn’t over. After
eight years of driving a bus, she
switched over to driving Max trains.
She operated trains for a couple years
V ernon
and then returned to driving a bus.
“What I've found is that TriM et is
continued
on page H4
■M
Choosing a Helpful Job with a Solid Future
decades health-care jobs will
grow faster than any other sec­
tor of the economy. According
to the U.S. Department of La­
f you’re looking for work bor, career choices in health wi 11
today, or planning a future be unprecedented in the nation's
career for yourself or your history with an estimated 2.8
children, it may seem a bit like
throwing darts in the dark.
But experts agree on one
thing, there’s a job area that is
rock solid. For the next two
OHSU helps
you get started
working in health fields, such
as nurses, doctors, dentists,
medical technicians and many
others are also reaching re­
tirement age and leaving their
professions. The result is a
growing need meeting a low-
For the next two decades
health-care jobs will grow
faster than any other sector.
Aaliyah Hodge smiles as
she attends the white-coat
ceremony that welcomes
her and others to the
Oregon Health and Science
University Medical School.
photo by T im
J f . w itt
million new jobs.
The reason is simple: a surge
in the population, that group
called Baby Boomers, is en­
tering retirement and the age
when they need the most health
care. At the same time, people
ering workforce, a shortage
that will last for years— and a
unique opportunity for anyone
planning a career.
As the state's only academic
continued y f on page 116
M M M M M M M M M M M i
Entrepreneurial Life
Suits Cuban Immigrant
Bilingual designer
moving to
Vanport Square
by L ee P erlman
T he P ortland O bserver
“I started knocking on doors and
they wouldn’t open, so I walked in
anyway,” Eduardo Norell says in de-
scribing how he began his graphic-
design business.
The Cuban immigrant has parlayed
his talent, and his initiative, into a new
way of life. The latest chapter will
come by year’s end when he moves
Norell Design from his garage in the
Lents neighborhood of southeast Port­
land to a 2,800-square-foot space in
the Vanport Square commercial con­
dominium at 5225 N.E. Martin Luther
At the Speed of Life
Eduardo Norell (center) is moving his graphic-design business into the new
Vanport Square commercial condominium complex at 5225 N.E. Martin
Luther King Jr. Blvd. with the help o f Elio Numez (left) and Carlos Guerra.
Community Advocate Honored
PCC starts
Web design
degree
program
continued y ^ on page 114
Behind the Scenes Contributions
Celebrating
Jean DeMaster's
passion for low-
income services
Clark College
executive
prioritizes quiet
effectiveness
See page B7
See page B9
See page B3
I
King Jr. Blvd.
There he will be one of 16 co­
owners of the newly renovated com­
plex. He will be sharing space with
fellow graphic designer Laurie Cary,
restaurateurs Marco Shaw (Fife) and
Aient Gebrehiwot (Queen of Sheba),
Farmer's Insurance agent Nghi Tran,
and C.P.A. Rick Harris. Hung Kim’s
Living Color is already up and running
in the new space.
Norell Design can create business
cards, brochures, webdesigns, menus,
flyers, posters and non-electric signs
in English, Spanish, and a combination
I