The Mill City enterprise., March 05, 1970, Page 12, Image 12

PAGE FOUR
SUCCESS STORY
Vocational College Gives Him Second Chance
When a young man has 13
children, no education, is not
making much money and then is
unemployed through an accident,
it’s a tough world.
How does he get out of the
predicament that is pulling him
down?
Ken Byers was in just that
situation when he enrolled in
Chemeketa Community College
in a vocational rehabilitation pro­
gram in 1966.
Then Byers enrolled in the
community college data proces­
sing program and did better than
average work. During his second
year in the program he was
hired by the West Coast Grocery
Company where he still works
as a computer operator.
Byers was 38 years old when
he began the college program.
Today at 41 he supports his large
family very successfully.
During his second year in the
college program, Byers wife,
Theresa enrolled in a two-year
technical nursing program. She
wanted to assist with the large
family, but had no skills.
Mrs. Byers saw that a two-
year college education would give
her the position she needed. To­
day, after graduation in 1969, she
is employed successfully at
Salem Memorial Hospital as an
registered nurse.
There are many like By«,
and his wife, who have been
helped through the vocational
community college programs.
And, there are many more who
will be helped in the future
through expanded programs.
He Retired Once,
But Not For Long
W hen George Moorhead retired
from Boise Cascade Corporation
in 1964, he thought he’d take it
easy for awhile.
But, that didn’t last long. In
1967 he was hired as a part
time mathematics instructor at
Chemeketa Community College,
then Salem Technical Vocational
Community College.
Moorhead represents the many
“retired” instructors at the col­
lege, needed for their years of
experience in the industry and
the knowledge that they can pass
on to students studying vocational
programs.
The energetic Moorhead was a
natural for the Chemeketa pro­
gram. After his graduation from
Willamette University in 1925, he
taught high school mathematics
and science, economics and
English.
That experience, coupled with
his 36 years with Boise Cascade,
enaoled him to teach not only
college math and science but
made ium invaluable as an in­
structor in the forestry depart­
ment.
Moorhead began at the pulp
and paper mill, now Boise, in
1928 as a chemist and soon was
advanced to night sulphite super­
intendent. While there he trained
employees in the pulp and paper
industry in lab work and quality
control of the finished pulp as
well as the disposal of waste
materials and reduction of pol­
lution.
Since Moorhead came to Chem­
eketa two years ago, he has begun
a work experience program in the
Boise Cascade labs with the co­
operation of the company’s ad­
ministration. The experience his
forestry students are gaining in
actual work experience in the
lab is unique.
This term Moorhead is, for the
first time, teaching his students
to make paper—starting with
making the pulp in cliemistry
class.
In addition to his teaching, he
has been a director of the Oregon
W ildlife Federation, chairman of
the Committee on Air and Water
Purification and a member of
the organizations’ legislative
committee.
KEN BYERS works at West Coast Grocery Company in his new profession. Chemeketa Community
College gave him the second chance he needed to successfully support his wife and 13 children.
Former Students Speak Out
For Community College
“I am serving a tour of duty
in the Army and thank the staff
. of Chemeketa Community Col­
lege for making it possible for me
to serve as a welder in one of
the base camps of the engineers
in Viet Nam.” Wendell H. Lux.
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“The course I took at the
community college gave me the
confidence needed to seriously
consider taking a four-year Un­
iversity course.” Steve L.
Tucker, Silverton.
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“Prior to my enlistment I
was employed with the Public
Utilities Department. City of
Salem, doing drafting and survey­
ing. W ithout my education at
Chemeketa, 1 could not have ob­
tained this position.” Bradley A.
Rich.
George Moorhead - Retired Instructor
This Photo Courtesy of The Oregon Statesman
“I hope that I can make
Chemeketa Community College
proud of me in return for the
wonderful education the college
gave me.” Sharon Hoffman.
fa
“The education I received at
Chemeketa enabled me to receive
the highest civil service score on
the list for my position. I have
worked in the X-ray department
of the University of Oregon dental
school.” Pat Kliewer.