Book sale builds scholarship fund

Proceeds from the upcoming Shelie Macias Memorial Book Sale fund a scholarship for Hispanic/Latino students who study English as a second language.

The book sale is being held Thursday, Nov. 15, in the Vista Dining Center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Shelie Macias Memorial Scholarship provides one year of tuition for a full-time Hispanic/Latino student.

Macias’ name can also be seen in a memorial garden on campus between the 1300 and 1500 wings. Macias was an MHCC employee killed by a vehicle on campus in December 1998 in the crosswalk between the 1700 block and what is now the ECC parking lot

The root of the scholarship fund for Hispanic and Latino students comes from Macias’ work here at MHCC in the English as a Second Language (ESL) department. Macias had a long history with this campus and started coming as a child to “mom and dad’s work,” as both of her parents were employees here.

During high school, Macias learned both Spanish and Japanese and became Gresham’s first exchange student to visit their sister city of Ebetsu, Japan. After graduation, Macias started as a work-study student in the ABE/GED area and eventually became a full-time employee.

Macias not only helped Hispanic students with their English on campus but also went to a local prison to teach there. According to Joylynn Woodard, Shelie’s mother and fellow employee of MHCC, “Shelie was a fun-loving, happy-go-lucky individual who was loved by all. Her personality made a room glow when she stepped in and her love of people and helping people was overwhelming.”

“The American Association of Women in Community College (AAWCC) group decided to create the Shelie Macias Memorial Book Sale to help a non-native speaking student because of Macias’ love for the Hispanic community. The book sale was a way that we could build the scholarship fund in her honor as well as have an event that many students would enjoy on campus,” said Woodard.

Woodard added they successfully reached their monetary goal to make the scholarship fund self-sustaining several years ago but with the rising cost of tuition they need to fund-raise every year.