HELPING STUDENTS REACH THEIR DREAMS

Last week, the Advocate caught up with Graham Phillips, one of three winners of Outstanding Support Staff recognition at MHCC announced this month.

Working in the Academic Advising and Transfer Center (AATC) at Mt. Hood, Phillips is an adviser who has helped many students find the right path within this convoluted secondary education system.

But he’s also had quite an interesting life outside of his time at MHCC.

Phillips was born and raised in Kansas, where he dreamed about someday being a stunt double in the movies. He reminisced about how he “would jump out of trees, create ramps and jump over creeks and things like that,” he said, ending with a number of broken bones. 

He also wanted to be a forest ranger – a dream that was later fulfilled when he moved to Alaska. He worked with a nonprofit youth corps, where he would live and camp with others in the woods anywhere from 60 to 90 days.

“Kansas is a pretty flat place, and Alaska is pretty wild, wooded and mountainous. So it was quite a transition,” he said.

Alaska was where Phillips met one of his biggest influences, an adviser who coached him out of a time where he had made many poor choices, he said. One lesson sticks with him to this day: “(The adviser) recognized that he couldn’t help others, unless he was helping himself first… He was very conscious about being very supportive of himself… so that he could be the best at what he did,” he said.

“I think he is part of the reason why I am an adviser now, because his role in advising me was that strong.”

Phillips moved south to Portland in 2003. At the time, he had no bachelor’s degree and doubted his ability to go through with college. Luckily, while living in Alaska, he had met many people with good things to say about their college experience, planting the seed of “Maybe I do want to go back and get my education,” he said.

Unable to find comparable work in Portland without a degree, he decided to go back to school, initially pursuing nursing because “I was attracted by the occupation of helping people,” he said. He then discovered that he could help people best by changing his major to education. 

Once he earned his bachelor’s, Phillips found a job at Portland Community College. When that opportunity didn’t work out, he found that Mt. Hood had a similar program, and was able to transfer over.

This eventually led to his work as academic adviser. He has now been working at Mt Hood for 11 years.

“It’s been a really enjoyable process,” he explained, “I’ve met some wonderful people and have really appreciated seeing the college go through the transitions it has.”

Phillips said he sees himself accomplishing something each time his students advance.

“I try to help everyone to the best of my ability every day… and I may only meet with one person, one time, in their life,” he said. “What I need to do is bring myself 100% to that appointment, so that whatever they need at that moment, I can provide to the best of my ability. 

“That is what brings meaning to my day.”

Phillips wants to encourage Mt. Hood students to get the most of their opportunity here, by seeking available help when needed.

“Come in and see an adviser, whether it is here (the AATC) or a faculty adviser. Come in and make sure that you’re checking in with somebody,” he said.

“An education is an expensive process, we want to make sure that students aren’t throwing their money away. If coming in and talking to somebody about what your plans are will help, we want you to know that that’s an option.”

The other two Support Staff employees recognized for their work are Angelique Kauffman, career pathways career coach with WorkSource Portland Metro, and Kelly Gernhart, administrative coordinator with the performing arts department.