MHCC WELCOMES RETURN OF TIFFANY ENSUNSA

Tiffany Ensunsa is the new student employment coordinator for Mt. Hood, who helps students with federal Work Study and student aid. However, she is no stranger to MHCC.

Ensunsa was born and raised in Salem and is a fifth-generation Oregonian. She has been working in the education field for about 15 years, and began working at Mt. Hood in 2008 for Project YESS, a support system for students that was a federal grant-funded program.

She worked in this program for about 10 years, and changed positions as a result of that program being shut down in December 2017 after 37 years of operation.

From March 2018 to September 2019, Ensunsa worked at Concordia University in northeast Portland, then returned to MHCC this Fall Term.

“It’s really nice. I’m really excited to be back. I’m really humbled and grateful that I’ve been welcomed back by so many people,” said Ensunsa.

She attended Sprague High School in Salem, while completing her undergraduate program at Eastern Washington University and her graduate program at Portland State University.

Her favorite college memory was graduating and overcoming challenges.

“Balancing all of that is really difficult,” she said. “Grad school was a challenge but also really rewarding.”

Ensunsa decided to return to MHCC for a variety of reasons, she said: “I wanted to work directly with students. I was interested in working with underserved populations.”

She also chose to come back because this new position was a new opportunity for her.

“It’s really exciting, because it’s a relatively new position. It’s exciting to help create how this new position will work,” she said.

Her favorite part of the job is working with many different students and staff members on campus and “getting to know all types of people,” she said. “The people I am working with are amazing. It’s a dynamic department; I felt like it would be a good fit.

“I have been welcomed back by so many people and it has been much appreciated,” she said.

In her free time, Ensunsa enjoys the outdoors, kayaking, crabbing, fishing, camping, and gardening. She also recently got the opportunity to travel to the Basque country in northern Spain and southern France. She visited her wife’s family while she was there.

Her favorite type of music is jazz and blues, although she doesn’t really have a specific favorite food.

“I love all food. I love to cook and I love to eat,” she said.

Although she doesn’t have a clear idea of what the future holds, Ensunsa is optimistic and wants to continue her growth in the education field.

“I try not to think that far ahead. There are so many opportunities that can come up,” she said. “I’m always looking forward to growing my skills.”