PROUD TO GRADUATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Attending community college is one of the best decisions I’ve made. My time at MHCC has been nothing like what I expected it to be, but in all of the best ways.

My first year at Mt. Hood, starting the fall of 2016 after I graduated high school, was a whirlwind of setbacks. After a very normal first term, I had surgery.  This resulted in a two-week hospital stay at the beginning of Winter Term 2017, and me dropping out to take care of my health. It was the first time I wasn’t in school since I was an infant.

My Oregon Promise grant was essentially taken away from me due to dropping out, and I thought I’d never be able to return to college. It felt like my future was pulled out from under me. Then, a waiver system for the grant was finally created for those who had to drop a term due to health reasons, and I was back on track. 

That said, by the end of my first year at MHCC I had used up almost all of my grant because I came into college with 41 dual credits from high school. I was already reaching the grant’s maximum credit coverage, so I sought out student work opportunities.

With an interest in writing and journalism and a need to pay for school, I found the Advocate. I knew it would help me financially through school, but it has done so much more for me than I could’ve expected when I first entered the newsroom in the fall of 2017.

I started as a staff writer covering arts and entertainment, then quickly became co-editor of the section as well as social media manager for the rest of the 2017-18 school year. I gradually became more involved and started really enjoying the page layout part of our production process.

The Advocate became my second home.

Going into this school year, I knew I wanted to do something outside my comfort zone, so I asked to be news editor, after much of our former staff graduated. I also earned the title of associate editor, with the absolute pleasure of helping Megan Phelps, our editor-in-chief this year.

Right off the bat, one of the first things I did was interview Lisa Skari, our new college president, something I would not have fathomed a year prior, as I was just getting my footing in the world of interviewing. Now, interviewing is one of my favorite things. I even started a podcast with my friend where we interview guests because I love it so much, and having access to the KMHD2 studio made that even easier.

After a couple pretty normal first weeks of the school year, I dove headfirst into learning everything there is to know about the college’s FM radio station, KMHD, and its partnership with OPB (Oregon Public Broadcasting). I ended up writing an eight-part series and interviewed more sources than ever before, including OPB President and CEO Steve Bass, when Megan and I were given a tour of the KMHD studios in the OPB building. Megan and I ended up winning a first-place award from the Pacific Northwest Association of Journalism Educators for our coverage.

I never thought that I’d experience investigative journalism as a student reporter, but it made me love what we do even more.

I always knew it was a privilege to be part of a student newspaper – the independent student voice on campus – but this school year has really shown just how important our role is in informing students, staff, faculty, and the MHCC community at large about things happening at board meetings and on the administrative level. We’ve also gotten to editorialize on topics directly related to campus, such as the KMHD partnership and food options on campus.

Being part of the Advocate has given me a sense of community, both in the newsroom and beyond. It’s given me a support system every time I hit a rough patch, which could’ve resulted differently without this more deeply developed connection to the college. I’ve learned how to talk to people, met people I otherwise wouldn’t have, discovered my love for communications and graphic design, and found that working in academics someday might not be a bad idea.

This year I also got the opportunity to join the Accessibility Taskforce to improve the environment for individuals with disabilities on campus. It felt nice to have a direct way to affect change on campus in a matter that has directly impacted me in my time here.

I also started attending Saints baseball and softball games late this spring and realized I love the two sports, something I never would have known if I didn’t want to learn how to potentially report on sports some day.

Overall, my experience at Mt. Hood has aided me on my journey of self-discovery, in more ways than I could ever count. I’m now more likely to get a bachelor’s, and even a master’s, degree than I ever would’ve thought when I started here three years ago.

MHCC helped me realize my potential, and for that I will always be proud to have attended community college.

While I could end on a really deep note, I’d like to use my voice one last time to say that I wish we lived in a world where the cafeteria could serve breakfast during all of its open hours. Huge, affordable veggie omelettes? You have my heart.