The A in DEIA
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
Just like many of our previous newsletters have started, we want to take the time once more to say thank you everyone who has contributed to our work and to the success of our postsecondary learners and workforce participants. Your dedication, feedback, and trust keep driving us to meet our goals.
It is in this feedback that we were able to reflect on our approach and continually assess where we could grow as a team and as an agency. Over the past year, we have been more involved in the work of disability rights thanks to our student advocates. We have attended conferences focused on learning disabilities and disability access in higher education, hosted our own training sessions with HECC staff and examined the histories of both the Civil Rights Movement and the Disability Rights Movement. Those two were and are intertwined, learning from one another while offering solidarity.
It is in those reflections that the HECC Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team began adding Accessibility, the A in DEIA to our titles and our office name. We cannot move to be fully inclusive unless we recognize and honor all parts of a person’s identity. We cannot be afraid to say disability. We must include disability in our work if we are to truly foster belonging.
We are now known as the HECC Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Team. While a name change may seem simple, it is this first step of recognition that can set off sparks of ideas, interest, and conversations to embrace a broader understanding of our shared work in collective liberation. Thank you for continuing to push us in our own understanding.
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Rebecca Arce attended the Learning Disabilities Association 60th Anniversary Conference earlier this year. |
Thank you to all who sent in a nomination for the student spotlight. We love to celebrate our students.
Emma Reasoner at College Possible nominated Alex for this volume’s feature. He graduated this past June from Portland State University with a degree in Public Health Studies. He is currently on a Respiratory Therapy Fellowship at Mt. Hood Community College. Emma nominated Alex stating his curiosity and tenacious drive to learn being inspirational.
Alex grew up in Gresham, Oregon. He is the oldest of four children and a first-generation college student. He witnessed the many sacrifices his parents made to propel him along his learning path and succeeding in the U.S. We asked him a few questions about his time at PSU.
- What is your role or action in education, in addition to being a student?
Mentoring! I find guiding students in their academic and professional journey extraordinarily rewarding. I feel a strong sense of desire to help students understand where they want to go, the steps they need to take, and how to advocate for themselves. Mentoring has played a pivotal role in my academic journey, and helping students start off on a stronger foot than I did when I was in their position motivates me to give my all when I interact with them.
- Were there any organizations or mentors that helped you on your path?
I was accepted into the BUILD EXITO, a research program funded by the National Institutes of Health, where I met a wide array of professionals and attained meaningful research experience. I had several mentors in this program that helped me develop a strong professional presence in research and academia. I was also part of College Possible since I was a junior in high school. All my mentors through College Possible were key to helping me navigate college life, seek opportunities, and prepare my post-college plans.
- What does being a student and a graduate mean to you?
Being a student is something that never truly goes away. You’re always learning, asking questions, and encountering challenges that seem impossible. So, being a student and graduate means that I'm a lifelong learner, yearning for what comes next in my interests and career. Even though I obtained my bachelor's degree, there is still a lot more that I want to do and more that I want to keep learning.
- What recommendations or insights would you like to share with other students in Oregon, based on your experience?
Seek out experiences that will help you reach your goals! Even if it seems difficult or you have a hard time envisioning yourself in that experience, you never know what will come out of it. I originally wasn't thinking about doing research– I felt underqualified since I knew nothing about it. Through support from a close friend and a mentor, I took the opportunity, and now, I am beyond grateful for everything that stemmed from joining that research program. I also recommend finding programs that can pair you with a mentor. Mentors will guide, support, and advocate for you! It's incredible just how impactful it is when you have someone you can rely on. Your life will be greatly enriched by the connections you create and the risks you take.
Thank you, Alex and Emma. Congrats on your graduation and good luck in the fellowship.
Higher Education Coordinating Commission staff, Rudyane Rivera-Lindstrom and Osvaldo F. Avila were invited to co-facilitate the higher education panel at the 6th Semana Binacional de Educación in Portland, OR. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Institute of Mexicans Abroad (IME), in collaboration with the Consulate of Mexico in Portland and the Department of Education of the state of Oregon, began the Binational Education Week under the motto "Education beyond Borders.”
Strengthening international relationships among Oregon and Mexico to better serve the diaspora of Mexican people in our education systems through dialogues and sharing of ideas to address challenges and best practices to elevate inclusive student success aligns to our overall statewide educational goals. This was a great opportunity to highlight the amazing work HECC staff continue to strive to complete and be recognized by sharing the platform with educational leaders from Oregon and Mexico. The ceremony also featured the participation of prominent educational leaders from both countries such as Dr. Charlene Williams, Director of the Department of Education of the state of Oregon and Melissa Goff, Assistant for Education of the State Governor's Office; Dr. Luciano Concheiro Bórquez, Undersecretary of Higher Education; Mr. Luis Gustavo Padilla Montes, President of the University of Guadalajara Foundation USA, and Tara Ramsey, Director of the USA Migrant Education Program and many more leaders in attendance in person and abroad from the USA, Mexico and Canada.
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The panelist at Semana Binacional. |
Colegio César Chávez 50th Anniversary: Celebrating A College Without Walls. Communities came together on August 26th to celebrate, remember, and carry forward the legacy of the Colegio César Chávez. As we rejoiced in the day’s events emceed by HECC’s Rudyane Rivera-Lindstrom, we were reminded of the Colegio’s mission which was to provide equal educational opportunities to Chicano and minority students and to create a Chicano bilingual/bicultural curriculum. A “college without walls” program – an experimental and flexible learning program in which the students could get college credit for their work and experience outside of the classroom.
The Colegio César Chávez began operating in 1973, gained its accreditation in 1975 from the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges and granted bachelor’s degrees to twenty-two students in 1975, more than the Chicano students who graduated from the University of Oregon and Oregon State University combined that year. Having to close its doors in 1983 due to financial instability, the Colegio César Chávez was a success and left behind a legacy of inspiration for Chicano, Mexican American, Latiné students in Oregon to pursue higher education for the generations to come.
Throughout the day of celebration with traditional Mexican Folklorico dancers, live singers and other cultural celebrations, the community was able to hear firsthand from the Colegio’s founders; their struggles, lessons learned, and success in opening a college. It was truly a remarkable day among family and friends celebrating the legacy of the Colegio César Chávez.
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The event flyer for the Colegio Cesar Chavez celebration. |
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