OWHE Blog
Meet Blanca Aguirre Jul 1 2016
Working in higher education has giving me the opportunity to learn and grow as a professional. Looking back I’ve realized that coming from a Mexican American family taught me the value of hard work. This value gave me the foundation and determination to pursue my journey in higher education.
After completing a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Western Oregon University, I started working as an Academic Advisor at Chemeketa Community College. I was working full time at Chemeketa and completing a part time Master’s Degree in Counseling from Oregon State University. I was lucky to have supportive mentors that believed in my success.
I am currently a Counselor at Chemeketa. My passion is working with students, career development and service learning. As a counselor I provide academic advising and career and personal counseling for students. It’s truly rewarding to work closely with students and help them reach their personal and career goals.
Meet Claudia Davila Jun 2 2016
Claudia Davila
Institution: Linn-Benton Community College
Position at LBCC: Student Recruitment Specialist
When I made the decision to go back to school in my 30’s I had no idea in which direction I wanted to go. I really couldn’t get over the fact I was even heading back to school as I must admit I was one of those teens that could not stand school and really believed I wasn’t a great student so I had given up on any possibility of college even before I graduated high school.
Meet Rebecca Torres Valdovinos May 2 2016
Institution: George Fox University
Position: English Language Institute Director and Assistant Professor
“Tia? That means aunt, right?” the Sacred Heart of Mary nun asked in her New England Accent. Dressed in her full habit, she looked down at the small seven-year-old Mexican-American child. I looked up at her with amazement. She didn’t know that the women I was describing in the conversation about our family party celebrating my First Communion were my mother’s sisters! At 7 years old, I had no comprehension of the word “aunt”; I only knew “tia”. This was my first awareness of being from another culture. Thus, my journey has its roots in the barrio of East Los Angeles, the place of my birth and childhood.
Meet Sharece Bunn Feb 2 2016
My journey to student affairs was anything but linear. Rather than settling down to a job after college like my four siblings did, I took the adventurous route, joining Peace Corps and working temporary jobs after my two years abroad. I was always searching for the job and place that would give me meaning. In doing so, found the field of student affairs without actually looking for it. After getting my masters degree in journalism, I went back into the Peace Corps as a “response,” or short-term volunteer, hoping to find clarity for what I wanted to be “when I grew up.” It was during that year that I fell in love with working at a university. Working with college students brought me joy and pushed me to think in new ways. I had found my niche.
Reflections of the 2016 OWHE Conference from the Conference Director Jan 29 2016
That’s a wrap! The 2016 Oregon Women in Higher Education Conference has ended, and as the Director of the Annual Conference, I am feeling…gratitude, connection, and community.
I am grateful for the experience and the amazing, talented women I had the privilege of working with and meeting at the conference. For the past 6 months, the board of directors and the conference planning team worked hard to organize this event…which was no small feat!
Meet Sharon Chinn Jan 2 2015
Sharon Chinn is the director of Educational Career, Licensing, and Accreditation Services and the Commencement Coordinator at the Graduate School of Education and Counseling, Lewis & Clark College. With 25-years in the field, Sharon brings to her work decades of experience networking, advocating, and supporting students, faculty, and staff as they grow in their professions. Sharon completed her undergraduate work in comparative sociology at the University of Puget Sound, including a year spent at Coleg y Drindod (Trinity College) in Carmarthen, Wales, studying Welsh language, history, and society. She went on to complete a master’s degree in counseling psychology with a focus on adult development and career counseling at Lewis & Clark College. The highlight of her graduate years included one-year spent as a faculty intern with Clackamas Community College’s “Displaced Homemaker” program under the mentorship of its founder, Anne Pardington.
Meet Rebecca Schaffeld Dec 2 2015
I grew up in Hermiston, a small town in eastern Oregon. I received my Bachelor of Arts from Oregon State University in 2011. I majored in Sociology and minored in Spanish and Women Studies. I am a recent graduate of the College Student Services and Administration Master in Education program at Oregon State University. During my time in graduate school I had the opportunity to be a graduate assistant for the Career Development Center and participate in many other programs and functional areas such as academic support and orientation. My area of specialization was Transitioning Students and I am now seeking a career in student affairs, where I can utilize my skills in developing students and passion for empowerment.
Professional Journey: