[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 24, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1889]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          CONGRATULATING CLARK COLLEGE ON ITS 75TH ANNIVERSARY

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                            HON. BRIAN BAIRD

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 23, 2008

  Mr. BAIRD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Clark College, 
located in America's Vancouver, on its 75th anniversary.
  Clark College can trace its beginnings to the Nation's Depression. 
The school's founders had a simple, but challenging concept: provide 
opportunity to students who might otherwise give up on college because 
they couldn't afford to live away from home.
  Even though the founders were driven by a sense of urgency, they took 
the time to make sure that they provided students with a quality 
education. They offered smaller classes with more personalized 
instruction. The goal was to deliver courses for lower-division 
students that would give them the background and tools they needed to 
go on to larger institutions for specialized, upper-division work. And 
as many transfer students would discover time and again, Clark 
graduates often were regarded as having superior training to those who 
had completed freshman and sophomore levels at the very 4-year 
universities accepting those transferred credits.
  In its 75th year, Clark College continues to meet the ever-evolving 
education needs of people in our community. Graduates continue to share 
stories of how Clark College was a starting point for professional and 
personal achievement.
  During the 2007-2008 academic year, 1,129 Clark College students 
earned more than 1,252 associate degrees and certificates from Clark 
College. In addition, 25 students received their high school diplomas 
and 853 men and women earned their general educational development 
certificates. Clark also welcomed more than 1,000 ``Running Start'' 
students from 29 local high schools.
  Besides diplomas and certificates, Clark College students receive 
career and technical training that provides access to immediate 
employment. Through these programs, displaced workers receive 
retraining. Mature students and other lifetime learners have access to 
a variety of courses to enrich their lives.
  Clark College forges community links by consulting with businesses to 
ensure that students are meeting the needs of employers. Clark College 
assists businesses with training and has formed partnerships with 
companies to offer specialized workforce skills.
  Clark College is also a community resource for political forums and 
arts-related events such as concerts, plays, lectures, exhibits, films 
and its perennially popular jazz festival. Together with YWCA Clark 
County, Clark hosts the annual Women of Achievement awards, an occasion 
of regional significance.
  Not content with merely following trends, Clark's faculty and staff 
members have taken the lead in devoting their time and talents to many 
pioneering efforts. In 2006, Clark became the first college in the 
state to become tobacco-free. Clark was one of the first Washington 
community colleges to harness the Internet for student education, and 
continue to expand technical programs such as eLearning, which provides 
classes via the Internet and multimedia formats.
  On behalf of the citizens of Washington's Third Congressional 
District, I am proud to congratulate Clark College on its 75th 
anniversary. Members of the Clark College community can rightfully take 
pride in their history, their legacy, and--more importantly--their 
future in building a foundation for student success.

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