[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 18 (Monday, February 7, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S612]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                      CLACKAMAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

 Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I am proud that my home State of 
Oregon has so many citizen soldiers and even prouder of the way we take 
care of them. In the world of veterans' services, one real shining 
light is Clackamas Community College. I am delighted today to take this 
opportunity to recognize Clackamas Community College for being selected 
to receive the Patriotic Employer Award from the National Committee for 
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, ESGR. Clackamas Community 
College sets an extraordinary example in its care of our nation's 
veterans that I would hope every institution of higher learning could 
follow. Clackamas Community College doesn't just stop at educating its 
students. It serves every member of its community, especially its 
veterans.
  When servicemembers come back from the war zone, it takes some 
adjusting to get back to the routine of life they left behind when they 
went to serve. As anyone who has gone to college knows, just signing up 
for classes or applying for student aid can be a confusing experience 
let alone when you have been out of the university atmosphere for a 
while, fighting in battle. Clackamas Community College knows that. That 
is why it created a Veterans Education and Training--VET--Center to 
serve as a one-stop shop for students who are veterans. The VET 
Center's staff knows the ins and outs of veterans' education benefits, 
financial aid and every other veterans' resource and program.
  The VET Center is also there for student veterans who have a hard 
time adjusting to being back in school after they have been deployed. 
The center serves as a safe haven for the veterans to talk things out 
and get help with problems only another veteran can understand. A 
veterans' club regularly meets at the VET Center to provide support and 
camaraderie for the folks they see as family--other vets.
  Clackamas Community College also pays the VET Center staff to train 
college staff and faculty about issues that confront student veterans 
so they are ready when called upon to help. This helps create a 
tremendously supportive environment campuswide.
  Through the VET Center, Clackamas Community College works to 
eliminate obstacles in the admissions process while making every effort 
to help veterans earn education credit for their military service and 
experience.
  Clackamas Community College also recently joined with the Army 
Reserves to open an Army Strong Community Center--ASCC--on campus. This 
center, which connects military members and their families with support 
resources in the community, is the first ASCC west of the Mississippi 
River.
  But Clackamas Community College does even more. As a leader in its 
community, it continues its veterans' outreach outside the campus 
boundaries. When nearly 1,500 Oregon National Guard soldiers were 
deployed to Iraq, the college sponsored two Oregon National Guard 
family reunions to support the families of deployed 41st Brigade 
soldiers. The college also hosted two yellow-ribbon reintegration 
events that touched the lives of more than 3,800 soldiers and their 
families.
  When the college hosted a veterans job fair last year, they went 
above and beyond the call of duty to host the largest single veterans' 
job fair in the State. The college found room for 104 employers that 
were eager to hire veterans, 106 veterans' services providers and more 
than 3,100 veterans. The logistics were incredible, and they handled 
them with ease, even providing lunch and entertainment for the 
veterans' families while the veterans job-hunted.
  In recognition of their ongoing efforts, Clackamas Community College 
was one of 20 colleges and universities to receive a $100,000 grant to 
serve military veterans from the Wal-Mart Foundation and the American 
Council on Education. Clackamas Community College used the funds to 
further their efforts to help veterans transition from military service 
to college.
  As an Oregonian and as their Senator, I could not be more proud of 
Clackamas Community College, its president, Joanne Truesdell, and the 
heroes they serve. Our citizen soldiers answer the call of our country 
every day, and Clackamas Community College returns the favor when they 
come home. It is my honor to thank them for their support of Oregon's 
veterans.

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