Fall 2021 Newsletter

CBC Foundation

NEWS

FALL 2021

Connecting Hawks to Their Dreams

CBC’s fall quarter is underway. With your support, we’ve awarded nearly $850,000 in scholarships so far this year!

CBC FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS Matthew Petersen, Chair Petersen Hastings Denise Sweeden, Vice Chair & Board Development Chair Wave Design Group Matt Backlund, Treasurer & Finance Chair Community First Bank Ann Harper, Secretary Artist Moses Jaraysi, Immediate Past Chair Marsha Halverson, Fund Development Chair - Educator, Retired David Billetdeaux, Gift Acceptance Chair Port of Benton Lynn Tegeler, Scholarship Chair Central Plateau Cleanup Company Rebekah Woods Columbia Basin College President Nathan Baker Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Douglas Christensen Kennewick School District Tina Clouston Local Union 598 Stephanie Green Washington River Protection Solutions Whitney LaMarche VNS-Federal Services, LLC Heather McMurdo Bechtel Allyson Page Columbia Basin College Trustee Mitch Peterson CompuNet Yoselin Mendez Rodriguez ASCBC Representative

CBC

CBC News

CBC PROGRAM GETS HAWKS CAREER-READY BRIDGING THE SKILLS GAP

Year after year, employers say that soft skills are important for success in the workforce. Skills that are uniquely human, like critical thinking, effective communication, teamwork and interpersonal skills.

Although hard skills – technical ability and factual knowledge – are essential and highly valued, soft skills can be the determining factor in getting the job.

“While our students academically prepare to succeed in their careers, we want to help them master their interpersonal skills and professionalism to thrive in the workforce,” said Elisa Hernandez, director for Career Services. “Our goal is to give students the opportunity to gain confidence in their decision-making and learn the essential skills that employers seek out.”

CBC’s Hawk Career Readiness Program launched this winter to help students develop soft skills and find their career paths.

The program is unique because students set the pace and choose to complete all 10 modules or only topics that suit their needs. Students earn digital achievement badges to add to their resumes and LinkedIn profiles for every module they finish. The program also pairs each student with a career mentor for weekly meetings to review progress and help them navigate career choices and degree options.

Through a partnership with STCU, the program now includes a financial literacy component in the decision-making module, so students also learn how to be financially responsible and make better money decisions.

Yoselin Mendez Rodriguez helped pilot the program. She hadn’t planned on continuing college after earning an associate degree through CBC’s Running Start program during high school because she lives about an hour away from campus in Mabton. “But college is important to me, and I really wanted to learn hacking,” Yoselin said with a laugh. “I hope to become a cybersecurity researcher because I love figuring things out.”

Like many CBC students, her path wasn’t easy. She was up every morning at 5 to catch the bus from Prosser to the Pasco campus for her 9 a.m. class and stretched $10 a week for lunches. Yet, despite the challenges, she recently graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Cyber Security – the first in her family to earn a college degree.

“Going through the Hawk Career Readiness Program gave me confidence and valuable skills for my future,” Yoselin said. “Now I know how to be career-ready.”

More than 200 students have participated in the program to date.

Scott Sax Amentum Shirley Simmons CG Public House Melda Velasquez Lourdes Health Tracy Walker CBC Faculty Representative

Certificate of Completion awarded to

in recognition of completing the Hawk Career Readiness Program on this day

CBC Hawk Career Readiness Staff

Calling all employers! When hiring, look for the Hawk Career Readiness Program skills badges or completion certificates on candidates’ resumes or LinkedIn profiles.

Bernie Walter Northwest CPA Group Tayler Welch Monte Nail, CPA

CBC FOUNDATION STAFF Erin Fishburn Executive Director Sarah Murphy Anneke Rachinski Cala Truitt

Why I Give “When my wife and I gave our first donation in 1992, we didn’t realize just how much it would change our lives, too.

We’ve continued to give to the Foundation, and over the years, we’ve met some of the students who received our scholarships. Hearing about what they’ve had to overcome to get a chance to improve their futures and how much a scholarship means to them is something that stays with you.”

Dean Mitchell DEAN & HELEN MITCHELL ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FUND

NEWS

CAMPUS & COMMUNITY CO-CREATE CBC’S NEW STRATEGIC PLAN Columbia Basin College has finalized its 2022-2025 Strategic Plan. The plan will guide the College’s strategic priorities, goals and initiatives to help fulfill its mission of student success.

The three-year plan is the culmination of months of interviews and listening sessions with students, faculty, staff and community members. Out of those conversations, CBC’s strategic planning committee drafted the plan, identifying strengths, challenges and aspirations for the College’s future. The draft plan was finalized this summer following months of feedback from the public and campus community.

Inclusivo: Hawks Soaring Together STRATEGIC PLAN 2022–2025

Read the 2022-2025 Strategic Plan by by visiting columbiabasin.edu/strategicplan.

Is Making a Rollover Gift

RIGHT FOR YOU?

DID YOU KNOW? The College Reading and Learning Association recently approved CBC’s Academic Success Center as a certified International Tutor Training Program.

This certification means that CBC students receive academic support from tutors trained in learning and tutoring theories and pedagogies, who are there not just to help students with homework but also to help them learn how to learn better.

CBC’s newest Hawks participated in online First-Year Introduction sessions in September to prepare them for success and learn about available resources to support their transition to college. Thanks to our partners at STCU for making this possible.

If you’re at least 70½, making a qualified charitable distribution gift to the Columbia Basin College Foundation directly from your IRA comes with several advantages, including: It is easy to make – just notify your IRA custodian You can give from pre-tax assets – which is a nice tax benefit The distributions may satisfy all, or part, of your required minimum distribution and are not subject to the IRS’s charitable deduction limits It minimizes the effect on your cash flow because the gift is from your assets, not your checkbook It allows you to make a significant gift to support CBC and our students Please let us know if you decide to make an IRA rollover gift, so we can give you credit and say thank you.

CBC and Washington State University will advance cyber security education and research as part of a new $1.5 million grant from the Department of Defense (DOD). The Northwest Virtual Institute for Cybersecurity Education and Research (CySER) program will train ROTC and DOD-skilled civilian workers in computer science and other cyberrelated majors as well as specialized certificates.

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POWER OF CONNECTION

Help us raise funds for CBC student scholarships!

Beginning October 18 at 6 am PDT, visit COLUMBIABASIN.EDU/SUPPORT to donate or bid online for an incredible lineup of auction items.

PRESENTED BY

CBC FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS

Gabriella

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

EMAIL

foundation@columbiabasin.edu

PHONE

509.542.4436

CONTACT THE FOUNDATION FOR YOUR FREE ALUMNI STICKER OR WINDOW CLING. Basin C ol bia l m

e eg

“I come from a working-class family, where a college degree wasn’t a priority. I feel like people with my background doubt their worth, and it took me a long time to realize that I am worth it. Thank you a thousand times for this opportunity! There is no one more driven, and I will make the most of your generosity.”

HEY, CBC ALUMNI!

Co lu

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