Clark College Foundation

🤳A random pic taken on campus in 2022...

If you know, you know. You just had to be there. 🐧💙

Do you have any random Clark College pics from over the years? Drop them in the comments, we’d love to see them!

📸: A.M.

🎓 It's National Scholarship Month!

Scholarships can mean the difference between a student staying enrolled or having to step away. Last fiscal year alone, Clark College Foundation awarded $2.2 million in scholarships to over 880 students, helping remove financial barriers and keep students focused on their education.

Behind every scholarship is a student working toward a degree, a career, and a better future.

This month, consider supporting a Clark College student's journey. Every gift, no matter the size, creates real impact. 💙🐧

Give today: www.givecampus.com/campaigns/37017/donations/new?designation=clarkcollegegeneralscholarshipfund&a=13666728

One week away! Clark College Foundation is heading to the The Vancouver USA Arts & Music Festival, August 7-9!

Clark College Foundation Presents returns to VAMF with performances and showcases from Clark College students, faculty, and programs across downtown Vancouver.

🤡 Clown Garage's Waddle Ensemble returns by popular demand, a flock of Galápagos penguin fools disguised as orchestral musicians, known for harmless mayhem and circus antics. This year, they'll also present Teatime, an absurd performance featuring Clark's Professional Baking and Pastry Arts Program. Catch them Friday afternoon and all day Saturday and Sunday.

✍️ Clark College Creative Writing students take the acoustic stage Saturday, August 8, 11am-12pm.

🎨 Clark College visual arts will be featured in a student exhibit at the Esther Short Building all weekend.

From music and performance to visual art and creative writing, come see the range of creativity happening at Clark College. 💙🐧

This event is free and open to the public!

📅 August 7-9
📍 Downtown Vancouver

🐧 Penguin Nation Spotlight: Michelle Vazquez

Michelle Vazquez enrolled at Clark College -- Vancouver, Washington with a simple goal: earn her associate degree. What she found was so much more.

"What I found there was more than coursework - I found encouragement, confidence, and a renewed sense of purpose," she shared. Her education deepened her understanding of how systems impact families, and how advocacy can create meaningful, community-level change.

Michelle graduated from Clark in 2018 with her General AA, carrying that renewed purpose forward into her career.

Today, she serves as Executive Director of Latinos Unidos Y Floreciendo, a community-based nonprofit focused on culturally specific food access, local agriculture, and food sovereignty in rural Southwest Washington.

From a Clark College classroom to leading community change, Michelle's story is a reminder of how education can shape not just a career, but a lifelong commitment to advocacy. 💙🐧

💙 Clark College Foundation disbursed a record $1.9 million in scholarships to 880 students during the 2025-2026 academic year.

That's $1.9 million in tuition covered, books purchased, and financial barriers removed. It's 880 students who got to stay focused on their education instead of worrying about how to pay for it.

Behind every one of those numbers is a student working toward a degree, a career, and a better future for themselves and their families.

This is what community-powered generosity makes possible. Thank you to everyone who gives, because your support becomes someone else's opportunity. 🐧

🤝 Save the date, Southwest Washington!

Clark College is hosting Say Hey! on Thursday, August 6 at 5:30pm in the Gaiser Student Center, the largest multi-cultural networking event in Oregon and Southwest Washington.

Hosted quarterly by Partners in Diversity, Say Hey! connects local businesses, community members, and professionals of color who have recently relocated to the area, helping build meaningful connections and a stronger sense of community.

Research shows that a strong, supportive community plays a key role in retaining professionals of color in our region, and events like this help make that possible.

The event is free and open to professionals of color and allies. Everyone is welcome. Please note that Say Hey! is a 21+ event.

We're proud to sponsor this event alongside Clark College and OnPoint Community Credit Union. 💙

📅 Thursday, August 6, 5:30pm
📍 Gaiser Student Center

🎷 Mark your calendars, Vancouver!

On Thursday, July 30 from 6:30-8:30pm, Clark College Foundation is bringing Cha Wa to the Vancouver Waterfront as part of the City of Vancouver's Waterfront Concert Series!

Cha Wa is a twice-Grammy-nominated New Orleans brass band that blends Mardi Gras Indian traditions with deep funk grooves, singing, and horns for a sound that's both joyful and powerful.

Opening the evening is the Thilo Kluth Trio, made up of Clark College music students, who will also join Cha Wa on stage during their set, giving students the incredible opportunity to share the stage with nationally recognized artists. 🎺

This event is free and open to the public. Grab your lawn chairs and bring the whole family for a night of music on the waterfront!

📅 Thursday, July 30, 6:30-8:30pm
📍 Vancouver Waterfront

See you there! 🐧💙

Vancouver Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services Vancouver, Washington City Government

🐧 Penguin Nation Spotlight: Andrew Watts

Sometimes one small decision changes everything. For Andrew Watts, Class of 2004, that moment came when he noticed a tryout sign for the basketball team after enrolling at Clark College.

"I decided to try out, made the team, and that decision changed my life," he shared. Through the program, Andrew found structure, accountability, and a sense of belonging, and was honored to be voted team captain in 2004.

He went on to graduate from Clark with his General AA and build a successful career in healthcare administration. "Clark College played a foundational role in shaping who I am today," he said.

Today, Andrew serves as the Clinic Manager for Orthopedics, Podiatry, and Sports Medicine at The Vancouver Clinic.

From a tryout sign to a career built on structure and leadership, Andrew's story is a reminder that sometimes the smallest decisions lead to the biggest changes. 💙🐧