COCC News - October 2018

OCTOBER 2018

NEWS AND UPDATES

Mapping a Future Through the Mountains

Early last spring, out on the late-season snowpack that glazed the Three Sisters Wilderness, a group of a dozen backcountry skiers had toured in for a weeklong expedition. The guides had pitched camp and were working hard to set the tone, whipping up that trusty elixir of enthusiasm and organization that keeps trips humming. The food was on-point, the itinerary dialed-in. All in all, a textbook day for mountain guides.

Happiest of all was Tim Peterson, associate professor of the Outdoor Leadership program at Central Oregon Community College (COCC), acting as an observer and consultant for the group. In fact, the “expedition” wasn’t really a paid expedition at all, but rather a simulated ski trip comprised entirely of his students, most playing the part of guests. “By lunchtime, I had this thought—I don’t need to be here,” Peterson recalled. “They’re so into it.” Read more.

Jenny Cruickshank - Faculty Achievement at COCC

A gifted coach can unlock the very best in every athlete. And that’s equally true of skillful educators, always helping students maximize their potential. Jennifer “Jump-Up Jenny” Cruickshank is a bit of both rolled into one.

The assistant professor of Health and Human Performance—whose scope of work includes classroom instruction in Sports Psychology, Wellness Coaching and Exercise Science and also the very popular Total Fitness and Staff Wellness programs —is this year’s Faculty Achievement Award recipient.

Deer Ridge Inmate Graduates Program

with Academic Distinction

Proving that higher learning can have an impact on anyone’s life, an inmate at Deer Ridge Correctional Institution (DRCI) earned Central Oregon Community College’s (COCC) Walter G. Coombs Distinguished Achievement Award. The annual commencement honor, bestowed on the COCC student who earns the highest scholastic average with the highest number of credits among students receiving a one-year certificate, was presented to welding graduate Bruce Stewart at the prison’s spring graduation ceremony.