WE ARE CLARK

Clark College changed my life. I moved to Vancouver, WA when I was 13 years-old and have been a part of this community ever since. I am a first-generation immigrant to the United States and was a first-generation college student. My parents have little social or financial capital. However, they instilled the value of an education in me and my two younger brothers starting at an early age.

I graduated from Fort Vancouver High School in the spring of 2006 and started taking classes at Clark College in the fall of 2006. The support I received at Clark College was very memorable. It prompted me to apply for a position with the Student Ambassador Program so I could help other students who were new and apprehensive about the idea of college. I learned many leadership skills at Clark and took some great classes from awesome faculty who took a genuine interest in teaching.

I met students I am still friends with and met staff members who taught me life lessons I think about often. I graduated from Clark in 2009 and transferred to WSU Vancouver. The experience I gained at Clark College gave me the confidence to be successful at WSUV. My time with the Student Ambassador program at Clark helped me develop a love for student service so I joined the student government at WSUV and was even elected Student Body Vice President during my final year as an Undergraduate.

Clark's lasting impact prompted me to develop a career in student services so upon graduation from WSUV I found my way back to Clark College and have been happily employed here for 3 years. I should also mention that my two younger brothers followed my lead and also started their education at Clark College. One of them graduated from Clark with an AA Degree and earned his Bachelor's Degree in Human Development, and the other transferred to WSUV and will graduate with a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering next spring. Clark College is truly a special place and committed to the community. You will have a hard time finding someone in this community who doesn't share a special connection or memory of Clark. 

Narek Daniyelyan, Alumnus