Student Profiles

Meet Edwina:

Edwina is taking classes toward her goal of a degree in Office Fundamentals which will help her with managing her small business.  She owns Gallery Ballet in McMinnville and also has a Bachelor's Degree in Botany.  We asked her a few questions about taking classes here and what it is like to be a Chemeketa student.  Read on to see what she has to say about Chemeketa:

How did you choose to come to Chemeketa's McMinnville campus?

I chose Chemeketa's McMinnville campus for its convenience and excellent class choices.

How did you choose your degree program?

I already have a BS in Botany but have decided not to go into research; I decided to complete an Office Fundamentals Certification to manage my ballet school, Gallery Ballet, more professionally and to give my resume a more updated and competitive edge for additional professional growth and career opportunities.

What do you like best about attending Chemeketa?

There are a lot of fabulous reasons for attending Chemeketa: great online courses, excellent computer lab staff, convenient CTV courses, and devoted staff, faculty, and counselors.

What are some of the challenges you have faced as a student here?

I find keeping up with the work load while also running a business is always challenging with the additional multiple deadlines (but the experience is also making me better at time management).  However, I like the flexible hours with plenty of opportunities to work at my own pace in the computer lab or at my home office.

What advice would you give to incoming students about attending Chemeketa in McMinnville?

Be prepared to work for your degree, think through your course schedule, and plan your future.  Learn about all your options by being willing to ask questions.  The Chemeketa faculty, staff, and counselors are available to give you practical insight and several suggestions.  They really want you to succeed!

What have you learned about yourself as a result of your experiences at Chemeketa?

What I have learned about myself is how much I value education and realize it's never too late to go back to school - especially with the rapid changes in office technology.  I have learned how much I value myself with improving my professional knowledge and becoming a more valuable member of my business community.

What are your goals while attending college here?

This term I will earn my Office Fundamentals Certificate of Completion. I will continue to grow my ballet school, Gallery Ballet, through continued professional development and look forward to acquiring additional employment to help pay for my two sons' college.

Thanks to Edwina for sharing her thoughts!

Meet Rachelle:

Rachelle is taking classes toward her goal of a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management and a career in financial services.  We asked her a few questions about taking classes here and what it is like to be a Chemeketa student.  Read on to see what she has to say about Chemeketa:

How did you choose to come to Chemeketa's McMinnville campus?

Attending here is convenient, both on campus and online, and it is less expensive for what I believe is the same quality of education.  It all made sense to me to come here.

How did you choose your degree program?

I am working on my Oregon Transfer degree in Business Management.  I work for Wells Fargo bank and they help with tuition.  My degree will help me advance in my career with Wells Fargo.  I really like business courses and within this program there is such a wide variety of what you can learn.   

What do you like best about attending Chemeketa?

I like that I can be familiar with a number of different instructors and sometimes have the same instructor for more than one class. 

What are some of the challenges you have faced as a student here? 

For me, math was a challenge but I was able to get through it.  I also had a tough time finding classes that fit around my work schedule but the more I took online courses the more I liked them.  I think online courses are a great option, as long as I am able to set a schedule where I can work on a class for at least 20 minutes at a time every day.  Attending here has taught me to maintain an organized schedule to get things done.   

What advice would you give to incoming students about attending Chemeketa in McMinnville?

In terms of online courses, I would recommend not waiting until the last minute to make a schedule for yourself.  Set it up the first week of term to make sure you are working on each course on a regular basis.  In terms of classes on campus, make sure you don't underestimate the power of this learning environment.  It is just as good at teaching what you can get in your first two years of college somewhere else.  I am very impressed with the quality of education that you can get here. 

What have you learned about yourself as a result of your experiences at Chemeketa? 

I learned that I need a printed copy of a schedule, so I do things in a timely fashion, and that everyone deserves to have an education.  I'd be doing myself a disservice if I didn't learn from these experiences.  

What are your goals while attending college here?

Once I finish my degree I will stay at Wells Fargo because it is a great company to work for.  By having an education I can help my future employees exceed expectations and function at a much higher level than I was able to.    

Thanks to Rachelle for sharing her thoughts!

Meet Colin:

Colin is taking classes toward his goal of a Master's Degree as a Physician's Assistant, a program that Pacific University provides.  We asked him a few questions about taking classes here and what it is like to be a Chemeketa student.  Read on to see what he has to say about Chemeketa:

How did you choose to come to Chemeketa's McMinnville campus?

I like the location and ease of acceptance.

What program are you enrolled in here?

I was originally in the Fire program but in my work I found that I was more interested in working with medical patients, as I can work with them from intake to discharge so I am interested in transferring to a Physician Assistant program after Chemeketa. 

What do you like best about attending Chemeketa?

I like the laid-back environment.  We're all here for a purpose but we have a lot of different, diverse students and different perspectives and I like that, too.

What are some of the challenges you have faced as a student here? 

Trying to balance a schedule with work, school and family is difficult.  I am helping to raise my 17-year-old sister as well as work and school.  I would also like to see more classes offered here, especially in the health and science areas but that may come with the new campus being built. 

What advice would you give to incoming students about attending Chemeketa in McMinnville?

I would say that college is a serious place, but work hard and what you get out of it is what you put into it. 

What have you learned about yourself as a result of your experiences at Chemeketa? 

I learned that life is a non-stop learning process.  More specifically, that I actually like math where a few years ago I never would have said that.  Rodger Diehl, our math instructor really helped with that. 

What are your goals while attending college here?

My goals are to finish at Chemeketa and transfer to Pacific University, then get a job close by.  I really like Yamhill County and would like to stay here.  

Thanks to Colin for sharing his thoughts!

Meet Omar:

Omar is taking classes in preparation for an Associates Transfer degree and plans to eventually transfer to Portland State University.  He plans to take Biology or Sociology there and is focusing on science classes here at Chemeketa.  We asked him a few questions about taking classes here and what it is like to be a Chemeketa student.  Read on to see what he has to say about Chemeketa:

How did you choose to come to Chemeketa's McMinnville campus?

I like the fact that it is close, that you don't have to drive to Salem for most of your classes, and I can do all of my 90 credits here to get my degree.  I like the atmosphere and everyone is friendly, here to help, they are professional and the staff and instructors like to see people succeed. 

What program are you enrolled in here?

I am working on an Associates Transfer degree and plan on transferring to Portland State where some of my family went.  I plan on taking more general science and biology, or sociology. 

What do you like best about attending Chemeketa?

I like the flexibility that instructors give students and the fact that they are there and available for the support of the students.   

What advice would you give to incoming students about attending Chemeketa in McMinnville?

I'd like to remind students that you need to pay attention to yourself and know your habits.  Make sure you have a sense of your own habits, the time of day you do things, what motivates you and how you are best motivated.   

What are some of the challenges you have faced as a student here? 

Sometimes relationships are tough when you are taking classes here, and the stress of each term is different.  You definitely need to learn how to adapt.  The first term I had things went well, the second I would have to study all night about once a week and the third term even more but now I've adjusted my schedule to do more day classes and that is working out really well.   

What have you learned about yourself as a result of your experiences at Chemeketa? 

I was scared coming in to college, worried about deadlines, I learned that I can make deadlines and that I can be successful in turning things in on time. 

What are your goals while attending college here?

My goals are to be the best student I can and to try my hardest to succeed in the classroom.  I don't want to let myself or my instructors down.  I'm a strong believer that if you do good things, good things will come to you. 

Thanks to Omar for sharing his thoughts!

Meet Kari:

Kari is starting her second year of classes at Chemeketa's McMinnville campus, and is taking classes in preparation for applying to our Nursing program.  We asked her a few questions about taking classes here and what it is like to be a Chemeketa student.  Read on to see what she has to say about Chemeketa:

How did you choose to come to Chemeketa?

I like the affordability, and it was a better place to start in terms of location and convenience. 

What program are you enrolled in here?

I am doing Pre-Nursing and plan to apply to the Nursing program in October of this year.  I plan to take a chemistry course to complete the prerequisites before I apply.  I usually take evening and online courses here.   

What was your favorite class here so far?

I really liked Psychology 201 with Mr. Harrier, he is a great instructor.

What do you like best about attending Chemeketa?

I like the help you get in advising, the curriculum choices, and there is always extra help if you just ask. 

What scholarships have you received so far?

I received scholarships from the Chemeketa Foundation and the Soroptomist group, about $6,500 total for one year.  I definitely need the money for tuition, I have three kids and I don't have time to work as much and go to school. 

What advice would you give to incoming students about applying for scholarships?

The money is out there for you, why not go for it?  I'd encourage other students to take the time to fill it out and to take your time.  In terms of writing essays for these applications, I looked at past essays online and reviewed them before I wrote my own.  Ted Gross, the advisor here, helped with encouraging me to apply. 

What are some of the challenges you have faced as a student here? 

One of the tough parts was going back to school later in life, being disciplined enough to get good grades and balance family.  Study habits are something to get used to, and studying on no sleep, too. 

What have you learned about yourself as a result of your experiences at Chemeketa and where do you head from here?

That I am disciplined and I can achieve things I didn't think were possible.  I have more self-confidence and i actually want to go on in school and get a Bachelor's Degree in Psychiatric Nursing.  I learned that I have good people skills, that here you can make friends very quickly, and if you earn the respect of instructors then they will respect you and give you help when you need it.

Thanks to Kari for sharing her thoughts!

Meet Matt:

Matt is currently in his fourth term at Chemeketa's McMinnville campus and is taking classes in preparation for applying to our Nursing program.  We asked him a few questions about his experiences as a student here.  Read on to see what one of our students has to say about Chemeketa:

How did you choose to come to Chemeketa?

I live close, and the school has a good reputation.  I have a lot of friends that attend here, and Chemeketa has a good Nursing program.

What got you interested in our Nursing program?

I had a serious injury some time ago and I was around a lot of nurses, doctors and hospitals.  I would like to return the favor and work in the health care field.  I eventually want to become a doctor.

What do you like best about attending Chemeketa?

I like the smaller class sizes, the instructors are nice, and there are many good teachers here.

What have been some of the challenges you faced as a student?

I have ADHD and for me, the instructors have made things easy and given me a lot of help.  I especially appreciate the help from Rodger Diehl and Donna Bernheisel.

What advice would you give to incoming students about how to be successful?

I would recommend they work hard and utilize the instructors' help because the are all here to help.  I would discourage students from cheating, because if you do, you are only cheating yourself and your chances here.  Also, don't be afraid to ask questions.

What have you learned about yourself as a result of your experiences at Chemeketa?

I learned that I have good people skills, that here you can make friends very quickly, and if you earn the respect of instructors then they will respect you and give you help when you need it.

What are your goals as a student?  Where do you head from here?

I would like to get all A's as a student and graduate with a 4.0 grade average.  I would like to use what I learned here and what Chemeketa has to offer to become a better person.  Once I get my degree here or at North West University in Kirkland, WA, I plan to work for a few years and then work on getting my M.D. from O.H.S.U.

Thanks to Matt for sharing his insights as a student!