Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

A push in the right direction

Photos and Story by James Hill

We’d list the various awards Marneet Lewis has won as a community advocate and a youth leader — but we’d need more pages. Let’s just say that everyone from the Portland Trail Blazers to the City of Portland to the Creek Nation have honored her. She has served on the Multnomah County Youth Commission for four years, and has become an expert at focus and getting things done.

“That’s why I have such a wonderful relationship with PCC,”Marneet says.

“I call it ‘back to basics,’ which means that the focus is on the real reasons you attend college: going to class, studying, learning.”

Accepted to prestigious private institutions including Willamette University, Linfield College and George Fox University, Marneet chose PCC because she knew her fellow students would push her.

“It’s a great mix of students here,” she explains. “There are people right out of high school plus a lot of people who have been out in the workforce and have lots of life experience. It means that PCC people really want to be here. They are focused, competitive and supportive all at the same time. It’s a different atmosphere from any other college I visited, and I know the caliber of PCC students and the wisdom and experiences that many of them bring to the table will be an advantage for my education.”

Another advantage Marneet sees is the easy access to her professors on the Cascade campus. With her goal of someday leading a non-profit organization that works with young people of color, and with her multi-ethnic, multi-cultural perspective, Marneet also appreciates PCC’s diversity. “There’s a very good vibe around here,” she says, “when it comes to different kinds of people. Everyone is connected by the goal of learning and moving ahead, and by the academic efforts we make each day. PCC is the place to find rewarding challenges.”

Related Pages:

University Transfer