Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Emerging publisher, PCC graphic design student Sonia Yemane-Berhane shares Ethiopian heritage

Story by Misty Bouse, photos by Ric Getter

Portland Community College alum and returning student Sonia Yemane-Berhane is drawing on her education, creativity and Ethiopian heritage to build Queen of Sheba Books, a publishing brand dedicated to sharing Ethiopian history and culture.

Yemane-Berhane grew up in a multicultural family that shaped her interests and, eventually, her work.

“My dad is from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,” Yemane-Berhane said. “He first came to Oregon as a high school foreign exchange student in the 1970s. As a foreign exchange student, he served as an ambassador for Ethiopia. My mom is Mexican American, or Chicana, as she says. My parents met in college, so I grew up in a multicultural environment, and that shaped how I see the world.”

The Sunset High School graduate from Beaverton earned an associate degree from PCC in 2011. She later completed a bachelor’s degree in social science, with minors in Black studies and sociology, at Portland State University and a Master of Business Administration from Pacific University in 2020.

In early 2026, Yemane-Berhane found herself at a turning point. With her children grown and after being laid off from an administrative job with TriMet, she had an opportunity to reconsider her next chapter.

“Being downsized gave me the time and space to focus on my own passion projects, including creating Queen of Sheba Books, which is more in line with my goals, values and education,” she said.

She returned to PCC to complete prerequisites for the Graphic Design Program, adding another discipline to her education. The program trains students in visual communication, typography, layout, print production and industry software including Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.

“Many of the classes I have taken at PCC have been life-changing, deepening my understanding of the world, filling gaps in my knowledge and helping me grow as a person,” Yemane-Berhane said. “PCC has given me a foundation for opportunities I never expected.”

Graduates build professional portfolios and pursue design careers with advertising agencies, marketing departments, publishers, technology firms and nonprofits, or transfer to Portland State University for further study. Alumni have gone on to work at agencies like Weiden + Kennedy, Kamp Grizzly, WongDoody, The Program, Thesis, and Fiction Tribe as well as in-house for Nike, NVIDIA, Crocs, Web MD, Pendleton, Dark Horse Comics, and more.

“I love that Sonia was already creating and publishing before she took our ‘Intro to Graphic Design’ class,” said Aubree Holliman, graphic design instructor. “This course gives anyone interested in design a strong foundation in design principles that are applicable in all types of work, far beyond graphic design. I often tell students that what they learn in this class will serve them well regardless of what type of work they choose to do. We practice using concepts that are universal for visual communication and applicable for so many different types of jobs.”

Holliman said there are so many ways to be a graphic designer these days and the program graduates designers who work the spectrum of design roles, from junior designer to creative director. According to faculty, roughly 300 PCC Graphic Design Program graduates are employed in the industry with some professionally creative careers spanning over 15–20 years.

“For those who choose the program, PCC Graphic Design offers foundational design training needed by graphic design professionals and students graduate the program with a professional quality portfolio in two years,’ Holliman added.

Finding a creative path

Two PCC art courses proved especially influential. A drawing course helped Yemane-Berhane recognize artistic abilities she had not previously explored. Seeing her work displayed in a student gallery encouraged her to take her creative interests more seriously.

In a “History of Graphic Design” course, she selected projects connected to Ethiopian history and culture. Her research led her to museum collections containing Ethiopian artifacts held outside the country and introduced her to the story of Prince Alemayehu, a prince who was taken to Britain as a child in the 19th century.

The research reinforced her interest in using design and publishing to make lesser-known stories more accessible.

Today, Yemane-Berhane works full time on Queen of Sheba Books, a creative, educational and cultural venture using books, articles, essays, videos and other media to share Ethiopian heritage.

Her first publication, “Ethiopia Word Search Puzzle Book: 16 Puzzles Celebrating Ethiopian Heritage,” was released in 2026. She followed it with “1-10 in Amharic,” a children’s book introducing readers to the Amharic language through pronunciation guides and illustrations inspired by Ethiopian culture.

The second project also became a family collaboration. Yemane-Berhane’s father, a native Amharic speaker, recorded the book’s audio pronunciations, which readers can access through a QR code in the paperback edition.

She sees the publications as the beginning of a long-term effort to expand awareness of Ethiopia’s history, language and culture.

“Growing up with a strong value for education and a multicultural lens, along with my dad’s example of serving as an ambassador for Ethiopia, have all influenced what I do today,” Yemane-Berhane said. “In many ways, Queen of Sheba Books allows me to continue that tradition by helping others learn about Ethiopia.”