Former MHCC student to speak at seminar

By Jill Aho

Donna Beegle, a woman who overcame generational poverty, an early and failed marriage and the life of a single mother on welfare, will be speaking at MHCC April 21 for the “Teaching for Transformation” workshop.

Beegle has spent much of her adult life attempting to reach out to those who are struggling with the very things she dealt with. Beegle’s trek from poverty serves as her most compelling point in her speeches, said Brenda Brady, special assistant to the president at MHCC. Brady had the opportunity to see Beegle speak at a fundraising event that included an auction. The auction item that Brady bid on and won was a chance to have lunch with Beegle. “She doesn’t just lecture people, she really tells her own story,” Brady said.

One of the MHCC Transitions program’s first graduates, Beegle went on to obtain a doctorate and has become one of the country’s most respected speakers on the topic of poverty. The program has been in operation since 1985. Beegle graduated the program and got a GED before enrolling in Mt. Hood’s journalism program. She received her associate’s degree from MHCC in 1988. She earned a bachelor’s from the University of Portland in 1990, and eventually earning her master’s and then her doctorate in 2000, according to an article in The Crossing, a University of Portland publication.

Cynthia Dettman, coordinator of the Transitions program, said that much has changed since Beegle graduated. In 1985 the program was called Women in Transition and was held off-campus. The program is now on the main campus, is more academically oriented, is tailored specifically for college success and has increased in diversity, with some 40 percent of the participants being women of color or people who speak English as a second language, said Dettman.

Transitions is geared to single parents and displaced homemakers. All of the current participants are women. The program admits about 100 women per year, and its sister program Transiciones, which is taught entirely in Spanish, admits about 30 students per year. Dettman estimates 85 percent of Transitions graduates immediately enroll in MHCC. She also said graduates have a “disproportionately high” rate of receiving scholarships.

To see a success story from the program, one only needs to look at Beegle. Sharon Juenemann, the Teaching and Learning Cooperative (TLC) advisory committee chair, said students will have the opportunity to see Beegle speak April 21 from 11 a.m. to noon in the Visual Arts Theater. Beegle will be on campus both April 21 and June 2 for the “Teaching for Transformation” workshop. The workshop will be geared toward faculty and staff, and Juenemann said the school has also invited members of the East County community. Students who intend to go into the education field may also want to attend more than the keynote address. The cost for the conference is $25.

Several people, including Juenemann, got the opportunity to see Beegle speak at the spring 2005 Transitions graduation. “She’s incredibly inspirational,” said Juenemann.
Dettman said she has seen Beegle speak several times. “Donna tells her own story in a very down-to-earth, straightforward way,” said Dettman. She said Beegle’s ability to put into words the disparity that exists between classes helps her better understand her position here at MHCC. “It gives me hope that someone like Donna, in her very plainspoken way, can open up the world to the people who hold power,” Dettman said. “I think her message is really unique because it has socio-economic analysis and personal experience all intertwined. It touches people in a way that a sociology lecture wouldn’t.”

Brady agrees. “She is so skilled at what she does. I think students, no matter what their situation or their demographic, [will find Beegle’s] story really inspiring to hear. She has become so successful when the odds were so stacked against her. I think people tend to doubt their abilities, no matter what, and I think we can all be inspired by that story. It’s a real confidence booster to hear someone like her speak.”

Dettman said all MHCC students could benefit from hearing Beegle speak. “If you’re one of the first people in your family to go to college, you will love Donna Beegle because she will tell part of your story. If you do come from a college educated family, Donna Beegle will open your eyes to your brothers and sisters around you at the college, and help you better understand your fellow students, and what they face.”