Melissa Priddle, a pre-science major at Mt. Hood Community College, won’t let a hungry student pass her by without feeding them something from her backpack – what she calls her hornet.

“I call it the hornet because it’s yellow, and it’s always buzzing behind [me] like a hornet,” said Priddle when speaking of her rolling backpack.

She’s lived in London, Paris and Spain, and also raised two daughters who are now both in college, one studying abroad while the other sister stays in the states.

Now Priddle, who is entering her fourth year of college, aims to become a nuclear scientist, and, at age 41, believes timing is everything.

In previous years, Priddle was focused on being a stay-at-home-mother because she “felt that it was important to be there for the girls and to make certain that they had good guidance,” she said, adding, “[I gave them] treats when they got home from school [and] I always read to them in the morning before they went to school.”

But now, with the more direct aspects of motherhood behind, Priddle is focused on her education, though at first the experience was more of a scramble.

“I was in a rush to get through my pre-reqs so I could transfer because I have to go to a four-year college that offers radiology to get that aspect of my degree.”

It wasn’t too long before Priddle realized there wasn’t a need to race.

“I found out that I could take my time, and that relieved my pressure with the science classes,” she said. “You eat, drink, sleep and breathe science. Sometimes you come to class and someone looks as though they haven’t slept for about six weeks, and you realize they haven’t.”

Regardless of the struggle to obtain a bachelor’s from OHSU, Priddle believes it’s worth it.

“I was done working in the garden – that was it. I’ve got to do something – I can’t twiddle my thumbs,” she said. “I think my growth came from returning to college after 9/11, and I think that’s huge.

To some students, Priddle is a familiar face, and that recognition fits nicely into her view that people “always want to make new friends,” she said, referring to the friendly atmosphere at MHCC, “and it’s so easy here, really.”

But, admittedly, Priddle is just an average college attendee. “I’m just like any student who walks through the doors,” she said, and just like anyone might, Priddle has opinions about both her community and the college.

As a former plant aficionado, Priddle felt it was sad to cut the horticulture program last year, but said at least “we still have nice plants around campus.” As for the recently remodeled library, Priddle said that while she appreciates the changes, the library still seems old. In particular, Priddle feels that the lights protruding from the ceiling have an undesirable effect.

“They blocked that beautiful view that we had of Mt. Hood,” said Priddle. “It’s just this obnoxious glow on the glass upstairs. It’s more like a thorn in the side.”

She went on to recount of tutors in the Learning Assistance Center saying the lost view and present glow were horrid. “That’s kind of distracting from what view we did have,” she said. “A person needs a mental break up there.”

Priddle’s opinion is that the college’s attempt at creating a Borders-esque atmosphere turned out “opposite,” and about the only upgrade she finds useful is the increased selection of CDs.

It’s the people that make the college great, in Priddle’s eyes.

“I have a lot of friends who are nursing students, I have a lot of friends that are engineer students, and I have a lot of friends who are just, ‘I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet.’ I think we’re all in the same boat,” said Priddle, “and we all help one another, and if you don’t know [something], someone’s there and good enough to point you in the right direction. At least that’s my experience and perception.”

On another note, Priddle commented on the possibility that the college could approach the district next year with another bond measure.

“It’s dependent on what that bond measure stands for, what they’re trying to strive to gain from it,” said Priddle, though she did say it appeared the college has been cinching its belt as a result of the state funding problems.

But Priddle loves MHCC.

“First of all, I think it’s so neat that it’s so spread out – there’s such a conglomeration of different mixes of students,” said Priddle. “There’s so many people in this world that don’t have the same opportunities that we do to be here on this campus. This is a fantastic campus. Doors are open to us here that haven’t been – obviously – before in our lives, and we should be very grateful.”

On a lighter side, Priddle’s ideal female role model is Margaret Thatcher.

“She is a wise woman,” said Priddle, “a hard working woman. She fights for causes she believes in, [and] if she needs to seek out something that she’s unaware of, she has the courage and confidence to do it knowing [that] others are looking up to her and they’re drawing from her strength.”

Priddle, as a recommendation to other students at MHCC, shared one of her secrets for college success – in the form of candy.

“I absolutely love Cadbury’s Dark Chocolate,” Priddle said, “because it really helps you [get] good grades on tests.”