Tien Tran moved to the Pacific Northwest from Vietnam in 2011. That fall, she enrolled in English as a Second Language (ESL) and high school completion classes at SPSCC. After completing her high school diploma, she worked a couple jobs and ended up as a licensed homecare aid. After a few years, she knew she was ready to come back to SPSCC and further her education.

“I was proud of myself for getting the diploma, but I had thought about a career in medical assisting since before I came to the U.S.”

On Friday, April 2, a small group of past and current student leaders met at the newly completed Health & Wellness Center to officially welcome Percy the Kraken to the Clipper family.

Percy (pronouns they / them / their) is more than a mascot. They’re a student-led project that spanned over four years from idea to completion. SPSCC student leaders devoted a year to allow time to research, talk over concepts, and look at sketches before selecting the kraken by vote. And it’s easy to see why the legendary deep sea creature won out.

When SPSCC debuted Percy in early April, we spoke with three previous Associated Student Body (ASB) student leaders who played an important role in bringing our new mascot to campus. They shared their experiences of developing Percy and how it feels to be a part of SPSCC’s history.

Kristina Hoferer was the ASB Vice President of Clubs and Organizations from 2018 to 2020. She is currently attending Brigham Young University-Hawaii remotely to earn a Bachelor’s degree in TESOL Education.

UPDATE 5/14 AT 1 P.M.

Our Olympia Campus will return to limited in-person operations next Monday, May 17, as scheduled. After a thorough risk assessment and collaboration with local law enforcement, we believe that the threats against campus have been de-escalated and that our community can safely return to campus.

Article via ThurstonTalk.com
By Molly Walsh

Article via ThurstonTalk.com

When COVID-19 came to town, Thurston County community and economic development agencies jumped into action by creating a collaborative, collective impact response model that has since yielded millions in funding for Thurston County businesses, nonprofits, and impacted workers.

Articlce via South Sound Business
 

South Puget Sound Community College (SPCC) is among three Washington schools selected to conduct a pilot Running Start summer program.

Costs will be covered by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) as a result of House Bill 2864.

Article via ThurstonTalk.com
By Nancy Krier

Article via ThurstonTalk.com
By Kathryn Millhorn

Article via ThurstonTalk.com
By Heidi Smith