Cherry blossom tree

Meet Your SOAR Team Leaders

Arienna Elizabeth Taylor
  • Name: Arieanna Elizabeth Taylor
  • Hometown: Gresham, Oregon
  • Major: Associates Science Major
  • Why I chose MHCC:
    I chose MHCC (Mt Hood Community College) because it's a starter college to learn greater things in life. It's a place where you can grow as a person and flourish into who you want to become in life. This college is the place where I have learned many things about myself and how much I wanted to be an educational assistant as a career. I want to achieve two associates degrees - one in general studies and an associate degree of science in education.
  • Why I chose to be an ambassador for MHCC:
    I know I can be an amazing leader to others and a good example of what to follow in the future. I also want to provide help to others. It’s my passion to teach anyone that's willing to learn. I want to inspire people to have great futures and be able to help them grow as a person and feel successful in everything they do throughout their process at MHCC!
  • Hobbies: Music, singing, dancing, yoga, art, poetry

Ashley Anne Stamper

  • Name: Ashley Anne Stamper
  • Major: Undecided
  • Hometown: Corbett, Oregon
  • Why I chose MHCC?
    I chose MHCC because it was close to home and it seemed like the perfect and less intimidating next step for going back to school.
  • Why I chose to be an ambassador?
    When my advisor first recommended the SOAR program it was one option that could help relieve some of the financial stress that comes along with going back to college. After doing some more research and talking more in-depth with the two lovely ladies that run the program, I realized that SOAR could give me a chance to be involved with the community at MHCC and to put out positive encouragement for anyone struggling to say “yes” to furthering their education. SOAR Is giving me a chance to achieve my own goals while trying to help others do the same.
  • Hobbies: Reading and watching the “Deadliest Catch”

Elexa Lopez-Ubaldo

  • Name: Elexa Lopez-Ubaldo
  • Hometown: Gresham, Oregon
  • Major: Elementary Education
  • Why I chose MHCC: I chose MHCC because it's affordable and close to home.
  • Why I chose to be an ambassador for MHCC: I love meeting new people and helping out as much as possible. Being part of the SOAR Team will help further my leadership skills.
  • Hobbies: Listen to music, watch shows and movies, bake, read, and draw

Emily Phoun

  • Name: Emily Phoun
  • Hometown: Gresham, Oregon
  • Major: Criminal Justice
  • Why I chose MHCC: Attending MHCC allowed me to be closer to home, and it was easily affordable for me
  • Why I chose to be an ambassador for MHCC: The reason why I choose to be an ambassador is because it gave me an opportunity to be more involved with the school.
  • Hobbies: Art, music, traveling, photography

Gabriel Guodace

  • Name: Gabriel Guodace
  • Major: Mechanical Engineering
  • Hometown: Portland, Oregon
  • Why I chose MHCC: I chose MHCC because of my career goals and how they aligned with the courses provided. MHCC has transfer degrees for mechanical engineering, and the amount of staff support combined with the affordability of the courses means that Mt. Hood is a wonderful opportunity for returning students such as myself.
  • Why I chose to be an ambassador: There can be a lot of confusion and stigma regarding community college and what it provides, and my goal is to demystify some of those assumptions to make MHCC as appealing to others as it is to me. I want to show people that community college can be an amazing resource, and I hope that I can encourage people to enroll, who otherwise would have never considered.
  • Favorite Hobby/Outdoor Adventure: I love to play basketball, go hiking and play videogames in my free time.

Jennifer Luu

  • Name: Jennifer Luu
  • Major: Nursing
  • Hometown: Portland, OR
  • Why I chose MHCC: I chose MHCC because of the opportunities to gain more knowledge before transferring to a university. MHCC also provides great programs that motivate their students to succeed. I chose MHCC because of the nursing program that it has.
  • Why I chose to be an ambassador: I have a passion for helping others. I want to help students in achieving their goals and be successful. I want to help them realize the importance of attending college. I also want to gain more leadership skills and other skills. I understand the struggles of graduating high school seniors, so I want to help them reach their dreams. Community college is a good start in their path of education. I hope I can inspire others to pursue their passion and help them navigate through the struggles in school.
  • Hobbies: Listening to music, reading, watching "Criminal Minds"
  • Outdoor Adventure: Badminton, Photography, Travel

Jesse Fleishman

  • Name: Jesse Fleishman
  • Major: Engineering Transfer
  • Hometown: Milwaukie, OR
  • Why I chose MHCC: I chose MHCC because of its close connection with OSU (Oregon State University). I want to become an engineer and while I am attending MHCC I am able to figure out what kind of engineer I want to be and and then transfer to OSU
  • Why I chose to be an ambassador for MHCC: I chose to be an ambassador for MHCC because even though I haven’t been a student for long it still felt like I could contribute.

Robyn Philistin

  • Name: Robyn Philistin
  • Major: Nursing
  • Hometown: Born in Vancouver, WA
  • Why I chose MHCC: I knew that I wanted to complete my degree at a community college, MHCC is very close to my apartment, and has a great nursing program.
  • Why I chose to be an ambassador for MHCC: I am a first-year college student and I want to be as involved as possible to get the most out of my college experience. I am enjoying learning about new opportunities and tools MHCC has to offer. Being an ambassador allows me to share my knowledge while learning more through working with others.
  • Hobbies: When I find time away from studying and work; I enjoy going to the coast with my family, cooking delicious meals, and watching my daughter explore the world.

Ruby Avalos Ruiz

  • Name: Ruby Avalos Ruiz
  • Major: Business Administration
  • Hometown: Portland, Oregon
  • Why I choose MHCC: I wanted an affordable education and something close to home. MHCC gave me a great educational option where I can transfer to PSU (Portland State University) after my two years at MHCC. Another reason I chose MHCC is because they support and encourages their students to keep pushing and pursuing their dreams.
  • Why I chose to be an ambassador for MHCC: I chose to be an ambassador because I enjoy helping others and it well help me better my leadership skills. Being a part of the SOAR Team will help me share my experience as well as introduce me to new people. As an ambassador I hope to learn many things as well as doing things out of my comfort zone.
  • Hobbies: Soccer, traveling, music, movies, working

Samuel D’Avanzo

  • Name: Samuel D’Avanzo
  • Major: Mental Health Social Service Addiction Counseling
  • Hometown: Originally SE Portland Currently living in Boring, Oregon
  • Why I chose MHCC: I decided to attend MHCC because of the location and all the great programs and degree options that it had to offer. Once starting MHCC I knew it was a great choice because everyone was so kind and helpful and my transition to college life was made easy. It is also a beautiful campus to get to spend time at while working toward my goals.
  • Why I chose to be an ambassador for MHCC: I decided I wanted to be an ambassador because I love helping and meeting new people. Becoming a MHCC ambassador gives me the opportunity to connect with the school and the students attending. With my experiences I hope to help other students with anything they need.
  • Hobbies: Traveling, skiing, swimming, camping, family, helping others

Shaquelle Briggs

  • Name: Shaquelle Briggs (yes, I was named after Shaquille O’Neal)
  • Hometown: The PNW
  • Why I chose MHCC: I chose Mt Hood because of the proximity to home. I’m a full-time parent and employee so, the less travel time between responsibilities, the more productive I can be.
  • Why I chose to be an ambassador: I’m eager to be an ambassador because I have the potential to be a great leader and this opportunity will help me to improve on those leadership and people skills.
  • Favorite hobby: I love to write, dance and read
  • Outdoor Adventure: This is the PNW, the best place for hiking and nature walks. I also love skydiving.

Weston Dahl

  • Name: Weston Dahl
  • Hometown: Gresham, Oregon
  • Major: General Studies
  • Why I chose MHCC: Attending MHCC is a great first step toward completing a college degree debt free. Completing undergraduate credits as a Saint allows me to save money, while still being able to work outside of school, and learn from all the great programs MHCC offers.
  • Why I chose to be an ambassador for MHCC: Being part of the SOAR team allows me to gain valuable leadership experience and meet a lot of great people.
  • Hobbies: Movies, sports, cars, snowboarding, and reading.