Howard Bailey, Professor Emeritus

Dr. Bailey was born Nov. 5, 1925 in Iowa and after a life of activities and accomplishments, passed away in Island City on Oct. 15, 2021. Dr. Bailey served in the U.S. Army from 1944-46. He later earned his doctorate of mathematics and began teaching math and computer sciences at Eastern, starting in 1957 and retiring in 1983. During his tenure, he served as the chairman of the math department and director of computer sciences. Dr. Bailey continued working under contract for the University through 1990, providing training and support to staff as new computers were set up.

In addition to his great service to the University, Howard was involved in numerous professional organizations and was instrumental in the organization of the Oregon Council of Computer Education (now known as the National Council for Computer Education) as well as growing the organization which would become the Northwest Council for Computer Education.

Dr. Bailey married Victoria “Vickie” (Montes) Bartmess in June of 1974 and the two enjoyed being active with their horses on pack trips throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Vickie also worked at Eastern for many years and fondly described Howard as having helped personnel “give up the typewriters,” working through the “many tears shed!” She noted her husband as being ‘integral in bringing computers to the college campus.’

Throughout his life, Dr. Bailey remained active in a variety of organizations, launching the Blue Mountain Back Country Horsemen (now, Blue Mountain Back Country Riders), the Oregon Back Country Horsemen, Union County Search and Rescue, American Diabetes Association Oregon Trail Chapter, Blue Mountain Humane Association, volunteer of the Memorial Library, and more.

��ݮ��Ƶ would like to recognize Dr. Howard Bailey, Professor Emeritus, and thank him for his many years of service and tremendous accomplishments he brought to Eastern. We are proud and honored to have him and his wife as part of the Mountaineer family.

Vickie Bailey passed away on January 13, 2023, still continuing to support the work of EOU and the EOU Foundation.

J. Douglas Campbell, Professor Emeritus

Dr. Campbell was born Feb. 28, 1938 in California and passed away in La Grande on Jan. 16, 2023. After having earned a doctorate degree from Oregon State University, Campbell moved to La Grande in 1962 where he spent 39 years teaching organic chemistry at ��ݮ��Ƶ. In June of 1986, Campbell married Carol Hofmann.

After a long and successful career of teaching, Doug and Carol opened the beloved and charming ‘McGlasson’s Stationery’ store in downtown La Grande for many years before the two fully embraced retirement. Doug was active in many organizations throughout the community including the La Grande Downtown Association, the community choir and Blue Mountain Barbershop singers, Lions Club, American Chemical Society, Alpha Kappa Psi, as well as Sigmi Xi. He devoted his time to the United Methodist Church and the Wallowa Lake Methodist Church Camp. He loved traveling and conducted a sabbatical in Kenya, and truly loved hiking, hiking and climbing mountains to spending nearly every day on the hills near La Grande.

��ݮ��Ƶ would like to recognize Dr. J. Douglas Campbell, Professor Emeritus, and thank him for his many years of service and tremendous accomplishments he brought to Eastern. We are proud and honored to have him and his family as part of the Mountaineer family.

Robert “Bob” Moody

Bob Moody, longtime supporter of EOU and past president of the EOU Foundation, as well as a wonderful community partner, passed on December 28, 2022 at the age of 90.

Moody and his wife, Bev, came to La Grande in 1974, when he was asked to be the publisher of The Observer, a position in which he served until 1997. Moody worked in the newspaper industry since 1943, at age 11, when he started as a carrier and was later promoted to a director position while still in high school. Les Schwab, who founded one of the nation’s most successful tire companies, provided career guidance to Moody during his early career days when Moody worked for Schwab. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1950-54 and returned to the newspaper business once again.

Just as much as his career was impacted by his friendly, kind, and caring demeanor, was his role and service with community organizations. He served as a member of the Union Co. Chamber of Commerce, an active Boy Scout volunteer, the Union Co. Youth Services Commission Board, the Union Co. Smoke Management Committee, the La Grande Community Library Foundation, and the EOU Foundation’s executive board for many years.

Bob and Bev established the “Bob and Bev Moody Scholarship” with the EOU Foundation to support single parents in achieving their dream of a college education.  The two, married over 67 years, recognize the ever-changing world for technology and education, alike, and were intent on helping people who need help.

Sam Saunders, Ph.D.

Dr. Saunders was born on February 24, 1931, and passed on January 22, 2023, leaving a legacy of passion, enthusiasm, and wide range of interests.

Dr. Sam Saunders and his wife established a scholarship with the EOU Foundation, the Sam C. and Ruth Ann Saunders Scholarship, to support students pursuing studies in science, technology, and mathematics. Born in Richland, Oregon, Sam’s intellectual gifts were noticed from an early age. He attended ��ݮ��Ƶ (then, “College”), graduated from the University of Oregon with a bachelor’s degree, and earned a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Washington in 1952. Two years later, Sam met his wife, Ruth Ann, and the two married in 1954.

Saunders spent many years working for Boeing in the Scientific Research Laboratories (BSRL) with many contributions to theories regarding aircrafts, before joining Washington State University as a faculty in 1972 until his retirement in 1996.

Outside of work, Dr. Saunders had many interests, including the science and metallurgy of Japanese katana, even organizing exhibits of Samurai Art and Armor at both WSU and the Bellevue Art Museum. He was also a devoted and respectful member of the Porsche Club, enjoying the craftsmanship and engineering of the cars. He was a Shakespearean and could recite many sonnets from memory alone. Dr. Saunders was also a fan and lover of music and opera, which he enjoyed with his wife.

Doctor Abio Ayeliya, ’08, was selected by the EOU Alumni Association as the 2022 Distinguished Alumni for his work helping others and he continues to affect change years after his graduation from ��ݮ��Ƶ.

The young man, who once went to a school without electricity or water, slept in the school he was attending, and had to scavenge for food he cooked over a fire, has come a long way. Ayeliya holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from ��ݮ��Ƶ, and a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) from The University of Utah. He is also the Executive Director and founder of Sabu Help International, a nonprofit organization focused on eliminating poverty and transforming lives through microloans, training and education in Africa.

In 2007, while Ayeliya was a student at EOU a flood hit his village in Ghana, Africa. As a senior, Ayeliya decided his capstone project would be to fundraise to make a difference in the lives of those affected back home. The community of La Grande responded to his call to action with clothes and donations. The high cost of shipping delayed those donations until a local church stepped in.

“It was going to cost $7,000 to ship (the donations) home,” Ayeliya recalled. Instead Ayeliya made a deal with the church and traded the donations for cash. “It was a temporary solution and I was looking for something permanent.”

Ayeliya feels indebted to the La Grande community members who helped him establish his charity.  They raised money and helped teach his village to be self-sufficient to “mulitply and give a them a lifetime of sustainability, not just clothing or shoes that will last less than a year.”  The funding raised was the seed of his microloans project.

“Growing up, there were times there was never food in the house; I was always hungry,” Ayeliya recalled.  “Having the opportunity to come here to get the education, I was empowered to change my situation.  I could change my family’s dynamics. But, I didn’t want to just change my home, I wanted to change the community.”

Ayeliya’s opportunity for education came after Izaak Edvalson, a Peace Corps worker from La Grande, met him in Ghana. Eventually Edvalson would raise funds to send Ayeliya to an academy in Ghana that prepared him for his education at EOU.

“American education is designed to teach people to think critically about issues; it’s not just memorizing or following the majority. Education gives you a way to think for yourself.”

“EOU is my second home.  This was a community that gave me a sense of belonging, purpose, and a sense of empowerment to make me think critically.  And because of this, I need to give it to other generations,” Ayeliya said.

When asked how he measures success, Ayeliya recalls a story about his father in Africa. “My dad has always been an example of putting people first,” Ayeliya said. He remembers when a man from a neighboring village came looking for a chicken to feed a sick child and his father gave the man the family’s last chicken. “It comes back to you,” Ayelia said.

“It’s not the material things that make you successful,” Ayeliya said. “I am happy where I am, I am happy I am able to help people and feel a sense of purpose in society. I believe God created us for a reason.  If there was no reason for you, why would God have created you?”

I look at my family, my children, my brothers and sisters back home, and they don’t miss their meals.  The clients we are supporting are able to go to college,” Ayeliya said.  “That is the level of standard for life; I consider that a success.”

Ayeliya, who is still at the head of Sabu Help International, speaks passionately about empowering individuals and communities, from microloans to providing goats to make sure new families have milk, to supporting exceptional students from year one to graduation.

“I was the only one in my village to have earned a college degree, and also a master’s degree. I think with that, people will call for help with initiatives. The government alone can not provide that.” Ayeliya said.

The founder of Sabu Help International said he has been conditioned to look inside himself to be the change.

“I create tools to help people help themselves,” Ayeliya, an ambassador for change, said. “We all have a sense of responsibility, if they can they should help us to raise the resources, stand up and help.”

Ayeliya said he remains grateful to the community of La Grande. “I want to express appreciation to the people who continue to support this organization in the city of La Grande and Portland areas, and across the state. They open up to share with others in need. But, I cannot do it by myself, it takes a village,” Ayeliya said. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without Izaak, without the La Grande community and without ��ݮ��Ƶ.  I love Eastern.  It is like my home, it is my spirit. Eastern is in the heart of me and I really want to express that.”

After graduating from Eastern Oregon College cum laude in 1969 the ��ݮ��Ƶ guitar and banjo instructor was hired in 1973 to teach music. Eastern Oregon State College would not change its name until 1997 when it became ��ݮ��Ƶ. At that time the state of Oregon required education majors to learn to play an instrument.

Sitting in a nondescript office in Loso Hall on the EOU campus, with pegboard for walls, Boyer is surrounded by sheets of music and guitar cases. An analog clock ticks away above his head. Hanging to the left is a proclamation ceremoniously presented to Boyer during an EOU Board of Trustees meeting in 2022, celebrating a man who has dedicated his life to teaching music.

Boyer said he didn’t think about his footprint for a long time.

“I guess at this point, looking back,” Boyer said, “ it feels like I’ve thrown a big rock out into the water and the waves have rippled out in all directions.”

Boyer smiles broadly and appears modest about his life’s work. When encouraged, he admits he has created a musical community he could not have fathomed after 4,000 EOU students.

“I do feel a sense of accomplishment, and it is becoming more apparent as I meet more and more people I had as students, who express they still enjoy music and still play,” Boyer said. “It makes me feel like I wasn’t just here spinning my wheels.”

The Power of Music

Boyer said former students will occasionally reach out to him. In fact, he tells a story about a student who contacted him using social media. The student asked, “Are you the Duane who taught guitar at EOU?”

The student, who took guitar lessons the first year Boyer taught, said he had always wanted to thank him.

“I’ve wanted to thank you for years and years; you’ve given me the motivation to keep going,” the former student told him.

Every term a new wave of students comes through the building and Boyer said they are what keeps him going. He knows some students will set the instrument in the closet after the term, but his hope is that some will continue.

“To watch someone who is learning to play, to see the light come on as they develop the ability to play, is a great feeling,” Boyer said. “I thrive on that.”

Boyer said when he first started teaching he had no idea where it was going to lead.

“I’m still here because I enjoy it. I enjoy working with the students and I’m two or three years past legitimate retirement age, to say the least,” Boyer jokes.

Boyer believes in the power of music, and is not shy about saying music can help students with other stresses. He encourages students to pick up an instrument, let go of the tension and worry. Put simply by a man with decades of experience, “It cleanses the palate.”

Generational Ripple

One of Boyer’s most successful students is EOU alumni Jesse Jones, ‘05. Jones earned his masters degree at the University of Oregon, taught at Eastern for a year, and went to Cornell for his doctorate. Today, Jones is an Associate Professor of Composition and Director, Division of Contemporary Music at Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio.

The former Mountaineer has played music around the world.

“The thing about Duane is he has been a constant in my life and that is rare,” Jones said. “He is incredibly generous with his time.”

Jones said Boyer got him interested in music while he was still in high school. Jones, who had broken his arm, asked Boyer to help him learn a few chords, after watching Boyer tutor a friend.

Jones called Boyer his biggest champion. The former student of Boyer’s said as he gets older he appreciates his former instructor for more than just music.

“Since I am teaching, a lot of him goes to the next generation, a sort of generational ripple,” Jones said.

King of Loso

Boyer jokes, “I thought maybe they would make me king or something if I stayed long enough.” “Looking back over 50 years, I want to be remembered for what kind of appreciation for music I developed in [the students]. In particular what it has meant to them, what it has meant to others, from teachers to performers.”

Conrad Woodhead, a 2002 EOU alum, was looking for a one-of-a-kind experience and found it in remote Alaska.

“I was in this village, a remote whaling community with a totally subsisting lifestyle. You can look over and actually see the Siberian Mountains. We were looking through the International Date Line. And this was on a whale and walrus hunt!” Woodhead recalled of his first few moments in Gambell, Alaska. “Not a lot of people get to experience that and I love it. I have never looked back. I was looking for something completely different and I found it.”

How exactly do you end up going from Canby, Oregon, to an undergraduate student at ��ݮ��Ƶ to a village off the grid, off the North American road network in the Alaskan Bush? While two alumni took very different paths to the Lower Yukon School District, their passion for community resonates in all they do.

Though nearly a decade apart in studies, EOU alumni Woodhead and Samantha “Sammy” Carlon, ’10, have found camaraderie in Alaska as they reminisce over memories of EOU. “I grew up in a town of less than 250, my triplets and I were three of thirteen in our graduating class,” Carlon said. “I got up to this village and life was so similar to eastern Oregon. Everyone is so caring. Even now, I’ll video-conference with current students of the professors I had. I still feel so connected to EOU.” Woodhead reflected on his time at Eastern, “I felt connected and supported all the way. Everyone was rooting for me and supporting me.”

After a number of years teaching in different Alaskan villages, Woodhead and Carlon’s paths crossed at the Lower Yukon School District in an innovative project focused on creative ways to prepare students for all aspects of life.

“Four years ago the Lower Yukon School District invested in a project to help close the gap between what rural and urban students get out of Alaska career and technical education,” Woodhead said. “More than $2 million was invested to convert a hotel into the Kusilvak Career Academy, home of King Tech High Boarding School. We are becoming an example of how school districts are getting creative at providing opportunities for our kids. So far, we’ve secured nearly $10 million in grants since we started.”

At the Kusilvak Career Academy, students learn everything from team building and leadership skills, to acclimating to modern amenities, like ordering from a restaurant menu, navigating traffic and sidewalks, or shopping in a grocery store. Students also gain exposure to skills and careers unknown in their home villages, and vocations they can use to supplement their traditional ways. Things many people take advantage of knowing.  “We are really teaching kids how to survive in any setting they find themselves in,” Woodhead said. People can survive in the bush, but the skills they learn at this school offer them an opportunity to be successful elsewhere.

“In La Grande and at Eastern, every single person – faculty, staff, advisors – had that very close investment in each and every single one of its students. Everyone was so great to work with; someone was always willing to help or point you in the right direction,” Carlon said of her time at EOU. “Now, we have the same opportunity. I have a very unique position where I don’t teach in a traditional classroom setting. I don’t administrate by sitting in an office in the traditional sense. I get to do a little bit of everything for these students. I am an educator in the broadest sense. Working with students is how I want to spend my life, helping them learn and grow into their potential.”

Teaching was in both Woodhead’s and Carlon’s genetics, as was a sense of adventure. “My adoptive grandmother and father became teachers, my sister is a teacher,” said Woodhead. “I remember being five or six and telling my uncle, who was a professor at Southern Oregon, how I wanted to be a teacher. I don’t remember a time in my life when I wanted to do anything else,” recalled Carlon. “It might be ironic that we’re working together, but it’s not uncommon for EOU and Alaska to draw folks who are looking for an adventure,” Woodhead commented as he and Carlon visited.

Woodhead’s father was one of seven children born in Alaska and put up for adoption. “Everything about my dad’s culture, I read in a book. I wanted to come here and experience it firsthand.” While at Eastern, Woodhead was a recipient of the EOU Foundation’s First Citizen Scholarship, and recognized the influence this had on his decision to pave a path from EOU to Alaska. “When Eastern invested in me, it was the push and incentive to finish strong. But, it’s also the thing that said ‘You know what, I’m coming to Alaska because I want to do right by the people who made the investment in me.’ It was really what made me know that going back to my family roots was the right path for me. EOU is so good at showing its students support. And now it’s my turn to pay forward that same support to these students.”

Deep in the basement of EOU’s Ackerman Hall, the former elementary school, is the brand-new anthropology classroom and lab. A space designed for students to really own, while they explore the worlds, techniques, and processes of anthropology and archaeology.

In the corner, stacked nearly to the ceiling are tattered old boxes with smudged labeling and layers of dirt from storage, filled with known and unknown contents and artifacts, waiting to be studied.

“We’re thrilled to have this new lab and class space,” said Rory Becker, professor of anthropology at ��ݮ��Ƶ. “We can manage, stage gear, treat everything properly and know artifacts won’t be disturbed. The stations really expand our capacity in the things and ways we teach.”

EOU admissions counselor and 2019 Anthropology alum, Berenice Chavez is excited for the possibilities the new lab brings for students. “It makes so much sense to have this space right there. It’s going to open up a lot of opportunities for students. It’s a place they can gather, have their own space together to learn, and share their ideas and passions. I can’t wait to see how it’s going to further unfold and impact the ability for hands-on learning in a way we’ve never been able to do before.”

The lab is only a part of the broader archaeology story being told. “Local projects find me more often than not,” Becker said with a smile. “I get 50 to 70 calls per year with people who found something and ask us to come dig it up and check out the space. Then we evaluate each scenario to determine what’s going to be really productive for the students.”

Students studying in the Anthropology/Sociology program select which concentration to pursue and then take courses based on their interests and career trajectories. “I try to demystify [archaeology] early. I didn’t know what I was going to do with [my degree], I just knew I liked it. I tell the students to ‘just follow your interests and see where it takes you’” Becker said. “That’s what makes EOU’s program so different from others: we focus on the hands-on experiences and make sure there are opportunities.”

“You can go anywhere in the world, or stay right in your backyard,” said Becker of the field of archaeology. And that’s just what EOU students experience. Currently, Becker and students work with the Maxville Heritage Interpretive Center for real-world fieldwork at the Maxville townsite, approximately thirty minutes north of Wallowa, Oregon. The land is privately owned so there is no danger of it being logged or developed. “For years we’ll be able to take students there so they can do test excavations and real fieldwork,” Becker said.

Beyond eastern Oregon, students from EOU have the opportunity to join a field school with the University of Wyoming and go on four-week long digs in Croatia. There are several projects in Croatia, and through grant funding, costs are kept low for students. “I had a really positive study-abroad experience myself and want to make sure students can participate,” Becker said of the field school program. “An important piece of this is the fact that EOU students get to go places they never thought they would, and do things they never thought they could. It can be incredibly overwhelming to be in a new environment, without speaking the local language, doing fieldwork for more than ten hours a day, six days a week. But it’s so rewarding.”

The first Croatia field school was in 2014 with three EOU students in attendance and occurs every other year. “Coming into college, I never thought I was going to study abroad,” said Chavez. At the time, it seemed like a fun idea, but the process seemed really stressful. I had never been outside Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, and my first time stepping on a plane, I was headed to Croatia.”

Chavez, from Umatilla, Oregon, graduated from EOU with degrees in Anthropology and Art and received upper division credit for her time spent in Croatia, which applied directly to her degree. “I’m so glad I was approached for this opportunity,” Chavez said. “The fact we got to go to another country and experience a different culture, it was a really well-rounded experience. I got to learn about the culture, the language and explore the cultural anthropology side, taking in the museums, art work, art history, architecture.” Fieldwork and hands-on learning create opportunities for not only meaningful interactions between students and their faculty, but also interactive experiences to help students build confidence to enter the world boldly and proudly. “Rory Becker approached me to consider the Croatia trip,” said Chavez. “I don’t know that I would have sought it out; I would have been scared to even consider it on my own. But, we have the opportunity to have these meaningful conversations and relationships with our professors. I’m grateful for it opening me up to embracing this type of journey and experience. It’s opened me up to want to keep exploring.”

You’ve probably heard reference to the “REV” Center before. Or at least know EOU has a REV Center. The Rural Engagement & Vitality – or REV – Center is a joint venture between ��ݮ��Ƶ and Wallowa Resources with the goal and intent of serving as a hub to connect students, faculty, staff, and community, to the revitalization of the rural region of Oregon, and beyond.

Wallowa Resources’ mission is to “empower rural communities to create strong economies and healthy landscapes through land stewardship, education, and job creation.” ��ݮ��Ƶ, designated as Oregon’s Rural University in 2018, has a long tradition of serving rural students and has identified as a goal in its strategic plan the aim to promote prosperity and resilience in rural communities. Together, the two share oversight of the REV Center as a means to provide steady guidance and support to reach their shared vision of vibrant and prosperous rural communities across eastern Oregon. “This allows the University to be engaged in applied, practical, project-based work that contributes to community developmen and business needs and provides an opportunity for students to be involved in real-world experience in the hopes of training a workforce who will stay and work here,” said Nils Christoffersen, Executive Director of Wallowa Resources. “This has been just over three years in the making with a good portfolio of projects. The REV aims to push innovation as a sector of growth, not by competing with existing organizations but looking for its own niches.”

The REV Center was originally founded in January of 2020 by EOU and Wallowa Resources as an innovative new hub for connecting local and regional communities with the university, especially where businesses, agencies, and local governments need interns for a variety of projects. “The REV is the junction box that helps connect EOU to the communities we serve,” said Tim Seydel, Vice President for University Advancement. “The REV is a very unique, mission-driven project you don’t see in a lot of other areas. There are so many community needs throughout the region we can be responsive to and provide real-world learning opportunities for students, while truly helping our communities.”

While many might associate the REV with natural resources and land use projects, its capacity and reach spans into all areas of focus, including education and even performing arts. “We want to tap into all of the great resources we have on campus,” Seydel said. “On the list of current projects is arts and humanities connected with the theater department. There is a group of people exploring the urban-rural divide and are turning this into a first-person theater production. We’re primarily focused on eastern Oregon, but the types of projects we have the capacity for spans across many fields and industries.”

This is an important tool, as it serves many different people in a multitude of ways. It provides students the opportunity to work on, learn from, and provide input on real-world issues, projects, and agencies. It’s a hands-on approach to education. It provides faculty and staff the chance to interact and engage with the communities and region to help revitalize and keep rural Oregon vibrant. It’s a continued application of research and methodologies. It’s a fresh set of eyes and renewed enthusiasm for the community organizations and agencies on their own projects. It’s unique, but personalized and data-driven answers to real questions and programming.

“Our aim is to promote prosperity and resilience in rural communities and we’re doing this by providing students with experiential learning opportunities,” Seydel commented. “We’re enhancing the vitality of the region by developing tomorrow’s rural workforce and leaders. And we’re doing this by engaging our faculty and students in this work through projects supporting economic development, land use and regional planning, arts and culture, and educational strategies for youth in partnership with other businesses, organizations, and agency. Exactly like a junction box.”

Communities served by REV

Three EOU faculty sat down together to discuss and share their unique perspectives about the REV and its multi-faceted impacts on students’ experiences, on their own work, and on the communities these projects serve.

Why is the REV advantageous to EOU and the communities served?

Peter Maille:  Anything that can link EOU to the region is a good thing; universities who work with and for their communities do better.  It’s everything from an internship program to allowing teachers to be out there serving the communities.  Faculty oversee and work on projects, serving as a resource as well.  We truly understand and are in-tune with the needs of the region because we live this every day.  We can take our expertise and leverage that for the local communities, agencies, and resources for maximum use.  We are stewards of the agencies and resources, and we’re stewards of the university.  We can take our students and go out there and make good things happen for the community. 

Daniel Costie:  It’s offering the opportunity to counter the narrative that degrees don’t do anything for the towns.  What’s being learned and taught at EOU has practical applications for the city, county, and region.

Scott McConnell:  There is expertise in your backyard to tap into.  There isn’t need to outsource to agencies outside of the region where an underlying understanding of actual community needs may not exist.  We can provide local expertise.  There’s huge potential to really grow and further provide the resources for different agencies and organizations and to serve the needs of the community.

What has been your favorite experience thus far with the REV?

DC:  I’m fascinated by how people come together to solve problems.  I’m still learning about rural spaces and how that happens and have found it takes a lot more ‘of the village’ to align for these projects to come together.  Working with so many levels of government, especially with the BIC, I’m seeing these in action.  It’s making me a better teacher.  It’s making me approach my research in a way to affect real change.  The public engagement sessions I’ve facilitated are the most enjoyable interactions I’ve had because of REV.  I get to see so many parts of this region I hadn’t yet seen before.  I have met so many people I may not have had the opportunity to meet prior.   

PM:  The best thing I’ve worked on through the REV was with the socioeconomic study to help advise the forest management plan.  I haven’t had a chance to do a project of that scale since my Ph.D. research, from start to finish.  What an accomplishment and I loved it.  It was such a fun, challenging project and the opportunity to collaborate with so many stakeholders was incredible.  That’s why I live here: for those relationships and those opportunities.

What makes the REV unique for EOU students?

SM:  The experience is real.  It’s real resume-building material.  You’re sitting in on these meetings with the highest levels of officials, how many other students can say they do this?  It’s a great EOU experience because you’re engaging with eastern Oregon, with the movers, shakers, and decision makers.  No matter what you’re doing, you’re learning so much, things you might not even realize you’re learning.  There is so much to take away from all of these opportunities.  Just getting to be there, absorb the conversations, maybe offer an opinion.  Realizing ‘this is what this world looks like’.

�ٰ�:�� If you want to do mission-driven work and change your community, and if you really want to have influence, these are true opportunities to do so.  There are projects where we’re offering data-driven recommendations to help inform these agencies and the students’ work is informing real-world decisions.  This may be the best way to ‘grow a great society by planting the tree you won’t take shade under,’ to quote the proverb.  This is where EOU, its students, its faculty, its community partners, truly make a difference.

7,000 miles to EOU

For ��ݮ��Ƶ freshman Mohtarama “Mary” Qazizada, education is a birthright. Mary is passionate about a woman’s right to education, but more importantly she believes learning is the key to changing the world for the better.

Mary was born and raised in Afghanistan and is deeply saddened as she watches her homeland “stagger backwards.” Women in the war-torn country are denied access to education. “It is a basic right for every human being to have, or to get, an education. It makes us better human beings and better citizens; it helps us develop opinions, character, and a better way of solving the problems around us,” Mary said. “If we are educated we can better serve our society, our country, our community. That is why education is important.”

The 21-year-old freshman computer science/IT management major waited five years after her father left Afghanistan to make her own journey to the United States. Her father had previously immigrated to Oregon, following Mary’s older sister. While the family is back together again, the journey was fraught with uncertainty.

In 2017, Mary’s father fled Afghanistan, but was unable to take his children. Mary and her three brothers later left their home for Turkey when it became clear they were at risk for retaliation and their safety was threatened.

Although the separation from his children was difficult, Mary understood her father left to make a better life for his children, and “make opportunity possible.”

Early in Mary’s life her father would take her to American University in Kabul to learn English. Mary remembers hiding her books so as not to arouse suspicion and waiting after class for her father to pick her up to get her home safely.

Mary said this is where she inherited the value of education.

“No matter what the obstacles are, we have to do our best to get that education,” Mary said.

After Mary arrived in Oregon she waited a year to establish residency before applying to EOU.

“I loved it, I was so excited for the term to start,” Mary said.

Mary credits much of her success to her professors and the connections they have with students.

“They are passionate about what they are doing. They are more than happy to help you if you encounter any problems or difficulties.  They go beyond their responsibilities,” Mary said. “They always help you in the best possible way. They are passionate, they are kind, they are very knowledgeable people.”

Mary said she could say a lot more about her professors but does not have the vocabulary in English yet.

If she could share her secret to establishing a relationship with professors she said it is vital to value your own time, and theirs. Mary said students should use this opportunity to, “make ourselves better people.” As a Mountaineer, who traveled more than 7,000 miles to start at the university, Mary said education has a moral and ethical value beyond financial considerations.

“We should try the best we can in educating ourselves and ask for help, the professors are more than happy to help us. Never underestimate the importance of office hours, those are really important,” Mary said.

While in Turkey, Mary said she could not speak her native tongue without upsetting Europeans, but, “when I came to La Grande, not only was I able to talk in my native language, people were very curious, they would ask questions about my culture.”

“One thing that would be important for people to understand is that it might take time to understand the culture. Although La Grande has been patient, it is important to understand it might take time to adapt,” Mary said.

Although she is half-way around the world from where she was born, Mary said she thinks about the women in Afghanistan who have no access to education.

“When half of the society can’t educate themselves, how is that society going to turn out?,” she wonders. “If they are given the chance for an education, if they are given the chance to use their creativity the world can be a much better place. We have seen that through the years how educated women have impacted not only our workforce but how mothers raise their children. If mothers are educated they can raise better children, and better children would make a better society. It makes me sad to see women in my homeland not have access to education,” Mary said. “If you want a better society, educate the women.”

While there are differences between her native country and Oregon, Mary said she finds La Grande friendly and accepting.

“That’s one of the things I love about the whole community,” Mary said. When asked if she feels like she belongs, Mary said unequivocally, “oh yes, very much so.”

It’s not just what you learn within the four walls of a classroom; it’s the hands-on experiences you never thought you’d have out of the classroom which makes the difference.

EOU’s Teach Rural Oregon is a rare gem in the space of higher education and is the umbrella over a multitude of opportunities for students at every step of the teaching journey.

“Teach Rural Oregon came about when we received grant funding in 2020 from the Oregon Department of Education and the Educators Advancement Council,” said Dave Dallas, Senior Instructor II in the College of Education and Director of Teach Rural Oregon. “We started looking at where we could create niches at every step of the journey: from students not quite sure if they want to go into education to current educators looking for professional development. Our ideas just kept snowballing because it’s not just about being an educator in a classroom. It’s about embracing education in every facet of life, through every step of your journey.”

There are a number of programs to engage students along their educational and career paths. The Eastern Oregon Teacher Academy provides intensive four-day workshops to expose students to a variety of activities to gain a better understanding of what teachers do and the multifaceted role educators play in the lives of students.

“We bring in faculty from the College of Education in addition to keynote speakers as well as faculty from other colleges. Peter Wordelman from the music department in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, and Chad Mueller from the Agriculture Entrepreneurship program are just a few examples to share a different sense of education beyond the classroom,” Dallas said. Gaining an understanding of what it takes to be a teacher was just the first step.

“The Junior Field Experience program was another layer we wanted to add,” Dallas said. “This program allows students at the Gresham satellite campus access to gaining experience in rural locations.” The Experience sends students on two- to three-week field experiences into rural communities, including Umatilla, Enterprise, John Day, and Burns. It is a it is fully-immersive, where students provided stipends for room and board and have a real glimpse into rural living and teaching.

Janea Young, originally from Eureka, California, who is now teaching K-12 in Wallowa County said she grew her passion for teaching within her first few days. “My heart grew in a matter of moments when the kids started getting excited to see me.”

The Oregon Rural Teacher Corps supports students in the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program and the Cottonwood Canyon Teacher Institute is an initiative for current teachers to access professional development opportunities.

“The Teacher Corps received a catalyst grant to launch the program, in addition to matching funds from the Ford Family Foundation, the Roundhouse Foundation, and Rural Schools Collaborative,” Dallas explained. “We have students teaching on emergency licenses, needing certifications to continue teaching in extremely rural districts. This initiative allows us to provide support for tuition assistance so these students can earn their MAT degrees.” What’s incredibly special about this program is the desire to help one another succeed, said Dallas. “The current class has already expressed interest in continuing in the program as mentors to the next cohort. Maybe even a rural education summit. We’re still in early conversations, but we couldn’t be more thrilled that there is interest and EOU is the spark and the conduit for these possibilities.”

Kolbe Bales, ‘18, who is now in the MAT program and just graduated in June 2023, discussed the collaborative nature of the Oregon Rural Teacher Corps and what it means for those teaching in extremely rural districts. “The very first week of classes I applied for the ORTC program and received the scholarship. The ORTC is a great way to collaborate with peers in similar school districts,” Bales said. “Those of us in the program this year are really looking forward to staying in touch and being mentors for next year’s cohort. The education program has been so excellent at communicating all of the expectations and opportunities. And the ORTC is such a collaborative system – there are a lot of ‘rural-minded’ people and working through our experiences with our peers really makes us all even better educators in our own districts.”

Bales gained classroom experience at the Imbler Charter School is exploring career options after graduation. “It’s a great community with wonderful people that make you feel like it’s being at home.”

The Cottonwood Canyon Teacher Institute provides professional development through intensive four-day workshops aimed to flourish current teachers’ skill sets, Dallas said.  “There is already a student-version of this happening with the Academy. We wanted to help local teachers. There are funds available to help where cost is prohibitive to the extremely rural districts.”

Current partners and new partnerships have been forged because of the projects of Teach Rural Oregon. “Different school districts and partners are seeing what we’re doing and want to participate,” Dallas said. “They see high-quality graduates, along with our commitment to serving the rural regions and say ‘Hey, I want to be a part of this,’ and just like that we’re able to always collaborate with people who are like-minded and have similar goals.” “This is one way we can grow education in rural areas and how we can help attract students to teach in rural settings.  It’s about going back and putting down roots to be a long-term impact and member of the community they’re teaching.”

To my fellow alumni and friends of ��ݮ��Ƶ,

It gives me great pleasure to introduce this issue of the Mountaineer Magazine. As a 2006 and 2008 alumna of ��ݮ��Ƶ and the current President of the EOU Alumni Association, I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to work with and for the Alumni Association for the past nine years. It has been a wonderful blend of being able to give back while staying engaged with the University that has been foundational to my life endeavors.

EOU holds a very special place in my heart. When I think back to what has shaped me as a person, EOU is at the top of my list. EOU not only provided me with a high-quality undergraduate and graduate education with hands-on learning that equipped me for a successful career at a global tech company, but it gave me diverse experiences that I would have never had access to at a different institution. I was able to excel in academics, give back to the community, gain experience as a teacher’s aide and tutor, and participate in extracurricular activities. The experiences I gained and lessons I learned at EOU have shaped me into the mother, wife, businesswoman, and community member I am today.

No matter your background, EOU provides transformational education for students and one-of-a-kind experiences, both in the classroom and in the field. Every class, club, and campaign are opportunities for experiential, real-world learning. Whether this be ongoing professional development for current teachers of rural school districts, to onsite archaeological digs in Croatia. From ongoing research and impact projects in eastern Oregon, to finding inclusivity and lifelong relationships right here on campus. The people of EOU — students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends, and community — make every opportunity for new experiences which stay with and shape them throughout their own life journeys.

Wishing you the best as we look forward to summer and to the future.

Thank you.

Adriana DalSoglio, ’06 and ’08

President, EOU Alumni Association Board of Directors