Portland State Magazine Fall 2007

ALUMNI NOTES COMPILED BY M EGHAN MILINSKI 1956-1959 Henry "Dale" Blackwell '59 and his wife, Ginny, own a house share company with prop– erties located primarily in the south of France. 1l1ey recencly added a Du-tch barge co their business that allows families co cruise the waterways of Europe. 1960-1969 both retired from the Missoula (Montana) School Discricc. Their time is now spent travel– ing, playing golf, working on their house and garden, and visiting Porcland and the Ore– gon Coast at least once a year. Gary Ferrington '64 is a volun– teer with Downtown Initiative for the Visual Arts (DIVA) in Eugene. Ferrington has played an integral role in rhe growth of DIVA's media arcs programs over rhe past three years. D ennis McCormick '64 and Ronald R. Till '64 is rerir- Nancy McCormick MA '93 are ed from rhe Scappoose School District, where he taught for 3 I years. Maurice R. Berez '65 is head of the foreign trader, investor, and regional center program in rhe Department of Homeland Security's Bureau of Citizen h ip and Immigra– tion Services. He and his wife, Rebecca, live in Maryland. Arlene Edla Ceula Matson '66 recencly moved co the Middle East co reach and continue her studies of che region. She was an English teacher for rhe past 18 years. Carolyn Anderson '68 is postmaster in Cannon Beach and was honored by rhe U.. Posral ervice in 2006 for her excellent service. Wink Brooks '68 has retired after 27 years as director of rhe city of Hi llsboro's plan– ning department. Brooks plans on spending rime with his family and traveling. He will also work part time co help finish planning for the area in Tanasbourne known at Oregon Healch & Science Universiry/AmberGlen. A hospitalist with Kaiser When she was four years old, SAHR A VANDE RKIN RAHIMTOOLA '97 toldhermocher, "lwanccobeanurse." Her mother's response-"Why nor a doccor?"-planred a seed. Rahimtoola (pronounced "rah-him-toola") took che health occupations program at Benson High School. A Portland native, she and her family lived in the country near Estacada until she was seven years old, and during chat time, her mom was a rural paramedic. "Ac Portland Scace, I decided for sure to pursue a medi- cal career," Rahimtoola says. She majored in biology, and took courses in the pre-med program, which, she notes, even non-PSU students often cake courses in to prepare for medical school, owing to me program's reputation. Rahimtoola excelled in the classroom, and became a co– founder and student co-coordinator for the PSU Student Ambassador Program, which she credits with helping her gain leadership and networking skill chat enhanced her chance of acceprance at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). lhere, Rahimtoola decided to specialize in internal medi– cine, and during her last year of residency at University of Virginia, she chose to focus on becoming a hospicalist, a subset of internal medicine and a comparatively new field. "I rake care of hospital patients only," he explains. "Heart attacks, pneumonia, strokes, GI bleeds. I like char, becau e you gee to cake care of the sickest patients." In Virginia, she met her husband-to-be, who also had received his medical degree from OHSU and was in a cardiol– ogy residency in Charlottesville. 1l1ey returned to Portland, where Rahimcoola completed her final year of residency at OHSU in 2004, and cho e to practice at Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center in Clackamas. In her free time, Rahim– toola volunteers at Wallace Medical Concern and CASA, which helps abused and neglected children. "There's a place in my hearr for abused and underserved people," she says. Rahimtoola loves her work, but admits chat hos– pital practice can be tough. "Sometimes it does cake an emotional coll. Bur I really give my best to my patients, and treat chem like I would my family." ■ BY CLIFF COLLINS As a Portland State student, Sahra Vanderkin Rahimtoola, co-founded the Student Ambas– sador's program. FALL 2007 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE 23