PAST TENSE Looking Back: Success as a Student, Professional and Alumna anport Extension Center (VEC), Portland State’s founding institution, emerged in 1946 to meet the PostWorld- War- II demand for increased higher education opportunities in the Portland area. The postwar baby boom created a shortage of classroom teachers, so VEC’s emergence helped solve this problem. Women and men students interested in teacher education took beginning course work at VEC, and many continued their studies with the school’s move to the Park Blocks in 1952 and its emergence as Portland State College (PSC) in 1955. During the 1950s, an outstanding student in teacher preparation was Cathy (Bostwick) Williams who studied at both the VEC and PSC campuses. Cathy was a leader who excelled in academics and actively participated in student service organizations. She was a key member of the Vikes (a women’s social service organization), a leader on the Viking’s rally squad and the Portland State Pep Club, and served as society editor and then co-editor of the Viking (PSC’s yearbook). In recognition of her varied achievements, Cathy was honored in the school’s ‘53 Viking as “Outstanding Girl” by the students of Portland State. Cathy worked parttime while attending PSC, earned a B.S. degree in Elementary Education, and was one of 72 students in PSC’s first graduating class of 1956. Cathy’s motivation and enthusiasm as a student carried over to an education career spanning 32 years, which included achieving an M.S. Degree in Counseling and Guidance. She was an accomplished eighth-grade teacher, a noted career education coordinator/consultant in the Portland Public Schools and statewide, a favored PSU instructor in her field, and a major contributor to professional organizations. Following her retirement in 1989, Cathy expanded her community volunteering with a service focus over the years as a Portland State University alumna. She has served on the PSU Alumni Association Board, as a PSU Advocate, as a member of Friends of the Graduate School of Education, and as PSU Ambassador for Central Oregon. Cathy continues to serve, building her legacy as a dedicated student, professional, and alumna. --Steve Brannan 3 V
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc4NTAz