Classified Staff Supports Willamette Academy

"The classified staff at Willamette are just generous and amazing people," remarked Mary Collins, classified council member and Admissions Office administrative assistant. Willamette Academy's Executive Director Elaine Green enthusiastically agrees.

Inside Willamette · February 20, 2004

Reprinted with permission of Inside Willamette.

Elaine is witness to the outstanding efforts by classified staff to support the academy, a non
profit organization affiliated with the University that provides educational opportunities for disadvantaged, lowincome and underrepresented school-age children in the Salem area.

Two major goals of the academy are to prepare students for and to engage their interest in the college experience. Mary Collins notes, "For me growing up, college was a given. And for these kids, that's just not the case." This motivated Mary to bring the academy to the attention of Classified Council, who had expressed a strong desire to do good in the Salem community, but in a way that can be felt and seen by members of the Willamette campus. According to Mary, the council "snapped up" the idea and first considered adopting a family from Willamette Academy. However, Paula Sams-Ingle, Willamette Academy's assistant to the executive director, felt there were more helpful ways to have an impact on all the Academy children.

Presented with this challenge, classified staff found several ways to support academy students including: framing a signed poster of Archbishop Desmond Tutu who visited the students last spring; contributing a locking bookcase; and running separate art supply and book drives. The books are invaluable for increasing student reading comprehension
and vocabulary, which will give them a competitive edge on college admission examinations such as the ACT and SAT. The art supplies have already been used by students to create American Civil Rights Movement posters and will be the tools of many future creative projects. Material goods are not the only contributions made by classified staff. They have, philanthropically so-to-speak, put "their money where their mouth is" by donating half the raffle proceeds from two classified luncheons to the academy.

Classified staff members are not the only campus constituent supporting Willamette Academy. Several administrative staff members have volunteered as teachers and fundraisers, as well as contributing a monthly payroll deduction to ease the academy's operating budget. Willamette students are also making an impact at the academy. Elaine says, "We hire a number of students as tutors who are so dedicated to helping the academy students be successful, they just go above and beyond the call all the time." She believes that the Willamette community is providing a stellar example of the proverb: "It takes a village to raise a child."

Elaine views the classified staff as the "last piece" of the campus network that plays an important role both financially and materially for the academy. Mary envisions a future where the classified staff not only meets the needs of academy students, but form a partnership with them to meet needs in the greater Salem community.

Willamette Academy News Archive

Fall 2007— Academy Sends Off Graduates, Welcomes New Director (from The Scene)

Summer 2007— Paving the Way (from The Scene)

July 18, 2006 - June 18, 2007 — A Year in the Life: Willamette Academy (an continuing story by Sarah J. Evans)

Oct. 10, 2005 — Salem family’s dream lost in son’s death (from the Statesman Journal)

Jul. 22, 2005 — Streams get some TLC (from the Statesman Journal)

Nov. 16, 2004 — Willamette Academy Awarded $75,000

Sep. 1, 2004 — College preparatory program wins grant (from the Statesman Journal)

Feb. 20, 2004 — Classified Staff Supports Willamette Academy (from Inside Willamette)

Oct. 15, 2003 — Mini dose of college (from The Collegian)

Sep. 26, 2003 — WU Program Receives $1 Million (from the Statesman Journal)

Fall 2003— Donation Brings a Million Opportunities (from The Scene)

Mar. 23, 2003 — Blueprints for diversity (from the Statesman Journal)

Feb. 17, 2003 — The Monday Profile: Champion of Diversity (from The Oregonian)

Fall 2002 — Willamette Academy Offiers Bridge to Students of Color (from The Scene)

Aug. 10, 2002 — Two-week camp exposes life in higher education (from the Statesman Journal)

Aug. 9, 2002 — University helps kids make grade for future (from The Oregonian)

Jun. 1, 2001 — Willamette Receives Grants to Establish Programs for Ethnically Diverse Students