Alumna Returns to Serve Alma Mater

Rachael Burbank '09

If you had asked me or anyone who knew me freshman year if I would still be at Pacific University now six years later, you’d hear an eruption of snickers and laughter.

Without even visiting campus, and only spending a long weekend in the state of Oregon a few years prior, I took a gamble.

I grew up on Cape Cod in Massachusetts and to defy my parents’ push to attend a university, Pacific was the furthest and only school accepting of me. I had East Coast written all over me: white polo shirt, popped collar, tucked into my cuffed jeans with a pink and chartreuse printed flip-flop patterned belt. I looked like a tourist.

Three years later, and a lot of shredded up transfer paperwork, homesickness, and lasting friendships, I brought my senior year schedule to the registrar office. I kept telling myself, “well, you got through one semester and it wasn’t so bad, just do one more.” Submitting that senior schedule was me finally admitting, “I am a Boxer.”

Something that made me feel like I had a purpose, other than getting an education, was having a job on campus. I was a student worker in the Office of Alumni Relations every year and gradually increased my responsibility into something resume worthy. Some degrees don’t have specific future careers out there to pick from and for a Creative Writing major, I had to be even more creative.

Becoming the Communications Assistant for Alumni Relations, along with interning at university events such as Homecoming and the Masters in Fine Arts of Writing residency, gave more meaning to my degree’s stereotype of adjectives and sonnets. But, and that’s a big but, I wish I did more networking.

I wouldn’t describe myself as shy, but I was intimidated by people who have a stable career. I mean, who was I? Some transplant from the East Coast with no set career path just a thesis filled with essays that had a lot of typos. I was one of many college graduates without a clue.

Most people doubt their career path. Some transfer to new careers, just like majors, because it doesn’t jive with them anymore. That’s normal; there are valuable skills you can learn by taking a gamble. A degree is a specialty, but it’s not everything. Sometimes I forgot that I earned a liberal arts education, not just a Creative Writing degree.

So after bartendering for six years, volunteering at masquerade balls and charity road races, and selling a lot of wedding gowns and tiaras, I have returned back to Forest Grove still with a collared shirt, but it’s black with a red emblem. It’s been fun finding my strengths and weaknesses at dead end jobs, but I’m ready to start my career with non-profit public relations back at Pacific University.

Burbank '09 wrote this as a guest piece of the Pacific Index issue on Feb. 16, 2012. She is the Alumni Relations Coordinator for the Office of Alumni Relations. You can contact her at rburbank@pacificu.edu or 503-352-2969. She also volunteers with a melanoma awareness nonprofit, The Glenna Kohl Fund for Hope: www.glennasfund.org

Preventing Childhood Obesity

Jenna Boundy, PT '12

I had the wonderful opportunity to complete a clinical internship at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. The facility provided a healthy lifestyles clinic where a physical therapist, physician, psychologist and dietician collaborate to provide care for children who are overweight and/or obese. Two of our patients were 10 and 11 year-old sisters. Each weighed around 170 pounds and showed early signs of Type II diabetes.

After my visit with these young girls, I wondered about the future health struggles they will endure over their lifetimes if they do not make changes early. Not yet teenagers, they may have to worry about multiple daily insulin shots. By age 40, they may face peripheral neuropathy, blindness or amputation.

I give a lot of credit to the healthy lifestyles clinic to help overweight/obese children and their families adopt  healthy behaviors. Unfortunately, we are not promoting prevention of childhood obesity at early ages. Obesity at any age can cause cardiovascular disease, many forms of cancer, Type II diabetes and hypertension, all of which will greatly increase medical costs. Being an advocate and a positive role model for your own children and the children in our community is essential. It is the only way we will create change and reduce the obesity epidemic.

Since, 1980 childhood obesity rates have tripled. Currently, 17 percent of children ages 2-19 are obese nationwide (www.cdc.gov). Many overweight children often are not given the opportunity to develop a lifestyle of balanced, healthy meals and physical activity that they enjoy. There are many reasons and barriers why obesity levels have risen over the past 30 years. We can blame it on an abundance of processed foods, a decrease in the physical activity provided in our schools, the increase in screen time and prevalence of sedentary jobs, increase in the cost of food, the decreased time we have to be active and cook healthy meals. The list goes on. The great thing is we have control to solve some of the issues which have led to the high obesity rates, while others provide opportunity for adaption.

Here are some tips to help build a well-rounded healthy lifestyle for you and your family.

• Instead of watching TV every night, go for a family walk. You can always record or watch your show online later. If you live in a neighborhood that is not conducive for family walks, ride your bikes or drive to a school track for some quality exercise time.

• Take the time to cook a nutritious meal. Many websites offer healthy, low-cost recipes that are easy to fix. If you don’t have access to a computer, use the local public library’s computers or check out a cookbook.

• Sit down as a family for dinner time. Multiple studies have shown that eating together as a family not only decreases obesity rates, but can also build a positive support system.

• Limit screen time (TV and computers) to less than 1 hour per day. Evidence shows that increased screen time increases the risk of obesity.

• Decrease the amount of time you sit at work. Stand up to do some of your work and walk during your breaks and lunch.

• Make a contract. Contracts make us accountable for our actions. As a family, sign contracts stating all the realistic changes you want to make in your life.

• Create a reward system. A great family motivator may be a visit to a water park, a family hike or a day trip at the beach. All of these activities are fun and promote a continuation of physical activity.

With the new school year starting, I challenge you to make healthy changes in your life. Not only will you be happier with yourself, you’ll be a great role model for your family and our community. Become a catalyst that will empower others to make changes and decrease the risk of obesity. Just remember to make little changes every day, create realistic goals and be accountable for your actions. Be the change!


Boundy, PT '12 graduated with a doctorate in the physical therapy. After graduation, she plans to work in the realm of orthopaedics and hopes one day to provide low-cost preventive services that will reduce the risk of childhood and adult obesity.

Pharmacy Graduate Uses His Skills to Give Back

Payam Ghorbani, Pharm.D. '11

                                                       The mission of the Tati Tati Foundation is to provide food, educational material, and support to those in need of these services, as well as information regarding graduate programs, career choices, and many other educational disciplines.

Tati Tati fosters learning and academic excellence by working with a variety of individuals. Each of these individuals come from a different cultural and career background, which makes our members so valuable. Our sole purpose is to create a safe, fulfilling, and academically enriching environment for students.

Similar to many others in my profession, I have always wanted to do what I could to help people. I considered every career choice possible that I felt would be rewarding to me, but due to an unfortunate illness that occurred in my family, I was drawn towards the healthcare profession.  Suddenly, my goals were clear to me, and I knew exactly what I wanted to accomplish.



Not long ago, a great opportunity was presented to me. My elder sister, who was at the time completing her rotations in Domincan Republic suggested a community service project for us to participate in. The project involved providing patient assistance and helping out in her hospital in Dominican Republic. Due to the poverty level in the city she was in, an extra set of hands within the hospital could be quite helpful. The experience was rich and rewarding, and only motivated me even more.

In 2009, my siblings and I, along with our dedicated friends founded Tati Tati Foundation meaning step by step. We had a vision of what we wanted this organization to represent. It was to provide healthcare and educational assistance to patients and also continue to educate the next generation of healthcare providers as they are our future. Every step we take makes a difference, even if it’s just one. Step by step, and hand in hand, we have continued with this journey and I am honored to have worked with such great individuals.

I’d like to take the rest of this blog post, to thank the people that made this dream come true--Aram Ghorbani, Pharm.D. Candidate; Elham Ghorbani, M.D.; Raman Dadayan, Pharm.D.; Pejman Mesdaghi, Pharm.D.; Tu Nguyen, Pharm.D.; Raphael Resto Vazquez, M.D.; Samuel martinez Jimenez, M.D.; Ebuwa Joy Obaski, M.D. Candidate.
 www.tatitati.org

University Fundraiser Encourages Pacific Students Involvement

Denise Banh

If you had asked me when I first started college what I wanted to do with my life, I had two answers: a CEO for a high powered company or a housewife. Yes, yes, I know those things are not even remotely related, but I guess when you first start out you really have no idea what you actually want to do. Now, it’s more than four years later and I find myself as the Annual Giving & Alumni Relations Coordinator at this fine institution. Am I disappointed I’m not headed in the direction of either of my original choices? Not even a little bit.

In my freshman year of college I applied to work at the Phonathon at my now alma mater. Sexy headsets, tons of snacks, and the highest paying job on campus? I was down. But, sometime in the following four years, something happened. Working for the Phonathon wasn’t about my hourly wage and on-job perks anymore. I was doing something greater than myself. I was making a difference. Now, I know that sounds exceptionally cheesy but it’s true. I fell in love with philanthropy.

What is philanthropy? Ask me that four years ago and I could have presented you some vague definition probably not worthy of print. That’s something I’ve slowly learned through the years. Philanthropy comes in many forms and manifests differently for each person. Etymologically it means the love of humanity. But, let me tell you what it means to me. Philanthropy is the desire to better mankind, to better the life of at least one person. And I’m not talking about world changing, barrier crushing, world peace kind of betterment but the philanthropy that reaches people on an everyday level. Although, if you could find a way to bring world peace to fruition, that would be great too. It can be a monetary contribution to a cause you believe in, time spent supporting the causes close to your heart, donations of supplies and equipment for those who are without. The possibilities are endless. You just have to find the right fit.

Now, I’m not saying that being a CEO or a housewife would not allow me to lead a philanthropic life, but I realized that my passions are now elsewhere. At Pacific, 93 percent of students receive financial aid. A part of those funds come from generous gifts from alumni, parents and friends of this University. I love that I can say that my job (along with my amazing team) is to work every day to make that happen. Education is the cause closest to my heart and that is where I found my fit.

An element of philanthropy I would like to highlight is the importance of being involved. My family is Chinese but both my parents were born in Vietnam. During the war, they left Vietnam and became citizens of the United States. More than 20 years later, my dad recently decided to move back to Vietnam and I couldn’t really understand why. He said, “It’s lonely in the US. People drive in their own cars, to their own offices, and return to their own homes. It’s lonely.” A couple years ago I had the amazing opportunity to study for a semester in Vietnam and I understood what he meant. Apart from the fact that the density of people in Vietnam far outnumbers that of Portland, there was a greater sense of involvement among the people. You knew everything about your neighbors, you leant a hand when they were in need, you almost did not have the choice to be lonely. There was a greater sense of community among the people and I found that to be an amazing thing.

What I love about Pacific is that there is already a great sense of community among the students, faculty, staff, and other community members. But, we can always be more involved. Looking back, I definitely wish I was more involved at my college. Talking with other students in my graduating class, I realized I missed out on so many opportunities to not only make a difference at the school though governance but I also missed the opportunity to get to know the other people in the community. 

The world is filled with almost 7 billion people. It would be impossible to know everyone, but there’s absolutely no harm in trying. I am a fairly well traveled individual and the number of amazing people I’ve met around the world surprises me every time I think about it. The number of breathtaking experiences those people have brought me means the world to me. Sometimes I forget that there are just as many amazing people in my immediate community and those people also have amazing experiences to offer.

So, take it from me. Be more involved on campus, join a club, meet new people, gain new experiences, take everything this world has to offer but never forget to give back.

Banh is the Alumni Relations and Annual Giving Coordinator at Pacific University. She oversees the Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow student group and Phonathon. She can be contacted at denish.banh@pacificu.edu or 503-352-2969.

Alumnus Gives Back as Student Psychologist

Jeff Guardalabene, MS '99, Psy.D. '01

These days, I spend my time as a staff psychologist in Pacific's Student Counseling Center. I love my job. I love working with students, love my co-workers, love being on campus. I graduated with my doctorate in clinical psychology in 2001, and I've considered myself part of the Pacific family ever since I enrolled in 1996. My time here, however, no matter how cherished it has been, has really been the result of random chance and the most careless career planning in the history of employment. When I sit down with a student who is agonizing over a class-scheduling choice, or wondering whether to switch majors, I can't help but think back to how I got here. I think about The Phone Call That Changed Everything.

In 1986 the Mets were being amazin' again, the Reagan Era was sputtering to a finish, and I was working in a small public TV station in Medford and wondering what the heck I was going to do with my life. I'd tried college on and off for the last decade. I'd held jobs of all kinds, from managing a fast-food place to working in a lumber mill and everything in between. And I mean everything. At one point I made my daily bread by keeping an eye on (read: sleeping in my car) a stack of wooden pallets during a summer arson spree. I worked at a car wash. I hit the "pause" button on a rich guy's VCR during the Winter Olympics one year. Everything.

One day at work, the phone rang just as I was getting off shift at the TV station. I hesitated to answer it, not being the hardest-working guy in show business at that time. But, on a whim, I picked it up. It was a guy looking for someone "who knew how to use a camera," as he was shooting a low-budget movie. I volunteered. We made the movie. That summer, I went to LA to get paid for making the movie, unleashing the chain of events that led me where I am today, typing up this post.

In rapid (and not-so-rapid) succession, the following things resulted from that phone call. I met up with a friend in LA. After one particularly long evening of celebrating our aimlessness we agreed to sell everything we owned and move to Portland, where my sister lived and ostensibly waited for us to come mooch off of her. I had forgotten all about our plans by the next morning. He hadn't. I got a call from him a week later, letting me know that he had sold everything he owned and was on his way up I-5. I responded to my panic by selling everything I owned and quitting my job. We moved to Portland, slept on a few couches, got a place, found jobs. I worked in TV for the next decade, growing tired of it, and decided to finish my bachelor's degree. That wasn't enough. I applied to grad school. If I'd have known how remote my chances were, I'd have never applied. But I was blissfully ignorant, and was accepted to Pacific's School of Professional Psychology.

Five years later, I graduated. Seven years after that, I heard of an opening in the Counseling Center by complete chance. There were just a few days left in the job posting. I applied. Had I known how many applicants there were for the job, I may have never even tried. I got the job.

Some days, when I'm sitting with a student and they're writhing with stress, trying to figure out a big decision, I tell them that sometimes the biggest decisions are the ones we never give much thought. You know, like whether or not to pick up the phone.

Guardalabene is a staff psychologist in the Pacific Counseling Center. He is also a regular blogger. Check out his blog at drjeffblog.blogspot.com.

Old Stories, New Dreams

Tonya Macalino '96

As a novelist, I’ve always believed that integrating the folk stories of the past into our future-facing lives makes them richer, more meaningful—a glass of nuanced wine as opposed to a bottle of syrupy grape juice. As such, I am forever looking for patterns in the stories people tell me, looking for ways to intertwine them and create something new.

In the course of developing my writing career, I ran into a pattern in my own story.

The rejections grew kinder, the critiques less bloody every year. But on the submissions front, the speculative fiction agents and publishing houses grew fewer; the major bookstores teetered more violently with the passing of those same years. And the ereaders started showing up in the hands of Trimet commuters.

I saw the pattern, but what did it mean for my writing career?

So like any good researcher these days, I got on the Internet. More patterns: Amazon buys Createspace, the print-on-demand house; develops its own Kindle’s direct publishing platform. Barnes & Noble follows suit with its Nook direct publishing platform. But that was self-publishing! That was vanity press for suckers and the self-delusional! No, my life-long goal was the lofty validation of the industry powerhouses.

And then I saw the first established author jump ship, abandoning their publisher to go it alone. Others followed. Another pattern. Ebook sales had begun to overtake print. These authors asked questions that had already been whispering in my ear: Why earn twenty-five cents a book when you could be earning two dollars (or more)? Why relinquish creative control to a publisher? Why resign yourself to disappointing cover art? Between ebooks and print-on-demand, those questions grew in power.

But wait! I demanded. You people already have the audiences your publishers built for you. You’re cheating!

More pattern: Most first time authors handle all their own marketing. And many of these authors never make it past the first book, because of an outdated print-run model favored by the publishing industry. They never have the chance to develop the audience they may very well deserve.

It took time, but eventually I conceded that future technology had layered over the landscape on which I’d built my dreams. It had placed a new setting on an old story. It would call on me to bring to bear my old mythology of communications and events manager, project coordinator, and entrepreneur on a story that I had once thought would simply unfold before me, guided by hands greater than my own.

I guess I should have known better.

And I think I like it better this way.

Macalino '96 studied creative writing and philosophy at Pacific University. For all her upcoming readings and books you can reach her at www.facebook.com/TonyaMacalino and at www.tonyamacalino.com.

Pacific Graduate Helps the Developmentally Disabled

Sasha (Storm) Vidales '03

With a BA in Psychology, an almost-completed MBA under my belt, and a lay-off ahead of me, I knew it was time for a career change. Anticipating my lay off, I had started looking for work, but was frustrated by the lack of interesting and challenging jobs. I decided to start my own company.

Having worked in social services for over a decade, I envisioned an organization which did things differently: working with clients’ intrinsic motivation, integrating technology and multi-media learning, and providing services in natural community-based settings. These ideas came together as I opened Creative Goal Solutions, an organization providing motivation, education and training to adults with developmental disabilities. While many services focus on the use of behaviorism, I have decided to focus more heavily on motivational strategies and multi-sensory learning to achieve results. In a short time, I have noticed very encouraging results from this approach.

The process of starting my own company has been an exciting way to combine my education in Psychology and my recent MBA with my diverse experience. In developing programming and curriculum, I am able to “test” the psychological and business theory I learned through both educational programs.

Currently, I offer four programs to clients. The Community Involvement Program engages clients in their communities through volunteerism, physical activity, and neighborhood exploration. Education focuses on social skills, community navigation, and strengthening community ties. I offer an RSVP program which allows clients to engage in evening and weekend community activities which fit their schedule. The Self-Employment in the Creative Arts program (SECA) provides visual artists, musicians and writers, and crafts the training, networking and technical assistance they need to be self-employed artists. Finally, Independent Living classes educate clients on all the topics they need to live successfully on their own. From Small Appliance Cooking and Basic Home Repair to Conversation Skills and Sexual Health and relationship topics, we arm clients with the information, confidence, and motivation to achieve independence.

Three weeks after opening my doors, I employed two Skills Trainers and am at full client capacity,  and am looking to expand soon. In a job market with sometimes limited opportunities, it has been highly rewarding to venture out on my own. I look forward to the challenge and possibilities of this new adventure.

Vidales '03 studied psychology at Pacific University and earned and MBA from Marylhurst in 2011. For more information, visit www.creativegoalsolutions.org

Pacific's Class Trip to Vancouver BC: Year 21

Stephanie Haugen '12

A couple weeks ago, I returned from Vancouver BC with a new excitement for continuing my education and the possibilities for my chosen career path.

I participated in Pacific’s photography field class in its 21^st year. The intense week-long workshop was more valuable that I could have ever anticipated. I learned so much in that one week—as much as I could’ve learned in an entire semester.

While in Vancouver, we got to experience A LOT. These experiences were both fun and eye-opening. The week we spent in Vancouver BC was intense. We started early and ended late. We shot all day, and uploaded and edited our photos when we returned to our rooms at night. Upon our arrival, most of us were shocked by the size and atmosphere of the University of British Columbia, where we were going to be staying. In stark contrast to Pacific, UBC is big and bustling, looks like a city, and is located right on the coast. It was educational to be able to experience college life in such a startlingly different way. In that week, we all got a taste for what it would be like to attend a university that is opposite to Pacific in many ways.

The next day was a full day. We visited the Buddhist temple and the Japanese gardens. Both were beautiful and educational in their own ways. Both offered a look into another culture while providing the opportunity to take great photographs.

Throughout our trip, we visited more tourist destinations including the Bloedel Floral Conservatory where we photographed exotic birds and flowers, and the Museum of Anthropology where we got to see and take pictures of ancient artwork.

We also visited Stanley Park, where we waited until it got dark, looked across the water and photographed the Vancouver skyline. While we perfected our nighttime photography skills, we also bonded with each other and viewed the breathtaking city from another angle.

My favorite parts of the trip were the spur-of-the-moment ones. We went to Granville Island where the indoor market, resembling Seattle’s Pike Place, bustles with people and the flavor of different foods, products and cultures. The market opens up onto the docks where seagulls fly and beg for scraps of food, families eat their market meals, street musicians sing (in French when we happened to be there), and brightly colored water taxis take customers from dock to dock. The joy of the market shows on everybody’s face, making them prime photographic subjects.

Each individual had their own favorite stops, but I think all of us left with new photography skills and an appreciation for each others’ talents.My trip to Vancouver BC will always stand out as one of my favorite and most influential memories from my time at Pacific University.

Haugen '12 has worked in the Office of Alumni Relations as the Communications Assistant and is an editor for the student newspaper, The Pacific Index. She studied journalism at Pacific.