AAUW Gresham Area Branch

             Welcome!  Please explore our site - we would love to meet you and have you join us!

A GREAT LINEUP OF PROGRAMS! Our November 23 program featured Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown (pictured at left).  Secretary Brown talked about her commitment to fulfill her campaign promises of restoring integrity in the Oregon initiative process, improving civic engagement of young voters, and performing audits of state agencies.  She also answered questions on online registration, online voting, Common Cause,  and ORESTAR.  We were very honored to welcome this impressive leader to our branch meeting.

Our special guests at the meeting included five students from the Mt. Hood Community College CASS/IALS program: Griega Sambola (Nicaragua), Mariana Sales (Guatemala),  Kattia Perez (Bolivia), Ruth Valderram (Columbia) and Karlin Selington (Nicaragua). They are wonderful young people who are very interested in learning about women in leadership, and we were thrilled to welcome them to our meeting so they could meet Secretary of State Brown.

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT SELECTED  Our branch has a scholarship fund established at Mt. Hood Community College for an outstanding second year student.  This year's recipient is Tatyana Bondarchuk (shown at left with Scholarship Chair Mary Mayer).  Tatyana is a single mom with two children.   When she arrived in the U.S. as a refugee from Russia in 2000, she knew only two words in English – “yes” and “no.”  She worked hard to learn English and get a job.  Tatyana and her children became U.S. citizens.  When she lost her job in 2006, she had an opportunity to go to MHCC, where she is now enrolled in the Mental Health/Human Services program.  Her goal is to work as a mental health counselor with women and children who are victims of domestic violence.  

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Hi!  I'm Tricia Aynes, AAUW Gresham Area Branch President.  I'm glad you've discovered our website, and I hope you'll find it as warm and friendly as we are.  Our branch is located in the north part of Oregon in the shadow of majestic Mount Hood, just minutes away from the stunning Columbia River Gorge and the bustling city of Portland.  Whether you are a newcomer or a long-time resident, we welcome you!  Membership is open to anyone with a two-year college or university degree or higher.

Our branch, founded in 1971, has 95 members.  At the recent April 2009 AAUW Oregon State Convention in Bend, we received the top honor in recognition of our outstanding growth and achievement. Our goal is to reach "110 in 2010."  Our members are a dynamic, multidimensional, professional group of women and men from science, business, education, law, and military backgrounds.  We include residents of Gresham and surrounding cities.  We are actively involved in promoting programs that empower women and encourage success.  Our monthly meetings feature a wide array of interesting speakers who focus on current issues (see our "Meetings" page for more details!).  Members have the opportunity to meet other professionals, expand their horizons, and form lasting friendships.  We provide opportunities to develop leadership and networking skills while offering a balance of activities that combine friendship, learning, and advocacy.  Our involvement includes local, statewide, and national activism.  Join our national AAUW Action Network.

We are committed to community involvement and are active participants in many local programs (see our "public policy" page for more details!).  We are proud members of the Gresham Chamber of Commerce.  Our many social and educational groups offer a chance for members with similar interests to meet regularly to share ideas, interests, and hobbies (see our "groups" page for more details!).  Branch fundraising events and donations promote education for women and girls at both the local and national level.