2020 Outstanding and Rising Star alumni
A Tradition of Excellence.
We celebrate Clark College alumni who are making significant contributions on the local and world stage, and at Clark. They are leaders. They make substantial contributions to their communities. They produce outstanding achievements. They are truly inspiring people. They are our 2019-2020 he Outstanding Alumni and Rising Star Alumni Award recipients.
The Outstanding Alumni Award recognizes those who deliver exemplary service to the community and Clark College, and exhibit personal and professional achievements. The 2019-2020 recipient are:
Lucy Estrada Guzman ’90. Photo by Harney Elementary School
Lucy Estrada-Guzman ’90
While she was a student at Clark College, Lucy Estrada-Guzman ’90 got a job at Clark County’s Head Start and Early Childhood Education and Assistance program. She realized then she wanted to teach and continued her college studies earning a master’s in education. While serving as an associate principal at Sarah J. Anderson Elementary School, she piloted a dual-language program for kindergarten and first grade. When she became the principal at Harney Elementary School in 2011, she added her expertise to strengthen the region’s first full-immersion dual-language initiative. Watch her video.
Alexis Madrigal ’00. Photo by Alexis Madrigal
Alexis Madrigal ’00
An author and scholar, Alexis Madrigal ’00 attended Clark as a Running Start student, continuing to Harvard University for a degree, magna cum laude, in English. He was a visiting scholar at U.C. Berkeley and a member of Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. Madrigal joined The Atlantic magazine as a writer, eventually serving as tech editor and deputy editor. Madrigal’s first book, “Powering the Dream: The History and Promise of Green Technology” was published in 2011. Watch his video.
Rep. Gina Mosbrucker ’88, R-14. Photo by Washington State House of Representatives
Gina Mosbrucker ’88
The Honorable Gina Mosbrucker ’88 owns and operates small family businesses in her hometown of Goldendale, Wash. In 2014, she ran and won a seat in the 14th District of Washington’s House of Representatives as a Republican. She’s the vice chair of the Republican caucus, the second-highest position in Republican leadership. Mosbrucker is also the ranking Republican on the House Labor and Workplace Standards committee, and serves on the Appropriations committee and the State Government and Tribal Relations committee. Watch her video.
Ophelia Noble ’98. Photo by Ophelia Noble
Ophelia Noble ’98
Ophelia Noble ’98 is a passionate community activist with a background in public health. She founded the Noble Foundation in 2011 to provide communities with outreach, advocacy, community organizing and organizational support. The group speaks out at city council and local town hall meetings, and before others that oppose advances for non-dominant communities. The foundation is continuing its Cross-cultural Narrative Project, capturing authentic community voices in Southwest Washington. Watch her video.
George Oberg ’58 is a 2020 Outstanding alumni recipient. Photo by Jenny Shadley
George Oberg Jr. ’58
George Oberg Jr. ’58 attended Clark after serving in the U.S. Army. His career began at Food Machinery Corporation in 1959 where he worked his way up to become a chemist. In the 1970s, Oberg became active in the gay community, becoming the first president of a group called The Second Foundation. In June 1971, the group launched the first gay pride celebration in Oregon. For 50 years Oberg’s activism helped to shape the LGBTQIA+ movement in the Pacific Northwest. Watch his video.
The Rising Star Award recognizes alumni, aged 35 or younger, who deliver exemplary service to the community and Clark College, and exhibit personal and professional achievements.
Gabe Foster ’12. Photo by Gabe Foster
Gabriel Foster ’12
Gabriel Foster ’12, a deputy prosecutor for Clark County, gives career guidance and develops internships for current students through Clark College Foundation’s Alumni Relations program. He teaches a course at Clark on landlord-tenant law. He also provides pro bono legal aid and training for younger lawyers and law students through the Clark County Volunteer Lawyers program. Watch his video.