Category: Alumni Profiles

Breaking the Cycle

Randi Ross

Randi Ross, BS ‘21 Family and Human Services, is passionate about child abuse prevention. Her personal experience as a survivor led to her pursuing a degree at the UO to serve the community as a social worker, but she discovered a love of research and prevention and will graduate this year with a master’s in Prevention Science. 

Randi and her four daughters struggled to find their way forward in the aftermath of an abusive marriage. She had suffered abuse before her marriage and was determined to end the cycle for her family. As Randi and her family began to recover, she considered going back to school.    

“My family went through a lot of trauma. I wasn’t able to go to school for a long time, due to the intensity of it. I was concerned with healing myself and my kids and doing what I could to keep us all safe and healthy. School was put on the back burner for quite a long time.” 

Randi studied at Lane Community College before applying to the UO. When asked why she chose to come here, she reminisced about her connection to Eugene and to the UO. 

“I found this picture of me when my older girls were babies, and we were walking near Autzen Stadium. I was making the ‘O’ with my hands. I saw that picture and I remembered dreaming about being able to go to the University of Oregon one day. I never thought that it would become reality. I had kids at a young age, and I was a single mom. I was financially supporting them on my own. When I saw that picture, it reminded me that even if it doesn’t seem like that dream is reachable, if you work hard, if you feel that that’s what you want to do, you will do it.” 

 Randi initially thought she would pursue work in direct intervention, and social work seemed like the right path, so she chose the Family and Human Services major. However, her experience working with 90by30, an initiative of the Center for the Prevention of Abuse and Neglect at the COE, led her to focus on prevention rather than intervention. 

“I hadn’t ever heard about 90by30, which shocked me because it hits very close to home. Right away, I knew that this line of work was where my heart was. When I started working with 90by30, I realized that this is exactly where I should be.” 

Mentorship from COE faculty, particularly Jeff Todahl, PhD, was crucial to her success at the COE. 

“If I could give one piece of advice it would be: find somebody in your faculty that can help guide you through your education. It’s a huge piece of the puzzle. I truly believe that just having someone who believes in you, is cheering for you, and rooting for you makes a huge difference.  

“I connected with Jeff and told him that I wanted to gain as much knowledge, wisdom, and experience from him as I could. He’s an incredible human. He supported and guided me through the college process.” 

Jeff spoke glowingly of Randi as well. 

“Randi is a remarkable combination of intelligence, persistence, and resilience. She has drawn from her own life experiences and her education at the UO to skillfully elevate youth voices, honor trauma survivors, and inspire action-taking throughout Lane County. She leads by example.” 

Jeff also helped Randi discover that research is more than facts and figures.  

“I didn’t think I liked research at all. When Jeff suggested that I apply to the Prevention Science Program, I thought ‘you’ve got to be kidding me.’ I didn’t really know what research was and I thought research was just sitting behind a desk and crunching numbers. I love people. I want to be working with people, so when I got to listen to some of the interviews that were being conducted as part of the research for the Stewards of Children curriculum, I realized I love research.” 

Randi reflected on how her personal struggles changed her trajectory and led her to her work with 90by30. 

“It’s why I have so much passion for the work that I’m doing, because I’ve been there, and I’ve experienced it. It’s a big piece of my story. Obviously, I wish that certain things hadn’t happened to my family, but I wouldn’t be where I am today or who I am today without it. I don’t want anyone to ever have to go through even a hundredth of what my family had to go through.” 

When asked what she wishes people understood better about how to help those who have experienced abuse and neglect find support and heal, Randi had a few suggestions. 

“One of the first things that comes to mind is that everyone experiences it differently. You can have multiple kids in the same household that were exposed to the same thing but have completely different outcomes. 

“They need to be supported, both parents and kids. They need to know that you hear them and that you’re there. They need to be believed, and they need to be heard, and they need to be validated. Growth and healing depend on having someone believe in them. 

“It’s about being aware and not being judgmental. There were many times that I remember needing help and feeling like I had to prove that I’m not a drug addict, or I’m not a bad mom. There was always this stigma that it’s your fault that you need this help. Everybody was quick to judge. Shame is the last thing a parent needs when they’re trying to raise their kids while healing through their trauma. They are already haunted by their own guilt.” 

Acknowledging the importance of aiding families and children after abuse occurs, Randi firmly believes that child abuse prevention is urgently needed, and that we must discuss abuse openly to confront it head-on. 

“How are we ever going to end all this if we don’t discuss it? It’s so hush-hush. We need to make it okay to talk about it, or we’re going to be in the same position 20 years from now. 

“If we’re going to prevent child abuse, we’re going to need to go upstream and work with the youth who have experienced it. If we start working with them now, then by the time they’re adults they’ve had more protective factors put in place before they get to be parents. We can help stop that cycle.” 

Randi was recently hired as the South Lane Regional Leadership Team Coordinator in Cottage Grove, where she coordinates outreach and volunteer efforts to raise awareness about child abuse prevention. She’s also looking forward to assisting with the Oregon Child Abuse Prevalence Study, which Jeff Todahl calls “the gold standard for child abuse prevalence and climate-level prevention measurement.” CPAN researchers have been working since 2018 to determine the current rates of child abuse and neglect in Oregon so that policymakers can understand the depth of the problem and prevention efforts can measure their impact on rates of child abuse and neglect. Additional funding from the Oregon Legislature, announced last month, will allow CPAN and their partners to extend the scope of the study to the entire state of Oregon. 

Even with her considerable accomplishments, Randi measures her success by her ability to be a role model for her children. 

“I’ve had trials, successes, failures, and a lot of pain, but I just kept fighting. My greatest gift is to show my kids that you can go through an immense amount of trauma and have the world against you, and you can still persevere. I think I’ve set a good example for my kids.” 

Passing the Torch

Melaney Grenz

For Melaney Grenz, MS ’99 Communication Disorders and Sciences, the mentorship that she received from teachers and professors gave her the confidence to pursue her dream and become a speech pathologist. Now, having spent over twenty years in the field, she mentors current students in the program, passing on the legacy of those who helped her achieve her dreams.

Melaney was inspired to work with children because of her sixth-grade teacher Mrs. Kelly.

“My sixth-grade teacher, Mrs. Kelly, absolutely changed my life. I grew up in a very humble environment. Both my parents were high school dropouts. There were a lot of things stacked against me in life. She invested a lot of time in me. That’s why I am where I am and have the confidence that I do.”

When Melaney came to the UO, McKay Sohlberg, PhD, became her advisor. Support from McKay and other professors at the COE helped Melaney persevere through academic challenges.

“I remember taking a statistics class and I was absolutely stumped on a couple of projects. The professors didn’t belittle or berate me. They would ask what I needed. Roland Good, PhD, came to the computer lab with me and walked me through a project. He wanted me to succeed, but he wasn’t going to do the project for me. That’s a testimony to what a fabulous educator he was.”

“The mentors that we are fortunate to meet in our lives, the McKay Sohlbergs and the Mrs. Kelly’s, take the time to mold the next generation to truly leave a legacy.”

Melaney would have struggled financially if not for a life-changing scholarship.

“I got an amazing, full-ride scholarship to the UO. That was a gift, because my parents couldn’t afford tuition. It changed the trajectory of my life.”

The scholarship Melaney received required working in local schools with low-socioeconomic status. She worked in the Lebanon School District to fulfill the requirement. She praised the variety of practicum options available to CDS students and the professors’ practical experience in the field.

“There were so many options. You can go to Oregon Health Sciences University; you can go to the veterans’ hospitals. That’s on-the-job training. You see gunshot wounds coming in. You see rare genetic syndromes coming through the door. Every day, it’s like nothing you learned before.”

“I also appreciate that my professors had videos of clients that they had worked with. I think sometimes people think professors don’t have any practical world life experience, but I didn’t see that at the UO. Everybody had real life experiences. They gave me these wonderful tools to help me when I went out in the field.”

When Melaney graduated in 1999, work found her. She was approached to start a private practice, and continues that practice to this day, 21 years later. She has taken on other roles as well, working in local schools and at the UO Center on Brain Injury Research and Training as a project manager.

Melaney is troubled by the lack of teachers and speech pathologists in the field and wants to encourage students to pursue those career paths.

“Many teachers have left the field. Being an educator is an amazing and rewarding occupation. We need lifelong teachers that are invested and dedicated. I want to attract people that are invested in kids.”

Melaney speaks to graduate students in the CDS program about their career opportunities post-graduation and serves as a mentor. She wants to encourage those students to think holistically about the field.

“What I wanted to impart to the graduate students was that you need to work as a team member. How do we look outside our box and find the things that are going to help this kid succeed?”

Her emphasis on a team approach to clinical service comes directly from McKay, who required that Melaney take a counseling class to understand how other disciplines are important to patient care. She was initially skeptical but learned to approach her work in a different way.

“It was one of the greatest classes I ever took. My approach to counseling a patient had been to approach it as a problem that you could solve. Not everybody processes the same way.”

Melaney praises the opportunities available at the HEDCO Clinic to collaborate with other practicum students and learn about other services offered there.

“I appreciate bringing together all the disciplines together in the HEDCO Clinic. Ultimately, you’re going to have to work together on a team, whether that’s medical, school, or private. We all collaborate on what this patient needs.”

After decades of service in the field, you might think Melaney would be ready to retire, but she is instead seeking to have a greater impact, whether through her efforts at mentoring students, her work as a regional liaison for the Oregon Department of Education’s Regional Inclusive Services, or her advocacy for disabled students in Oregon.

“I don’t see the day that I leave speech pathology. I will probably work a little less and work on my golf game a little more, but I’ll never give up speech pathology.”

“Oregon Changed My Life”

Alison Cerezo

“Oregon changed my life. I’m grateful that I went there for graduate school.”

Alison Cerezo, PhD ’09 Counseling Psychology, is rooted in their community. So, when it came time to choose their discipline, counseling psychology was a natural choice because of its approach to mental health.

“Given that I used to be involved in community organizing, I knew that I needed something that was rooted in social justice. Counseling psychology is invested in understanding how one’s ecological context impacts their access to resources and impacts their health. It’s not focused on the individuals and their problems, but more so on how the individual is able to navigate a world that isn’t fair.”

Mentorship from Benedict McWhirter helped Alison develop the confidence to become a researcher.

“Oftentimes, we see these tropes about who fits as a researcher. Even though I had a master’s degree in research methods and came to the UO with a lot of experience in statistical analysis, I still didn’t see myself as a researcher. Benedict was always a champion of mine. He helped me see what I was capable of and encouraged me to pursue research. He put me on the path to explore what academia could be for me.”

As an associate professor at University of California, Santa Barbara, Alison also runs the Social and Health Equity Lab at UCSB and Healing Space, the latter is a training clinic created in response to the racial trauma that came to the forefront in the summer of 2020.

“Our department at the University of California, Santa Barbara developed a clinic to help our Black students train together to serve the Black community in the Central Coast. I’m the inaugural director of our small clinic but we recently got a grant to bring in tenure track faculty members. My hope is that it becomes a springboard for younger Black faculty to thrive in their careers.”

Alison’s research delves into intersectional stress and discrimination and resulting health disparities in Latinx and Black LGBTQIA+ communities. They recently became the lead strategy evaluator for a statewide initiative in California that awards grants to community nonprofits to build their own research and evaluation capacity to provide direct services for the LGBTQIA+ community. Minoritized LGBTQIA+ individuals are less likely to seek out medical care and the statewide program seeks to increase access to preventative care services. Alison hopes that the program can become a model for similar initiatives across the country and prove that improving access to preventative care is a sound economic approach as well.

Alison thinks that the initiative is also providing a tangible effect among the nonprofits that serve these communities.

“More than anything, I’m excited to put money in the accounts of organizations who are already doing great work on the ground. The people who face the most disparately negative issues are also the people with less resources. Supporting them to gain research and evaluation skills will help them become competitive for funds that keep their doors open to continue to do that good work. I want to help them reach a larger audience and build their research capacity.”

Alison wants others to see how counseling psychology emphasizes a community-based approach in research and practice.

“I think counseling psychology has the capacity to think about health equity in a way that is very community centered. We learned the skills to help build community resilience. Counseling psychology gave me the theory, but it also gave me the clinical and research skills to do that.”

Alison recently gave a keynote address at the American Psychological Association’s Convention in Minneapolis. They saw it as an opportunity to share their unique perspective and encourage first-generation, LGBTQIA+ students of color like theirself to pursue research.

“It’s meaningful for somebody from inner city Los Angeles to be presenting at the conference. My take home message is that there’s nothing remarkable about me. I’m just like so many other kids from my neighborhood. If given the opportunity, they could also be doing wonderful things, but so few people are given opportunities. We need to understand that skills and talent are abundant in inner cities, they just haven’t had exposure to some of the educational resources that I have.”

Family is Everything

Rene Cabrera

For Rene Cabrera, MS ’22 School Psychology, family is everything. He sees his accomplishments as a reflection on the hard work of his parents, who were immigrants from Mexico.

“I love what I do. I’m achieving a master’s, which is great, but to me, it’s more for my parents and all the work they’ve done to be in this country. It means a lot to me, but it means more for me to be able to tell them that thanks to you, I was able to achieve this.”

Rene started as an accounting major at St. John’s University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree, but soon realized he didn’t want to be behind a desk. That’s when he discovered school psychology. Professor Richard Wielkiewicz, PhD, inspired him to major in psychology and to apply for a master’s program in school psychology. Rene knew he wanted to be closer to family, so he explored his options in Oregon. He “always wanted to be a Duck” but wasn’t sure if that was possible for financial reasons. Scholarships helped Rene ease the burden on his family.

“Scholarships have had a significant impact. I come from a family of immigrants. My dad finished third grade and my mom finished middle school. They’re not familiar with the school system or how to apply for financial aid. They were doing their best to try to help us. It brought them to tears to know that it wasn’t going to be something they had to carry.”

Rene is currently living with family in Medford as he completes his internship in the Phoenix-Talent School District. He’s working with elementary school students there, many of whom are English language learners (ELLs). He’s noticed that ELLs are over-diagnosed with learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorder because of cultural and language differences. Rene’s own personal experience as an ELL has been valuable in empathizing with students and families facing these challenges.

“Our household always spoke Spanish. I had two vocabularies. The same number of words were divided between two languages. It’s been a challenge to help everyone understand that immigrants are still trying to acquire the language. There are kids that truly do have learning disabilities, but other kids are just developing differently. In my school district two of the schools have around 50% Latinx population. We’re educating ourselves to recognize the difference between a language acquisition issue and a disability. I’ve been focusing on closing that gap in teacher and school district knowledge, but also making sure students get the help they need.”

Since Rene is fluent in Spanish, he’s been performing Spanish-language assessments for the school district. He’s working to remedy inequality in assessment to address norms based solely on the backgrounds of white students.

“Assessments are normed for white Americans. There are differences in what is typical for an African American, Latinx, or Asian student. We must be conscious of that so we’re not mislabeling students. It’s our job to do the most thorough assessments and make sure that we’re presenting accurate information to every family.”

Faculty at the COE have been pivotal in helping Rene learn how to perform these assessments. He singled out Angie Whalen, PhD, and Geovanna Rodriguez, PhD, as being positive influences during his time as a student.

“Angie has been amazing. She has been open and receptive to helping us through a difficult time with COVID. Our program had to adjust, as many did. Geovanna has been a great mentor as well. It was her first year as a faculty member when I started. She also moved here from the Midwest, so we were able to share some of those experiences and build a relationship.”

Rene is looking forward to his career post-graduation and has accepted a position at the Phoenix-Talent School District, but he’s considering earning a PhD in the future.

“My plan is to be in the field of school psychology in public education for five years, and then maybe take a step back and reevaluate to see if this is still the place where I can be most effective. Maybe I will get my doctoral degree in school psychology or a related field, if I can make a bigger impact in my community that way.”

Creating a Supportive Space for Future Teachers

Marty Wilder and Seth Lake

Marty Wilder, MEd ’11 Curriculum and Teaching, was teaching high school when a student called upon LGBTQIA+ teachers to “come out of the closet” and be positive role models to their students. Marty, a trans man, saw this as a wakeup call, causing him to reevaluate his approach to his identity in the classroom.

“Coming into education for the first time, I thought the focus should be on the students; my story shouldn’t matter. I subscribed to the idea that the teacher is supposed to be a neutral influence, that we’re not supposed to push an agenda. But telling my story is just as important. You can be yourself and that’s not going to brainwash anybody. All the students are also vibrant, colorful beings and being inclusive is all about making a space where they can be themselves.”

Marty credits mentorship with his success both in the UOTeach program and in his teaching career. The mentorship he received from Julie Heffernan, PhD, the director of the master’s program, and from the affinity groups that supported marginalized students and staff, were pivotal in his time there. Because of that experience he now gives back to students in UOTeach as an affinity group mentor.

UOTeach student Seth Lake (class of 2022) is one of the students Marty is mentoring in the affinity groups. Seth said the affinity groups have been invaluable in building community with other students in their cohort and with alumni already teaching in the area.

“It’s important that all underserved groups build bridges and links with one another. It’s good to be able to share a meal with people and chat. It’s also good to have the advisors there because they have a lot of experience and perspectives that they’re able to share with us.”

Seth expressed appreciation for their pre-service teaching practicum and cooperating teacher.

“It’s been incredibly positive. I have a solid relationship with my cooperating teacher, everyone is supportive. It’s helped make the learning process easier. I learn theory at school and then go to the classroom and make a seamless connection between them.”

Meanwhile, Marty values his experiences as a cooperative teacher mentoring UOTeach students, particularly when he can mentor LGBTQIA+ teachers like himself.

“As a cooperating teacher, I mentored a pre-service teacher who was nonbinary. I saw how their use of the title Mx. mirrored the way Ms. was introduced when I was growing up. I saw how much struggle women went through to gain the right to say that they deserve respect in the workplace. Now, I see people come into the workplace and say they deserve respect regardless of their gender identity. I thought that was revolutionary. I wanted to support that and so I, too, adopted the title Mx.” 

It’s clear to both Marty and Seth that supportive groups such as UOTeach’s program are particularly important as teachers face the unique challenges of the pandemic.

They were candid about the difficulties they faced personally and professionally. Marty has taken a hiatus from teaching to focus on his family after his younger child’s daycare shut down.

“When the pandemic shut everything down, that shut down our daycare. At first, my wife and I worked it out so that one of us had all our classes in the morning and one of our classes in the afternoon so we could trade off childcare duties. However, it quickly became apparent that we needed somebody to be dedicated and focused on the kids, so we decided that I would go on hiatus.”

Marty is just as concerned about students who are facing social isolation during the pandemic.

“The first thing that hit me when they moved to remote instruction was there were all these students whose identities were embraced in their social network but lived in a home that was not ready to accept who they are. It has been difficult for them to break through that isolation.”

As Seth has been doing pre-service teaching at Kelly Middle School in Eugene, they believe students’ behavioral issues have arisen because of the pandemic.

“I’ve seen a lot of growth in the students at my school over the course of the year, but since our students were out of school for two years, it’s has been rough. I have noticed behavioral issues. Just today, three different students used hate speech and I had to have restorative dialogue with them about it.”

Seth wants to bring their experience as a pre-service teacher into a local school, becoming a social studies teacher in Eugene or Springfield. They said they hope to teach at Kelly Middle School, where they have been serving as a pre-service teacher.

“Kelly Middle School is focused on restorative justice and not punishment. That aligns with UOTeach values and my personal values. It’s been great to be able to learn about that in school and then be able to see it applied immediately.”

Locally, Seth has been working to strengthen and support the LGBTQIA+ community. They founded a nonprofit, Queer Eugene, to build a safe space for LGBTQIA+ folks in the area, a space they eventually hope to grow into a physical center. The nonprofit has organized clothing swaps and other events and provides resources on their website.

Meanwhile, Marty has continued to serve as a mentor both at UO and in other support groups and has spoken on panels and at conferences. He is looking forward to speaking at a national conference about creating inclusive classrooms.

Marty is also glad to hear from students in the affinity programs that there has been a lot of progress since his time as a teacher.

“It’s exciting for me to get to work with the people that are doing that pre-service teaching. It’s a wonderful opportunity. I think every school building should provide space for staff to form affinity groups.”

“From a generational perspective, I have a longer view than the students. I’ve seen how much progress we’ve made. All the political waves go back and forth, but we have to make sure that it’s not a tsunami, that it doesn’t go too far. We have to continue to push closer to justice.”

Breaking the Cycle

Randi Ross

Randi Ross, BS ‘21 Family and Human Services, is passionate about child abuse prevention. Her personal experience as a survivor led to her pursuing a degree at the UO to serve the community as a social worker, but she discovered a love of research and prevention and will graduate this year with a master’s in Prevention Science. 

Randi and her four daughters struggled to find their way forward in the aftermath of an abusive marriage. She had suffered abuse before her marriage and was determined to end the cycle for her family. As Randi and her family began to recover, she considered going back to school.    

“My family went through a lot of trauma. I wasn’t able to go to school for a long time, due to the intensity of it. I was concerned with healing myself and my kids and doing what I could to keep us all safe and healthy. School was put on the back burner for quite a long time.” 

Randi studied at Lane Community College before applying to the UO. When asked why she chose to come here, she reminisced about her connection to Eugene and to the UO. 

“I found this picture of me when my older girls were babies, and we were walking near Autzen Stadium. I was making the ‘O’ with my hands. I saw that picture and I remembered dreaming about being able to go to the University of Oregon one day. I never thought that it would become reality. I had kids at a young age, and I was a single mom. I was financially supporting them on my own. When I saw that picture, it reminded me that even if it doesn’t seem like that dream is reachable, if you work hard, if you feel that that’s what you want to do, you will do it.” 

 Randi initially thought she would pursue work in direct intervention, and social work seemed like the right path, so she chose the Family and Human Services major. However, her experience working with 90by30, an initiative of the Center for the Prevention of Abuse and Neglect at the COE, led her to focus on prevention rather than intervention. 

“I hadn’t ever heard about 90by30, which shocked me because it hits very close to home. Right away, I knew that this line of work was where my heart was. When I started working with 90by30, I realized that this is exactly where I should be.” 

Mentorship from COE faculty, particularly Jeff Todahl, PhD, was crucial to her success at the COE. 

“If I could give one piece of advice it would be: find somebody in your faculty that can help guide you through your education. It’s a huge piece of the puzzle. I truly believe that just having someone who believes in you, is cheering for you, and rooting for you makes a huge difference.  

“I connected with Jeff and told him that I wanted to gain as much knowledge, wisdom, and experience from him as I could. He’s an incredible human. He supported and guided me through the college process.” 

Jeff spoke glowingly of Randi as well. 

“Randi is a remarkable combination of intelligence, persistence, and resilience. She has drawn from her own life experiences and her education at the UO to skillfully elevate youth voices, honor trauma survivors, and inspire action-taking throughout Lane County. She leads by example.” 

Jeff also helped Randi discover that research is more than facts and figures.  

“I didn’t think I liked research at all. When Jeff suggested that I apply to the Prevention Science Program, I thought ‘you’ve got to be kidding me.’ I didn’t really know what research was and I thought research was just sitting behind a desk and crunching numbers. I love people. I want to be working with people, so when I got to listen to some of the interviews that were being conducted as part of the research for the Stewards of Children curriculum, I realized I love research.” 

Randi reflected on how her personal struggles changed her trajectory and led her to her work with 90by30. 

“It’s why I have so much passion for the work that I’m doing, because I’ve been there, and I’ve experienced it. It’s a big piece of my story. Obviously, I wish that certain things hadn’t happened to my family, but I wouldn’t be where I am today or who I am today without it. I don’t want anyone to ever have to go through even a hundredth of what my family had to go through.” 

When asked what she wishes people understood better about how to help those who have experienced abuse and neglect find support and heal, Randi had a few suggestions. 

“One of the first things that comes to mind is that everyone experiences it differently. You can have multiple kids in the same household that were exposed to the same thing but have completely different outcomes. 

“They need to be supported, both parents and kids. They need to know that you hear them and that you’re there. They need to be believed, and they need to be heard, and they need to be validated. Growth and healing depend on having someone believe in them. 

“It’s about being aware and not being judgmental. There were many times that I remember needing help and feeling like I had to prove that I’m not a drug addict, or I’m not a bad mom. There was always this stigma that it’s your fault that you need this help. Everybody was quick to judge. Shame is the last thing a parent needs when they’re trying to raise their kids while healing through their trauma. They are already haunted by their own guilt.” 

Acknowledging the importance of aiding families and children after abuse occurs, Randi firmly believes that child abuse prevention is urgently needed, and that we must discuss abuse openly to confront it head-on. 

“How are we ever going to end all this if we don’t discuss it? It’s so hush-hush. We need to make it okay to talk about it, or we’re going to be in the same position 20 years from now. 

“If we’re going to prevent child abuse, we’re going to need to go upstream and work with the youth who have experienced it. If we start working with them now, then by the time they’re adults they’ve had more protective factors put in place before they get to be parents. We can help stop that cycle.” 

Randi was recently hired as the South Lane Regional Leadership Team Coordinator in Cottage Grove, where she coordinates outreach and volunteer efforts to raise awareness about child abuse prevention. She’s also looking forward to assisting with the Oregon Child Abuse Prevalence Study, which Jeff Todahl calls “the gold standard for child abuse prevalence and climate-level prevention measurement.” CPAN researchers have been working since 2018 to determine the current rates of child abuse and neglect in Oregon so that policymakers can understand the depth of the problem and prevention efforts can measure their impact on rates of child abuse and neglect. Additional funding from the Oregon Legislature, announced last month, will allow CPAN and their partners to extend the scope of the study to the entire state of Oregon. 

Even with her considerable accomplishments, Randi measures her success by her ability to be a role model for her children. 

“I’ve had trials, successes, failures, and a lot of pain, but I just kept fighting. My greatest gift is to show my kids that you can go through an immense amount of trauma and have the world against you, and you can still persevere. I think I’ve set a good example for my kids.” 

Leading the way in DEI

Jonathon Henderson

Triple duck Jonathon Henderson, BS ‘07 Political Science, MS ‘09 Conflict & Dispute Resolution, PhD ‘15 Critical and Sociocultural Studies in Education, is used to leading the way. First in his family to graduate college, he developed a talent for having difficult conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion during his time at the University of Oregon. The College of Education honed these strengths and taught him the research skills now serving him in his current role as Associate Director of Research for Central Washington University. 

The path to a career in education and research was a circuitous one for Jonathon. He didn’t feel well-served by the schools he attended and left high school at seventeen to work in information technology. 

“I felt that discrimination wasn’t directly addressed. The school took a non-interventionist approach. That can be very tough for students who aren’t in the majority group.” 

When the dot-com bubble burst, Jonathon earned his GED and applied to the UO, where he studied political science as an undergraduate. He found, however, that as a non-traditional student he struggled to adapt to his new environment. That’s where student groups, scholarships, and student support services came in. He became a leader in student organizations such as the Black Student Union and the Alliance of Graduate Students for Diversity. 

“It was a struggle, being a non-traditional student. Without scholarships and work study, I wouldn’t have been able to afford it. Without the programs that support first generation and students of color, I felt like I would have been even more lost, I probably wouldn’t have made it through. I felt very isolated, but then I got involved with student groups and found a sense of community.” 

Jonathon went on to earn a MS in Conflict and Dispute Resolution, where he used his aptitude for technology to create digital conflict resolution tools, particularly for underserved communities. He found, however, that he wasn’t interested in pursuing a law degree, a common path for students graduating from the program. That’s when he discovered the COE. He applied to the first cohort of the CSSE program because he wanted to build on the foundation of his work improving equity for diverse communities. He was drawn to the freedom and approach of the CSSE program, and the opportunity to blaze a trail for future students in the program. 

“It was a new program. I liked that diversity and equity conversations were part of every class and that we discussed the digital divide. I could bring in who I was to that program and create my own path. It was exciting being in the first cohort, to have that extra freedom.” 

Jonathon also appreciated being able to incorporate his previous work in technology. 

“I studied the hidden lessons of educational technologies around ethnicity, race, and the digital divide.” 

During his time in the program, Jonathon worked on grant-funded projects with his mentors Jerry Rosiek, PhD and Joanna Goode, PhD. With Joanna, he focused on equitably bringing technology into STEM courses to help remedy the digital divide. He also created mentoring networks that help underrepresented groups find work in computer science and technology. 

Joanna said of Jonathon, “During his time as a member of the inaugural cohort of the CSSE program, Jonathon established a reputation for his steadfast commitment to research that examines, describes, and seeks to disrupt structural inequities in education systems. I’ve always appreciated how Jonathon’s collaborative approach to scholarship values the knowledge of practitioners, centers equity, and addresses problems of practice in education.” 

It was a natural transition for Jonathon from his work at the COE to his current role at the Central Washington University Office of Institutional Effectiveness. There, he manages a team of data analysts, conducts special research projects for CWU, and works to improve student success. He has served on several committees focused on diversity and equity including the Workforce diversity committee and works to make CWU a more welcoming place for faculty, staff, and students of color. 

Jonathon said “CWU has made great strides in diversity and equity over the last few years, which I am proud and excited to be part of.” 

“It was a great opportunity to use all the skills I learned at the UO. I use all the knowledge I developed to help look at student success in different ways. It’s more about new ways of thinking and bringing those equity and diversity conversations into the projects I’m working on.” 

When Jonathon’s son entered kindergarten, it spurred him to run for the Ellensburg School Board. His own experience of not having the support he needed in his high school education drives him to create a more welcoming environment for all students. 

“I had been wanting to get more engaged with community. We have a kindergartner about to go through this system and I want to make sure they have a great educational experience, but I also want to make sure that conversations about equity are taking place. Schools need to be proactive and have respect and empathy for all students. I think that would have prevented a lot of the situations I went through in the Beaverton area school system.” 

Jonathon sees his service on the school board and in the community at CWU as his way of giving back. An important part of his work in the community has been creating and sustaining the support networks that helped him navigate his own college experience. 

“It stuck with me how great it was to connect with other professionals of color [during my time at the UO]. Some people make themselves more available and more engaged. I want to try to do that wherever I am, to be an example.” 

UO alumnae have held key positions in national, international, state and local positions. Discover the long legacy that women have made in public service and their commitment to the next generation of leaders.

Edith Green, BA ’39 (English, education) was the second woman from Oregon to be elected to the US House of Representatives. She served in Congress from 1955 to 1974 representing Oregon’s 3rd District. During that time, she championed several issues related to education and gender equality legislation. Green was instrumental in the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963. Also, in 1972, she heavily contributed to passing the Higher Education Acts of 1965 and 1972, also known as Title IX. Learn more about Green’s impact

Tom and I met in the Erb Memorial Union at the University of Oregon in 1964. He liked to play Bridge and one of my friends from high school was a Bridge player, too. We think that this connection is how we were first introduced. We became friends and would meet to drink coffee between classes. Two years later Tom graduated, married, and became a journalist. I continued at the university completing BS and MS degrees. I taught at San Diego State College, then, after my marriage, I taught at Lane Community College for 32 years. Tom and I reconnected after 50+ years when I noticed an obituary in the Statesman Journal for his wife. By that time, I had been a widow for six years. I sent him a sympathy card and an invitation to have coffee and catch up on the last 50 years. He called and asked to take me up on the cup of coffee. After the initial cup of coffee we continued to meet and sparks flew. Two years later we were married and now live along the North Santiam River in Mill City, Oregon.

My wife and I met in Hamilton our first year at school. That was 1995. We started dating in 1996 and have been together ever since. After starting our careers in Portland, we moved to the Bay Area. We flew up for a game on November 11, 2000 and I asked Kate to marry me on the Autzen bridge, late-night after the game. We were married in 2002 and walked into the reception to the fight song! We have had two Duck babies and COULD be parents to a freshman in fall of 2022. Fingers crossed!