Running for good: Community college president raises money, awareness for students in need

SALEM, Ore. (KOIN) — A marathon-running college president will make his way through Oregon on foot beginning on June 16, totaling over 1500 consecutive miles on his route to all 17 of Oregon’s community colleges.

Clackamas Community College President Dr. Tim Cook will visit Chemeketa Community College as a part of his Running for Oregon Community College Students marathon program. Chemeketa students and faculty will complete the final mile with him on campus.

This marathon is a labor of love in many ways, one of which is a love for the activity itself. In an interview with Let’s Talk Portland, Dr. Cook said,  “I’ve run over 50 marathons, I’ve been running for about 20 years pretty avidly… but never anything this ambitious.”

Not only does Cook love running — he cares deeply about his students.

“For several years I’ve been concerned about basic needs for community college students,” Dr. Cook said. “Even before the pandemic I was seeing students that were having problems with getting food, I knew there were students living in their cars that were taking classes. It was just something that had been on my mind.” 

Funds raised through the ROCCS program go to students facing food insecurity, housing instability, and other welfare challenges.

Dr. Cook was inspired by Fernando Rojas, a Clatsop Community College faculty member who made a similar trek on a bike to visit OCCs in 2021, entitled “Bandit Biking for Books,”  in order to raise money to go towards covering textbook costs for students. Cook has taken advice and aid from Rojas in planning this journey.

According to a Hope Center survey conducted in Spring 2023 on Portland Community College students, 43% of responders experienced food insecurity, 56% reported challenges to their housing stability, and 18% disclosed not having a place to live at one point during the last year.

Financial instability in community college students is an issue not unique to Oregon — according to New America, many students end up abandoning their education due to these challenges. Cook and Rojas are setting examples for what the greater public can do to help the next generation obtain degrees and become successful in the workplace.