Our Culture | Lower Columbia College

At Lower Columbia College, our daily work is a powerful force for improving the quality of life across the region. Every role here directly contributes to our mission to ensure each learner’s personal and professional success. We serve as the central point for development, partnership, and cultural enrichment, providing career pathways that feed skilled employees into the local workforce and helping students of all backgrounds break down barriers to achieve their educational and professional dreams. By focusing on inclusion and innovation, we are not just educating students; we are building a more skilled, resilient, and equitable community for everyone.

Stefanee Sorgenfrei

WorkFirst Program Manager

“I started college here in 1994 and a few years later both of my parents went to school at LCC. My dad graduated here at 69 years old. He worked in Campus Services and the Auto/Diesel lab until he retired at age 82. My mom went on to get her Masters in Counseling and works for the Kelso School District. Attending LCC helped me gain the skills I needed to further my education. From LCC, I transferred to WSU - Vancouver & graduated with my BA in Human Development in 2005. In 2014, I graduated with my Masters in Public Administration from Kaplan University. At LCC, I built the foundation I needed to move up in education and employment. LCC feels like home. The staff and faculty really care about students and their educational pathways! Click to learn more about our WorkFirst program!”

WorkFirst

Sarah Giddens

Student Financial Manager

“Though I did have family members that attended some coursework at LCC, I was the first person in my family to graduate from LCC and continue on to graduate with a 4 year degree. When I graduated from high school, I wasn't "ready" to move away and go to a 4-year college immediately and decided to stay local and earn my AA here first. This ended up being a blessing in so many ways. The greater diversity and quality of education I received here prepared me to seek my bachelor's degree at WSU-Vancouver while still working. Soon after graduating LCC and while attending WSU, the Great Recession hit and the job market as a new graduate looked a lot different than promised while seeking my degree. However, I was in a much better place financially than many of my other graduates. My classes gave me the flexibility to work and have experiences that many other applicants didn't have. I was also without the crippling debt. Times were hard, however, with scholarships and paying for books with my work income, I only had to finance one semester of my 4 year degree with student loans. Many of my contemporaries are still paying those debts, and I am so grateful for the start I got at LCC.”

Kari Alblinger

Early Childhood Specialist 3

“I came from a poverty family and college was not in the plan. In 2003, I decided to check out LCC and they made it so easy to feel accomplished in a path forward. They found ways to make it possible. I was able to get my associate degree at LCC and continue on to get my Bachelor's degree online without hesitation due to the skills & confidence I had gotten from LCC. I was not a first time graduate from my family but I did pull my family from a cycle of living in poverty. My husband & now daughter will all be joining with the LCC Alum Family. LCC has been my home away from home since I started work study in 2003. I graduated in 2007 and started officially working as an employee August of 2007 for the LCC Headstart program. In all the changes over 20 years, LCC is still my "Other" home and a consistent in my life & my family's.”