Community college president visits MHCC on 1,500-mile run for students

Published 5:00 am Tuesday, August 5, 2025

By Christopher Keizur

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Tim Cook was at Mt. Hood Community College for the penultimate stop of his 17-leg, 1,500-mile run to every community college in the state. (Staff photo: Christopher Keizur)

A community college president has laced his running shoes to raise funds for students one sweaty step at a time.

Tim Cook, Clackamas Community College president, is on a 1,500-mile journey to all 17 Oregon community colleges. The epic summer-long “Run for Oregon Community College Students” is all about raising awareness of the urgent needs many community college students face — housing and food insecurity, lack of childcare, and transportation barriers.

“A big piece of all this is drawing attention to community colleges and the students,” Cook said. “I am a person of action, and I knew I needed to do something crazy enough to elevate the cause.”

His visit to Mt. Hood Community College was a festive affair. MHCC President Lisa Skari hosted a congratulatory breakfast Monday morning, Aug. 4, before his departure on the final leg of his journey to Columbia Gorge Community College.

“This is an important time for community colleges,” Skari said. “Tim, we give you our heartfelt thanks for supporting students.”

Several local runners joined Cook for part of his trek into the Gorge, including Alejandro Guzman Leon, MHCC student and basic needs navigator, and Andrew Speer, MHCC Board of Education chair.

“People often ask me on the journey how I stay motivated. This is the reason,” Cook said, pointing toward MHCC students. “Our students are struggling to achieve their dreams.”

During his run, Cook has averaged about 32 miles a day. The total journey is 50 days, with lots of support from his wife (who has been driving the rented Sprinter van), community members, and his presidential counterparts. MHCC was his penultimate stop.

Why it matters

Oregon has about 200,000 community college students. That accounts for 52% of all public and private higher education in the state.

Many community college students face significant obstacles to achieving their education and career dreams. And the crisis is very pronounced within the MHCC district, which has the highest concentration of poverty in the state.

In East Multnomah County, 65% of K-12 students qualify for the free/reduced lunch program.

MHCC students

  • 4 in 5 rely on public assistance to pursue their education
  • 3 in 5 face housing insecurity
  • 3 in 5 lack reliable access to essential technology
  • 2 in 5 experience food insecurity
  • 1 in 5 have experienced homelessness

The run across the state isn’t just about raising awareness. It has also been a major fundraiser, with folks donating at every stop. Funds raised are distributed to each community college, directly supporting the local students’ essential needs.

As of his visit to MHCC, Cook and the campaign had raised more than $116,000. Because of the support of sponsors, all of the costs have been covered. So every dollar raised by Cook goes directly to the students.

“This journey won’t solve all the problems, but it is a start,” Cook said.

Learn more about the campaign and donate at tinyurl.com/mue8mbvs

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