News Releases
News from Lane Community College
April 15, 2008
NEXTSTEP RECYCLING NAMED LCC EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR
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| Photo: Lorraine Kerwood (left), founder and executive director of NextStep Recycling, accepts the Lane Community College 2008 Cooperative Employer of the Year Award from Cooperative Education coordinator Garry Oldham, at the college's All About Business event in March 2008. |
EUGENE, OR - NextStep Recycling of Eugene has been named the 2008 Cooperative Education Employer of the Year by Lane Community College.
Students from accounting, information technology, multimedia and other programs have interned at NextStep since company founder Lorraine Kerwood was just starting out, “refurbishing Mac computers in her garage,” says Andrea Newton, co-op division chair at Lane. Two former interns now work at NextStep.
“It has been our pleasure and great fortune to have worked with so many passionate, caring, and sharp students from Lane Community College,” says Kerwood.
Kerwood herself is a former Lane student. She began with adult education classes, then took college credit classes and participated in the Transitions to Success program for women. She transferred to the University of Oregon where she graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in family and community services. Once she decided to create a nonprofit, she enrolled in the Nonprofit Management Program at the Lane Community College Business Development Center where she’s still a client.
Creating a successful nonprofit business in a competitive economy is “directly linked to my opportunities for learning at LCC,” says Kerwood. “I received incredible support from the instructors and staff. LCC helped shape me into a community leader, and for that I will be forever grateful.”
Kerwood accepted the Employer of the Year award at an event in March and will be honored at the college’s annual advisory committee dinner on April 29. She is a member of the college’s Computer Information Technology Advisory Committee.
The Cooperative Education division at Lane honors an exceptional employer every year. Co-op integrates on-the-job work experience with academic studies. Nearly 800 businesses and 2,000 students participate annually.
For more information about Cooperative Education go online to lanecc.edu/cooped
For more information about the Nonprofit Management Program go online to lanesbdc.com
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CONTACTS:
Andrea Newton Cooperative Education Division Chair, (541) 463-5203
Joan Aschim, public information officer, (541) 463-5591, aschimj@lanecc.edu
