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- Meet Our Sunrise Volunteers
- Start Here: Helping People Take the First Step
- Working Together on Parks and Trails
- Building the Future of Manufacturing in the Sunrise Corridor
- Sunrise Community Workshops Connect Residents with Practical Resources
Meet Our Sunrise Volunteers
Volunteer Information
Name: Mike Cebula
Role in the Sunrise Community Coalition project: Member of the Sunrise Community Coalition Leadership group
Your Sunrise Story
1. What is your connection to the Sunrise Corridor community?
Resident, very active in the Sunnyside W Mt Scott Community Planning Organization for more than 25 years, including serving as past chair.
2. Why did you decide to volunteer for the Sunrise Corridor Visioning process?
Citizen input and feedback are critical for any government and taxpayer-funded transportation project. There's much more to this than just the roads. Community input can help shape the project.
3. Which of the Vision Plan’s priorities (transportation; jobs and economy; neighborhood and places; and open space, public health, and environment) are you most excited about, and why?
All of these priorities came directly from public input during this process. For me, a safe transportation system that supports projected traffic and new businesses while reducing community and environmental impacts and increasing safety is critical.
4. What do you hope this project will bring to your community in the future?
An integrated transportation system that supports business and community growth, increases safety, and makes the area more livable.
5. What’s something you’ve learned or enjoyed most while being part of this volunteer group?
Each meeting includes very smart, engaging guests. My fellow volunteers don't hesitate to share their ideas, concerns, and passions. They share it all in a caring, supportive environment. There is no shame – there are no bad ideas. Everyone has the opportunity to be heard. The support teams from Clackamas County and Kearns & West have been invaluable.
Wildcard Question
What’s a skill or hobby you have that might surprise people?
Award-winning Low-Sugar Freezer Jam Maker: Oregon State Fair, Best of Show and Blue Ribbon; Clackamas County Fair, Best of Blue Ribbon for two jams, Hood Strawberry and Raspberry.
Start Here: Helping People Take the First Step
The first time Jane Tran had to figure out how to use public transportation on her own, she faced the kind of uncertainty that can make even an ordinary task feel daunting. Where do you start? What do you need to know? And what happens if something doesn’t go as planned?
“I enjoy exploring new things, but I also tend to be a perfectionist,” said Tran, a sophomore at Adrienne C. Nelson High School. “I like to understand what I need to do and what to expect before trying something new.”
That insight inspired Start Here, a project designed to help people navigate unfamiliar experiences with clear, trustworthy information. Tran began developing the idea through the Sunrise Corridor Youth Training and Civic Engagement Program, a free, three-part summer workshop series launched by Clackamas County and the Sunrise Community Coalition in partnership with the Happy Valley Youth Council.
The program grew from the Sunrise Corridor Community Vision Plan, shaped by more than 1,500 community members, organizations, civic leaders and elected officials. Investing in youth leadership emerged as a priority, and the workshops gave high school students a chance to build communication and leadership skills, learn how local decisions are made and develop projects addressing real-world challenges.
Starting With the First Bus Ride
Tran’s first project is a guide for people who have never used TriMet. Her own experience learning to navigate public transportation helped her recognize how intimidating an unfamiliar process can feel, especially when you aren’t sure what questions to ask or where to find answers.
As a student, Tran sometimes needs to travel to volunteer opportunities or workshops when her parents are busy. Knowing how to use the bus gives her more freedom to pursue activities that matter to her. She hopes her guide can help others find that same independence.
The guide walks first-time riders through the experience, from planning a trip and finding the bus stop to boarding, knowing when to get off and finding help if something goes wrong. Rather than replacing existing TriMet resources, StartHere brings useful information together in a way newcomers can easily follow.
An Idea That Can Grow
The TriMet guide is only the beginning. Tran hopes to expand Start Here to cover other everyday experiences, including renting a home, getting a driver’s license, enrolling in or transferring schools, using technology and joining activities such as Speech and Debate.
Her long-term vision is a trusted community information hub where people can find reliable guidance when facing something unfamiliar. The resource could help young people learning to navigate the world independently, newcomers and immigrants, older adults and anyone who could use a little help figuring out where to start.
“I hope StartHere can help people move from uncertainty to independence, not by giving them every answer, but by helping them understand where to begin and where to find help,” Tran said.
Learning to Make a Difference
The Youth Training and Civic Engagement Program helped Tran turn a personal observation into a project that could help others. Through the workshops, she learned how government agencies and community organizations work, where to find resources and how to move a community project from an idea toward reality. Her mentors encouraged her to develop the concept and connected her with people and resources to help bring it to life.
The experience also showed her that making a difference doesn’t require a particular title or waiting until you’re older.
“If you see a problem and have an idea that could help, you can start taking steps to address it,” Tran said.
As she considers a future in marketing, public relations or business, Tran hopes to keep growing StartHere and continue combining creativity, communication and problem-solving to make a meaningful impact. She also thanked the mentors and everyone who made the workshop series possible, saying the experience made her summer more meaningful and helped her recognize how much she can contribute to her community.
With StartHere, Tran is turning something that once felt uncertain into an opportunity to help others feel more prepared. And it all begins with a simple idea: Sometimes, knowing where to start makes all the difference.
Explore Tran’s project StartHere.
Celebrating Young People Turning Ideas into Action
The Sunrise Corridor Youth Training and Civic Engagement Program wrapped up with a picnic at the Happy Valley Library on Oct. 10, bringing students and their families together to celebrate what they’ve learned and the projects they’ve developed.
Over food and refreshments, students received certificates recognizing their participation and shared project updates, offering a glimpse of how they’re putting their new skills into practice. The gathering was an opportunity to celebrate their ideas, recognize their hard work and reflect on what they’ve accomplished throughout the program.
As students continue developing their projects, their work reminds us of the ideas and energy young people bring to their communities. Thank you to the students and their families, the Happy Valley Library and all the partners who helped make the program possible.
Working Together on Parks and Trails
What could parks and trails in the Sunrise Corridor look like in the years ahead? When residents helped shape the Sunrise Corridor Community Vision Plan, they identified outdoor spaces, parks and trails as a priority for the community’s future. Now, the Sunrise Community Coalition is bringing partners together to explore how to turn that priority into action.
On Nov. 10, the Sunrise Community Coalition and Clackamas County will bring together a small group of parks, trails, and planning partners for a working-style symposium at the Carver Events Center. The group will look at the work that agencies are already conducting, and what collaborative opportunities exist between organizations and the community in the future.
The goal is to explore partnerships and funding, identify gaps and opportunities, and build momentum around priority parks and trails projects. With several plans underway, including the North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District System and Trails Plan, Metro’s Regional Trails Plan, and the Clackamas County Parks System Plan update, coordinating those efforts now could enhance alignment across agencies and identify ways in which the Sunrise Community Coalition could help.
Building the Future of Manufacturing in the Sunrise Corridor
The Sunrise Community Coalition is investing in the future of manufacturing by supporting career exploration, youth workforce opportunities and stronger connections between local businesses, students and educators.
These efforts reflect priorities identified through the Sunrise Corridor Community Vision Plan, including strengthening the local workforce and better aligning education with industry needs. Through partnerships with Clackamas Workforce Partnership (CWP) and WBTO Partners and Sabin-Schellenberg Professional Technical Center (SSC), the Coalition is helping turn those priorities into action.
In October, the Coalition sponsored two Manufacturing Day events that showcased the region’s diverse industries and career opportunities and highlighted its work with partners.
On Oct. 2, more than 650 students attended Manufacturing Day: Explore the Trades at Clackamas Community College’s Oregon City campus. Students got hands-on experience with equipment and training programs, met industry professionals and had opportunities to tour local businesses. The Coalition team also connected with 144 students at its information table, sharing resources about local career and internship opportunities.
The event complemented CWP’s workforce project, which is helping businesses across the Sunrise Corridor develop youth internships, access wage support and connect with potential young employees. To date, CWP has engaged 18 businesses and is working with five potential internship host sites.
The Coalition also served as a supporting sponsor of Oregon Business & Industry’s Manufacturing and Innovation Roadshow. Two Coalition members joined the tour, visiting Leatherman, Looptworks, Miles Fiberglass & Composites and QB Fabrication & Welding to see firsthand the innovation and range of products made by Oregon manufacturers.
The roadshow also highlighted the importance of the Coalition’s partnership with WBTO Partners and Sabin-Schellenberg Professional Technical Center (SSC). Their workforce project focuses specifically on strengthening advanced manufacturing education and creating pathways into manufacturing careers. Together, WBTO and SSC are working with local manufacturers to develop student internships, connect educators with industry and better align classroom learning with employer needs. Most recently, SSC and WBTO hosted their final visioning session for a 10-year strategic plan, gathering input from students and educators on how to strengthen and improve SSC’s advanced manufacturing programs.
“We heard through the visioning process that preparing the next generation of workers and connecting people to local career opportunities are important to this community. These partnerships are helping turn those priorities into real opportunities for students and local employers,” said Adam Torres, Sunrise Community Coalition project manager.
“Seeing manufacturers at work and hearing directly from students and educators helps us understand what opportunities exist and what needs to happen to prepare the next generation of workers,” said Cindy Detchon, a CLG member who participated in the roadshow.
Together, these efforts are helping build a stronger connection between education and industry and support the long-term vitality of the Sunrise Corridor.
Sunrise Workforce Projects: By the Numbers
The Sunrise Community Coalition is turning priorities from the Sunrise Corridor Community Vision Plan into action through two complementary projects that connect local employers, educators and future workers.
Clackamas Workforce Partnership
Building youth internship opportunities across industries
- 18 businesses contacted or engaged
- 8 businesses receiving one-on-one technical assistance to explore internship opportunities
- 5 potential host sites in active development
- 8 workshops, meetings and networking events held
- Next milestone: CWP anticipates placing six youth interns by the end of November.
WBTO Partners and Sabin-Schellenberg Professional Technical Center
Strengthening pathways into advanced manufacturing careers
- 33 manufacturers approached
- 6 of 10 targeted internship spots committed in writing across three employers
- 1 additional employer has verbally agreed to host at least one student
- 6 manufacturer site visits completed, exceeding the project’s minimum of five
- 2 visioning sessions held to help shape the future of advanced manufacturing education and workforce development
- Next milestone: Finalize employer commitments, coordinate student placements and develop a long-term vision for advanced manufacturing education.
Manufacturing Day: A Shared Highlight
The Coalition supported Manufacturing Day: Explore the Trades at Clackamas Community College, helping introduce students to local career opportunities.
- 667 middle and high school students attended
- 43 employers and vendors participated
- 7 employers offered site tours
- 144 students connected with the Sunrise team at its information table.
Sunrise Community Workshops Connect Residents with Practical Resources
The Sunrise Community Coalition wrapped up two free workshop series in October, giving Sunrise Corridor residents opportunities to build skills, ask questions and connect with local resources.
The Tenant Education Workshops, presented in partnership with the Community Alliance of Tenants, helped participants better understand leases, tenant and landlord responsibilities, communication strategies and housing resources. The Financial Wellness Workshops, presented with Financial Beginnings, focused on practical skills for managing money, including budgeting, credit, debt and saving.
Together, the workshops served over thirty residents across five sessions and provided useful information in a welcoming setting.
These workshops are examples of community-led efforts to bring the Sunrise Corridor Community Vision Plan to life by connecting residents with information, resources and opportunities that support stronger households and a stronger community.