The first step to medical career in the U.S.

Due to the growing number of Russian-speaking immigrants in Clackamas County, former CCC student Yelena Demchenko’s skills as a bilingual nurse are greatly valued by her employer, Kaiser Hospital. Yelena was formerly a physician in her native country, the Ukraine, and she arrived in the USA speaking very little English. She recognized that learning English would be the first step toward reaching her goal of once again serving society as a medical professional and enrolled in ESL classes at CCC. Her diligence and aptitude enabled her to progress quickly, and after several years of preparation, she was accepted into a local nursing program. Having graduated in June 2002, Yelena now works as a post-op nurse and also does medical translation. She and her family are excited to be buying their first house in a development near the CCC Oregon City Campus! She credits the CCC ESL program for providing her the educational opportunity that allowed her to eventually achieve her goal of again practicing medicine.