Fall term has been full of rewarding and challenging events for our students and staff!

With midterms completed, 8 of our new students are headed towards finishing their first term of college. We also have 3 students transferring after this term to 4-year colleges. These colleges include Linfield College and Pacific University in Oregon and Redlands College in California.

In response to student feedback, we are building an even wider array of free-time activities. We recently arranged a whitewater kayaking class which may even turn into a 4- or 5-day spring break trip down one of Oregon's famous rivers. Every Friday students have the opportunity to participate in mountain bike rides, hikes, indoor climbing and more. In November, we'll be taking our second trip out to Smith Rocks for some world-class rock climbing. And next year, we hope to start our weekend art workshops.

The two accomplishments we're most proud of this fall are the successful implementation of our private accredited college courses at the ACE center and our fundraising efforts to support our service learning trip to New Orleans in December.

We hope that all of you have a wonderful holiday season! We'll be back in touch with you in our January newsletter.

Sincerely,
Jeannie Crowell & Sue Harless
Directors
College Excel

A Trip to the High Sierras!
This past September, College Excel led its first wilderness trip in the stunningly beautiful King's Canyon in Sequoia National Park. This 7-day adventure was headed up by our trusty outdoor guides and coaches, Will Howard and Jared Anderson.

Participants included both new and former CE students. Students took the lead in preparing for this incredible trip. They planned their menus, shopped for groceries, and packed all their gear.
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Education Corner
We believe in the power of education! This section is dedicated to providing information and insights into how college-age adults can better function in the world.

Brain Science 101: The Dopamine Connection (part 2 of a 4-part series)
by Jeannie Crowell

In the first part of our Brain Series we discussed how the brain, and specifically, the primal part of the brain, is structured to seek activities and behaviors that reward us with pleasure. The brain does this as a mechanism for survival.
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Book Corner: Change Your Brain, Change Your Life
By Daniel G Amen, M.D.

Amen is a clinical neurologist and medical director for the Amen Clinic in California. His book explores how the brain works and is based on evidence produced by brain imaging. His brain imaging research helps readers better understand how people who suffer from learning, emotional or behavioral disorders can better target effective treatments. Full of interesting and sometimes controversial facts, this book is definitely a worthwhile read!