4 NEWS
OCTOBER 22, 2010
Sanders: 30 years of dedicated service to MHCC By Yuca Kosugi The Advocate
On a recent Tuesday afternoon, Mike Sanders chats with several people as he makes his rounds delivering mail around the MHCC campus. “What are we going to do when you’re gone?” said Lynn Horn, Visual Arts Department administrative assistant. “We will definitely miss you,” said Laurie Miller, Executive Assistant to the Vice President. Sanders grins and replies with a “thanks,” or jokingly said, “I’ve been hearing that a lot lately.” After 30 years of working at Mt. Hood Community College, most recently in the mailroom, Sanders is retiring. Sanders, 54, lives alone in his Sellwood apartment with his longtime companion Princess. He excitedly pulled out his cell phone to show a picture of a grey, long-haired cat gazing out a window. Seven or eight years ago, a neighbor gave Princess, now 14, to Sanders because she was not getting along with the other cats, and also because she spent so much time at Sanders’ place anyway. “She’s always ready to snuggle when I come home,” he said, which he added has been especially nice in recent days since he has been busy with work. He loves public transit, and sometimes he rides the light rail for fun. He knows the transit system in the three counties like the back of his hand. Ask Sanders about a new highway that opened up across the country, and he can tell you all about it, said his mother, Barbara Roberts. “I learned how to read a map before I learned how to read,” said Sanders. Early retirement Retiring wasn’t high on Sanders’s list of things to do yet. In fact, he was looking forward to working at least a few more years at this long-held job. But an e-mail about changes in the college retirement benefits was sent out Oct. 5, which forced Sanders to choose between receiving the benefits and retiring by November, or keep working and pay his way through retirement from his his own pocket. The latter wasn’t an option. “I only had 14 days to decide,” said Sanders. “I signed my life away on Tuesday (Oct. 12).” The change in retirement benefits came from budget shortages. Sanders and Iain Graalum, the mail service lead, were both a bit disgruntled by the suddenness. “It was unexpected,” said Roberts. “Change is very hard for him.” She said she was sad that he was retiring so early, but understands it is because of the strain from budget cuts. Asked about his plans after retiring, Sanders gave a weary smile and said, “I have not figured that out yet.” Despite the sudden turn in his life, Sanders looks forward to spending more time with Princess and possibly traveling with his mother. “I’m going to treat this next year as time off,” said Sanders. “I am just going to take it as it lies and see what happens.” A reception for Sanders is being held today from 11:30 to 1:30 p.m. in the district board room, where refreshments will be served. Roberts, to her dismay, is not able to attend because she is on a business trip to Philadelphia. “But then it’s all about cleaning out the locker and turning in the keys at the end of the day,” said Sanders. Growing up with autism Sanders was born March 4, 1956, in San Benito,
Texas, to Barbara and Frank Sanders. cases of graphics per month. Graphics are all the “The same week Elvis came out with ‘Heart- syllabi, handouts, tests and quizzes that are used break Hotel’,” Sanders said. in the classrooms. The family was based in southern Texas because One case is 10 reams of paper, which is about 40 his father was in the military, but moved back to pounds, and a ream is 5,000 pieces of paper. After Portland when Sanders was about eight months the math, it adds up to more than 20 million pieces old. He attended school in the Parkrose area. of paper per month. “When Mike was young, they referred to chil“I gather things together and get it where it dren like him as ‘disturbed children’,” said Roberts. needs to go,” said Sanders. “I’m on my feet for the They didn’t even have the term “autism,” she said. majority of the day.” Because of the lack of support and opportunities Graalum started working with Sanders 17 for disabled individuals, the only option Roberts years ago when Graalum worked in the mailroom was presented with was to institutionalize Sand- and Sanders rotated work in between the mailers. But she knew that these institutions did not room, bookstore, and print shop. Sanders was pergive the best care and so she dove into politics to manently placed in the mailreform rights for disabled people. Roberts eventu- room alongside Graalum ally became Oregon governor (1991-1995), the only 13 years ago. woman ever elected to that office.. “We’ve never had “The best governor in the state of Oregon – the any issues,” said best governor in any state, for that matter,” said Graalum. “We work as Graalum. “She’s too nice of a lady to go into politics a well-oiled machine again.” and get it all done.” Some schools rejected Sanders for his behavior Sanders claims that he at first, but he was able to go to school after special can tell the mood Graalum education programs began. Roberts also worked on is in just by the music he integrating disabled children into regular classes is playing. instead of isolating them in special education. “If it’s the Grateful While attending Parkrose High School, Sand- Dead, he’s cool,” asers met Marilyn Pitts, who was his social studies sured Sanders. teacher in one of the integrated classes. He graduThe best part of the ated in 1975. job, Sanders said, “Each morning he would bring in the newspaper “is that we someand wanted to talk about current events and poli- how manage to tics,” Pitts recalled. get everything to Pitts is now the president of Part-Time Facul- everybody and at ty Association at MHCC, and says that she often the end of the day, chats with Sanders when he comes around to de- we’re like ‘That’s liver mail to her. what we’re here “I always believed that he could do so much for’.” more than what the experts told us,” said Roberts. “Mother always used to say, ‘He marches to a different drummer, but he’s a part of the band,’” said Sanders. Working at MHCC After school, he started searching for jobs just like any other graduate. People suggested food services. But working under pressure and time is challenging for people with autism, explained Roberts. Sanders had several job failures before landing work at MHCC in September 1980. “This was a rare opportunity,” said Roberts. Frank Roberts, Sanders’s stepfather, was one of the original board members of MHCC when it opened. Barbara Roberts was on the board when Sanders was hired. “The college was so patient with him,” she said. He started in the print shop but moved around to different departments until he settled in the mailroom. On a typical day, Sanders wakes at six and leaves his house by 7:30 a.m. He takes a bus to Lloyd Center, where he hops on the MAX to the Gresham Transit Center. Another bus connection takes him to campus. This commute takes a little over an hour on average, and he does this every weekday, to and from work. “When I first started they didn’t have a MAX,” recalls Sanders. The MHCC mailroom handles about Mike Sanders, a mailroom clerk, delivers mail two million pieces of mail a year. Sanders around the campus on one of his afternoon rounds. alone delivers 135 cases of paper and 354 Photo by Yuca Kosugi/ The Advocate Sanders is retiring after 30 years of service at MHCC.