Her family didn’t have the financial resources to pay for college. But when she was sixteen, one of her teachers recognized her intelligence and made an effort to make sure Laura recognized it as well. This teacher’s belief in her gave Laura the confidence needed to find ways to make a college education attainable.

This is the third column in a series looking at students who were educated within The Dalles School system and who have gone on to make major contributions to our community by bringing their skills and experience back home to make an impact for all of us. In this story find out what Erik Gardipee has been up to since graduation.

People return to The Dalles to reconnect with the community. As he put it, “I want to push the ball forward.” His priority is not pay, it’s people.