Lauren Hamiln
The Broadside
Central Oregon Community College students Tyler Pratt and Eric Sorenson have been chosen to represent the college as members of the All-Oregon Academic Team.

The Oregon Community College Association recognizes outstanding students from each of Oregon’s 17 community colleges annually. Students will go to Salem to meet with Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber.

“This has been a great process for us,” said COCC’s public relations director Ron Paradis.

Pratt and Sorenson are both scholars who contribute to the community.

Pratt is a consultant for Nature’s Farm and the designer, facilitator and overseer of Bend Community Ochard, which provides food for local food banks.

He plans to major in renewable energies engineering at Oregon Institute of Technology and then earn a master’s degree in ecological engineering at Oregon State University. His career goal is to create a design build, consultation firm and a nonprofit organization dealing with food and water security and sustainability, focusing on resource regeneration and clean energy solutions.

“It was a surprise to get this honor,” said Pratt. “I’m thrilled to be here.”

Before attending COCC, Pratt traveled for about eight years and worked in over 17 countries contributing to food and water security, according to him.

“A couple years ago I met an engineer who said I was cutting myself short not going to school,” said Pratt. “I decided to pursue schooling.”

Sorenson has volunteered for the college’s primary fundraising event Meal of the Year for the past five years. He is also a Wilderness First Responder and a Leave-No-Trace Trainer. Sorenson works as a liaison for local climbers and land managers and is the vice president for the climber advocacy group Central Oregon Rocks. After graduation this year, Sorenson will attend OSU-Cascades to pursue a career in medicine.

“I’m very happy to represent this great school. I feel like it’s really transformed me,” said Sorenson. “I would like to come back here and serve the community.”

Lauren Hamlin can be reached at [email protected]