May 2003

Highline Student Union Ground Breaking Ceremony

Buy a golden sledge hammer, take a swing at Building 8 and bring home your own piece of Highline history.  

Speakers will include past and current student body presidents and Highline administrators who contributed to the project's development.  Enjoy refreshments, a building plan display, and live music performed by the Highline Community College Jazz Band. 

12:00 p.m. May 22, 2003, Building 8
Reception to follow

A Japanese immigrant, who went from living in a used Plymouth Valiant when he arrived in the United States in 1968 to owning a multimillion dollar conglomerate, has been named the recipient of the 2003 Highline Community College Distinguished Alumni Award.

    Junki Yoshida attended Highline from 1970 to 1973. He created Yoshida’s Gourmet Sauce in 1982 from his family’s 60-year-old secret recipe for a teriyaki-based cooking sauce. Now sold worldwide, the product led Yoshida to form his first company, Yoshida Food Products, the first of 17 diverse companies that make up the Oregon-based Yoshida Group, which has annual revenues of more than $180 million. 

Yoshida and his six siblings grew up poor, living solely off income generated by the family restaurant. At 19, Yoshida decided to come to the United States in search of the American Dream. Due to limited English-speaking skills, Yoshida was denied admission to Seattle Pacific University. He went on to enroll at Highline to study English, where he taught karate lessons in exchange for classes. Now 54, the married father of three is also a motivational speaker, seventh degree black belt, and an active member of his community, donating his time and money to a number of causes.

    Started in 1990, the Distinguished Alumni Award honors former Highline students who are making outstanding contributions in their chosen fields of endeavor. Former Seattle Mayor Norm Rice, who attended Highline in 1968–69, was the first recipient of the award in 1990.

HR Forms Now Online 

Free personnel forms are now available on Human Resource website .  Forms are available as .doc or .pdf files.  Some forms have been revised so please delete any obsolete versions you may have.  Please contact the HR office if you need assistance. 

Foundation's Spring Gala Magical Success

The Board of directors of the Foundation at Highline Community College wants to thank those members of the campus community who either attended or supported the "Believe-In-Magic Gala, by volunteering or making donations, as the Gala was a great success.

Preliminary accounting indicates that the event will have a net profit of $50,065 which is a $1,950 increase over last year's event.

The net proceeds are categorized as follows:
Student Emergency Fund: $13,650.00
General Scholarship Fund: $15,650.00
Unrestricted Fund: $20,765.00

.... Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.  Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic.  It was first observed on May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.  After World War I the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war.  In 1915 Moina Michael conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war.  She sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need.  Later, a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms. Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women.  This tradition spread to other countries.  In 1921, the Franco-American Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium.  The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help.  Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies.  Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans.  In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms. Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it.

To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed in December 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "to voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps."