Chieftains grow into local leaders

Columbia River High School’s newest English class doesn’t focus on 18th century literature or nature or post-modernism — it’s about leadership.

In Kaitlin King’s leadership class, students read books such as “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek and identify their personal leadership styles. The class focuses on communicating and working together to better the community.

The class recently came up with a Twitter handle to promote community service: @CRserves. Students tweet pictures of themselves involved in a service project to collect points for a schoolwide competition.

This year, the school also added a student Senate in addition to the handful of students that participate in Associated Student Body leadership. Representatives from each second-period class meet about once a month to discuss school happenings.

“We’re trying to get as many kids as we possibly can involved,” said Principal Alex Otoupal.

At Columbia River there’s a heavy emphasis on working together and being civic-minded. Some of the learning principles emphasized at Columbia River are risk-taking — as in having the courage to approach new situations and ideas — and being caring and principled.

“Kids get such a bad rep these days for not caring,” said Associate Principal Donna Jeffries.

Ongoing projects at the school include Skate for Change, a group of skateboarders that delivers supplies to the homeless; the Tiffany Project, which promotes random acts of kindness; and the Care Closet, which is regularly replenished with food and supplies that students in need can take home.

Several local high schools have niche magnet programs. Skyview High School, for instance, has a program specializing in science, math and technology, Vancouver School of Arts and Academics has a focus on the arts, and many other schools have Advanced Placement classes. Columbia River has the International Baccalaureate program, which claims to encourage students to think internationally — meaning, to think beyond their own world and own worries.

“I’m excited to see what happens with this next generation … They’re our next leaders,” Otoupal said. “It gives me a lot of hope.”

— Patty Hastings

When Chuck Atkins was sworn in as sheriff, a curious commonality emerged among three of Clark County’s six elected executives. Atkins, Auditor Greg Kimsey and Treasurer Doug Lasher are Columbia River High School graduates.

They’re in the top positions in Clark County government and they all were — and still are — Chieftains.

“It just sort of happened that we became elected officials,” Lasher said during a recent trip back to the school.

“Life happens,” Kimsey added.

Becoming sheriff “was the farthest thing from my mind when I was in school here,” Atkins said.

While attending Columbia River may not be the only reason they landed where they did, they each had experiences there that helped push them toward a life of leadership.

Locals vested in their community often end up working and representing the same places they grew up. Vancouver Mayor Tim Leavitt is a Fort Vancouver High School graduate. Retired sheriff Garry Lucas hails from Camas High School. And Ridgefield City Manager Steve Stuart went to Prairie High School.

Sheriff Chuck Atkins: Class of 1972: The Athlete

Atkins and his family moved from Southern California to Clark County partway through his sophomore year of high school so his younger sister, Kelli Ann, could attend the local school for the blind. Coming from a rough, gang-impacted school of 4,000, there was a lot about Columbia River High School that surprised him.

Atkins was on his way to try out for the baseball team, just a couple of days after starting classes, when he found himself alone in a hallway. In Southern California, this was a huge red flag, he said, a situation he had made a point to avoid for fear of getting ambushed. He saw students just outside the door at the end of the hallway. Gripping a baseball bat, he prepped for the worst. But the students simply opened the door and said a friendly “Hi” to the new kid in school.

“I can’t remember anybody I didn’t like,” Atkins said of his time at Columbia River.

He started on the junior varsity baseball team and moved up to varsity before the end of the year, eventually becoming the team captain.

Coaches saw his athletic ability and offered him chances to lead and improve, Atkins said. He tried out for the football team at a coach’s suggestion and made the cut.

He tried wrestling, but not for long because he was too small. He didn’t bother experimenting with basketball because he was too short, he said.

Although his parents eventually bought a house near Fort Vancouver High School, Atkins got an exemption and drove to Columbia River each day. Back then, his ride was a 1969 Z28 Camaro. He and his buddies went pheasant hunting during lunch. In those days, the area surrounding the campus was undeveloped woods. It wasn’t uncommon to see a rifle on the rack of someone’s pickup in the school parking lot.

“Today, we have to worry about kids having guns on campus,” Atkins said.

Sometimes he wonders what would have happened had he stayed in Southern California. Would his career path be different, despite being in a family that emphasized valuing and respecting police?

Although he talked with universities regarding athletic scholarships, he went to Clark College. Partway through his time there, the opportunity to apply to be a local police officer came up. He hasn’t looked back since.

“I liked police work as much as I liked high school,” Atkins said.

In the early part of his career, he patrolled Columbia River during sporting events. “I knew right where to go to find everyone who was hiding,” he said.

As an athlete, his mantra was that if he was going to pursue something, he was going to work his hardest to do the best he could. He again vowed to do his best when he was sworn in as sheriff last month.

Auditor Greg Kimsey: Class of 1974: The social butterfly

“I had an elementary schoolteacher who said to the class, ‘I think someday Greg Kimsey will be governor,'” Kimsey said. “It stuck with me.”

At what was then called Jason Lee Junior High, Kimsey became student body president, his first-ever elected position. And, he vowed as a teenager, his last.

When asked what he did as student body president, Kimsey said, “I haven’t the foggiest.”

Despite his bad experience, he ran for student body president again at Columbia River High School, but lost the race to his best friend.

“I was a distracted student,” Kimsey said. “I was as much interested in various sporting activities and social activities as I was in school.”

According to his senior yearbook, Kimsey’s ambition was “to just enjoy life” and the highlights of his year included “having a good time,” “getting out of school” and “various young ladies.”

In high school, he was outgoing and not particularly bound to a specific clique.

He’s found that as the county’s auditor, which includes overseeing several county services, he has to work with a wide variety of people. So, being a social butterfly turned out to be beneficial.

One class he remembers enjoying — and the one that perhaps sparked his career path — was an introductory business class taught by Dave Hansen.

“I was curious about the business world and he was kind of willing to indulge that curiosity,” Kimsey said.

Although Kimsey played basketball and tennis at Columbia River, his main activity was alpine skiing. He was the youngest instructor at Mount Hood Ski Bowl, he said. He also worked at Steakburger restaurant, which was recently demolished, and Hi-School Pharmacy while he was a teenager.

It’s tough to call upon those high school years, Kimsey said, though he clearly remembers the invigorating smell of fresh cinnamon rolls in the cafeteria in the morning. And, he met his future wife, Gayle, who worked at the student paper, The Chieftain.

On the yearbook page introducing his 1974 graduating class, there’s a brief statement about embarking on life beyond high school: “The doors of our future are now open. Some of us are prepared, some unknowing, some confused. It’s over now and we look back remembering the good times, for those make our future. We are the future. We can and will make it happen.”

Kimsey was one of those unknowing students, who went to college because he wasn’t sure what else he would do. After starting at Western Washington University, he transferred to the University of Washington to complete his business administration degree.

Treasurer Doug Lasher: Class of 1967: The academic

Doug Lasher was the most studious of the three county officials who graduated from Columbia River High School. Back then, the mild-mannered teenager focused on excelling academically, which, he said, didn’t come easy to him.

“I was more interested in just focusing on studies,” Lasher said. “In some ways, I could hardly wait till I got out of high school.”

He played flute in the school’s band and did some stage work for school musical productions, such as “Sound of Music,” “My Fair Lady” and “The Music Man.” Also, he was a member of the golf club, Russian club and the international relations club.

When he had free time, he played sports — including neighborhood football games with Kimsey. They were neighbors then, and are neighbors now. Both now live about a half mile away from Columbia River High School.

At one point, Lasher had a job at a restaurant, but quickly discovered that he wasn’t good at serving food or washing dishes, not to mention it cut into academics. His favorite classes were U.S. history and contemporary world problems. Things were different then. He remembers the student smoking area being near where the sports field is now.

His father, David Lasher, was heavily involved in politics, along with the Clark County Fair. So, his interest in politics mainly stemmed from life at home.

“I knew in high school what I wanted to do — that’s work in government,” Lasher said.

During his senior year, Lasher represented Columbia River at American Legion Boys State, a mock legislative session that happened over a weekend at Gonzaga University in Spokane.

His hard work in high school paid off, and Lasher got into his college of choice: Lewis & Clark College in Portland.

It wasn’t until college that Lasher truly indulged his interest in making a difference. There, he got involved in the student body councils and the dorm system. He was a political science major and took many sociology classes.

He still talks with Jess Frost, his high school American history and Russian teacher. They’re both board members of the Chkalov Cultural Exchange Committee.

Lasher, Atkins and Kimsey recently visited their old stomping grounds for an interview.

“You have your whole life in front of you, I’ll tell you that,” Lasher said to a small group of students, standing next to the bleachers by the football field.