About the CCE
The Graduate School of Education and Counseling collaborates with professional organizations, educational institutions, community groups, and more to offer personal and professional development in the greater Portland area and beyond. These efforts are coordinated through the office of the Center for Community Engagement.
Mission
The mission of the Center for Community Engagement is to enhance the effectiveness of education and mental health professionals as agents of change by providing equity driven professional development.
Our year-round offerings prepare practitioners to meet the educational and mental health needs of all communities, and to advocate for equity and social justice within their field of practice. Many offerings are open to community members and professionals from other fields and disciplines.
Meet the Team
Matsya Siosal joined the Center for Community Engagement in 2010 and has been CCE’s director since 2015. Her professional background includes a cumulative 20+ years’ experience in higher education, leadership roles in companies both large and small, as well as consulting for mission-driven small businesses and entrepreneurs.
As CCE’s Director, Matsya is excited by the program development and business planning that her role calls for, and is energized by the endless opportunities for creativity and collaboration. Her sense of purpose as a human being and a professional is to facilitate and support efforts that promote wellbeing, justice and liberation and she is honored to be able to fulfill this sense of vocation in her daily work at Lewis & Clark. Matsya’s leadership lens is informed by her experience with Courage to Lead principles and she is a Courage & Renewal facilitator. As a facilitator, she finds purpose and joy in holding space for people to experience the transformational power of slowing down, reflecting deeply, and tuning in to their own innate wisdom.
Matsya is a graduate of The Evergreen State College and focused on creative writing in her studies. She has a committed daily writing practice and enjoys gardening, walking and hiking, and sharing time with family and friends.
503-768-6122 | msiosal@lclark.edu
Shanthi Pattison joined the CCE team in 2022 as the daily operations manager, where she oversees the coordination of department processes and supports the ongoing needs of continuing education students and community members. She also serves as the CCE point of contact for systems support and data integrity across campus systems.
Shanthi holds a BS in engineering from the University of Portland and started her career as a higher education program manager in the software industry.
She is a long time volunteer for k-12 programs, and enjoys traveling, documentary films & music education. Shanthi is a firm believer in lifelong continuing education to better serve our community.
503-768-6043 | shanthip@lclark.edu
Megan Schneider joined the CCE team in 2025 as the Program Manager, where she primarily coordinates the certificate programs, as well as supports TransActive and other CCE initiatives. She holds a masters degree in educational leadership and policy from Portland State University and is currently pursuing her EdD in the same field.
With a background in sustainability education, Megan is interested in holistic pedagogy and leadership as avenues for social change. When she’s not at work, Megan enjoys playing soccer, going on Pedalpalooza rides, skiing, walking the streets of Portland (her hometown), listening to fantasy audiobooks, and spending time with her three adorable cats.
Marissa Behringer is the Marketing and Communications Manager at the Center for Community Engagement, and has been with the department since 2015. Overseeing web and email communications, she promotes CCE’s calendar of workshops, courses and programs to the community. She enjoys having the opportunity to elevate the diverse and social justice-focused offerings that the CCE provides, as well as work alongside GSEC staff, faculty, and community partners who continue to propel progressive work in the fields of counseling and education.
In her spare time, Marissa hosts a radio program on Freeform Portland.
503-768-6222 | mbehringer@lclark.edu
Carson Varnum (He/They) joined the CCE in 2025 as the Head of Education and Outreach for TransActive. His background is in community programs and leadership development within sex and sexuality education.They have over 15 years of experience in sexual health, sexualities, peer education, and community development with adolescents and the adults who support them. Carson specialized in LGBTQ+ youth programs and creating strong spaces for people to explore their identities, values, and vulnerabilities. As Head of Education and Outreach, Carson supports transgender, non-binary, and other gender expansive youth through strengthening the knowledge, skills, and approaches of the adults and systems that surround them.
Carson is a big fan of being on mountains, in rivers, and with friends.
cvarnum@lclark.edu | 503.768.6010
Accreditation
Degree programs at the Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling are both nationally accredited and state approved by the appropriate associations and agencies, including ACATE, CACREP, CAEP, COAMFTE, NASP, OBLPCT and TSPC.
The Center for Community Engagement (CCE) continuing education programming is developed, approved, and evaluated by faculty and colleagues under the same rigorous internal review as our degree and licensure program offerings. Lewis & Clark College, of which the CCE is a part, is regionally accredited under the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
Collaboration
Our partners include professional organizations, educational institutions, and community-based groups committed to social justice.
Seeking a partner to develop specialized training opportunities? To discuss how we might be able to work with you or your organization, please contact us at 503-768-6040 or cce@lclark.edu
GSEC faculty seeking CEUs or PDUs for professional development events, please click here to submit your request.
Emotional Content Statement
The Center for Community Engagement is committed to sharing educational content that prepares our participants with knowledge and skills to be engaged activists within their communities and in their professional praxis.
Our programming addresses issues of social justice and equity, and the conditions, both historical and current, that create and perpetuate interpersonal and systemic violence, marginalization, oppression, and inequity.
Often we must lean into difficult subject matter and be willing to risk some level of discomfort in order to evolve our understanding, and to anchor our commitment to equity and social justice in a deeply felt emotional context.
We invite you to join us in learning and growing both personally and professionally.
You will see a note on some of our workshop webpages advising prospective participants of material that may be distressing for some people. Our instructors and facilitators are also mindful of providing introductory statements around the presence of emotionally difficult subject matter. We acknowledge that these advisory statements may not adequately notify all people of all content that may cause emotional distress.
Please contact CCE’s director, Matsya Siosal, if you have questions or would like to provide feedback.
Center for Community Engagement is located in South Chapel Annex on the Graduate Campus.
MSC: 85
email cce@lclark.edu
voice 503-768-6040
fax 503-768-6045
Director Matsya Siosal
Center for Community Engagement
Lewis & Clark
615 S. Palatine Hill Road
Portland OR 97219