MHCC Alumnus Collin-Kazu Lewis: From Student Leadership to Medical Aspirations

Collin-Kazu Lewis enrolled at Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) at 15 years old as an early college student through the Metro East Web Academy, after attending Reynolds High School for one year. Both of his older siblings attended MHCC—one is currently a student.

During his time at MHCC, Collin-Kazu frequently appeared on both the president’s and dean’s honor rolls. He completed prerequisites and additional classes to finish his high school education. In his first year, Collin-Kazu was elected academic affairs representative for the student government, leading an initiative—complete with workshops—on the educational textbook affordability program (OER).

“One of the things I wanted to help fix was textbook affordability because I could see some students struggling. On the textbook affordability team, we worked to learn about how to increase textbook affordability and how we can use Open Educational Resources (OER) for success,” Collin-Kazu said. “I was focused on spreading information and had numerous sit-down conversations with professors about OER. I’m proud of my work with this program both with professors to increase affordability and my work with students to approach teachers better.”

In his second year, Collin-Kazu was elected Student Body President at 16 years old. He was also part of the Student Advisory Council at the Hope Center through Temple University. At 18 years old, Collin-Kazu graduated from MHCC with two associate degrees.
“MHCC was a great experience and if I could go back in time, I’d do it exactly the same way,” Collin-Kazu said.

In March 2024, Collin-Kazu earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Portland State University. He will attend Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in the fall in the osteopathic medical doctor program, Class of 2028.

“The main thing I’ve been working toward for 10 years now, through my leadership initiatives, high education goals, all the classes I’ve taken and degree programs. I’m at a pinnacle point,” he said.

Collin-Kazu says his motivation to succeed comes from a drive to help people. He understands his chosen field is difficult but is compelled to find ways to comfort, lead, and improve the lives of others. With a passion for science and research, Collin-Kazu enjoys learning science and finds the connection of helping people a perfect fit for the medical field. In his spare time, he helps Japanese foreign exchange students enrolled at MHCC.

Good luck on your next adventure, Collin-Kazu!