Out of the Tree

Fred Krynen with his family at graduation. Daughters Wren and Elodie, mother-in-law Jane Baxter and wife Erin.

After 10 years as a chef, Fred Krynen wanted a change. Granted, he cooked in Michelin-starred restaurants in France, but he was ready to steer his life in a new direction. Years earlier, an advisor told him, "When you are stuck in a field, you're up a tree." That phrase stuck with him.

Fred immigrated to the US and enrolled at Mt. Hood Community College in 2014. Interested in mechanical engineering, Fred earned his GED® to create a better life for himself and his new family. At MHCC, he received excellent advising from Andy Dryden, who encouraged Fred to pursue his dream of transferring to Portland State University.

But one day, Fred picked up The Advocate and read about MHCC student Juan Cabrillo, an immigrant who transferred to Stanford University. Fred reached out to Juan, who shared his experience of being accepted to Stanford. Fred then informed Andy, who promptly called Stanford's admissions department to strategize Fred's academic career. With more guidance from advisors Jack Green and Dave Favreau, Fred applied for scholarships and admission at many colleges. Stanford responded with an acceptance letter.

Fred relocated his family to Stanford, where he and his wife welcomed a second child and lived in campus family housing for eight years. Stanford covered his education and living expenses for the first three years, and Fred secured financial aid to fully fund his undergraduate studies. He also earned wages through jobs at Stanford, such as a course assistant to fund his graduate studies. As a result, Fred earned bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering.

Inspired by his impactful experience at MHCC, Fred was driven to use his education to teach at the community college level. This fall, Fred will become a tenure-track instructor of mechanical engineering at Cuesta Community College (CCC) in San Luis Obispo, California.

"Teaching at a community college is where I want to be. I'm taking this opportunity to apply what I've learned, and I'm grateful," Fred said. "I think back to Andy, Jack, and Dave and what they did for me, and I want to do the same—to help students. If I help one person, I break even; but if I have my way, I'll stay at CCC for 25 years and help thousands. I want to help them get out of their own trees and pursue their dreams. If I were still in France, I'd still be stuck in that tree. Because of America, I am free, and I could work hard for myself and my family.