“I will see what I can do!”: Ann Mills Hyde’s extraordinary legacy of community service and philanthropy

Throughout her 101 years, Ann Mills Hyde has asked herself again and again how she can be of service in her community.

She’s led a nomadic life, putting down roots in Michigan, Vermont, Connecticut, California, New Mexico in her 50s, and finally in Oregon, where she’s made her home in NE Portland for nearly 30 years.

In her youth, Ann attended college for three years but dropped out because she didn’t feel she fit in and had no one she could turn to for advice. Despite the fact that she valued education highly and was an eager student, there were no good education options for her at the time.

She married and began a happy life, raising three children in New England. She never lost her zeal for learning and community service. “People ought to care about their community,” she says. In each place her family landed, she asked herself how she could help.

She became a champion of early childhood education and began teaching nursery school. She served as the vice-president of the League of Women Voters for the state of New Mexico, lobbying for environmental bills. In her 50s, she returned to college to finish her long-deferred degree in Native American Studies, eventually working as a museum docent.

Ann’s passion for education has guided her service and philanthropy. After moving to Portland three decades ago she became involved again in early childhood education, volunteering at Albina Head Start and a local elementary school. Volunteering has tied her to her communities.

A proud mother and grandmother of PCC students, Ann gives to PCC because of the college’s role in combating inequity. Ann directs donations from her donor-advised fund to the Bridges to Opportunity scholarship, which supports students from marginalized communities.

What advice does she have for the next generation? “Keep involved. Care about your community, especially the children. Meet all different kinds of people.”

For more information about how you can support PCC’s Bridges to Opportunity scholarship, contact Christina Kline at christina.kline@pcc.edu.

Sylvester began using drugs in high school, which led to jail time and a 20-year pause on life, as he describes it. But once he started treatment, the supportive counselors helped him move forward. He found a nearby PCC campus and chose to explore a degree in cyber security since he’d always been good at computers.

“At PCC, I had a math teacher who made me feel like I could do this. An advisor who helped make a plan. More people who cared.”

And soon after, he received a PCC Foundation Second Chance scholarship. “I never thought I’d be here. Getting a PCC scholarship gave me more pep in my step and made me feel more powerful. I want to show my kids I can do this.”

This single dad is eager to show his sons, Sylvester and Silas, what is possible with some determination and a little help along the way.

Sylvester Luckett is proof that having someone believe in you can make all the difference.

Join us for the livestream of , our annual fundraiser, on Saturday, April 23 at 5 p.m. to support student scholarships and emergency needs grants. Help students like Sylvester achieve their full potential and make a positive impact on our community.