Claire Benjamin

Claire grew up in Sebastopol, a tiny town in Northern California populated almost exclusively with hippies – from there it was a natural progression to UC Santa Cruz (go Banana Slugs!) where she earned her BA in International Politics and Modern European History—writing a thesis on the EU that predicted the current Brexit disaster.

After spending time bartending in London and then working as a Corporate Paralegal in San Francisco, Claire made a visit to Portland in 2006 and decided not to leave! She earned her MA in Interdisciplinary Studies from Marylhurst before returning to work as a paralegal. Claire is a firm believer in the importance of education and a huge supporter of reimagining how education is integrated with, and prioritized within, our communities. She believes all students should be supported in cultivating their own unique gifts and skills – their “inner genius” as Michael Meade puts it.

After spending time bartending in London and then working as a Corporate Paralegal in San Francisco, Claire made a visit to Portland in 2006 and decided not to leave! She earned her MA in Interdisciplinary Studies from Marylhurst before returning to work as a paralegal. Claire is a firm believer in the importance of education and a huge supporter of reimagining how education is integrated with, and prioritized within, our communities. She believes all students should be supported in cultivating their own unique gifts and skills – their “inner genius” as Michael Meade puts it.