CCC student Frank Stucjus received All-Arizona Team Scholarship. Courtesy photo.
FLAGSTAFF — He was tired of chasing after a big paycheck and wanted to do something more for his community.
That’s why Coconino Community College student Frank Stucjus decided to return to school a bit later in life.
“I really like the idea of helping people get the tools to solve their problems,” Stucjus said, adding that he’s had a tumultuous life and would like to help navigate through the tough spots in their own lives as a counselor or a teacher. “I wanted to do something that gives back to the people around me.”
His immediate goal, now that he has completed his studies at CCC as a CCC2NAU student, is to move onto Northern Arizona University and fulfill the requirements for a bachelor’s degree in Public Health, with a minor in Psychology.
His decision to start his new-found passion at CCC centered on the idea that he’d been many years working in food retail and had been out of high school for some time. He thought it would be more beneficial to start in a smaller educational environment. He needed to start affordably and to make sure college was a right fit. CCC offered just that.
“I really like the fact that your professors can become your mentors,” Stucjus said, adding that the faculty were always willing to help and offer one-on-one attention. “I definitely couldn’t have done it without the help of some of the professors I met here.”
The attention paid off.
Stucjus was one of two students from CCC who received the prestigious 2022 All-Arizona Academic Team Scholarship. The scholarship, awarded to members of the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society, offers free tuition for 60 credit hours at the recipient’s choice of one of the three state universities.
Stuckjus is a member of the CCC Beta Gamma Chi chapter of PTK. The honors society recognizes the academic successes of students at two-year colleges, provides students with leadership opportunities, and offers transfer scholarships.
Of receiving the All-Arizona scholarship, Stucjus said, “It means I don’t have to worry about the tuition coming out of the money we use to pay bills. There’s no question now that I’m going to stick it out to the end.”
He’s also certain of another fact.
“It means that it’s never too late to start again,” Stucjus said. “You can always start your life over and be successful doing so. This, to me, means I made the right choice.”
For more information about Coconino Community College and service opportunities available through the PTK Honor Society, visit https://www.coconino.edu/phi-theta-kappa