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Coconino Community College — The Comet

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Coconino Community College’s Stellar Newsletter
Sharing the news throughout northern Arizona about what’s happening at your Community College.
Coconino Community College: Education that works for you.
A quick word from the President
As the fall season takes hold and the students get settled into the semester routines here at Coconino Community College, I would like to extend a sincere word of thanks to all the generous donors who support the college.
Each year in September, the CCC Foundation facilitates the Annual Meeting and Scholarship Breakfast as a premier event that features CCC students who received scholarships. The breakfast offers donors the opportunity to connect with students and show just how important donor contributions to the Foundation are to the students’ lives and futures. The student speeches are living, breathing reminders that donors make a big difference in their lives, and donors enthusiastically continue that support to the Foundation. This year, our donors even ran the extra mile – so to speak – when CCC announced the creation of a college cross-country sports program at the breakfast.
Collegiate sports like cross-country help small colleges like CCC offer students – men and women – an opportunity to obtain an education while continuing their dreams of developing as athletes after high school. During the Annual Breakfast, CCC had the ambitious goal of achieving $8,000 of support. Within minutes of starting the campaign to kick off the program, donors put CCC over the goal and approached nearly $10,000 in donations.
The students at CCC are truly fortunate to have such generous supporters in their corner, and we at CCC are truly grateful for the support. For more information about the Foundation, available scholarships and options to donate, visit www.coconino.edu/foundation.
CCC is a great place to be. Onward! Náás! Adelante!
Colleen Smith
Construction makeover begins
at Fourth Street campus
The Del E. Webb Foundation makes the renovation of shop, programs possible
The Construction Technology Management (CTM) program renovation has begun at CCC’s Fourth Street Innovation Center. The renovation was made possible with a $1 million grant awarded from the Del E. Webb foundation.
“The Del E. Webb Foundation was honored to give this award to the Coconino Community College Foundation for the construction and mechanical trades program,” said Dr. John B. Lees, president of the Del E. Webb Foundation board. “We feel this project will provide long-term benefit by meeting a critical need, not only in the community but in all of northern Arizona as well.”
The funding will help renovate the current CTM facility at the Fourth Street campus; expand existing CTM classes; and add in-demand programs like Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVACR) Technology, Welding Technology, Electrical Technology, Solar and Wind Technology and Electronic Drafting.
The ultimate goal is to increase the number of degree and certificate earners in the construction trades, which is in response to growing demand in the industry, according to several northern Arizona contractors citing shortages in the local skilled workforce.
The renovation of the Fourth Street shop is tentatively scheduled to be completed in time for the Spring semester.
Workers cut into the floor and remove walls of the Construction Technology Management shop at the Fourth Street campus to make way for upgrades.
CCC located in beautiful northern Arizona
CCC located in beautiful Northern Arizona
Coconino Community College is located in beautiful northern Arizona, where students can work on their life-school balance by enjoying a wide array of outdoor activities. For more videos of students, programs and more at CCC, visit our YouTube channel.
CCC Series: Meet the Board
CCC District Governing Board Chair Patricia Garcia dedicated to giving back to community
Board member Patricia “Patty” Garcia is a native of Flagstaff and enjoys finding ways to give back to the community.
Her family came to the Flagstaff area in 1920 from Mexticacan, Jalisco, Mexico. Patty’s parents and their siblings did not have opportunities to pursue much education. Over the years, it has become important to Patty to find ways to help provide students with educational opportunities that many in her own family did not have.
Her participation on the CCC District Governing Board is one of the primary ways in which she works to provide opportunities to students. She is proud to work with the excellent board, president, staff, and faculty of CCC. She also serves on the Raymond Educational Foundation Board of Directors, helping to provide scholarships to students who might otherwise not be able to afford higher education.
In her other volunteer activities, Patty currently serves on the Coconino County Hispanic Advisory Council and volunteers in the Intensive Care Unit at FMC. She is a past board member and past board chair of United Way of Northern Arizona, served more than six years on the Coconino County Planning and Zoning Commission, and served on the Coconino County Employee Appeals Board, FUSD Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee, and Flagstaff Commission on Diversity Awareness.
Patty earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Mathematics from Northern Arizona University. She is a full-time Federal civil servant.
Did you know … how CCC’s mascot
became the Comet?
Coco the Comet was the result of a 2006 college-wide contest
The “Name the Mascot” contest at CCC was part of the college’s 15-year celebration in the fall of 2006. The announcement was made in December 2006, when CCC President Thomas Jordan announced his retirement. Two students came up with the name and were co-winners.
The winners were selected by a team of judges made up of members from the college, the Foundation, the District Governing Board and Pepsi Cola Bottling Company. The winners were eligible for $500 in credit or noncredit classes at the college through the Foundation.
The name was chosen, according to the judges because, “like a shooting star, the college has started small but burns bright.”
Dr. Nat White, a DGB member and Lowell Observatory astronomer, said, “It is a very appropriate mascot for northern Arizona’s famous night skies. A hundred years ago, Flagstaff promoted itself as the sky light city, so Comets keeps to the theme.”
The contest was publicized throughout the county and “hundreds” of ideas were submitted. Other top entries were Cougars, Canyon Wrens, Coco Bears, Condors and Raptors.
CCC student does research at Harvard Forest
Student Shawna Greyeyes spends the summer working with the Witness Tree
The tree can Tweet.
The Witness Tree, a red oak tree that lives in the Harvard Forest in Petersham, Mass., has its own Twitter page and sends out posts that are about its own environment – all of it data driven – to help people become aware of climate change.
Coconino Community College student Shawna Greyeyes got to spend 11 weeks this summer interning at Harvard Forest with the Witness Tree to gain research experience.
“I learned a lot about tree physiology,” Greyeyes said. “I feel like it guided me to what I want to study.”
Currently a CCC2NAU student, her goal is to continue her studies at Northern Arizona University to complete the requirements for a degree in Environmental Science.
“I want to get my degree and go back to my community (Shonto) on the Navajo Nation to educate the youth about the environment and how important it is while also helping with the land there,” she said, adding that her emphases will be on the effects of uranium mines, water quality and drought conditions.
CCC student Shawna Greyeyes plans to study Environmental Science when she makes the move to Northern Arizona University.
CCC student eyes career advancement in accounting
Pearl Moore is the first generation in her family to attend college
Pearl Moore is the first generation of her family to go to college, and she’s finishing her sophomore year at Coconino Community College. She wants to become an accountant. Originally from Black Mesa on the Navajo Nation, she now lives in Flagstaff.
“I decided to go back to college because the workforce pushed me to continue my education more,” she said, adding that scholarship help made the return to school possible.
She worked in a small clinic in Page doing medical billing, and she was at the top of where she could go – unless she had a degree. Moore moved to Flagstaff for more opportunity, and she hit the same ceiling. She needed a degree to continue moving up.
When her children became school aged, she had an opening to return to school. She had originally started going to CCC in Page, one class at a time. In Flagstaff, she decided to go full time to get it done.
At CCC, she’s working toward an associate degree in Accounting. Her future goal is to work for Indian Health Care for medical billing.
Pearl Moore is studying accounting in order to move up in the medical-billing world.
CCC news around the state
Northern Arizona Healthcare Foundation surpasses $1.8 million to CCC
CCC Nursing student Nicole Zygadlo is among the many students receiving a quality education thanks to the support of the Northern Arizona Healthcare Foundation.
“I am challenged, and I’m growing. Every day, I feel I’m learning more and becoming a better person because of it.”
Nicole Zygadlo
CCC Nursing student
The NAH Foundation remains dedicated to helping CCC create nurses for northern Arizona
The Northern Arizona Healthcare Foundation has supported the CCC Nursing and Allied Health programs for the last seven years.
In total, the NAH Foundation, has donated more than $1.8 million since the original donation in 2002.
“Nurses are expert clinicians, coordinators of complex care, comforters and patient advocates and more of these health professionals are needed in Northern Arizona,” said Rick Smith, President of Northern Arizona Healthcare. “Our Foundation is proud to support the Nursing students at Coconino Community College. Clinical professionals throughout the region praise CCC Nursing graduates for their expertise and competence.”
The most recent award including funding from the Capstone Health Fund.
Community college leaders meet in Prescott
Coconino Community College was represented during the annual conference for the Arizona Association of Community College Trustees in Prescott on Sept. 6-8.
Presidents and board members discuss ideas for the future
They came from across the state to discuss the future of community colleges in Arizona.
The Arizona Association of Community College Trustees conference took place in Prescott on the weekend of Sept. 6-8.
The event included focused presentations and discussions on statewide topics of Student Success and how to get the word out about the valuable resource community colleges are to their regions. Additionally, presidents and governing board members received an overview of the current political landscape in Arizona.
In attendance for Coconino Community College were President Dr. Colleen A. Smith, PhD, and District Governing Board Chair Patricia Garcia.
Champions committed to CCC
Community leaders, residents make up roster of volunteers passionate about higher education
Their purpose is to “champion” Coconino Community College’s mission to the community.
The CCC Champions group meets monthly to discuss strategies to help residents become better acquainted with such a valuable community resource.
“Our support as community members helps ensure that the college continues to serve us all, adds the programs and classes we ask for and builds our community with educated and trained citizens,” said Gail Lowe, who owns a local accounting firm and who is dedicated to community service.
Rich Bowen, a longtime community leader, said, “CCC does vital work incredibly important to the community and needs people to tell that story. I want to be one of those people.”
For more information about the CCC Champions, contact Steve Peru at Steve.Peru@coconino.edu.
Steve Peru, CCC Chief External Affairs Officer, gives a presentation during a recent meeting of the CCC Champions group.
Our ED Talk Series is free and open to the public. For videos and fliers on past ED Talks, visit here.
Join Coconino Community College for an inspiring ED Talk by Genevieve Bennally, originally from LeChee, who works as a systems engineer for Raytheon. She’ll share her journey as a Native American woman pursuing a successful career in the field of Engineering – and defying stereotypes in the process. Her talk is in partnership with the CCC Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program.
When: Friday, Oct. 18, at 4 p.m.
Where: CCC Lone Tree Campus, 2800 S. Lone Tree Road, Room 460
Lunar Legacy Lecture Series continues
at CCC on Oct. 9
CCC Construction Job Fair on Nov. 6
CCC in the news:
Coconino Community College made the news in the last month. Read or see more about it by clicking the headline!