Coconino Community College’s Stellar Newsletter — A quick word from the President

The Coconino Community College District Governing Board has a new member from the Page area.

During a small ceremony at the CCC campus in Page, Joseph “Joey” Smith was handed the duties of DGB member by his predecessor, Lloyd Hammonds.

“It’s an honor to serve the residents of northern Arizona as a District Governing Board member,” Smith said. “I look forward to helping strengthen the educational excellence CCC has long been known for.”

Smith, a member of the Yavapai-Apache Nation in Camp Verde, was born in Flagstaff and raised in Page. Smith began his college education in the community college system at Mesa Community College and received undergraduate degrees in psychology and criminal justice from Arizona State University. He’s married to his high school sweetheart, Bronwyn Smith, who is a member of the Navajo Nation and grew up in Page. She works as a pharmacist at the hospital in Tuba City. Smith is a member of the management team at Antelope Point Marina in Page. Previously, he served on the CCC Foundation as a board member.

Coconino Community College is currently developing a new Strategic Plan for 2020-2025.

The CCC District Governing Board has approved new Vision, Mission, Values and Building Principles to use in the planning process for the new plan:

VISION

Shaping the future of Coconino County. Empowering Individuals.  Inspiring Communities.

Education with Purpose!

MISSION

Coconino Community College is committed to providing accessible and affordable educational programs that prepare students for the future.  Deeply engaged with the communities we serve, we promote student success through a welcoming and inclusive learning environment designed for innovative programming, career and workforce development, university transfer education, and continued life-long learning opportunities.

VALUING PEOPLE: DIVERSITY STATEMENT

Coconino Community College recognizes and respects diversity and the value it brings to our communities. We appreciate and welcome cultures, identities, beliefs, experiences and all that makes us unique. CCC champions and takes action to build an inclusive work and learning environment. We are allies and advocates, navigating a respectful dialogue about our shared humanity.

A savanna. A desert. A rainforest. An ocean. All within walking distance in the same building?

Five Coconino Community College students, part of an effort to attract minority students into the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math fields, took a field trip to Biosphere 2 near Tucson this summer to get an up-close look into research being done on climate change, agriculture and more.

“It was interesting learning how people were stuck in there trying to create an environment to sustain a life on,” said student Kobe Wilson.

Wilson, who is Navajo, is enrolled in the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) program at CCC. The National Science Foundation awarded the University of Nevada Las Vegas a five-year $4.6 million LSAMP grant. With the grant, UNLV, in turn, is funding a project called the Southern Nevada Northern Arizona (SNNA) LSAMP, which is an alliance of UNLV, Northern Arizona University, College of Southern Nevada and CCC.

Page resident and CCC student Lacey Nez knew she wanted to go into a law enforcement career after a field trip to the Arizona Law Enforcement Academy in Phoenix.

“Growing up was a very tough environment for me,” she said, adding that her young life was “difficult.” At the academy, she listened to an officer explain the opportunities to becoming an officer and it became apparent she wanted to make a difference to people around her.

“It really changed the way I thought about law enforcement, because I met some really great people there,” Nez said.

A mother of three, Nez is well on her way to her goal of being a forensic psychologist, and she has five scholarships this year to help her reach her goal. She received the following: CCC District Governing Board Scholarship; Antelope Point Marina Scholarship, CCC Foundation Scholarship, SRP Navajo Scrubber Scholarship, and the Raymond Educational Foundation Scholarship.

Derek Sausman, as a senior crew member wildland firefighter for the Flagstaff Fire Department, worked the lines during the Museum fire that burned just north of the city this summer. His crew fights fires all over the region during fire season.

With a little help from the Chance Couillard Scholarship, he’ll be attending classes this semester at Coconino Community College to attain a Fire Science Degree in the hope of working for a city fire department.

“It’s just one of those things I’ve always wanted to do since I was a little kid,” Sausman said. “I feel like it’s in my blood to do it.”

His aunt was a firefighter and paramedic, and she had a heavy influence on him. Additionally, his wife, Danielle, who is also a graduate of CCC, worked as a paramedic for Guardian Medical Transport and as a flight paramedic down in the Yuma area.

“Being able to give back to the community you live in is important,” Sausman said. “Flagstaff is my home, and anything I can do to give back, it’s something I’d like to do.”