The Comet — Coconino Community College’s Steller Newsletter

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.

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A quick word from the President

The final push is here. The big day arrives the first Tuesday of this month. It is election time, and everyone at Coconino Community College has been working hard to educate our communities about the upcoming election decision regarding Prop 417. We’ve made presentations in Williams, Fredonia, Grand Canyon, Tusayan, Sedona, Page, Flagstaff, Doney Park, Munds Park and at chapter houses across northern Arizona’s tribal lands.

I and so many of CCC’s students, faculty and staff have gone out into the diverse communities of our county and have met so many wonderful people. Their graciousness with their time and their kindness in inviting us into their homes and hearts has bolstered all of our spirits that, yes, they understand that a thriving community college is deeply important.

Here at CCC, we feel that community commitment from all corners of this magnificent county we call home, and we thank you.

If you haven’t voted already, don’t forget to do so on Nov. 6!

Onward!

Colleen Smith

CCC students, alums tell their stories for TV

During this year’s educational outreach campaign, Coconino Community College’s students and alums most graciously shared their stories with residents of Coconino County through cable television services. It is the firm belief of CCC President Colleen Smith that the story of the college is the story of our students. Page resident Melody Billy shared her story of surviving cancer and fulfilling her dream of becoming a physician.

View more inspirational stories of student and alum success at CCC’s YouTube channel.

Why CCC matters to students, faculty

and residents …

Coconino Community College students, faculty and community supporters share their thoughts on what they like most about Coconino Community College and what the College provides to the communities it serves.

Page CCC student sets example for sons

Eli Secody

Kaibeto resident Eli Secody works as the marketing and cultural advisor for Adventures Antelope Canyon in Page. He’s also a cultural advisor who shares Navajo traditions and travels the world as a storyteller.

“I really enjoy it, but now that I’m aging, I really enjoy learning,” Secody said.

So, he decided to take classes at Coconino Community College in Page, and now he’s working toward a degree in anthropology. He hopes, perhaps, to become a teacher, and he plans on transitioning over to Northern Arizona University.

“I’m really thankful for CCC,” Secody said. “It has been a growing experience. I’m a more knowledgeable father, more focused on my sons’ development … We’re all striving for a better life.”

Read more Student Spotlights here

Small Business Development Center

The Coconino County Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provides advising, training, online courses and resources for businesses throughout the northern Arizona region. The statewide network of centers has been opening doors of opportunity in Arizona since 1988.

“The Coconino County SBDC and the Arizona State SBDC value all of our host partnerships and collaborations,” said Diana White, Director of the Coconino County SBDC. “Having the support of CCC enables us to truly engage with and impact our local community in a positive way.”

White continued, “Many of our small business owners and entrepreneurs embrace the opportunity to enhance their level of business acumen and other skillsets through guidance from the SBDC and classes with CCC.”

White added that the combination of the SBDC and CCC serves to bring education and vitality to local businesses, which leads to greater economic prosperity for the county.

Visit the SBDC website here

Bringing tutoring services to veterans at CCC

CCC student and veteran Ian Masayesva gets some math tutoring at the Veterans Center.

For more information about CCC Veteran Services, click here

Grant allows tutors to hold hours in the Veterans Center at CCC

CCC serves about 150 veterans a year, according to the latest statistics from the college’s Financial Aid Department. In addition to the Veterans Center resources, CCC also offers scholarships to veterans through the CCC Foundation.

To date, the nonprofit Support Education and Employment for Vets (S.E.E.4Vets) has donated nearly $30,000 to CCC to help remodel the college’s Veterans Center, provide tutoring services to CCC’s veterans and offer financial support to pay for incidentals. Additionally, S.E.E.4Vets, this year, has created an endowment so that funds for tutoring and the veteran’s expense relief program will someday be covered each and every year at no expense to the College.

CCC construction students volunteer for a cause

Students help out Sharon Manor transitional housing for victims of domestic violence

“I want to give back to the community,” said Deshawnte Cardenas, a student at Coconino Community College. “As a community, I believe we should be able to help out and do good work for each other.”

Cardenas was among seven CCC Construction Technology Management students who volunteered their time to do minor construction work at Sharon Manor in Flagstaff.

Sharon Manor is a transitional housing program run through Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona. According to Housing Solutions, Sharon Manor has a mission of “helping homeless victims of domestic violence and their children on their journey out of violence and poverty into economic independence, safety, health and self-sufficiency.”

Construction Technology Management students at CCC volunteered their time to do some painting, landscaping and other work at Sharon Manor, a transitional housing program for victims of domestic violence.

Read the rest of the story

CCC’s Common Read program focuses on ‘Tribe’

Author Sebastian Junger explores how community builds strength

CCC’s new Common Read program is pleased to announce our selection for the 2018-2020 school years, Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging, by Sebastian Junger.

We invite CCC students and community members to join us in reading and discussing the book. Please be on the lookout for upcoming events.

According to information from the Hachette Book Group, “Tribe explores what we can learn from tribal societies about loyalty, belonging, and the eternal human quest for meaning.”

“It explains the irony that – for many veterans as well as civilians – war feels better than peace, adversity can turn out to be a blessing, and disasters are sometimes remembered more fondly than weddings or tropical vacations.”

Our ED Talk Series is free and open to the public. For videos and fliers on past ED Talks, visit here.

“Tribe and the failure to bring our veterans home”

Wednesday, Nov.14, 2018 | 6-7 p.m.

CCC Fourth Street Innovation Center,

3000 N. Fourth St., Room B34

Presented by veteran Joe Bullis and

CCC Philosophy Faculty Aaron Rizzieri

Free and Open to the Public

Veteran Joe Bullis and CCC Philosophy Faculty Aaron Rizzieri join forces for this powerful ED Talk. Critics of western culture, throughout the ages, have seen isolation and the breaking down of culture as damaging to the democratic spirit. This critique, applied by author Sebastian Junger in his book, Tribe, CCC’s Common Read selection for 2018, explores the failure of western culture in being able to reintegrate men and women of the armed forces back into society.

“The Great Santa Claus Bank Robbery”

Presented by Billy Smith, playwright, composter, director and “Banjo Billy” on the Grand Canyon Railway
Monday, Dec. 10, 2018 at 6 p.m.
CCC Fourth Street Innovation Center – Room B34