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The Comet update for Jan. 11 — Coconino Community College’s Stellar Newsletter

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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 with many of you, I find the new year a good time for reflection – on goals achieved and on near-misses that need improving. As a student I always looked at the beginning of each semester as a time to “do better” —be a better student, employee, friend and colleague. As a life-long learner and educator, I am grateful for the wonderful opportunity to work in the college environment where each semester I can continue that reflection and work to be a better student, employee, friend and colleague.
Moving into 2019, Coconino Community College will embark on the planning process for a new, five-year strategic plan to begin in 2020. The first step in this process is to seek input on the Vision, Mission, and Core Values that guide our work as a community college. We will work with our internal college community (faculty, staff and students) as well as members of communities we serve during the Spring 2019 semester to review, revise, and reinvigorate our mission as a community college. Members of the CCC District Governing Board are looking forward to this participative process. They take very seriously their responsibility of ensuring and sustaining quality as defined by the Higher Learning Commission through “a focus on student learning that encompasses every aspect of students’ experience at an institution.” We will continue to stress those concepts that are the foundation of what we do as a comprehensive community college and it is up to all of us to contribute to the understanding of those concepts. I look forward to sharing this journey with each of you. Please know we will continue to “do better” serving students and our communities as we move forward — and we will have a great time in the process!
I look forward to another “stellar” year at CCC, and I wish all who come through the doors of our campuses continued success in achieving their goals and making their dreams become reality.
It’s a great day to be at CCC – Onward!!
Colleen Smith
Hammonds elected to another term on
CCC District Governing Board
Lloyd Hammonds has dedicated himself to the College’s mission
Lloyd Hammonds has been elected for another term to the Coconino Community College District Governing Board.
Hammonds was sworn in during a ceremony Tuesday, Dec. 11, at CCC in Page. Coconino Superintendent of Schools Risha VanderWey officiated, with about 20 people present, including Page’s new Mayor Levi Tappan, City of Page staff and CCC staff.
“It is an honor to begin a second term as a DGB member,” Hammonds said. “Community colleges are an integral part of the education, economic and cultural fabric of our county, state and country.”
Prior to beginning his service on the Governing Board in 2012, Hammonds was the Dean of CCC in Page from 1998 through 2012. He said that he has a strong personal commitment to the community college.
Lloyd Hammonds has served CCC since 1998 – first as a dean at the Page Campus, then as a governing board member.
CCC trains the trainers with new
fire engine pump simulator
A grant from the Carl D. Perkins CTE Act buys a PumpOps simulator for CCC
Coconino Community College now has the ability to offer new training to Fire Science students and continuing training to firefighters in the field on how to operate the water pumps on a fire engine.
The college purchased a PumpOps Simulator entirely with the help of grant funding from the federal Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act.
“This simulator provides a very realistic experience in a college classroom that normally requires a live fire truck,” said Marc Goldberg, Fire Science program coordinator at CCC. “We can’t get the students on the fire trucks adequately to learn these skills … Students are better trained from day one.”
Members of the Highlands, Summit, Pinewood and Flagstaff fire departments took part in a “Train the Trainer” session on how to use CCC’s new fire engine pump operations simulator.
Community helps CCC Food Pantry
Charli Hausam, Financial Aid and Veteran Advisor, organizes the CCC Food Pantry for students.
The pantry helps more than 20 students a week with needed food
When the word went out that the food pantry for students at CCC was running a little low on supplies, community members got busy. In no time, the pantry was full, and staff had to find more shelving for the donated items.
“The students really appreciate it,” said Charli Hausam, Financial Aid and Veterans Affairs Services Advisor and School Certifying Official. “For some of them, it may be the only meal they have while at school.”
In early December, CCC announced that the food pantry was getting low on supplies and members of the Boys and Girls Club of Flagstaff got into gear along with faculty, staff, students, residents and members of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. In no time the pantry was full.
Teaching English: Return to an old friend
English Faculty Anna Canning devotes time to students, Common Read program
CCC English Instructor Anna Canning started at Mesa Community College, wound up at CCC and moved to NAU after that. She graduated from NAU with degrees in History and Education and became a high school teacher. During the summers, she worked on her master’s degree in English.
She taught at NAU, working with first-year students and teaching them cognitive and non-cognitive skills to help them be successful on their educational path.
“I really missed teaching English,” Anna said. “I felt like I could bring a lot of what I learned with student success to a first-year composition position.”
Canning teaches ENG 102 courses, and she is also the coordinator for the CCC Common Read program and appreciates the cross-departmental partnerships created by the program.
The Common Read program is a college-wide initiative that seeks to unite students, employees and community members in common intellectual conversations about a book. This year’s book is Sebastian Junger’s “Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging,” which examines the way war creates intimate bonds between people.
CCC alum aspires to nursing field
Brooke Riccelli
Brooke Riccelli came to Flagstaff from Peoria after graduating from Centennial High School.
She chose Coconino Community College to get her certificate in Medical Assisting.
“I love the area, and I came to CCC because I heard such great things about the Medical Assisting certificate program,” Riccelli said.
She graduated in May 2018 with her certificate, and, in the future, she plans to start studying for a nursing degree.
“I was always interested in the medical field, and medical assisting allowed me to dip my toes in the water to determine if the medical life was the one for me,” Riccelli said. “I do enjoy it, because it’s a profession that’s based around helping people.”
Dixie Ellis’ Lower Antelope Canyon Tours gifts employees with courses at CCC in Page
Dixie Ellis’ Lower Antelope Canyon Tours values education, and the owner, Dixie Ellis demonstrates that value by offering to pay for her employees to take courses at CCC in Page.
“Education is key,” said Leilah Young, Ellis’ daughter, who helps run the company for her mother. “We tell our employees, ‘Go out there. Get the knowledge. Give back to the community.’”
Young added that many of their employees are young and pretty fresh out of high school. When she finished high school, she didn’t have the support and encouragement to go to college, and that’s why the company supports and encourages all staff members to further their education. So many young people aren’t encouraged to go college, and often, they don’t have the means.
“Dixie Ellis has shown how important employee development is through educational opportunities at CCC Page,” said Kay Leum, CCC’s Director of Special Projects and Grants. “We appreciate her encouraging her staff to take courses, both credit and noncredit.”
Young said her mother’s company is the newest of the Lower Antelope Canyon tour companies. Regardless, they offered 15 scholarships this year to help employees get their foot in the door to college.
“If they want to go to school, we help pay for it,” Young said. “We don’t ever say no. It means they might move away from us, but education is important.”
Student lands on feet after Page CAMT course
CCC Certified Apartment Maintenance Technician (CAMT) student Johnsie Judy landed a job taking care of several motels in Page after finishing the course.
Johnsie Judy no longer worries about ends meeting
PAGE, Ariz. – Clogged sink. Refrigerator on the fritz. Heating units acting up. Bathtubs misbehaving.
It’s all in a day’s work for Page resident Johnsie Judy.
Judy is a maintenance technician at seven motel properties in Page – all owned by the same person. He got the job after he graduated from the first-ever Certified Apartment Maintenance Technician program offered last summer at Coconino Community College in Page.
“I needed to get a job and a decent paycheck,” Judy said, taking a break from his rounds. “Viola! Here I am.”
Begin the CCC journey from comfort of home
First year of college journey possible online at CCC
Beginning the spring semester, Coconino Community College is now offering students the possibility of beginning the first year of their college journey from the comfort of their homes.
CCC’s Arizona General Education Curriculum certificate, called AGEC-A, fulfills the lower-division general education requirements at all three state universities. It is now fully available online.
“This certificate is perfect for students who live in more remote locations, where commuting to a campus can be challenging,” said Dr. Gonzalo Perez, Associate Provost.
Additionally, CCC backs up the online learning with a variety of support (like advising and tutoring help) to keep students moving forward on their educational goals.
Our ED Talk Series is free and open to the public. For videos and fliers on past ED Talks, visit here.
Six-year U.S. Navy veteran and Coconino Community College alum Kevin Scholler will discuss the process he went through to phase back into civilian life after military service.
When: Monday, Jan. 14, 2019, at 7 p.m.
Where: Room B34, CCC Fourth Street Innovation Center, 3000 N. Fourth St.
This talk is presented in collaboration with CCC’s Common Read, a college-wide initiative that seeks to unite students, employees, and community members in common intellectual conversations about one book. This year’s book is Sebastian Junger’s Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging. Tribe examines the way war creates intimate bonds between people. Junger explores the relationship between combat veterans returning home and higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorders, as they search for the closeness and unity in everyday society. Tribe explores themes of loyalty, belonging, and the human quest for finding meaning in life.
Spring registration is now open!