CCC is about putting students first, so they, whatever their age or background, can imagine their own possibilities for their lives as they begin or continue their studies in the new year.
And then will begin a new year filled with possibilities. For Coconino Community College, that means I will step down as interim president and Dr. Eric Heiser will embark upon his path as the college’s sixth president. For the faculty and staff, that means a sea of fresh new faces to help navigate through educational journeys.
CCC is about putting students first, so they, whatever their age or background, can imagine their own possibilities for their lives as they begin or continue their studies in the new year. It could be the possibility of a better job to support themselves and their families. It could be the possibility of achieving the dream of attaining a degree at a four-year university. It could be the possibility of personal enrichment by learning something new to keep their lives fresh and vibrant. Whatever those possibilities are, I am confident CCC can lend a hand in making them real. It is a place to start small and go big, affordably, and where a solid foundation is supported by three pillars to meet the needs of all the communities we serve throughout beautiful and rural Coconino County.
With the pillar of CCC2University, students can acclimate to the environment of higher education in close-knit, familiar and comfortable surroundings before transferring to a larger university to complete their studies for a four-year degree. With CCC2Work, students who are interested in moving into the workforce, or acquiring additional skills for that better-paying job, can do so as quickly as possible, sometimes within the span of a year. With CCC2Community, students can satisfy their yearnings to learn something new – whether it is CPR and first-aid training, computer programs or taking that art or science class they’ve always wanted to take.
I am also excited about the possibilities in the new year of our Strengthening Indigenous Student Success project, which began in January. The project was made possible by a $2.1 million Native American-Serving Nontribal Institution (NASNTI) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The project aims to increase Native American student course success, completion rates and sense of belonging in the college community. One in five of CCC’s students is Native American, and it benefits us all to foster an inclusive environment to such a diverse student population. In the project’s first year, students were eased into the college experience with a Summer Bridge program that offered, at no cost to the students, English Composition and College Success Skills courses. They were helped in their studies by tutors, peer mentors and advisors. Additionally, a Native American Success Center at the Page Center was opened this past summer, and another one was opened in November at the Lone Tree campus in Flagstaff. The centers are meant to create sense of a “home away from home” that is staffed with advisors, peer mentors and tutors.
Finally, voters approved a tax-reset measure for the college that will allow for new, expanded and continued offerings focusing on career and technical training to help Coconino County’s workforce. In the coming year, the additional funding opens an array of possibilities to help the workforce needs in the communities served by CCC. Already, the college, in partnership with local law enforcement agencies, has begun the High Country Training Academy, with the first class of cadets already working toward the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training (AZPOST) certification.
It has been my great pleasure to serve the CCC community these past few months while the District Governing Board completed a search for a new president. Although the time has been short, I have been rewarded with friendships and sweet experiences I will never forget.
I leave CCC in capable hands to imagine the possibilities for my own future with my husband, Terry, and our family. I would like to extend a wish for everybody, as the new year arrives, to imagine the possibilities for their lives and then put in the work to make those possibilities real. I have no doubts that CCC can help. FBN
By Christal M. Albrecht
Registration is open for the spring semester, which begins Jan. 17, 2023. Learn more about CCC by visiting www.coconino.edu.
Dr. Christal M. Albrecht is the interim president at Coconino Community College.