Five feet of snowfall aside, my first few weeks as president of Coconino Community College have been marked by the gratitude that I feel at the welcome I received from faculty, staff and the community. My family and I feel right at home. My focus these first couple of months is to meet with as many of CCC’s internal and external stakeholders as possible and to take a lot of notes to get a sense of the educational needs of our students and the communities we serve. I will then compile a report … [Read more...] about Assessing Coconino County’s Education Needs
coconino community college
New Year, New Horizons with CCC
The first snowfall of the season has donned winter’s white cap on the Peaks, and soon, students will be studying for finals before thoughts turn to home and the holidays. 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 … [Read more...] about New Year, New Horizons with CCC
Touching the Future through Scholarships
Emily McKenzie has been giving a voice to matters important to her community since she was in elementary school. As a fifth grader, she collected signatures from her classmates and petitioned the school board to put a salad bar in her school’s cafeteria. The board agreed with her case. From then on, lunchtime became a bounty of fresh lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and cucumbers. As a teen, McKenzie studied Human Rights Watch, a powerful non-government organization that seeks to investigate … [Read more...] about Touching the Future through Scholarships
Policing, Affordable Housing, Community College Collaboration: CCC Helping with Community Needs
Fall has arrived. The air is crisp. The leaves are changing to yellows, reds and browns, and students at Coconino Community College are deep into their studies for the semester. As interim president for the college these few months, I am quite amazed to see the passion of the faculty and staff in their dedication to help meet community needs and students’ dreams for their futures. To that end, partnerships, as I have learned, have been a cornerstone of CCC’s efforts, and I would like to spend … [Read more...] about Policing, Affordable Housing, Community College Collaboration: CCC Helping with Community Needs
Sowing Seeds
In the tranquility of a late spring Flagstaff morning, Dr. Ralph Oliver Raymond would walk the land and and toss out dandelion seeds. “He wanted to make sure there were plenty of dandelions so that those who didn’t have a lot of money could pick them and receive nutrients from the tea they could make from the stems,” said long-time Flagstaff resident Billy Cordasco. Dr. Raymond, by all accounts, was a quiet, deeply caring family doctor who raised sheep, had a great love for the land and … [Read more...] about Sowing Seeds
Retiring CCC President Says She Will Miss Commencements
I am proud that I have never missed a commencement in my 41 years of working for community college students. I was so disappointed that during the height of the pandemic we had to hold two of our ceremonies in a virtual format, and I am thrilled that we are all planning to be together in person for commencement 2022! I enjoy telling people in all the communities served by CCC that “the story of our college is the story of our students.” They arrive at CCC and before long, they are graduating … [Read more...] about Retiring CCC President Says She Will Miss Commencements
CCC Students Gain Experience Building While Helping Habitat for Humanity
Circular saws whir and cut. Nail guns go “PSHHT!” Sawdust floats in the air. Safety glasses hang firmly in place, and all conversations are yelled. “Nail it there,” bellows Carrie Oakason over the noise. She’s a student in Coconino Community College’s Construction Technology Management program and is a project leader on the construction of panels for a new “Starter Home” for Habitat for Humanity of Northern Arizona. “I feel like I’m really lucky to have found CCC,” Oakason said. “The … [Read more...] about CCC Students Gain Experience Building While Helping Habitat for Humanity
CCC Governing Board Approves Tax Reset Measure
Thirty years ago, Coconino Community College was born. The birth was a two-step process: First, voters had to decide if they wanted to form a community college district; second, they had to decide to fund the district with property taxes. Both measures passed and CCC was created to serve the residents of Coconino County. However, that was not the end of the story - only the beginning. A challenge came about with the formation of the college that has grown as the college has grown over … [Read more...] about CCC Governing Board Approves Tax Reset Measure
Local Business Owner Teaches CCC Students Apartment Maintenance Skills
The Certified Apartment Maintenance Technician (CAMT) program at Coconino Community College prepares students by teaching them about performing maintenance tasks, locksmithing, OSHA 10, product repair, customer service and safety in the workplace. The CAMT program helps students refine their apartment maintenance skills and gets them ready for their future career. Not only do the CAMT program instructors teach students from textbooks but also from personal experience and real-life scenarios … [Read more...] about Local Business Owner Teaches CCC Students Apartment Maintenance Skills
Empowering the Native American Voice at CCC
Is it any wonder that people from all over the world draw, paint and shoot photographs of the natural beauty of Northern Arizona? Iron reds and oranges of sandstone contrast wonderfully with blue skies and green pine, juniper and sage. It is land that is rich in geological stories and steeped in a sacred importance to all of us who live here. Coconino Community College is located in the middle of the land’s magnificence. More than 20% of our students at the college are Native American, and … [Read more...] about Empowering the Native American Voice at CCC
