A PUBLICATION OF THE COCHISE COLLEGE FOUNDATION
FALL 2014
Golden Opportunity Celebrations Page 4
BOARD PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE During the course of the last year, much has been publicized about the history of Cochise College. Now I’d like to share a little about the beginnings of the Cochise College Foundation, a fiscally separate non-profit organization that promotes student success. The foundation was incorporated in March 1967 following a meeting of the incorporators at the Officer’s Club on Fort Huachuca. Attendees Col. Nicholas Angel, Dr. Robert Fergus, Dr. James Gabiola, William Hughes, Dr. Charles McMoran, Julia Riggs, Bobby Simpson, Mrs. William Cowan, Morris Fowler, Mrs. Kenneth Gunter, J. Newell Johnston, Dr. Jack Netcher, Martin Ryan and Louis Towle undertook the very important work of accepting bylaws. Before the year’s end, the foundation received more than $50,000 from the estate of former Bisbee resident Fay M. Cole. While many foundation donors then and now – including many of the incorporators named above - fund scholarships, the foundation involved itself in project fundraising early. Over the course of 50 years, donors have assisted with a rodeo facility, archaeological center, the Benson Center and a matching Title V grant to provide student support services, as well as smaller projects too numerous to list. As a long-time foundation board member and an emeritus member of the Cochise College Governing Board, I’m proud to say that the diversity and success of projects like these have kept this work interesting and fulfilling. The Cochise College Foundation has, indeed, helped make Cochise College a golden opportunity for students and the community.
Jan Guy Board President Cochise College Foundation
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Cover: Former Cochise College students Evelyn (Irwin) ('67) and Greg Dyson ('67), Tucson; Patricia Baer Morriss ('66), Sierra Vista; and Eloisa and Donald ('66) Reay, El Paso; reunited with faculty, staff and board members at the 50th anniversary Founder's Dinner in September.
Board Officers Jan Guy, President Gail Zamar, Vice President Bob Strain, Secretary Mark Battaglia, J.D., Treasurer Board Members Yolanda Anderson Chuck Chambers Jean Giuffrida Cindy Hayostek Karen L. Justice Gene Manring Dan Rehurek, Ph.D. Ruben Teran, J.D. Board Member Emeritus Shirley Gregory Linda Staneart Ex-Officio Member J.D. Rottweiler, Ph.D. (ex-officio) Honorary Member Marsha Arzberger Cochise College Foundation Staff Denise Hoyos, Executive Director Sheila Selby, Foundation Coordinator Rose Berumen, Administrative Assistant “Accolade” is published by the Cochise College Foundation, 4190 W. Highway 80, Douglas, AZ 85607. (520) 417-4100 Contributors Rose Berumen Denise Hoyos Liz Manring Keith Ringey Sheila Selby Rick Whipple
“Accolade” inspires charitable contributions in support of Cochise College by raising awareness about competitive advantages of the college and the activities of the Cochise College Foundation, which promotes student success through scholarships, facilities development, and program support. By supporting Cochise College, the Foundation endeavors to increase the college's accessibility to our diverse and changing communities.
FROM THE COCHISE COLLEGE PRESIDENT I was fortunate this fall to meet many of Cochise College’s earliest faculty, staff and students at a Founder’s Dinner event celebrating the college’s 50th anniversary. The occasion provided a fantastic opportunity for attendees to share how the college has impacted their lives. Many students and I had the chance to say “thank you” to the very people who helped shape the institution we know today. As we’ve researched the college’s history in preparation for this special year, it’s become evident that the ideals Dr. Bill Harwood, the college’s president in 1964, scrawled in the notes for his first faculty meeting – “Our goal = to be good, not to be big” - hold true today, even though many of our faculty and staff have never seen this historical documentation. I find that goal inspiring. In one of the books they’ve co-authored, political analysts and spouses James Carville and Mary Matalin explain their move from high-profile lives in Washington, D.C., to post-Katrina New Orleans. For some of us, their reasoning may also apply to the choice to commit ourselves to community colleges, particularly rural ones. “I’ve found that it’s always better in life to be part of something that’s trying to make it as opposed to something that already has it made,” Carville writes. “The real thrill is trying to build something new or save something worth saving as opposed to only protecting what you have…In New Orleans, Mary and I thought we might actually be able to move the needle.” The idea of being able to throw a pebble and actually see the ripples – the impact was very appealing. Cochise College has always been the sort of place where you can throw a pebble and see the ripple. Whether your contribution is financial, through your work, or through volunteering, you, too, can move the needle, and that makes Cochise an exciting place to be.
J.D. Rottweiler, Ph.D. President Cochise College jdr@cochise.edu
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Humor, hugs highlight anniversary gathering Fifty years later, they were back together again. Cochise College’s founders, friends, earliest alumni and faculty all gathered on the afternoon of Sunday, Sept. 21, 2014 to share a meal and their favorite stories from the community college commemorating its golden anniversary this year. “We’re celebrating the past as we move to the future,” Cochise College president J.D. Rottweiler said. “You are our connection to the past, and we’re proud to be here with you.” More than 150 people filled the community room in the Student Union on the Sierra Vista Campus for a Founder’s Dinner, exactly 50 years after the college first opened its doors for classes on the Douglas Campus. Cochise College was founded in 1962 thanks to a bond approval in August, followed by the first governing board election just two months later, and the hiring of the first president, Dr. Thaddeus C. Johnson, on Jan. 2, 1963. The college broke ground Sept. 22, 1963 and classes started right on time, Sept. 21, 1964, under second president Dr. Bill Hardwood, selected after Johnson’s tragic death in a plane crash.
Cochise College's 50th anniversary provided a joyous backdrop for a reunion of former students Dr. Joanna (Kurdeka) Michelich ('68) and Rosaline (Campas) Pintek.
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Former speech faculty member Arlo Janssen emceed a Founder's Dinner that drew more than 160 guests.
“I can remember the excitement in the community about a junior college that would be built,” said George Montano, a Cochise College graduate who was born and raised in Douglas and returned to his hometown to work in the public school district and also as an associate faculty member for the college. “I was exposed to Cochise College as a youngster. Driving down the highway with my parents on the way to Tucson, watching it get built, was exciting. Seeing older students in Douglas going there, and going to basketball games. Cochise College was a stepping stone for me, an opportunity to test the waters. I’m thankful to the college because I was able to do something with myself.” Montano expressed deep appreciation for his former instructors, and his sentiments about the college echoed throughout the room. Former speech instructor Arlo Janssen emceed the event that saw a dozen people take the microphone over the span of a little more than an hour to reminisce and reflect on the anticipation, expectations, challenges and victories that employees and students faced as Cochise College got up and running. The stories were funny, heartfelt and meaningful. Jansen came to Cochise College by pure accident and was thrilled to learn what community colleges were all about — smaller class sizes and “better instructors t Continued on page 6
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Humor, hugs Continued from page 5 han a university” for the first two years. Administration mandated in 1965 that all male faculty wear a tie. Former instructor Howard DeWitt walked into Dr. John Eaton’s office and asked to shut the door … so he could ask for help in learning how to tie a tie. Another former instructor, Dr. John Doty, once watched his most quiet student streak across campus, and he couldn’t have been more proud of her. It was the ’60s, after all. “Bill Harwood hired people who were forward thinking; if you translate that, it means trouble makers,” DeWitt laughed. “What I learned from all this was teaching was always paramount to me. When I left Cochise College, I had such a strong foundation. What I got at Cochise College, I don’t think I could replace with anything else. Best two years of my life.” Bisbee native Al Coons had no interest in attending his local community college, but his mother and grandmother insisted he go to school. He graduated in 1967 and became a teacher, and credits his success to the compassion and dedication of instructors like Dr. Don Campbell, Dr. George Huncovsky and Ray Levra. “They were visionaries, the administration and faculty who provided a culture center, a place to be educated,” said alum Richard Aguirre. “We were all from different areas, and we were bonding there. We were cultured and awarded an education at an affordable price. I want to say thanks on behalf of the alumni and let you know we are very grateful.” The college’s 50th anniversary celebrations following the Founder’s Dinner featured performances by cover band Twist & Shout: The Definitive Beatles Experience, in honor of the Fab Four’s impact on American culture in 1964, at both the Sierra Vista and Douglas campuses. In anticipation of the 50th anniversary celebration, the college was recognized across Cochise County by city proclamations in Benson, Willcox, Douglas and Sierra Vista. Rottweiler said at every location, he was approached by city council members and city leaders who were proud to say they were Cochise College graduates. “The impact you’ve had on this county, our students, the state, and the region is significant, and I hope you remember that,” Rottweiler said as he closed the program. “Your impact 50 years ago, 20 years ago, today, and tomorrow will forever be remembered, and I thank you for that. You have made us proud, and we hope to make you proud.”
Former Cochise County Sheriff John Pintek ('72) attended Cochise College's golden anniversary celebrations while also hosting his 50th Bisbee High School class reunion.
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Yeah,Yeah,
Yeah!
BEATLES MUSIC BRINGS BACK CROWDS, MEMORIES
Dr. J.D. Rottweiler, Cochise College president, swaps stories with faculty emeritus Bill Akins at the Founder's Dinner.
Twist & Shout: The Definitive Beatles Experience dodged late-season showers to draw crowds of about 500 each to anniversary performances at the Sierra Vista and Douglas Campuses in September. The college and foundation thank the following sponsors for their support: • Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative • Wick Communications • Edward Jones Investments • Sierra Toyota • Sirkus Promo • Wells Fargo Advisors
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New funds Alumna bequest supports military, nurses A military scholarship that led Col. Isabelle Bagin (’80) to a career in healthcare and an active life beyond retirement inspired her to help provide similar opportunities to active-duty military personnel and their dependents, reservists and veterans accepted into the Cochise College Nursing Program. Born in Kingston, Pa., in 1924, Bagin began her nursing career following World War II at the age of 17. She attended cadet nurse training at Bayonne Hospital Dispensary in New Jersey, working in Brooklyn, N.Y., following graduation and joining the Army Nurse Her contribution ensures Corps in 1951. She trained in San that awards will Antonio and served first in Hawaii, then at Fort Chaffee, continue in her memory Ark.; Fort Sam Houston’s in perpetuity. Brooke Army Medical Center, Texas; Okinawa, Japan; Valley Forge, Pa.; and Korea, where she was rescued from her Quonset hut after passing out from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. Her final assignment was Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland. Bagin retired in 1973 and embarked on a new journey that included volunteering, primarily with the Red Cross on Fort Huachuca and at a Sierra Vista elementary school, and travel, on an African safari, and a Hawaiian cruise. She earned an associate degree from Cochise College in 1980. In her later years, she saw for herself the changes in nursing education and training when she visited with faculty and students in the Nursing Department.
Colonel Isabelle Bagin
Although she began supporting student nurses with the Col. Isabelle Bagin Scholarship several years prior to her death in March, the $300,000 bequest ensures that awards will continue in her memory in perpetuity. Alumnus renews annual scholarship Qualifying Cochise College graduating sophomores are again eligible for the H.S. Lopez Family Foundation Scholarship. The fund, which awarded numerous scholarships several years ago, has been renewed and will award five $1,000 scholarships to sophomores pursuing degrees intended for transfer to a university. The H.S. Lopez Family Foundation is named for Humberto S. Lopez (’67), a prominent Tucson businessman. New scholarship available for Douglas Campus honors students The Alpha Beta Zeta chapter of Phi Theta Kappa has established a fund that will award four $500 scholarships to members who actively participate in chapter activities, demonstrate leadership skills, and engage in community service. Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society for community college students who have earned 12 or more credits that may be applied to an associate degree and who maintain a 3.5 or higher grade point average. The Alpha Beta Zeta chapter is located at the Douglas Campus. Bequest to benefit Cochise County graduating seniors Cochise County graduating seniors enrolling full time at Cochise College have access to a new scholarship established through a bequest by the late Harold E. Pease of Benson, Arizona. The Birdie Pease Memorial Scholarship will be available to students maintaining a 2.5 or higher grade point average through their first semester after transferring to another institution. The bequest established an endowment that will continue the scholarship in perpetuity and which is expected to generate nearly $3,500 in scholarships in its first years.
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College awarded $100,000 in grants Cochise College has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture to provide technical and outreach assistance in rural Cochise County. The grant funds a partnership between USDA Rural Development and the Cochise College Small Business Development Center to implement the “Enhancing Program Accessibility in Underserved Rural Communities” project. Only one grant was available to Arizona, and Cochise College was the successful applicant. “This will help us provide public awareness and technical assistance, training and program support to small and socially disadvantages farmers, ranchers and businesses in rural Cochise County,” said Cochise SBDC Director Mark Schmitt. “It will also aid our agricultural producers and rural businesses in generating new products, and in creating and expanding market opportunities to increase producer or business income.” The college also will collaborate with the University of Arizona on a task force to align employment and educational opportunities, thanks to a $26,600 grant from Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold. Over the course of a year, the task force will seek to engage business, government and community representatives to develop an infrastructure to link economic development and education, particularly in the Douglas and Bisbee areas. Task force recommendations will be disseminated to the community as seeds that will germinate as future funding, economic development opportunities, and course development. The infrastructure is intended to serve as a tool as the institutions pursue future grant funding. Ultimately, the goals are new/enhanced skills or higher levels of education and increased community participation in the region.
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Early Sierra Vista resident leaves lasting impact on education Erwin Fry never had children of his own, but during the course of more than three decades since his death, hundreds of Cochise County young people have benefitted from his family’s deep roots there, thanks to scholarship funding provided by his family foundation.
Also that year, several residents remember what is now known as Fry Boulevard getting quite a facelift, from a narrow, paved road to a much wider, blacktopped road, as Sierra Vista continued to expand. Erwin saw the street named for him in 1959, long before his death in 1980.
The Fry family was one of the first to settle in what is now called Sierra Vista, Arizona. First came Oliver Fry, who filed a homestead patent for a 280-acre parcel of land, then returned to Texas to bring back his two oldest sons, Tom and Erwin, in 1912. Erwin Fry married Lillian Skeels in 1923 and would go on to acquire numerous acres of land, operate the town general store, and end his life as a wealthy man with the main street of Sierra Vista named for him.
Erwin’s will stipulated that a foundation or nonprofit organization be formed and the majority of his money be put toward helping young people with their education. Since 1981, just a few months after his death, the foundation named for him has allocated an average of about $50,000 each year to the Cochise College Foundation to provide scholarships for local high school students who not only go on to attend Cochise College, but also those who pursue higher education elsewhere.
The Erwin Fry Foundation Scholarship, administered through the Cochise College Foundation, is awarded annually to college-bound students who have graduated from high schools or earned a GED within Cochise County. “He loved the area and wanted to pay back for how it blessed him,” said Jay Busby, Erwin’s former CPA and current member of the Erwin Fry Foundation. “Education must have mattered a lot to him, because he left a lot of money for them. He didn’t have a PhD or anything, but he was wise financially, and just a fine man.” Erwin’s seven other siblings and his mother, Elizabeth, joined the rest of the family in southeast Arizona, and the Frys became instrumental in developing the little town next to Fort Huachuca. Many of the businesses on Sierra Vista’s West end, including Monty’s Motors and La Casita, were started by individuals who leased land and buildings from the Fry family. According to the Sierra Vista Historical Society, Erwin and Lillian leased the Garden Canyon General Store from the Carmichael family in 1929 and Lillian became the postmistress in 1934. The pair opened the Fry Store, a general store and post office, in 1936. In 1937, the name of the town was changed from Garden Canyon to Fry because the mail had too often been accidentally routed to Grand Canyon, Arizona. The city was incorporated in May 1956 and became Sierra Vista. Seven months later, the Fry Store was destroyed by a fire.
“He was just interested in helping the young people,” Busby said. “And we’ve helped a lot of them.” The Fry Foundation Scholarship guidelines state that recipients must have been a legal resident of Cochise County for one year and have graduated from any high school within the county or have a high school equivalency from an institution within the county. Students must attend full time, have financial need and a 2.0 or higher GPA, and maintain satisfactory academic progress. Scholarships can be awarded to assist with any academic, technical or vocational training, and students can receive the scholarship more than once. One such student is Shanyia Parker, who began attending Cochise College while in high school at Tombstone. Now in her first year at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, Parker earned the Fry scholarship last year as a full-time student at Cochise and again this year as she works toward a degree in either early childhood education or counseling. She said scholarships are vital to paying tuition costs, and learning about the history of Erwin Fry and his proud ties to Cochise County help her value that particular scholarship — and her home county — even more. “It’s where we grew up; it’s our home,” she said. “Being in a different place makes you appreciate where you’re from.” Erwin Fry, ca. 1940s Photograph courtesy of the Henry F. Hauser Museum, Accession# 2000.11.1
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Alum forges ahead in telehealth field Crystal (Hesebeck) Jenkins (’96) is one of eight nurses in her family and, naturally, wanted to follow those career footsteps since she was a little girl. After graduating from high school in Wisconsin, she moved to southern Arizona at the urging of her aunt Lori Rutherford, a longtime nurse and Sierra Vista resident, to begin her education at Cochise College. That first step has led to a number of opportunities. Jenkins went on to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the University of Phoenix in 2004 and was one of eight in the inaugural graduating class for the Master of Healthcare Innovation degree from Arizona State University in 2008. “The degree focused on leading people through change,” she said. Today, she is a consultant for Blue Cirrus Consulting, specializing in telehealth implementation, a growing trend that uses electronic communication and information technology in patient care. Jenkins’ focus lies primarily in the tele-ICU/critical care setting. She has presented at national and international conferences, participated in professional committees and advisory boards, and co-authored numerous publications, including telehealth practice guidelines for the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. With Blue Cirrus, she aids organizations in setting up telehealth programs, which is much more complicated than “plug and play.” “It’s taking into consideration provider licensing and credentialing when providing care in numerous facilities or crossing state lines; policies and procedures that have to be followed, created and changed; and considering financial return on investment. You have to look at all aspects, the trickle-down effect.” Jenkins enjoys working with healthcare professionals to help them fully operationalize a telemedicine system, from determining how to safely and securely access medical records within electronic systems to helping staff members adapt to new care methodologies and technology. Since 2009, she has frequently taught the Systems Thinking in a Complex Environment class as an adjunct faculty member for Arizona State University within the master’s program from which she graduated. “Graduates are leaders armed with the vision and skills to influence the future direction of healthcare and to transform the current system to improve health outcomes for patients and providers,” she said. Jenkins worked as a registered nurse for Banner Desert Medical Center, where she moved into management and administrator roles before pursuing a position as a senior consultant with Blue Cirrus. Although she misses many aspects of direct patient care, she said it is fulfilling to implement positive change through a leadership position.
Friday, April 10, 2015 • Sierra Vista Campus • Visit cochise.edu/50 for details and to RSVP. •
“My instructors at Cochise College were pretty inspirational,” she said. “One in particular, Dr. (Ann) Quill, I thought she was a challenging instructor, but she was a true leader. They all were. They pushed you forward, made you step outside your comfort zone, learn from your mistakes, and taught you to be a patient advocate. I have had numerous achievements, so far, throughout my nursing career, but the one that I am most proud of and worked the hardest for is my Associate Degree in Nursing from Cochise College.”
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Our Mission Cochise College provides accessible educational opportunities that are responsive to a diverse population and lead to constructive citizenship, meaningful careers and lifelong learning. The Cochise College Foundation promotes student success through scholarships, facilities development, and program support. Ways to Give Donor contributions help provide thousands of dollars in scholarships and program support each year. You can help support these and other college activities in a variety of ways. • Establish an Annual or Endowed Fund • Planned Gifts • Personal Property • Real Estate • Cash and Pledges • Matching Gifts Check our website to give online, or contact us at (520) 417-4735 to determine an appropriate use for your gift. Look for more news reflecting Cochise College’s strategic priorities in future publications: • Competitive advantages • Excellence • Everything speaks • Completion
Brothers’ reminisce about college’s early years Albert Velasco worked at Cochise College well before he was on the payroll. He had just finished construction work on a Navajo college in northern Arizona when W.F. Conelly Construction Co. assigned him to the crew at Cochise College. His first task was to help build a tent under which workers formed the columns for each building structure next to kerosene heaters that kept the concrete warm amidst chilly temperatures. By July 1964, the administration building was ready for staff members, and just before classes started on Sept. 21, 1964, all 12 buildings — administration, faculty office, fine arts, gym, liberal arts, library, Little Theatre, two residence halls, science-technology, Student Union and vocational — were ready to welcome students. Albert waved goodbye to the campus he helped build just 10 miles from his hometown and moved on to the next job: building the School of Mining at the University of Arizona. But the company relegated him to light duty — back at Cochise College – after a car accident. While fixing paneling in the Little Theatre, he asked whether the facilities department would add a carpenter position. He was hired three days later. “Cochise College was one of the very few projects I worked for near Douglas because W.F. Conelly built schools, so we were all over the place building them,” he said. “I was just lucky enough to get sent back to the college, and that was the start of it.” Albert was an instrumental figure at the college for 31 years before retiring as the director of facilities in 1995. He assisted in building additions, remodeling ventures and landscaping projects, and he was part of the facilities team that built the airport runway. He’s the one who drove a truck to Midland, Texas, with a trailer to haul the college’s first airplane back to Douglas. Meanwhile, his brother, David, was working for the U.S. Forest Service and looking for work closer to home before he was hired by Cochise in 1967 as a janitor and part-time midnight security watch. He took on extra work making outdoor signage and quickly moved to the maintenance department. He helped construct the first dark room on campus, a proud piece of work for the parttime photographer, and when an audio/visual position opened, he applied and landed the job. David also taught black and white photography for Cochise before retiring in 1988. The Velascos’ memories from Cochise remain fond. “I admire the original people; they were visionary, wonderful people who did a lot for the county,” David said. “I liked the camaraderie — there were a handful of guys I really admired — and also the challenge. It was very diverse.” Albert helped set up portable buildings in Willcox and Sierra Vista, and he was one of the first to survey the land that would become the Sierra Vista Campus. As the college grew, Thursday became his favorite day of the week because it was his day to tour all the college locations in the county. “I’d leave around 7 in the morning and get back at 7 in the evening, and that was an adventure,” he said. “Getting to talk to different people in every community, it was fun.” Both brothers took advantage of employee tuition waivers. David reveled in photography, art and anthropology courses, while Albert picked up an associate degree and several certifications and licenses to keep the facilities department running smoothly. All of Albert’s and David’s children and grandchildren are tied to Cochise — some are alumni, others are currently attending, and the youngest is planning to enroll after graduating from high school. “It was an adventure for me to be with Cochise College,” Albert said. “I came in from heavy construction, not much future in that but good pay. I was making $9.33 an hour, and went to Cochise for $3.33 an hour, but I tell you what, it was worth every penny because I never would have experienced anywhere else what I experienced there. We did it all, and it was rewarding.”
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David, left, and Albert Velasco.
What achievement gap? Students shine at HACU Cochise College lists focusing on its competitive advantages as a strategic priority, and a group of institutional representatives may have identified one while attending the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) national conference this fall. Reducing the Hispanic achievement gap in higher education was a recurring theme at the conference, which provides a forum to share information and ideas for the most promising practices in the education of Hispanic students. Among the U.S. population aged 25 to 64, 35.8 percent has an associate degree or higher, compared to only 16 percent of the Hispanic population. However, the session “Developing a Culture of Education on the Border” demonstrated that reducing, and even reversing, that gap is a reality at Cochise College.
College announces 50th anniversary scholars Raul Montaño, grandson of David Velasco, was among 40 students named 50th Anniversary Scholars this year. The Cochise College Foundation awarded $1,000 scholarships to the following graduates of Cochise County high schools earning a 3.0 or higher grade point average. Hannah Adams Alex Akridge Carla Aponte-Melendez Danitza Ballesteros Alma Chavez Antonio Chavez Nicholas Cleveland Sedona Davis Magaly Dozal Michael Edsall Melissa Escarcega Yesenia Escarcega Abigail Gallagher Kayla Gauch David Gowan Jr. David Guzman Emily Hagle Morgan Harris David Hurtado Colton James
Caleb King Alexandria Linhart Tina Lowery Kaitlyn McCready Sophia Monge Raul Montano Brianna Moore Kayley Moss Nicholas Ortega Andrea Parra Ryan Percy Jazlynn Pinzon Esteban Sereno Indonesia Sheppard Layson Smyer Kassandra Sovern Nicole Sprague Preston Sweatt Dayna Wright Ryan Zamora
The session was co-presented by Dr. John Walsh, director of the Cochise College Library, four current and former Cochise College students, and an advisor from the University of Arizona. Walsh shared the Learning Librarian method, which he developed and tested as part of his doctoral research. The method develops information literacy skills and includes specific methods, such as multiple instructional sessions and collaborative group work, that correspond with the learning characteristics of Hispanic students. A cohort of Hispanic students who participated in the Learning Librarian method outperformed the Cochise College student population in graduation rates in some years between 2001 and 2007. University of Arizona Advisor Melissa Silva discussed the CochiseCats program, a shared services initiative that helps transition students from the community college to the university. But the student presenters, who all experienced the Learning Librarian method, were perhaps the highlight of the conference. Jazmin Cuevas, Dylan Hernandez, Zuezyan Montano and Alexis Rivera presented their personal stories and how they are succeeding at Cochise College and beyond. They effectively conveyed to an enraptured audience the confidence and skills the institution’s efforts instilled in them. “Every speech, every presentation, every workshop, complained of an increasing achievement gap and were developing ideas to reduce the gap,” Walsh said. “Cochise College can be proud because we have no achievement gap.”
Cochise College Libraries Director Dr. John Walsh, left, presented at the HACU national conference along with students Alexis Rivera, Jazmin Cuevas, and Dylan Hernandez.
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Local family embraced academic opportunity College wasn’t in the cards for Trudy Johnson, but she envisioned a different future for her children. The Johnsons moved from New York to Douglas in 1956, and it wasn’t long before Trudy joined the committee to advocate for the founding of Cochise Community College. The site of the college’s first location was announced in 1961, followed by two votes in 1962 that approved construction of the college and chose the members of its first elected board. Just a few years later, three of Trudy’s five children would graduate from Cochise College, and each looks back at the college and the Douglas community with fondness and sentimental memories. “I really loved my time there,” said Susie (Johnson) Khalil (’72). “I had such outstanding teachers, not only outstanding teachers, but they were just great human beings. It was nice to get to meet people my own age, from various parts of the state that came to college there, too. The people are my greatest memory from there.” Roy (’70), the oldest of the Johnson children, was the first of the family to attend Cochise and graduated with the first aviation class. Susie earned a police science degree from Cochise and would go on to major in journalism at the University of Arizona. Gary (’76) found a niche as a stat keeper for Apache basketball and recently retired as a lead statistician for the NCAA. The other two siblings — Doug and Barry — went straight to universities. Trudy worked for years at the former Douglas Schools Federal Credit Union, now the Southeastern Arizona FCU, retiring as manager in the late 1980s. She sold Avon products and stayed active at the First Presbyterian Church. Anyone who knew her always wanted to hear what her ambitious kids were up to. “She loved to brag on us,” said Roy. “About the diversity of us. She always let us dream about what we wanted to do.”
The Johnson family in 2003: Barry, back left, Susie (’72), Doug, Gary (’76), front left, Trudy, who passed away in 2012, and Roy (’70) Roy dreamed of being a pilot, also a dream of his late father, Ken, an American Airlines pilot who transferred from then-Idlewild Airport in New York City to Bisbee-Douglas International when doctors found a spot on his lung. The family quickly acclimated from city to small-town life. “We embraced Douglas, and it embraced us,” Susie said. “My mom loved Douglas, and I think she wanted the college for us kids — for her children and the children of Douglas — so we wouldn’t have to go as far as Tucson, the next closest school.” Roy was the first to start looking at colleges. Cochise’s aviation program got up and running just in time for him to get started. He graduated in 1970, wrapped up his bachelor’s degree at Arizona State University, then spent six years in the Air Force before a long career with American Airlines. Between 1979 and his retirement in 2011, he flew all over the United States and to a number of international destinations. In the early 1990s, he ended up on the college’s aviation advisory board, thrilled to give back to the program that started his career. “My mom was there when the discussion came up for the possibility of having an aviation program at the college. When the discussion came up, she keyed in on that, mainly for me,” Roy said. “It was a great education, and I liked all the instructors.” Susie graduated a year after her older brother with a police science degree and worked for the Douglas Police Department before becoming the first female police officer at the VA Center in Prescott. While at Cochise, she led the cultural events student organization in charge of bringing guest speakers, musicians and other acts to the college. She lived at home but spent much of her time on campus hanging out with friends, watching baseball, basketball and rodeo teams, and participating in activities like pie-eating contests, which she won once. A few of her poems were published in the college’s literary magazine, Mirage. Continued on page 15
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Local family Continued from page 14 She and her daughter moved back home to Douglas in the mid-‘70s for Susie to go back to Cochise for journalism, which led her to transfer to UA, where she met her husband, who is from Saudi Arabia. Susie went on to Northwest Schools to get into the travel agency business, in which she worked for several years before moving to Saudi Arabia with her husband in 2007. There, she blogs as "Susie of Arabia" about her experiences and women’s issues in the country. Susie spends her summers at her brother Roy’s house near Seattle, where their mother lived from 1993 until her death in 2012. Although the siblings no longer have family ties to Douglas, they try to occasionally get back “home.” “I’m really grateful that I went to Cochise, because of the community feel and the lifelong friends I made,” Susie said. “It was a stepping stone, and everything we do, all the experiences we have, and any education you get makes you the person you are. It was invaluable.”
neWS Of AlUmni & friendS Donald Andress (’70) earned his private and commercial pilot certificates and instrument and multi-engine ratings during the first years of the Cochise College aviation program. He is a retired captain for America West Airlines.
Robert (Mike) Hodge, who last attended in 1969, earned credentials from several universities but credits Cochise College with providing his best educational years. He worked in executive administrative capacities for numerous state court systems and is now retired.
Peggy C. Brock, who last attended in 2012, is retired and resides in Cochise County.
Arnulfo Lopez Jr. (’95) earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and a Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential at California State University-Bakersfield. He is now retired.
Donald Reay (’66) spent most of his career in law enforcement and is executive director of the Texas and Southwestern Border Sheriff’s Coalitions.
Jay Matlock (’08) earned a bachelor of science in occupational instruction from Wayland Baptist University.
Carl Burgess (’92) has earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees and is director of information security for Orchard Brands. Edmund Clark (’70) established the first work-study program with Page Aircraft Maintenance Inc. at Fort Huachuca in 1969. He is a senior customer service engineer with Bell Helicopter Textron. Gary Dykman (’67) came to Cochise College on a basketball scholarship and retired from Mohave Union High School as a teacher and coach. Diana (Gordon) Edelie (’66) works with the Marana and Willcox school districts. Anthony Gilbert (’01) earned a bachelor’s degree and is an operations NCO for the U.S. Army. Gary Henley, who attended in 1969, has retired after 40 years with Arizona Portland Cement.
Cochise College received numerous communications about the students in this photo and decided to take the family members at their word. Joyce (Grizzle) Hall (’72) correctly identified her husband James “Bo” Hall (’71) as the young man in the center. Ellen Clark spotted her daughter Barbara at the end of the line next to her friend Ruth Anderson. Where the students were headed is uncertain. Jonathan Kattau (’76) is a senior captain for United Airlines on the Boeing 747. Brandon Kroviak (’14) is an unmanned aerial systems operator for the U.S. Army. Lyle Livingston (’72) earned an associate of science in electronics technology and has traveled the world with Raytheon Systems.
Thomas Mosier (’99) is deputy sheriff at the Sierra County Sheriff Department in New Mexico. Revital (Carmon) Quintana, who last attended in 2007, transferred to a university and is a clinical counselor for You, Inc., in Massachusetts. Michael Rano (’93) is a retired law enforcement officer in Oregon.
IN MEMORIAM Bob Atkinson, Faculty, Feb. 20, 2014 Jerry Eades, Printer, June 6, 2014 Joyce Youngblood, Administrative Assistant, Aug. 24, 2014 Share your news and updates at www.cochise.edu/alumni or email alumni@cochise.edu.
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NON PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE
PAID TUCSON, AZ PERMIT NO. 3341
4190 W Highway 80 Douglas AZ 85607-6190
Red and White Ball King Kent Gierke (’71) earned a scholarship to Arizona State University and taught physical education and coached for Gilbert Public Schools for 37 years. Gierke married Tharon Healy, also a Douglas native and teacher. They have two grown sons. Email alumni@cochise.edu to help us find 1971 Red and White Queen Liz Bagwell, right.