Maricopa Matters fall 2014

Issue Highlights

MARICOPA Matters News From the

Maricopa Community Colleges

Issue Highlights

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WORKING WITH D.C. FOR JOB TRAINING CEI GROWS COMPANIES

GLIMPSE OF GRADUATIONS

Meet Ken Leonard

100th EDITION OF MARICOPA NOW!

Military Veteran, Chef, and graduate of Rio Salado’s Sustainable Foods Systems Program

THEN AND NOW

Fall 2014

Garden Becomes Symbol of Hope Former vet helps homeless through love of cooking Ken Leonard looks over a donation of fresh produce – a couple of boxes. It’s not much to supplement meals for the 55 residents who depend on him for dinner Monday through Friday and Sunday brunch, but, “This food is a blessing,” says Leonard.

“The words ‘homeless’ and ‘veteran’ should never be in the same sentence.”

Leonard is a recent graduate of Rio Salado College’s Sustainable Foods Systems Program and runs the kitchen at Madison Street Veterans Association (MSVA), a transitional living facility for homeless veterans.

Today, Leonard is a proud homeowner, a trained chef, and is employed full-time as Food Services Manager of the MSVA kitchen, where first he was a resident.

“You come in with nothing, homeless for whatever reason,” said Leonard. “We clothe you, house you, feed you, and supply you with computers. If you want to find work, we help you find work. If you want to go to school, we help you go to school.”

Ken in the MSVA kitchen

Leonard knows what it’s like to be homeless. After a series of family tragedies, the U.S. Army retiree began a long battle with drug addiction.

He found himself living on the streets of Phoenix, briefly in his van, and even squatting in empty houses, which earned him one of several runins with the law. But that is in the past.

Leonard got his start as an assistant in the MSVA kitchen under a classically trained chef from New Orleans. “When he didn’t show up to work one day, I just took over,” said Leonard, who did so well that he was offered the full-time Food Services Manager job. He had military benefits to help further his education. “I liked being able to express myself through cooking, but I couldn’t work full time and go to school full time at a campus,” said Leonard. So he signed up for Rio Salado College’s program, mostly taught online.

Garden, Continued on Page 7

Maricopa Millions: Saving Students $5 Million Over 5 Years The Maricopa Community Colleges are in the forefront of a national movement designed to help students save money on the cost of educational resources. The solution is called Open Educational Resources (OERs).

OERs, first introduced in the early 2000s, are teaching, learning, and research resources released under a creative common license so others can reuse, revise, remix, and redistribute them. They can be modules or textbooks, a syllabus or a lecture, assignments, quizzes, lab and classroom activities, games, or simulations.

The difference between OERs and traditional materials is simple: OERs are free or low cost to students everywhere. With significant savings at stake, the Maricopa Community Colleges in 2013 established a project called Maricopa Millions to increase the use of OERs.

“Maricopa Millions is about saving students money,” said Lisa Young, Ph.D., Scottsdale Community College’s Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning and one of three faculty chairs of the districtwide steering committee. “Students like OERs because of the savings, and teachers like them because they allow students to have access to course materials on the first day of class.”

Lawrence Moody, a Scottsdale student who used the open learning materials for an Algebra class, said in that in Millions, Continued on Page 7

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Leadership

Maricopa Community Colleges: Working With D.C. to Build Job Training Rufus Glasper, Chancellor, Maricopa Community Colleges

Life Experiences Helped Prepare GWCC President Dr. Steven Gonzales never planned on being a college president, but “when I look back on my experiences, going back to my first Dr. Steven Gonzales job, I can see how they have prepared me,” he said. Now the President of GateWay Community College (GWCC), he recalls the tough work his father arranged for him when he was young.

Recalling his first job weeding a cotton field, Dr. Gonzales said, “What he was trying to teach me was, ‘You’re going to learn what hard work is and you’re not going to be afraid of it. You’re going to learn the value of a dollar, and if you ever thought of dropping out of school this is what’s waiting for you.’”

Vice President Joe Biden, Dr. Rufus Glasper, and U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez

In his “State of the Union” message this past January, President Obama charged Vice President Joe Biden with leading “an across-the-board reform of America’s training programs to make sure they … train Americans with the skills employers need and match them to good jobs that need to be filled right now.”

As part of Vice President Biden’s response, this summer I joined him and U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez on a panel of experts to speak to the President’s challenge by creating and sharing replicable, scalable workforce training ideas.

The panel convener, Washington-based think tank Third Way, identified seven key traits of successful programs, which include actively engaging local businesses, making datadriven decisions, and providing support services to students. Third Way highlighted a series of innovative and highly effective case studies. I’m pleased to say that Third Way featured Maricopa Community Colleges’ Corporate College as an innovative way to increase funding in the face of budget shortfalls.

In line with with state and federal efforts, helping Arizonans get new or better jobs is one of the cornerstones of Maricopa Community Colleges’ mission. Our colleges offer training programs in 95% of the highest demand industries in the Valley. Community colleges are critical to the success of job training in this country. We are proud to be continuing to take important steps to ensure that the workforce is properly educated and trained to take on the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Pan Honored With Named Scholarships Benedictine University at Mesa is honoring Dr. Shouan Pan, President of Mesa Community College (MCC) since 2008, by establishing two scholarships in his name. The scholarships are called the Shouan Pan Benedictine Values Awards.

Benedictine named these new scholarships after Dr. Pan because he “embodies the Benedictine values of discipline, stewardship, humility, and community,” said Charlie Gregory, Benedictine’s Executive Vice President.

Dr. Shouan Pan

Two recipients of the Shouan Pan Benedictine Values Award will each receive a $10,000 scholarship. To be eligible, applicants are required to have earned an associate’s degree from MCC with a 3.25 or higher cumulative GPA and be an incoming full-time degree-seeking student at Benedictine University at Mesa beginning with the Fall 2014 semester.

It was the first of a succession of hard jobs that reinforced how much easier it would be to work in an office. Dr. Gonzales recalled another job, performed on a day when the temperature was well over 100 degrees: spreading tar heated to hundreds of degrees on the roof of a dentist’s office in Casa Grande. “That was probably a life-changing experience for me,” he laughed.

Dr. Gonzales was named to the GWCC position in May 2013 after spending several years at Central Arizona College.

With a background as a faculty member, “I understand the unique challenges that come with being a professor,” he said.

Dr. Gonzales earned his doctorate in educational administration in the top-ranked Community College Leadership Program from the University of Texas at Austin.

He was awarded a University Preemptive Fellowship, as well as the John and Suanne Roueche Fellowship. His doctoral research focused primarily on the improvement of developmental education. He holds a Master of Arts in teaching mathematics and bachelor of science in secondary education – mathematics from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.

In his first year at GWCC, he has stressed his goal of creating a culture of leadership within the college. “The ideal culture for me is one where people feel they have an opportunity to lead from any place in the institution,” he explained. He added that it is important that employees not be afraid to make mistakes. “Once you remove that fear, that’s when the good stuff starts to happen,” he said.

PC Prof’s Paper Describes the Ways Students Learn For Dr. Amy Marin, the ways students learn aren’t trendy. Instead, they’re based on established principles, and can help teachers become more effective.

activities and break up lecture content with other activities.

Dr. Marin, a member of the Phoenix College faculty for more than 18 years, turned those beliefs into an academic project funded by the K. Patricia Cross Endowment. The resulting paper, “Teaching With the Brain in Mind,” was published as a Cross Paper by the League for Innovation in the Community College.

She also found that “memories stick better when emotions are a part of them,” which Dr. Amy Marin means that teachers can be more effective by introducing games or excitement into the learning process.

Dr. Marin explained that for a number of years, neuroscience (the study of the brain) has been a popular way to explain all sorts of human behavior. But, she argues, rather than relying on neuroscience, “There is strong literature out there on good, basic principles about how students learn.”

Her paper outlines eight principles that she believes are more useful than neuroscience to teachers who want to become more effective.

First, she says, learners are visual processors, so teachers should think about ways to introduce pictures into the learning process.

Second, students have short attention spans and can “get bored seven to ten minutes into class.” To counteract this tendency, teachers should vary the energy of classroom

Dr. Marin noted that teachers have to plan for the fact that learning preferences have changed over time. For example, when confronted with a new device, people from older generations “pick up a manual and learn it,” while younger people “pick up the device and fiddle with it.”

Dr. Marin received her undergraduate degree from the University of California at Irvine, and her master’s and doctoral degrees from Arizona State University. She is Faculty Coordinator for the Maricopa Institute for Learning, a fellowship for Maricopa residential faculty interested in exploring issues in their fields and engaging in conversations about teaching and learning.

Focus on Faculty

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Dr. Diaz-Lefebvre Praised for AACC Work Dr. Rene Diaz-Lefebvre, a member of the Psychology faculty at Glendale Community College, was appointed by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) to work on a publication that was released by AACC at its convention. The publication is called “Empowering Community Colleges to Build the Nation’s Future: An Implementation Guide.”

At a recent meeting of the Maricopa Community Colleges Governing Board, Dr. Diaz-Lefebvre said the report is a “bold call to action.

“Community colleges cannot be strong by remaining the same,” said Dr. Diaz-Lefebvre, who was one of two faculty members asked by Dr. Walter Bumphus, AACC President, to serve on a committee that helped create the report.

The veteran teacher told the Board that Maricopa was well-represented in creating the report, with Dr. Anna Solley, president of Phoenix College, Dr. Chris Bustamante, president of Rio Salado College, and Dr. Shouan Pan, president of Mesa Community College, serving on committees, and Chancellor Rufus Glasper co-chairing a committee. During the Governing Board meeting, Dr. Glasper praised Dr. DiazLefebvre as an advocate for faculty inclusion in the AACC’s work.

Maricopa Faculty Receive Numerous Honors in 2013-14 Numerous residential and adjunct faculty members from the Maricopa Community Colleges have received a variety of academic and community awards:

Kirt Shineman, Glendale Community College (GCC) professor and playwright, has seen one of his plays, “Kindoki,” chosen to be featured at the 2014 D.C. Black Theatre Festival.

Rebecca Irvine, MCC Communications faculty, published an article, “Self-Care; Finding Tools to Handle Difficult Emotions” in Deseret News.

Dr. Bronwen Steele, Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC), was named by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as one of 15 scholars who are members of the 2014 E. Kika De La Garza Fellowship Program.

Dr. Janet Felton, MCC, received the 2014 Women of Excellence Living Legend Award from the Historic Tanner Chapel AME Church, Phoenix. She is the first recipient of this award.

Gary Lawrence, GCC adjunct English instructor, published a collection of short stories and creative writing essays and lessons in 2013 entitled, Baffled and Other Stories.

Two stories from that book subsequently were published in other publications.

Linda Nance, Nursing Faculty at Scottsdale Community College (SCC), was named SCC Teacher of the Year by the Scottsdale Charros.

Dr. Donna Gaudet, SCC, and Chris Nielsen, GCC, were named recipients of personal computers to assist in their work with students.

The awards were made by Sony Corporation.

Toni Eubanks, an adjunct instructor at South Mountain Community College (SMCC), was named a finalist in the 2013 Harvest Book Reading Author Competition for her historical novel, “Journey Home.”

Dr. Galyna Kufryk, GCC and MCC, published a paper in a 2013 edition of Advances in Microbiology and was invited to make presentations in biology at two international conferences.

Kori Stephenson, Mesa Community College (MCC) Women’s Basketball Coach, was given the college’s Woman of Distinction Award.

Roumen Bezergianov, an adjunct Psychology instructor at EMCC, was selected to present at the Second Logotherapy Congress in Vienna on his use of chess as a Logotherapy method with youth.

Joan Deck, an adjunct instructor at Rio Salado College, completed coursework to become a certified Academic Coach through the National Tutoring Association.

Dr. Tawn Hauptli, MCC Education Studies faculty, was named 2014 Veora E. Johnson Spirit of Unity Award Educator of the Year by the Mesa Chamber of Commerce.

Rajwant Cheema, GCC adjunct English faculty, achieved her National Board Certified Teacher certification.

Marshall Trimble, SCC’s Director of Southwest Studies, was honored by the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation with the Semper Fidelis Award for his commitment to selfless service.

Dr. Linda Collins, MCC Business and Information Systems Faculty, presented research on Massive Open Online Courses at the 2014 International Conference on College Teaching and Learning.

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Student Success

Valenzuelas Keep Maricopa Colleges in the Family

City Councilman Daniel Valenzuela

When Phoenix City Councilman Daniel Valenzuela was growing up, all he wanted to be was a firefighter. And when it came time for him to act on his dream, he chose the Maricopa Community Colleges. “The Maricopa Community Colleges have, as far as I’m concerned, the best hands-on Fire Science classes,” said Valenzuela, 39, who took courses at Phoenix College, Mesa Community College, and Glendale Community College (GCC).

Valenzuela has passed along his love of firefighting – and his admiration for the Maricopa Community Colleges—to his 22-year-old son, who is studying Fire Science at GCC. Valenzuela, who served in the past as an adjunct fire science faculty member at GCC, said that the key is hands-on training. “The instructors are firefighters. Students are getting their formal training in the field from those who know it best.” Fire Science instructors carry an extra layer of responsibility, he said. “You realize that when you’re instructing in Fire Science, you are passing along more than the skills to do the job. You’re influencing the character of first responders.”

Nursing Students Work Toward Two Degrees at Same Time The Maricopa Community Colleges are the largest workforce trainer in Arizona. By one estimate, upwards of 90% of current, local healthcare workers have taken courses at Maricopa on their way to an associate’s degree. Until a few years ago, that degree was good enough, but In 2010, the Institute of Medicine —a national, nonpartisan, and nonprofit health policy advisory group— recommended that 80% of working nurses should have a bachelor’s degree by 2020. In Maricopa County, the figure then was closer to 50%.

To adapt to the needs of its students and community, Maricopa Community Colleges created its Concurrent Enrollment Program, or CEP. Working with university partners, Maricopa students could simultaneously get associate’s and bachelor’s degrees. It’s not a transfer program (i.e., two years at community college, finishing at a university). Instead, classes for the associate’s and bachelor’s degrees are taken at the same time. And, unlike traditional fouryear nursing programs, students can complete CEP – and be earning a paycheck—in as little as two years.

Cecilia Mora-Fernau was among the first group of CEP students; she completed both degrees in spring 2013. Just weeks later, she passed her licensure exam. In September 2013, she was hired as an Intensive Care Unit nurse by Banner Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix.

“I feel more prepared than nurses who didn’t do this program,” says Mora-Fernau, who attended Glendale Community College and Northern Arizona University (NAU). “On the Glendale side, I got more clinical experience. With NAU, I got a lot of the theory, practice, and literature behind me. So I have the best of both worlds.”

PVCC Grads Move Into Big-Time Journalism Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC) alumni Pamela Padilla and Matthew Casey are working as journalists for major media outlets in the US. Matthew Casey is several months into his new job as a reporter at the Arizona Republic. During the week, he covers public-safety in the West Valley— think cops, fire, and courtrooms—and on the weekend he covers breaking news from the downtown office of the state’s largest newspaper.

Matthew Casey

Pamela Padilla, Web editor for Telemundo Dallas and a 2010 PVCC graduate, manages the online content for the Dallas-area hub of Telemundo, a Spanish-language TV network owned by NBCUniversal. She landed the job in January after graduating from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2012.

To read the full article on these graduates, as published in PVCC’s student newspaper, Puma Press, go to: http://www.pvpride.blog.pvc.maricopa.edu/two-pvcc-grads-reportfor-major-news-outlets/ .

Elise Permoda

Elise Permoda—who will finish CEP through GateWay Community College in December—has wanted to be a nurse since second grade. In her experience, hospital staff know which nurses are Maricopa graduates. “I’ve been told that we have a better bedside manner and are more comfortable with patients,” says Permoda.

Bethany Bradshaw is a retired teacher who left a job after 14 years to begin the CEP at Estrella Mountain Community College in Fall 2012. Like Mora-Fernau, Bradshaw passed her licensure Elise In Permoda July 2014, just two months after exam on the first attempt. graduating, Bradshaw began a new job as a registered nurse at Banner Boswell Hospital in Sun City.

“It’s definitely a fast-paced program so you have to be focused,” says Bradshaw, who is the mother of two teenagers.

For more information on the CEP, visit nursing.maricopa.edu.

Maricopa’s CEI Helps Grow Companies Maricopa Community Colleges’ Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation (CEI) is a comprehensive business incubator that provides its clients with the ingredients they need to grow and prosper.

Part of Maricopa Corporate College, CEI provides services, space and support for earlystage and start-up companies in the areas of biotechnology, Jeff Saville with students medical device, renewable energy, and software development. One of its federally mandated goals is to help create 400 new jobs by 2029. In its first year, CEI’s client companies created 68 jobs with an average salary of $63,000 per year. At that pace, it would meet its federally mandated goal significantly ahead of schedule.

Currently, 20 companies use the 18,000-square-foot facility on Maricopa’s GateWay Community College campus in Phoenix. Many others are waiting for space.

“Our clients are under a tremendous amount of pressure to gain traction,” said Jeff Saville, CEI’s Executive Director and former owner of several successful businesses. “It is our role to support them through relevant, timely and targeted business guidance and to provide access to a collaborative environment that inspires innovation.”

CEI helps take clients to the next level, Saville says. One example is its competitive intelligence lab, a 190-square-foot room that’s chock-full of computers and televisions.

Using readily available technology, Saville custom-built computer programs that scour the Internet at predefined times looking for changes to a set of web pages and social media feeds.

Any updates to publicly posted information—as specific as a single person’s job title change—are collected by CEI, giving clients the advantage of learning important information before and about their competitors.

One client, VisionGate, developed the world’s first noninvasive test for early lung cancer detection. The company joined CEI to expand its capacity to analyze high-resolution images of human cells, key to detecting abnormalities consistent with cancer. Another client, Pinnacle Transplant Technologies, makes tissue and bone grafts primarily for the orthopedic spine and dental markets.

“CEI has helped us successfully navigate the transition from start-up to a small/medium business,” said Gabriel Hyams, Pinnacle’s president. “They have provided us with priceless mentoring and access to organizations such as the Arizona Commerce Authority and AZBio that we would not have been able to realize on our own.”

5 Public Safety Chief Innovations

Reshapes Department, Builds for Success

Chief Longman and Jennifer Goodman

The Maricopa Community Colleges’ Department of Public Safety (DPS) has undergone a dynamic transformation since 2012, the year Mikel Longman took the reins as Chief of Police/Director of Public Safety. A Tempe native (And former Mesa Community College student0, Chief Longman has worked on the Navajo Indian reservation, with the Phoenix Metropolitan Area freeway system as a Highway Patrol Officer, and as a rescue helicopter paramedic. Prior to Maricopa, he was Chief of Police at Northern Colorado University.

His philosophy on public safety is simple: “Students can’t be successful and employees aren’t going to be productive at work if they think something bad is going to happen to them,” says Longman.

When Longman first arrived, each college had its own security department that reported to its college president. Now, each college operates as a precinct with a Commander, all of whom report to the Chief.

DPS is responsible for all public safety and emergency response districtwide. In its new “ONE Maricopa” form, Chief Longman says the DPS delivers consistent, high-quality law enforcement and public safety services.

Districtwide, DPS has more than 300 full and part-time employees, including 59 sworn-in police officers.

Maricopa Community Colleges Reaching Underserved Students The Maricopa Community Colleges have created several programs to help underserved populations—those who often need resources the most, but do not get them—to become successful.

“We start small, often developing programs from scratch,” said Felicia Ganther, Maricopa’s Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.

“We’re focusing on what works, which means some trial and error, but with wonderful community support, we are creating scalable solutions to a national problem.”

A recent pilot initiative made possible with a $2 million donation from the Helios Foundation will provide several hundred students (particularly at-risk, low-income, first-generation Latinos) with a broad range of resources to support their community college experience through completion.

Another recent effort is the Foster Youth Student Success Initiative— collaboration with a half dozen community partners—which seeks to increase college completion rates among students who have aged out of the foster care system.

All 10 Maricopa Community Colleges also have resources dedicated to military veterans who want to go back to school. Staff help veterans apply for benefits and assist with academic advising, career services, counseling, disability resources and services, financial aid, scholarships, and tutoring. Most of the Maricopa Community Colleges have student veterans centers and have been named “military friendly” colleges; all 10 colleges will have fully functioning veteran centers by Fall 2015.

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Community

A Glimpse of MCCCD Graduations and Convocations

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Graduation Locations:

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1. Rio Salado 2. Veteran’s Convocation at Phoenix College 3. Scottsdale Culinary 4. Glendale 5. Estrella Mountain 6. Chandler-Gilbert 7. Mesa 8. GateWay 9. Paradise Valley 10. Glendale 11. GateWay 12. Paradise Valley

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Garden, Continued From Front Page

Ken Leonard in the Community Garden

Born and raised in Phoenix, Leonard joined the Army just out of high school at age 17.

As part of the telecommunication outfit, he worked on computers, radios, network centers, and missile warning systems. He didn’t realize it would be his cooking skills, acquired while growing up and caring for his sister, that would lead to his professional success. He also wouldn’t have guessed he’d be tending a community garden, another skill that he learned in the Rio Salado program.

In summer 2013, he was asked to manage a 1.5-acre plot that was being converted to a community garden as part of Mayor Greg Stanton’s PHX Renews project. It wouldn’t be easy because the land hadn’t been worked for two decades. But he was grateful for the opportunity. “Our garden has three purposes.

First, it supplements my kitchen.” Second, he says, working with agriculture can help people with post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse issues to focus on something positive. “Lastly, we want to give back to the community by sharing fresh produce with other shelters and programs.”

A year in, he’s making good progress with basil, cucumber, and green bean plants. He’s also grown corn, cantaloupes, watermelons, cilantro, and a jalapeño plant ready for picking.

Back in the kitchen, Leonard doesn’t believe in serving processed or canned food if he can avoid it because it has a lot of sodium and preservatives. “I try to make everything possible from scratch and want to serve a nutritionally balanced meal,” he said. A menu posted in the kitchen reveals his upcoming dishes for the week, which include teriyaki glazed stuffed pork loin, pot roast, mac and cheese, oven roasted chicken, and rice pilaf.

Every day, there’s a fresh salad bar.

“Working with veterans, I have lots of nutritional issues to worry about, especially high blood pressure and diabetes,” Leonard says. “I have one client who can’t process animal proteins. At Rio Salado, I learned to make vegan and vegetarian options. The best part is that everything I learned, I was able to turn around and use in my kitchen and the garden as a lab.”

Since graduating in May 2014, Leonard plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant management with the goal of opening his own restaurant. He wants customers to pick fresh produce for their meals. He’s also set up a side business with his newly acquired baking skills. During the interview, he showed a photo of a Ford Mustang wedding cake he carved by hand.

“It’s ugly,” he jokes. “But you have to remember it’s my first one.”

Wellness Works at Maricopa New fitness center for students, employees, and community residents

In July, Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC) opened a new 4,000-square-foot fitness facility located within its newly constructed Coyote Center. Named for the college mascot, the Coyote Center is nearly 75,000 square feet and houses a wide range of enrollment and student services as well as athletic programs. The new fitness center offers a full line of cardiovascular equipment, resistance training machines, a complete free-weight section with Olympic lifting platforms, and an outdoor turf field.

People who sign up for a two-credit course or more may attend any open group classes such as yoga, pilates, tai chi, and zumba.

“To keep things affordable, we don’t charge all of our students extra recreation fees,” says Kim McGee, CGCC’s Wellness Manager. “Only the students who use the fitness center have to pay a fee, which is very reasonable for access to this top notch facility and quality instructors.”

The fitness center is open 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

(Monday-Thursday) and 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Friday). Currently, it is closed on weekends, but that may change in the future.The Coyote Center is located on CGCC’s Pecos Campus (2626 E. Pecos Road in Chandler). For more information, call 480-732-7200.

Community

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KJZZ Sponsors 2014 Korva Coleman Digital Media Awards

Greg Speroni, Korva Coleman, and Madeline Ewbank

Three talented students were honored as recipients of the 2014 Korva Coleman Excellence Awards for their outstanding digital media pieces produced by youth.

The awards were established by KJZZFM in 2013 in honor of Coleman, an NPR newscaster.

This year’s awards went to Greg Speroni of Painted Post, NY, and Madeline Ewbank of Seattle, WA, both of whom attended the event, and Megan Jenkins, of Humble, TX. Coleman participated in the presentation of the awards.

Young people ages 14-23 are eligible to compete in the categories of audio, video, and online print. The winner of each category receives a $1,000 scholarship and a trip to accept his or her Crystal Korva Award in person at the Coleman Awards dinner.

Maricopa Millions, Continued From Front Page

addition to saving money, he felt the system provided more opportunities for him to grasp certain math concepts. “When I don’t understand something, I can go online and review it or look at a YouTube video to get more explanations,” Moody said.

The Maricopa Millions project currently supports faculty to adopt and develop OER material for English, Reading, Chemistry, and College Success courses at Chandler-Gilbert, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Scottsdale, and South Mountain Community Colleges. However, there are faculty at each of the ten colleges already using OERs in a number of disciplines. Each semester, faculty leaders call on instructors to develop more (or use existing) OERs. The bottom line? During the 2013-14 academic year, Maricopa Community Colleges’ students saved more than $1.4 million using OERs instead of textbooks and other materials from publishers. Those annual savings are the “millions” referred to in the project’s name.

Visit www.maricopa.edu/oer for more information.

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Jobs

SMCC Student Chosen for Elite CISCO Event

Hundreds Attend Maricopa Career Fair

South Mountain Community College (SMCC) student and U.S. Air Force (USAF) veteran Rhasaan Kimbrough was selected to be in an exclusive group­—Cisco’s “Dream Team”— whose members received a fully-paid trip to its Ciscolive! conference this past May.

Rhasaan Kimbrough, selected as part of the Cisco “Dream Team”

One of only 10 students chosen, he worked closely with Cisco engineers to provide on-site wireless network support for the networking giant’s largest annual customerfocused event.

As an advanced jet aircraft weapons technician for the USAF, Kimbrough’s intense determination and quick learning abilities propelled him to a Staff Sergeant rank in less than three years. When he retired from the military, however, he found himself in a dead-end job. So he started taking Cisco and Linux classes at SMCC, which ultimately connected him to the Dream Team.

He was not intimidated by the fast pace of the Cisco event. “In the Air Force, we were trained to get the job done right the first time,” Kimbrough said. “So when I joined the Dream Team, I just jumped into ‘Air Force mode.’ I really felt like I was part of something big.”

Kimbrough currently holds Cisco CCNA, CCNA-Security, and CCNP certifications. He also began a new job for an Internet service provider in its network operation center. “Now that I had a hand in building such a big system, I know what’s possible, and my imagination and dreams are even bigger,” he said.

Employers talk with potential employees at the Career Fair

In mid-May, more than 50 area employers looking to fill jobs attended Maricopa Community Colleges’ employment and career fair. Included among them were Verizon Wireless, State Farm®, City of Scottsdale, CDW, and Quicken Loans®.

During the two-day event, Maricopa staff helped attendees with free résumé writing and interview strategy sessions. Maricopa Skill Center students also provided onsite haircuts, since some employers were interviewing on the spot. Between registrants and walk-ins, more than 500 job and information seekers participated in the event. More career fairs are being planned for the near future.

U.S. Aircraft Maintainer Rebuilds Career as Medical Assistant Jamie Parker, a recent U.S. Air Force retiree, is proof that with a little help from the Maricopa Community Colleges, a person can reinvent herself in a whole new career.

Parker was one of more than 100 May graduates from health science programs at the SouthWest Skill Center, located at Estrella Mountain Community College. Several popular programs were represented, including Spanish Medical Interpretation, Medical Billing and Coding, Phlebotomy, Practical Nursing, and Medical Assistant.

Parker served for 26 years and retired as an Aircraft Maintainer. As Chief Master Sergeant, she oversaw maintenance of some of the most technically complicated defense aircraft in the world. After leaving New Mexico in 2008, Parker transferred to Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, working in an advanced position that kept her in the office and away from the tactical operations she enjoyed for years.

She decided to go back to college and learn a new skill but was uncertain what career path could provide the hands-on work she desired, while still giving her time for her family. A cancer survivor, her treatment experience pushed her toward healthcare programs, and she decided to enroll in the Medical Assistant program.

Jamie Parker, Retired Veteran and Health Science Program Graduate

“You have to be skilled and confident with the medical procedures you’re performing on patients,” said Parker. “But I’m looking forward to providing that personal component to make my patients feel safe, comfortable, and important. I guess it’s similar to the care I invested into my work for the safety of my aircraft and Airmen.”

MCTV Signature Program Marks 100th Edition In October 2005, MCTV, the Maricopa Community Colleges’ television station, launched what would become an awardwinning series called Maricopa Now!. This year, the station celebrated a milestone: the show’s 100th episode was broadcast.

Right from the start, Maricopa Now! was dedicated to telling viewers about interesting happenings at the Maricopa Community Colleges. That first episode was typical, with segments on Glendale On the set of Maricopa Now! Community College’s Automotive and Agribusiness programs, the Nursing program at GateWay Community College and a profile on Chancellor Rufus Glasper.

“We started with the idea to tell the Maricopa story, which meant getting out to the colleges and talking to faculty, students, and staff,” René Blatté, MCTV Director, explained. Over the years, MCTV’s crew has followed college classes as they floated down rivers, participated in a culinary festival, and studied petroglyphs in the rugged terrain of the Southwest.

“We featured faculty, but the key focus of “We started with the idea to tell the Maricopa Now! is to show students and how Maricopa story, which meant getting out they fulfill their dreams,” he continued. Maricopa Now! also has had a hand in launching some to the campuses and talking to faculty, broadcasting careers. Many young aspiring students, and staff ... We featured faculty, broadcast journalists got their feet wet by but the key focus of Maricopa Now! is to producing stories for the program. For example, show students and how they fulfill their after attending the Scottsdale Community College Film School, Nick Sbordone got his first paying job dreams.” with MCTV producing stories for Maricopa Now! ­ —René Blatté Nick now works as a field producer for the NBC affiliate here in the Valley.

Over the years, Maricopa Now! has won more than 50 awards for MCTV, a digital television channel that is a partnership between the Maricopa Community Colleges and Cox Communications. Viewers can find MCTV at Cox Channel 115 and can view Maricopa Now! on YouTube. MCTV is the primary television media outlet for the colleges. Its staff also provides videography services to the colleges.

9 Chancellor Receives News in the District

Honorary Degree

Dr. Glasper receiving his honorary degree from NAU

Maricopa Community Colleges’ Chancellor Rufus Glasper has received an honorary degree from Northern Arizona University (NAU) for his significant contributions to the education of others. Dr. Glasper addressed graduates at NAU’s annual spring commencement ceremony in Flagstaff on Saturday, May 10.

Dr. Glasper has worked for the Maricopa Community Colleges for 28 years, spending the last 11 as Chancellor. A longtime advocate for student success, Dr. Glasper has overseen the development of numerous innovative programs. Under his leadership, Maricopa has developed transfer and articulation programs to State universities. The partnership between Maricopa Community Colleges and NAU, known as Connect2NAU, has grown steadily over the past decade.

In each academic year since 2010-11, there have been 4,000–5,000 NAU students at any class level who transferred from a Maricopa Community College. There are roughly 1,500 new Maricopa transfers to NAU each year.

MCTV Director René Blatté

Maricopa Celebrates Student-Athletes While the Maricopa Community Colleges are known for academics, transfer and workforce programs, they are not as well known as great places for athletes. In fact, student athletes really thrive in the colleges.

Chancellor Honors Students for Civic Leadership Nineteen Maricopa students have been awarded Chancellor’s Medallion Awards, honoring their civic participation and leadership. The medals were awarded by the District’s Center for Civic Participation earlier this year.

In 2013-14, 98 student-athletes were recognized for academic excellence, with a Phoenix College Men’s Basketball Team with Mayor Stanton grade point average (GPA) of 3.6 or higher. and City Council members (Photo Credit: Phil Munroe) During the same period, 35 Maricopa teams received recognition for a team GPA of 3.0 or above. Mesa Community College’s (MCC) Women’s Golf team was the top team in the nation, with a team GPA of 3.62.

In athletic news, Maricopa teams captured both Men’s and Women’s Basketball National Championships in 2013-14. MCC won the women’s championship, while Phoenix College (PC) won the men’s basketball title. The PC win marked the first National Championship for any men’s basketball team in the history of Arizona community colleges. MCC also won the national baseball championship.

Chancellor Glasper and the Medallion Awards Winners

To be considered, students must contribute to their campus and community and work to increase student involvement in governmental processes. They must also help grow awareness about community or political issues.

10

Foundation

Foundation Spotlight:

Brittany Valdes

Roig Given Foundation Award, Announces $2M Gift Vince Roig, Founding Chairman of the Board of the Helios Education Foundation, was honored by the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation (MCCF) as the Foundation’s 2014 Hero of Education. Roig was chosen because of his decades-long leadership in helping thousands of students succeed in completing their higher education goals.

The award was presented at the annual Heroes of Education dinner Paul Luna, Ronnie Lopez, Russ Johnson, Vince Roig, Dr. Steven R. Helfgot, Jane Roig, and Dr. Rufus Glasper on April 10. The event not only recognizes a champion for education, but its proceeds go toward student scholarships. With more than 650 community and business leaders in attendance, the Foundation raised more than $250,000.

The Helios Education Foundation is dedicated to creating opportunities for individuals in Arizona and Florida to succeed in postsecondary education.

While accepting his award, Roig announced a gift of $2 million to the Maricopa Community Colleges ...“to help Latinos get degrees. The education gap between Latino kids and the nonLatino kids is a real critical issue for the state of Arizona,” he said. “It’s something that needs to be addressed both aggressively and quickly.”

The goal will be to help students finish their degrees at a Maricopa Community College and prepare them for the workforce. “This event was one of our largest and our hero was outstanding,” said Dr. Steve Helfgot, CEO of MCCF. “We are now going to be able to significantly help students, and help bridge the achievement gap among Latino students.”

Our Quest for Student Success T H E

C A M PA I G N

F O R

STUDENT SUCCESS F O R T H E M A R I C O PA C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E S

Endcating our Community, Ensuring our Future

Originally from Texas, Brittany moved to Arizona for a fresh start. She said she didn’t want to be out of school, but that being an out-of-state resident limited her options.

“Going to a university was going to take a long time because it cost so much as an out-of-state resident,” she said. “Then I found Scottsdale Community College (SCC) and it was very cost-effective.”

Brittany said she encountered a number of hardships, but that SCC was with her every step of the way. “In terms of finances, they definitely worked with me to find options,” she said. “They were also really encouraging and had informational packets and helped me find where to get my books and parking information.” She added that SCC provided a good learning experience, as well.

“The classrooms were small and the teachers were friendly,” she said. “They were always there to help, and they really cared.”

The Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation has embarked on a comprehensive campaign to ensure that students have the resources they need to succeed. The Foundation’s goal is to raise $50 million over four years to support student success in these three thematic areas:

• Scholarships that will directly support student success • Support for faculty and staff innovation, creativity, and excellence to develop new

Brittany Valdes of Ahwatukee, AZ, has had the study of psychology in mind since she was in middle school.“Middle school was the worst time of my life,” she said.

Brittany Valdes “I was always fighting with my parents and no one had understood me. Everything would have been better if I‘d had more resources and someone to talk to. I want to be that person for struggling adolescents today.”

After three years in the Maricopa Community Colleges system, Brittany transferred to Arizona State University via the Maricopa University Transfer program to pursue her Bachelor of Science in Psychology, which she completed in spring 2014.

programs, initiatives and methodologies to enhance student success • Support community partnerships that expand opportunity for students The Foundation distributes over $2 million in scholarship funds annually to an average of 2,000 students. By contributing to the Maricopa Community Colleges and Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation, you will: • Expand the access to and quality of a college education, as well as increase the

opportunity to graduate • Increase the number of educated, productive, employed, and engaged citizens and taxpayers • Maintain a highly prepared and skilled workforce • Ensure a robust economy and community where people want to live and work.

Won’t you join us? Visit us at mcccdf.org and become acquainted with the Colleges’ campaign projects and how you can partner with the Foundation.

Brittany said she would like to work with adolescents in a school district as part of her career plan. “There are a lot of kids that need a lot of help and can’t talk with their parents,” she explained. “I’ve seen kids who really have it hard, are of low socioeconomic status, and are without privilege. Kids just want to be heard and not judged.”

Before she can work in a school district, she will need to get her master’s degree. “I want to work in case management when I graduate to get my foot in the door,” she said. “Then I want to take some time to focus on family before starting graduate school.”

Marshall Trimble

Then and Now

Educator, State Historian, and Phoenix College Alumnus

Maricopa Memory

11

Mrs. Linda B. Rosenthal

In June 2014, Marshall Trimble announced his retirement from a teaching position at Scottsdale Community College (SCC). It marked the end of a teaching career in high schools and colleges in the Phoenix area since the late 1960s. But Trimble, author of more than 20 books about Arizona and its history, will continue in his volunteer position as Arizona State Historian, will maintain his office at SCC, and will guest-lecture on campus. The following excerpt is from a 2012 interview with the Maricopa Community Colleges.

My first association with the Maricopa Community Colleges—really, there was only Phoenix College at the time—was in the fall of 1956. I came out of West High and enrolled at the college. John Riggs was the Dean of Men and Bob Hanley was the President. A great story there, I think, was that the tuition was $17 a semester for 18 hours, so less than a dollar an hour. When I tell students that today, you should see their eyes roll. And it was a great education, still pretty much part of the Phoenix Union system.

We had wonderful teachers, small classes, and I can honestly say, not being false modest, I would have never gotten through college—I would have never even gotten through the first year of college—if I had gone to Arizona State University (ASU). I would have been lost over there. I really was a small-town boy who just had moved to the city.

One time I quit going to class. I was pretty immature.

It was Freshman English and my instructor was Dr. John Prince; and Dr. Prince saw me out on campus one day, and he said, “Marshall, you haven’t been to class lately,” and I said, “You know, I signed up to go into the Marines next semester. I’m leaving.

I think I’m not cut out for college.” And he said, “Marshall, you got to finish this semester. I’ll make a deal with you. If you’ll not miss a single day the rest of the semester in my class, I’ll give you a C for the class.” I thought about that for about 10 seconds and I said, “Deal.”

Governing Board Member, 1979-2008, recalls the founding of the Women’s Leadership Group.

In 1979, both Phoenix College and part of Glendale were interested in a candidate for the Board. Some faculty members remembered me with my history of education, a master’s degree and so forth, and called me and said, “We’re looking for a candidate for the Colleges Board. Would you be interested?” I was elected and took my seat in 1980. My last election was 2002, a tough one; and it wasn’t that I didn’t think that I could get reelected for a sixth time, but I thought enough is enough. I was getting older, I wanted to travel with my husband.

I started the Women’s Leadership Group.

I’ll never forget it. I heard about that kind of organization at an ACCT (Association of Community College Trustees) meeting and I asked [former Chancellor] Paul Elsner why we don’t train our women to have upperlevel jobs? He said, “I don’t know. Talk to Bill Waechter.” At the time Waechter was the Vice Chancellor of Human Resources.

Marshall Trimble with his guitar in the early days

I kept my end of the bargain. I attended class regularly and worked my tail off, and I had a whole new admiration for Dr. Prince; and when the grades came out, he gave me my C and actually that inspired me to go to my other classes, too. Because if I was going to one class, I figured I might as well go to the others, too.

I was not a good student, to tell you the truth. My parents weren’t well educated, and it just wasn’t stressed much; but, Phoenix College gave me my boost. When I was finished with two years at Phoenix College, I was ready to take on ASU then. So everything I’ve become in education is thanks to that first association with what became the Maricopa Community College District.

So I talked to Bill Waechter and he invited all the women managers to the Hyatt—I think it was late one late afternoon­. He gave them some hors d’oeuvres, and we talked to them about about creating an organization specifically for women.

It’s still going, and women are being recognized out of that. I feel very good about it because we are training women to move up in the world of community college administration.

—Excerpt from a 2012 interview with the Maricopa Community Colleges.

To see a video excerpt from the interview, scan the QR code or visit http://youtu.be/1ph2dUg6x1k.

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Meet Kimberly Concho

Future Public Relations Professional, and a student of a Maricopa Community College

What is your relationship with South Mountain Community College? I started as Secretary for the Circle of Nations, a Native American group on campus. It taught me a lot about communications and leadership skills.

Can you tell me more about the Circle of Nations?

When I first joined the Circle of Nations at SMCC, our president wanted to know what the Native American experience was all about. My goal [in the Circle of Nations group] is to bring Native Americans to the student body. I like to share my culture, my language, my stories.

What do you want to do in life?

I want to be a PR director for special education in some form.

I think public relations opens windows to a whole new vision with new technology, different textures and aspects to it.

Sayings to live by?

If I can do it, you can do it.

Welcome to Maricopa Matters!

News For the Community From the Maricopa Community Colleges Rufus Glasper, Chancellor Maricopa Community Colleges Governing Board Mr. Dana G. Saar, President • Mr. Randolph Elias Lumm, Secretary • Mr. Doyle W. Burke • Mr. Alfredo Gutierrez • Mrs. Debra Pearson

Maricopa Matters is published twice a year by the Marketing and Communications Department of the Maricopa Community Colleges.

If you would like to be added to the mailing list to receive future editions, contact: maricopamatters@gmail.com View Maricopa Matters online at: http://goo.gl/Gn4Pty Tom Gariepy, Editor Carol Diego, Managing Editor and Art Direction Andrew Tucker, Writer | Natalie Vaughn, Online Edition

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