FOCUS 2017 - 2018 Bigger Dreams

FOCUS PHOENIX COLLEGE

2017-18 | Connecting the Phoenix College Community

My dreams are BIGGER than ever

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PHOENIX COLLEGE FOCUS

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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

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CONTENT

am excited to share Phoenix College’s inaugural FOCUS Magazine with you. The magazine showcases the amazing things happening across the campus and in our community – supporting and celebrating PC students and alumni.

We began this year with a focus on planning and evaluation implementing a strategic plan that will guide our efforts as we approach PC’s centennial anniversary in 2020.

With teaching and learning at the core of everything we do, I am encouraged by our success in attracting and retaining the very best faculty to help students make passionate connections to their subject matter.

Renovation of our science building began over the summer and will continue into 2018. New physical science labs and adaptive classrooms spaces will provide supportive and innovative learning environments for students.

Outside of the classroom, the active and engaging Phoenix College campus experience includes opportunities for student leadership and personal growth, cultural, recreational and athletic engagement opportunities.

Through a partnership with Intel, we are helping develop the

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Chris Haines

next generation of innovators, engineers and scientists (see story on pages 4-5).

A new writing scholarship is supporting student poets (see story on page 13) and another is helping shape the future of art (see story on pages 6-7).

I invite you to discover – or rediscover – the wonderful things happening at Phoenix College.

Warmest regards,

Chris Haines Interim President

Cover

PC Alum Zachary Hall

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PC Strategic Planning

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TEC is For Girls!

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Shaping the Future of Art

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Don’t Sleep on Planes

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Dreams Take Flight

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The Gifts of Time & Talent

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A Legacy of Learning

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PC Resources

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PC By the Numbers

2017-2020

Supporting the next generation of women & minorities in STEM

Eric Fischl Program

Alum Zachary Hall’s New Book

Alum Darrell Sawyer and PC’s Flight Program

Patricia Tate & Jennifer Sabori

Elizabeth Saliba Honors PC Faculty Jed Allen

For alumni, supporters, partners and the community

2016-17 Academic Year Data

phoenixcollege.edu

STRATEGIC PLANNING 2017-2020 Planning at Phoenix College has taken on a new meaning with renewed energy.

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WE SERVE

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For more information, visit phoenixcollege.edu/PCPlans.

WE C O

The plan identifies college priorities for the next three years and clarifies the objectives to ensure we achieve a common vision: To serve. To connect. To lead.

D LEA

The 2017-2020 Strategic Plan was adopted in September, with input and participation from faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members.

E SERVE

PRIORITY #1: WE SERVE

• Provide life-changing learning experiences • Advance in becoming a student-ready college

PHOENIX COLLEGE SERVES students by providing life-changing learning experiences through a variety of rigorous academic programs, student clubs, collegiate sports and leadership opportunities on campus.

WE CONNECT PRIORITY #2: WE CONNECT

• Respond to the evolving needs of our community • Cultivate pathways to a successful future

• Provide a holistic student learning experience PHOENIX COLLEGE CONNECTS students to the workforce by preparing them for professional careers in nursing, dental hygiene, criminal justice, teaching, accounting and many other in-demand fields.

WE LEAD PRIORITY #3: WE LEAD

• Be innovative and entrepreneurial in advocating for PC • Support the integration & sustained utilization of technology

• Invest in our faculty & staff PHOENIX COLLEGE LEADS by introducing middle school girls to science, engineering, technology and math - educational and career opportunities through a grant from the Intel Corporation.

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TEC IS FOR GIRLS

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hanks to a partnership with Intel, middle school girls from across the Valley of the Sun are able to participate in the TEC is for Girls!!! Program at Phoenix College. The Program is designed to introduce young American Indian, Black and Hispanic girls to technology, engineering and computer science (TEC) careers in fun and interactive ways.

Guided by the mission of increasing the number of under-represented females in technology and science fields, the TEC is for Girls!!! Program provides a supportive environment for young women to participate in hands-on experiences, explore technological careers, and receive encouragement to attend college.

Many young, minority girls and their parents are unaware of the opportunities available in TEC fields. Many do not even recognize these careers as options since, all too often, there is a perception that TEC professions are not considered “traditional careers” for minorities or women, as reflected by the low number of minorities and women majoring in technical fields in college.

While most outreach activities deliver one-day programming, the TEC is for Girls!!! Program includes multiple interactions with the students and the schools, which Biosciences faculty Anil Kapoor says is critical to making a real connection and helping ensure the program has impact.

The TEC is for Girls!!! Program is funded by a grant from the Intel Corporation. Intel Deputy Director of US Corporate Affairs Gabriela Gonzalez spoke with the girls at the Program kick-off, telling them that she never considered pursuing a career in technology until she was given a unique opportunity.

Gabriela immigrated from Mexico with her mother and four siblings.

Her family could not afford to send her to college, but fortunately, a church leader cared enough to introduce her to a university administrator who offered her a scholarship if she declared engineering as her major.

Gabriela says she didn’t even know what engineering was but it was her one and only chance to go to college, so she took it. In retrospect, she says it was the best decision she could have made.

“

Braushaune Colter, Desert Meadows School – at the TEC is for Girls!!! Making Music with Fruit workshop.

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Following the high-impact event at the Phoenix College campus, Anil Kapoor and other PC faculty and staff, TEC professionals, and Intel volunteers visit the girls’ schools to help form TEC clubs and to engage and inform parents about

I am an engineer by fate rather than by design.”

- Gabriela Gonzalez

Daisy Torres, Alejandra Gonzales and Judith Bentancort, from Clarendon Elementary School, at PC’s TEC is for Girls!!! Program, where the girls toasted s’mores in the sun with a pizza-box solar oven.

college access, affordability, and TEC careers.

The Program targets middle school girls because college and career choices are impacted by the science, technology and mathematics courses students take in school.

Studies suggest that children make career choices as early as middle school. Career choices are influenced by a variety of factors, including family expectations and educational experiences, with a strong connection between 8thgrade math skills and exposure to math and science careers.

Intel is investing in closing the gender gap in TEC fields by

empowering more girls to pursue careers in technology, engineering and computer science, connecting them to economic and social opportunities and inspiring them to become future innovators.

The TEC is for Girls!!! Program aims to help girls envision themselves as technology professionals. Hopefully, Daisy, Alejandra, Judith and the other program participants will look back one day and affirm that majoring in technology, engineering or computer science was one of the best decisions they ever made.

If you would like to learn more about the TEC is for Girls!!! Program, please call 602-285-7667.

Jesselle Valenzuela, Longview Elementary School, at the TEC is for Girls!!!

Static Electricity workshop

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SHAPING THE FUTURE OF ART

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hoenix College and contemporary American painter, sculptor and author Eric Fischl are shaping the future of art in Arizona – and beyond – by providing life-changing opportunities for students, and supporting the next generation of great American artists.

In 2005, Fischl returned to Phoenix College to give back to his alma mater and to help aspiring artists.

Fischl honors the college’s influence on his life by returning annually with world-famous artists and art enthusiasts to present the Eric Fischl Series – hosted at the PC campus and the Phoenix Art Museum.

Fischl says he feels a sense of obligation to facilitate conversations on the arts and to give back to the place where he first felt he could be an artist. Fischl is helping Phoenix College become a center for the arts in Phoenix.

A painting teacher at PC, Merrill Mahaffey, saw something in Fischl

Fischl Scholar Xhiv Bogart

and pushed him to believe in himself.

Fischl says it seemed natural to return to the college and give back.

As part of the annual Fischl Series, Phoenix College art students participate in portfolio critiques with Eric Fischl and the guest artist.

This one-on-one analysis provides students with critical guidance

Eric Fischl and guest artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby select Vanguard Award winners from work submitted to the annual Phoenix College Student Art Exhibition.

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and support as they develop their artistic technique.

The Fischl Scholarship – the first of its kind at a community college provides vital financial support, allowing students to concentrate on their education. The program aims to increase the number of students pursuing an Associate of Fine Arts

Degree at Phoenix College – in preparation for university transfer.

The Fischl Scholar Program is a competitive scholarship program, which includes mentorship with PC art faculty and college counselors designed to help ensure student success. The Program pays for tuition and art supplies for the scholars while pursuing their fine arts degree at Phoenix College.

Eric Fischl with Vanguard Award winner Maera Grove and Fischl Series guest artist Sheila Pepe at the Student Art Exhibition.

Shaping the Future of Art The Eric Fischl Program is having an impact not only on students’ lives, but also on the quality of art education being offered at Phoenix College, and on the art community…by shaping the future of art in Phoenix…and beyond.

To learn more about the Fischl Program, please call 602-2857667, or email deborah.spotts@ phoenixcollege.edu.

“

Phoenix College afforded me the opportunity to find myself and my voice as an artist. ”

Vanguard Award winner Case Binkley.

– Eric Fischl

SAVE THE DATE: APRIL 18, 2018 Annual Fischl Series at the Phoenix Art Museum

PHOENIX COLLEGE FOCUS

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DON’T SLEEP ON PLANES

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on’t Sleep On Planes, the title of Zachary Hall’s new book, explains how we can harness the power of strangers to increase personal success and fulfillment. The book is based on Hall’s philosophy that the power of people (aka strangers) is amazing and that it takes people to bring our dreams to life.

Friends and colleagues were all once strangers, Hall points out.

If you keep your mind and heart open and talk with strangers you encounter on planes, at the grocery store, standing in line to buy a hot dog at the ballpark, you’ll meet incredible people.

Through chance meetings with business leaders, athletes, government officials, and others, Hall has created a network of people he can rely on for advice, support, inspiration, and even influence.

Throughout the years, Hall has stayed in contact with anyone and everyone who ever shared their story of success, offered him advice or help. In his book, Hall recounts stories of meeting restauranteurs, actors, hotel executives, musicians and others he met via chance encounters on airplanes, at breakfast counters, or standing in line.

“But I’ve found that no matter how successful I get, I’m still going to need help getting to the next level.”

As a kid growing up in Maryvale, Hall knew that the road to success began with a great education – and he dreamed of going to college.

However, if Hall was going to make that dream a reality, he would have to work really hard – and he did.

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Zach Hall with fiancé M.E. Griesediek at the book launch party for Don’t Sleep on Planes.

While completing his Associate’s degree in business at Phoenix College (PC), Hall simultaneously pursued a Bachelor’s degree at Arizona State University (ASU), while working full-time at Great Skate roller-skating rink. Later that same year, Hall tried out for the Phoenix Suns’ “Dunk Team,” his first role in the sports entertainment industry.

Hall remembers navigating his crazy schedule attending classes at PC and then at ASU in the mornings, working at Great Skate in the afternoons, and performing at Phoenix Suns’ games in the evenings. Hall says he did this for four years, “Paying his bills and his dues.”

“

I knew from an early age the only way I could get ahead was with the help of others.”

- Zachary Hall

His role with the Phoenix Suns led to a full time position as mascot coordinator with the Arizona Diamondbacks. When asked what he enjoys most about his role with the Diamondbacks, Hall says he loves creating memories and special moments at the ballpark for kids and families.

After completing his MBA two years ago, Hall created a list of all the things he wanted to accomplish in his life; number 47 on the list was write a book. Of all the things on his list, writing a book seemed like one he could work on a little at a time. Why not start now, Hall wondered.

Hall contemplated all the things he didn’t know about writing a book. Hall didn’t know how to write a manuscript, but he knew someone who did. Hall didn’t know copyright law, but he knew an attorney he could call for help.

What seemed like a daunting project was made manageable as Hall began documenting stories and teachable moments from his life. With the idea for his book and a handful of stories compiled, Hall leveraged the relationships he had cultivated over many years, reaching out to the people in his network to help.

Hall has received an outpouring of support for his book from CEOs, professors, and others he has met over the years. He continues to live the philosophy – working his connections to create personal and professional opportunities for himself and others.

When asked what’s next for him, Hall reports that he is getting married in December, which will bring new experiences to his life.

He plans to continue his role with the Arizona Diamondbacks, while keeping his eyes open for new opportunities to make an impact in his community.

Hall says he would also love to give back to PC, maybe teaching. “I have great memories of my time at Phoenix College. Business instructor Cindy Cloud and basketball coach Matt Gordon both inspired me to find my passion.”

Hall hopes he can be an inspiration to others, and that his book might help people find the value in chance encounters. Hall has many baseball hats in his closet, but the hat he’s wearing lately reads, “Don’t Sleep on Planes.” If you see him wearing his hat, chat him up; you never know where the conversation will lead, and that’s the point.

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DREAMS TAKE FLIGHT

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hoenix College (PC) has been the launching point for many young entrepreneurs over the years. One successful alumnus took flight, both figuratively and literally, after graduating from PC. Darrell Sawyer, class of 1951, created an aviation empire with grit, a keen business sense, and an incredible passion to fulfill his dreams.

Darrell’s father always wanted to be a farmer, but during the Great Depression money and farmland were hard to come by. Darrell and his family moved to Gilbert Arizona, and Darrell’s father became a teacher but never lost the drive to be a farmer. Once his father had saved up enough money, he purchased land to farm and irrigate. Watching his father push through obstacles to attain his goals inspired Darrell to always follow his dreams.

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Although he enjoyed working sideby-side with his father and siblings on the farm, Darrell knew that a pastoral life was not for him.

“

Take ownership of your passion and find ways to make your dreams happen.”

- Darrell Sawyer

As a young boy, Darrell pestered his parents to visit Phoenix Sky Harbor airport to watch the planes take off and land any chance he could.

He fell in love with the thrill and adventure that beckoned from those dusty runways and envisioned himself as a pilot.

At 15 years old, Darrell saved $81 from driving tractors. He was sure that would be enough to get him in

the air. Unfortunately, money was not the only thing Darrell needed.

Upon requesting flying lessons, he was told there was no point in taking lessons until he was 16 and a half years old; the minimum age to apply for a pilot’s license.

Although Darrell was too young to take lessons, he never left the airfield; taking any odd job he could get, from painting the hanger to mowing lawns.

As he slowly became a common face around the airfield, he was given new tasks such as assisting the mechanics in the machine shop. Darrell absorbed all the knowledge he could about aviation, saving every dollar he earned for the day he could fly.

When he turned 16 and a half, Darrell started taking flying lessons.

Most airplane enthusiasts in the 1940s could only take lessons sporadically due to the high cost of each lesson.

Darrell, on the other hand, was able to fly three times a week with the money he saved, so his learning and skills increased exponentially. On his seventeenth birthday, Darrell took the test and received his private civilian pilot’s license, achieving his life-long goal to fly.

Darrell Sawyer, Jo Whaley and Mary Henel with a Phoenix College airplane, 1950.

After graduating Gilbert High School in 1949, Darrell enrolled at Phoenix College, and the lure of aviation called him again. PC was one of the few colleges in the country teaching commercial aviation at the time, through a partnership with Sky Harbor Airport.

When he was not at the airport, Darrell was taking business and general education courses at PC’s main campus. When asked how he felt about those courses, Darrell says he took a purposeful approach to get the most out of his general education classes.

While he would rather be flying, he knew that the accounting classes would one day help him run his aviation business. The journalism course could greatly assist him with marketing his company to potential clients, and the English course would help him better articulate his business plan. Having a clear vision for his future provided Darrell with the motivation to complete his coursework.

Darrell left PC after achieving both his commercial license and

flight instructor rating. He enlisted in the Air Force and served as a flight mechanic in the Korean War before heading off to Arizona State University to earn a Bachelor’s degree in business. Never forgetting his roots, Darrell also spent a few evenings each week as a flight instructor at his alma mater, Phoenix College.

After college, Darrell started his own flight company, Sawyer Aviation in 1961. Taking knowledge from his PC flight professors and his own extensive flying experience, Darrell opened his own flight school.

His advice to current Phoenix College students and young alumni is: “Take ownership of your passion and find ways to make your dreams happen through additional schooling or experience. Never underestimate what you can accomplish if you laser-focus on your goals”.

Darrell’s retired from flying now, but still finds time to catch a flight with friends at every opportunity.

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THE GIFTS OF TIME & TALENT

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ne of the most impactful gifts alumni can offer their alma mater is their time and expertise. Students must balance coursework, jobs, family obligations, and financial constraints while attending college. Add to that an uncertainty about their chosen profession and the need for a guiding hand is apparent.

Alumni understand these struggles and can offer the priceless gift of mentorship. Alumni can help bridge the gap between classroom learning and the professional career for which students are preparing. By offering students advice on courses to take, opportunities to seize, and obstacles to avoid, alumni provide students with critical real-life knowledge.

One incredible Phoenix College (PC) alumna is Patricia Tate ‘70.

A recently retired and lauded Superintendent of the Osborn School District, Tate exemplifies the qualities most sought in a mentor – knowledge, heart, and a motivational mindset.

PC alumna Patricia Tate (left) with Bear Scholar Jennifer Sabori.

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When it was time to connect a mentor with a promising scholarship student, Jennifer Sabori, a Deaf Studies major and PC Alumni Association Bear Scholar, there was no question about who would make the best alumni mentor.

Tate has a long and remarkable history with the deaf community in Arizona. As a child of deaf parents, Tate was fascinated when others would sign with her father. As an adult, Tate taught at the Phoenix Day School for the Deaf and the School for Deaf & Blind in Tucson while obtaining her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. After completing her education, Tate accepted a job at the Osborn School District in Phoenix, teaching for traditional and hearing-impaired children. During her time with Osborn, Tate rose to superintendent of schools and was part of a core group of instructors who launched the interpreter program at Phoenix College.

Tate strongly believes that women are obligated to reach out to other

women and pull them along, helping them navigate barriers along the way. “My career in education and indeed my life have been enriched by the advice and honest feedback I have received from mentors.

I cherish their friendship and truthfulness.”

When Sabori and Tate met, they clicked right away. Asked to describe their relationship in one word, they both signed “Friend.” Tate has become a treasured mentor to Sabori, giving her thoughtful advice on her chosen profession and context for her interpreting skills in the real world.

The formal mentor-mentee relationship is scheduled to continue until Sabori graduates from PC in 2018, but both feel confident they will stay connected far into the future.

If you are interested in mentoring PC students, contact Christy Flora at 602-285-7652, or christina.flora@ phoenixcollege.edu.

A LEGACY OF LEARNING

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aculty member James “Jed” Allen is remembered by students and colleagues alike as a kindhearted teacher, poet and musician.

Jed taught creative writing and English at Phoenix College (PC) for more than 13 years. His love of words and music were a gift he gave to friends, family, students and the community.

He published a book of poems titled “Fear of Algebra”, and performed with a number of musical groups, including The Blues Connection.

When Jed passed away in 2016, colleague Elizabeth Saliba was looking for a way to honor Jed’s passion for teaching and writing.

After careful consideration, Elizabeth settled on establishing a memorial scholarship in Jed’s name as a way to preserve his legacy at Phoenix College.

This fall, the inaugural Jed Allen Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Misako Yamazaki, a creative writing major at PC. When Elizabeth

Faculty member Elizabeth Saliba holding Jed Allen’s book of poems with scholarship recipient Misako Yamazaki holding her book of poems.

and Misako met for lunch to talk about Jed and the scholarship, they learned that Misako and Jed have quite a bit in common; including both publishing a book of their poems; Misako’s recently published book of poems is entitled Wasps (and other poems).

Both Jed and Misako also have a passion for sharing their writing with others. Jed would often recite his poems at local coffee shops and books stores, and Misako has begun to do the same.

Misako will graduate from PC in May of 2019 and plans to pursue

a Bachelor of Fine Arts in creative writing. When asked what her longterm goals are, she unabashedly says she wants to be a best-selling novelist, and maybe a librarian.

As the first recipient of the Jed Allen Memorial Scholarship, Misako is grateful to be part of Jed and Elizabeth’s legacy at Phoenix College; supporting student writers for years to come.

If you would like to learn more about establishing a scholarship at Phoenix College, please call 602285-7667, or email deborah.spotts@ phoenixcollege.edu.

“I’ll Take Care of You” – a poem by Misako Yamazaki I would take your heart as it is bruised and torn apart, tainted with remains of broken dreams and ashes of all the wrong choices you’ve ever made.

I would cherish it and when it gets tired, I would let you curl into mine and sleep there until the sunlight kisses your skin and your heart recovers again.

James “Jed” Allen (left).

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RESOURCES AT PH O E N I X C O L L E G E

ATHLETICS PC’s has eight award-winning sports teams: men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, baseball, football, softball and volleyball. We invite you to cheer on the PC Bears at an upcoming game.

Visit athletics.phoenixcollege.edu for PC sports schedules.

COMMUNITY FITNESS CENTER Weight training & various classes offered. Discounts for seniors & students. Call 602-285-7295 to learn more.

DENTAL CLINIC A variety of low-cost oral health services provided by students under the guidance of licensed practitioners. Call 602-285-7323 to learn more.

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ERIC FISCHL ART GALLERY The Fischl Gallery hosts various art exhibitions throughout the year. Visit phoenixcollege.edu/campuslife/ericfischl-gallery to review the 2017-18 schedule. Call 602-285-7277 to learn more.

ENROLL TODAY!

THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES The PC Theater Program offers four productions annually. Tickets are $10 general admission, $7 alumni, $5 students & seniors. Visit phoenixcollege.edu/theatre to learn about the current season and to purchase tickets. Tickets may also be purchased at the door. Call 602-2857303 for more information.

MASSAGE THERAPY CLINIC

View class schedule, learn about financial aid opportunities, and enroll online at phoenixcollege.edu/enroll.

Call 602-285-7777 to learn more.

Students provide services under guidance of licensed therapists.

One-hour massage = $20.

Call 602-285-7550 to learn more.

MUSICAL PERFORMANCES

VETERANS SERVICES

A variety of musical performances are offered throughout the year

by PC jazz ensembles, community orchestra, solo vocal and musical recitals, percussion groups and choirs. Tickets for on-campus performances are free. Off-campus performance tickets range $5-15. Call 602-285-7273 to learn more.

One-stop academic and referral services for veterans and their families. Call 602-285-7342 for more information, or visit pc-veteranservices@phoenixcollege.edu.

phoenixcollege.edu

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BY T H E NU M B E R S 2 0 1 6 -1 7

WOULD RECOMMEND PC TO FAMILY OR FRIENDS

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REE GRADU A T ES

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Million in new gifts to PC for scholarships & programs

95%

Of funds donated to PC via the Maricopa Foundation go directly to students

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94%

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STUDE 3 3 1 , NT S 17

CERTIFICATE GRA

=

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Scholarships Awarded

2.2

Million awarded in scholarships to PC students

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TALK TO US We want to hear what you think about the new PC FOCUS Magazine.

Tell us what you like and what you would like to see in future issues.

Email: development@phoenixcollege.edu Phone: 602-285-7667

PROTECTING THE HEART OF THE BEAR

Focus Magazine is produced by the Alumni & Development and Institutional Effectiveness Departments. The mission of FOCUS Magazine is to engage alumni, friends, partners, supporters and the Phoenix College community.

Alumni & Development Staff: Deborah Spotts, development director; Christy Flora, development officer; Alfredo Hernandez, program specialist. Institutional Effectiveness Staff: Lori Lindenberg, director; Cheryl Waltman, research assistant.