Alumni News

Reed Mettler’s path to New York City traces back to Phoenix College (PC). As a part of
PC’s Honors Program, Reed discovered the Model United Nations (UN) and then again
when taking Albert Celoza's World Religions course. Reed went on to lead PC’s
delegation to conferences in Chicago, Illinois and Ventura, California, and he served as
Secretary-General at a conference, igniting Reed’s passion for diplomacy.

Francisco Enuf Garcia graduated from Phoenix College, and then from Arizona State University. While at PC, he was a selected as a recipient of the Vanguard Award in 2008 by fellow PC alum Eric Fischl, and was a City of Phoenix Mayor's Art Award recipient.  He is a social entrepreneur creating public art that contain empowering themes of immigration, justice, faith, and Chicano culture.

After working odd jobs across the country after graduation, Marty Manning came back to Phoenix in 1965 and enrolled at Phoenix College (PC). He participated in numerous stage productions, both behind the scenes and as a performer and began his work in radio in 1970, which lasted almost 50 years. He retired from KEZ in 2019.

Roxanne Carbajal chose her major in fifth grade. “I remember going to school an hour early to learn how to do algebra; it was my favorite part of the day. Ever since then, I’ve loved math,” she says.

Jasmin Perez was raised in west Phoenix, in a close-knit, mulit-generational home. Financial contraints have been a persistent burden in her family's life. At 15 she started working in the food industry, then retail. When she was ready to go back to school, she chose Phoenix College because of the affordability, supportive environment, and the encouragement of PC faculty and staff. She's completing her degree in Organizational Management and Human Resources, and is on track to graduate in 2024.

A life-defining moment in 2010 changes the trajectory for Luis Herrera and his future. Without a clue what to do after high school, Luis knew he needed to finish college and set an example for his younger sisters and cousins.

Phoenix College is honored to celebrate Mark C. Keever, the College’s 2023 Hero of Education. Mark generously donated more than half a million dollars – the entirety of his estate – to support PC students majoring in business.

Jillian Deaton, a Phoenix College alumna and ASL interpreter, was asked to interpret at Taylor Swift’s Seattle Eras Tour shows. “Interpreting for the Eras Tour was a blast. My team and I thoroughly enjoyed the hours we spent workshopping the songs together," Jillian said. "We put so much heart into our prep and we hoped it would all be well-received and enjoyed by Taylor's Deaf and Hard of Hearing fans in our assigned section."

In a podcast with PC soccer coach Dave Cameron, Zalma recalls an unexpected phone call from World Soccer Champion and PC alumna, Jessica McDonald, encouraging Zalma to attend PC. She also reminisces about her soccer career from youth-player to National Soccer Champion with Phoenix College in 2022.