College News

Phoenix College (PC) student Ashley Aguilera took part in a study abroad program this past summer, traveling to England, Scotland, and France. It was her first trip to Europe and she was not sure what to expect; “I was very nervous about all aspects of traveling,” said Ashley. 

Before Victor Salinas started his nursing degree program at Phoenix College (PC) this fall, he spent the spring looking for scholarships. "I couldn't find anything, and then I came across the Equality Maricopa Prism Scholarship Fund. I applied and, thankfully, was awarded the scholarship."

Melvin Pastores wasn't intending to go back to school. "I was bringing some clients to Phoenix College to sign up for classes. Next thing you know, I'm signing up," he chuckled. Originally from Yuma, where he was San Pasqual High School's student body president, Melvin has the innate ability to connect people to community services and provide support. He works as a 2 Luv 1 Another Peer Support Specialist for the Native American Wellness and Care Center in Phoenix that brings formerly incarcerated people together for rehabilitation in a clinical setting. 

How often are we really able to slow down these days? How often do we give ourselves permission to take a few deep breaths and just sit and observe what is happening around us? These are some of the questions Art faculty Jay Hardin asked when he began his sabbatical in Fall 2021. What he discovered after a six-week online mindfulness class with Holly Cluff, a Koru-certified instructor from Tucson, is that mindfulness does wonders for the creative mind.

Jacquelina Reyes worked in corrections for 16 years, but her heart has always been to serve the Hispanic population in the medical field. With support from Arizona Career Pathways, Jacquelina is a Phoenix College (PC) Nursing Program student. “I know if I finish my nursing degree, I can help improve the lives of Hispanic people by communicating it’s good to go to a doctor,” she said. “In Hispanic culture, sometimes we don’t want to speak up because we’re embarrassed to ask questions, so I want to encourage this population to go from fearful to proactive because we’re all in it together to grow.”

Donna Gammage and Bryan Heckler are the fairy godparents many of us wished for as teenagers. Except they don't have a magic wand or indulge in fantasy. Their work as Job Developer and Lead Teacher in the Transitioning Learners to College (TLC) at Phoenix College (PC) is rooted in reality. Donna and Bryan provide special education students the needed life skills to become adults and the wrap-around support service for the college experience.

Staff and faculty displayed excellence in the hours and days following convocation as they learned from each other in a new campus initiative, The Learning Sessions.

When Phoenix College (PC) Psychology faculty Dr. Debbie Webster heard MCCCD was selected to receive $6.8 million in federal funding from the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) to address behavioral health workforce shortages, she immediately stepped up as principal investigator for PC’s $1 million portion of the award. “I took this on for PC because I thought this was a great opportunity for our students. We need people in behavioral health. We’re excited to be a part of this.”

After Phoenix College (PC) Women’s Soccer claimed the NJCAA Division II national title at the champio­­­nship series in November 2022, a ring ceremony was held in Phoenix College’s Hacienda Room on Saturday, August 5, 2023 followed by a Women’s Soccer Alumni Exhibition game in Hoy stadium.

The historic passage of state legislation SB1453 in May of 2021, allowing community colleges to offer four-year bachelor's degree programs, has caught the attention of many, particularly the students flocking to sign up.

Three Phoenix College engineering students–Lorynn Garcia, Marco Portillo, and Michael Bittner–presented their research project on superhydrophobic surfaces at the 2023 New College Undergraduate Inquiry and Research Experience (NCUIRE) Symposium held at Arizona State University (ASU) on April 20, 2023.

Taking the stage of Bulpitt Auditorium to open the annual Phoenix College (PC) Fashion Show, Vie d’Ours Chique, musician Handsome Ron stepped out in gray bell-bottomed spandex with rainbow stripes down the side paired with a yellow and black blouse.