Yuma, Arizona – May 21, 2013 -- Arizona Western College is proud to announce that the Arizona Western College Youth Football Camp will be held Monday through Thursday, June 10th through the 13th at the AWC Football Practice Field on the AWC Campus. AWC Head Football Coach Tom Minnick, Assistant Coach Ritchie Martin as well as guest assistant coach C.J. Wiggins will provide expert instruction to young football players of all skill levels, and get them excited about the game of football-whether they currently play the game or are just interested in learning more about how to play.

The four-day camp is for boys and girls ages 6-12, and will run from 9AM to noon each day. The camp will specialize on the positions of quarterback, wide receiver, tight end, linebacker and defensive back. The focus on the interactive, non-contact camp will be on the correct form and proper techniques of the game. In addition, life skills such as teamwork, communication and sportsmanship will be emphasized throughout the four-day camp. Campers will be grouped based on age and skill level to ensure that each camper has the best opportunity to learn. Each day of the camp will conclude with a contest that covers a skill taught earlier in the day. The cost of the camp is $80, and each camper will also receive a camp T-shirt.

Available spots in the camp are on a first-come, first-served basis, and a camp flyer and registration form can be obtained by clicking on the flyer below:
2013 AWC Youth Football Camp Registration Form & Flyer
 or by contacting AWC Assistant Football Coach Ritchie Martin either by phone (office: (928) 344-7599; cell: (503) 750-2422) or by e-mail (richard.martin@azwestern.edu). Parents can also register campers directly by contacting Laura Rios either by phone ((928) 344-7700) or e-mail (laura.rios@azwestern.edu). Campers should come dressed in proper camp attire (shorts, T-shirt, football cleats (should bring regular tennis shoes as well)), and are advised to also bring sunscreen, water and water bottle and healthy snack foods and beverages. All proceeds raised by the camp will benefit the Matador Athletic Association.
 

AWC Offers New Family Development Credential

Yuma, Arizona (May 16, 2013) — AWC has partnered with University of Connecticut (UCONN) to offer a new Family Development Credential (FDC) in fall 2013. The credential begins in August 2013 and will run through December 2013. The 11-credit class will be held on Mondays from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. on AWC’s main campus, 2020 South Avenue 8E in Yuma. Upon successful completion of the credential, students will receive AWC and UCONN certificates.

The FDC courses are currently available on the AWC Schedule of Classes at https://www.azwestern.edu/learning_services/schedule/. All three courses (FAS 206, 207 and 208) can be viewed by moving the “View by Subject” drop box to “FAS Family Studies.” Anyone in need of assistance with registration may click on the following link to watch helpful tutorials: https://www.azwestern.edu/student_services/support_services/advisement_services/webadvisor_tutorials.html.

For more information, please contact Aryca Arizaga Marron, Professor of Family Studies/Psychology at AWC, at aryca.marron@azwestern.edu, or (928) 317-6421.

Yuma, Arizona – May 16, 2013 -- Arizona Western College is proud to announce that three members of the AWC Men’s Basketball team have signed their official letters of intent to attend four-year universities this fall, and play basketball this winter. Matadors’ forward/center Tanner Clayton has signed with Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas; fellow big man Carlos Perez is headed to Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, Colorado; and shooting/point guard Marvin Whitt is bound for St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. The announcements come two months after the three led the Matadors to the team’s third straight appearance in the Region I Finals, and one day before the three are expected to participate in commencement festivities on the AWC campus.

If you’d asked Tanner Clayton two years ago if his collegiate and career path included basketball, you would’ve likely received a drastically different answer than what he’d say now. A two-sport star at Rancho Bernardo High School in his native San Diego, it was volleyball that the University of Southern California coaches signed Clayton out of high school for. However, after spending his freshman year in a USC Volleyball uniform, Clayton’s love for basketball returned, and brought him to the AWC campus last summer. The ‘middle blocker mentality’ that Clayton used on the volleyball court served him just as well on the hardwood, placing him 3rd in the ACCAC in blocked shots 2.2 per game after leading that category much of the year. That same leaping ability and timing shot him over and past opposing players to grab rebounds to the tune of 10.5 per game, placing him among the top 20 in the nation in that category. Finally, Clayton’s deceivingly quick feet helped him get open for his baseline jumper, helping him score 9.8 points per game (4th-best on the team), and shoot well from everywhere (a team-beat 51.2% field goal percentage, team-leading 42.9% 3-point FG% & a 73.8% free throw percentage (3rd on the team), earning 2nd Team All-ACCAC & All-Region I honors in the process. Clayton now helps christen a new era at SFASU, being part of the first signing class of new head coach Brad Underwood, and joins a program that comes off an appearance this past spring at the National Invitational Tournament (NIT).

‘Continued maturation’ is a very accurate term to describe what Carlos Perez has accomplished in his two years in the paint for the Matadors. Perez went from a backup big man who worked his way up the ladder to be one of the first off the bench as a freshman; to a starting center role to begin his sophomore campaign; to playing the best basketball of his career during this year’s playoff stretch run. Because of the work that the Chula Vista, California, native put in last summer on his footwork and hook shot, Perez became the Matadors’ mainstay in the middle, starting every one of the their 32 games in 2012-13. And just about the time that opposing coaches thought they had Perez’s game figured out, he unveiled his own baseline jumper midway through last season that gave the Matadors an extra weapon. Perez wound up 2nd on the team in both rebounding (6.3 RPG) & field goal percentage (48.9%), and 5th in both scoring (8.9 PPG) & free throw percentage (72.2%), earning All-ACCAC Honorable Mention accolades. Awaiting Perez is an NCAA Division II program that finished an 18-win season with an appearance in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Semifinals.

Finally, Marvin Whitt got the chance to perfect just about everything a guard can do during his two years as a Matador, since his role changed several times before his two-year career was completed. Whether it was running the point, heading up the transition game, being the main perimeter shooter, or locking down on the opponents’ quickest player, Whitt used them all to become the team leader as a sophomore. The Birmingham, Alabama, native came into the program as a point guard, shifted to the two-guard spot as a freshman, moved back to the point to start his sophomore season, then really came into his own down the stretch last season when asked to move back to the shooting guard position, becoming one of the top guards in the conference and the nation in the process. Whitt led the team in scoring in 13 of their 32 games, finishing with a team-leading 15.5 points-per-game average. Whitt also led the team in assists (3.2 APG), and his quick hands led to a team-leading 1.5 steals-per-game average. ‘The Birmingham Flash’ also used all of his 5’10” frame to grab 5.4 rebounds per game (3rd-best on the team); and was 2nd on the team in free throw shooting (74.8%). After earning 1st Team All-ACCAC & 1st Team All-Region I honors at the conclusion of the regular season, Whitt became an NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American selection last month. Whitt won’t have to change his championship mindset as he heads to St. Mary’s, since the Rattlers just completed a 23-win season by making it to the Sweet 16 round of the South Central Region in the NCAA Division II Tournament.
 

Help Us Spend $10,000 in Four Days
Foundation monies to help students take a summer class

Yuma, AZ (May 15, 2013) - Are you interested in taking a summer class, but limited by your budget? Do you need a little extra incentive to get off the couch this summer? The AWC Foundation wants to help out! We’re trying to give away $10,000 in scholar awards in four days!

How? Just fill out the form found at www.azwestern.edu/summer (AWC Foundation Summer Scholars Award), submit it via email by 10am, this Monday, May 20. Each award will be for one class (1- 4 credit hours) of in-state tuition.
These awards are not merit-based, so there is no need to prove GPA, declared major or financial need. Students can find a list of current summer classes available at www.azwestern.edu/schedule (search by Summer in upper left corner).

The bulk of the awards will be drawn from the Yuma metro pool, but the Foundation will also draw 2 names from La Paz County and 5 names from San Luis/Somerton area.

Come join us at noon on Monday, May 20, at a Summer Ice Cream Party in the AWC Eatery when the awards are drawn live in front of an audience (and shared immediately on social media). AWC Foundation will then make the funds available through the AWC Business office that same afternoon, and the rest is up to you!

For more information, please contact Sonnet Nelson, AWC Foundation Scholarship Specialist at 928-317-7620 orsonnet.nelson@azwestern.edu.

*Program fees and books are not covered

Yuma, Arizona – May 15, 2013 -- Arizona Western College is proud to announce that Matador Soccer Camp 2013 will be held Monday through Friday, June 3rd through the 7th at the AWC Soccer Field on the AWC Campus. AWC Head Men’s & Women’s Soccer Coach Kenny Dale, Assistant Coach Alfonso Perez and several current and former AWC Matadors' soccer players will provide expert instruction to young soccer players of all skill levels. The five-day camp is for boys and girls ages 6-14, and will run from 8:30AM to 1PM each day. Dale and his camp coaches have designed an environment in which players can develop their skills and improve their soccer games while enjoying the game itself. The camp will emphasize learning of the basic rules, techniques and skills essential to improving each soccer player's game. The cost of the camp is $100, and each camper will also receive a camp soccer ball, T-shirt, certificate and other prizes for participating in the camp.

Available spots in the camp are on a first-come, first-served basis, and a camp flyer and registration form can be obtained by clicking on the link below:
Matador Soccer Camp 2013 Flyer
or by contacting Coach Dale either by phone at (928) 317-7600 or by e-mailing him at Kenny.dale@azwestern.edu. Campers should come dressed in proper soccer camp attire (shorts, T-shirt, indoor/tennis shoes (bring cleats as well) and shin guards), and are advised to also bring sunscreen, water and water bottle and healthy snack foods and beverages. All proceeds raised by the camp will benefit the Matador Athletic Association. Those wanting more information should call Dale at (928) 317-7600 or e-mail him at Kenny.dale@azwestern.edu.
 

AWC/NAU-Yuma 2013 Commencement
Over 1,900 degrees and certificates to be awarded

Yuma, Arizona (May 14, 2013) — Arizona Western College, Northern Arizona-Yuma Branch Campus and University of Arizona announce the 2013 Commencement. The 2013 graduates will receive their diplomas at Veterans Memorial Stadium located at 7150 E. 24th Street, next to Gila Ridge High School, on Friday, May 17 at 8:00 PM. (Graduates must report to the Gila Ridge Hawk Gym no later than 7:00 PM)

Arizona Western College is proud to award 801 Associate degrees and 1,186 certificates this year. AWC’s Commencement Speaker Committee members have selected Stephanie Rivas as its Commencement Speaker. Stephanie is receiving an Associate of General Sciences degree.

Nearly 700 graduates from Northern Arizona University Branch Campus will also receive their degrees; 565 will receive Bachelor degrees, and 92 will receive Master degrees. NAU-Yuma’s 2013 Commencement Speaker is Alexander Vermont, who is receiving a Bachelor of Science in Biology.

The University of Arizona Yuma campus will present 14 Bachelor’s degrees and 1 candidate at the Masters level.

The Commencement will be broadcast live on AWC TV/Time Warner Cable Channel 74 at 8:00 PM. The telecast will be produced by AWC Television Services, which will continue to replay the Commencement throughout the following two weeks.

Summer Session offers classes in many disciplines

Yuma, AZ (May 14, 2013)— Do you need a few general education classes, like English, Math or Art History? Are you short on the sciences, like Biology or The Planets? Are you looking for some professional development, like Business or CIS?

Summer is a great time to get ahead on educational goals, with accelerated class schedules and many available seats. Perfect for High School students who want a jump on their college career, or university students who would love a low per-credit hour cost to complete a general education class, Summer Session at Arizona Western College has hundreds of classes to choose from.
Employers looking for a way to boost staff knowledge or help employees with their own educational goals should consider summer session for staff development goals. Many classes can be taken online, making the class time flexible to work or family schedules.

More information can be found at www.azwestern.edu/summer. You can also browse summer classes atwww.azwestern.edu/schedule, select “Summer 2013” under Semester in the upper left corner.
 

Most classes start May 28.

Yuma, Arizona – May 14, 2013 -- Arizona Western College is proud to announce that the AWC Spirit Team will conduct tryouts for the AWC Dance Team for the 2013-14 season next week at ‘The House’-AWC’s home gymnasium on AWC’s main campus. The tryouts will be held on Monday and Wednesday, May 20th & 22nd, beginning at 7PM each night. There is no cost to try out, and the tryouts are open to anyone-male or female-that plans to attend AWC full-time for the 2013 Fall Semester, and is either a current high school senior, current AWC student, or other prospective full-time student that will be at AWC in the fall.

Previous dancing experience is preferred. Those coming to the clinics and tryouts need to bring comfortable workout clothes and proper gym shoes each night, and should have a letter of recommendation from a previous coach, dance teacher or personal reference. The top performers from next week’s tryouts will be put on the AWC Dance Team, and will be with the squad for the 2013-14 AWC Athletics Season (which begins August 24th). Squad members will also participate in other college-sponsored activities during the fall & spring semesters.

Those wanting to be part of the tryouts are urged to contact AWC Dance Coach Katie Wendt either by phone ((928) 919-0125) or e-mail (Katie.w@live.com) as soon as possible to make a reservation.

Two AWC Honors Students Make First Team All-Arizona One also named Silver Scholar for Coca-Cola’s 2013 Community College Academic team

Yuma, Arizona (May 13, 2013) — Elizabeth Vargas and Joselinne Mora were both honored recently at a luncheon in Tempe as members of the elite All-Arizona Team, as announced by the national office of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society of 2-year colleges. They both earned first team honors, which includes a $1,000 scholarship to an Arizona university.

Vargas has also been named a 2013 Coca-Cola Academic Team Silver Scholar and will receive a $1,250 scholarship. Melissa Behunin, Interim Honors Director at AWC, says: “Elizabeth and Joselinne are both stellar Honors students who represent AWC well. Their passion for education and dedication to their academics is reflected in earning these awards.”

Vargas is a Studio Arts major who participates in community events such as Relay for Life and AWC Family Night. As the art director at the Generation Y Diversity Youth Center in Yuma, she is currently working on mural project. She has served as event coordinator of the Sustainability Fair at AWC for the past two years, and she organizes music and art shows for young people in the surrounding areas.

Mora, vice president of Scholarships for the AWC Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, is a sophomore majoring in Business. As a member of the Student Government Association, CAMPSA and other clubs and programs, her community service includes food drives, fundraisers and alcohol awareness.

At the Tempe luncheon, Vargas and Moro were accompanied by family members and AWC administration.

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society is the largest honor society in American higher education with chapters in two-year and community college campuses in all 50 of the United States as well as other countries More than 2.5 million students have been inducted since its founding in 1918, with approximately 135,000 students inducted annually.

For more information, please contact Behunin at mel.behunin@azwestern.edu, or (928) 344-7685.
 

Family with 11 AWC Graduates to be Honored at Annual La Cosecha Banquet

Yuma, Arizona (May 13, 2013) — A local family with 11 children who are all AWC graduates will be honored at the college’s Annual La Cosecha Outstanding Graduates Banquet at 5:45 p.m. on Thursday, May 16, 2013, in the 3C Schoening Conference Center on Main Campus, 2020 South Avenue 8E in Yuma.

“At La Cosecha we recognize a family who has nurtured and fostered education in their household and community,” says Angelica Diaz de Leon, counselor at AWC. “This year’s La Familia Award is to the Rouff family with 11 children who all have attended AWC. Christine is the youngest and will be graduating this May.” George Rouff is a retired local attorney, Barbara Rouff teaches at St. Frances School, and most of their children have become practicing professionals in the community, which demonstrates the purpose of La Cosecha.

Twenty-three scholarships will be awarded at the banquet, and the donors--most of whom are AWC graduates--will be thanked as many have been contributing for many years. One such AWC graduate/donor is Yuma attorney Candy Camarena, who started and has paid for the banquet part of the event for the past 14 years with the intent of providing graduates with an experience they will encounter in their professional lives. The keynote speaker will be Susanna Zambrano, a former AWC graduate and now Coordinator of Advisement and Student Services at South Yuma County AWC Center.

For more information, please contact Diaz de Leon at 344-7635, or Laura Sandigo, AccessABILITY Resource Services Coordinator at AWC, at 344-7629.

Yuma, Arizona – May 13, 2013 – Arizona Western College is proud to announce that Yuma-area baseball player Irving Lopez has signed an official letter of intent to attend AWC for the 2013-14 school year and play baseball for the Matadors next spring. The announcement comes less than two weeks before Lopez is scheduled to participate in graduation ceremonies at Gila Ridge High School.

While there have been numerous Yuma-area baseball stars that were on the Matador Baseball roster in 2011 & 2012, the signing of Lopez signals the first time during Drew Keehn’s two years at the helm of the AWC Baseball program that a Gila Ridge Hawk has made his way down 24th Street to don a Matador Baseball uniform. Having to jump right in and try to grab a starting job immediately isn’t a foreign idea to Lopez, especially since he’s been a member of the Hawks’ varsity baseball team all four years of his high school career. Lopez was strictly a middle infielder as a freshman, starting at shortstop, then Hawks’ Head Baseball Coach Greg Osowski began using Lopez both in the middle infield (he shifted to second base) and on the mound starting with his sophomore campaign. By Lopez’s junior year, he was a bonafide star in the infield, and one of the team’s stalwart hurlers on the hill in helping lead the Hawks to the second round of the Arizona State 5A-II State Playoffs. As a junior, Lopez was the Hawks’ best hitter with a blistering .431 batting average with 12 runs batted in. He also led the team with 5 doubles and 20 runs scored, and also contributed a pair of triples and two stolen bases. On the mound, he only made three appearances, but made the most of them, picking up wins against Lake Havasu and Mohave in mid-March, going no less than 5 innings in each start. For the season, Lopez was 2-0 with a 2.69 earned run average, striking out 11 batters in his 13 innings of work.

As a senior, Lopez was asked to top those numbers while becoming the team leader, and Lopez accomplished both of those goals very well. Once again, he was one of only two Hawks with batting averages over .400 (Lopez batted .436), led the team in stolen bases (6) and home runs (hit the only Hawks’ round-tripper in 2013), and he was again among the team leaders in runs scored (20, T-1st), hits (34), RBI (18), and doubles (5). On the hill, he was also one of their top hurlers with a 5-2 record and a stellar 1.79 ERA. He had a pair of complete games in his seven starts, and fanned 36 hitters in his 47 innings of work in leading the Hawks to their first 20-win season in school history and another state tournament appearance.

With Matador sophomore middle infielders Casey Scott and Hector Valenzuela graduating later this week, Lopez will have an opportunity to compete for a starting infield job next season. The Matadors just completed their second straight 30-win season, posting a 31-24 overall record this past season.
 

AWC Commencement Student Speaker Started at AWC CDLL at age 5 Topic of Speech is AWC as Home

Yuma, Arizona (May 9, 2013) — This semester’s student commencement speaker is Stephanie Rivas, who had early beginnings at Arizona Western College. She started at AWC in the original Child Development Learning Lab at age five as the daughter of Joe Rivas, who has worked on the college’s Grounds and Maintenance team at the college for 23 years, and Lorena Rivas, who worked for 10 years in the Financial Aid department.

Stephanie will graduate AWC with an Associate of General Sciences degree. Her commencement speech will focus on how AWC has become a second home to graduates who must depart from what is comfortable as they pursue higher education and careers.

After leaving the CDLL at AWC, Stephanie attended Otondo and Gwyenth Ham elementary schools, Gila Vista Junior High, and Kofa High. Then she returned to AWC as a student in the summer of 2011. This summer she will participate in an NAU internship for environmental science majors. In the fall, she will pursue a Bachelor of Chemistry with emphasis in Forensics at NAU in Flagstaff. “I’d really like to work in any police department crime lab, or for the FBI,” she says.

Meanwhile, “I see my dad on campus all the time,” she says. “I still live at my parents’ house, but in the mornings I don’t get to see him. Then as soon as I get to school, we run into each other and talk for a while. He’s a really happy person, and he gives me a little bit of relief so I don’t have to worry about school. I talk to him about whatever’s going on.”

For more information, please contact Stephanie at (928) 581-5760.
 

AWC Law Enforcement Academy Graduation May 14

Yuma, Arizona (May 9, 2013) — Twenty students will graduate from the Arizona Western College Law Enforcement Academy Graduation on May 14, 2013, at 6:30 p.m. in the 3C (College Community Center), Schoening Conference Center North Wing on the college’s main campus, 2020 South Avenue 8E in Yuma.

For more information, please contact Richard Colwell, Director of the Law Enforcement Academy at AWC, at richard.colwell@azwestern.edu, or (928) 210-3645.

AWC Graduate/Associate Professor
Celebrates National Nurses Week
Nursing Program Needs More Adjunct Faculty

Yuma, Arizona (May 8, 2013) — “Since I was three, I wanted to be the one that told people, ‘PUSH! PUSH it out!” says Breon Henderson, former AWC student and current Associate Professor of Nursing. She views a nurse as a strong-willed caretaker, teacher, clown, a shoulder to cry on and an up lifter. With such a tall order, it’s no wonder National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6 through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

While attending Cibola High School, Henderson began her lifelong dream of becoming a nurse. She shadowed a friend who was a labor and delivery nurse at Yuma Regional Medical Center. Then she dual enrolled in the Certified Nursing Assistant program at AWC and graduated in 2003. She worked as a resident assistant at Emerald Springs Assisted Living and Retirement Community, and then transferred to Labor and Delivery at YRMC. She earned her LPN Certificate in 2006, her RN/A.A.S. in 2007 and her BSN from the University of Phoenix in 2010. She continues to work in labor and delivery at YRMC. She aspires to be a nurse educator, family nurse practitioner and a breast feeding counselor. She became a clinical faculty for AWC in Fall 2012. “What I learn, I want to pass it on to the students,” she says.
 

There are many local opportunities for careers in nursing. AWC’s 2012 job placement is 77 percent, and the AWC Nursing Program needs more adjunct faculty to help meet the increasing demand, says Mary Rhona Francoeur, Professor/Director of Nursing at AWC. “We need clinical associates. Usually these are full-time nurses in the community who provide clinical teaching for our students at YRMC in most cases.” Clinical rotations are in nursing homes and a variety of community settings. There is a minimum requirement of an RN BSN, but an MSN is preferred because program accreditation requires a certain percentage of MSN faculty. “Our program is nationally accredited, which ensures a higher standard of quality in the program, and ensures transferability to higher levels of education, Francoeur says. “Also, there is a trend with certain employers who only hire nurses who have graduated from a nationally accredited program.”

For more information, please contact Francoeur, at maryrhona.francoeur@azwestern.edu, or (928) 317-6049.
 

Lebsock Receives SkillsUSA Top Honor

Yuma, Arizona (May 7, 2013) — Larry Lebsock, Director of Early College Experience at AWC, has been selected by the National SkillsUSA Board of Directors to receive SkillsUSA’s highest honor, the National Honorary Life Membership. This honor is in recognition of his dedicated service to the organization and the students it serves.

He will be introduced at the Opening Ceremony of the SkillsUSA’s National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC) in Kansas City, Missouri, on Wednesday, June 26, 2013, and will also recognized at a reception later that evening.

Lebsock grew up in Yuma, graduated from Kofa High School, and was a member of the first class of welding students to graduate from AWC. He graduated from AWC in1969 with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Welding Technology. He later earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Trade and Industrial Education, and then a Master of Education degree at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff .

During his 30-year teaching career, he taught Welding, Electronics, Technical Math and TV Production and served as a SkillsUSA advisor at the high school level. As a first year teacher at Kofa, he became the Welding Section Advisor. In 1976, he assisted with the first Arizona Region 1 Competition at Kofa and has remained involved with the event for the past 38 years, 28 of which have been hosted at AWC. In 2007, he was hired as the Tech Prep Director at AWC, and later assumed his current position.

He has served multiple times on the Arizona SkillsUSA Board of Directors, including as President and Treasurer. For the past eight years he has served as a member of the SkillsUSA National Education Team.

He is most proud of the accomplishments of his former students, which include welding instructors, engineers, broadcasters and two City of Yuma Fire Department captains who began their firefighting careers as members of a cooperative education program he developed while employed at Cibola High School.

For more information, please contact Lebsock at larry.lebsock@azwestern.edu, or (928)344-7742.
 

AWC Foundation Forms AWC Alumni Association David Godley Named President

Yuma, Arizona (May 6, 2013) — In observance of Arizona Western College’s 50th Anniversary, the AWC Foundation is sponsoring the newly-formed AWC Alumni Association to provide scholarships and help connect students to the workplace. David Godley, Professor Emeritus at AWC, has been named president of the Association.

“The forming of an alumni association after 50 years is well overdue and well needed, and I couldn’t be any more surprised or more proud to serve as first president of the Association,“ he says. “To me it’s quite an honor. I’ve spent nearly 43 years at Arizona Western College or NAU as a student and faculty member.” The Association is still going through the formation stages such as adopting by-laws and recruiting formal members, but with the support of the AWC Foundation will award ten scholarships this year for the following fall semester.

According to Godley, the goal of the Association is to encourage former students to give back in the form of inspiration and assistance to current and prospective students as well as to keep former students apprised of current AWC happenings. Over the next several years, he would also like to see the Association establish and maintain a Hall of Fame that recognizes the accomplishments of former AWC students who are scholars or professional athletes “who are making a difference on the world on a stellar scale,” and who are assisting current students as they were assisted while attending AWC.

Godley, who still teaches at AWC and NAU as an adjunct faculty member, brings a wealth of experience to the table. He served on nearly every committee at AWC over the years as well as on the State-Wide Articulation Task Force. He served as the Sam Walton Fellow (faculty advisor) for SIFE, academic advisor for the Business and Liberal Arts Division and first Senate Faculty President for two terms.

As the first-ever AWC Alumni Association President, he will serve on the AWC Foundation Board of Directors. Christina Hawkey, Executive Director of the Foundation, says: "I have worked closely with David at AWC since 1999. I know he will do an incredible job as the AWC Alumni President. He has a great love for AWC."

For more information, please contact Godley at david.godley@azwestern.edu, or (928) 502-9252.

Two AWC Students to Study Abroad, Need Help Raising Funds

Yuma, Arizona (May 2, 2013) — Two hard-working Arizona Western College students will have the opportunity to learn about another country and culture during their upcoming travels to Spain to study Spanish, but they need help raising funds for their portion of the cost of their respective trips.

Dushon Smith, a participant of the Student Support Services (KEYS) Program, was selected as one of 20 students who are participants in a TRIO Student Support Services and/or Ronald E. McNair Program from across the country to participate in the Council of Opportunity in Education’s Keith Sherin International Global Leadership Program. He will travel May 29 through June 29, 2013, to Salemenca, Spain. He is the second student from the SSS/KEYS program to be selected for this program.

Maria Oros, also an SSS/KEYS Program participant, was selected to participate in the Culture Experience Abroad Program. She was initially scheduled to travel to Spain in June, but will now study abroad during the Spring 2014 semester.

The students are fundraising to raise their portion of the cost for their trips, but additional help is needed from the AWC and Yuma community. Donations and support at fundraising efforts will be gratefully accepted. Smith must raise $2500, and the funds must be submitted by May 15, 2013. Anyone who is interested in making a donation for Smith and/or Oros may contact the AWC SSS/KEYS Program at 928-344-7761.

For more information, please contact Michelle Thomas, Program Director of the SSS/KEYS Program at AWC, at michelle.Thomas@azwestern.edu, 928-344-7763. Carlos Ramos, Outreach Coordinator of the SSS/KEYS Program at AWC, can also provide information. He can be reached at carlos.ramos@azwestern.edu, or 928-344-7761.
 

New Exercise and Wellness Degree Being Offered at AWC

Yuma, Arizona (May 1, 2013) — A new Associate of Arts Degree in Exercise and Wellness is being offered at Arizona Western college and is designed for students interested in careers in Personal Training, Physical Therapy, Athletic Training, or corporate wellness programs.

“With healthcare and the obesity rate concerns, this is an expanding field with exponential opportunities for employment,” says Jane Peabody, Coordinator of Physical and Wellness Education at AWC.

Classes will begin in the fall. Potential students can find the checklist for this program online at www.azwestern.edu, and/or meet with an AWC advisor.

For more information, please contact Peabody at jane.Peabody@azwestern.edu, or (928) 344-7540.
 

Yuma, Arizona – May 1, 2013 -- Arizona Western College is proud to announce that AWC baseball player Travis Garcia-Perreira (gahr-SEE-uh peh-REH-ruh) has been named to the postseason All-Region I and All-ACCAC teams. Garcia-Perreira earned 1st Team honors on both squads, earning a spot as the utility player on the All-ACCAC squad (the All-Region I team doesn’t specify positions). It’s the second time in as many years that a member of the Matador Baseball pitching staff has earned 1st Team honors on the two squads after Kahana Neal earned the same accolades in 2012. The announcements were made following the postseason coaches’ meetings in Chandler.

For many Matador fans, hearing that Garcia-Perreira made the team as anything other than a pitcher would likely be considered a surprise. After all, it was what the native of Alea, Hawaii, did on the hill during his freshman campaign that made fans across the state take notice much of the season. From the moment he first stepped on the mound to pitch six innings of one-hit ball in his first start against 2012 Region XVIII semifinalist Southern Idaho at the Coyote Border Battle in late January, Garcia-Perreira has been in command of just about every hitter he faced, and at the forefront of the nine-freshman contingent that made up the 2013 Matador pitching staff. From there, Garcia-Perreira never pitched less than four innings in any start, and on the other side of the coin, if there was extra innings to be pitched in a game that was tied after seven innings, he never shied away from the challenge. The CSI performance during the opening weekend was one of four shutout performances that Garcia-Perreira would throw for the Matadors (with two other appearances in which he didn’t allow an earned run), and he went the distance a whopping six times in his 14 starts in 2013. That complete-game stat also included going extra innings on April 9th in Prescott against Yavapai, when he allowed 2 runs to the Roughriders in the second inning, then shut them out for the seven remaining innings until the Matadors got a run in the top of the 9th inning to win the game. That stat doesn’t include Garcia-Perreira’s longest (and finest) performance of the season, though, since in a classic pitching duel of the two top pitchers in the conference at that time, Garcia-Perreira & Cochise’s Zach Rodgers (who both came into the game with identical 9-0 records) went toe-to-toe at Kammann Field, with Rodgers lasting eight innings, and Garcia-Perreira going a stunning ten innings of 5-hit shutout ball, but neither getting a decision in a marathon 14-inning game that didn’t see a run scored until the final frame. Garcia-Perreira won his first nine decisions of the 2013 campaign, just missing out on the ten-win plateau when he suffered his only loss of the season in his final performance against Pima last Tuesday. For the season, Garcia-Perreira’s 9-1 record was 3rd-best in the conference, and his 1.49 earned run average ranked 6th in the ACCAC. Travis went 90 1/3 innings, allowing just 20 runs (15 of them earned) on 85 hits, and his strikeouts-to-walks ratio was stellar at 3˝-to-1 (53 strikeouts (tops on the team), 15 walks).

Lost in the glare of those marks was the fact that even though he only played in 36 of the Matadors’ 55 games this year, Garcia-Perreira wound up as one of the team’s best hitters, and finished the year usually starting either in the outfield or at first base when he wasn’t pitching. Garcia-Perreira made the most of his 47 at-bats as well, with a team-high .298 batting average (14 hits in 47 at-bats), with 6 runs batted in, 3 doubles, nine runs scored and even a stolen base. His versatility wound up being a strong asset as the Matadors made a late-season push for the playoffs, and it certainly opened his head coach’s eyes to the possibilities for Garcia-Perreira next year as a sophomore. “Travis’s stats speak for themselves, and they also show the hard work that Travis puts forth on the field,” said AWC Head Baseball Coach Drew Keehn. “It’s great to see Travis get some well-deserved honors for the dedication that he has to the game.” The Matadors finished the regular season with an overall record of 31 wins and 24 losses.