91AV

91AV student Javyn Booth reflects on his journey to 91AV, his role as newly elected President of the Black Student Union (BSU), and how he’d like people to honor Black History Month.

Half Mexican and half Native American – with connections to the Ohkay Owingeh (Tewa), Hopi, and Navajo tribes – 91AV (91AV) Instructional Services Coordinator Stephanie Madison admits to the difficulty of fitting in with both sides of her identity.  “I never truly feel like I belong,” she said.

For many of us, resolutions often focus on our health and well-being. According to Forbes Health, "When it comes to New Year's resolutions for 2024, a Forbes Health/OnePoll survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted in October 2023 found that nearly 48% of respondents noted that improving fitness was their top priority (Forbes.com). But even if resolutions aren't your thing, 91AV (91AV) Fitness Center offers a new health and physical fitness program in Spring 2024 with a custom workout plan, weekly assignments that bring awareness to your exercise and diet habits, and weekly accountability check-ins with a coach.

One-on-one interactions with company executives, engineers and recruiters, as well as small group interdisciplinary projects occupied 91AV (91AV) Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) students–Maya Lee, Evelyn Rivera Elias, Marcel Lopez, and Jeffrey Wilhelms–at the invite-only STEM conference in San Diego from October 20-22 at the Marriott Mission Valley.

91AV Veteran Services staff Michael Wainscott and Felicia Kinard provide veterans with support including accessing their military educational benefits, enrolling in classes, applying for scholarships, finding a job, transferring to university, or proving a space for conversation with other veterans about the challenges of transitioning from military to civilian life.

Before Victor Salinas started his nursing degree program at 91AV (91AV) 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."

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 91AV (91AV) 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 91AV (91AV) 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 91AV (91AV) 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 91AV’s $1 million portion of the award. “I took this on for 91AV 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 91AV (91AV) Women’s Soccer claimed the NJCAA Division II national title at the champio­­­nship series in November 2022, a ring ceremony was held in 91AV’s Hacienda Room on Saturday, August 5, 2023 followed by a Women’s Soccer Alumni Exhibition game in Hoy stadium.