Coconino Community College - News and Spotlights

Fast-Track Student Accelerates Towards a Future in Nursing

Friday, 30^th January 2026

Student Spotlight: D’Angelo Peña Accelerating Toward a Future in Nursing When D’Angelo Peña arrived in Flagstaff, he did not expect to find his future in healthcare. With a bachelor’s degree in animation, he began exploring local opportunities but found few that matched his training. He took what he thought would be a temporary job as a Medical Office Receptionist with Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH), an unexpected step that would become the turning point that led him to Coconino Community College and the start of a new professional ...

You Got This: One CCC Student’s Journey to CAMT

Wednesday, 7^th January 2026

When Rodney Batey walked into the Certified Apartment Maintenance (CAMT) program, he carried more than a course schedule. He brought resolve. After navigating a heart condition, depression, and a decades-long gap since high school, Rodney found steady footing at Sunshine Rescue Mission in Flagstaff, where staff helped him stabilize and chart next steps. A referral from a workforce specialist, in collaboration with the rescue mission’s leadership, opened the door to the CAMT program, and a vocational ...

Different Starts, Common Goal: How Two Flagstaff Graduates are Transforming Their Passions into Nursing Careers

Sunday, 26^th May 2024

Jennifer Swomley (top) and Joseph McIntire (bottom) at the CCC Nurses Pinning Ceremony held on May 9, 2024 Flagstaff, Arizona —Coconino Community College’s nursing program recently celebrated the achievements of two of its graduates, Jennifer Swomley and Joseph McIntire. Each brings a unique background and a personal story of dedication to the nursing field, reflecting both the diversity and the challenges of modern healthcare education. Jennifer Swomley, 27, moved from Colorado to Flagstaff in 2021, drawn not only by personal relationships but also by ...

Alumni Spotlight: Coconino Community College Graduate Thrives in Bay Area

Friday, 17^th May 2024

Flagstaff, AZ - Three years ago, Joshua Singer bid farewell to his hometown of Flagstaff, Arizona, to embark on a solo journey to San Francisco. Armed with not one but two degrees – a fine arts degree and a general studies degree from Coconino Community College – Singer ventured into the vibrant arts scene of the Bay Area. Singer, now a seasoned resident of San Francisco and a student at the Academy of Art University, reflects on his experience since leaving Flagstaff. The initial transition, Singer ...

Recipients earn full-tuition scholarships for bachelor’s degree programs

Thursday, 22^nd February 2024

Carly Miller (left) and Grace McCullough (right), 2024 CCC PTK All-Arizona Academic Team winners FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - Two Coconino Community College students, Grace McCullough and Carly Miller, have been nominated for the All-Arizona Academic Team as part of the All-USA Scholarship competition sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa. Each year, the Arizona Board of Regents provides tuition scholarships to exceptional Arizona resident community college transfer students, based on outstanding academic performance and community service. Students are nominated by their community college and submit their applications directly to the Phi ...

A Journey of Resilience: Yolanda Yazzie’s Path to Success at Coconino Community College

Thursday, 14^th September 2023

Brenda Silveus (left) with Yolanda Yazzie (right) at the CCC Students First Celebration held on Sept. 13, 2023 Flagstaff, AZ – Yolanda Yazzie, a student at Coconino Community College (CCC), is not just pursuing an education; she's forging a path from adversity to ambition, driven by a deep sense of purpose and a desire to give back to her community. Yazzie has dealt with abusive parents. With the foster care system. With poverty and hunger. Now, as a parent herself, she is committed to helping others, and she has dedicated herself to improving ...

Native American Success Center student finds opportunity at CCC

Wednesday, 12^th July 2023

CCC student Cole Catron found his stride at the college, and he's moving onto a four-year university to complete his studies in business. FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Business, accounting and economics are his passions. Degree in hand and his future in his sights, Coconino Community College alum, current student, accounting intern, and student affairs representative Cole Catron is set to move forward in his higher education journey. “I always wanted to do something with my life,” Cole said. “And I want to make significant contributions to society. Opportunity has ...

CCC graduate will transfer to ASU's Forensics program in the Fall

Monday, 15^th May 2023

Shelly Foster (left) accepts AJS Student of the Year Award from Faculty David Ramos (right) FLAGSTAFF, Az- The CCC Commons stands empty. The echoes of cheering and clapping fill the once lively room. It was Friday, May 12, 2023, when CCC graduates walked across the stage, decorated in their finest graduation regalia, proud of their accomplishments and ready to take on the future ahead. One of the students who graduated this spring is Shelly Foster. After an educational journey spanning about 10 years, she is finally ready to make her next big leap into university territory. ...

Coconino Community College Student Spotlight: Tami-Shae Brooks

Monday, 24^th April 2023

Tami-Shae Brooks is a software engineering student at Coconino Community College who works hard to balance her academic and personal life.

Running for two: Balancing motherhood with marathon training to cross the finish line

Monday, 27^th March 2023

Callee Torrey just after finishing 26.2 miles at the Flagstaff Marathon greeted by Fiancée Bobby and baby Pax at the finish line. Flagstaff, Az – Mom, mental-health advocate, and self-described vintage curator, Callee Torrey is no stranger to the art of juggling. This mama can now add marathon runner to her title. Even more impressive, running the 26.2 miles for the first time all the while having to balance breastfeeding her baby. She literally stopped at mile 13.1 to breastfeed her baby and still managed a respectable time of (6:02) hours. She is ...

CCC first-generation student finds calling in life of the mind

Thursday, 23^rd March 2023

CCC2NAU student Justin Martinez plans to head to NAU to continue his studies in Psychological Sciences after his graduation from CCC. FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - Coconino Community College student Justin Martinez has family members who have suffered from depression their entire lives. “I really want to help people,” he said. “Particularly men who don’t normally ask for help.” So, Martinez, a first-generation college student, decided to study Psychology at CCC, and as a CCC2NAU student, he plans to continue his studies at NAU to become a licensed therapist. ...

CCC students awarded for All-Arizona Scholarship

Thursday, 9^th March 2023

Coconino Community College students Maize Pratt, top, and David Cassidy, bottom, have been selected to receive All-Arizona Academic Scholarships. Flagstaff, Ariz.- Two Coconino Community College students – Maize Pratt and David Cassidy – have been recognized for the prestigious 2023 Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) All-Arizona Academic Team Scholarship. The scholarship provides free tuition for 60 credit hours at the recipient’s choice of one of the three state universities: Arizona State University, University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University. A transplant from the west coast, Pratt came to ...

Fulbright teaching assistant shares culture, language with CCC students

Friday, 3^rd March 2023

Pamela Espindola is a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant working at CCC in Flagstaff. FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - She may be half a world away from her home in Argentina, but Pamela Espíndola is at Coconino Community College doing what she loves: She’s teaching students Spanish. “My job here is to work as a cultural ambassador and to help with the courses to have students learn a foreign language,” she said. Espíndola is a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant for Spanish courses taught at CCC, and she is the fourth one that the college has been graced to ...

LeChee mom seeks career with CCC help

Tuesday, 7^th February 2023

CCC student Charmayne Yazzie credits the college's Strengthening Indigenous Student Success program for helping her confidently begin her educational journey. PAGE, Ariz. - Coconino Community College student Charmayne Yazzie still remembers walking into the Page Center to take her first class in more than a decade after high school. “At first, I was a little embarrassed,” Yazzie said. “I was worried I wouldn’t do well.” From LeChee on the Navajo Nation, Yazzie worked two jobs to help support her partner and their three children. She needed for something to change. So, she enrolled in ...

CCC student Lena Cody achieves success against all odds

Tuesday, 10^th January 2023

Still standing, still smiling, CCC student Lena Cody defies all odds FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - Small in stature, but big in strength, grit, determination and resilience, Lena Cody stands tall and proud in her graduation cap and gown. Motivated by the prospect of a pay increase at her job as a case manager for a social service agency at the age of 51, Lena enrolled as a part time student at Coconino Community College in the fall of 2017. At the same time, she gained guardianship of her 3-year-old grandson, Princeton. Lena said she knew she had a lot on her plate – going to ...

CCC student receives job offer at Findlay Honda

Thursday, 10^th November 2022

Findlay Honda of Flagstaff General Manager Jacob Lundie, left, shakes hands with CCC student and new employee Daniel Rojas. FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - The blue and white building stood tall and impressive. The signature emblem “H” hung over the glass doors. The front entrance was lined with new Honda models; shiny and ready to hit the road. General Manager Jacob Lundie and his newest hire Daniel Rojas a towering young man with the biggest smile stand in the grand foyer of the auto dealership on Flagstaff’s east side. Lundie and Rojas met ...

CCC a triple play for construction student

Wednesday, 12^th October 2022

Not only has CCC helped Lucas Giannetti with his educational goals, but the college also has helped him with landing an internship and starting his own business. FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Lucas Giannetti wanted to continue to learn and to grow in the construction trades. He also wanted to land an internship with a local contractor. He also wanted to start his own business doing finishing work on homes. He found all three at Coconino Community College. Giannetti learned many construction skills from his father. “Throughout my childhood, we worked ...

Auction sheep helps CCC student cover education

Tuesday, 13^th September 2022

CCC student Andrea Yazzie stands with her prize-winning sheep, Jeff, who will help support her education. FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - People of all ages, adorned in cowboy boots, belt buckles and jeans filled the high-commotion area of the barns at this year’s Coconino County fair. The sounds of hair buzzers and vacuums fill the hot, dusty summer air as young people parade their animals in a counter clockwise direction at the best in show event. Coconino Community College student Andrea Yazzie is at the county fair in hopes of selling Jeff, her prized sheep. ...

Adult Education learners at CCC take free English course

Thursday, 1^st September 2022

CCC Adult Education students Montse Rodriguez (left) and Ana Roman, took a free three-credit ENG 101A course at the college after participating in the English Language Acquisition for Adults courses at CCC. FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - Ana Roman met and became best friends with Montserrat “Montse” Rodriguez when they worked together at a Flagstaff restaurant. Rodriguez needed help studying for her United States citizenship exam that she was preparing for, and Roman was happy to help. After Rodriguez passed her citizenship test with flying colors, the two ...

First-year student finds his path at CCC

Thursday, 21^st April 2022

Horizon Gillson studying for classes in the Lone Tree Commons. FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – He wants to apply himself to something bigger. Horizon Gillson, a freshman at Coconino Community College, plans to get his associates at CCC and then transfer to Northern Arizona University. He hopes to get his bachelor’s degree in Physics and is considering a minor in Disability Studies. Gillson finished high school in Gallup, New Mexico, and decided to give CCC a shot to “see if I was cut out for this,” Gillson said, adding that everything is going well with classes and that CCC has helped him figure out where ...