[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By J.D. Rottweiler, Ph.D.
Muffin, Ginger Fury, Corona, and Slow and Steady will enter the starting gate at Cochise College on April 21. They are horses purchased and named as part of the college’s Evening at the Races fundraiser in support of the Graduating Senior Scholarship Guarantee.
Who will finish first remains to be seen, but one thing is certain. They are all in the race.
Getting more students – rather than horses – in the race to enter the workforce is the goal of the scholarship guarantee. If this is the first you’re hearing of it, the guarantee is one component of Cochise College’s effort to increase the percentage of graduating seniors who enroll immediately in meaningful post-secondary education and training programs.
In Cochise County, that percentage is 49; that’s less than half. In Arizona, the percentage is 53. Meanwhile, local employers report difficulty hiring and retaining qualified personnel.
Arizona is a wonderful place. But it’s workforce needs to be more competitive if its economy is to diversify and its quality of life to improve. Expect More Arizona and its partners, along with the governor’s Achieve60AZ initiative, aim to increase the post-secondary enrollment rate to 70 percent in 20 years. Other statewide goals relevant to higher education are to increase the state’s degree attainment rate of working-age adults from 43 percent to 60 percent and to decrease the rate of opportunity youth, those age 16 to 24 who are neither in school nor working, from 14 percent to 7 percent.
These statistics have inspired Cochise College to implement significant changes to reach more high school students and remove barriers to completion. Think career navigators in the high schools, more affordable learning materials, a course that teaches new students to succeed in college, and more efficient processes and curriculum.
An Evening at the Races is your opportunity to go along for the ride.
Here’s what to expect if you purchase a ticket, now available at www.cochise.edu/races, to the April 21 event at the Sierra Vista Campus. There will be video horse racing on which you can wager with and win Cochise Bucks, which I should reinforce is not real currency that can be used for anything of value. The horses named above will appear in the printed program, along with the names of their jockeys and owners, who most certainly will be cheering on their steed. You may purchase and name your own horse when you buy your event ticket. There also will be a silent auction and a dessert auction. Last year’s hat parade was unexpectedly popular, so we are repeating and restructuring it.
A number of sponsors have joined us in this effort, and I thank them. Herald/Review Media is our event sponsor. Battaglia and Roberts PC, Canyon Vista Medical Center, Hudbay Minerals, Legacy Foundation of Southeast Arizona, Long Realty, and Southwest Gas each will sponsor a race. Arizona G&T Cooperatives, Cherry Creek Media, Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative, Wi-Power Internet and Phone, Copper Queen Community Hospital, DiPeso Realty and Big O Tires also have lent support.
For us, the most important thing is the cause – workforce enhancement through education. This is why the college is here. Whether a horse wins doesn’t really matter. What’s important is that they finish the race.
J.D. Rottweiler is president of Cochise College. Contact him at jdr@cochise.edu.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]