It’s the holiday season, and I can think of no greater gift to the community than those Cochise College has been fortunate to announce just prior to the end of the last two years.
In December 2012, Cochise College was the beneficiary of a trust that will help advance career and technical education offerings available to county residents.
This year, the college is preparing to begin offering automotive technology classes in a vacant automotive dealership provided by The Lawley Automotive Group on Highway 92 just south of Fry Boulevard. The location provides space to teach more students more skills than in the past and enhances the visibility of a program that prepares a type of graduate cities will always need – automotive professionals.
The college is thrilled with these opportunities to show what it can do. We’re also proud that those who have chosen to support Cochise believe in the college’s ability to provide quality education and turn out graduates with potential.
But these examples aren’t entirely about Cochise; they are gifts to the community because what they ultimately do is help drive the economy and quality of life in Cochise County. Everyone benefits when an educated citizenry earns more, commits fewer crimes, and is healthier than one that is not.
Most people don’t especially care to ask others for financial support. Having an opportunity to meet a need is key to making it happen.
So I ask you to consider, when making decisions about charitable giving in the New Year, that the question isn’t what the college (or other organization) needs, but what the community needs that the college can provide. The gifts described above make it possible for Cochise College to carry out its mission to provide accessible educational opportunities to the community in ways that its budget would not normally allow. For this, we are thankful.
J.D. Rottweiler is president of Cochise College. Contact him at jdr@cochise.edu.