By Dr. J.D. Rottweiler
Antonio Peña takes pride in thinking through details and knowing how to solve complex problems. That’s a talent he discovered and nurtured on his way to being selected to be the student speaker at Cochise College’s 48th commencement. Peña, who also represented the college on the All-Arizona First Team, which recognizes the top community college students in the state, plans to direct his detail-oriented thinking and never-give-up attitude toward a career in engineering. He is but one example of the successes that always emerge as another academic year comes to a close.
Likewise, Blake Suarez and Ricardo Martinez Jr. each identify with careers in medicine and, to that end, incorporated in their educational journey honors-level work, though the topics of their projects differ. Suarez and two other students recently presented the work and findings of their undergraduate research on the bean beetle. Suarez’s father was the first in the family to graduate from college, and he’s interested in a career in medicine because he finds the human body amazing and he wants to help people. Martinez’s project examined the effects of physical exercise on aggression. A veteran, he, too, is inspired to help enhance quality of life, and he hopes to someday work with other veterans as an ophthalmologist.
Suarez and Martinez presented impressively at the Honors Colloquium, along with Monica Garcia, who presented with a fellow student Two Authors: Jimmy Santiago Baca and Louise Erdrich. An analysis of literature makes sense for Garcia, who has designs on a career in public relations, which will certainly call on her to be able to communicate verbally and in writing, and to put together stories and ideas that best represent clients.
Another honors student, Iva Hodges is a single mother pursuing a degree in education who has her sights set on becoming a middle school science teacher. Hodges enjoys the enthusiasm and wonder she sees in young faces, something she witnessed as a volunteer at Carmichael Elementary School and as a presenter of “Lessons of the Holocaust” at Sierra Vista-area middle and high schools. The presentation she and a team of fellow students created focused on bullying, and Hodges and another student took on additional work in order to earn honors credit. “I am passionate about providing young people with a quality education to establish the foundation they need to succeed in life.”
In addition to Peña, three other sophomores represented Cochise College on the All-Arizona Academic Teams, a distinction that comes with tuition waivers enabling honorees to pursue bachelor’s degrees at one of the state’s public universities.
Wheeler Reece enrolled at Cochise because he’d taken classes as a home-schooled high school student, and he thought it would be easy to adapt to full-time attendance in the community college setting. While that turned out to be true, he also discovered that the opportunities for extra-curricular activities that he was pursuing greatly enhanced his education. He discovered new talents and explored engineering and music, ultimately deciding on journalism, an interest he demonstrated through the online broadcast of college news and opportunities of interest to students “Cochise Crunch.” What’s more, “I have had many excellent experiences with the faculty and staff at Cochise throughout my attendance, and this is something to treasure.”
The sideline is a comfortable place for Casey Carrillo, who’s spent plenty of time there watching her dad, Jerry, coach men’s basketball. So it might seem natural that she hopes to enhance that experience with a career in sports journalism. Before she hits ESPN, she’ll learn the ropes at the University of Arizona, also minoring in public relations.
Finally, Berenice Acosta hopes to learn how the world works through a career in foreign affairs. She’s headed to the University of Arizona to study political science and to seek out internship opportunities abroad. A master’s degree obtained at a university near our nation’s capital, and work in a U.S. embassy, are on her agenda.
Cochise College board members, faculty and staff alike are thrilled to recognize when a student’s educational experience points them in the direction of a specific career. Whether it’s becoming a foreign ambassador, a sideline reporter, an engineer, a teacher, a professional communicator, or a doctor, we’re proud to have been part of the journey. Congratulations to all of this year’s Cochise College graduates! We look forward to hearing about your future.
J.D. Rottweiler is president of Cochise College. Contact him at jdr@cochise.edu.