Cochise College is pleased to welcome several alumni who will participate as marshals at its 2016 commencement ceremony to be held Friday, May 13 at the Sierra Vista Campus.
This year’s marshals include two members of the Class of ’77 and a retiring faculty member who also graduated from the college in 1987. Marshals participate by leading the graduates through the processional and recessional; they are seated with the graduating class during the ceremony.
Javier Shorty Fimbres (’77)
Javier “Shorty” Fimbres (’77)
Javier Fimbres, otherwise known as Shorty, last year was named the first Carol Huddleston Volunteer of the Year by the Arizona Community Foundation of Cochise. Fimbres, who spent his working career with the City of Douglas Water Department, earned the award for his dedication to the Douglas Area Food Bank and his leadership of its 44 volunteers. He is a lifelong volunteer who also is an umpire with the Arizona Amateur Softball Association, and he is leading construction of a bicycle racing track at Airport Park in Douglas.
Elizabeth Patten (’77)
Elizabeth Patten took classes at both the Douglas and Sierra Vista Campuses but is participating in her first commencement. She and her brother Michael Milczarek honor their parents by funding the Arthur and Jeanne Milczarek Memorial Scholarship, which provides scholarships for academically excelling Buena High School graduates enrolling at Cochise College. Patten is a retired federal government employee who was most recently responsible for operational oversight of more than 16,000 military, civilian and contractor personnel located in 20 countries and an annual budget in excess of $1.4 billion. She currently serves on the boards of the Canyon Vista Medical Center and the Southern Arizona Eventing Association while also volunteering with the Cochise County Court System.
Fimbres and Patten will lead the procession with retiring faculty and staff Sharon Townsend, director of Testing Services; Helen Garcia, nursing faculty; and Jeff Sturges (’87), English faculty.
As a student, Sturges did what many students do – juggled school, jobs, and parenthood. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Arizona and a master’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Sturges returned to Cochise College to teach as a way to pay back the help he received as a student in redirecting his own life in a positive direction. He now embarks on new adventures but will miss teaching and many of his colleagues.
Cochise College alumni participated as commencement marshals for the first time last year, which marked the institution’s 50th graduation ceremony. Commencement begins at 7 p.m. at the campus located at 901 N. Colombo Ave., Sierra Vista.