Standing from left to right, Hiram Martinez, Angelica Mae Calanog, Alexa Hernandez, Christian Frazier and Zoe West at the Cochise College Sierra Vista Campus. Absent from the photo is Vivian Perez.
Six Cochise College students have been named to the 2017 All-Arizona Academic Team and received tuition waivers to complete their bachelor’s degrees at one of the state’s public universities.
Hiram Martinez, Christian Frazier, Angelica Mae Calanog, Alexa Hernandez, Zoe West and Vivian Perez were among the few community college students from across the state who were awarded scholarships from the Arizona Board of Regents that will help them take a significant step toward achieving their academic and career goals.
The scholarships are part of the All-Arizona Academic Team program that aims to point the best and brightest community college students toward enrollment at Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona. Since the program began in the 1990s, it has awarded over 1,000 full-ride scholarships to Arizona community college students.
The students will receive their tuition waivers and will be honored in the spring of 2017 at a special luncheon, where they will be joined by family, friends and community college representatives to celebrate their achievements.
Students nominated to the All-Arizona Academic Team are evaluated for academic performance and service to the college and the community. The nominations are reviewed first by business, civic, education and government leaders, then judged a second time by representatives of various federal agencies and education associations.
Cochise College’s All-Arizona scholars:
Alexa Hernandez is majoring in psychology at the Cochise College Santa Cruz Center with plans to transfer to the University of Arizona, where she will complete her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. During her free time, Alexa volunteers for the Humane Society where she is devoted to teaching special needs children in a program called Parent Love Connection.
“I am blessed to be able to help people in my community be happier and healthier while I work with Parent Love Connection,” Hernandez explains. “I get a chance to interact with children. I play, talk to them and teach them. This makes me want to teach people how to truly love and accept one another. I want to know more about people on a psychological level so I can help not only my community and peers, but the whole world as well.”
Angelica Mae Calanog moved to the United States from the Philippines when she was only nine years old.
“Coming from the third world country of the Philippines, I was able to appreciate and make the most out of the resources and opportunities I encountered here in the United States,” Angelica says. “Although the cultures and values were somewhat different, I was able to adapt, and my eyes were opened to so many aspects of learning that never occurred to me before.”
Angelica is currently pursuing an Associate of Science Degree in Engineering at the Cochise College Sierra Vista Campus while maintaining a 4.0 GPA.
In the future, Angelica plans on becoming a biomedical engineer to improve the lives of others.
Vivian Perez goes to school at the Cochise College Santa Cruz Center and is working on an Associate Degree in Elementary Education. Vivian is also part of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at the Santa Cruz Center and works as a special education instructional aide at a local elementary school.
“I mostly work one-on-one with children who have Down Syndrome, but I sometimes work with students with other disabilities, such as Autism,” Vivian said. “It was there that I finally chose elementary education as my major because I was working with these kids and it helped me understand that being a teacher is who I am meant to be.”
Vivian plans on attending a university to complete her bachelor’s degree while continuing to work as a teacher’s aid.
A native of Cochise County, Christian Frazier grew up on a farm where he helped his parents with beekeeping and raising livestock. Currently, he is the president of Phi Theta Kappa on the Cochise College Douglas Campus, and he interns with Dr. Gary Thrasher, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, and his veterinary practice. There Christian spends his free time observing the care and helping with the treatment of animals.
“There is never a boring moment in the operating room,” Christian explains. “Whether I’m holding a uterus from a caesarean-section or doing a necropsy on a dead steer. It is always an educational opportunity that teaches me several life skills and prepares me for college and my career. ”
Frazier is earning an Associate of Arts Degree in General Requirements at the Cochise College Douglas Campus. After graduating from Cochise, Frazier plans to transfer to the University of Arizona to study Veterinary Science. Upon completing his bachelor’s degree, he plans to apply to the University of Arizona Veterinary program.
“My interest is in large animals,” Frazier said. “So I would like to become a veterinarian specializing in large animals. Since the demand is high, I hope to return to Cochise County and continue Dr. Thrasher’s practice aiding in the struggle to raise healthy livestock.”
As a child, Hiram Martinez had hearing difficulties that impeded his speech from developing at the ordinary rate.
“This affected my personal development in a considerable manner,” Hiram said. “This delay in speech development particularly affected my personality; I developed into a timid person. Despite that impediment, I have always been a good student and done well in my school courses.”
Despite these obstacles, Hiram has stayed very involved in college and community activities including, Club TRIO fundraisers, Relay for Life and Highway Cleanup.
Following his bachelor’s, Hiram wants to complete a Master of Science in Epidemiology degree.
Zoe West is majoring in exercise science health and recreation at Cochise College and plans to complete a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science at Northern Arizona University and eventually pursue a Physical Therapy Doctoral Degree.
Zoe is originally from Benson, Arizona, where she was homeschooled from kindergarten through 12th grade and now attends the Cochise College Benson Center. Zoe decided to go to college to become a physical therapist so she could eventually help people live healthy lives. Still, as a first generation college student, the transition from high school to college has been a challenge.
“A lot of other kids receive guidance from their parents on how to be involved or how college works. I didn’t have anyone to tell me that kind of information,” Zoe explained. “I’ve had to learn all this by myself, but I’ve gained a lot of independence, which will make me more innovative in the future.”
To find out more about the All-Arizona Scholarship program or to find out more about degrees and programs, contact Cochise College at (520) 515-0500.