Cochise Newsroom

Like many local college students, Alexa Cardenas works so that she can attend school, which means she juggles two time-consuming priorities. She’s also a first-generation student receiving a scholarship so that she can pursue the meaningful and demanding career of nursing.

 

“Pursuing higher education has meant navigating a system that no one in my family has experienced before,” Cardenas says. “A Cochise College education and scholarship will directly help me overcome these challenges by providing the academic support, financial stability and community resources that make success possible for students like me.”

 

You can join the community of supporters helping students like Alexa by signing up for, or making a contribution to, the Pathway to $150k Challenge. The event raises funds for scholarships for Cochise County residents and recent high school graduates attending Cochise College.

 

What is the Pathway to $150k? The event offers participants a way to stick to their New Year’s fitness resolutions or to simply be mindful of exercise while supporting a good cause. When registering, participants choose whether they will run/walk or cycle. Using a personal device or fitness app, they track and record their exercise distances in an online platform during the month of March and earn entries into a prize drawing as they surpass certain milestones. Prizes include fitness gear and experiences sponsored by KE&G Construction, Cochise Health & Racquet Club and Swire Coca-Cola.

 

Proceeds from last year’s event covered a portion of 382 scholarships for Cochise County high school graduating seniors and adult learners. Sponsors generously provide significant resources to help the Cochise College Foundation promote student success and make higher education accessible to all those who wish to attend. Sponsors include the Helios Education Foundation, Copper Queen Community Hospital, Cox Communications, Sierra Vista Golf Center, Arizona G&T Cooperatives, Freeport McMoRan, Sierra Toyota, Allo Fiber, Valley Telecom Group, The Country Lawyer, Southeastern Arizona Federal Credit Union, and DiPeso Realty.

 

“Sponsors, donors and participants make it possible for students of limited means to pursue a high-quality education at Cochise College,” said Denise Hoyos, executive director of the Cochise College Foundation. “The ripple effects of scholarships are felt by families and communities across the county when our students improve their career outlook and income potential.”

 

The cost to register for the Pathway event is $40 per person. Participants can exercise independently but are also encouraged to form teams of up to four both to motivate themselves and to challenge other teams to earn the most prize drawing entries. Picking a team name is part of the fun; teams registered so far include Will Run for Snacks and the Strut Squad.

 

To register, visit Cochise.edu/give, click “Register: Pathway to $150k” in the left navigation menu, and follow the prompts to register at runsignup.com. Participants registering through mid-February will receive an event shirt around the time distance recording begins on March 1, 2026. Shirts also may be available during late registration, which continues until March 31, 2026.

 

For more information, contact the Cochise College Foundation at (520) 417-4735 or email foundation@cochise.edu.