Cochise Newsroom

One of the most rewarding parts of serving as president of Cochise College is seeing how learning connects our students to the communities we serve. What begins in a classroom often becomes an opportunity to contribute, build relationships and discover passion and purpose.

Being Community Anchored is one of our three pillars, alongside Student Centered and Future Ready. For us, that means listening to our communities, building partnerships and connecting education to local needs and opportunities. We see that commitment in the many ways our students, faculty and staff contribute across Cochise County.

Every day, our faculty and staff help students make those connections. Through their encouragement and guidance, students put their knowledge into practice and see how their efforts can make a difference.

We saw that recently at the Cochise County Fair in Douglas. Our rodeo team competed before hometown crowds, bringing students, families and residents together through one of our county’s longstanding traditions. It was an opportunity to celebrate our student athletes and the community that supports them.

Fair visitors also had the opportunity to see a mural created by students in a Special Topics Mural course. The project involved much more than painting. Students researched, developed ideas, worked with the Cochise County Fair Association, planned materials and brought a shared vision to life. Along the way, they practiced collaboration, problem-solving and the responsibility that comes with completing work for a community partner.

These experiences help students understand both what they are learning and how they can use it to contribute.

That connection will continue at the Pit Fire Pottery Festival November 6th on our Douglas Campus. Students will share their ceramics, sculptures and paintings with the community. Sharing their work gives them an opportunity to build confidence, connect with others and begin to see themselves as artists.

At the Sierra Vista Campus, the Haunted Union provides another opportunity for students to learn through involvement. Student clubs plan activities, welcome community members and raise funds to support additional experiences. For members of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, those efforts can help make leadership development and participation in national conferences possible.

Throughout the semester, students also participate in highway cleanups, visit residents in assisted living facilities and volunteer through clubs and organizations. Each experience gives them a chance to serve others, develop their skills and better understand the communities they call home.

I am proud of our students and grateful for the faculty and staff who encourage, guide and support them. I also want to thank the community partners and organizations that welcome our students and help make these opportunities possible. Their commitment strengthens both student learning and our communities.

 

As I visit communities across Cochise County, I regularly meet people with a connection to the college. They may have taken classes here, worked at the college or watched a family member or friend find a new direction through education. Those conversations remind me how deeply Cochise College is connected to the lives of the people we serve.

Our mission calls us to provide accessible educational opportunities that support social responsibility, community engagement, meaningful careers and lifelong learning. We carry out that mission through the work of our people and the strength of our partnerships.

When learning moves beyond the classroom, students discover more about what they can do, who they can become and how they can contribute. Helping them find that passion and purpose is at the heart of our work at Cochise College.

 

Dr. James D. Perey is president of Cochise College.