Tuition waivers, valued at over $20,000, have been awarded to nine students from Northland Pioneer College (NPC), to complete their bachelor’s degrees at one of Arizona’s three public universities. The Arizona Board of Regents awards waivers, for up to 60 credits, to encourage the state’s top scholars to finish their educations as members of the All-Arizona Academic Team. To be eligible, a student must have a cumulative 3.5 or higher grade-point average, be working toward an associate degree, and demonstrate college or community volunteerism and leadership.
Receiving tuition waivers are NPC students Kayla Mason and Camille Shumway of Snowflake, Simone Jean of Keams Canyon (Hopi center), Jaden Martinez and Sara Chevalier of Show Low, Jillian Henry of Whiteriver, Cassey Drew of St. Johns, and Arina Mortensen and Ashley Myers of Springerville/Eagar. These students will also receive individual scholarship awards from NPC.
According to All-AZ awardee Kayla Mason of Snowflake, heroes surround her. They are her family and they push her to succeed every day. Kayla is the baby in the family. She has six older siblings, including two brothers, one sister and three older stepsisters. “My family has always pushed me to excel,” she said. “I’ve grown up witnessing their triumphs and success in the lives they’ve created. Their accomplishments and resilience, serve as motivation,” she said. “They embody hard work, leadership, and a remarkable ability to navigate life’s complexities.”
For Mason, life has not been without complexities. At the beginning of the fall semester, she lost her biological father to suicide. “I was forced to grow up fast,” she said. As the only immediate biological family member on her father’s side, Mason had to handle his affairs. “It took a toll,” she said. “I saw a decline in my mental health and my anxiety soared, impacting my academic focus… my grades began to slip, and the stress of not performing as well as I knew I could, became overwhelming.” Her family pushed her through. “Their resilience has taught me that setbacks are temporary; that with determination and dedication, I can overcome any obstacle and succeed,” she said. The experience also taught Mason the importance of self-compassion. “Learning to navigate adversity while maintaining mental well-being has been an important lesson in my journey.” Mason plans to attend ASU’s W.P. Carey School of Business. She will pursue a degree in marketing and hopes to work as an agent at a major firm one day. “I saw a job posting for a marketing position with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and thought, wow, that sounds like fun.” She laughed, “Hmm… maybe one day.”
All-AZ recipient Camille Shumway of Snowflake, is the middle child of nine. Growing up, her family was forced to separate from the faith-based community they had come to know. In sixth grade, Shumway and her family opted for homeschooling. “It was hard. I thought I wouldn’t be able to make friends,” she said. She found out that wasn’t the case. “I realized that not everyone judges and that there are good people everywhere,” she said. “It opened my eyes to not be so quick to judge, and to learn to understand someone before making assumptions about them; to get to know them for who they are.” She explained, “It’s taught me to be empathetic to others and accepting of people’s differences.”
Although Shumway said she was not originally a fan of school, during her freshman year of high school, her mother encouraged her to begin taking college-level courses through NPC. “I slowly began to love learning,” she said. Shumway graduated high school this past May and will earn her Associate of Arts degree from NPC this spring. “Throughout my life, my parents have pushed me to do my very best. They’ve taught me to work hard and have encouraged me to be an independent thinker,” she said. “Our family likes to share ideas and discuss issues. I started getting better at looking at things from a different angle and debating ideas. I’ve always been someone who enjoyed listening to and learning things from others, and making my case,” she said. “I think I would enjoy doing it as a career.” Shumway plans to continue her studies, earn her bachelor’s degree, and eventually go to law school.
Awardee Simone Jean has been homeschooled throughout high school. She is taking dual enrollment college courses through NPC and will be graduating with her associate degree in the spring. “I am grateful to NPC for this opportunity,” she said. Jean was able to complete her studies at NPC completely online. At 17-years-old, she is excited to be completing high school and her associate degree simultaneously.
Though not a native of Arizona, Jean’s parents accepted jobs in the educational field bringing their family to the Grand Canyon State. Living in Arizona for a few years has opened opportunities for Simone, like attending NPC, volunteering in her community, and learning about native cultures. She plans to attend ASU and earn a bachelor’s degree in the field of computer engineering. After completing her degree, she hopes to become a leading professional in her field. “I want to be an important part of the world’s technological advancements,” she said, “It is always changing and there’s always something new to try and figure out; to make and discover. I want to be part of that.”
These NPC students, along with other top community college scholars from around the state, will be honored at a luncheon and awards presentation held in their honor on Feb. 28, in Tempe.
For the past 28-plus years, Arizona has separately recognized the state’s top two-year college students as a part of the All-USA Academic Team program, co-sponsored by the American Association of Community Colleges, Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society (PTK), Follet Higher Education Group, the Coca Cola Scholars Foundation and USA Today.
To learn more about NPC’s All-AZ academic team program, details on the scholarship, and a complete list of past NPC recipients, visit www.npc.edu/past-AllAZ.
