Dear Campus,
It is my pleasure to announce that Carmen Nance has been chosen to be the 2015 student commencement speaker for Arizona Western College.
Nance is graduating with an A.A.S. degree in Automotive Technology. One of three recipients of the Edgar Mendoza GM Foundation Scholarship for the fall 2014/2015 term, she was recognized as a runner-up in a national writing contest sponsored by MotoLogic Repair and Diagnostics Technolgoy for her essay on the Future of Automotive Repair and Diagnostics.
Nance serves as a member of the Automotive Advisory Committee for the Automotive Program at AWC. When she is not working as a Supplemental Instruction Leader for the Student Success Center or helping Prof. Larry Stanley in the automotive lab, Carmen enjoys volunteering with Planned Pethood, a local non-profit that provides spay and neuter services for Yuma County.
She says she is honored to be the student commencement speaker for the Class of 2015.
Prof. Stanley wrote the following in his nomination:
"Carmen has immersed herself in the automotive program from the beginning of her studies. She is very articulate and always goes the extra mile in completing her class and lab assignments. It is not uncommon to see her spending extra time and effort assisting others and making herself available if additional projects arise. She is always willing to participate in events that support AWC and the Automotive Institute. She recently volunteered to be involved in Non-Traditional Day where she was part of the automotive team that tutored young women in the understanding of automotive electrical circuits and diagnostics.
"Carmen is well-spoken and is able to explain detailed automotive concepts and proceduresÖ. She is one of the top scoring students in class, both in lab and quiz/test scores. She was awarded her EPA 609 Refrigerant handling certificate after completing the majority of her studies in Automotive Air Conditioning and passing a rigorous exam.
"Carmen is not only indicative of the quality individuals that graduate from programs such as ours, but also a wonderful representative of the Yuma community."
The student commencement selection committee said that Nance was one among several outstanding students who competed for the student commencement speaker honor. I want to thank the committee for their work, and I offer my own congratulations to their chosen winner.
-- President Mayle
Photo courtesy of AWC Photo Services
