Many felt the college was built to fail. But today, SMCC stands as a success built by a small cadre of people committed to excellence. It is the college’s response to its diverse community that has led to the development of several award-winning programs that have helped change the face of Arizona’s educational landscape.
Most prominent is the Bilingual Nursing Fellowship Program (BNFP), whose creation in 2002 stemmed from a profound lack of Spanish-speaking nurses in the region’s health care facilities. Built on funding secured by Arizona Congressman Ed Pastor, the rigorous program has seen more than 120 students complete their certified nursing assistant programs, more than 100 complete licensed practical nurse requirements, and more than 60 earn their registered degrees. In 2008, the program was honored by Excelencia in Education, and was a finalist for a 2009 Bellwether Award.
Achieving a College Education is another program with origins in providing service to many of the Phoenix area’s underserved and first-generation college students. SMCC began this outreach effort to area high school students in 1988, enabling them to prepare for a college education by taking credit classes while still in high school, serving both as a jump-start on earning a college degree and a pipeline from area high schools to South Mountain.
In another display of bringing higher education resources to its often-underserved community, SMCC has been awarded three eUBET bioscience grants from the U. S. Department of Agriculture over the past five years. These grants have provided the means for the college to partner with seven area high schools, allowing SMCC to increase minority-student access to bioscience education and employment, channeling these students into bioscience careers and advanced studies.
SMCC also works with area high school students in the realm of financial literacy. Through a grant from the Joyner-Walker Foundation, the college has established a series of fundamental money management classes tailored to teens from several area minority-majority high schools, enabling them to earn college credits while developing their basic financial skills.
