Verde Valley News – A U.S. Marine Corps veteran who wants to be a role model for his children, a restaurant manager who wants to improve electric vehicle engines and a student government leader who dreams of going to medical school are among the Yavapai College students tapped for the prestigious All-Arizona Academic Team.
A total of five YC students were selected for the prestigious team based on their academic achievements and college and community contributions. The honor bestowed annually on top community college students by the Arizona Board of Regents comes with a tuition-free transfer to an Arizona university.
Joined by YC leaders, the five students will be honored at an All-Arizona Academic Team celebration this month in Tempe.
The five YC students named to the 2024-2025 All-Arizona Academic team are:
- Gabriel Foresee of Chino Valley, a pre-engineering student at the YC Career and Technical Education Center.
- Susanna Marcinek of Prescott, a pre-medicine student at the Prescott Campus.
- Marcus Miller of Prescott, a pre-engineering student at the Prescott campus.
- Kaden Schiefelbein of Surprise, a fire science student at the YC Career and Technical Education Center
- Vrindavan Silva of Cornville, a nursing student at the YC Verde Valley campus
YC President Dr. Lisa Rhine expressed deep pride in the five scholars saying the award couldn’t have been granted to a more hard-working, dedicated and resilient group of students. “I’m certain that each of them will continue to excel in college and are destined to make outstanding contributions in their respective fields and their communities. We are grateful they entrusted Yavapai College with their academic and career dreams.”
The five All-Arizona Academic Team members from YC are eligible for additional national-level scholarship awards which are to be announced later this year.
Following is additional information about each of the YC scholars and their future plans.
Gabriel Foresee is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who worked in telecommunications in the military and as a civilian. He is a member of the YC Students of Leadership cohort, is a youth soccer coach and a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars. He aspires to earn a master’s degree in radio frequency engineering and pursue a career in military satellite communications. In his application for the All-Arizona Scholarship, Gabriel said: “I am motivated every day first and foremost by my children… I want to show my children that if they have goals and dreams that hard work, effort and determination will get you there… I want to finish this degree in electrical engineering to show that even after the military, we can still achieve great things.”
Susanna Marcinek enrolled at YC shortly after her mother died and she was left homeless. She pushed through multiple challenges, including substance abuse, to thrive in school and in life. She has served two consecutive terms as YC’s Student Government Association President, serves as a student ambassador, is a member of the Students of Leadership cohort and Phi Theta Kappa honor society. She plans to transfer to the University of Arizona and aspires to become a doctor – to help others and to help those who struggle to obtain healthcare. As a student leader, Susanna has prioritized helping fellow students who struggle, like she did, with access to housing and basic needs. Outside of her school responsibilities, Susanna volunteers at a local women’s shelter and for her church.
Marcus Miller is a full-time restaurant manager who is motivated by his family and his love of cars and engines to become an automotive engineer. He is a first-generation college student and math wizard who considers it a privilege to be in college. “I want to do something with the brain that I was given to impact the world in a better way. … I hope to work in the automotive industry to help further advance electric car technology,” he wrote in his scholarship application. Marcus plans to continue his education at Arizona State University. He is a member of the Students of Leadership cohort and Phi Theta Kappa honor Society. He tutors math at YC on a volunteer basis and volunteers at a local Disabled American Veterans thrift store.
Kaden Schiefelbein is called to serve people in medical emergencies with the goal of becoming a paramedic and a leader in a fire department. “I am motivated by working to make others better around me,” he wrote in his All-Arizona Scholarship application. A former Roughrider baseball player, a YC Fire Academy graduate and fall 2024 a, ssociate-degree earner, Kaden plans to continue working as an EMT while studying emergency management at ASU. Among his volunteer pursuits while a YC student athlete, Kaden founded a Fellowship of Christian Athletes Club, served as a staff member and coach at an FCA youth summer camp, organized recreational activities at a local Boys and Girls Club and mentored youth at an area church.
Vrindaven “Vrindy” Silva is a Verde Valley campus nursing student who plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing at either Northern Arizona University or ASU. She initially aspires to become a travel nurse or a patient educator. “I find great happiness and purpose when connecting with and helping others,” she wrote in her scholarship application. She also shared in the application that a childhood experience with an illness and the nurses who helped her learn what was happening in her body inspired her to become one of them. Vrindy is a member of the Student Nurses Association at YC, is a former YC Honors student and is an active member and two-year officer of YC’s PTK chapter. Vrindy said she wouldn’t have been able to complete all of the nursing pre-requisites or attend nursing school without the help of scholarships and grants from the Yavapai College Foundation.
Yavapai College operates six campuses and centers throughout Yavapai County and offers more than 100 degrees and certificates, two baccalaureate degrees, student and community services, and cultural events and activities.
To learn more about YC, visit www.yc.edu
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