Verde Valley News – The top students across all Yavapai College workforce development, health sciences and public services programs were honored during a celebration of student success May 7 at the Prescott campus.
The 33 honorees were singled out during an Evening of Excellence for their academic achievements, leadership attributes and contributions to their program of study.
All of the individual awards were hard-won, YC President Dr. Lisa Rhine said in her remarks to the gathering. “Achievements recognized tonight required students to reach in deep, sacrifice and commit to excellence in their work and their duty to selflessly serve others,” Dr. Rhine said. “They were nominated and vetted by faculty and staff, and it was difficult to choose among our talented population of students.”
Nevertheless, four students emerged as the best of the best this academic year, winning Vice President and President Awards in their respective workforce divisions. Winning the Vice President’s Award were Jonathan Yael Martinez Ayala, a commercial driver training student, and Stacia Wenkus, a legal paraprofessional student. The President’s Award for 2025 went to agriculture student Addison Renfroe and nursing graduate Bridget Welker.
Jonathan’s VP award nomination called out his volunteer recruitment efforts and his creation of training videos on his cell phone for fellow students. “Jonathan’s active role in volunteering to assist other students in studying for the CDT road test, sharing his experiences, has been a positive influence on his peers and promoting the CTE program,” his nomination stated.
Stacia was singled out for the VP award for earning a 4.0 GPA while working full time as a nurse, navigating single motherhood and accessing multiple learning opportunities about the legal field outside of the classroom. “Stacia is a go getter who accepts any challenge head-on,” her nomination stated.
Addison’s nomination for the President’s Award touted the fact that she has earned an associate’s degree of applied science in agriculture, along with a horticulture and animal care certificate – all as a high school student; has conducted numerous scientific studies in the YC greenhouse and fish hatchery; volunteers for college events and loves to help fellow students. “She never lets a learning opportunity pass her by,” her nomination letter stated. “She has a love for agriculture that developed long before entering our classroom and one that will continue to grow after she leaves it.”
Bridget earned an associate of applied science in nursing at YC this spring, achieving a 3.90 GPA in the process. While studying nursing, she was a peer leader and a Safe Patient Handler Coordinator as a Certified Nursing Assistant at the Veterans Administration Hospital. She was a member of the Student Nurses Association who excelled in clinical settings and was known for her “kindness and collaborative spirit” in support of her fellow students. “Her academic excellence, exceptional leadership, commitment to community service, and meaningful contributions to our campus make her a highly deserving candidate for the Yavapai College President’s Award,” the award nomination stated.
Outstanding adjunct and full-time faculty also were in the spotlight during the Workforce Development, health sciences and public services programs awards celebration. Culinary Arts instructor, “Chef” Deb Snyder, and Allied Health Instructor Ilene Roby, were named Outstanding Adjunct Faculty, while EMS Associate Professor Tyler Johnson and HVAC Professor James Morales won Outstanding Faculty awards.
Emcees for the Workforce Development and Health Sciences Evening of Recognition were John Morgan, Associate Vice President of Career and Technical Education; Jason Ebersole, Dean of Health Sciences and Public Services; Dr. Alex Barber, CDT Professor and Faculty Senate President; and Dr. Bambi Pish-Derr, Nursing Professor and Faculty Senate Vice President.
Following are the top students in each Workforce Development, Health Sciences and Public Services area of study for the 2024-2025 academic year:
