2021 AWC Hall of Fame Inductee Mario Jauregui

As a student of migrant workers with limited education, Mario was focused on the opportunities college could provide him. With a start at AWC, Mario charted a course for himself that made him into a local and international business leader with deep roots and a philanthropic spirit that has impacted countless lives in Arizona and Sonora. 

Mario says living and studying at Arizona Western College was "exactly” what he needed to springboard him into classes at AWC as a junior. He came to AWC from KOFA High School and was very determined to rise to the academic level of a college environment. He took Micro and Macro Economics, American History, and Marriage and Dating.  

He chose to live on campus because he loved the independence of being on his own but not too far away from his family in San Luis, Arizona. He worked at the Student Union Game Room, attended college athletic events, movie nights, and pick up basketball games.  

While he has his hands in many local non-profit organizations, Mario wears his AWC alumni status like a badge of honor, promoting the college across the community. He has served on the Yuma Regional Medical Center Board, the Greater Yuma Economic Development board, as well as organizations including Yuma Community Foundation, Greater Yuma Port Authority, San Luis Economic Development Corporation, Rotary Club of San Luis and the San Luis, Sonora, Mexico Industry Chamber of Commerce (CANACINTRA).  

When Mario sees a need, he tries to meet it. He committed to 10 years of scholarships for San Luis High School seniors; he has donated water filtration systems to elementary schools in San Luis, Mexico; and for over two decades he has financially supported the exportation of donated building supplies for families in need in San Luis, Mexico. The greater Arizona – Sonora region has benefited tenfold from Mario’s career journey that began on the campus of Arizona Western College. 

2021 AWC Hall of Fame Inductee Amanda Aguirre

Senator Amanda Aguirre has worked for decades to improve the health and lives of countless children and families during her career in the greater Yuma County region. In 2003, Ms. Aguirre became the first female and first Hispanic to represent District 24 (new legislative district 4) in the Arizona House of Representatives and then the Arizona State Senate (2006-2010). During her time in office, Senator Aguirre had success in passing key bi-partisan legislation.  Among her many legislative accomplishments, she sponsored an Autism Spectrum Disorder “Steven’s Law,” which requires private medical insurance to provide Autism intervention services under their insurance benefits. She was appointed in 2000 by President Clinton to serve in the US-Mexico Border Health Commission.

Prior to elected office and her medical administrator role, she served as the Director of AWC Services, South Yuma County from 1995 to 2001, where she tripled enrollment in at the center and increased the delivery of courses beyond English as a Second Language to include Math, Business, Child Development, Music, Arts for Seniors and Computers. As the daughter of two teachers, she is dedicated to education.  

Ms. Amanda Aguirre grew up in Sonora, Mexico and completed a BS in Chemistry (Food Chemistry) at the University of Hermosillo and an MS at California State University in Nutrition with an emphasis on Feeding Issues for Children with Special Needs.  

As the President and CEO of the Regional Center for Border Health, Inc and the San Luis Walk-In Clinic, she oversees myriad public health programs to help families connect with the care they need. As part of her Western Arizona Health Education Grant, she established a successful job readiness training center for positions such as medical coding/billing, medical office specialist, nutrition and food service. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Aguirre initiated timely provision of health care, with ongoing COVID-19 testing services across Yuma and La Paz Counties, through San Luis Walk-In Clinic. Locations included Arizona Western College campus, essential business and services such as nursing homes, prisons, the U.S. Border Patrol stations in the Yuma area, for farmers and farm workers in the region's significant agriculture industry. 

Ms. Aguirre is an outstanding health care leader and state leader with partnerships and relationships that extend far beyond the boundaries of her former constituency. In 1991 she helped establish the Binational Health and Environmental Council between Yuma County and San Luis Rio Colorado to address public health issues and health professional shortages, which resulted in new resources from the Center for Disease Control to create the first-ever binational Tuberculosis Control Program in the Arizona-Mexico border.  

2020 Hall of Fame Inductee Dr. Jim Carruthers

Dr. Jim Carruthers dedicated 28 years of his life to Arizona Western College, including 12 as President from 1984-1996, demonstrating dynamic and visionary leadership. After retiring from AWC, Dr. Carruthers served four two-year terms in the Arizona House of Representatives, bringing perspective as a strong advocate for education across the state. Dr. Carruthers changed the landscape of AWC and the surrounding educational environment profoundly through his work to create and implement the higher educational consortium model that brought a formal 2+2 partnership with Northern Arizona University, opening the doors for students to receive Bachelor’s, Master’s and even Doctoral degrees without having to move away from Yuma. This paved the way for University of Arizona and Arizona State University to formalize their transfer partnerships and led to all three schools holding in-person classes in Yuma County, hosting entire degree programs here, and co-hosting a shared commencement ceremony which is the only one of its kind across the state.  As an emblem of his work to build these partnerships and his endless pursuit of excellence in education, the NAU Research and Education building on the Yuma campus was named for Dr. Carruthers in 2009.

Carruthers’ relationship with the college began in 1969 when he was hired as the Financial Aid Director. He went on to serve as the Director of Housing and Student Activities, Assistant Dean of Students and Dean of Students in addition to a stint as Assistant Football Coach before assuming the top role.

It was 1988 when Carruthers signed an agreement with former NAU President Eugene Hughes to create NAU-Yuma. This partnership evolved into “K-20 Educational Consortium” through which students were afforded the option to complete all of their education, from kindergarten to doctoral work here in Yuma. This “educational park” located on 24th street in Yuma saw the development of multiple elementary schools, a middle school and a high school. As an outcome of his driving force behind the creation of this unique plan, several neighborhoods and businesses have arisen over the years and now surround the once-isolated AWC Yuma campus. This consortium concept brought national acclaim to AWC and was replicated around the country.

During his time at the state legislature, Dr. Carruthers was instrumental in securing two different five million-dollar allocations for construction of two NAU facilities on the AWC Yuma campus. He also established six new education centers across the 10,000 square mile community college district, championed a district-wide interactive telecommunications distance learning program, and was a key strategist in a $20 million bond issue for campus infrastructure.

In his nomination letter, a long-time colleague noted, Dr. Carruthers’ leadership style was guided by two key concepts: one is that “The institution is the people that work there,” so building strong relationships that foster an atmosphere of warmth, effectiveness, kindness, and success was critical. The second was the concept that all employees should be driven by the “excitement of learning,” which served as inspiration behind all of his decisions about how the college should serve students, staff, and the community. Colleagues remembered him as a “genius with people” and able to create a “sense of community” beyond just a place of work.

2019 Hall of Fame Inductee: Dr. Don Schoening

Dr. Donald Schoening’s almost 13-year tenure as the 6th president of Arizona Western College yielded a 50 percent increase in enrollment.  He served from 1997 to 2013. Under his leadership,
a $74 million bond was passed by voters that allowed for construction of new buildings on the Yuma campus as well as the establishment of campus sites in San Luis, Quartzsite, Parker
and Wellton.  Under Schoening’s leadership, he implemented many new practices at the district to increase productivity and build a positive culture. He also brought long-range planning to the district
and annually published a 5-year vision for the district. Schoening oversaw the development of a facilities master plan that was shared with the campus community and the community at large.
A 100-member citizen group helped pass the historic two-county $74 million bond in 2004 that allowed the college to open three more campuses and doubled the original campus
academic buildings. The buildings themselves received several national architectural awards. Dr. Schoening developed new fiscal management practices through priority-based budgeting
and new funding sources for the college through federal grants. The large solar installation on the Yuma campus came about through Dr. Schoening’s leadership. Dr. Schoening is credited with enhancement
of the AWC Foundation, and community adoption of a life-long learning model. Schoening oversaw the college during adoption of innovations like interactive television, online learning, and live televised coverage

of classes, events and sports to the district. The modern approach to marketing, recruitment and assessment began under Schoening’s leadership, and those key investments continue to pay dividends for the
college district. Published during his presidency, Schoening’s book “Running a Juice Stand: The 6 E’s of Wise Management” highlights successful business management practices he used while at AWC.
Before assuming the presidency at AWC, Schoening was President of Independence Community College (Kansas). He also served 25 years at Wenatchee Valley College (Washington),
in roles ranging from Personnel Officer, Director of Athletics, Vice President of Administrative Services and Vice President of Student Services.

2019 Hall of Fame Inductee: Arnold Trujillo

Arnold Trujillo became an Arizona Western College student in August of 1971, receiving an associate’s degree and going on to earning a
bachelor’s in Liberal Studies from Northern Arizona University. Born in the small mining town of Miami, Arizona, Trujillo was raised with a
strong work ethic and high regard for education.  When he was 19, AWC Coach Ray Butcher, Jim Carruthers, and Paul Waddell gave him an
opportunity to move to Yuma and help manage the football team, and that opportunity helped shape his life. Trujillo also spent time as the Student Head
Resident of the De Anza Hall.  Before he could complete, in July of 1973 Trujillo joined the U.S. Army and served 2 tours of duty in South Korea during the Vietnam Era.
Upon his return to Yuma in 1976, he started his career at AWC as the Veteran Services Coordinator. Mr. Trujillo spent over 37 years advising students through their college careers, helping
them achieve success while at AWC and into their professional careers. Trujillo served in many capacities, including Student Head Resident at De Anza Hall, Veteran Services Coordinator,
Financial Aid Assistant Director, and Coordinator of Student Services in South County. His career was marked with numerous accolades, including the President’s Award in 2005. During this time,
he also proudly served 25 years in the Arizona Army National Guard where he retired as a Master Sergeant. He was awarded the U.S. Army Arizona Meritorious Service Award.
Arnold Trujillo loved his role as an encourager of students. He impacted many lives by just sharing his time and attention. He regularly advised students that education as a fundamental
asset is something no one can take away. Mr. Trujillo lived and breathed AWC, and his positive impact on thousands of students is difficult to calculate.

2018 Hall of Fame Inductee 1987 Softball Championship Team

1987 Softball Team, National Champions

Bolstered by remarkable pitching from three players, the 1987 Softball team (54-11) dominated regular-season play and sailed to a national title with tough defense and great coaching.

It’s remarkable that the team’s lead pitcher, Kim Stoner, earned top billing as the country’s best. What’s even more remarkable is the team included pitchers Kim Beatty and Adrianna Bojorquez, who finished fifth and seventh in the nation - creating a pitching juggernaut. That powerhouse was coached on the field by ACCAC Player of the Year and AWC catcher Tammy Turner, who called every pitch from behind the plate.

Just as noteworthy is the way this team took the national title: by winning 1-0 over Illinois Central College in a game that started after midnight in between storms. The game was originally scheduled for 12:30 p.m., but was postponed for a rain delay. The decision to begin play after midnight - 12:40 a.m., to be exact - was approved by both teams because the forecast for the next 4 days included an 80 percent chance of rain.

Three players on this roster were named to the NJCAA Softball All-American Team: Turner (catcher) and Brandi Hust (infielder) were named to the first team, and Stoner (pitcher), the NJCAA national tournament MVP, was named to the second team.

2018 Hall of Fame Inductee Dr. George Montopoli

AWC Professor Emeritus Dr. George Montopoli has spent his career working to make the world around him better. Montopoli spent 19 years on the faculty of AWC, and 13 years as an adjunct professor with NAU-Yuma. He taught a wide range of subjects to thousands of students, including statistics, calculus, ecology and environmental science. Besides his teaching load, he also drew on his statistical expertise and independently evaluated 36 grants in 30 years. His work in a wide variety of fields has been widely published over the past 20 years.

Beyond higher education, Dr. Montopoli has championed protected lands, wildlife preservation, and health and human service education in the US and abroad. Montopoli has served as a climbing/rescue ranger since 1977 in the Grand Teton Park, averaging 40 rescues per summer, where he developed and led Emergency Response training with a Wilderness First Aid focus. During four years with the Peace Corps in Chile and Ecuador, he trained locals in Advanced First Aid, provided medical care, and assisted in 80 childbirths. As a leading researcher on bald eagles in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for the better part of 30 years, his team has contributed significantly to the species’ recovery, including the banning of lead when hunting or fishing in Grand Teton National Park. Montopoli is also a Master Falconer, and a principal avian rehabilitator of birds of prey in the Southwest region of Arizona.

2017 Hall of Fame Inductee Bengie Molina

Before Bengie Molina was an Angel, a Blue Jay, a Giant, or a Ranger – he was a Matador. After graduating from high school with honors in Puerto Rico, Molina played shortstop and pitched for Arizona Western College in 1991 and 1992. From there Molina went on to become a catcher in the Major Leagues where he won two World Series rings (Anaheim Angels in 2002, San Francisco Giants in 2010). He was also awarded a Golden Glove as the top defensive player at his position in both 2002 and 2003. Molina’s baseball career includes a rare feat of hitting for the cycle in one game. On July 16, 2010, Molina hit (in order) a single, a double, a grand slam home run, and a triple. He is the first catcher in Major League history to hit for the cycle with a grand slam. After retiring from the majors, Molina went on to coach with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers and made a third trip to the World Series with St. Louis. Molina is also a published author, having written the New York Times bestselling book “Molina: The Story of the Father Who Raised an Unlikely Dynasty.”

2016 Hall of Fame Inductee Olivia Zepeda

Olivia Elizondo Zepeda, an immigrant child and binational migrant farm worker from the age of 10, moved from Mexico to San Luis, Arizona when she was 14. After two years at Kofa High School, she enrolled at Arizona Western College, where she earned an Associate in Arts degree. She received a BA in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University and later her Master’s degree in Bilingual and Multicultural Education. With over 39 years of experience in education, Zepeda has taught elementary through university levels and served as the Associate Superintendent of the Gadsden Elementary School District for 17 years. Zepeda has been an ardent supporter of expanding educational opportunities and immigrant advocacy.