News
Hall of Fame inductees to be celebrated at Schoolhouse Soirée
September 18, 2026Luis Barajas and Richard H. Schuman earn AWC Foundation Hall of Fame recognition
Yuma, Ariz. (September 3, 2026) – Join the Arizona Western College Foundation for an evening of celebration at the fifth-annual Schoolhouse Soirée on October 2. The annual fundraising event will honor the 2026 AWC Hall of Fame inductees Luis Barajas and Richard H. Schuman for their significant contribution to AWC and the Yuma and La Paz communities.
As the AWC Director of Financial Aid, Luis Barajas dedicated over 40 years to expanding educational access at the college. Richard H. Schuman (1926-1993) was a visionary civic leader who championed the creation of AWC through his leadership on the Arizona State Junior College Board.
"The chance to celebrate our students, honor our donors, and induct two transformative leaders into the Hall of Fame makes this a really special night for AWC and the Foundation,” said Lorraine Stofft, Vice President for Advancement and Executive Director of the AWC Foundation. “Both Luis and Richard paved a way for tens of thousands of students to study and complete their college degrees. They are community builders and dream makers. Honoring them is a privilege.”
The Schoolhouse Soirée will take place on Friday, October 2, from 6-10 p.m. in the AWC Schoening Conference Center at 2020 S. Avenue 8E, Yuma, AZ.
Prior to the event, guests are invited to enjoy a grazing table, hosted bar, silent auction, and student demonstrations representing the impact of the Foundation’s financial support. In addition to honoring the Hall of Fame inductees, the evening will also recognize scholarship recipients and the donors who made those scholarships possible.
Event tickets are $100 and will be available until Sunday, September 27. To procure a ticket or become an event sponsor, visit the Schoolhouse Soirée event page. Over the years, proceeds have gone toward student scholarships through the AWC Foundation Golden Hearts Fund, the Anatomage virtual anatomy table, and campus improvement. After raising over $100,000 at last year’s Soirée, the Foundation aims to raise $135,000 this year.
The presenting sponsor for the event is EcoEnergy Solutions. Supporting sponsors include Arizona Public Service, OneAZ Credit Union, Arizona Complete Health, Foothills Bank, Gowan Company, Onvida Health, RL Jones, Arizona Western Entrepreneurial College, and Pilkington Construction Company.
For more information about the event, click here. Questions can be directed to the AWC Foundation at
foundation@azwestern.edu or (928) 344-1720.
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About the Arizona Western College Foundation:
The Arizona Western College Foundation seeks to make education universally accessible by removing economic barriers for students and building capacity for scholarships, programs, and creating the college of tomorrow. Since its establishment in 1963 as a supporting non-profit organization to Arizona Western College, the Foundation has set the pace for scholarship development and distribution in Yuma and La Paz counties. The team currently manages over 250 scholarship and programmatic funds and distributed over $400,000 in 2025 to support AWC students and programs, to help countless students from across the entire college district with program support, and to provide matching funds to the AWC Library renovation project.
Contact:
Gladys Anaya
Development Manager
Arizona Western College Foundation
Gladys.Anaya@azwestern.edu
(928) 317-7620