Yavapai College Hispanic Initiative Creating More Accessible Education

Yavapai College enriches the communities of Yavapai County by providing accessible, affordable education, workforce training, transfer opportunities, lifelong learning and cultural enrichment opportunities.

Our goal is to enrich all of our communities, including traditionally underserved populations.

One of those underserved populations is our Hispanic communities. When I arrived at YC in spring 2019, it became apparent to me that our college was not connecting with our Hispanic communities and we weren’t prepared to offer the necessary services for them to receive their education.

At that time, in mid-2019, Yavapai College’s Hispanic student population was low and its services for Hispanic students were minimal.

We needed to make changes and we did by creating a Hispanic Outreach Initiative. Led by Lisa Raygoza, now the director of the outreach initiative, YC embarked on a journey that has been both fulfilling and eye-opening. It has made the college look in the mirror and make changes to serve our students better.

Raygoza’s first task was connecting with Hispanic-owned businesses, media outlets and local city governments. She also created partnerships with the Mexican Consulate and the local Hispanic ministries in Yavapai County.

Once relationships were built, Raygoza implemented mentorship programs, developed communication material in Spanish, initiated an interpreter incentive program for employees, translated tools on our website and got the college’s message out through local Spanish radio and newspaper outlets.

Our goal was and still is to let the Hispanic community know that Yavapai College is here to help them through their journey. We know education can be a daunting task and therefore is passed over by many who could benefit from it. We are working to ensure that it happens to fewer people.

Raygoza’s hard work has continued in our communities, and her relationships are growing stronger by the day. She has presented at numerous community events and conferences and held multiple significant recruitment events.

Through her efforts, she has developed the Hispanic Opportunity Scholarship. Funded through Hispanic business owners, the Opportunity Scholarship provides tuition and book assistance to Hispanic students.

The results from this initiative are staggering. Since November 2019, YC’s Hispanic student population has risen to 24%.

Yavapai College strives to be an official Hispanic Serving Institution. Through the hard work of Lisa Raygoza and our strong and passionate Hispanic communities, we believe we can reach that designation by fall 2024.

Receiving the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) status from the Department of Education will allow YC to access federal dollars and resources to further support and enrich our campus environment and student engagement. QCBN

By Lisa B. Rhine

In February 2019, Dr. Lisa B. Rhine, Ph.D., became the 10th president of Yavapai College, bringing to the institution over 30 years of leadership experience across a number of leading colleges and universities in Ohio, Kentucky and Virginia. Dr. Rhine assumed this role with a commitment to advance the mission of the college while ensuring access and support to those for whom opportunities may have been historically limited or denied.

Yavapai College offers over 100 degrees and certificates, student and community services, and cultural events and activities at six locations throughout Yavapai County, including campuses in Prescott and Clarkdale, and centers in Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, Sedona and the Prescott Airport.