Northland Pioneer College

Philosopher Winnie the Pooh says, “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” For me, that “something” is the role I’ve enjoyed for the past 17 years guiding Northland Pioneer College’s mission of providing higher educational opportunities to the residents of Northeastern Arizona that truly transform lives and our communities. I frequently visit other...

“Behind every new hack or data breach, there’s a company scrambling to put out the fire. That’s good news for job seekers with cybersecurity skills. Every year in the U.S., 40,000 jobs for information security analysts go unfilled. Employers can’t hire them fast enough.” – Forbes Magazine The headlines on cybercrime are staggering. Three billion Yahoo records were accessed by...

NPC students in the program are already helping local businesses stay safe by applying what they’ve learned in class. Cybersecurity education at NPC is just starting, but several IT profes-sionals and others who handle sensitive, private information in their workplaces are applying what they’ve already learned in class to their jobs. One of them is Karlene Begay, (pictured on the...

Cindy Stirling is in high demand for her services as a hairstylist and makeup artist in California. Based in San Diego, she serves a worldwide list of high-end clients who rave about her abilities. Stirling’s success is the result of a young girl in Lakeside who had a passion for cosmetology and got her start at Northland Pioneer College. Who are Stirling’s high-profile clients? CBS...

When the NPC STEM Experience Van rolls up to area schools, it’s met with great curiosity from students. That wonderment soon turns into excitement as the students experience new ways of learning science, technology, engineering and mathematics or STEM. Some schools have STEM clubs, but for many, their introduction to it comes through a visit from the special van. A collaboration between NPC...

To encourage the state’s top community college scholars to finish their bachelor’s degree, the Arizona Board of Regents awards a little-known scholarship every year only to community college students selected as members of the All-Arizona Academic Team. Every Arizona com-munity college is allowed to select two students from each campus or center location, which means up to 18 North-land...

NPC English professor Jennifer Witt started an informal book club where she would encourage her colleagues and students to read a book together, then share how the author influenced their thoughts and actions. When Witt passed away suddenly just before the start of the fall semester, her friends and colleagues decided to create a Little Free Library to perpetuate her love for books....

Ryan Orr is not just an NPC academic adviser, he’s also a talented musician with a large local and international following. Orr’s mother and grandmother introduced him to a rich tradition of performing arts at an early age. His grandmother played saxophone and clarinet, and his mother, the late Dr. Teri Lynn Dismuke, was a country and folk singer. By age 7, Ryan was playing the violin and...