MCC Red Mountain campus 20th anniversary celebration
Mesa Community College is inviting the public for a month-long celebration at the Red Mountain campus to recognize its 20th anniversary.
The events begin Nov. 2 at 4 p.m. with an aerial group photo, followd by a Native Blessing, speeches from community leaders and entertainment and food. A time capsule from the 10th anniversary will be dug up and more items will be added before being placed back into the ground.
Additionally, different academic departments will be present to provide more information about programs offered at the Red Mountain campus.
“The rest of the month is going to be a series of different events, things that we had already planned to do for the campus, but we just want to make sure we open all those events up to the public,” said Interim Associate Dean of Red Mountain campus Kris Bliss.
Planning for the 20th anniversary celebration began at the beginning of the semester with an effort to highlight what makes the campus so unique, like a fun run that includes the trail that surrounds the campus.
“The intent behind these events is to engage the community, help them to feel comfortable about coming to the campus and staying connected to the campus in a variety of ways,” said Bliss.
The Red Mountain campus focuses its education towards environmental and life sciences. The center of the campus has protected land called the ciénega, where different animals live. Two tortoises take refuge in the ciénega, as well as many species of fish. A webcam placed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department can be viewed here. There is also a terrarium on campus which houses various snakes and a gila monster.
The campus has programs intended to help grow the classroom as well. In the Early College Academy is a program, Mesa public school students are brought on campus and offered classes to earn college credits while still in high school.
The nurse assisting program also has a partnership with Banner Health; Banner will pay tuition for employees who wish to get a nursing assistant certification. Job opportunities are also easily accessible for students who are a part of the program at the Red Mountain campus.
Bliss has worked for MCC for 17 years, but she only began her work at the Red Mountain campus at the onset of the pandemic. She said the close-knit community is what separates the two campuses.
“The employees, whether they are full time or part time, are some of the best people I have ever worked with,” said Bliss.
Learn more about upcoming anniversary events throughout November here.
