Nearly 650 Arizona Western College students will be graduating at Veterans Memorial Stadium, next to Gila Ridge High School. And about 200 students from Northern Arizona University - Yuma, Arizona State University Local and the University of Arizona - Yuma will be graduating, too.
Each year, Yuma County's higher education institutions celebrate the culmination of their students' achievements in a joint commencement ceremony. Although the reported number of grads walking the line number adds up to about 850, college attainment in Yuma and La Paz for the 2024-2025 school year is greater. Per Arizona Western College, 2,194 degrees will have been awarded for the whole year. Factoring in certificates, that number rises to 2,695.
Many graduates tonight will be celebrating more than one milestone, be it earning an associate's degree the same time as a high school diploma or earning multiple college credentials.
According to AWC's release, this year's commencement speakers from each institution are as follows:
Alexia Gil – AWC Speaker
Alexia Gil was born in Mexicali, B.C. and raised in Somerton, AZ. She attended Kofa High School. High school was a very challenging stage of her life as she had just moved from Mexico to the United States. But it was also a beautiful and memorable period in her life; she met new people, discovered a new place and learned a new language, all of which made her happy, especially knowing that she was making her parents proud with everything she was achieving. Alexia is graduating with an associate’s degree in engineering, but also in mathematics, science, physics and the arts. She plans to transfer to the University of Arizona, where she intends to earn an Industrial Engineering degree and one day start her own home building company.
Alma Jans – ASU Speaker
Alma Jans was born in San Luis, Mexico and raised in Yuma, Arizona. She attended Cibola High School, where she did cheerleading, cross country and was part of the National Honors Society. At Arizona Western College, Alma earned her Associates of Arts in Elementary Education with an Early Childhood Emphasis in 2017. She later transferred to Arizona State University, where she achieved the Dean’s List for the Teacher’s College. After earning their Bachelor of Arts in Education, she plans to continue teaching in the community of Yuma.
Ryan Rodriquez – NAU Speaker
Ryan Rodriquez is a firefighter, paramedic, resilience coach and #1 bestselling author. As the founder of IGNITEd and through his coaching group The Forge, Ryan empowers individuals to push past their perceived limits and embrace their full potential through grit, discipline and purpose. He is known for his passion for building strong, resilient teams. When he's not leading others to personal and professional growth, Ryan is a devoted husband and father who values family above all else.
Josue Nunez – UA Speaker
Josue Nunez came to the United States from Mexico when he was 14 years old. Knowing no English at the time, his education throughout high school and college was extremely challenging, but he clung to his childhood dream of one day becoming an Engineer. Surrounded by the support of his parents, grandparents, uncles and cousins, he made that dream a reality. Josue believes in the power of creativity and the discipline it takes to accomplish your dreams.
For those who can't make it out to the field, the ceremony will be aired live on cable channel 74, via AWC’s Facebook page (no account needed), the official AWC YouTube channel and at azwestern.edu/live.
