Twelve years later: AWC's president says goodbye

It was not a final farewell, but certainly a lighthearted look back as an Arizona Western College ceremony saluted Don Schoening's 42-year career in education.
 
Schoening prepared to step down as president and reminisced with well-wishers Monday.
 
Yuma Community members gathered in the new College Community Center at the hall named for the man so many came to honor, the Don Schoening Conference Center, and wish a happy retirement when he relinquishes the helm of the college he steered for the previous 12 years at the end of June.
  
As many noted, it is hard to sum up a stellar career, but AWC staffers assembled ten tables of memorabilia that showcased the highlights of a man who wanted to be a cowboy and a dancer, but most of all, an educator.
 
At one of the tables was displayed a pair of shoes Schoening wore when he won second place at a dance contest, only losing to his parents. Schoening said they deserved to win because they had been at it longer than he.
 
During Schoening's tenure, AWC enrollment grew by 50 percent. And it was in 2004 voters overwhelmingly supported the $74 million bond that resulted in the tremendous growth of AWC with new buildings at the main campus and San Luis, Quartzsite, Parker and Wellton.
 
Schoening said the legacy he hopes he leaves behind is the lifelong learning vision he help established at AWC. It started with the childhood development learning lab, and moved through the local elementary schools to AWC/NAU-Yuma partnership and all the satellite campuses. And because of AWC's expansion life long learning is accessible to all within the 10,000 mile square area Yumans call home.
 
"In relationship to today, the circle of empowerment surrounding the president, the great faculty and students, all who turned out, it was very heartwarming," Schoening said. "I like all the areas (of my career) they covered. It was kind of a nice journey."
 
That journey began in Fruita, Colo. where Schoening taught English and coached football and wrestling. He later advanced to Central Washington and Wenatchee Valley College, where he was vice president of student services, then dean of admissions, finally leading to president of AWC.
 
Athletic director Jerry Smith said faculty will miss him tremendously because he was supportive of the comprehensive concept of community college. Students seemed to really appreciated him because he attended all student activities from athletics to the arts.
 
"His vision for the college was his mission, strategic planning and capital planning," Smith said. "A lot of colleges in Arizona don't have that and we're fortunate to have Dr. Schoening."
 
And one of those students who expressed appreciation of of Schoening's outreach was Angela Acosta, a freshman business major and AWC Ambassador. Ambassadors are an organization to promote and improve AWC's mission in the community she noted.
 
"It is a privilege to serve - once an ambassador always an ambassador," Acosta said. "We'd like to thank Dr. Schoening for establishing the Ambassadors and helping to provide funds over the years."
 
Bryan Doak, interim vice president, said he was grateful for Schoening bringing him on board to AWC in 2001 when he was still a college registrar at Community College of Aurora, Colo.
 
"He's been an inspirational, visionary leader that's moved AWC at a remarkable pace," Doak said. "If you look at what we've done with the new buildings - we are very fortunate to a have a visionary leader like Dr. Schoening for the past 12 years."