FACTS AT A BROWSE

•  The Phoenix College Alumni Association (PCAA) was organized in March 1989.

•  A volunteer board of directors comprised of Phoenix College alumni oversees the PCAA. Daily operation of the association is coordinated by the Executive Director of the PCAA, who is employed by the college.

•  Presently, there are more than 19,000 members on our roster, including active graduates and individuals that have matriculated from the college from as far back as the 1920’s through today. If you graduated or attended Phoenix College, you are alumni. Membership is free and there are no dues.

•  In 1992, the PCAA launched the PCAA Scholarship Project to help deserving students in need of financial assistance realize their educational goals at Phoenix College. Thanks to generous support from alumni, the program has raised nearly $400,000 to date.

•  In tandem with the PCAA Scholarship Project, scholarship recipients–known as “Alumni Bear Scholars”–are matched with Alumni Mentors who provide guidance, experience, support and friendship.

•  The Half-Century Club (HCC) was organized in 1992 by distinguished alumnus Royal D. Marks ‘26. This unique and vital group of over 1,200 alumni graduated or matriculated the college fifty or more years ago. The HCC is dedicated to furthering the goals of the PCAA and are an integral part of the PCAA Scholarship Project through their support of the Royal D. Marks/Half-Century Club Scholarship Fund. The HCC has also been the driving force behind the association's award-winning collaboration with the PC ACE Program.

•  Many PC alumni have gone on to local and national prominence with successful careers in the arts, business, government, medical, and legal professions. Distinguished alumni include mayors, state senators, Native American tribal leaders, publishers, business executives, two Miss Americas (1949 and 1964) and two Arizona Governors.

•  Prominent alumni celebrities include: film star Nick Nolte, Tony-award winning actor Stephen Spinella, daytime television star Jamie Lynn Bauer, Pop/Rhythm & Blues singer CeCe Penniston, and artists Eric Fischl and Ed Mell.

•  “Bear Connection” is the official newsletter of the PCAA. It is published twice yearly for distribution to registered alumni.

•  In 2003, the PCAA became the first Alumni Association in the Maricopa Community College District to be recognized nationally with the "Gold Medal for Best Practices in Alumni Relations" from CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) for its award-winning collaboration with the PC ACE (Achieving a College Education) Program.  The following year, the program was named Phoenix College's "Innovation of the Year."  The success continued in 2004 when American Express awarded the program an $18,000 grant to sustain the program through 2007!

•  The PCAA collaborates with the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation, a 501(c)(3) corporation, to ensure our donors enjoy the tax benefits associated with their gift giving. All funds raised by the PCAA benefit the PCAA Scholarship Project, unless otherwise specified by the donor, and are held in restricted accounts at the Foundation until awards are made.

•  The Phoenix College Office of Alumni & Development/Scholarship Relations is the official home of the Phoenix College Alumni Association (PCAA). The office is located in the east wing of the Osborn Center, (10th Avenue & Osborn) in Room OSE-106.  The main telephone number is (602) 285-7337.