(PHOENIX, Ariz., April 8, 2004)— On Friday the 13th, most would expect a day of bad luck and disappointments. That was not the case for Nicole Biscotti, who received a thoughtful surprise from a group of Phoenix College employees.

Early in the semester, an instructor mentioned to Marlene Strickland that he was concerned about a student of his, Biscotti, because she was having difficulty getting to class on time.

Biscotti wasn’t arriving on time because she walked with her three and a half-year-old son, Nicholas, from her grandmother's Phoenix home. After dropping him off at the PC Family Care Center, she would walk to class, not always making it on time. After an unsuccessful attempt to change her class to a later time, Biscotti thought she might have to drop the class.

As a cyclist herself, Strickland knew that a bike would help Biscotti save time during her morning commute. She decided to contact her cyclist friends to see if anyone had an extra bike. Sure enough, a friend of hers had been holding on to a used bike for some time now, waiting for the opportunity to put it to good use. A group of PC employees pitched in to buy Biscotti needed accessories for her new bike, and Landis Cyclery sold them everything they needed at a discounted price.

"It was so nice to see everyone pull together to get this bike for Nicole," said Strickland. "Everything came together so smoothly, it was meant to be."

With her new bike, Biscotti can now make it to class on time and also runs errands in the neighborhood more efficiently. She has been a full-time student at PC since last summer, with plans of graduating in the fall and transferring to ASU West. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in global business, she plans on attending law school to become an attorney, specializing in international business transactions. She also works 15 hours a week at the PC Library and spends two and a half days at home with Nicholas.

"Not only did they give me a bike," said Biscotti. "They put a bike trailer on it for my son, a mirror so I could see him and two helmets. It is perfect."

Biscotti is overjoyed by the generosity and concern that she has received from individuals at PC. She came to PC because of its convenient location and small campus, not expecting the PC community to provide her with as much support and motivation as she has received.

"The support that I have received from the Phoenix College community has been more than I could have ever imagined or expected," said Biscotti. "They have definitely gone above and beyond to help me out."

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