Letter From The President

S-ke:g taṣ wesij ‘am wui (Greetings everyone),

It is my honor to welcome you to Tohono O’odham Kekel Ha-Maṣcamakuḍ (Tohono O’odham Community College). As a college family, we are glad you have chosen to join our Tribal College. Our mission is to transform students’ lives through quality higher education, research opportunities, and effective workforce and career preparation which enhance the unique Tohono O’odham Himdag in order to strengthen communities, support Nation-building, revitalize the O’odham Ñi’okĭ, and promote Nation Sovereignty. We accomplish this through staying grounded in T-Ṣo:ṣon – Our Core Values.

What does this mean for our students? Not only are you earning a fully accredited, world-class education that will be accepted anywhere, you are gaining an educational/cultural foundation steeped in the O’odham values of T-Wohocudadag (Our Beliefs), T-Apedag (Our Well-Being), T-Pi:k Elida (Our Deepest Respect), and I-We:mta (Working Together). Surrounded by caring staff and inspiring faculty committed to these values, you are entering not just a college community, but a support network of relatives who will take this educational journey with you every step of the way. Providing leadership for such an outstanding group of faculty, staff, administrators, and students is a privilege of service to which I am wholeheartedly committed.

Whether you consider your home campus S-cuk Du’ag Maṣcamakuḍ (Black Mountain Site – Main), Wiṣag Koṣ Maṣcamakuḍ (Hawk’s Nest Site – West), S-Ki:kig Maṣcama Ki: (Many Houses Site – Phoenix), San Carlos Apache College (our sponsored College during their initial accreditation journey), or your own home as a remote student, we are here to help make your education dream a reality. You may be enrolling to begin your baccalaureate degree journey with us before transferring to a four-year college or university. Perhaps you are ready to get out in the working world – or advance your career opportunities – with our apprenticeship program or one of our workforce development degrees or certificates. Or, as a high school student, you have chosen to take courses with us through Dual Enrollment to gain college credits while still completing your secondary education. You might be gaining your GED diploma to prepare for college level coursework. Whatever your reason for becoming a student at Tohono O’odham Community College, the faculty, staff, and administration welcome you and support you as a member of the college family.

Tohono O’odham Kekel Ha-Maṣcamakuḍ has an open door admissions policy, and we welcome you with high expectations. I want to point out that we are a Tohono O’odham Nation Higher Education Institution, the only postsecondary institution for the Nation. We expect all of our Tohono O’odham and non-Tohono O’odham students to take courses to learn about the Tohono O’odham culture and history, including our unique Himdag, as well as to learn the O’odham language. We aspire to produce the next generation of Tohono O’odham leaders who will uphold the wisdom and traditions of our Nation, to embody the building of the Nation to the benefit of all Tohono O’odham People, and helping rebuild all Tribal Nations to sustain self-determination, which are the bedrock foundations for Tribal Sovereignty.

Please, take a look through our website and see the wealth of knowledge and experiences that Tohono O’odham Kekel Ha-Maṣcamakuḍ offers. I also hope you will come and visit us at one or more of our campus locations to soak in the atmosphere of a truly unique and awesome educational experience. You have joined a community of life-long learners, and are now part of our college’s vision – present and future. Welcome!

Stephen Schoonmaker

Stephen Schoonmaker, Ed.D. President

Tohono O’odham Kekel Ha-Maṣcamakuḍ

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