Welcome to Good Stories from South Mountain Community College!
Each week on Wednesdays you will receive a story about a student, a colleague or a community member to remind you of the enduring and creative goodness of the people around us.
Do you know someone who you think should be featured? Let us know!
May 6, 2026: Lucina Benavidez
"As a South-Phoenix native and both a South Mountain Community College student and employee, who is also very embedded in her work with multiple clubs on campus, Lucina Benavidez wears many hats."
April 30, 2026: Good Stories Newsletter: Patricia "Pat" Manarin
"Her impact on the community didn’t just make a lasting impression on students, but it can be seen throughout the campus as her art continues to live on....She was also foundational to the movement that brought public art, such as the mandela, to campus..."
April 22, 2026: SMCC Faculty and Staff Go Above and Beyond
"When we asked for recommendations for Good Stories, many of you told us about SMCC colleagues who always go above and beyond for their students and community. Here are some of the ways that faculty and staff have demonstrated that."
April 15, 2026: Light Bringers
"At the Spring Convocation, we asked you to tell us about people we should write about for the Good Stories Newsletter. Many of you submitted comments about “Light Bringers” or people who work hard and exemplify the warmth and caring that SMCC is known for."
April 8, 2026: Karen Mischlispy
"Karen’s contributions to South Phoenix have endured through decades of youth leadership, recreation programming and community building."
April 1, 2026: Good Stories Newsletter: SMCC Faculty and Staff
At Convocation this year we asked for your ideas on who to feature in the Good Stories Newsletter. Below are some of the suggestions we received.
March 25, 2026: Albert “Al” Monreal Quihuis
"I really am making an effort to make sure that they know my story and the stories of all the sacrifices of all the people that came here, how they came here..."
March 11, 2026: Sinai Antone
"Together, we are creating spaces where young people can see themselves in education, embrace their potential and grow into the future leaders of their community."
March 4, 2026: Nelson G. Mitchell III
"I wanted to make sure our stories didn’t disappear. If we didn’t write them down, nobody else was going to do it for us."
February 25, 2026: Ariel Aguilera
"I will always look upon mundane things and find the wondrous and extraordinary secrets within. I’m on a great adventure of discovery."
February 18, 2026: Dorothy Mackey
"By organizing food programs, supporting unhoused residents, helping create a heat-respite center, and assisting families through multiple crises, she addressed persistent challenges tied to poverty, climate, and access to resources."
February 11, 2026: The Phoenix Symphony
"Hosting The Phoenix Symphony represents opportunity. It creates access to world-class music for our students, many of whom may not otherwise attend a professional symphony performance."
January 28, 2026: Dan Gronseth
"The petroglyphs are really the reason that South Mountain Park is special…going into future generations that message needs to be shared."
January 21, 2026: Grounded in Gratitude
"Practicing gratitude helps students build awareness, belonging, and respect for the people and institutions that sustain their educational journey."
December 17, 2025: Sneak Peek of New South Phoenix Historical Archive Donated to SMCC
"South Phoenix is the historical home of many of the city’s Asian, African American, Hispanic/Latino and Native peoples. I think plenty of us are interested in these histories. Our students sure are."
December 10, 2025: SMCC Student Destiny Barriga Wins Third Place in MCCCD Poetry Contest
"Being part of this contest and winning third place means so much to me, it gives me a sense of hope — hope that my words can inspire others to see beyond differences and recognize that everyone deserves equal opportunities, especially when it comes to education."
December 3, 2025: Laurita Moore, Dr. Brian Murphy, and Brian Smith
"Three former South Mountain Community College faculty members were recently honored at a celebration hosted by Mesa Community College on November 5, where they were recognized for their long-standing careers at SMCC."
November 26, 2025: Scott Winter and the SMCC Christian Challenge Club
"Kids need people who are going to pour into them. We stay in the moment to try to meet their needs, and to pour a lot of love into them."
November 19, 2025: Our Vision and Mission in Action
"This is what we do at South Mountain Community College. We – students, faculty, and staff – seize moments, respond creatively, and foster environments where everyone can learn and grow."
November 12, 2025: SMCC Police Sergeant Bonifacio "Bon" Gonzalez Celebrated for His Service in the Marine Corps at the 250th Marine Corps Birthday Ball
"The traditional ball brought the community together to honor the marines’ service and sacrifice while commemorating the milestone birthday with a ceremonial cake-cutting."
November 5, 2025: SMCC Sustainability Committee
"This event distributed nearly 2,000 free trees to about 600 people, which also included 20 new trees to be planted around the SMCC campus."
October 29, 2025: Spencer Howard
"One of my first two-act plays was called Freedom Summer and it’s been performed in a lot of places."
October 22, 2025: MSE Team
A team of researchers from the Mathematics, Science and Engineering (MSE) Division at South Mountain Community College recently had their results from their STEM-CURE project published in the journal, Ecological Genetics and Genomics.
October 15, 2025: Ahrianna Smith
"SMCC didn't just overload me with facts, it equipped me with the advocacy skills, support system, and professionalism needed to transition from the classroom to conversations that directly impact my community."
October 8, 2025: Susie and Jacob Hutchins
“We want to represent the whole community, to highlight and recognize it, and to create South Phoenix positivity.”
October 1, 2025: Lorraine Calbow
"The Storytelling Institute here at SMCC is rooted in oral traditions… I think that's what's the difference. The ancestry, the history, the cultural aspect that is what the institute's focus is on."
September 24, 2025: Alice Murillo
“Having experienced episodes of housing insecurity as a child, I understood the need for families to have a place to call home as a starting point for self-efficacy.”
September 17, 2025: Henry Yniguez
"No one has ever suffered from having too many positive comments."
September 10, 2025: Alfredo Gutierrez
Gutierrez, along with State Senator Art Hamilton and others “introduced a bill… to found this college” and he believed that “the message was very clear to the [Maricopa District Governing] board, certainly to the Chancellor that we wanted a college built down here."
