“It’s hard to leave Yavapai College.”

Before she does leave this month after 21 years of teaching, mentoring and curriculum writing, Tina Luffman agreed to share the reasons why she wrote those words in response to a request for a farewell interview.

For starters, Yavapai College is where the longtime Verde Valley Campus English professor says she was inspired as a YC student to keep going -- to get more education, to earn scholarships that made more education possible -- and ultimately, to do what she loves, teach.

“I really love the classroom. When I’m not teaching, there’s something missing so I’m going to have to find something to teach after I leave here,” said the YC alumna and Cornville resident who essentially has been teaching since her childhood days in rural Pennsylvania playing “school” with her sisters as pupils.

Choosing to retire also is proving difficult for Tina knowing that goodbyes are imminent with a work family she admires and students she unwaveringly believes in.

“Obviously I’ve worked with some great people over the years,” she said, citing former colleagues like Paul Ewing, Ginny Chanda, Terence Pratt, and Jon Freriks who were her history, English and biology  professors, respectively, at YC.

Tina’s belief in her students stems from what she has witnessed in the classroom – imagination sparking, yearning for more knowledge and students literally discovering their voice. “To me, giving someone voice is so important. People don’t realize they have a voice sometimes, so teaching them how to think, how to write, how to formulate –giving them that power to be able to change things for themselves --is invaluable.”

Teaching adult students has been especially rewarding for Tina, who started college after high school but left to focus on her young family. In 1993, when the youngest of her four children started kindergarten, Tina resumed her college journey at YC.  “I didn’t even dream of getting a degree,” she said. “But this college and my professors really inspired and encouraged me.”

Naturally, Tina paid it forward, telling her students who were part-time students and full-time parents: “I did the same thing guys. It’s OK. You can do it.”

Before earning a full-time English faculty position in 2008 and after splitting part-time teaching duties at YC and NAU,“  Tina alternately managed the Verde Campus GED program and Learning Center. Along the way, she also became a go-to creator of new YC classes and curriculum.

“I don’t know how many teachers at this college have written as many classes as I have,” she said, explaining that she couldn’t decline the opportunity to infuse the highest quality in new courses, including OER, or open educational resources (free textbooks and materials) classes. “I am all about making life as reasonable as possible for those students who are signing up to take classes here. I don’t want to be the stumbling block – that wall that prevents them from accessing education,” she said of her penchant for creating the best possible in-person and online classes.

Developmental education and student success initiatives also were passions for Tina at YC. “I really poured my heart and soul into developmental education and first-year experience courses for students who most needed the help knowing that yes I can do this and the help getting their feet on the ground. I literally had students tell me that it changed their lives,” she said of YC student-success efforts she played a significant role in.

Writing -- for pleasure and personal rewards – is something Tina will continue to invest her time in post-retirement.  Poetry, short stories, articles and even a novel are on the table. “I know there’s a book in me,” she said.

Other retirement priorities include spending more time with her children and grandchildren, and travel with her husband, Mark – a longtime YC adjunct instructor and IT professional currently serving with the Camp Verde Unified School District.

“He’s waiting for me to retire so he can retire,” Tina said of Mark.

As difficult as ending the YC chapter of her life story is, Tina has her eyes firmly on the clock. “It’s just time,” she said. “Yavapai College is a great place to work. I’m really happy I had this opportunity, but a lot of good things are ahead.”