The Department of Education bestows national honor on YC partner high school
Prescott Valley, Arizona (November 25, 2024) – It may not sound like it from the name, but the Arizona Agribusiness & Equine Center is a Prescott Valley high school. And this month, the federal government honored it as one of our country’s best. The U.S. Department of Education named the Arizona Agribusiness & Equine Center (AAEC) as a 2024 Blue Ribbon School for High Performance – one of only 356 schools in the country to earn the honor.
“The award is a testament to the exceptional achievements of students and educators at each of these schools,” Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a statement. “The 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools are raising the bar for our nation’s students, serving as models for effective teaching and intentional collaboration in their schools and communities.”
Early College Focus
“I am very thrilled for our students and our staff here in PV,” AAEC Principal Patrick Wellert said. “It has been a real blessing for the work we do.” At a time when every aspect of education seems to be under scrutiny, AAEC is a success story – a triumph of dedicated students, vigilant administrators and solid community partnerships.
Dean Holbrook, Associate Vice President of Instruction & Early College at Yavapai College, is not surprised: “The award only went to six Arizona high schools. It’s great that a school in our county got it, and AAEC is one of our great partners.”
Established in 2012, AAEC is a charter school, teaching grades 9-12. The school’s agricultural focus is readily apparent. But the school’s other focus – not as obvious, but just as profound – is early college education, and the chance to earn an associate’s degree while still in high school. “It’s a great opportunity.” Wellert said. “These kids are setting themselves up for such a great life. And YC is our partner in that.”
This semester, 191 AAEC students are also taking college-level credit courses at Yavapai College. “They take their art and language classes here,” Holbrook said. “Most AAEC students take a studies skills class, as well. Beyond that, it depends on the student’s interest.” Some AAEC students simply earn their high school diploma. Some get their college-level prerequisites out of the way “and some finish up with an associate’s degree by the time they graduate.”
Advancement & Inspiration
The Yavapai College partnership made local headlines in 2019, when Prescott Valley’s Savanna Davis graduated AAEC in May. Two months later, she received her Associate of Arts degree at Yavapai College’s Summer commencement – the first graduate of the tuition-free YC Promise Program. “It’s a blessing,” she said in a 2019 interview. “AAEC was a blessing. Yavapai College was a blessing, the YC Promise – all of it.” She is now one of 40 AAEC students who have completed degree programs at Yavapai College.
Wellert says the opportunity to take college courses empowers his students. “A lot of these students are not from a college environment. Some are initially a little nervous about the idea. I tell them, ‘You’re doing stuff that people my age are doing.’ It’s inspiring – to them, their classmates and the community.”
The Arizona Agribusiness & Equine Center is one of five schools, and an online program headquartered in Phoenix. In Prescott Valley, thirty percent of AAEC students graduate high school with a diploma and an associate’s degree – a substantial head-start on a career or a degree at a four-year college. “Even if they don’t complete their college degree [during high school,] I see most of them stick around to finish up their programs and graduate through the YC Promise.” Wellert said.
The biggest challenge, Wellert said, is convincing students they can handle college. “I meet with every student, to plan out school goals and a program,” he said. “The YC staff does that, as well.” Individual grades, student progress and obstacles are tracked by both institutions and sorted out early on. “It requires great communication,” Holbrook said. “We talk once a week, just to check in on stuff. If there are issues, we’re on the horn with each other. I’m backing him up on stuff; he’s backing me up. It’s been very productive, especially for the students.”
This month, Wellert and AAEC Superintendent Dale Nicol travelled to Washington D.C. to represent the Arizona Agribusiness & Equine Center at the National Blue-Ribbon Awards presentation. It is an accolade earned one student at a time. “It’s really rewarding to see our students earn their degrees and their certifications, and to go on to contribute, in their families and in their careers.”
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Yavapai College operates six campuses and centers throughout Yavapai County and offers over 100 degrees and certificates, two baccalaureate degrees, student and community services, and cultural events and activities. To learn more about YC, visit www.yc.edu.