Northland Pioneer College marks 2026 graduates, expands bachelor’s degrees

Northland Pioneer College is sending 14 new bachelor’s graduates into Apache County’s workforce, with eight in applied management and six in early childhood education, a mix that reaches directly into local classrooms, child services and office leadership jobs.

The applied management graduates were Leticia Albert, Kiersten Begley, Monique Fowler-Pacheco, Stetson Hancock, Cheyenne Lester, Rebecca Orona, Charmayne Quintero and Daphane Walker. The early childhood education graduates were Debbie Burbank, Keri Daggett, Tiffany Honahnie, Leslie Todd, Heather Tucker and Violet Wartz. NPC says its Bachelor of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education is designed to prepare candidates for child and family services and teacher certification working with children up to third grade, while the Bachelor of Applied Management was approved in July 2024.

That makes the 2026 class especially important for northeastern Arizona, where community college pathways often determine whether students can stay close to home while earning credentials. NPC’s 2025 commencement at the Holbrook Unified School District football stadium produced the college’s first bachelor’s graduates, including Larissa Barela of Winslow, Cheryl Carlson of Holbrook, Kristopher Herder of Leupp and Amandalynn Truax of Fort Apache. The 2026 class extends that new four-year option into a second straight graduating year.

The broader graduation totals show how much of the college’s output still sits squarely in workforce training. NPC said 84 graduates earned transfer degrees, 183 earned Certificates of Applied Science and 505 earned Certificates of Proficiency. The college also listed 51 Associate of Arts degrees, including five in elementary education, six Associate of Business degrees, 33 Associate of General Studies degrees, 11 Associate of Science degrees and 55 Arizona General Education Curriculum certificates. NPC said actual degrees and certificates would be conferred after final grades and credit verification.

The 52nd Commencement was scheduled for May 9 at 9 a.m. at the Holbrook Unified School District, but wind warnings moved the ceremony indoors to the Holbrook High School auditorium, with overflow guests seated in the gym for a live broadcast. NPC said five outstanding graduates addressed their peers, each eligible student received 10 free commencement announcements and diplomas were to be mailed by mid-June. The college also posted a photo gallery for graduates, families and friends to view and download, turning the ceremony into a record of a class that now feeds local jobs, teaching pipelines and transfer pathways across Apache County.