Strategic Plan | Caring Campus & Student Belonging
Scottsdale Community College (SCC) is finding new ways to ensure students do more than experience the culture of the College. They help shape it.
This year, SCC’s American Indian Program, in collaboration with the Indigenous Student Association, invited students to participate in a campus-wide Student Design Contest centered on the theme “Storytelling through Design.” Students were challenged to create original artwork exploring connections among land, tradition, resilience, community, and education while honoring the traditional homelands of the Onk Akimel O’odham and Xalychidom Piipaash upon whose land SCC is located.
The initiative supports SCC’s ASPIRE 2026-2030 Strategic Plan and its commitment to creating a college culture where students experience belonging, connection, and opportunities to contribute their voices and perspectives. By inviting students to help shape artwork that may be used in College marketing, promotional materials, and campus apparel, the project turns student engagement into something visible and lasting.
Anne Christina Coppola was selected as the 2026 Student Design Contest winner, receiving a $1,000 award for her work. Her design stood out through a structured judging process for its creativity, message, and artistic expression. The contest also provided an opportunity to celebrate the work of all participating students and showcase the diverse perspectives and creative talent within the SCC community.
A strong sense of belonging is built when students can see themselves, their experiences, and their communities reflected in the institution around them. At SCC, that is especially meaningful given the College’s location on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and its longstanding commitment to serving American Indian students.
The Student Design Contest demonstrates what that commitment can look like in practice: creating space for students to tell stories, honoring Indigenous voices and perspectives, and giving students a meaningful role in shaping the identity of their college. Through initiatives like this, SCC continues to build a campus where student voice is not only heard, but seen.
Learn more about the American Indian Program at SCC.