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Meet UAGC Scholarship Recipient Michael Ander
Police Alum Is Committed To Learning
Police sergeant Michael Ander is one of several Rio Salado scholars to receive a prestigious full-ride scholarship to the University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC). The scholarship partnership between Rio Salado and UAGC was established in 2021 to offer six Rio scholars the opportunity to continue their education at a four-year school.
Ander has lived in the Valley of the Sun for more than 20 years. He’s spent 11of those years protecting and serving the community as an officer of the law. An adult learner, he went back to school to broaden his horizons and sharpen his professional skills.
“I came to Rio through the police academy,” Ander said. “They sponsored a lot of the classes through there. So a lot of the core credits for my degree ended up coming through Rio and I had some additional credits through the Maricopa Community Colleges, which Rio Salado allowed me to use to finish out my degree.”
Reflecting on his time at Rio Salado, Ander lavishes praise on the quality of his criminal justice courses.
“They’re really interesting and intricate classes that are very applicable to the field of criminal justice,” Ander said. “That and the criminal law classes I took were definitely impactful for me.”
Now with an associate degree in law enforcement technology under his belt, the stoic student is set to walk a new kind of beat as a student at UAGC after graduating from Rio Salado with honors.
“I made a commitment to myself to never stop learning,” Ander said.
While Ander is a believer in learning for its own sake, he also has his eye on using education to forward his career.
“It’s going to allow me to open up some doors for my professional goals and opportunities for advancement.” Anders plans to graduate from UAGC with a bachelor’s degree in social justice. With a four-year degree under his belt, he hopes to move up the ranks and become a police lieutenant.
"I'm tremendously honored to have this scholarship opportunity," Ander said.
Check out Michael Ander's story in this video.
Article by Austin Brietta