Rio Salado College students were honored by the District and College this spring with awards for scholarship and service, demonstrating the dedication, perseverance and resiliency of these individuals.
This story highlights two separate groups of students: honors scholarship recipients and Chancellor’s Medallion winners. Scholarship recipients were recognized for their academic goals and future aspirations, while Chancellor’s Medallion winners were honored for their service, leadership and contributions to their communities.
Honors Scholarship Recipients
Rio Salado awards the Foundation Scholarship to up to two students each year. The students must have already qualified for the Honors Achievement Award (HAA) funds. The Chancellor’s Scholarship is awarded each year and covers one year of full in-county tuition, fees and $250 for books/supplies. This award cannot be held concurrently with any other Honors scholarship.
Foundation Scholarship Recipient: Laura Farnbach
Laura Farnbach is pursuing an associate degree in Dental Hygiene and is expected to graduate in May 2027. A single mother of four, Farnbach is balancing school, work and family while preparing for a career focused on improving oral health and expanding access to dental care in underserved communities.
She chose Rio Salado for its flexible learning options and dental hygiene program, saying, “I found that Rio Salado’s dental hygiene program offered more online classes and a stronger educational experience than other colleges. That flexibility has been really important for me.”
Foundation Scholarship Recipient: Nallely Rivera-Salgado
Nallely Rivera-Salgado is also studying dental hygiene. She is committed to promoting oral health education and hopes to work closely with families and students to encourage healthy habits. She also plans to stay actively involved in community outreach.
Chancellor’s Scholarship Recipient: Paulina Jacquez
Paulina Jacquez is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education at Rio Salado College. Though she attended college for a brief time after graduating high school in 2018, she said it wasn’t until she began working as a school paraprofessional in 2020 that she found her calling. She is dedicated to supporting students with diverse learning needs and plans to become a Special Education teacher. She is the first in her family to earn a college degree.
Jacquez said receiving the scholarship was meaningful because, “A big reason that I took so long to go back to school was not knowing how I was going to pay for it. This is truly a blessing from God and I do not take it lightly.”
Chancellor’s Medallion Winners
The prestigious Chancellor’s Civic Leadership Medallion, an honor awarded to students across the Maricopa Community Colleges who demonstrate exemplary leadership, civic engagement, and service to the community. These students have made a lasting impact through their dedication to public service and their communities.
Chancellor’s Medallion Winner: Cyan Sauer
Cyan Sauer said receiving the Chancellor’s Medallion was a meaningful recognition of work done as a student and community member.
“I feel over the moon that I was rewarded this medallion,” Sauer said. “It means a lot to me and feels like a reward for all my work in my community, work and as a college student.”
Sauer also thanked family and friends for their support, especially their mother: “I want to thank my mum for being my number one supporter in everything I do, especially in school.”
Chancellor’s Medallion Winner: Jeremy Schall
For Jeremy Schall, Rio Salado College represented a new beginning and a path forward through education. He earned his high school equivalency diploma from Rio Salado in 1997 and later reconnected with the college through correspondence courses offered in the Incarcerated Re-entry program while serving time in the Arizona state prison system.
“At a time when opportunities felt scarce and my future uncertain, Rio Salado College represented hope—a chance to invest in myself and chart a new path forward,” JS said.
JS recently completed associate degrees in applied science and general studies at Rio Salado, graduating with a 4.0 GPA, and plans to attend Northern Arizona University next year to pursue a bachelor’s degree in strategic leadership.
Chancellor’s Medallion Winner: Javier Medrano
Javier Medrano said receiving the Chancellor’s Medallion has encouraged him to keep moving forward.
“I’m motivated for the future to accomplish more things,” he said.
His civic engagement included work connected to the Legislature, community service, community meetings and advocacy efforts. The award, he said, reflects many hours of involvement and support from others throughout his journey.
Chancellor’s Medallion Winner: Goldie Johnson-Pompey
For Goldie Johnson-Pompey, the Chancellor’s Medallion is a reminder of the impact one person can have through service.
“The recognition is a reminder that I am changing someone’s world even if it’s not the whole world… yet,” Johnson-Pompey said.
She credited family and friend, Moriah, for providing inspiration and encouragement, saying, “My Grandmother Pearl and Nana Ruth always took care of people and contributed to their community.”
The recognition reinforces the importance of advocacy and helping others: “Although we don’t need the recognition, it’s good that people can look at us and know that they have someone willing to advocate for them and help them in other ways.”