Marielena Aguirre Foster and Goldie Pompey-Johnson
Marielena Aguirre Foster, Goldie Pompey-Johnson Named to All-AZ Academic Team
By Mira Radovich, Senior Contributing Writer
Rio Salado College students Marielena Aguirre Foster and Goldine “Goldie” Johnson-Pompey have been named the college’s representatives to the 2026 All-Arizona Academic Team. They will be honored at the All-AZ Academic Team Celebration on April 22, 2026, in Mesa.
The All-Arizona Academic Team is part of the All-USA Scholarship competition sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the national honor society for community colleges. Students selected for the team receive undergraduate tuition transfer scholarships to pursue their first bachelor’s degree at an Arizona university.
All-Arizona honorees demonstrate academic excellence and intellectual tenacity combined with leadership and service that expand their education beyond the classroom to benefit their communities and society. Students are working toward an associate degree, maintained a GPA of 3.5 or higher (4.0 scale) and were involved in campus and community volunteer activities.
Meet Marielena Aguirre Foster
Little did she know at the time, but an English class assignment would shape the trajectory of Marielena Aguirre Foster’s academic and career goals.
“I wrote a research paper on alcohol advertising for an English course assignment,” Aguirre Foster said. “Uncovering the impacts of advertising policies on vulnerable populations helped me discover a passion for public policy and public health outcomes.”
Her desire to help those affected by addiction is deeply personal. Aguirre Foster is eight years in recovery from intravenous drug use and four years sober from alcohol.
“Throughout my life, I struggled to overcome my battle with mental illness and depression,” Aguirre Foster said. “I searched for meaning and solutions to what I believed was a broken mind. Instead, I turned to drugs and alcohol for relief.”
She ultimately found the strength to pursue sobriety and recognized that education would be key to building a better future.
(Read more about Aguirre Foster in this blog story.)
Aguirre Foster began taking classes at Rio Salado in 2019, enrolling one course at a time. As she gained confidence and adjusted to online learning, she thrived academically.
In 2021, she joined Rio’s PTK chapter and became chapter president in 2025. In that role, she oversees the annual Honors in Action research project.
“Our project focuses on identifying gaps in accessible technologies for individuals who are deaf, blind, hard of hearing, or visually impaired,” Aguirre Foster said. “While our work is ongoing, the project has already created a lasting impact. Our chapter now has permanent partnerships with two state organizations, and Braille transcripts of the PTK Pulse podcast will serve as an ongoing campus resource.”
In 2024, Aguirre Foster served as Rio Salado’s representative to the MCCCD Student Senate and joined the MCCCD Student Public Policy Forum, collaborating with student leaders to learn about local, state, and national policymaking.
In 2025, she was named a Democracy Fellow and worked on a campus voting initiative to increase voter access and participation among college students.
She plans to complete her associate degree in addictions and substance use disorders in May before transferring to Arizona State University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in public service and public policy.
“My goal in public health policy is to strengthen prevention infrastructure and build systems that give everyone a fair chance to heal and belong,” Aguirre Foster said. “Every person, regardless of identity, deserves compassionate, competent, and equitable treatment.”
Meet Goldie Johnson-Pompey
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Goldine “Goldie” Johnson-Pompey faced a loss that would reshape her future.
“I was stuck in Arizona, navigating a divorce, as my grandmother, Pearl, passed away from COVID in New Jersey,” Johnson-Pompey said. “For weeks her body sat in a freezer truck because funeral homes were at capacity. The image haunted me because she was my first teacher. She couldn’t read or write, but she shaped my sense of faith, justice, and duty.”
Johnson-Pompey reflected on a promise she had made to her grandmother — one that reshaped her future.
“When she died, I felt like my purpose died, too,” Johnson-Pompey said. “But I always promised her that I would give our family something to be proud of — that I would use my voice for those who never had one.”
To honor that promise, Johnson-Pompey founded Pearl Pages Publishing, “to give dignity to names like hers, and to make history remember the forgotten.”
In early 2025, Johnson-Pompey enrolled at Rio Salado College to pursue an associate in arts with an emphasis in law and policy. She plans to transfer to the University of Arizona for a bachelor’s degree and begin working toward her goal of becoming a lawyer.
“I chose to study law and public policy because I saw democracy trembling from 2020 to today,” Johnson-Pompey said. “The world needs people who care more about humanity than greed. My goal is to become an attorney and policymaker who honors fairness and fights from within the system.”
Her passion for civic engagement led her to join the MCCCD Student Public Policy Forum and serve as a Democracy Fellow, promoting civic participation and nonpartisan voter engagement.
In 2024, she became president of the newly formed East Valley Rotaract Club at Rio Salado, part of Rotary International’s global network of young adult leaders focused on service and professional development.
Under Johnson-Pompey’s leadership, the club has grown to 20 members and now offers monthly skills workshops in addition to service projects.
“Since July 2025, we have completed more than 100 volunteer hours and served more than 1,000 people,” Johnson-Pompey said. “More recently, we partnered with the Naivasha Rotaract Club in Kenya to help bring teen moms’ stability, resources, and skills to maintain an income and provide for their families.”
A 4.0 student, Johnson-Pomey is also vice president of leadership for Rio’s PTK chapter and serves as regional vice president for the Central District. She was also recently named a 2026 Coca-Cola Academic Team Scholar in recognition of her outstanding academic achievement, leadership, and service.
“My work reflects my mission toward keeping my promise to my grandmother and the world I want for my future children,” Johnson-Pompey said. “Education is my protest, service is my compass, and my hope is that I can change the world for the better. My law degree will be proof that purpose can outlive pain.”
The April 22 event, honoring 71 students from 19 community colleges across Arizona, will be livestreamed noon-2 p.m. on mesacc.edu/live. The keynote speaker is Cassandra Holcombe, a 2016 All-Arizona Academic Team honoree who is currently a Student Engagement Coordinator at Central Arizona College (CAC). Her topic is "Perfectly Imperfect Decisions: Imagine Your Future Today.”
Visit azregents.edu/programs/all-arizona-academic-team to learn more about the All-Arizona Academic Team program.
Hear more from Aguirre Foster and Johnson-Pompey in an upcoming Wave Makers podcast, a product of Rio Salado College.