Education Briefs: Chinle Unified’s Natay chosen AZ superintendent of the year

PHOENIX

The Arizona School Administrators, a nonprofit of the 1,400-plus state officials, have named Quincy Natay, superintendent of the Chinle Unified School District, as Arizona Superintendent of the Year.

Natay is in his 9th year of leading the district with a record of achievement in the four areas of leadership for learning, communication, professionalism, and community involvement.

Natay will be the state of Arizona’s candidate for National Superintendent of the Year, which is awarded each year by the American Association of School Administrators at its national conference in February in Nashville.

Natay is a lifelong resident of Chinle. After finishing his K-12 education at Chinle High in 1983, he completed a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1988 at Northern Arizona University. He earned a master’s, also at NAU, in 2001.

Natay became superintendent of CUSD in 2013.

Natay has served on the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools for several years and is currently the board secretary. He has been a longstanding member of the National Indian Impacted Schools Association and is currently the board president.

The ASA said in a Monday news release, “Understanding first-hand the benefits of education, he has dedicated his life to creating educational opportunities for generations of Navajo students attending Chinle Unified School District.”

Under his leadership from 2015 to 2019, student pass rates on the Arizona state assessment reflected an increase in the percent of CUSD students passing that was twice the increase that Arizona achieved overall.

When Chinle students last took the Arizona state assessments, CUSD was in its third year of producing the highest pass rates of any reservation district in Arizona, also surpassing many non-reservation districts.

Beginning in 1994, Natay was the assistant superintendent of finance for CUSD for 23 years. During that time, he was influential in legislation that has benefited reservation districts at both the state and national level.

He has also led construction projects that resulted in CUSD students having the opportunity to learn in some of the finest school facilities in Arizona. The most well-known of these is the Wildcat Den.

Transferring to ASU through NPC a ‘sharp move’

SHOW LOW, Ariz. – Emily Sharp fulfilled her dream of becoming a registered nurse by transferring from Northland Pioneer College to Arizona State University.

A 2010 NPC graduate, Sharp attended the college with two years of Air Force service, a young daughter, and the desire to be a nurse.

She joined the Air Force at the age of 20 along with her twin sister. Upon completing her military service, she then embarked on fulfilling her dream, and was accepted into NPC’s nursing program in 2004.

NPC offered an affordable, convenient option for furthering her education.

Struggling as a single mother, Sharp worked at Summit Hospital and received tuition assistance in return for working as a nurse at Summit for two years.

She then transferred her credits to Arizona State University and used G.I. Bill benefits to help pay for her continued education.

Sharp went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing in two years.

More than 60% of all transfer students from a two-year community college like NPC, complete their bachelor’s degree within two to four years.

Sharp earned a master’s degree in science/nursing management from Western Governors University two years later.

She discovered that transferring her credits to a four-year state university was the “smart” way to attend college.

In a comparison of 2021-22 tuition costs, NPC can save students nearly $20,000 in tuition alone during the first two years.

Earning an associate from NPC and moving on to four-year university for a bachelor’s degree is a win-win endeavor.

For Sharp, she earns a good living as a registered nurse at Show Low’s Veterans Clinic, where she has been employed for six years.

“We have one doctor,” she said, “two nurse practitioners, four registered nurses, and five licensed practical nurses on staff. A mental health specialist and a social worker are also available part time. It is all the things I had hoped for.”

For students like Sharp, who are interested in the transfer process and options for obtaining a bachelor’s or master’s degrees, contact https://visit.asu.edu/tri-university or contact an NPC academic adviser at www.npc.edu/advising.

NPC also currently has 18 All-Arizona Academic Team scholarships available to NPC students. The scholarships provide tuition waivers for up to 60 credit hours at the state’s four-year universities.

Two students from each NPC center and campus location are awarded each fall. The application period ongoing now and closes Nov. 14. Learn more at https://www.npc.edu/scholarships/all-arizona-academic-team.

In addition to transfer opportunities and learning more about university transfer, NPC offers financial aid, veterans’ assistance and a multitude of scholarships that provide free and reduced university tuition to NPC graduates.

Learn more about these opportunities www.npc.edu or 1-800-266-7845.

Kayenta’s Preston enrolls in University of Utah

SALT LAKE CITY – Jerrell-Naataanii Preston, of Kayenta, is among the 5,361 students who make up the University of Utah’s Class of 2025 – the largest freshmen class in school history.
Preston’s major is listed as pre-nursing.

Enrollment of first-time freshmen increased 19.6% from fall 2020 and is the first class of over 5,000 students. Last fall, first-time freshmen increased 5.5%.

The U of U also enrolled historically high numbers of domestic students of color, international students and both in-state and out-of-state students.

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