Valley student finds new career in trades through affordable MCCCD program 

Addist Bennett never thought he would go to college, especially as an older adult. No one in his family had ever pursued higher education. 

After working in different fields, Bennett decided he wanted more stability and security and looked into focusing on a career. Bennett knew he was good at working with his hands, just like all the other men in his family. 

He decided to enroll into GateWay Community College’s (GWCC) Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration (HVAC) trade program. GWCC offers a certification and associate’s degree in the field. 

GWCC is part of the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD), which is one of the largest community college districts in the country.  Students like Bennett have the opportunity to enroll into trade programs that can lead into high-paying jobs. 

Bennett said he has been able to grow as a professional and enjoys the flexibility of the class schedules. 

“It’s really, to be honest it’s hard because I’m trying to (balance) work and school life, but at the same time it’s rewarding. I know that at the end of the day I’m building towards something that’s going to sustain my future,” Bennett said. 

As a student Bennett was able to lock in a job in the HVAC field through Johnson’s Control Institute’s partnership. Johnson’s is a company that focuses on commercial HVAC building systems. 

GWCC received $300,000 through Johnson’s Community College Partnership Program to help expand access to students who are interested in working in the HVAC field.  

The role helped him put into practice what he is learning at GWCC, while receiving on the job training. 

“I wanted to ease my way (into) something to give me confidence moving forward and to understand my path a bit better and then allow bigger things to open up after that,” Bennett said. 

Bennett plans to finish the program this year with his Associate in Applied Science in the Commercial HVAC Program. 

“It was more than what I expected because I think that if I wouldn’t have gone to school or put myself in that situation to better myself that job would have never materialized,” Bennett said.

“So, going to school, it can put you in better situations that a person never would have thought that it would, but that’s been my experience. I know for a fact the company that I work for, you definitely need to have some type of qualifications or skill set or schooling to even get into the door,” he added. 

How does MCCCD help students like Addist?

This spring 2026 semester, MCCCD saw a 4% increase in enrollment. MCCCD has 10 campuses across the Valley. The campuses offer four-year bachelor’s degree programs, associate degrees and career and technical education certifications.

MCCCD keeps tuition affordable for students. Tuition costs $97 per credit hour for lower-division courses and $145.50 per credit hour for upper-division courses. The cost of tuition for the majority of MCCCD’s bachelor’s degree programs is under $15,000, which is a year’s worth of tuition at one of Arizona’s four-year universities.

“The success we are seeing is rooted in the fact that we are making efforts to ensure college works for every Arizonan,” MCCCD’s Chancellor Steven Gonzales said in a press release. “Each day, we ask ourselves, what makes opportunity real and how do we create that opportunity for our students?”

Additionally, 93% of MCCCD students graduate debt-free and Addist Bennett is no exception. 

“Hopefully I’ll be leaving with very little to no debt. And I owe that to the school as well because they really help you navigate what classes that you need, what you don’t need,” he said.

“And just the support and the knowledge of what to take, what not to take. It really made a difference,” Bennett said.

Bennett encourages everyone to pursue higher education, no matter where they are in life. At first, he said it was intimidating for him to go back to school later in life, but he’s grateful he made the change.

“If you want something that you never had, you have to be willing to do something you’ve never done,” he said. “It’s never too late, you’re never too old, you’re never too young. Don’t allow fear to be a motivating factor to keep you stuck.”

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Reporting by “Arizona Horizon” Education Solutions Reporter Roxanne De La Rosa. Her role is made possible through grant funding from the Arizona Local News Foundation’s Arizona Community Collaborative Fund and Report for America.

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