Regina Gee first came to Yavapai College in 2000. She was a single mom of three young children, leaving a bad marriage in California she now describes as a “mistake.” She moved to Arizona, worked in insurance and took classes at the college in her spare time.
Eighteen years later, “Genie” Gee came back to her alma mater, now as the principal of Mingus Union High School, to be awarded as the school’s Distinguished Alumna for 2018.
“When I started at Yavapai College, I was coming out of a situation where I was looking for something completely different,” Gee said. “I needed something in my life that I could believe in. I wasn’t sure where that was going to go. It started with education, and it ends with education. That’s the road that I chose, thanks to Yavapai College. Coming back around to win an award at the very place I started was incredibly fulfilling.”
“There was this mass of energy around Genie Gee this year,” said Linda Buchanan, a public relations officer for Yavapai College, about Gee winning the award. “She’s relatively new in her position as principal at Mingus Union High School. So she’s been on this steadily upward trajectory through her education and her educational career.”
As principal, Gee has had numerous opportunities to work alongside her alma mater — Mingus, like several high schools in the Verde Valley, has a dual enrollment program with Yavapai College, allowing high school students to get college credits for classes taken in conjunction with YC.
Gee described this program, allowing her to work alongside some of her former professors, as especially meaningful to her.
“Yavapai College was a significant part of my journey, so now being able to hopefully show the path to other students is awesome,” she said.
“I’ve had the opportunity myself, as have many of the faculty, to work with and to design pathways and opportunities for students,” said Dr. James Perey, the executive dean of Yavapai College who presented the award to Gee. “We have many individuals dealing with the same issues she did as a single mom going to school. We want to focus on the student and help them achieve.”
During her speech, Gee got choked up speaking of her children who she’d worked to raise as she was taking classes at the college, not knowing she would one day be back as an distinguished alumna.
“You are the best thing I’ve ever done,” she said to her twin sons in the audience.
“She worked so hard throughout our childhood,” Gee’s son Caesar said. “This award is not really unexpected because she’s such a hard worker. She’s not in it for the money. She’s in it for the betterment of children.”
“She’s touching people everywhere,” Samson, her other son, said. “Out of all the dark in the world, she shows us that love can empower. I’m proud of her.”
Jon Hecht can be reached at 634-8551 or email jhecht@larsonnewspapers.com
