A Central Arizona College alumna, Rep. Dr. Ponka-We Victors, is currently serving her fifth term in the Kansas House of Representatives at the Kansas State Capitol.

Rep. Victors grew up in Wichita, Kanas, where she graduated from Wichita North High School. With the suggestion from her godmother to move to Arizona following her graduation, she relocated to Chui Chu. As a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, this allowed her to be closer to home and family.

It wasn’t long after her move that Rep. Victors began attending classes at Central Arizona College. While at CAC, she was very involved in the sciences and recalls taking field trips with different CAC classes and organizations. She specifically remembers attending a trip to Globe and a visit to the ASU Anthropology Museum. One of her greatest highlights as a student was serving as Miss Tohono O’odham Nation in 2001.

When asked about her time at CAC, Rep. Victors stated, “The campus was beautiful and the teachers were willing to always help me when I didn’t understand something, or would go out of their way to find me a tutor.” She credits Mr. Perea as being influential in helping her to achieve her goals. She added, “I am grateful for the awesome experience I had at Central Arizona College. I will always treasure my time there and the memories. Central Arizona College was a stepping stone to help get me where I am today.”

Rep. Victors graduated from CAC in 2001 with an associate of arts. She continued her education, completing an undergraduate degree in biology from Newman University, a graduate degree in public administration from Wichita State University and a doctorate in education from Creighton University.

For more than nine years, Rep. Victors has worked in the Kansas House of Representatives. She’s served as vice-chair of the National Native American caucus of State legislators and chairwoman of the Kansas state-tribal relations committee.

To future college students, she provides this advice, “Take every opportunity you can, like internships and shadowing someone in your desired profession.”

Editor’s note: Angela Askey is CAC’s executive director of public relations and marketing.