By Mira Radovich, Senior Contributing Writer
Cordero Holmes is making news. The 2022 Rio Salado College graduate has received two recent awards. In January, Holmes was honored with the 2025 Arizona State University (ASU) MLK Jr. Student Servant Leadership award, and this spring, he was named a 2025 Outstanding Alumni Award from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).
Holmes served as Rio’s student commencement speaker in 2022. He is currently pursuing two master’s degree programs in the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions at ASU.
“Cordero Holmes exemplifies the very best of what education can inspire— resilience, service, and an unwavering commitment to lifting others,” said Rio Salado President Dr. Kate Smith. “His journey is a testament to the power of second chances and the impact of servant leadership.”
ASU 2025 MLK Jr. Student Servant Leadership Award
ASU’s annual MLK Jr. awards recognize leaders who dedicate themselves to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s value of service. Honorees are named in four categories: community, faculty, staff and student.
Holmes accepted his award at ASU’s MLK Jr. breakfast celebration on Jan. 23, 2025.
“I was humbled and deeply honored to be selected for the Student Servant-Leadership Award,” Holmes said. “Dr. King’s legacy of service, equity and community building means so much to me, and to be recognized for the work I do in my community is incredibly rewarding.”
“It’s a reminder that our work to create positive change, no matter how small, has a lasting impact. It also makes me reflect on how far I’ve come from the place I started and how much more work is ahead of us.”
Holmes was referring to the years he spent incarcerated before turning his life around to become an honor student and social activist.
“I try to approach every interaction with kindness, fairness and a commitment to justice,
whether I’m mentoring youth, volunteering with the unhoused or speaking to those impacted by the criminal justice system,” Holmes said.
He recounted one memorable experience while working with youth at the Durango Juvenile Detention Center.
“A young person came up to me after a session and shared that my words had given him hope and inspired him to continue pursuing his education,” Holmes said. “Moments like that remind me why I do this work — because you never know when your story, your actions or your words might spark a change in someone else.”
Read more about Holmes and the ASU 2025 MLK Jr. Student Servant Leadership Award.
AACC 2025 Outstanding Alumni Award
Each year the AACC honors outstanding community college alumni who have excelled in their fields and who have given back to their communities.
Holmes is an activist and the director of operations for the Arizona branch of Progress Pushers, a nonprofit based in Washington whose mission is to educate and empower youth impacted by societal systems.
“Receiving this award is more than just an honor—it’s a reflection of the journey I’ve been on and the people who have supported me along the way,” Holmes said. "My journey would not have been possible without the support systems that lifted me up, like Rio Salado and the Maricopa Community Colleges.”
The AACC award emphasizes community service, something Holmes passionately supports.
“For me, it’s personal,” he said. “I know what it’s like to feel lost, to feel like society has given up on you. Engaging in community work allows me to be that person for others. It’s about breaking cycles, creating pathways, and making sure those who have been overlooked get the support they deserve.”
Holmes will receive the award at the AACC’s annual convention in Nashville on April 16, 2025.
He plans on finishing his master degrees at ASU in spring of 2027.
“After that, my focus remains the same— serving the community, expanding my advocacy work, and finding ways to influence public policy,” Holmes said. “Ultimately, my goal is to ensure that no one feels like they have to fight their battles alone.”
Holmes, who received multiple degrees and certificates from Rio, was the 2021-2022 Rio Salado Student Senator and one of two recipients students named All AZ Scholars from Rio Salado. In addition, he was a member of the Coca-Cola Academic Team Scholarship and earned the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship and the Phi Theta Kappa's 2022 Hites Transfer Scholarship.