Month:

TRIO Student of the Month: Nicholas Reese

I chose to attend SC4 because it’s close to home, but I mostly chose the college for the reputation of its nursing program.

Working full-time while being in the nursing program can be tough. Working every afternoon takes time away from studying, so I’m usually staying up late to study because that’s when I can find the time. Time management is key to success when it comes to juggling a lot of responsibilities, and there have been many nights with only few hours of sleep just to get by in school. Financial barriers can also be challenging. I have been paying for half of the program costs out of pocket, but I look at the debt as an investment in my future that will pay off soon after graduation.

After I graduated high school I took two years off to manage some personal matters. I was salutatorian in high school, so I knew how to do well academically — my problem was making myself start up again. After talking with a close family friend, she recommended applying to the TRIO program at SC4. The more I learned about it, the more comfortable I felt going back to school again.

When I went to register for classes, I was clueless. I am a first-generation college student, so I had no idea how to register and what to register for. I went to TRIO for follow-up advising, and I left feeling relieved and confident. TRIO helped me complete all my prerequisites one year before applying to the nursing program, keeping me on track and able to focus on what’s important. Support services such as early registration allowed me to get the classes and instructors that I needed, and the TRIO staff has been so helpful. They are hardworking, dedicated individuals who truly advocate for students’ success.

I would strongly recommend TRIO to other students. They have even more support services than I was able to take advantage of for myself. Any person who wants a better learning experience with superior guidance should apply.

I am in my last semester of the nursing program. After graduation, studying and passing state boards are a priority so I can obtain my licensure to practice. Eventually, I would like to return to SC4 to take prerequisites for the B.S.N. program at Eastern Michigan University. When I get my B.S.N., I’ll continue to work until I find an area I want to specialize in — I look forward to figuring all of that out along the way.

SC4 to hold free health sciences information sessions in March and April

Between Monday, March 18, and Tuesday, April 2, St. Clair County Community College will hold free information sessions on main campus for a number of its in-demand health sciences programs.

Attending an info session is the first step for anyone interested in earning a health sciences degree from SC4. For those interested in the associate degree nursing (ADN) program, attending a session is mandatory.

Schedule:

Paramedic

  • 3 to 4 p.m. Monday, March 18 – Applied Technology Center, Room 145
  • Noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 2 – Applied Technology Center, Room 145

This 12-month certificate program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs to prepare students for exciting careers saving lives on ambulances, fire department advanced life support units or in hospital emergency rooms. Graduates are eligible to take the national registry paramedic exam and apply for the Michigan Paramedic License.

Medical Assisting

  • 5 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 20 – Applied Technology Center, Room 119

The medical assisting program is a 12-month certificate program that prepares students to perform various clinical and administrative duties in a variety of health care settings. Graduates gain the knowledge and skills necessary for further health sciences education and are eligible to take the national credentialing exam.

Associate Degree Nursing

  • 2 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 20 – North Building, Room 102

The associate degree nursing program prepares students for work with an interdisciplinary team in health care with multiple areas of entry such as surgery, mental health, obstetrical nursing and other adult and child areas of care. Graduates are eligible to take the national licensure examination to become a registered nurse.

Health Information Technology

  • Noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, March 21 – Applied Technology Center, Room 117
    • Evening appointments are available by contacting Program Director Karen Wilson at klwilson@sc4.edu.

The health information technology program prepares students for a variety of careers in the health care field. Students learn the process of acquiring, analyzing, and protecting digital and traditional medical information, which is vital to providing quality patient care, supporting medical education and research, and more. Graduates are eligible to take the nationally recognized Registered Health Information Technician Exam.

Those interested in attending an info session can find detailed information about all of SC4’s health sciences programs at sc4.edu/health.

SC4 students, community to benefit from McLaren Port Huron equipment donation

St. Clair County Community College’s radiologic technology program recently received a General Electric Mobile Radiographic Unit from McLaren Port Huron.

The donated unit will be utilized by radiology students in the college’s interdisciplinary Simulation Lab. It will allow students to practice positioning skills specific to mobile radiography, especially for work with trauma patients.

According to SC4 Dean of Health Sciences Jenny Giles-Voss, the unit will add unique training and preparation opportunities for students and strengthen the program’s commitment to student preparation and success.

“Though our health sciences programs already have excellent reputations for preparing high-quality, capable graduates, we are always looking for ways to improve upon their student experience,” says Giles-Voss. “Partnerships with local health care facilities like McLaren Port Huron are essential to the success of the college and our students. We are so grateful for their continued support and advocacy.”

“McLaren Port Huron is a proud supporter of the health sciences curriculum at St. Clair County Community College. Whenever possible, we donate equipment to the college when new units are purchased for the hospital,” says Jennifer Montgomery, RN, MSN, FACHE, president and CEO of McLaren Port Huron. “We believe this partnership provides students with the most advanced training on real-world equipment used in hospital settings.”

SC4’s accredited radiologic technology program prepares students to become radiologic technologists by combining imaging technology with patient care skills to create quality radiography images. It has a five-year, 100 percent first-time passage rate on the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) Exam, a national registry exam that grants certification in radiologic technology.

SC4 radiologic technology graduates go on to work at Beaumont hospitals, Children’s Hospital of Michigan, DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital, McKenzie Health System, McLaren Port Huron, Lake Huron Medical Center, Concentra clinics, Henry Ford Macomb Health Center, Orthopedic Associates, Advanced Orthopedics and Ascension Crittenton Hospital, among others.