George Armitage was like many high school graduates when he left Port Huron High School in 2008. He knew he wanted to go to college, but he was undecided as to what career path to pursue.
Today, the 29-year-old Grand Rapids resident and licensed professional counselor at Grand Valley State University’s Counseling Center credits St. Clair County Community College for giving him the opportunity to discover his passion.
“I chose SC4 at the time because I was uncertain about what I wanted to do career-wise after graduation,” Armitage said. “Initially, I was pre-medicine, but soon found little interest in many of the science subjects. SC4 was a good place for me to begin my educational journey and explore my general education courses.
“SC4 is also where I was first introduced to psychology,” he continued. “It was later during my tenure at SC4 that I became more and more intrigued by the subject and decided to pursue an education within psychology.”
Armitage went on earn his bachelor’s in psychology and master’s in counseling from Central Michigan University. He then received his Ph.D. in counselor education from the University of Toledo.
Most importantly, he said, SC4 allowed him to fulfill the Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (MACRAO) Transfer Agreement and graduate with his associate degree in a short period of time.
The agreement gives students the ability to transfer up to 30 semester credits to meet many or all of the general education requirements at participating Michigan four-year colleges and universities.
“Attending SC4 for me was immensely beneficial, because it allowed me to explore my educational and career options,” Armitage said. “Beginning my educational journey at SC4 was also an appropriate financial decision for me, since I really had no idea what I wanted to do when I ‘grew up.’ SC4 allowed me the time and exploration with many different courses to figure out two things: how to become a college student, and how to find an appropriate career path.”
Armitage added he made the right choice when it came to attending his hometown community college.
“SC4 is where I was first intrigued by psychology,” he said. “Without my experiences there, I probably wouldn’t have pursued an education in psychology. Then I ultimately wouldn’t have completed my graduate education in professional counseling and became a counselor or counselor educator.”
