St. Clair County Community College’s Criminal Justice program lead and instructor Jim Jones was interviewed by Paul Dingeman during CTV’s Focus television program. The show highlighted SC4’s Criminal Justice program with its new skill sets. Watch it below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyQ3AD1YDLg]
I initially chose SC4 because they offered online classes, which I was eager to try because I was not very comfortable with the traditional classroom environment in high school. I loved being able to work independently at my own pace and create my own schedule. When I started at SC4 last summer, I was surprised to learn that college is so much more than just going to class — I realized that I can express myself. In college, and specifically at SC4, students can personalize their education to fit their interests. Though my main area of interest was the arts, I will be graduating this May with three honors degrees: associate of arts, associate of science and associate of general education.
I heard about the TRIO program when I had my first advising appointment after applying to SC4. What interested me was the priority registration and personalized advising. Throughout high school, I would have to constantly remind the staff who I was, so it was a very nice change to come to SC4 and have professors and advisors remember not just my name but many other things about me.
Some of my biggest challenges have come with being a first-generation college student. Neither of my parents went to college, so I sometimes felt lost. Another large barrier in my life has been my mental health — I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression when I was 14. It not only affects my educational journey but my everyday life as well. I am grateful to all the people in the TRIO program who are patient with me and help me understand things that I don’t really know anything about. The support seminars and personalized advising have been a great help as I try to make college simpler when I can. College is a lot more than the classes — it’s also figuring out how to pay for your education, where to transfer, what program you want to be in and what career you want to have when you graduate. It is incredibly helpful to know there are people in TRIO there to help me.
TRIO has been such a great program for me I feel like it would be wrong not to recommend it to other students. Being a first-generation student is not easy, but having all the people in TRIO there to answer your questions makes things a lot easier. College can be daunting, but having the TRIO team there every step of the way is something I couldn’t do without. Amy Hengehold and Shawne Jowett have been such a great source of support in my education. I wouldn’t have been nearly as motivated without their help.
Applying to SC4 for me was a snap decision — I knew I wanted to go to college, but I wasn’t sure where to start. My future goals involve simply doing things that I want to do, whether it be a dream I’ve wanted to realize for years or just another snap decision. I would like to travel and see different parts of the world, especially Japan. I also hope to pursue a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in film.
There was no question where Brenda Seppo was going to college after graduating from Port Huron Northern in 1976.
Her parents, W. Helen and the late Harley Smith, both taught classes at St. Clair County Community College.
“Both of my parents taught there, so we had little choice as to where we were going,” said Seppo, 60, of Lakeport. “It was a good choice anyway — a good place to get an education.”
Today, Seppo — who founded the church outreach organization Operation Transformation with her husband, the Rev. Dr. Thomas Seppo — is one of three generations of women in her family to earn an SC4 degree.
Her mother graduated with an associate degree in nursing in the early 1960s and earned her bachelor’s from Michigan State University. She returned to SC4 and taught in the college’s nursing program for 25 years, retiring in 1991.
Seppo received an associate of arts degree in 1977, and her daughter, Rebecca Achatz of Casco, graduated from the nursing program in 2003.
“SC4 gave me a very good liberal arts background that I have used in many instances in my life,” Seppo said.
Her father taught political science and history at the college for more than 30 years, retiring in 2003, and would often drive to satellite campuses in the thumb to teach night classes.
Seppo said SC4 gave her an excellent start.
“I was a cheerleader for SC4 with the basketball team,” she said. “I was working part time and took classes year-round. I was able to graduate in December and saved myself a semester.”
Seppo then attended Eastern Michigan University, graduating with a bachelor’s in education and social science. After returning to Port Huron, she was a stay-at-home mom, caring for Achatz and the couple’s other two children, Andrea Schultz of St. Clair and Dr. Andrew Seppo of Holland.
“When I had Rebecca, Mom was already up at the hospital with her students when she was born,” Seppo laughed. “Rebecca was actually the demonstration model.”
Seppo wasn’t surprised her daughter followed her grandmother’s footsteps into nursing, which she notes as “one of the things SC4 is most famous for.” Achatz made it through the program in two years, becoming a registered nurse at age 20 and now working for Beacon Health Care.
“Rebecca always wanted to be a nurse probably from junior high on,” she said. “There was really no other way to look at it, because the education there with the nursing program was excellent for the value.”
She added SC4 gives students an opportunity to learn how to tackle college classes while still living close to home.
“They were challenging,” Seppo said. “You have to take basic classes anyway, so why pay two or three times the amount? That’s why we had all three of our kids take some classes here. It’s a good transition, too. You have to learn time management and the class sizes are smaller. Again, it made for really easy transition for all of us.”
Students of all ages and their families are invited to attend the Explore Your Future Career event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, in St. Clair County Community College’s Applied Technology Center.
The annual event, hosted in partnership between SC4 and Michigan State University Extension, gives attendees the opportunity to tour facilities, conduct hands-on, career-focused activities and speak directly with highly experienced faculty members from both institutions. Attendees will also have the chance to speak with on-site admission representatives to learn about program offerings and the advantages of going to college.
More than 20 career pathways across multiple industries will be open for exploration, including:
The event is free and open to the public, and advanced registration is not required. For more information, contact Tom Kephart at 810-989-5571 or tkephart@sc4.edu.
