Author: Mark Rummel

Free College Day: Call for instructors and speakers

St. Clair County Community College will host its 17th annual Free College Day Saturday, March 16, 2019, and is seeking instructors and speakers for the event.

This college-wide community outreach program offers a day of free, hour-long classes between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. for learners of all ages. Last year, community members filled close to 2,000 seats in 107 classes.

Faculty and staff members, as well as community members interested in teaching classes that highlight their area of expertise, are welcome to sign up to teach. Please contact Debbie Sta Cruz at (810) 989-5760 or dstacruz@sc4.edu with questions or to sign up today.

SC4 students come together for special performance to open free Thursday concert Dec. 6

On Thursday, Dec. 6, Dr. Kazimierz Brzozowski will take the stage in the St. Clair County Community College Fine Arts Theatre for two performances as part of the free Thursday Concert Series. But before the renowned classical pianist touches the keys, three SC4 students will perform classic holiday songs for the first — and maybe only — time together as The Temp Trio.

Three Students Musicians03Desi Kuntz (double bass), Kristen Osko (alto saxophone) and Tim Ries (piano) took different paths to SC4, and they will likely go their separate ways when their time at the college is done. However, after meeting as work-study employees for SC4’s college and cultural relations department earlier this year, their impressive talents and shared passion for music brought them together as an ensemble for this special performance.

Born and raised in New York City, Kuntz, 25, attributes his eclectic musical interests to his surroundings growing up in a large, diverse city. Playing with groups all over New York since the age of 12, he has backed vocalists, played solo and done session work as an electric and upright bass player. He moved to Michigan in 2016 to be closer to family and study mechatronics and electrical engineering at SC4. “I’m always excited to play any chance I get,” Kuntz says. “You never know what new connections you’ll make, and this group is a great example of that.” In the fall, he plans to transfer to Wayne State University and enroll in their electrical engineering technology program.

Osko, 21, has been playing alto sax for 15 years, focusing on the instrument as a high school student at Landmark Academy in Kimball, Michigan. Her grandfather, a lifelong musician and her biggest musical influence, taught her guitar as a child and continued to nurture her artistic development throughout his life. Most recently, Osko has started learning the violin. “Music is like a universal language to me and a way to bring your community together,” Osko says. “It’s always been part of my life, and I can’t imagine doing anything else.” She plans to transfer to Oakland University in 2019 after completing degrees in liberal arts and general education at SC4, with the goal of becoming a music professor.

For Ries, 18, and his eight siblings, musicianship is a family tradition. His mom is an accomplished opera singer who has performed around the world, and his father was the lead singer in a rock band. “Everyone in my family sings except me, so that’s why I picked up the piano,” he says. Playing the piano has always been a hobby and personal passion, and he has spent the last 10 years honing his skills through private lessons and continued practice. “It’s definitely nice to fall back on music to relax after a long day in class or at work, so connecting with Desi and Kristen as coworkers and being able to play together has been really special,” Ries says. He has recently started showcasing his talents on campus and in the community, performing classical music at local venues and events. He is studying criminal justice at SC4 with the goal of working in federal law enforcement.

Watch The Temp Trio give their take on classic holiday tunes before Brzozowski’s performance on Thursday Dec. 6 as part of SC4’s Free Thursday Concert Series. The concert is free and open to the public, with shows at noon and 7 p.m.

SC4 students to take on final stage of national cybersecurity competition this weekend

This Friday through Sunday, students in St. Clair County Community College’s computer information systems networking degree program will compete against teams across the country as part of the Fall 2018 National Cyber League (NCL) competition.

ncl-logo_cropFounded in 2011, the NCL provides an ongoing virtual training ground for individuals to develop and validate cybersecurity knowledge in a defensive and offensive puzzle-based, capture-the-flag style competition. Participants play the games simultaneously during a preseason, regular season and postseason, competing as individuals and on teams to test themselves against cybersecurity challenges they are likely to face in the workforce.

SC4’s NCL team is comprised of nine students from the college’s Network Security-Security+ Certification course. Led by adjunct instructor Bill Pilkey, team members took part in the regular season competition Nov. 1 through 2, when participants are only allowed to solve game challenges individually. During the postseason, SC4 students will compete in two groups due to changing requirements that limit teams to a maximum of five players.

“Real-world cybersecurity work is often done in teams, and the NCL postseason event provides a safe and challenging environment for individual players from the regular season to apply their knowledge and skills in a team setting,” says Pilkey. “The team event requires players to work together to solve real problems, with real deadlines, under time — and in some cases — technical and resource constraints.”

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Nearly 1,000 teams representing schools across the country will compete in this year’s NCL postseason. Community colleges are in a unique position, Pilkey explains, as students generally compete for just one year, while students at four-year institutions stay with their teams much longer. “We end up with a new group each year, except for a couple previous competitors,” Pilkey says.

Beyond the thrill of competition and potential recognition for winners, NCL team members gain invaluable hands-on experience that complements their education and helps them stand out to potential employers. “Being in a competition like this is a great addition to students’ resumes. It adds to all parts of data security and hacking, exposing them to every aspect of cybersecurity,” says Pilkey.

The NCL postseason matchup will be held entirely online, running 24/7 Friday through Sunday. To make collaboration easier, SC4’s team members will be working together on campus Friday from 3 to 9:30 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. The NCL season officially concludes Dec. 16.

For the Wiltons, Success at Blue Water Middle College Academy Runs in the Family

The Blue Water Middle College Academy gave Sharon Wilton’s two daughters a jump on the game with free associate degrees thanks to the partnership between the St. Clair County Regional Educational Service Agency, area school districts and St. Clair County Community College.

Wilton, March of Dimes development manager, said she is amazed at the paths her daughters, Emily and Meghan, have taken since earning degrees from the Middle College, which gives students an opportunity to earn a free associate degree by attending school an extra year.

“All the professors were very welcoming to the Middle College students,” she said. “They helped prepare students for college at a young age, gave them confidence to complete college-level work and provided support along the way.”

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Emily, 22, enrolled in the Middle College as a junior in 2012 while attending Port Huron Northern High School. She was president of SC4’s Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society her senior year and graduated with honors in 2015 with a liberal arts degree in addition to earning her high school diploma – all at no cost to her and her family.

She went on to Northwood University in Midland, Michigan, taking accelerated courses to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration. She was Northwood’s student government president, awarded the school’s prestigious Arthur E. Turner Award and inducted into its Gallery of Distinction.

Emily now works at the Midland Brewing Co. on a consulting project. She and Northwood classmate Sydnie Michael have started a homemade pasta business, Pastamico, and sell at the Midland Farmers Market and in the Bay City-Saginaw area.

Wilton said both Emily and Meghan were captains of Northern’s color guard, held jobs and taught dance classes while attending the Middle College.

“Middle College requires that students work hard because they have classes at the high school and college until their 13th year,” she said. “But they definitely can still work or participate in sports at the same time.”

IMG_1426 (1)Meghan, 19, also a Northern BWMCA high school student, finished Middle College in May. After transferring 64 credits, Meghan is attending Grand Valley State University for hospitality and tourism management, working part time and still helping with color guard.

Wilton herself earned an associate degree from SC4 in 1996 and received her bachelor’s from Baker College and master’s from its Center for Graduate Studies.

“I do have parents ask me if I would recommend Middle College, and I definitely do,” she said. “I think it’s a wonderful program. I am very proud of both of them and grateful they had this opportunity in St. Clair County.”