Author: Mark Rummel

SC4 to present K-12 student art exhibition

St. Clair County Community College will present the 52nd annual Beatrice Thornton Student Art Exhibition in February and March in the college’s Fine Arts Building.

The exhibition, which is free and open to the public, will feature art by students from across St. Clair County at schools in East China, Marysville, Memphis, Port Huron, Yale/Avoca and more.

The exhibition will be split into two shows.

  • Elementary school art will be in the first show Feb. 3 through 15, with an opening reception from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6.
  • Middle school and high school art will be in the second show Feb. 24 through March 7, with an opening reception from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27.

Hours for both shows are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

St. Clair County students who are home-schooled and want to display art can call Debbie Sta Cruz at 810-989-5760 or dstacruz@sc4.edu to have their work considered for the exhibition.

Pictured above: 2019 51st annual Beatrice Thornton Student Art Exhibition

Qatar native finds friendship, encouragement and passion at SC4

Qatar native Nasser Al-Attiyah found friendship, influential professors and a new passion nearly halfway around the world at St. Clair County Community College in Port Huron, Mich.

Nasser Al-Attiyah graduated in 2007 from Qatar Academy, an international I.B. school in Doha, Qatar. Connected to the Port Huron area through family members who had previously attended SC4, Al-Attiyah enrolled at the college in fall 2010.

“My cousin, a Port Huron local at the time, called SC4 an excellent starting spot for pursuing higher education,” Al-Attiyah said.

While at SC4, he joined the music club and participated in various campus activities, served as a student speaker for multiple events, and started his Tang Soo Do study at PKSA Karate Port Huron.

“Clubs and campus activities allowed me to bond with people at the college,” he said. “I met a few other students whom I am still in contact with today. Being able to break the initial barrier of meeting new people in a completely new environment at that stage was crucial to my acclimation. They were some great people too.”

According to Al-Attiyah, other great people he met included college faculty and staff members.

“Patricia and Jim Frank still remain as two of the most influential professors I’ve ever had at any level. They constantly pushed boundaries and prioritize learning and engaging discussions over grades and homework quotas,” he said. “And the administration as a whole was incredibly supportive when anything got confusing or needed straightening out. Pete Lacey, Carrie Bearss, and Angel Niederkohr, in particular, went above and beyond to make sure I was settled in and had everything in order. I am forever grateful for all they did.”

Al-Attiyah transferred from SC4 to Arizona State University in 2012 to study international agribusiness (food security issues) and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 2016.

Since graduation, he enlisted in Qatar’s Military Officer Cadet Program and currently holds the rank of Lieutenant. Following that, he joined Qatar’s government-run agricultural company Hassad Qatar where he is a member of the team that oversees operations.

Al-Attiyah also continued his training in Tang Soo Do. He earned a second degree black belt in 2018 and participated in the 16th World Tang Soo Do Championship, representing Qatar for the first time in the tournament as the sole member of the team, and winning the gold medal in heavyweight sparring on his first try.

“I have since been recognized as the highest-ranking Tang Soo Do black belt in Qatar (and the Gulf region as a whole), all thanks to the Tang Soo Do school which was initially across the street from SC4 in downtown Port Huron,” he said. “I still attend and visit twice a year to train with the same instructors that have been training me for more than nine years.”

While he aspires to further his martial arts training and open up his own school, Al-Attiyah really wants to lead the charge in advancing agriculture in his region.

“As one of the few people truly specialized in this field, it has become my responsibility to educate and inform as much as possible to help develop this sector,” Al-Attiyah said. “With my background and experiences at SC4 and ASU, I feel well equipped to have a great impact.”

Lifelong learner and alumna Barbara Beck-Donovan (1928-2019) gifts $1.6 million to SC4, People’s Clinic

Upon her passing on May 6, 2019, SC4 and the Community Foundation of St. Clair County learned of a $1.6 million gift from Barbara Beck-Donovan, which will provide approximately $800,000 to SC4 for the creation of two scholarships and $800,000 to an endowment fund for the benefit of the People’s Clinic for Better Health at Lake Huron Medical Center.

Beck-Donavan attended SC4 – then Port Huron Junior College – from 1946 through 1947. She then transferred from SC4 to Michigan State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in 1949. Beck-Donovan taught English at Port Huron High School until her retirement. Upon retirement, the avid reader returned to SC4 and took a class every fall and winter semester between 1990 and 2019.

Beck-Donovan was well known among the faculty and staff at SC4. One professor who got to know Barbara, Professor Suzanne O’Brien said, “like many of my colleagues, I was greatly saddened by the loss of Barbara Donovan. A former English teacher and literacy teacher for the County Jail, she never failed to inspire me throughout the twenty-plus years she took classes at SC4. She radiated strength, independence, and had a passion for arts and travel. Barbara was a woman of substance, and I will miss her.”

According to her longtime friend and retired CPA Thomas F. McTaggart, Beck-Donovan was most passionate about art and literature. “Barbara loved books and learning about art and literature from different perspectives. She took several classes over because she liked getting viewpoints from different instructors. She also was fortunate to be able to take many trips overseas to places such as France, Italy, Spain and Egypt to see in person what she learned about in classes and books. And, of course, she never stopped teaching others. She had a wonderful ability to help people understand things using creative methods.”

“Barbara was a beloved member of our community and her presence on our campus will be missed,” said SC4 President Dr. Deborah A. Snyder. “SC4 students will benefit greatly from her generosity and love of learning for generations to come. We are incredibly grateful.”

Longtime SC4 Professor James Jones honored with national AACC award

St. Clair County Community College Professor of Criminal Justice James Jones has been awarded the American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC) 2020 Dale P. Parnell Faculty Distinction Recognition for his work in making a difference in the classroom.

As a Faculty Distinction recipient, Jones will be recognized on the AACC Faculty Wall of Distinction, on the AACC website and at AACC’s 100th Annual Convention in March, where he will be honored with a private reception.

“Jim has devoted his life to giving back to others, and we are thrilled to congratulate him on this prestigious award,” said SC4 President Dr. Deborah A. Snyder. “His dedication to the success of SC4’s criminal justice program is admirable as is his devotion to ensuring that his students gain hands-on knowledge and experience with criminal situations and scenarios.”

Jones has been teaching at SC4 since 1997 both as an adjunct instructor and a full-time professor. In addition to his full-time teaching, he also serves as a part-time police officer with the Marine City Police Department. Jones previously served as a full-time officer for the Port Huron Police Department for 28 years.

At SC4, he organizes off-campus learning experiences for students, including visits to the city of Detroit to shadow the Detroit Police Department on ride-alongs. He also is actively engaged in other college activities as well, including leading and serving on event, recruitment and curriculum committees.

According to Snyder, Jones is known for going out of his way to ensure that his students succeed and complete their goals.