Author: Mark Rummel

SC4 student finds college success in TRIO program

When Mikayla Phetteplace decided to restart her college career in 2018, she attended an orientation session for the TRIO program. With a six-month-old baby girl, Mikayla’s schedule wasn’t flexible enough for on-campus classes and she was going to need some help getting back into the swing of college classes. SC4’s TRIO Student Support Services program looked like a great choice.

“After [the TRIO] orientation, I had an advising appointment,” Mikayla explains. “The advisor highly recommended TRIO. I was amazed at the opportunities and benefits of being in the program, so I didn’t hesitate to fill out the application.”

Mikayla has been in the TRIO program for five semesters, and she’s sure she wouldn’t have had the success she’s had at SC4 without it. “Shawne (Jowett, then-TRIO advisor and current Interim Director of the program) kept me on track and made sure that the classes I was taking were online and needed for me to graduate. The early enrollment opportunity and the tutoring were the services I benefited from the most.”

With a full-time job and family responsibilities, Mikayla’s biggest challenge is time, and the help provided by her instructors and the TRIO team has been essential. “There are never enough hours in the day,” she says. “I have found that the trick to having the time is making it. It has seemed impossible sometimes, but things always get accomplished by the deadline. I try to remind myself to breathe and always ask for help when I need it.”

While it was important that she was able to complete her associate degree in computer information systems completely online, being able to travel 30 minutes to campus if she needed additional help was also important to Mikayla’s success. “SC4 is local, so unlike some online schools where literally everything is done online, if I need to come to campus I can.”

Mikayla has had support from many SC4 faculty and staff, but she is particularly thankful for the support of three people. “I’m most grateful for Professor Colleen Forsgren. She has been the most supportive, informational, and just all-around the best professor I’ve had at SC4. I’ve learned so much under her instruction,” Mikayla says. “I’m also grateful to Amy (Hengehold, TRIO Support Staff Member) and Shawne. They’re both so wonderful.”

Because of her overall success at SC4 and the impact that the college’s TRIO SSS program has had on her, Mikayla is the TRIO Student of the Month for September 2020.

Mikayla is planning to graduate in December with her associate degree, and eventually hopes to transfer to a university to complete her bachelor’s degree. She currently works as an administrative assistant and she and her husband hoping to buy a home in the area to give their daughter a place to grow up in and enjoy.

“TRIO has been one of the brightest spots of my college career,” Mikayla says. “There is nothing not to like about TRIO. They are helpful, kind, supportive, and always there if anyone has questions or concerns.”

Registration open for SC4 late-start fall classes

Registration is open for late-start fall semester classes at St. Clair County Community College. Seats are still available in 12-week classes starting the week of Sept. 21 and eight-week classes starting the week of Oct. 19. Classes are available in Port Huron and online.  

Late-start classes allow students to earn credits at a faster pace. Class topics include biology, business, English, history, math, political science, psychology, sociology and more.

Examples of some specific courses offered this fall include:  

  • BIO 271 – Human Anatomy and Physiology
  • BUS 110 – Human Relations
  • BUS 150 – Principles of Business
  • BUS 153 – Business Law
  • BUS 155 – Principles of Management
  • BUS 258 – Human Resources Management
  • CIS 115 – Microcomputer Applications
  • ENG 102 – English Composition II
  • GEO 101 – Earth Science
  • HIS 150 – History of U.S. 1877 to Present
  • MTH 120 – Introduction to Statistics
  • MUS 106 – Music Appreciation
  • PE 128 – Weight Training
  • PSY 180 – Introduction to Psychology
  • PSY 220 – Life Span Developmental Psychology
  • PS 101 ­– Introduction to Political Science
  • SOC 101 – Introduction to Sociology
  • THA 105 – Oral Interpretation  

Current students can search for all courses and sections at sc4.edu/schedule. They can register and pay for classes online in the SC4 Portal at portal.sc4.edu. New students can start at sc4.edu/starthere.  

Registration service also is available from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday at SC4’s One-stop Student Services Center located in the Dr. James C. Acheson Welcome Center on the corner of Erie Street and Glenwood Avenue on the Port Huron campus. Services are being provided in the public areas of the first floor only. Face coverings or masks are required to receive service. Online, remote, and phone services continue to be available.  

SC4 receives $1.3 million TRIO grant

St. Clair County Community College recently was awarded a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to continue its TRIO Student Support Services program. This is the third time SC4 has been awarded funding for its TRIO SSS program, following grants in 2010 and 2015.

The Student Support Services program is one of eight TRIO programs funded by the Department of Education, which share the goal of providing opportunities for academic success and motivating students toward completing their postsecondary educational goals. TRIO’s primary clients are low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities. A major goal of SC4’s TRIO SSS program is to increase retention and graduation rates of the students involved with the program.

SC4’s TRIO SSS program provides individualized tutoring; academic advising; financial aid assistance; and assisting with students’ long-term academic plans, including transferring to four-year colleges and universities after completing their SC4 degree.

“I’m so proud of our TRIO SSS students,” said Shawne Jowett, interim director of the program at SC4. “These students come from a variety of backgrounds, each with their own challenges, but with the help of the TRIO program, and as importantly, the support they give each other, they’ve been successful at achieving their college goals at SC4.”

The program more than 140 SC4 students participating during the 2019-20 academic year.

“The TRIO SSS program has provided outstanding support to SC4 students over the past decade, helping hundreds achieve their goal of earning a college degree,” said Pete Lacey, vice president of student services. “I’m excited to receive this new grant award and look forward to our team continuing to help students successfully navigate college.”

For more information about SC4’s TRIO Student Support Services program, visit sc4.edu/trio.

A TRIO student call bingo at the St. Clair County Council on Aging.
A TRIO student calls bingo at the St. Clair County Council on Aging.

Bank senior vice president Gary Schlinkert’s success began at SC4

Gary Schlinkert is a big advocate of community colleges. The Marysville High School graduate attended St. Clair County Community College from 1973 to 1975.

“Both my folks and I felt that two years at SC4 would be best – and a lot cheaper,” said Schlinkert, who is senior vice president of West Shore Bank in Ludington, Michigan. “I learned a lot and enjoyed my time there. I was involved in Student Government as a representative of Phi Theta Kappa, played sports and got to know other students, many of whom I am still in contact with to this day.”

According to Schlinkert, he also was inspired by SC4 faculty members to pursue new interests in economics and the stock market.

“I had several excellent professors while I was at SC4, particularly in the areas of economics, physics and mathematics,” he said. “Professor Tansky and Professor Falls were excellent instructors. I learned a lot from them. The fact that I remember their names after so many years is a testament to the impact they made on me as a young student.”

Schlinkert transferred from SC4 to Lawrence Technological University in 1975 to pursue a degree in architecture. However, he soon changed his path back to his interest of economics and finance, enrolling at the New York Institute of Finance. There he earned several certifications that prepared him for the licensing required to be a registered representative, insurance, options and commodity broker. 

Most of Schlinkert’s career has been spent as an executive in the financial sector. He was a licensed stockbroker for more than 30 years and was originally involved in bringing stock brokerage services to community banking customers at what is now a large regional bank. In his current position at West Shore Bank, he oversees wealth management, deposit operations, human resources, compliance and internal audit.

Schlinkert, who lives in Manistee, is in the process of transferring credits to SC4 to earn his Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees for summer 2020 graduation through the reverse transfer option. He maintained ties to SC4 through his son, Craig, who served for 20 years in the U.S. Navy, graduated from SC4 with his associate degree, and went on to Rutgers University and its National Transit Institute for Procurement. Schlinkert also has two daughters who received their bachelor’s degree, one from Oakland University (Jaime Greene) and the other from Alma College (Carly Schlinkert). Jaime also has her MA in Human Services. His grandson (Andrew Chambers) is currently enrolled at Macomb Community College.

Schlinkert plans on retiring in a few years after a long and successful career. He said he is proud of his family and of all others who choose to pursue higher education, especially at a community college. 

“The cost of a college education at a private or state university has become prohibitive,” he said. “The opportunity for a student to take their core classes at a fraction of the cost at a community college should resonate as this next generation of college-aged student prepares for their next step.”

“Not every job requires a four-year degree in order to be successful either,” he continued. “In addition to preparing for a four-year degree, community colleges also offer technology and certification programs to train future employees for good paying jobs.”

Schlinkert also serves on his bank’s scholarship committee, which gives multiple scholarships every year to qualified and need-based area students going to West Shore Community College. He recently helped establish an internship program at the bank to identify current and future West Shore students who have the potential to succeed in the world of finance.