Current or most recent title and employer?
Director – Health Officer
How did SC4 help prepare you?
It allowed me to find nursing as a profession while being close to home and my family. I was a mother of two when I graduated with my ADN. I continue to be an advocate for the nursing profession, emphasizing how broad this path is. Passing my NCLEX was a breeze with the preparation I had both academically and clinically at SC4, allowing me to secure a full-time job quickly after graduation.
What do you like most about what you do professionally?
Prevention and wellness as it relates to not just the science of health but to our community and social determinants of health.
Did you transfer on and earn other degrees? If so, what degrees and from where?
Yes. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from U-M Flint.
Category: Academics
Challenger Learning Center at SC4 expands mission programming with Operation Comet
Challenger Learning Center at SC4 is pleased to announce the addition of Operation Comet, a new mission that expands Center offering options to learners as young as third grade. Current Lunar Quest mission programming is available to learners in grades five and beyond.
“We’re thrilled to add more fun and exciting STEM learning opportunities at SC4,” said Kristin Copenhaver, chief marketing officer. “When we first launched the Challenger Learning Center in April 2022, there were many requests to bring in younger elementary groups. Many of those groups were able to take advantage of Experience Center programming, but Operation Comet helps us address the growing needs of STEM learning at this younger age level in additional new ways.”
Challenger Learning Center at SC4 is the only Center of its kind in Michigan and one of 40 Challenger Learning Centers nationwide and around the world. It is a fully immersive, space-themed experience aimed at deepening understanding and appreciation of STEM careers and topics and building critical 21st-century skills. It offers unique learning and team-building opportunities for students, educators, corporations and community residents.
In Operation Comet, the mission crew must quickly reengineer a robotic probe so that it can stop a comet from a direct collision with Earth. In Mission Lunar Quest, mission participants deploy a Lunar Exploration Rover to investigate areas of the lunar surface and make critical decisions to turn a potential catastrophe into NASA’s finest hour. Both missions meet national science standards for recommended grade levels and are scalable for older learners.
Since its launch in April 2022, more than 2,500 students, visitors, educators, business employees, community residents and friends from close to 100 zip codes have visited Challenger Learning Center at SC4.
To learn more or schedule a group mission, visit challenger.sc4.edu/visit/. Contact the Challenger Learning Center with questions at experiencecenter@sc4.edu or (810) 989-5789.
Alumni Spotlight: Avery Hoffman
Current or most recent title and employer?
Merchandise Coordinator at Neiman Marcus Group
How did SC4 help prepare you?
I was in Middle College while I was also still in high school. I also stayed home a year to attend SC4 and graduate from the Middle College program, earning two associate degrees. I then transferred to the University of Alabama. I had already completed all of my prerequisites, so I was able to jump right into my core curriculum for my major.
What do you like most about what you do professionally?
I am able to travel while I work from home.
Did you transfer on and earn other degrees? If so, what degrees and from where?
A bachelor’s degree in human environmental sciences at the University of Alabama.
Alumni Spotlight: Roberta Teahen
Current or most recent title and employer?
Associate Provost, Ferris State University
How did SC4 help prepare you?
My SC4 education was exceptionally good. In fact, I often share that I believe my instructors at what was then PHJC were better than I experienced at Michigan State, where I earned B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees. The faculty were dedicated to teaching and their students. It was an excellent foundation for transfer to a large – and pretty non-student-centered – institution.
What do you like most about what you do professionally?
I have had the opportunity to positively influence many students in their education and subsequent careers. I have especially enjoyed the learning that was an integral part of all of my professional roles and the opportunity to interact with other educated, caring, committed professionals and to get to know so many students with potential who had not yet recognized how much talent they had.
Did you transfer on and earn other degrees? If so, what degrees and from where?
As noted above, B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from Michigan State. Degrees, respectively, were Business Education; Business and Distributive Education; and Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education.
