Category: Academics

Alumni Spotlight: Amanda Slaten Frasier

Current or most recent title and employer?
Assistant Professor, East Tennessee State University (ETSU)

How did SC4 help prepare you?
I actually first attended SC4 when I was in middle school through a program that allowed me to take summer enrichment classes to earn college credit. I took courses in computers, chemistry, and philosophy. I later dual enrolled while I was a high school student. No one in my immediate family had graduated from traditional high school, let alone attended college. I was always a good student, but I did not have anyone to talk about college with or to help me navigate the process. I graduated high school with a high GPA and lots of AP and college credits, but my only plan after graduation was to work at a Denny’s. A friend later convinced me to enroll at SC4, and I am so grateful I did. I earned my associate degree a year later and transferred to a four-year institution. Attending community college was fundamental to my later academic, personal, and career success. Community colleges like SC4 can break down barriers to achievement. I am so grateful I grew up in an area that had a program as robust as SC4.

What do you like most about what you do professionally?
Education is so important to me. I grew up in a rough home environment and education has allowed me to attain things I never would have dreamed of otherwise. I recognize the potential education has to elevate others, and so I have made a career around it.

Did you transfer on and earn other degrees? If so, what degrees and from where?
I went to Central Michigan University and earned a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education with double majors in English and History (2007). I became a teacher and earned my National Board Certification (2012). I also picked up a Master of Library Science degree from East Carolina University (2011). In 2012, I was recruited out of the classroom for a research fellowship at Michigan State University. I earned a Ph.D. in Educational Policy through that program (2017). I have pennants from every school I attended hanging on my office wall at ETSU, including one I had custom-made for SC4.

Challenger Learning Center at SC4 announces Dec. 10 public mission date

>>> Register here

Challenger Learning Center at St. Clair County Community College (SC4) will launch visitors to the moon with Mission: Lunar Quest at 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10. The mission date is open to the public and limited to the first 34 registrants. Seats on the mission are $25 per person and those ages 10-99+ are welcome!

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.

“We’re so pleased to announce this open mission date,” said Kristin Copenhaver, vice president of communication and special projects. “If you haven’t yet checked out the Challenger Learning Center, this is an incredible opportunity to do so. Come and join the crew for this mission as individuals or with your families, friends or teammates. See what the excitement is all about!”

Mission participants will launch to the moon in search of a long-term human habitat, command and assist in Mission Control, or board the Spacecraft as an astronaut, serving on teams like biology, geology, weather, robotics, life support and more. They will help 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.

Challenger Center was founded in 1986 in the aftermath of the Challenger shuttle tragedy. The families of the crew came together and created Challenger Center to carry on the spirit of their loved ones and continue the Challenger crew’s educational mission. Challenger Center, with its network of Challenger Learning Centers and digital programs, has reached more than 5.5 million students and learners worldwide.

Register for the Dec. 10 mission at stclair.nbsstore.net/open-lunar-quest-mission-december-10. Mission: Lunar Quest is open to learners in 5th grade and beyond. Support may be available. Contact us with inquiries and questions at experiencecenter@sc4.edu or (810) 989-5789.

To schedule a full group mission at another time, visit challenger.sc4.edu/schedule-a-visit/.

Gov. Whitmer Launches Website to Help Students Apply for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, Save Thousands

Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer launched a new webpage to help the graduating class of 2023 apply for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship and lower their cost of college by thousands of dollars a year. Students should talk to their parents or guardian, gather documents, and fill out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible to save up to $8,250 over three years as they earn their associate degree at a community college, up to $20,000 over five years at a private college, or up to $27,500 over five years at a public university. 

“For too long, high costs have been a barrier to higher education,” said Governor Whitmer. “I am so excited that we worked across the aisle to establish the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, lowering the cost of college by thousands of dollars a year for the vast majority of graduating seniors, starting with the class of 2023. All students need to do to get their Michigan Achievement Scholarship is fill out their FAFSA. I encourage every student going to community college, private college, or a public university in Michigan to speak with their parents or guardian, get their documents together, and fill out their FAFSA to save thousands of dollars.” 

“The Michigan Achievement Scholarship will make additional education possible for the majority of Michigan’s new college students after they earn their high school diploma or equivalency,” said Sarah Szurpicki, director of the Office of Sixty by 30. “This scholarship is game-changing for Michigan families. Creating more pathways to education beyond high school means creating more pathways for Michigan students, families, and businesses to succeed.” 

Michigan Achievement Scholarship  

To make college more affordable for families, grow Michigan’s talent pool, and get the state closer to achieving its Sixty by 30 goal, the governor signed bipartisan legislation creating the Michigan Achievement Scholarship. This legislation builds on Governor Whitmer’s promise in 2019 to pass Michigan Reconnect and Michigan Opportunity Scholarships to reach the state’s Sixty by 30 goal of 60% of adults with a skill certificate or college degree by 2030.  

Starting with the class of 2023, graduates are eligible for annual scholarships up to:    

·         $2,750 at a community college 

·         $4,000 at a private college or university  

·         $5,500 at a public university  

The scholarships are renewable for up to 3 years at a community college and up to 5 years at a private college or public university, totaling up to: 

·         $8,250 at community college 

·         $20,000 at a private college or university 

·         $27,500 at a public university 

Students will be eligible if their family demonstrates financial need when they complete the FAFSA. The Michigan Achievement Scholarship will cover:    

·         94% of students attending community colleges     

·         79% of students attending a private college or university     

·         76% of students attending a public university    

“The Michigan Achievement Scholarship will help more students pursue a college degree or certificate and start their careers with less debt, allowing for greater future economic and social mobility and prosperity,” said Dr. Deborah A. Snyder, President of St. Clair County Community College. “We are grateful to Governor Whitmer and our legislators for prioritizing this scholarship for Michigan residents.” 

For more information on how to get your Michigan Achievement Scholarship, visit Michigan.gov/MIStudentAid. 

SC4 signs new agreements to help students easily transfer to four-year institutions

To kick off National Transfer Student Week, St. Clair County Community College (SC4) today announced new transfer agreements that will make it easier for community college students to seamlessly transfer to four-year institutions to complete their bachelor’s degrees. SC4 has entered into agreements in the areas of general applied science, applied business, healthcare and information technology.

SC4 is one of 25 community colleges to enter into the new transfer agreements with 10 four-year colleges and universities across Michigan. Collectively, the agreements include 529 associate degree programs offered by community colleges and 44 bachelor’s degrees at four-year institutions.

“The majority of SC4 students transfer to four-year institutions,” said Dr. Deborah A. Snyder, president of SC4. “These agreements, in addition to others already established here at SC4, will help provide more seamless pathways for our students, which will minimize loss of credits and potential debt.”

National Transfer Student Week focuses on eliminating common transfer barriers and recognizing the diverse student needs and identities within transfer populations. Michigan community colleges are working to break down barriers by creating additional options for current students as well as associate degree holders that are already in the workforce to continue their education.

“Employers increasingly see the need for their associate degree-trained employees to return to college for a bachelor’s degree,” said Erica Lee Orians, executive director of the Michigan Center for Student Success at the Michigan Community College Association. “These agreements provide a simplified pathway with multiple university partners across the state to ensure that students can earn a bachelor’s degree.”

Participating four-year institutions will accept the full associate degrees, meaning there will not be a course-by-course evaluation for transferability. Additionally, these four-year institutions will accept credit for prior learning that was previously applied to the associate degree, which is a benefit for students with life experience in their field.