Category: Academics

Internship leads to full-time employment in Texas for SC4 alumna

When St. Clair County Community College alumna Emily Walsh enrolled in the Blue Water Middle College Academy (BWMCA) in 2016, she had no idea her path would lead to full-time employment in Texas in just three short years.

Walsh, who walked with her Port Huron Northern High School peers at the school’s Commencement Ceremony in June 2018, secured a digital marketing internship with the USA Today Network in her third year as a BWMCA student.

“I received a recommendation for the internship from one of my instructors at SC4, Dan McCarty, who cited my commitment and hard work,” said Walsh. “SC4 helped me immensely by letting me use my internship as my elective credits. I was able to take all my other classes online while pursuing my internship.”

In May 2019, she graduated from SC4 and BWMCA with an Associate in Applied Arts and Sciences with a focus on web development and a high school diploma, respectively. She also was hired by the USA Today Network two months prior to her internship ending for a full-time position as a client success manager.

Walsh credits the BWMCA, SC4 professors and her digital marketing internship for helping her improve her skills and abilities and secure full-time employment at the news network.

“Without this program, I wouldn’t have met my professor and I wouldn’t have gotten my degree, which enabled me to get this job,” Walsh said. “I am so thankful for the help and resources SC4 and the BWMCA provided.”

Walsh’s future plans include pursuing a bachelor’s degree in computer science at the University of Texas and one day opening her own design business. For now, though, she’s thoroughly enjoying her new role at the USA Today Network and exploring Plano, Texas.

“I love living in the North Dallas/Plano area,” Walsh said. “My mom is from Texas and it was always my dream to move to Dallas. I never expected it to be so soon, though. There’s always something to do, and you never get bored living here. On top of that, my work environment is amazing. I never expected my life to turn out this way, but I’m so glad that it did. I look forward to living in Texas for many years to come!”

Automated floor-scrubbing robot making Michigan debut at SC4’s Health Sciences Building Grand Opening Celebration Sept. 27

St. Clair County Community College is pleased to welcome Neo, an automated floor-scrubbing robot by Avidbots, to campus for its Health Sciences Building Grand Opening Celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27.

Neo automates the cleaning process using intelligent, dynamic mapping and obstacle-avoidance technology. The first demonstration site in Michigan, SC4 will showcase the innovative technology many global businesses and heath care organizations are now adopting.

The Grand Opening Celebration will also offer guests an opportunity to learn about college programs, see demonstrations in its hospital simulation wing, ambulance bay, home setting and other exciting spaces equipped to prepare students with realistic scenarios and training. Additionally, the event offers a flu clinic, free health screenings, music, farmer’s market and more.

Learn more about the renovated building features and discover how advanced technology is leading the way in improving health and facility operations on Sept. 27.

For more information about Neo or the Grand Opening Celebration, visit Avidbots and the Keel online.

SC4 a springboard for world traveler, professor and photographer

Port Huron native David Zurick has been across the globe to places like Nepal, India and Tibet as an academically trained geographer and self-taught photographer. Yet, Zurick traces his footsteps back to his first degree at St. Clair County Community College.

“It was the first step along the path,” he said.

A Port Huron Northern High School graduate, Zurick, 64, just wrapped up a 31-year career as a geography professor at Eastern Kentucky University last year.

In 2017, he earned the prestigious Nautilus Silver Award for his book, Morning Coffee at the Goldfish Pond: Seeing a World in the Garden. The autobiographical work was one of three awarded in the lyrical prose category, and one of 209 recognized across 43 categories. Past Nautilus winning authors include the likes of Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama and Deepak Chopra, M.D.

For his latest book, Zurick spent a month or two every winter for the past five years photographing the majestic painted towns of Shekhawati in rural Rajasthan, India. A glimpse of the book, A Fantastic State of Ruin: The Painted Towns of Rajasthan, can be found on YouTube.

“My work bridges science and art,” he said “Much of it centers on the Himalaya mountains. My most recent photo book dealt with an amazing set of beautiful ruins in a handful of small desert towns in Rajasthan, India.”

Zurick earned his associate degree in business administration from SC4 in 1975. He went on to Michigan State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree with high honors in geography in 1978 and his master’s degree in geography in 1981.

He then traveled to Hawaii where he earned his Ph.D. in geography from the University of Hawaii in Manoa, Honolulu, under fellowship at the East-West Center, Honolulu.

Zurick presently lives in rural Madison County, Kentucky, with his wife and two cats and maintains that SC4 served as a great place to explore what he wanted to pursue as a career.

“I attended SC4 because it was close to home, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do or study,” he said. “I was able to complete the general education requirements I needed in a convenient and helpful setting with quality instruction. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do at the time. SC4 got me going in the right direction.”

SC4 to host annual Financial Aid Night Oct. 3

St. Clair County Community College will host its annual Financial Aid Night at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, in the college’s Fine Arts Theatre.

Open to students, families and all area residents, the event connects SC4’s financial aid experts with the community to share valuable information about financial aid processes, opportunities and tips to maximize the money students can receive.

With the 2020-21 Federal Application for Free Student Aid (FAFSA) becoming available Oct. 1, the event provides timely assistance for anyone who wants to learn more about paying for college. While Financial Aid Night is hosted by SC4, students and families interested in any college are welcome to attend.

“If you’re interested in earning a degree or certificate and want to learn more about federal, state and private funding sources and scholarships that might help you achieve your goals, this event is for you,” said Director of Financial Assistance and Services Josephine Cassar.

The college also hosts a number of other financial aid info sessions throughout the year both on- and off-campus. For instance, those unable to attend the Oct. 3 workshop at SC4 can attend the below upcoming SC4 workshops:

  • Oct. 17 at Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School, 6:30 p.m.
  • Oct. 21 at Sandusky High School, College Night, 6 p.m.
  • Oct. 22 at Algonac High School, 6 p.m.
  • Oct. 28 at Yale High School, 6 p.m.

Learn more about making college affordable at sc4.edu/financial-aid.