Category: Academics

Alumni spotlight: Callie Oppertshauser

Callie Oppertshauser credits much of her success to the time she spent at St. Clair County Community College.

A Port Huron High School graduate, Oppertshauser, 29, participated in dual enrollment through the Blue Water Middle College Academy for an intermediate algebra class her senior year and graduated in 2008 with a 3.2 grade point average.

“It wasn’t good enough to get into any of the colleges I applied for,” she said. “I didn’t think I was ready to go away. I needed that transition period to learn how to study.”

She attended SC4 for just over two years, including summers, before deciding to transfer her 84 credits to Michigan State University to pursue elementary education.

“SC4 really helped me grow,” Oppertshauser said. “The professors were very supportive and cared. That’s why I didn’t transfer sooner, because I was comfortable and was doing well.

“I really learned how to be a student at SC4,” she continued. “If I would have gone away after the first year, I would have come back home. I learned how to manage my time and get all my work done.”

Oppertshauser graduated from MSU in 2014 with a bachelor’s in dietetics but ultimately accepted a full-time marketing position she had applied for a month earlier with Gannett at Port Huron’s Times Herald newspaper.

In January of this year, she accepted a position at the Port Huron Housing Commission as the administrative assistant to Executive Director Jim Dewey.

“I love the people I work with,” she said. “A lot of them have worked there over 10 years. It’s a great culture, and everyone is committed to serving people who need a helping hand. I’m happy to say that we’re able provide those in need with clean and safe housing.”

Outside of her work for the housing commission, Oppertshauser volunteers as a lunch buddy at Port Huron Schools’ Literacy Academy at Cleveland. The program — which is searching for more volunteers to pair with a long waiting list of students — focuses on mentoring children in grades K-5, helping them form a positive attitude toward school.

“I have been a lunch buddy since the beginning of this school year, and I look forward to it every week,” she says. “Being a mentor for a young student is one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had. Not only am I making a difference in a child’s life, but my lunch buddy is making a difference in mine as well.”

Oppertshauser explained she wanted to return to Port Huron after school to be close to loved ones. “I love Port Huron,” she said. “I love the water, and I really missed that when I was gone in the middle of the state. I have a very supportive family, and I didn’t want to get too far away.”

Oppertshauser isn’t the first in her family to attend SC4. Her mother, Lura, graduated from Port Huron Northern, while her father, Eric, attended Port Huron High School and earned his associate degree at SC4 on his way to becoming a police officer in Kansas City, Missouri. Her sister, Hillary, a 2010 PHHS graduate, went to SC4 before transferring to Macomb Community College for its early childhood daycare program.

“I’m really proud to have attended SC4,” she added. “It’s helped my whole future, leading me to success at Michigan State and ultimately in my career.”

TRIO Student of the Month: Nadia Lewis

I chose to attend SC4 after finding out about the radiologic technology program from a classmate at Macomb Community College. I applied and started in the program two weeks later. I then found out about the TRIO program from my instructor Monica Rowling. After gaining an understanding of what TRIO had to offer, I applied because I knew I would benefit from their personalized holistic approach and support services.

The radtech program is a two-year commitment, and I certainly have days where I don’t feel like being in class or where I struggle, but I keep going because I know this is a step in accomplishing my goals. My TRIO advisor Shawne Jowett has been really helpful on days when I feel discouraged — it’s really nice knowing I have someone to talk to. She has been a huge source of support, encouraging me, helping me register for classes and providing information about what SC4 has to offer. I would definitely recommend the TRIO program to my classmates or anyone who is considering SC4.

As for my future, after I take my registry exam I’d like to cross train in CT and or start working on education for health and business administration. Overall, I want to keep growing, learning and focusing on how I can help out my community.

Free College Day: Call for instructors and speakers

St. Clair County Community College will host its 17th annual Free College Day Saturday, March 16, 2019, and is seeking instructors and speakers for the event.

This college-wide community outreach program offers a day of free, hour-long classes between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. for learners of all ages. Last year, community members filled close to 2,000 seats in 107 classes.

Faculty and staff members, as well as community members interested in teaching classes that highlight their area of expertise, are welcome to sign up to teach. Please contact Debbie Sta Cruz at (810) 989-5760 or dstacruz@sc4.edu with questions or to sign up today.

SC4 students come together for special performance to open free Thursday concert Dec. 6

On Thursday, Dec. 6, Dr. Kazimierz Brzozowski will take the stage in the St. Clair County Community College Fine Arts Theatre for two performances as part of the free Thursday Concert Series. But before the renowned classical pianist touches the keys, three SC4 students will perform classic holiday songs for the first — and maybe only — time together as The Temp Trio.

Three Students Musicians03Desi Kuntz (double bass), Kristen Osko (alto saxophone) and Tim Ries (piano) took different paths to SC4, and they will likely go their separate ways when their time at the college is done. However, after meeting as work-study employees for SC4’s college and cultural relations department earlier this year, their impressive talents and shared passion for music brought them together as an ensemble for this special performance.

Born and raised in New York City, Kuntz, 25, attributes his eclectic musical interests to his surroundings growing up in a large, diverse city. Playing with groups all over New York since the age of 12, he has backed vocalists, played solo and done session work as an electric and upright bass player. He moved to Michigan in 2016 to be closer to family and study mechatronics and electrical engineering at SC4. “I’m always excited to play any chance I get,” Kuntz says. “You never know what new connections you’ll make, and this group is a great example of that.” In the fall, he plans to transfer to Wayne State University and enroll in their electrical engineering technology program.

Osko, 21, has been playing alto sax for 15 years, focusing on the instrument as a high school student at Landmark Academy in Kimball, Michigan. Her grandfather, a lifelong musician and her biggest musical influence, taught her guitar as a child and continued to nurture her artistic development throughout his life. Most recently, Osko has started learning the violin. “Music is like a universal language to me and a way to bring your community together,” Osko says. “It’s always been part of my life, and I can’t imagine doing anything else.” She plans to transfer to Oakland University in 2019 after completing degrees in liberal arts and general education at SC4, with the goal of becoming a music professor.

For Ries, 18, and his eight siblings, musicianship is a family tradition. His mom is an accomplished opera singer who has performed around the world, and his father was the lead singer in a rock band. “Everyone in my family sings except me, so that’s why I picked up the piano,” he says. Playing the piano has always been a hobby and personal passion, and he has spent the last 10 years honing his skills through private lessons and continued practice. “It’s definitely nice to fall back on music to relax after a long day in class or at work, so connecting with Desi and Kristen as coworkers and being able to play together has been really special,” Ries says. He has recently started showcasing his talents on campus and in the community, performing classical music at local venues and events. He is studying criminal justice at SC4 with the goal of working in federal law enforcement.

Watch The Temp Trio give their take on classic holiday tunes before Brzozowski’s performance on Thursday Dec. 6 as part of SC4’s Free Thursday Concert Series. The concert is free and open to the public, with shows at noon and 7 p.m.