Category: Alumni

SC4 to honor hundreds of graduates at 95th annual Commencement Ceremony 

PORT HURON – St. Clair County Community College’s 95th annual Commencement Ceremony takes place this evening at 6 p.m. in the McMorran Place Arena. This year, 628 graduates have successfully completed degree and certificate programs in various fields of study.

Students from across Michigan, Canada and as far as New Jersey and Arizona have earned associate degrees and certificates in arts, business, general education, applied arts and science, and more. Graduates of the college’s Associate Degree Nursing program will be recognized during a special candlelight pinning ceremony at 2:30 p.m. in the McMorran Place Arena.

The 6 p.m. ceremony will be streamed live at sc4.edu/commencement and also will air on Comcast Cable Channel 12 at the following dates and times:

  • 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, May 11
  • 12:30 p.m. Sunday, May 12
  • 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, May 18
  • 12:30 p.m. Sunday, May 19

St. Clair County Community College graduating class of 2019, listed by hometown:

ALGONAC — Brianna Allor, Thaddeus Beadle, Erica Boughner, Carly Brandt, Stefany Conrad, Lindsay Dunn, Katie Flenna, Jaimie Gibbons, Stephen Gottler, Caterina Gryspeerd, Jake Healy, Cara John, Elizabeth June, Amber Kurrle, Ciara Lane, Tina LaParl, Samantha Lookliss, Charity Marinelli, Monica Martin, Matthew Meldrum, Nicole Minhinnick, Daniel Perez, Brendan Pittiglio, Jonathan Saums, Corey Strickland, Jada Strickland, Kyle White, Amanda Whitenack, Ashley Wojciechowski and Karl Wolf.

ALLENTON — Joseph Simpson and Megan Woods.

ALMONT — Jazmyne Armstrong.

APPLEGATE — Daniel Bartee.

ARMADA — Britney Bryer, Ben Pauli and Kristen Vanderhagen.

ATTICA — Drita Nuculovic.

AVOCA — Nicholas Bilinski, Kristen Bosman, Abigail Brown, Cheyenne Cani, Autumn Eisen, Brooke Jonseck, Stacey Kallenbach, Alyssa Leone, Lindsey McLeod, Amanda Mielke, Taylor Munro, Melanie Opper, Danielle Ripenbark, Megan Ripenbark, Tyler Ritchie and Hunter Way.

BAD AXE — Sarah Hill.

BRANCHVILLE, NJ — Preston Rushmore.

BROCKWAY TOWNSHIP — Roberta Messner.

BROWN CITY — Ashley Alexander, Nicole Jones, Abigail Kaufman, Christopher Kobylas and Madison Woodall.

BURTCHVILLE TOWNSHIP — Brenda Cracknell, Samantha Dennison, Paige Evans, Clay Granke, Matthew Kobberstad, Eric Laming, Kayla Langolf, David Miller, Richard Neumeyer and Travis Sweet.

CAPAC — Shelby Akers, Ashley Andrus, Anna Dalessandro, Michael Dean, Kimberly DeSmit, Tressa Garcia, Catherine Helzer, Hannah Hopkins, Jeffrey McConnell, Ava McCracken, Alexandra Roehrer and Maria Walkowski.

CARSONVILLE — Emily Cross.

CASCO TOWNSHIP — Jaylyn Abrams, Michael Dittman, Nathan Esders, Robert Henschel and Courtney Worden.

CHESTERFEILD TOWNSHIP — Carlos Carmona, Morgan Chaudry, Alison Filozof, Brett Hagle, Nadia Lewis and Milena Radjewski.

CHINA TOWNSHIP — Alison Billeaudeau, Rachel Paciorek and Clare Polczynski.

CLARKSTON — Ian Grant and Kandice Williams.

CLAY TOWNSHIP — Leigha Claerhout, Katie Gabriel, Michael Hinkley, Kylie Shimmell and Cody White.

CLINTON TOWNSHIP — Felipe Zarate.

CLYDE TOWNSHIP — Taylor Ainsworth, Ethan Albany, Nathan Allen, Amanda Biskner, Alesia Frazier, Jeremy Glover, Andrew Jobbitt, Noah Muxlow, Skye Owen, Cecelia Shuler, Micah Sinda, Marcus Thomas and Alexandria Wheelihan.

COLUMBUS TOWNSHIP — Kaylee Bogen, Kaitlyn Griffith, Emma Kettel, Isaac McCue, Rose Pankiewicz, Austin Roland, Dana Schornak, Jacob Thomas and Caitlin Walz.

CROSWELL — Amanda Aldridge, Stacie Bales, Alexandra Coady, Kenneth Gross, Brian Jolley, Annelise Jorde, Sarah Kautz, Jalen McGhee, Dakoda Miller, Shoshanna Reimel, Samantha Ringwelski, Amber Torrez, Danielle Vermeersch and Jessica-Ann Woodard.

DAVISON — Amy Erickson.

DETROIT — Tania Lazarean.

DRYDEN — Brittany Whaley.

EAST CHINA TOWNSHIP — Mervat Attala, Brenda Folkerts, Haleigh Gill, Dalton Lamee, Mallory Lynch, Taylor Markel and Lindsey McDonald.

EAST LANSING — Intesar Hameed.

EMMETT — Ryan Coltson, Allison Cowhy, Sierra Cox, Allison Fleming, Albert Geoit, Miranda Greenia, Bridget Johnson, Alyssa Miller, Kaycee Miller, Matthew Pohlman, Peyton Raymo, Robert Renner, Ashley Siwak, Caitlyn Soucek and Anthony Wright.

FAIR HAVEN — Maria Cejmer, ShaeLynne Durkee and Madison Magness.

FLINT — Andrew Keller.

FORESTVILLE — Hannah Clink.

FORT GRATIOT — Justin Baker, Caden Barrett, Sarah Beebe, Joshua Black, Ian Blashill, Allison Booth, Alexandria Carson, Tiffany Dado, Jack Dobel, Hope Doerzbacher, Lindsay Dubay, Ashley Fletcher, Melissa Francis, Christina Gander, Mariah Gross, Christine Gwisdala, Emily Hannan, Brandon Harrington, Austin Howard, Destinee Jaekel, Benjamin Jennings, Gregory Johnson, Jennifer Keeton, Jordyn Knowlton, Cassidy Koschnitzke, Elizabeth Lueth, Alyssa Matthews, Tanner McTaggart, Christina Mills, George Naguib, Evelyn O’Donnell, Nathaniel Okkonen, Niko Pirouz, Hunter Raymo, Austin Richardson, Kimberly Richardson, Katelyn Robbins, Mark Robbins, Elizabeth Robinson, Alexis Rodriguez, Jesse Roggenbuck, Garrett Rossow, Craig Schlinkert, Tyler Schroll, Jared Steinhauer, Jeremy Taylor, Christopher Totten, Alexis Williams and Amber Wilmoth.

GAGETOWN — Kayla Smith.

GOODELLS – Kristen Goulding, Amber Hines, Devin Hopkins, Nicolette Lessard, Rilee Meyers, Jonathan Peters, Angelina Pink, Gabrielle Precour, Natalie Rose, Leah Scott and Calley Swoffer.

GRAND BLANC — Paul Ross.

GRANT TOWNSHIP — Lori Aftab, Stacey Bell, Carl Rich and Nicholas St. James.

GREENWOOD TOWNSHIP — Cathy Beals.

GROSSE POINTE PARK — Paula Grech.

HARBOR BEACH — Stacy Hiller.

HARRISON TOWNSHIP — Mackenzie Bryant and Christopher O’Dell-Kuhr.

HOWELL — Louis Carney.

IMLAY CITY — Alicia Slack and Joseph Weber.

IRA TOWNSHIP — Katherine Janusch.

JEDDO — Nikole Douglass, Jeralin Hamann, Noah Palmateer, Marissa Uribe, Shelby Vandewarker and Corey Wilczynski.

KIMBALL TOWNSHIP — Gregory Baranowski, Heather Brassfield, Marissa Dull, Jessica Green, Michelle Hearn, Tessa Jenkins, Maggie Kimmerly, Jonathan Klimovich, Hannah Landschoot, Calvin Lowe, Carly Messina, Ryan Mikolowski, Riley Orlick, Kristen Osko, Taylor Patterson, Karryn Rinehart, Isaiah Rousey, Edna Selimovic, Kody Steemburg, Erin Sullivan, Audrey Sylvia and Alyssa Wehner.

LAKEPORT — Abigail Bringard, Jennifer Knoth, Daniel Rich and Orion Zeller.

LANSING — Brendan Moore.

LAPEER — Reilly Rosseau and Conner Withey.

LENOX TOWNSHIP — Rosalia Heppler-Austin, Karolina Jones, Matthew McCoy, Katreece Rucha, Amy Sikorski and Aimee Tokarski.

LEXINGTON — Austin Fink, Edward Lawson, Melissa Massman, Isabelle Schwartz, Autumn Smereka, Carson Sutton, Jennifer Verdonik and Nole Woycehoski.

LONDON, ONTARIO — Lawson Burnett.

LYNN TOWNSHIP — Collin Kozar.

MACOMB — Karina Driver.

MADISON HEIGHTS — Kathy Burket.

MARINE CITY — Charles Anderson, Hunter Carmos, Dylan Fennell, Gavin Frank, Kevin Gettel, Devon Laporte, Nikki Leonard, Brianna LoGrasso, Frances LoGrasso, Abigail Osterbeck, Tait Sapienza, Brittany Simpson, Abby Terhune, Deven Thomas, Charles Ward and Michale Westrick.

MARYSVILLE — Brook Atkinson, Jennifer Biga, Tyler Blankenship, Kyle Dailer, Nicholas DiGiovanni, Torina Fite, Janice Fritz, Chasity Fudella, Jonathan George, Taylor Hornbacher, Brendan Horner, Nikol Jelinek, Shelby Kavanaugh, Amanda Kibbe, McKenzie Miller, Morris Morley, Anna Nichols, Cheyenne Northup, Ashley Porter, Taylor Randall, Morgan Richardson, Heather Robb, Jacob Rubio, Kristi Simmons, Ashleigh Sprowl, Benjamin Ward, Ethan Ward and Katlyn Whitesell.

MELVIN — Kerry Lofton, Gerald Pathic, Megan Pathic and Sarah Shell.

MEMPHIS — Danielle Brogan, Ashley Callewaert, Hannah Fisher, Joseph Green, Eliza Kincaid, Lauren Leggett, Connie Long, Kaleigh Pare’, Quinn Pare’, Jared Roosen, Kaitlyn Smalley, Emily Swantek, Madyson VanBuren, Rebecca White, Andrew Wiggle and Kaitlyn Ziehm.

MINDEN CITY — Erika Mason.

MOUNT CLEMENS — Joseph Nebel.

MUNGER — Emily Fleischmann.

MUSSEY TOWNSHIP — Falecia Trendy.

NEW BALTIMORE — Joli Christian-Bates and Faith Orlando.

NEW HAVEN —Riane Griffin and Lacresha Holland.

NORTH STREET — Tyler Atkinson, Rosmery Frady, Kristyn Franzel and Madison Plaut.

PALMS — Kristin Barham, Amber Brace and Katelyn Schweitzer.

PECK — Johnathan Bular, Emily Clayton, Stephanie Pedrotti, Nicholas Reese and Tara VanConant.

PORT HURON — Lakin Adkins, Ashley Alva, Jerson Arauz, Austin Armstrong, Gage Badgerow, Robert Bales, Aubrey Balinski, Lisa Brehler, Kiana Brown, Marlie Buckley, Robin Burcicki, Deonna Camastra, Kaleigh Camm, Lisa Campbell, Remberto Campos, Katie Carroll, Clay Carter, Darza Carter, Tori Christianson, Nichole Congdon, Shania Cooke, Maleigha Coronado, Michelle Cowan, Morgan Crigger, Nickolas Dalton, Sara Day, Emily Dazer, David DeFrain, Cora Dewan-Smith, Sierra Dobson, Eric Dombrowski, Rose Dore, Falon Dupree, Daniel Dusterhoft, Whitney Ehrlich, Heather Fagan, Shiree Fetterly, Michael Fields, Julia Foltz, Matthew Foltz, Jake Fontenot, Peyton Frazer, Margaret Fry, Jared Fuller, Brian Fye, Tyree Gibbs, Andre’nay Gill, Kassie Gottschalk, Elizabeth Green, Lank Green, Sydney Grygorcewicz, Amber Hall, Alisa Hanschu, Latonya Harmon, Amber Harrington, Amy Harrison, Evan Hayes, Amanda Heath, Jeffrey Hedberg, Noelle Hedberg, Madison Heft, Maribeth Hensel, Phillip Hill, Billie Hillier, Michael Horsey, Brian Hulsey, Alyssa Husek, Shawna Jakush, Mackenzie Jansen, Paige Kinnee, Candice Kokochak, Natasha Krivak, Emma Landschoot, BreeAnna LaVere, Kay Leclaire, Sondra Lee, McKenzie Lindsay, Joseph Linert, Sarah MacFarland, Charles Mackey, Robert Madley, Elizabeth Mahlstedt, Stephannie Marquette, Chandler Martin, Cory Martin, Elizabeth Martin, Katlyn Mathers, Marisa McAllister, Thomas McAuley, Makayla McIntyre, Sarah Mensinger, Lauren Mertz, Dallas Mitchell, Jezzalyn Molesworth, Emilee Moran, Candace Mousseau, Hayley Myron, Madelyn O’Farrell, Madison Osmialowski, Olga Ottobre, Chelsey Palmateer, Joseph Payne, Kaelin Phillips, Sierra Portis, Amy Prieskorn, Ashlee Provost, Tierra Raglyn, Devonte Riase, Riley Richards, Johnathon Ridley, Michelle Ringer, Alina Roberts, Marissa Robinet, Amanda Roskey, Deborah Salton, Brittany Sanders, Devin Scheff, Payton Schwartz, April Seavolt, Laura Sexton, Adrienne Slossar, Brooke Snyder, Olivia Stein, Clea Stevens, Nicole Stockwell, Megan Strachan, Emmalee Symington, Tonya Taormino, Matthew Tesnovich, Jessica Thompson, Connor Tinsley, Jaime Tuffin, Grace Turpin, Emily Vigliotti, Kyla Visga, Brooklyn Wagner, Hannah Wallace, Emily Walsh, Michelle Ward, Hannah Wiegand, Jessica Wiegand, Keymariah Williams, Devin Willing, Ashley Withun, Garrett Yarger and Jordan Zak.

PORT SANILAC — Christina LaRue and Jackelyn Persig.

RICHMOND — Tristan Grose, Sara Nofs, Alyssa Schneider and Sarah Sneden.

RILEY TOWNSHIP — Samantha Danczuk and Tyler Mirling.

RIVERVIEW — Ashley Bohr.

ROMEO — Ryan Rodzos, Desaray Scheinost and Courtney White.

RUBY — Hannah Ainsworth and David Gardner.

RUTH — Catharine Loss.

SAN TAN VALLEY, AZ — Rebecca Smith.

SANDUSKY — Kendra Berden-Simpson and Tessa Wallace.

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — Danielle Dobiesz, Megan Haase and Karin Vassilev.

SMITHS CREEK — Austin Armstead, Alyssa Clarke, Ross Hinkley, Cheyenne Kloka, Dean Peacock, Kaylyn Stephens, Christina Stoutenburg-Sanchez and Elizabeth Szczepanski.

ST. CLAIR — Joshua Bach, Jeffrey Bacon, Alaina Baunoch, Myles Boyd, Colette Carlsen, Emily Coleman, John Davis, Bryan DiNardo, Danielle Galant, Alexia Gordon, Holly Greig, Emilee Hall, Allison Hein, Daniel Hendershot, Andrea Holka, Kristin Kolakovich, Ashley Kue, Desi Kuntz, Katelyn Liebetreu, Corinne Madden, Kristin Malcolm, Sumner Malcolm, Elizabeth Manoyian, Kaitlyn McLeod, Morgan Mead, Jenna Meyers, Karli Minor, Kirstin Noyes, Brooke Pauly, McKensey Pizzo, Emily Rosenbrock, Karina Saiyad, Stacy Steeg, Michelle Tomalo, Ashlee Trenz, Taylor Warren, Eybe Westrick, Cali White and Austin Wyllie.

ST. CLAIR SHORES — Kimberly Decrescenzio and April Harms.

STERLING HEIGHTS — Jordan Loding.

UBLY — Annastesia Klawon.

WALES TOWNSHIP — Jasmine Treat.

WARREN — Branden Abbo and Barry Marshall.

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP — Amber Clark.

YALE — Caleb Bollaert, Alyssa Conlee, Kyle Danielkiewicz, Patrick Fox, Alyssa Gerrick, Christina Hazzard, Karrie Keller, Jade Maluchnik, Breanna Mason, Ashley Michilli, Brandon Mullen, Crystal Peck, Kayley Pemberton, Tanner Strunk, Autumn Vore, Amy Waldhart-Sheldon, Franki Whittaker, Emilee Wilson, Shelby Wilson and Jeffrey Zawada.

Alumni spotlight: Angela Rochon

SC4 alumna Angela Rochon is the embodiment of a college success story. Fiercely motivated, her passion for her work is well known and has led her in a variety of directions throughout her lifetime. From psychiatric therapist, social worker and educator to motivational speaker and author of a memoir, she’s an inspiration to those around her.

Rochon and her husband, Louis Rochon, both 74, got their start at SC4 in 1963, when it was known as Port Huron Junior College.

“Louis and I were the first in our immediate families to graduate college and chose SC4 so that we could afford to go to college after graduating high school,” she said. “While at SC4, Louis was a dishwasher at the former Del’s Diner in Marine City. Both of us carpooled to SC4.”

Rochon said the college provided the financial and academic foundation and support to help her succeed in a new environment.

“I was interested in writing at an early age, having first been published when I was 16,” Rochon said. “The college selected my poem for literary publication in ‘Patterns,’ which encouraged me to continue writing.

“Additionally, I worked on campus with SC4 Job Placement Director Jerry Lynch. The experience not only helped me finance my education, but also gave me confidence years later when I became an administrator at St. Clair County Regional Educational Service Agency, where I managed state and federal grants including those in job placement.”

After earning her associate of arts degree in Spanish and English at SC4, Rochon went on to earn her bachelor’s with a teaching certificate in both languages from Eastern Michigan University, where she also read to the blind and served as a private tutor and substitute teacher at Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Public Schools. At the University of Michigan, Rochon earned her master’s in Spanish and was employed as a tutor in residence before moving on to teach Spanish and English at Marine City High School. Later, after her work at St. Clair County RESA, she took a job in management at Wayne State University. While working full-time at Wayne State, she earned a second master’s degree in social work and completed an internship in gerontology through the Henry Ford Hospital PACE program, where she led reminiscence groups based on research that reminiscing stimulates the brain to provide a sense of well-being.

Rochon’s professional journey also led her to teach part-time with her husband at SC4 while raising their three children, Jennifer, Julie and Marc.

Though now officially retired, she most certainly has not slowed down.

A9Rosifx3_1d4z65l_3o4.pngRochon, who writes under A.M. Andino Rochon, released her first book last fall called “FATHERless, My Father’s Memoir and Mine” a story about her father that covers six generations, spans two centuries, and describes Ellis Island and the Great Depression.

She also remains active using her professional experience in communities near and far to help friends and strangers reconnect with their memories.

“It is very important to help people to reminiscence — it has become my mission,” Rochon said. “Throughout Michigan and in other states, I conduct programs in which participants and I stimulate our brains as we call our memories to mind, experience our shared joy as a group, and recognize the decrease in our collective and individual anxiety.”

Next month, nonprofit organization StoryCorps will record Rochon’s story, which will be archived in the Library of Congress.

Other members of Rochon’s family also have SC4 ties, including her mother, the late Vera Polito Andino Roggeman, who studied at SC4 and became a teacher; her aunt, the late Dr. Ida Polito Rockwood Basinski, who earned her associate degree at SC4 and studied at Central Michigan University; and her nephew, James Kettel, a U-M graduate who taught executives in the Czech Republic before earning a dual master’s degree in business management and social work at St. Louis University. Kettel currently serves as the operation budget coordinator, senior fiscal analyst for the Senate Committee Services of the Washington State Legislature.

Alumni Spotlight: George Armitage

George Armitage was like many high school graduates when he left Port Huron High School in 2008. He knew he wanted to go to college, but he was undecided as to what career path to pursue.

Today, the 29-year-old Grand Rapids resident and licensed professional counselor at Grand Valley State University’s Counseling Center credits St. Clair County Community College for giving him the opportunity to discover his passion.

“I chose SC4 at the time because I was uncertain about what I wanted to do career-wise after graduation,” Armitage said. “Initially, I was pre-medicine, but soon found little interest in many of the science subjects. SC4 was a good place for me to begin my educational journey and explore my general education courses.

“SC4 is also where I was first introduced to psychology,” he continued. “It was later during my tenure at SC4 that I became more and more intrigued by the subject and decided to pursue an education within psychology.”

Armitage went on earn his bachelor’s in psychology and master’s in counseling from Central Michigan University. He then received his Ph.D. in counselor education from the University of Toledo.

Most importantly, he said, SC4 allowed him to fulfill the Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (MACRAO) Transfer Agreement and graduate with his associate degree in a short period of time.

The agreement gives students the ability to transfer up to 30 semester credits to meet many or all of the general education requirements at participating Michigan four-year colleges and universities.

“Attending SC4 for me was immensely beneficial, because it allowed me to explore my educational and career options,” Armitage said. “Beginning my educational journey at SC4 was also an appropriate financial decision for me, since I really had no idea what I wanted to do when I ‘grew up.’ SC4 allowed me the time and exploration with many different courses to figure out two things: how to become a college student, and how to find an appropriate career path.”

Armitage added he made the right choice when it came to attending his hometown community college.

“SC4 is where I was first intrigued by psychology,” he said. “Without my experiences there, I probably wouldn’t have pursued an education in psychology. Then I ultimately wouldn’t have completed my graduate education in professional counseling and became a counselor or counselor educator.”

SC4 alumni make an impact on and off SVSU baseball diamond

The season is underway for two St. Clair County Community College alumni as assistant coaches for Saginaw Valley State University’s baseball team.

Dr. Jay Scott and Jason Ball are spending a lot of time on the road keeping up with the team’s 50-game schedule that has already taken them to Atlanta, St. Louis and Nashville, while still returning home for work and family.

Both Scott and Ball credit SC4 as the place where their careers took shape. Scott, 39, who grew up in Burlington, Ontario, is currently an associate professor of biology at SVSU, director of the SVSU Electron Microscopy Facility and assistant baseball coach.

Scott began his collegiate baseball career at SC4 before transferring to SVSU in 2001. He attended SC4 for three semesters and played on the baseball team in the 1999-2000 seasons as a centerfielder and leadoff hitter.

He decided to attend SC4 primarily because of a baseball scholarship, but Scott said the college’s learning environment was particularly appealing.

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Dr. Jay Scott

“SC4 provided a great environment to start my academics,” Scott said. “The transition from high school to college can be overwhelming, but the small campus and class sizes were not a large departure from what I experienced in high school. This created a comfortable, familiar environment where I could focus on the challenges of college academics without struggling to adjust to life outside of the classroom.

“The small class sizes provided an opportunity to for me to grow as a student and as an individual,” he continued. “It allowed me to receive a lot of guidance and mentorship from both academic counselors and professors, and also provided a classroom experience that was engaging and unintimidating.”

During Scott’s tenure at SVSU, he earned first team All-GLIAC honors both seasons and was named the 2001 top offensive player for the Cardinals. He currently holds SVSU baseball single season records in batting average (.463) and on-base percentage (.549)

After graduation, Scott earned a Ph.D. at Queen’s University in Ontario and completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of New Mexico and University of Iowa’s Department of Internal Medicine.

“When I think about the influences that have led me to my current career, SC4 started it all,” said Scott, who now lives in Auburn, Michigan. “Ultimately, I chose a career that I love at a smaller institution where undergraduate students are the focus and where professors develop and mentor students on a more personal level.

“My experience as a member of the SC4 baseball team was equally impactful,” he noted. “The experiences I had and the bonds that I developed with my teammates are some of my most cherished memories; however, the greatest impact came from my coaches, Rick Smith, Pete Lacey and Jan Prozorowicz. These coaches taught me the value of hard work, discipline, accountability, and skills that shaped both my abilities on the baseball field and my character.”

Ball, 41, is also an assistant baseball coach at SVSU who works with pitchers and oversees the recruiting process.

A 1995 Sandusky High School graduate, Ball was a left-handed pitcher for two seasons at SC4, where he served as sports editor for the Erie Square Gazette student newspaper.

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Jason Ball

“For being from a small town, I was really lost,” Ball said. “There was no way I was going to walk into a four-year school and survive. If I would have gone away, I don’t know that I would have stayed.

“(SC4) was a great transition for me,” he continued. “It was kind of a middle ground.”

Ball transferred to Central Michigan University and became a volunteer assistant from 1999-2001, when he worked closely with current SVSU head coach Steve Jaksa.

Ball said SC4 is where he made an important connection while doing work-study for his health and science instructor Dick Groch, an SC4 baseball coach from 1965-82 recognized as the scout who signed Derek Jeter to the New York Yankees. Groch also coached U.S. and Canadian teams in the Pan American Games and was a scout and special assistant to the general manager of the Milwaukee Brewers.

After receiving his bachelor’s in journalism from CMU, Ball used that connection to become an associate scout with the Brewers for three years. He has also coached at Essexville Garber and Nouvel Catholic Central and was involved with the Saginaw Bay Riverdawgs travel team.

Ball, who lives in Bay City with wife Jill and children Nathan and Morgan, agreed that SC4 is where it all began.

“It’s where everything started,” Ball said. “Honestly, if it wasn’t for SC4, I don’t know what I’d be doing, but I wouldn’t be where I am now.

“Those two years at SC4 were some of the best experiences ever,” he added. “I met so many people there, and all the connections I made, I still keep in touch with them.”