Category: Beyond the classroom

Like many middle school students, Dakota Makela didn’t know exactly what she wanted to do when she grew up. What she did know was that she wanted to “create cool gadgets and help people fix issues.”

Makela enrolled in the Blue Water Middle College and St. Clair County Community College (SC4) as a high school freshman in 2014, choosing an engineering technology/mechatronics track that would allow her to innovate and solve challenges.

“SC4 gave me a good idea of what to expect in the field,” said Makela, who was homeschooled until enrolling in BWMC. “The classes were set up to be very hands-on and allowed me to get experience in electronics, robotics, coding, wiring, troubleshooting, drafting and welding by teaching me the basics and then allowing me to test out my ideas in the lab.”

She added, “SC4 helped prepare me a lot starting out. My teachers were incredibly helpful and introduced me to the culture of engineering through their own experiences working in production environments.”

Makela graduated from SC4 in 2018 with an associate degree in mechatronics before transferring to Michigan Technological University to earn a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering with a concentration on photonics.

She currently works as an operator controls electrical engineer at Caterpillar and is pleased with where her career path has thus far led her.

“I enjoy being able to continuously learn new things in my workplace,” Makela said. “Working at Caterpillar, there’s a lot of different components working together to get a functional machine and a lot of different people focused on each one. Being at a large company enables me to reach out to people who are masters at what they do and learn more about how things work by talking to them.”

And she credits SC4 for helping her get there.

“Overall, I don’t think I’d be where I’m at today if it wasn’t for SC4,” she said.

SC4 offers a wide array of courses, programs and transfer pathways for students interested in pursuing careers in engineering, engineering technology, electronics, engineering graphics/CAD, mechatronics, precision machining, and welding and fabrication. For a current schedule of offerings—including fast-path classes beginning Oct. 16—visit sc4.edu/schedule and apply at sc4.edu/apply.

Current or most recent title and employer?
Director of the Law Enforcement Academy, Ferris State University

How did SC4 help prepare you?
My biggest takeaway from SC4 was the quality of the instructors. Still to this day I remember them from having attended and completed a degree in criminal justice and also minored in the German language classes with Frau Pillsbury. The real-life experiences shared in classes kept my interest and prepared me for my own career in law enforcement. While completing my graduate degrees I often returned to campus to see my instructors and frequently was a guest speaker in the same criminal justice classes that I once sat in. Eventually, I returned to teach at SC4 for several years and also helped spearhead the Ferris State University Criminal Justice Satellite still in place today at SC4. The quality, cost and convenience of the courses still today after all of these years is top notch and truly a benefit to the local community. This career is all about connections and without a doubt SC4 provides these connections.

What do you like most about what you do professionally?
Having gone full circle from being educated, a law enforcement career and now the Director of the Law Enforcement Academy at Ferris State University is a goal I set years ago. I enjoy teaching and creating the future of our men and woman in law enforcement. Sharing my experiences and career path for these students, many who come from SC4. is just a natural transition in my mind. I enjoy hearing the students say ” I am from Port Huron, or a little town called Yale, Capac, St. Clair, Lakeport, Port Sanilac, Deckerville, Carsonville, Clay Township, Algonac, Marysville, Marine City and so many places in St. Clair County and its outskirts. I just smile a little more when I hear the student tell me this because they too are continuing the legacy of SC4.

Did you transfer on and earn other degrees? If so, what degrees and from where?
Yes. I earned an associate degree in criminal justice from SC4, a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Ferris State University, a master’s degree in public administration with a leadership concentration from Central Michigan University, and a Ph.D. in instructional design and technology from Wayne State University.