Category: Community

SC4’s Lambda Mu Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa receive awards

The national Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK) recognized SC4’s Lambda Mu Chapter with the Distinguished College Project Award during PTK Catalyst 2021, the Society’s annual convention, which was broadcast live from Orlando, Florida, from April 8-10.

Only 51 of PTK’s chapters worldwide received the Distinguished College Project Award this year. The purpose of the College Project is to establish or strengthen a supportive relationship between the chapter and college administration. Lambda Mu’s project, “Tips for Success in Online Learning,” compiled online learning advice offered by SC4 faculty, staff, students, and alumni. The advice was edited into 30 “tips” and shared online.

Successful completion of the College Project is one of the criteria needed to be a Five-Star Chapter, a status the Lambda Mu Chapter maintained for the 2020-2021 academic year. Lambda Mu is also a REACH Chapter, which signifies a membership acceptance rate of over fifteen percent.

Additionally, the Blue Water Alumni Association (BWAA) was recognized as a Five-Star Alumni Association for 2020-2021. BWAA is the PTK alumni chapter for the St. Clair County area.

The Lambda Mu Chapter was also honored with the following awards at the PTK Michigan Regional Convention 2021, held virtually March 24 to 26:

  • Distinguished Chapter Officer Team – 3rd Runner Up: Tara Brown, Lisa Green, Lillian Nelson, Rachel Schmaltz
  • Honors in Action Theme 4 Award: Expressions of Truth – 1st Runner Up
  • College Project Award – 1st Runner Up
  • Angela Heiden, SC4 PTK Advisor, was honored for thirteen years of service

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi, is the largest honor society in higher education with 1,285 chapters on college campuses in the United States and internationally. More than three million students have been inducted since its founding in 1918, with approximately 134,000 students inducted annually.

If you’d like to be a part of an award-winning chapter, both the Lambda Mu Chapter and the Blue Water Alumni Association are currently looking for new members and officers for the 2021-2022 academic year. Contact PTK Advisor Angela Heiden at aheiden@sc4.edu for details.

Naima Turner’s winding road to success included a stop at SC4

Naima Turner arrived in Michigan in August 2009. She had an eight-day-old newborn and three other children aged ten, nine and two and was facing a new life as a single mother after separating from her husband. She had no income, no car, no furniture, and her only support system was her mother.

Turner had one thing going for her, though, and that was her certainty that she knew what she wanted to become, though she wasn’t quite sure how she would get there – yet. She was starting her life over again with nothing but love and determination.

She and her children stayed in her mother’s one room basement for three months until she got her own place in a trailer home. She had to ask for assistance from the Michigan Department of Human Services to survive. In order to get help from Michigan Works she needed to volunteer. So, she volunteered, cared for children, and started going to school full time at SC4, taking the prerequisite courses needed to get into the Associate Degree Nursing program.

Although Macomb Community College was closer, Turner’s aunt Crystal was already in the SC4 nursing program and recommended it to her niece. She told her that the instructors were outstanding, which Turner found out was absolutely true.

“Tami Turney, Kim Murphy, and Laurie Lamont were amazing!” Turner recalled. “They were personable, yet professional. Their compassion as nurses shone through in their roles as educators, as well. Their teaching styles were exactly what I needed to drive the subject home and help me remember. They used stories – and laughter – to help us recall difficult content and make it more applicable.”

Turner was so inspired by her SC4 instructors that she decided to follow in their footsteps and become a nursing instructor herself.

“Nursing is about so much more than just skills and knowledge,” she explained. “It’s also about the standards and characteristics that the profession requires and demands. I love being able to contribute to the development of extraordinary nurses who go out and serve our communities.”

Turner completed her ADN degree at SC4 in May 2013, then continued her education at Chamberlain University, getting her BSN and her MSN degrees there. For her MSN, she majored in nursing education. She’s currently completing her DNP degree at Chamberlain and expects to graduate this year.

She’s served for nearly eight years as a staff nurse in obstetrics, including labor and delivery, antepartum, and post-partum care; as a clinical instructor in OB and pediatrics; a didactic nursing instructor, and is currently the Director of Nursing for a program in California.

Her experience getting started at SC4 left a lasting impression of the value of a community college education.

“It’s priceless,” Turner said. “It’s vital for communities to accommodate adult learners, their schedules, and their lives, while enabling them to reach their goals and dreams. Community colleges aren’t as costly but are just as reliable and valuable when it comes to the education and experience gained. Students who choose community colleges receive a great educational experience and go on to do great things.”

Turner is certainly an example of that. Despite her difficulties when she moved to Michigan a decade ago, her current success is inspiring and shows the power of self-determination and hard work.

“It was extremely rough and difficult, but I persevered despite all the difficulties and barriers,” Turner said. “God is merciful, and he saw me through it all. If someone is determined to reach their goals, no circumstance or obstacle can deter or stop them. No matter where you are, where you’re destined to be and who you’re destined to become is a realty that only you can make come true.”

Jessica Brown completes Cornell University Diversity and Inclusion training

Jessica Brown, SC4’s Director of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, has been working diligently to develop a comprehensive and cross-functional emphasis on critical issues in relation to our campus community.

To build her skills in this area, Brown recently completed an eight-week certificate course from Cornell University on Diversity and Inclusion. “It was essential to dive deeper into my knowledge and recognize as an individual how critical it is to understand the multifaceted layers of DEI and what I must know to educate DEI in all communities,” said Brown.

Lessons learned during her training have increased her insight and exposure to key techniques, tools, resources, and theories that have expanded her knowledge about DEI to benefit the SC4 internal and external community.

The college created the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion last June to advance the college’s efforts in providing educational access and support for all.

Diversity is the presence of differences that may include race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, language, (dis)ability, age, religious commitment, or political perspective. Equity is promoting justice, impartiality and fairness within the procedures, processes, and distribution of resources by institutions or systems. Inclusion is an outcome to ensure those that are diverse actually feel and/or are welcomed.  

In a short time, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has sponsored speaking engagements, professional development seminars, a book reading discussion series, a podcast series, and other events. Understanding the racial, economic, and social inequities that impact our students, faculty, staff, and community members are key to advancing DEI initiatives at the college.

“I learned to examine the true meaning of trust, fairness, and inclusivity, the tools to identify implicit biases, and actively listen to concerns that impact the institution’s success and productivity,” said Brown. “No one is an expert when it comes to DEI, and all of us must have a willingness to learn to be healthy citizens for ourselves, the future generation, and the community.”

Discussion with Dr. Randa Jundi-Samman on March 25

In recognition of Women’s History Month, SC4’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is hosting a 90-minute fireside chat session with Dr. Randa Jundi-Samman on the topic “History of Women and Their Role in Society- Have We Removed the Barriers?”

This event is 10 a.m. Thursday, March 25, via Zoom. To reserve your spot and receive the Zoom link, please RSVP to dei@sc4.edu.

Jessica Brown will serve as moderator. SC4 faculty, staff, and students, as well as community members, are welcome to attend.

Dr. Randa Jundi-Samman was born and raised in Damascus, Syria, and came to the United States at age 22. Dr. Jundi-Samman received her D.D.S. degree from Damascus University Dental School in 1990 and D.M.D. degree from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in 1993. She is the co-owner and one of the dentists at Huron Dental in Port Huron. She is a strong believer in the Blue Water Area and has been involved with many groups, including the Blue Water YMCA, the Community Foundation of St. Clair County, the Port Huron Schools Endowment Fund, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Economic Development Alliance. She is married to Bashar Samman, M.D., a cardiologist in Port Huron, and they have two adult children, Shaker, a writer, and Layla, a law student.