Category: Community

SC4 welcomes eight new full-time faculty members 

St. Clair County Community College (SC4) is pleased to welcome eight full-time faculty members.   

  • Andrew Beaudin, MAcc, Accounting 
  • Ryan Johnson, M.A., History 
  • Cadey Korson, Ph.D., Geography 
  • Jacqueline Mahannah, MFA, Art/Graphic Design 
  • Jacob Vinson, MFA, Art 
  • Kevin Watkins, RN, BSN, Nursing 
  • Christine Yntema, RT(R)(CT), B.S., Radiologic Technology 
  • Linda Ziolkowski, RT(R), BAS, Radiologic Technology 

“These talented professionals and scholars bring theoretical, practical, clinical and creative expertise, certifications and experience to the online and in-person classrooms,” said SC4 Chief Academic Officer Ethan Flick. “They represent excellence across business and information technology, the humanities and fine arts, health care, sciences and social sciences, and general education. We’re thrilled to welcome them to our SC4 team and look forward to the positive impact they’ll have on student success at SC4.”   

SC4 provides access to life-changing higher education. Its alumni are successful health care leaders, engineers, doctors, lawyers, teachers, welders, scientists, public safety officers, designers, managers, entrepreneurs, artists and more.  

Pictured from left to right: Ryan Johnson, Jacob Vinson, Linda Ziolkowski, Christine Yntema, Jacqueline Mahannah, Kevin Watkins, Andrew Beaudin, Cadey Korson

SC4 kicks off fall arts season with Lexington Bach String Quartet, Sept. 14

The Lexington Bach String Quartet returns to campus to kick off the fall 2023 arts season at St. Clair County Community College (SC4) with performances at noon and 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14, in SC4’s Fine Arts Theatre.

The Lexington Bach String Quartet features the following musicians:

  • Melody L. Wootton, first violin, is an active performer in the Detroit metropolitan area, playing with Detroit Opera, Broadway shows that appear in Detroit, and as a substitute violinist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. She is a member of the Baldwin Ensemble, the Fishwick-Levine-Wootton Piano Trio, and performs as a soloist for Detroit area churches.
  • Denice Anderson Turck, second violin, and Lexington Bach Festival administrator, is a freelance violinist and music educator. She is concertmaster emeritus of the Adrian Symphony Orchestra, leader of Regency Strings and performs regularly with regional orchestras. Before moving to Michigan, Anderson Turck developed a highly regarded junior high school and elementary string music program for the Oconomowoc, Wisc., Public Schools. She also served as string coordinator of Project Create, a Suzuki Institute at Carroll University, Wisc., and was a member of the Madison Symphony, Waukesha Symphony and Milwaukee Ballet orchestras.
  • Janine Bradbury, viola, is from Commerce, Mich. She is principal viola with the Flint and Saginaw Bay Symphony orchestras, a member of the Ann Arbor Symphony and is an active freelancer. Bradbury is a former member of the Michigan Opera Theatre Orchestra, the Boulder, Colo., Philharmonic, and has subbed with Windsor, Toledo and Detroit symphonies. Bradbury played Broadway shows in Detroit for 15 years and toured with the Phantom of the Opera. As a freelancer, she has played for Aretha Franklin, Plant and Page, Mannheim Steamroller, The Three Tenors, The Who, and Earth, Wind and Fire. She enjoys teaching violin and viola and frequently adjudicates student performances for the Flint Institute of Music.
  • Irina Tikhonova, cello, began playing the cello at the age of six. Her mother, Lydia, loved to sing and selected cello for Tikhonova because its range is close to that of the singing voice. Before coming to this country, she performed with the Harmony Philharmonic Ensemble of Soloists in Kiev, the Renaissance Chamber Orchestra, and was the assistant principal cellist in the State Symphony Orchestra. Since immigrating to the United States from the Ukraine in 1991, Tikhonova has been principal cellist of the Saginaw Bay Symphony, the Bijou Music Ensemble, the Dearborn Symphony Orchestra, and is a member of the Flint Symphony Orchestra. She has more than 15 years of cello and chamber music teaching and coaching experience. Since 2008, Tikhonova has been on the faculty of Cellospeak in Pennsylvania.

Slated performance pieces include numbers by Johann Sebastian Bach, William Grant Still and Ludwig van Beethoven.

The Lexington Bach String Quartet concerts are free and open to the public—as are all upcoming arts events at SC4—and no tickets are needed. For the most current list of upcoming events at SC4, visit sc4.edu/events/.

SC4 signs on to The Detroit Promise Program, providing free college to Detroit high school students

St. Clair County Community College (SC4) has partnered with The Detroit Promise, a program that provides a tuition-free path to trade, two-year or four-year credentials for Detroit-based students. This expands options for students who live in and attend high school in Detroit to pursue postsecondary education at no cost.

“We are excited to partner with The Detroit Promise,” said SC4 Chief DEI Officer Jessica Brown. “While many of our students are St. Clair County residents, many more come to our college and community from other areas to enroll in classes. Last year, for instance, we welcomed students from more than 200 zip codes. This partnership with The Detroit Promise—enhanced by our College Housing options for SC4 students—will allow us to welcome and support more Detroit-area students seeking higher education.”

“I am thrilled to be expanding our partnerships and to welcome SC4 to The Detroit Promise,” said Detroit Promise Senior Director of College Success and Partnerships Wytrice Harris. “More higher education partners mean more options for students to pursue a degree or credential that will shape their futures. This growing support speaks to the value of this program for the students and educational institutions involved, as well as for the future of the state’s workforce and economy.”

The Detroit Promise works with its higher education partners to ensure improved access to and success through postsecondary education for Detroit students, and the program is celebrating 10 years in 2023 and more than 5,000 students supported from over 50 Detroit high schools. The Promise covers the total cost of tuition and other expenses after any Pell or TIP funding is applied to a student’s bill. The noncompetitive award is available to any student that meets basic requirements and applies for the Detroit Promise.

SC4 is one of just eight community colleges across Michigan that offers College Housing—and the only one in Southeast Michigan.

Additionally, SC4 offers many other free and reduced tuition programs and options to help students across Michigan and beyond earn college credits, including scholarships, dual enrollment, middle colleges, the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, Michigan Reconnect Scholarship, Tuition Incentive Program, Federal Pell and other grants, and much more.

For more information on The Detroit Promise and to apply, visit https://detroitpromise.com/. To apply to SC4, visit https://sc4.edu/. To learn more and apply for SC4 College Housing, visit sc4.edu/housing/.

SC4 to host inaugural high school and collegiate Skippers Cross Country Showcase 

St. Clair County Community College (SC4) will welcome high school and collegiate cross country athletes from across Southeast Michigan for its first Skippers Cross Country Showcase on Friday, Sept. 1, at Goodells County Park in Goodells, Mich. 

SC4 runners will compete against Wayne State University, Lawrence Technological University, Rochester University and Schoolcraft College athletes, with the Women’s College Division (5K) at 4 p.m. and the Men’s College Division (8K) at 4:45 p.m.  

High school teams from Almont, Brown City, Landmark, New Life Christian Academy and Richmond will then compete in 5K races at 5:30 p.m. (varsity girls), 6:15 p.m. (varsity boys) and 7 p.m. (junior varsity).  

“This is a unique opportunity to see talented cross country athletes from across ages, conferences and institutions,” said SC4 Athletic Director Dale Vos. “We’re excited to welcome teams and fans to this event and look forward to more showcases like this in the future.” 

The Skippers Cross Country Showcase is free and open to the public. For more information, contact SC4 Cross Country Head Coach Andrea Rheaume at alrheaume@sc4.edu. Visit stclaircounty.org//Offices/179 for a map and directions to Goodells County Park.