Category: General

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.”

TRIO Student of the Month – Adam Baszewski

Soon after starting at SC4, Adam Baszewski experienced something many new college students do: a need for some extra help to get through some of his more challenging classes. He heard about SC4’s TRIO Student Support Services program and decided to check it out.

“I needed some support with some assignments that I was having difficulties with,” Baszewski explained. “TRIO helped me by providing a tutor for an advanced class, which helped me succeed.”

He soon discovered that TRIO offers more than just academic help.

“They also offered to help me with my career planning,” he said. “I plan to use that to my advantage soon.”

Baszewski lives in SC4’s Campus Housing, which gives him some additional peace and quiet.

“I’d recommend TRIO to others because it helps people with disabilities,” he said. “and they can help you plan your future.”

Baszewski will be seeking a job as a website developer with a “company with a good reputation.” For all of his success and growth as a student, Adam Baszewski is the TRIO Student of the Month for April 2021.

Eligible SC4 students may qualify for Food and Nutrition Services

St. Clair County Community College recognizes that we are in different times.  Food insecurity and a family’s inability to access much needed nutrition seems to be a condition impacting many of us.  In an effort to keep you apprised of resources in and around our community that may assist with addressing some of these needs, here is some valuable information.

If you are enrolled half-time this winter (6 or more credit hours), you may qualify for Food and Nutrition Services (Food Stamps or SNAP) during this federal public health emergency.

Congress carved out new pathways to SNAP access for a large number of students in its December relief package. Under Section 702(e) of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA), students who are eligible to participate in federal or state work-study programs (even if they don’t anticipate holding a job) or students with an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $0 can qualify for SNAP, a change that will last for the duration of the federal public health emergency.

You can apply in person, by paper application, or online at https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/0,5885,7-339-71547_5527—,00.html . The application will ask if you are “in college or trade/vocational/technical school at least half-time” and will ask you to list the name of your college.  Be sure to check this box.  The staff at Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) may follow up with you to ask you to provide proof of your eligibility.  Students can go to https://portal.sc4.edu  and print a copy of their Registration Statement or Financial Aid Award Letter to give to the  MDHHS staff as proof of eligibility.

If you are interested in this program but haven’t completed the 2020-21 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), it’s not too late to do so.  Go to FAFSA.GOV and complete the FAFSA for the 2020-21 year.  Be sure to list SC4 as one of your colleges on the form.

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.”