Category: General

SC4, Michigan State Extension to host annual Explore Your Future Career event Feb. 9

Students of all ages and their families are invited to attend the Explore Your Future Career event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, in St. Clair County Community College’s Applied Technology Center.

The annual event, hosted in partnership between SC4 and Michigan State University Extension, gives attendees the opportunity to tour facilities, conduct hands-on, career-focused activities and speak directly with highly experienced faculty members from both institutions. Attendees will also have the chance to speak with on-site admission representatives to learn about program offerings and the advantages of going to college.

More than 20 career pathways across multiple industries will be open for exploration, including:

  • Agriculture and Natural Resources
    • Agricultural Technology
    • Animal Science
    • Career Exploration
    • Community and Economic Development
    • Community Food Systems
    • Crop Science
    • Entomology
    • Food Safety
    • Forestry
    • Health and Nutrition
    • Meat Processing
    • Natural Resources
    • Veterinary Science
  • Computer Information Systems
  • Criminal Justice
  • Health care
    • Health Information Technology
    • EMT/Paramedic
    • Nursing
    • Radiologic Technology/MRI
  • Robotics/Mechatronics
  • Welding and Fabricating

The event is free and open to the public, and advanced registration is not required. For more information, contact Tom Kephart at 810-989-5571 or tkephart@sc4.edu.

SC4 president joins Michigan Virtual Board of Directors

St. Clair County Community College President Deborah Snyder, Ph.D., recently was appointed to the Michigan Virtual Board of Directors for a three-year term.

Michigan Virtual, formally known as Michigan Virtual University, partners with more than 500 districts in the state of Michigan to provide online courses and supplemental programs for Michigan students and professional development for educators. It is the parent organization of the Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute.

Dr. Snyder has extensive experience and expertise in higher education and online learning. Among other positions, she served as president and chief academic officer of Cogswell College in California, senior vice provost of academic programs at Strayer University in Washington, D.C., professor and chairwoman for the management and marketing department at Capella University, director of extended learning at University of Michigan-Flint, and dean of online learning and professor of marketing at Walsh College, where she was instrumental in creating the school’s online courses.

Additionally, Dr. Snyder has authored three books and two entries in encyclopedias of educational technology. Her latest book, “Old School, New School, No-School,” examines the recalibration of higher education and guides college administrators, faculty, counselors and parents who seek to prepare students for the accelerating changes taking place in the world around them.

“Dr. Snyder is known as a pioneer in online education,” said Michigan Virtual President and CEO Jamey Fitzpatrick. “We are grateful to have her support, knowledge and expertise, and are thrilled to welcome her to our Board.”

Dr. Snyder was awarded the 2018 Blue Water Woman’s Educator of the Year Award. She has a Ph.D. in organizational communication, a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wayne State University. She also attended SC4.

TRIO Student of the Month: Nadia Lewis

I chose to attend SC4 after finding out about the radiologic technology program from a classmate at Macomb Community College. I applied and started in the program two weeks later. I then found out about the TRIO program from my instructor Monica Rowling. After gaining an understanding of what TRIO had to offer, I applied because I knew I would benefit from their personalized holistic approach and support services.

The radtech program is a two-year commitment, and I certainly have days where I don’t feel like being in class or where I struggle, but I keep going because I know this is a step in accomplishing my goals. My TRIO advisor Shawne Jowett has been really helpful on days when I feel discouraged — it’s really nice knowing I have someone to talk to. She has been a huge source of support, encouraging me, helping me register for classes and providing information about what SC4 has to offer. I would definitely recommend the TRIO program to my classmates or anyone who is considering SC4.

As for my future, after I take my registry exam I’d like to cross train in CT and or start working on education for health and business administration. Overall, I want to keep growing, learning and focusing on how I can help out my community.

SC4 students come together for special performance to open free Thursday concert Dec. 6

On Thursday, Dec. 6, Dr. Kazimierz Brzozowski will take the stage in the St. Clair County Community College Fine Arts Theatre for two performances as part of the free Thursday Concert Series. But before the renowned classical pianist touches the keys, three SC4 students will perform classic holiday songs for the first — and maybe only — time together as The Temp Trio.

Three Students Musicians03Desi Kuntz (double bass), Kristen Osko (alto saxophone) and Tim Ries (piano) took different paths to SC4, and they will likely go their separate ways when their time at the college is done. However, after meeting as work-study employees for SC4’s college and cultural relations department earlier this year, their impressive talents and shared passion for music brought them together as an ensemble for this special performance.

Born and raised in New York City, Kuntz, 25, attributes his eclectic musical interests to his surroundings growing up in a large, diverse city. Playing with groups all over New York since the age of 12, he has backed vocalists, played solo and done session work as an electric and upright bass player. He moved to Michigan in 2016 to be closer to family and study mechatronics and electrical engineering at SC4. “I’m always excited to play any chance I get,” Kuntz says. “You never know what new connections you’ll make, and this group is a great example of that.” In the fall, he plans to transfer to Wayne State University and enroll in their electrical engineering technology program.

Osko, 21, has been playing alto sax for 15 years, focusing on the instrument as a high school student at Landmark Academy in Kimball, Michigan. Her grandfather, a lifelong musician and her biggest musical influence, taught her guitar as a child and continued to nurture her artistic development throughout his life. Most recently, Osko has started learning the violin. “Music is like a universal language to me and a way to bring your community together,” Osko says. “It’s always been part of my life, and I can’t imagine doing anything else.” She plans to transfer to Oakland University in 2019 after completing degrees in liberal arts and general education at SC4, with the goal of becoming a music professor.

For Ries, 18, and his eight siblings, musicianship is a family tradition. His mom is an accomplished opera singer who has performed around the world, and his father was the lead singer in a rock band. “Everyone in my family sings except me, so that’s why I picked up the piano,” he says. Playing the piano has always been a hobby and personal passion, and he has spent the last 10 years honing his skills through private lessons and continued practice. “It’s definitely nice to fall back on music to relax after a long day in class or at work, so connecting with Desi and Kristen as coworkers and being able to play together has been really special,” Ries says. He has recently started showcasing his talents on campus and in the community, performing classical music at local venues and events. He is studying criminal justice at SC4 with the goal of working in federal law enforcement.

Watch The Temp Trio give their take on classic holiday tunes before Brzozowski’s performance on Thursday Dec. 6 as part of SC4’s Free Thursday Concert Series. The concert is free and open to the public, with shows at noon and 7 p.m.