Category: Student success

SC4 TRIO student finds support system

Kaitlyn Meldrum chose to pursue a college education at St. Clair County Community College for a number of reasons.

“It’s close to my family and gives me the opportunity to live at home,” Meldrum said. “The campus is small enough to navigate and is close to my job as well. SC4 also offers me the chance to complete the Michigan Transfer Agreement and to transfer to Wayne State University in the future.”

Like many students, Meldrum knew she would face some challenges once enrolled.

“Time management and mental health struggles are some barriers I’ve faced personally,” she said. “I have also faced educational barriers in math comprehension. I am a work in progress but with the help of my boyfriend, friends, family, teachers and tutors, I’m confident I’ll be able to overcome them.”

She also has found a great deal of support through SC4’s TRIO program.

“I was brand new to college and didn’t know what I was doing,” Meldrum said. “I was struggling in math class and I heard about TRIO’s tutoring and advising appointments. I thought that TRIO sounded super helpful, and it has been!

“TRIO has helped me obtain my goals by being supportive and keeping me motivated to do well. Shawne Jowett’s advising has really helped me in planning my semesters, and Amy Hengehold has helped encourage me and always makes me smile.”

Thanks to her support system, Meldrum—whose personal goals include continuing to learn new things and become more independent—is moving forward toward her goal of earning a bachelor’s degree in mortuary science.

Cross country Skippers to head to NJCAA National Championships

St. Clair County Community College is pleased to announce its men’s cross country team and two individual members of the women’s cross country team have qualified for the NJCAA National Division I Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., on Nov. 9.

Skippers Caitlyn Rogers, Izabella Gowen, Cole Broecker, Dylan Castle, Tyreice McArthur, Jack DeMara, Nathan Johns and Elias Pagurko will compete in the competition. To qualify, the men’s team finished fourth and Rogers and Gowen were in the top 15 runners at the Region 12 Championship.

“We’re very proud of Caitlyn, Izabella and our entire men’s team for qualifying for the national championship,” said Craig Dickinson, Skippers cross country coach. “They’ve worked hard both on and off the course this season. We look forward to cheering them on as they represent SC4 on the national stage in Albuquerque next Saturday.”

SC4 alumna, Port Huron parks and recreation director bettering community through focus on play and advocacy

Port Huron Parks and Recreation Director Nancy Winzer considered a number of career options upon graduation from high school.

“I looked into both college- and non-college-track career opportunities,” Winzer said. “Part of that was because I recall being told once that college was not something that was in my future. I realized, though, that it was important for me to pursue higher education and earn a degree.”

Fortunately for the Blue Water Area community, Winzer followed her passions. She enrolled at St. Clair County Community College to achieve her goal of a college degree. She also signed on as a recruit to the college’s Skippers softball team.

“Admittedly, my grades were not college ready,” Winzer said. “I had some deficiencies in math and English, but I took the classes needed and worked hard to get to a collegiate level. The professors and staff at SC4 helped me tremendously. I also found a great deal of support on the softball team.”

Winzer gained a great deal of confidence during her time at SC4 from 1988-90, completing transfer credits needed to continue her education at Central Michigan University. In 1992, she graduated from CMU with a bachelor’s degree in recreation administration with a concentration in therapeutic recreation.

Upon graduation, Winzer returned to Port Huron and worked as the physical director at the YMCA before beginning a 25-year career with the City’s Parks and Recreation Department. She also went back to school to obtain a master’s degree in public administration, which she earned from CMU in 2004.

Winzer was named director of Parks and Recreation in 2010 and is responsible for leading efforts to refurbish and improve area parks. She and her team have brought more than $3 million in grants and donations to the city and have renovated numerous parks such as Lakeside Beach, Sprout City and Palmer Park. In her role, she works closely with her teams at the Palmer Park Recreation Center, Parks and Forestry, Lakeside Cemetery and McMorran to make Port Huron a better place to work, live and play.

According to Winzer, she is driven to make a difference in creating innovative, affordable play and youth sports opportunities for all children and families. “There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a child outside in a park happy,” she said. “I am grateful to have had the opportunity to positively impact our region and will continue to do this important work for many years to come.”

She also remains very connected to SC4 and its Athletics Department. Along with Celina Grondin, SC4’s women’s golf coach and director of institutional research, Winzer co-chairs the newly launched SC4 Michigan Promoters of Women’s Equal Rights in Sports (SC4 MPOWERS) group, which was designed by the college to support and advocate for women coaches and athletes.

“Girls in sports need woman coaches as role models every day,” Winzer said. “We need to encourage more woman to coach to give girls in sports the support they need to be great woman in the future. MPOWERS allows the college and community to work together to bring greater awareness to this need and take action.”

Looking back on her college and career path, Winzer is grateful she persisted in achieving her goals and says she truly enjoyed her time as a Skipper.

“SC4 is an important institution in setting people up on a pathway to success,” she said. “Without the opportunity to go to SC4, I would not have had the means or the grades to go to a four-year university. SC4 gave me the tools I needed to show that I could go to college and also the confidence I needed to continue on. I have always treasured my time at SC4 and with the Skipper softball team, and I will always be grateful for the opportunity.”

SC4 alumnus and former Skippers baseball player excelling at Lourdes University thanks to involvement at SC4

Nick Forsberg made the most of his time while attending St. Clair County Community College.

Nick ForsbergThe 2017 Cros-Lex High School graduate enrolled at SC4 in August 2017 and spent two years getting involved on campus. He played collegiate baseball, served as Student Government vice president, worked as a student ambassador and even started a fishing club to meet other students, pursue his passions and develop lifelong skills.

“My most memorable experiences at SC4 happened when I got involved,” Forsberg said. “The SC4 baseball coaching staff played a huge role in my success. Coordinator of Student Activities and Services Sherry Artman was always willing to help anybody and was a mentor on many of my projects around campus. James Welch was always helpful at the One-Stop with a smile on his face. Vice President of Student Services Pete Lacey was very influential and taught me people skills. And Criminal Justice Professor Jim Jones was a huge role model for me.”

Forsberg also spent a great deal of time in downtown Port Huron, eating at local restaurants and frequenting local businesses.

“SC4’s location provides ample opportunities for students to explore a downtown environment,” Forsberg said. “Not many community colleges – or universities for that matter – offer that same sense of location, community, energy and support.”

According to Forsberg, his numerous SC4 experiences helped prepare him to transfer to an out-of-state university.

“Many classes and experiences at SC4 are huge building blocks for bigger institutions or larger environments,” said Forsberg, who pitches for the baseball team and has started another fishing club at Lourdes University. “I’m grateful to SC4 and community colleges in general for all they do for students. They are the life of a community and help students build knowledge, acquire skills and develop relationships.”

Along with his love for baseball and fishing, Forsberg is passionate about pursuing work that helps people. He majored in law enforcement at SC4 and is now majoring in sociology of criminal justice at Lourdes University. He hopes to have a long career working in law enforcement and also has plans to become a fishing charter captain.