Category: Student success

SC4 student-athletes earn conference honors for academic achievement

The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) recently announced the recipients of their 2018-19 academic awards, with many St. Clair County Community College student-athletes and teams earning recognition for their accomplishments in the classroom. See the full list of awardees below. To learn more about athletics at SC4, visit sc4.edu/athletics.

2018-19 NJCAA All-Academic First Team award winners (4.00 GPA)

  • Jack DeMara, Men’s Golf, Wrestling
  • Rebekah Kehoe, Women’s Basketball

2018-19 NJCAA All-Academic Second Team award winners (3.80 – 3.99 GPA)

  • Timothy Baker, Men’s Basketball
  • Jenna Crowe, Softball
  • Ross Hinkley, Men’s Basketball
  • Alexander Lewis, Men’s Bowling
  • Dane Vos, Men’s Basketball

2018-18 NJCAA All-Academic Third Team award winners (3.60 – 3.79 GPA)

  • Eric Bezel. Baseball
  • Justin Fuhrman. Men’s Golf
  • Cassidy Koschnitzke, Women’s Basketball, Softball
  • Patricia Pratt, Volleyball
  • Olivia Young, Softball

2018-19 NJCAA All-Academic Teams

  • Women’s Cross Country 3.23
  • Men’s Golf 3.00
  • Softball 3.09
  • Volleyball 3.05

2018-19 MCCAA Academic All-Conference award winners (3.20 GPA)

  • Timothy Baker, Men’s Basketball
  • Eric Bezel, Baseball
  • Jenna Crowe, Softball
  • Jack DeMara, Men’s Golf, Wrestling
  • Morgan Fitch, Volleyball
  • Emily Fleischmann, Women’s Basketball
  • Nicholas Forsberg, Baseball
  • Justin Fuhrman, Men’s Golf
  • John Heffner, Baseball
  • Ross Hinkley, Men’s Basketball
  • Rebekah Kehoe, Women’s Basketball
  • Holly Kimes, Softball
  • Ryan Korolden, Baseball
  • Cassidy Koschnitzke, Women’s Basketball, Softball
  • Alexander Lewis, Men’s Bowling
  • Patricia Pratt, Volleyball
  • Jayden Redeemer, Men’s Basketball
  • Johnathon Ridley, Men’s Cross Country
  • Cassidy Schott, Softball
  • Emily Stewart, Volleyball
  • Audrey Sylvia, Women’s Cross County
  • Thomas Tyson, Wrestling
  • Dane Vos, Men’s Basketball
  • Olivia Young, Softball

2018-19 MCCAA Academic All-MCCAA award winners (3.00 GPA)

  • Timothy Baker, Men’s Basketball
  • Eric Bezel, Baseball
  • Jessica Bohm, Women’s Basketball, Volleyball
  • Cole Broecker, Men’s Cross Country
  • Jenna Crowe, Softball
  • Jack DeMara, Men’s Golf, Wrestling
  • Marshal DiGiovanni, Men’s Bowling
  • Morgan Fitch, Volleyball
  • Emily Fleischmann, Women’s Basketball
  • Nicholas Forsberg, Baseball
  • Justin Fuhrman, Men’s Golf
  • Samantha Fulks, Women’s Cross County
  • John Heffner, Baseball
  • Ross Hinkley, Men’s Basketball
  • Hannah Jacobs, Softball
  • Rebekah Kehoe, Women’s Basketball
  • Holly Kimes, Softball
  • Ryan Korolden, Baseball
  • Cassidy Koschnitzke, Women’s Basketball, Softball
  • Alexander Lewis, Men’s Bowling
  • Kaseka Mulomede, Volleyball
  • Brenna Murphy, Softball
  • Patricia Pratt, Volleyball
  • Jayden Redeemer, Men’s Basketball
  • Johnathon Ridley, Men’s Cross Country
  • Cassidy Schott, Softball
  • Emily Stewart, Volleyball
  • Audrey Sylvia, Women’s Cross County
  • Thomas Tyson, Wrestling
  • Dane Vos, Men’s Basketball
  • Madison Woodall, Women’s Cross County
  • Ashley Wypych, Volleyball
  • Olivia Young, Softball

2018-19 MCCAA All-Academic Teams

  • Women’s Cross Country 3.23
  • Men’s Golf 3.00
  • Softball 3.09
  • Volleyball 3.05

SC4 Foundation begins offering year-round scholarships

SC4 students can now apply for scholarships through the SC4 Foundation at any point during the year. As funds are available, open scholarships will be posted for students to review opportunities available to them.

“We recognize that students begin at SC4 during all semesters, not just in the Fall of each year,” said Harold Burns, SC4 Foundation board chair. “A year round scholarship application process is an excellent opportunity to make scholarships as reachable as possible for all students.”

Port Huron Police Chief Joe Platzer and family find path to success at SC4

Port Huron Police Chief Joe Platzer says St. Clair County Community College gave him the opportunity to follow in his late father’s footsteps and his family a great jump-start on their careers.

Platzer, 49, said his namesake worked for the Port Huron Police Department for 32 years, retiring as lieutenant.

“From as far back as I can remember, seeing him in uniform and knowing what police officers did, that was my career path,” he said. “Seeing what he did for a living, I knew all along what I was going to do.”

A 1988 Port Huron High School graduate, Platzer enrolled in St. Clair County Community College’s criminal justice program in 1988, earning his associate degree in 1990. He served as a cadet with the Port Huron Police Department in conjunction with the SC4 program for three years.

“SC4 was a local college,” Platzer said. “I knew what I wanted to do for a living. Being here and being a local community college, it allowed me to get my start here.”

Platzer said his schooling provided him with training he would use on the job.

“The instructors I had, I knew them from them being employed at other (police) agencies,” he said. “With what they taught and what they provided, I was able to take it and use it in my daily work here at the police department. I was able to put it to good use.”

Platzer earned a bachelor’s degree in public safety administration from Eastern Michigan University in 2001 and later a master’s degree in criminal justice administration from University of Michigan-Flint in 2018.

Over the years, Platzer has climbed through the ranks at the Port Huron Police Department, serving from road patrol to special crimes unit for street gangs and narcotics, detective sergeant to major crimes unit. He received promotions to lieutenant in 2014, administrative lieutenant in 2016, captain in 2017 and chief in 2018.

“I virtually have worked every position here except dispatch,” he said.

The city’s police chief also has been an adjunct professor at SC4 since 2005, teaching classes from criminal justice basics to contemporary law enforcement.

“I like to teach,” he said. “I like to give back.”

Platzer’s connection with SC4 continues to grow. He and his wife Nanette, who works at the Fort Gratiot Fire Department, have two of their three children enrolled in SC4’s Blue Water Middle College Academy (BWMCA). Nicholas, 17, and Alexandra, 15, are current BWMCA students, while their oldest, Jacob, 19, is employed as a Fort Gratiot Township firefighter and with Tri-Hospital EMS.

“I think the Blue Water Middle College Academy is outstanding,” he said. “The fact that you can obtain an associate degree for staying one more year past high school graduation is amazing. With the cost of education, anything that can be paid for is a benefit.”

Platzer added he is appreciative of the fact that SC4 provided him with a quality education close to home.

“Being from Port Huron and being a local community college, I didn’t have to go away from home,” he said. “It was a good start to my future education.”

Dr. David H. Sturtz honors parents, supports SC4 students with new $50,000 endowed scholarship

“There’s an old saying: ‘The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,’” says Dr. David H. Sturtz, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon and St. Clair County Community College alumnus. “My mother was an avid reader and believer in higher education, though neither of my parents attended college. St. Clair County Community College was there for me. It’s where I got my start.”

Dr. Sturtz’s love and admiration for his parents, appreciation of his community college, and passion for improving the health and wellness of his patients inspired him to establish the David and Anne Sturtz Endowed Scholarship in memory of his parents to support SC4 students pursuing health care and STEM programs. The scholarship will help new generations of SC4 students positively impact quality of life in the Blue Water Area and far beyond for years to come.

Screen Shot 2019-05-13 at 9.45.37 AMDr. Sturtz grew up in Lexington, Mich. Upon graduation from high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy as a way to serve his country, see the world and secure a more stable path to a college education. The Vietnam War veteran chose SC4 at the end of his term to save money and get basic credits out of the way. According to Dr. Sturtz, SC4 advisors and faculty members provided immediate and lasting support and assistance.

“Our ship got in about two weeks into the start of the semester,” he says. “SC4 agreed to accept me late. Advisors like Paul Geer and professors such as Chris Russell took a chance on me and gave me invaluable advice. They helped guide me toward becoming a health care professional.”

Dr. Sturtz earned his Associate in Science from SC4 in 1974. He then transferred to Albion College, where he graduated summa cum laude as a pre-med major before enrolling at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. There, he met his wife, Barbara – the only U.S. Navy scholarship student in a class of more than 150 – and earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery.

Though he had already spent years pursuing his dream career in health care, the organizational skills and perseverance learned in the Navy continued to serve him well in the years that followed. Dr. Sturtz completed his residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery at the Naval Hospital San Diego, followed by a three-year tour at the Naval Hospital Yokosuka Japan as the chief of oral and maxillofacial surgery.

He retired from the Navy in 1999, practiced at a number of offices around Metro Detroit, and purchased Plymouth Oral and Facial Surgery, PLC offices in Plymouth, Ann Arbor, and Chelsea. In addition, he has taught as an adjunct professor on the U-M School of Dentistry faculty for years and went back to school to earn a Master of Science in Business Administration with a health care administration specialty from Madonna University.

With vast professional experiences and credentials earned from a wide variety of prestigious institutions, Dr. Sturtz’s belief in SC4 holds strong.

“My mom always said the best investment you can make is in yourself,” says Dr. Sturtz, who resides in Northville with his wife and two daughters. “The quality of education and the support and services I found at SC4 were on par with anywhere else I went. I feel very fortunate to have started at SC4. It provided me with a solid foundation, great experience and a seamless transition.”