Category: Student success

SC4 expands mental health and wellness support for students through new 24/7 counseling partnership, basic needs pantry and more

St. Clair County Community College is expanding its mental health support network as an increasing number of college students nationwide are experiencing growing mental health and wellness needs.

In addition to available appointments with the SC4 Student Wellness team, students can now access telehealth sessions 24/7 with a licensed, diverse network of mental health counselors through BetterMynd.

The telehealth sessions are 50 minutes, private, confidential, and can take place on a laptop or smartphone. Five telehealth sessions are free and available for any active SC4 student, and five more additional sessions may be granted by contacting studentwellness@sc4.edu. (Continued services are available for an out-of-pocket fee.)

BetterMynd—which is not to be used for emergencies—also provides free self-help resources and group workshops to current students.

“We want to provide our students with the mental health and wellness resources they need to maintain a balanced and healthy lifestyle—and to succeed in an academic environment,” said Director of Student Wellness David Goetze. “The past few years have been very challenging for many of our students. BetterMynd will help enhance our offerings and provide students with even greater access and support.”

With more than “70 percent of community college students experiencing emotional distress, stress and/or anxiety due to a lack of basic needs,” SC4 also launched Skip’s Corner Pantry this past spring. Located on the first floor of SC4’s Welcome Center and open during College business hours, Skip’s Corner Pantry is stocked with food and hygiene products that are free to SC4 students.

“Our goal with Skip’s Corner Pantry is to provide students with items they need, whenever they need them,” said Executive Director of DEI, Student Recruitment, Advising and Admissions Jessica Brown. “We don’t require check-in and want to maintain a discreet environment so that students feel comfortable walking in and shopping.”

Additional support at SC4 is provided through many other offices such as Advising, Disability Services, TRIO, Veterans Services, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). The DEI Office, for instance, recently began its STRIVE Mentorship Program to help prepare students of all backgrounds for future success by acquiring unique skill sets, learning leadership skills, and building relationships and confidence.

The on-campus SC4 Health Clinic, operated by the St. Clair County Health Department, continues to offer greater access and services to students as well. The clinic provides services for many common health issues and concerns including vaccinations, health screenings, consultations and presentations.

“The more we can do to support our students and their health and well-being needs, the greater opportunities they’ll have for future success,” Goetze said. “That’s our mission, and it’s why we do what we do here at the College each and every day.”

Students in need of immediate assistance are encouraged to call (810) 989-5552 (Director of Student Wellness), the St. Clair County Community Mental Health Mobile Crisis Response Unit at (810) 966-2575, 911 or the 24/7 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential support to people experiencing mental health-related distress, suicidal crisis, emotional distress or substance use crisis.

Successful boutique law firm owner thankful for SC4 start

Successful law firm owner, venture capitalist, community volunteer and advocate, and St. Clair County Community College (SC4) alumnus Gerry Mason has made his mark in Michigan. 

Mason owns a boutique law firm and practices law throughout Michigan, often in joint ventures with significant law firms. He is also active in the areas of private equity investment, small business, venture capital, renewable energy and technology. He’s worked as a City of Detroit Recorder’s Court Law Clerk, as a Macomb County Law Clerk for the Hon. Pat M. Donofrio, and served as a Special Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Crawford, Roscommon and Macomb Counties. 

He’s a member of St. Clair Rotary Club (Past President); Salvation Army Advisory Board Vice Chairman; St. Clair Police Foundation Vice Chairman; State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly Vice Chairman; State Bar of Michigan Board of Commissioners Member; American Battery Technology Company Advisory Board Member; Voise Inc. Advisory Board Member—and much more.

His many accomplishments are the result of hard work, commitment and dedication to his goals and community. They also help highlight the critical role community colleges like SC4 can play in the educational journey of Michigan residents.

When Mason graduated from St. Clair High School in 1986, he initially enrolled at Michigan Technological University to be a geological engineer.

“I was not ready for a big university,” Mason said. “My dad thought that I should be an attorney and do political science as an undergraduate degree. My friends were at SC4 so I could get a ride. My mom took me to SC4 and enrolled me. Everyone at SC4 was warm and helpful. I loved it. It was college.”

While at SC4 from 1986-1988, Mason participated in student government. He also fully engaged in the classroom and benefitted from great professors and mentors.

“SC4 had excellent professors who cared about their students,” he said. “Harley Smith was great. He taught political science but never showed his views or any bias. He was always totally objective. Virginia Pillsbury taught German, but really she was teaching life. Haddock Snyder taught physics. Professor Snyder had tons of energy and made science fun. Calculus Professor Joe Delisa and I used to eat lunch together. I made friends with other professors like Bob Tansky. Great people.”

Mason transferred from SC4 to the University of Michigan on the advice of SC4 Professor Pillsbury. “All of my credits transferred, saving me $22,000 at that time,” Mason said.

He enrolled in the U-M College of Literature, Science and Art, majoring in political science and minoring in German, Russian and natural science. While there, Mason studied China under Professor Kenneth Lieberthal and spent a semester in the former Soviet Union. He earned a bachelor’s degree in 1991 and then went on to enroll in law school at the Detroit College of Law, which became Michigan State University College of Law.

At MSU, Mason served as President of Student Government and Executive Lt. Governor of the American Bar Association, and graduated as Class President. According to Mason, law school challenged him in new ways.

“Law school was hard, fast and intense,” said Mason, who earned a juris doctorate in 1998. “You drank from a fire hose. A law degree teaches you how to think, and organize your oral and written arguments. I felt ready to take it on, though, thanks to the foundation I received at SC4, which made college fun, challenging and attainable.”

The college football, blues music and exercise fan has been putting his well-crafted thoughts to use and taking action ever since—and has no plans of stopping anytime soon.

“I’d like to do more by way of venture capital/private equity collaborations as well as continue charity and community work,” Mason said. “I really want to give back to the practice of law, and I will continue to be an advocate for community colleges like SC4. SC4 gave me a great start to life that I could build upon. Academia can be elitist and exclusive. SC4 offers every student the opportunity to be more than they are and all that they hoped to be by laying the foundation for future opportunities.”