Campus Blog

By Mary Smith, communications staff

Did you know that advanced manufacturing jobs are expected to increase 25 percent in Macomb County over the next few years?That’s according to the county’s office of Planning and Economic Development, and they have the research and data to back it up This means Manufacturing is making a comeback, and there are jobs available in tool and die making, machining, mechanical engineering, robotics, welding and computer numerical control, to name a few. This is great news for our County!

It’s also good news for r Macomb students like Tessa Lau,“I wanted to do something I love every day, and I wanted it be creative. I had done some metal fabricating when I helped a friend build a food cart, and I really liked it,” says Lau, who changed her major from general studies to welding this fall. “It looks like a really interesting career. I’m hoping to get an apprenticeship.”

It’s a safe bet that apprenticeships, which bridge the gap between school and career, will share the spotlight with employment opportunities at the free Explore Careers in Manufacturing event on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 5:30 to 8 p.m., at Macomb’s Sports and Expo Center on South Campus. Held in conjunction with the college’s Auto STEAM Days, Dec. 4 and 5, which is attended by thousands of middle and high school students, the evening event is also open to their parents, family members and anyone interested in learning more about the hot jobs in today’s manufacturing industry. There will be plenty of interactive exhibits, including those in clay modeling, robotics, virtual welding and traffic light programming, as well as the opportunity to hear from industry insiders about the job skills that are in high demand today – and are expected to be tomorrow.

There will also be a car show, free refreshments and the chance to win a laptop computer. If you like high-tech gadgets and cars, you won’t want to miss this event! Register now at www.macomb.edu/mfgevening and be prepared to be amazed at what 21st century manufacturing has to offer. Maybe end with a personal note like – I may just have to attend, in the event that I ever decide to make a career change!

By Mary Smith, communications staff

Jennifer Harvala covers a lot of territory in her life.  She is director of operations for the Mike Morse Law Firm in Southfield, lives with her husband and three beloved dogs in Warren, and is working on a bachelor’s degree in business administration at Macomb’s South Campus in a program offered by Ferris State University.

“This partnership (between Macomb and Ferris) has made it incredibly easy to earn my bachelor’s degree,” says Harvala. “I can take online or hybrid classes at times that are convenient for me.”

The 3 + 1 transfer agreement between the two schools also means that Harvala can save money as well as time by taking the majority of her courses from Macomb.  

“I have found this to be a super accessible format for earning a degree,” says Harvala, whose husband earned the same degree in the same program two years ago. “Everything about it has been awesome.”

After a short and unfulfilling career in cosmetology, Harvala earned an associate degree in Macomb’s Legal Assistant Program in 2007, which helped her move up the ladder at Morse’s firm, where she has worked for 15 years.  Next up will be Central Michigan University’s Global Campus and a master’s degree in administration, with a specialty in training and development. “That’s my passion,” says Harvala. “Fortunately, I work for a company that is very supportive of professional development.”

By college writers

Okay, so maybe no one at People, Pets and Vets can actually talk with the animals, but they certainly know how to care for them. And that includes teddy bears with broken arms and Siberian huskies afraid of thunderstorms.     

People, Pets and Vets will be held on Saturday, Oct. 26, 11 am to 3 pm, in and around E Building on Center Campus. Co-sponsored by Macomb’s Veterinary Technician Program and the Michigan Veterinary Medical Association, the free, family event includes 50 exhibits, demonstrations and activities, including face painting, farm animals, Leader Dogs, pet rescue associations and a free Teddy Bear Clinic for ailing stuffed animals.  Veterinarians will also be on hand to answer questions about real animals.  But please leave the family pets at home, there will be plenty of other animals to pet and interact with!

By college writers

If you don’t have time to visit Counseling and Academic Advising Services for help planning your winter semester class schedule, you are in luck! Academic advisors will be visiting popular on-campus hangouts next week. 

Look for them:

Monday, Oct. 21:
Center Campus Library (C Building), noon to 2pm
South Campus Student Center (K Building), noon to 2pm

Tuesday, Oct. 22:
Center Campus Library (C Building), 4 to 6pm
South Campus Library (J Building), 4 to 6pm

Bring a coffee or energy drink and all your questions about programs, courses, transfer, academic evaluations and college resources.  And, you don’t even need to make an appointment!  How convenient is that?

By Delena Austin, Medical Assistant Program faculty.

I was the first medical assistant, although I was called the doctor’s “extra pair of hands.”  I was quick thinking and did not mind a little blood.  I would care for the sick at the physician’s side and assist in any way I could. Whatever the doctor needed, I was there to provide.  Alleviating suffering was my calling and I was a compassionate professional.  Treating wounds, assisting in surgeries, administering medication, I did it all.

But oh have things changed since my time!  Now this extra pair of hands is called a medical assistant.  My proud profession now runs the whole ambulatory care facility.  We can do everything from greeting and triaging patients to getting their chief complaint and performing any diagnostic test or treatment ordered by the doctor.  At the end of the patient’s visit, we can even bill their insurance.  We have grown to be indispensable! 

There are now many more opportunities for a medical assistant graduate.  We are truly everywhere, in all medical specialties and hospitals across this great land.  Unlike many professions, our certification is national.  We can pick up and work anywhere without the constraints of licensure.  We work under the provider’s license and only do as we are directed and trained. 

Our scope of practice is now very broad, too.  You can never get bored when you are drawing blood, giving injections, answering patient questions and administering ECGs and other diagnostic tests.  If you find that you are not interested in the back office, you can specialize in the front office or do billing and coding.  There are so many more opportunities then when I was working as “an extra pair of hands.”  You can even teach in this proud profession once you have enough experience and education. 

Technology has truly lifted medicine up from my time!  Computers and electronic health records have forever changed how we provide patient care but one thing is constant, the compassionate and versatile medical assistant. I encourage you to learn more about Macomb Community College’s Medical Assistant Program!  It is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs and graduates are eligible to take the American Association of Medical Assistants’ Certified Medical Assistant certification exam.  This is truly something to be proud of as it is the “gold standard” certification for this great profession. 

Macomb’s Medical Assistant Program now takes only one calendar year to complete.  If you would like more information please email Delena Kay Austin at austind@macomb.edu. Next year, you could join the ranks of this proud and important profession as a credentialed medical assistant. 

By Karen Wickline, Macomb psychology professor

The sad fact is many of us have been touched by suicide. It may have involved someone we loved, someone we admired, or someone we never met. I lost an uncle to suicide, so I know all too well that those left behind want to know what, if anything, could have been done to prevent it.

That is the question we attempt to answer during Suicide Awareness and Prevention Week, Sept. 9-13. Since its inception a few years ago, it has been timed to coincide with World Suicide Day, which is observed on Sept. 10. Suicide, after all, is a global concern, with college students among the most vulnerable to the sadness and helplessness that lead up to it. The Stomp Out Suicide exhibit (a photo of last year’s seen here) on South Campus speaks to that, with old shoes carrying the bios of one of the approximately 1,100 college students who take their life each year in the U.S.

Throughout the week, there will also be a student-created Mental Health Exhibit in the South Campus Library and a Remembrance Wall in the student centers for posting tributes to those who have died before their time. Films to be shown at South and Center campuses include: Angst, Suicide: The Ripple Effect, It’s Real: College Students and Mental Health and Into the Light. There will also be free workshops exploring animal-assisted therapy, suicide warning signs and risk factors, breathing techniques for relieving stress, yoga, meditation, self-love and first-aid training.

As a society, awareness is our best hope for preventing suicide. And knowing how to keep stresses and anxieties in check will go a long way toward protecting your own mental health. So won’t you please visit one of the exhibits or join us at a workshop or film viewing during the week of Sept. 9?

I hope you never have to say that you were glad you did.

By Robert Penkala, Director of Career Services at Macomb

It’s been awhile, but I still remember how overwhelmed I was on my first day of college.  That’s why my staff and I are giving incoming freshmen a chance to familiarize themselves with Macomb before their first day of class.

A free Student Success Academy will be held Aug. 5-9 at South and Center campuses.  Not only will it introduce new students to Macomb’s campuses and resources, it will also offer strategies for success through workshops in learning, textbook reading, note taking, time management and critical thinking.

Each academy is limited to 25 students, with preference given to 2019 high school graduates starting at Macomb in the fall.   Students who complete the academy, will receive a certificate and earn one continuing education credit.  For more information or to register, contact Career Services at 586.445.7321 or careerservices@macomb.edu.

If you are starting at Macomb in the fall, I hope to see you there.  If a friend or family member would benefit from attending the academy, please pass this info along. It’s a great chance for new students to know Macomb before they go to Macomb!

Macomb Community College Student Success Academy – Summer 2019

By Sharon Lafferty, Academic Advisor
(Article originally published on October 23, 2017)

As an academic advisor, I am committed to helping you accomplish your goals, whether that’s to obtain a certificate, complete an associate degree, or transfer to another college. Sometimes the information you need to move forward is within your grasp without you realizing it.

Here are several resources I know can help you:

Macomb’s e-catalog: Not only does the catalog explain college degree requirements, policies and regulations, it also contains descriptions of all the classes Macomb offers, including those that you must take before (prerequisites) or ones that must be taken together (co-requisites).

The Academic Programs page within the catalog contains a list of all the certificate and degree programs that Macomb offers with a complete list of what courses to take and in what order.

There is also the Course Offerings page, where you can search for when a class will be available. While the catalog is online, you can still print information and individual pages if you want to!

My Program Plan: This is your college major and is also called an academic evaluation. You can find your personalized plan in My Macomb under your academic profile. It shows how all the classes that you’ve taken at Macomb (and other colleges) exactly fit with your goal to get a certificate, degree or transfer.

Please stop in and see us – we are here to help you stay on track and make sure that you fulfill your college dreams!

By Rebecca Trouse, Rochester College alumna

I absolutely loved taking classes at the beautiful Macomb University Center (UC) in Macomb County! When I was a psychology student at Rochester College (now, University), I never stepped foot on its main campus for courses. Why? Because the entire degree completion program was conveniently held at the UC!

The location was closer to my home and work, making it easier for me to make it to class on time. The UC is spacious, from the exterior grounds to the classrooms, and the building is very professional, well-maintained, secure and well-lit outdoors. From my perspective as a student, it had the quintessential combination of elements contributing to an advanced learning environment.

Years later, after graduating from Oakland University with a MA in Counseling and opening my private practice, Aspects Counseling in Rochester, I had the good fortune of returning to the UC as an adjunct professor and teaching in some of the same classrooms where I was a student. I came full-circle. It was perfect!

By: Jason Cale, Macomb Senior Writer

You’ve likely seen the hashtag #OwnYourStory on campus or online. But, have you ever wondered what it actually means? Macomb Community College created the campaign to highlight student success stories and show that, by coming to Macomb, you really can Own Your Story! You’re enriching yourself, receiving a quality education, and taking an important step toward a rewarding career.

“I’ve attended several community colleges, and I actually love Macomb most out of all of them.” –Tranyssa, Macomb student

Allow me to ask you a few questions: Do you love taking classes at Macomb? Has a faculty or staff member really helped shape your experience here? Do your classes inspire you to achieve more with your education? If the answer to any of these is yes, I encourage you to Share Your Story with Macomb.

“Macomb has taught me to believe in myself.” – Jarod Baker, Macomb student

Please take a few moments to complete a brief online form, telling us a little bit about yourself. If selected, you’ll be contacted by our Marketing and Communications team. You could be our next Real Student of Macomb Community College or appear in an advertising campaign!