Campus Blog

By Michael Swain, Career Services Website Specialist

What would you do if the path to your dreams became blocked? Would you give up, or find a new path to your success? Macomb’s Career Services department invited former U.S. Olympian Johnny Quinn to South Campus on November 15, 2017, to discuss just that.

One of only three people to compete in the NFL and the Winter Olympics, Johnny discussed how his professional football dreams were curtailed, and how he found a new opportunity to be a member of the United States Olympic Bobsled team.

Career Services also hosted a “Game of Life” event shortly after Johnny’s presentation, in which we invited students to make decisions based on their anticipated career path and helped them understand how those decisions will impact many aspects of their life. We even had a roadblock such as winning the lottery or a sick pet – what would you do next!?

Being available for unexpected opportunities and open to new paths is a resounding message for any student that is lost in their career path. Career Services can help any student by providing reliable information to help make informed career decisions for the rest of your life.

By Tim Masters, electric vehicle development student

Before coming to Macomb, I was miserable. I had a string of terrible, back-breaking jobs and generally hated my life.  To top it off, I had just lost the latest terrible job, so I was feeling particularly low.  A friend referred me to a program, provided through Michigan Works!, to attend college courses at Macomb in electric vehicle development.  Unfortunately the deadline had passed, but I tried anyway.

Not only did the long shot pay off, but I excelled. Because of my training, I gained my first job building batteries at a startup.  I moved on from there, advancing my skills along with my wages, until I ended up with a fantastic opportunity at Ford Motor Company, testing the battery packs used in all of their hybrid and electric vehicles.  I can say that waking up to come to work is no longer a chore; I actually enjoy my career, and I love the people I work with.

While I have already started my career in batteries, I have never stopped going to class.  I’m slowly but surely continuing on with school, seeking my degree.  It’s because of this that I was able to attend NASA’s Community College Scholar program this past year (that’s me in the back row, second from the left ), which was a truly amazing experience.  It consisted of an online class as well as a portion on-site at the Marshall Space Center in Huntsville, Alabama. While I was in Huntsville, we toured various NASA facilities as well as spoke with engineers and coordinators about jobs and internships, all the while competing with three other teams in a robotics competition.  It was one of my proudest moments when it was announced that our team won the competition; a testament to all the hard work I put into my classes, and into myself.  It just goes to show that when an opportunity comes along, you have to go for it, even if it’s a long shot.

Are you in the sixth through twelfth grade and interested in a career like Tim’s?  Then you and your parents should attend Explore Careers in Manufacturing and Technology on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 5:30 to 8 p.m., at the Sports & Expo Center on Macomb’s South Campus. There will be interactive displays in auto design, robotics, clay modeling, electric and automated vehicles, production design, sketching and traffic light simulation.  If you attend, you will also have the chance to win a drone!  Register now at www.macomb.edu/mfgevening.

By Kristin Dunsmore, RHIA, CCS

When I say “health information technology,” a lot of people give me a blank stare. But when I ask the same group of people how many of them have a medical record, everyone’s hands go up. And that’s one reason why the health information technology program at Macomb is worth knowing more about.

This is not a career managing a file cabinet. The switch to electronic record-keeping in health care has greatly increased how much medical data exists, and that requires people who can interpret that information to make it meaningful. People who work in health information safeguard this medical data while making sure it gets delivered to the right places. It’s a great fit for people who are analytical, inquisitive, and have an attention to detail.

Here are some other benefits:

-It’s not patient-facing, which means it’s a perfect career for people who like the medical field but don’t like the “hands-on” aspect.

-Because of all this new data, it’s consistently recognized as one of the fastest-growing health careers. If you want a job, you’ll find one.

-Most people in this field work from home. In fact, most employers WANT you to work from home to free up space. So if you like the freedom and flexibility that come with a home office, this is a great option.

-Macomb’s program is conveniently offered 100% online.

This profession has been very good to me, and now I’m happy to train a new generation, including my daughter, who’s followed me into it. Please e-mail me to find out more about how this program might be right for you too.

By Brooklyn Frontiera, Career Services Coordinator

Every month during the Fall and Winter semesters, Macomb’s Career Services team takes students on a good-old-fashioned field trip! Earlier this month, we took 19 students to COMTEC, Macomb County’s state-of-the-art Communications and Technology Center in Mount Clemens. This facility oversees all of the traffic, dispatch, roads, emergency management and information technology that is necessary to keep Michigan’s 3^rd largest county safe and running smoothly.

Joined by Macomb staff and alumni, students toured the facility and were able to ask questions while playing Jeopardy with the IT department, listening to phone calls that the dispatch team has handled, and watching traffic management on a 50-foot video wall. Students were given specific examples of jobs that were available, the education required to attain them, and how to apply – and some even applied right on the spot!

Here’s what some of the students had to say about this opportunity:

-“I’m extremely interested in potential employment and internship opportunities with Macomb County.”

-“I liked it a lot, very informative.”

-“I plan on applying in the dispatch department soon.”

Have questions or want to sign up for a future trip? Contact Career Services and join our next tour to Quicken Loans on December 1^st!

By Maria Ramos, Spanish and Latin American Culture professor

Ofrendas have a special place in my native culture and in my heart.  Meaningfully decorated altars commemorating the lives of loved ones who have died are a Día de los Muertos (Day(s) of the Dead) tradition that has been passed down generation to generation in my family, and it is a joy to be able to share it with you.

Please join me on Thursday, Nov. 2, at noon, for an altar-making workshop in the Lorenzo Cultural Center during Macomb’s commemoration of Día de los Muertos.  I will show you how to create your own ofrenda to honor someone dear that you have lost.  For inspiration, there will be a display of ofrendas remembering Macomb faculty and staff who have died over the past year.  Each includes a brief bio, written in Spanish by one of my students, recognizing the contributions and dedication of these former colleagues.

Whether you join me to create an ofrenda honoring one of your own loved ones or to view the ofrenda display paying tribute to departed Macomb faculty and staff, please remember that Día de los Meurtos is not a time for grief.  It is, instead, a true celebration of life, but with a gentle reminder that we should not take it for granted.

By Sharon Lafferty, Academic Advisor

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 Maria Romain, Career Services

Our Student Success Seminars are designed to help students strengthen their academic skills so they can become better learners and achieve academic success. Some of our seminar topics include:

Time Management
Critical Thinking
Learning Styles
Academic Reading
Note Taking
Test Taking
Memory

Students who attend academic seminars earn one-tenth (.1) of a Continuing Education Credit (CEU) for every seminar attended. If students attend 10 seminars, they will have earned one (1) CEU, along with a Student Success Seminars Training Certificate. Additionally, many professors at Macomb offer extra credit to encourage students to attend. Our faculty understand the need for our students to acquire effective study skills, and they feel that it is worth offering an extra incentive for attending. It is definitely a “win-win” opportunity for Macomb students.

Here is what our students are saying about the Student Success Seminars:

“The seminar was great and the information that I learned is very useful.”

“I learned new ways to read a textbook to help retain info, which was great information that I believe will help me out a lot.”

“I enjoyed attending this seminar. It is not something that I would normally participate in, but I feel better prepared.”

“I used Smart Cards to study for my last test and I got an A on it…it really worked!”

Check out the full calendar of fall workshops here or contact Career Services for more info. We hope to see you soon!

By Colleen Martin, Academic Advisor

In my role as an Academic Advisor here at the College, I speak with students regularly about what classes to take in order to complete associate degrees, certificates, or transfer plans.  Knowing which classes to take is important…and knowing when to register is also very important! One way that you can set yourself up for academic success is to register early for the upcoming semester.

Assigned registration for Winter 2018 will occur from November 6 – 12th, and open registration for all students will begin November 13^th and will last until that add/drop period has ended or the class fills. Remember, it is also possible to add yourself to the waitlist for a closed section that you wish to enter.

When you register early, you have more options when it comes to days/times/instructors/instructional formats (traditional, hybrid or online). Also, you have a slightly longer grace period before payment is due.

If you need to know what classes to take for the upcoming semester(s), October is a great month to come see us in the Counseling and Academic Advising Office.

We hope to see you soon!