Achieving Her Dream
Recent MCC alumna Mayra Sanchez takes pride in being the first member of her family to attend college.
“MCC provided me with an accessible and affordable opportunity to start my career,” said Mayra. “I really did not know much about college, so starting here seemed less intimidating.”
Mayra credits her involvement in the Phi Theta Kappa honors society and the support of its advisor, Kelley Conrad, with giving her the courage to pursue her dream of becoming a psychologist.
“Once I transferred to MCC, it really made a difference in my aspirations and opened up many opportunities for me,” she explained. “Being part of Phi Theta Kappa changed my life because it really helped me to realize that I am capable of doing whatever it is I want to do.”
“Kelley is definitely someone who offered me valuable lessons, especially in terms of always trying things, even if the outcome was uncertain.”
Graduating in 2010, Mayra continued her psychology studies at Grand Valley State University. She will earn her degree this spring and plans to eventually obtain a Ph.D in either clinical psychology or neuropsychology.
Mayra’s advice for new students: “Never stop doing something because you are afraid you can’t do it or don’t have any chance of getting it, you must first give it a try.”
The Great Outdoors
1994 MCC graduate Steven Rinella, a well-known author, travel writer and outdoor television host, credits MCC instructors for teaching him to explore his writing passion. “I was always interested in writing about the outdoors,” said Steven. “I just didn’t know how to go about it.”
Steven grew up in Twin Lake, Michigan, graduated from Reeths-Puffer schools, and went on to Muskegon Community College, where through the advice of his English 101 instructor, began to write about his passion and what he knew well – which was hunting, fishing, and the great outdoors.
“I had many inspiring instructors at MCC, but my English instructor Nelvin Jager really encouraged me and reinforced my writing skills,” said Steven. “I was struggling with my writing until he told me to write about what I knew. My first writing success was about how to trap a fox.”
After college, Steven moved west to Montana to focus on his chosen career as an outdoor and adventure-travel writer. He has written numerous stories for many of the nation's top publications, including the New York Times, Outside, Men's Journal, O the Oprah Magazine, Glamour, the New Yorker, Field and Stream, Petersen’s Hunting, and American Hunter. What’s next on his agenda? A new TV show on the Sportman’s Channel starting January 2012 called Meat Eater.
You can read more about Steven Rinella in the Winter 2012 edition of Reflections, due out soon!
Worth the Wait
Nielsen Scholarship recipient Jamie Paiva took a few years to find her true calling and even longer to discover MCC was the best place for achieving it. But the future nurse admits the wait has been worthwhile.
“The teachers and the experience I have had in this program reaffirm my reasons for choosing MCC,” says Jamie. “The teachers really do care about their students, care about our grades and try to help us succeed. If I have questions, I don’t feel like I am a bother to them. At other colleges, I did not have those experiences at all.”
The Muskegon native began her collegiate studies in New Orleans, but Hurricane Katrina altered her plans. An exceptional academic student, Jamie returned to Michigan to pursue a degree in the medical profession, eventually gravitating to nursing.
“I wanted a career that would be diverse,” explains Jamie, who longed for a change after a decade in communications and technology sales. “For me, doing the same thing for 10 years of your life gets really old. With nursing, if I get bored or restless in one area, I can easily go into another. I love people. I love sciences. I am fascinated by the human body and how you can alter things to heal someone.”
Looking for a better collegiate experience, Jamie transferred to MCC. While waiting to get into the competitive program, she completed her pre-requisite courses. Today, she’s nearly halfway through her nursing regimen, active in the Student Nurse Club and completing her first clinical foray, in obstetrics, at the Hackley campus.
“I am most impressed with the effort she puts into her assignments and the professionalism she exhibits, even as a student nurse,” remarks Chris Patterson, MCC’s clinical coordinator. “Jamie provides an excellent example of the strength of Muskegon Community College and its Nursing Department.”
Going the Extra Mile
MCC student Lance Marczak can attest that some of the best learning experiences occur outside of the classroom.
“We can only learn so much from the essays and lectures,” explained the Nielsen Scholarship recipient. “We have to go outside the classroom and use what we’ve learned in the real world for it to stick. MCC has a lot of opportunities that people ought to take part in.”
The sophomore ranks his trip to the Gettsyburg battlefield, serving as a representative to the Model UN in Chicago, and participating in the exchange program in Germany as his top MCC extracurricular involvements.
“You gain valuable experience, meet new people, and before you know it you’re having a lot of fun, too,” added Lance, who plans to major in kinesiology.
Lance didn’t need to look far for his educational role models. His grandfather, Frank, is a former MCC president and his father, Greg, teaches chemistry.
Someday Lance would welcome the opportunity to follow in their footsteps as an instructor at MCC, a place where he could inspire the next generation of students to go the extra mile.
The Unwritten Word
Kim Page’s graphic design speaks directly to adults who cannot read. They told her so when choosing her visual concept for the current Read Muskegon poster and billboard campaign against illiteracy in the community.
“I tried to put myself in their shoes,” said Kim, an avid reader who attends MCC on the Trade Reenactment Act after her 16-year assembly and purchasing job was eliminated by a local furniture maker. “I cannot imagine not being able to read. It opens so many doors for you."
Last year, Read Muskegon approached MCC instructor Nancy Slater and her Digital Imagining students to craft a poster encouraging non-readers to become literate.
When judging the results, the Read Muskegon Board of Directors favored several other MCC student designs, but its clientele - the ad’s target audience - selected Kim’s as the clear winner.
“Yours was the one they chose because they said it felt exactly how they felt, that there was a piece missing because they couldn’t read,” recalled Kim about being informed she won a $50 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble. “They said the puzzle spoke to them.”
“Every semester I am amazed at the amount of talent that walks into my classroom,” admitted Slater, noting that Kim and other displaced workers with years of practical, real-world experience often have an advantage.
MCC's Gentle Giant
He was MCC’s “gentle giant.” A 6-5, 400-pound heavyweight wrestler, the late Chris Taylor won national championships here and at Iowa State before earning an Olympic bronze medal at the 1972 Munich Games. This June, Taylor will be inducted posthumously as a distinguished member into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum.
“He was very competitive and put Muskegon Community College on the map as far as wrestling was concerned,” said longtime MCC wrestling Coach Ron Gaffner, who knew Taylor as a scholastic grappler and followed him at MCC. “He was one of the most exceptional wrestlers we’ve had at the international level. He won the bronze medal in Munich, losing only to (Soviet Union’s) Aleksandr Nedved. I watched it and thought he got robbed on that one.”
The USSR’s Nedved, who went on to win the gold medal, beat Taylor 3-2 on a controversial stalling call.
A two-time state champ at Dowagiac (Mich.) High School, Taylor was 41-0 in dual meets at MCC. He captured the national title in his freshman year and took third as a sophomore. He helped lead the Jayhawks to the 1970 NJCAA national championship. At NCAA Division I powerhouse Iowa State University, Taylor posted an 87-0-1 record and won two national crowns. He pinned 42 of 48 opponents as a senior.
“I think he might have been the greatest athlete for his size who ever lived," said his former Cyclone Coach Harold Nichols.
Taylor died at age 29 in 1979. He is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association Wrestling Hall of Fame and The Des Moines Sunday Register Iowa Sports Hall of Fame. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum induction ceremonies will take place on June 1-2 at the facility located in Stillwater, Okla.
Better Opportunities 
Truck driver Eddie Smith turned to Muskegon Community College in Fall 2011 when he needed a boost to his truck-driving career. Thanks to MCC's Professional Truck Driver Training, Eddie now holds a Class A Commercial Driver’s License and will soon start his new job as a UPS driver.
“The training I received was very instrumental in me landing a good paying job,” Eddie says. "The instructors were great, and because the class was so small, I was able to ask a lot of questions and not take up a lot of time.”
Eddie said he recommends Muskegon Community College’s CDL program to anyone interested in a truck-driving career. "The program is a great start toward a new career in driving. It will open more doors and you will have more opportunities for more jobs.”
Breaking Down Barriers
Bethany Houghton, donned in dark glasses to protect her dilated pupils after a doctor’s visit, was troubled by the demeaning behavior she received from a restaurant waitress. She used the experience as the basis for her MCC anthropology class project. Bethany replicated her appearance at three more service-related businesses. In each case, she encountered the same cold and fearful reaction.
The Muskegon native wants to break down such barriers of ignorance through a campaign of awareness, but she’s not waiting until she graduates. Visually impaired from birth, Bethany posted a YouTube video in August highlighting the merits of MCC’s Special Services Office and its receptive staff. She has made Web pages compliant for those with disabilities. The MCC sophomore, who tutors students taking French, is participating with Rotaract and Phi Theta Kappa honorary society this year.
Bethany plans on attending Eastern Michigan after earning her associate’s degree in May. She hopes to work with young children as an orientation and mobility specialist. “I want them to be able to know that they can accomplish things,” she said. We doubt that they will find a better role model.
MCC Helped Fulfill a Dream
Mustapha Kambi temporarily left family and friends in his native Gambia to gain knowledge in America, but not just for himself. He sought an education that could be used to improve the lives of those in his impoverished West African community. His cross-Atlantic journey eventually led him to Muskegon Community College and its Nursing Program, a personal gateway to opportunity after he endured rejections from other institutions of higher learning.
“Persistent, persistent, persistent, he just does not give up,” said Pam Brown, MCC’s nursing director, in describing Mustapha and his determination to fulfill his dream. “He went to school, worked and slept.”
Mustapha earned money as a patient care technician at Mercy Health Partners, attended professional conferences and diligently completed his nursing clinical requirements. The honor student and Phi Theta Kappa member earned two associate’s degrees from MCC, graduating in August 2011.
Mustapha passed his NCLEX-RN on his first attempt, and now participates in the GVSU/MCC/GRCC Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Advance Grant Program at Grand Valley State University’s Kirkhof College of Nursing.
“He wants to be a certified nurse practitioner, so he will have to earn his clinical master’s degree before returning home,” explained Brown.
Mustapha’s homecoming will reinforce the time-honored fact that MCC graduates better the world in which we live, even as far away as a village in Africa.
Involvement is Rewarded
Tammie Anderson hasn’t had an easy life. Given away for adoption as a youngster, she shuffled between Florida and Michigan living with different families. She endured many struggles in her personal life, including the tragic death of her twin children.
She tried college once but dropped out. Then, at age 38, with the encouragement of her husband and the No Worker Left Behind program, she enrolled at MCC. She discovered its life-changing counselors and Phi Theta Kappa. The self-proclaimed quitter began living the honor society’s tenets. She volunteered in the community, led by example - especially to her children - and became a productive team member.
“I realized everything I was doing was having an impact and making me stronger,” said Tammie, who received a $1,000 Athena Scholarship to complete her studies at MCC.
She interned 30 hours a week in the Crockery Township office in Nunica, where she continues to work after earning two associate’s degrees – in business and information services in December 2011.
Catch a Future at MCC 
This summer when rocket fish sculptures dotted the Grand Haven landscape, there was something decidedly familiar to anyone from MCC about the blue and gold one, diploma in its mouth, located on Washington Avenue. The artist, MCC graduate Mary Jo Westerberg, painted it in the Jayhawks school colors and dubbed it “Catch a Future.” The artwork was moved to the MCC campus this fall.
Mary Jo, now studying for her BFA at Kendall School of Art student, wanted her final product to be cheerful and uplifting, reminiscent of her experience at MCC. Twenty years separated her first degree there and her return for a second. Mary Jo put her aspirations on hold while home schooling her two sons. Both came to MCC. Mary Jo followed suit after being encouraged by her former MCC teacher.
She inundated herself in computer and graphic arts, photography, drawing and painting courses. Her instructors helped her at every turn, with a Muskegon Museum of Art internship, professional portfolio preparations and a solid academic foundation.
“They welcomed non-traditional students and were very encouraging,” said Mary Jo, who’s not sure what specific area she will pursue as a professional artist. “It’s a brand new world that I am trying to figure out. It’s part of a mystery. MCC made it possible.”
MCC Opens Window to World
Allen Putnam’s friendship with an exchange student in high school piqued his interest in Germany, but Kathy Tosa’s German classes at MCC opened his eyes and ears to the nation’s people and culture. He spent one Christmas in Germany before beginning his language classes. “I never felt more alone sitting in a room full of people,” he recalled. “Even the background conversations were in a different language.”
The energetic Tosa changed all that. “She gets so emotional about teaching German,” he said. “You can tell she has a passion for it.” Now, so does Putnam. He engaged his German hosts in discussions and debates in subsequent visits. “The Germans love U.S. politics,” he explained. “They feel that every American that goes over there is personally responsible for our political mistakes. I just love having conversations with them about conflicting ideas.”
A member of Montague High School’s state champion football team, Allen has coached the school’s jayvees while attending MCC. He tutors German and astronomy at MCC and plans to attend Michigan State , where he will study abroad at the University of Freiburg. Allen’s long-term goal is to become a special education teacher, but he’s already taken some giant steps toward demonstrating his lessons on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
MCC Spurs All-American Effort
MCC softball Coach Matt Housman quickly recalls Ashley White’s perpetual smile, her gregarious personality and how she thoroughly enjoyed being on the pitcher’s mound during the 2010 season. But opposing teams may have an entirely different recollection of the talented Jayhawks right-handed thrower.
Ashley, who developed a full complement of pitches the summer before, befuddled their hitters and posted statistics which earned her First Team All-American honors. Her 36-6 win-loss record and 367 strikeouts were best in the nation, while her amazing 1.03 earned run average led the MCC women to a national championship.
Her best work, though, may have occurred off the field. “She’s got a great heart,” said Housman, who joined Ashley and other members of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes help the folks of Parkersburg, Iowa rebuild their tornado-ravaged community in 2009.
After earning her MCC degree, Ashley, who was raised by her grandparents in Lansing, Mich., turned down Division I scholarships in Ohio and Indiana. She chose and now attends nearby Aquinas College so that they could watch her compete. The same concern for others will serve Ashley well in her chosen career as a social worker.
MCC Leads to University Success
Growing up in Ravenna, Julie Smith McGhan loved her family pets, maintaining a special fondness for horses since getting one when she was 11 years old. As her equine interest grew, she “shadowed” local horse trainers and helped in a veterinary office. There, she discovered her passion for working with animals each day and getting to know them and their owners.
A three-sport athlete, band member and honor student at Ravenna, Julie brought her active lifestyle – along with 30 dual-enrollment college credits – to MCC, which she envisioned as the perfect stepping stone to a larger university.
“The faculty and staff at MCC do a great job of helping you reach your goals,” said Julie, a charter inductee and officer of Phi Theta Kappa. The MCC honor society offered her opportunities to attend conventions, be a student rep on college committees and for networking to obtain scholarships. “It also helped me to grow out of my comfort zone.”
After earning her associate’s degree, Julie graduated with honors from Grand Valley State University and now attends MSU’s School of Veterinary Science. She hopes to someday open a small clinic in Ravenna and help the animals in the place she calls home.
MCC Students and Faculty
Share Global Views
Papa N’Jai offers his MCC students a personal global perspective on geography and culture. The Sierra Leone native combines the vivid experiences of his African youth with the knowledge he gained in American universities and working in the non-profit sector. His popular Cultural Diversity course makes practical and important connections between the day-to-day happenings in West Michigan and the ever-shrinking world in which MCC students must live and work.
“As much as I impart knowledge to the students, they give me back double with fresh eyes and perspectives that keep me sharp and excited to learn,” says the MCC Social Sciences Department chair.
Do you have someone you would like to nominate as an MCC Shining Star? We would like to share their inspiring story with the world. Simply complete our Success Story Form, or email Tina Dee in the Office of Community Relations at MCC.