Mott Community College
Winter 2011 Volume 1 Issue 2
A Future
in Film
A Fast-Track
Career in Science
Prescription for Success
After Automotive–
Solid IT Opportunities
Hot Career in
Engineering Technology
Dice It & Slice It
World Class Culinary Program
Mott Community College
1401 East Court St.
Flint, MI 48503
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Campus Life
MCC Unveils 9/11 Memorial on Campus
Hundreds of police officers,
firefighters and other emergency
personnel from all across Genesee
County gathered at MCC on
September 11, 2011 for the unveiling
of a memorial honoring the courage
of our first responders marked by
a steel girder that once was part of
the World Trade Center in New York
City. Clayton Township Police Chief
Mike Powers played the bagpipes,
Grand Blanc City Fire Chief James
Harmes called for a moment of
silence, Flint City Police Chief
Alvern Lock read “The Policeman’s
Parayer” while City of Flushing
Police Chief Mark Hoornstra and
City of Flint Assistant Fire Chief
Raymond Barton laid wreaths at
the monument. A large turnout
of grateful civilians also attended
the ceremony. The 9/11 Memorial
is located at the heart of the MCC
campus and will stay there as a
permanent reminder of the courage
and sacrifice that our public safety
personnel demonstrate every day.
Patti Smith Rocks MCC
Almost a thousand people filled the
Ballenger Field House last October
to welcome singer/poet/painter/
photographer Patti Smith to the MCC
campus. Coming as part of MCC’s
Ballenger Eminent Persons lecture
series, Smith sang, read and spoke
with the audience. “I’m very happy
to be in Flint.” She told the crowd.
“I’m of course very aware that Flint,
like many cities, has had its difficult
times. But in these cities, we find the
true backbone of America.” Smith
lived in Michigan for 16 years. “I’m
very proud of the years I spent in
Michigan,” she said. “The struggle
in Michigan and in your city is an
American struggle. So we salute you.”
She walked out into the crowd
during her rendition of “The People
Have the Power” and rocked out
with MCC music students in her
biggest hit song, “Because the Night,”
that she wrote together with Bruce
Springsteen
“Because the Night” was a big
audience favorite and a great
opportunity for MCC students Jack
Johnson, Dilon Reynolds, Jeremiah
Shilling and Yohanes Wortham
to play with the internationally
recognized artist.
Members of the audience came from
all over the state and as far away as
Iowa to catch the show.
MCC Named One of the Top Ten
Community Colleges in America
Across the USA, there are more
than 1,200 community colleges. Mott
Community College has been ranked
as one of the top 10 in the nation
by the Washington-based Aspen
Institute.
“The story of Mott Community
College is a story about the power of
an educational institution to boost
an entire community,” said Josh
Wyner, Executive Director of the
Aspen Institute’s College Excellence
Program. “The economic challenges
facing the Flint community are well
known. As things improve, Mott
Community College will deserve
some of the credit for it, because this
college is getting better and better
in a very impressive fashion.”
According to the Aspen Institute,
Mott College demonstrated very
strong improvement in the number
of students that earned degrees and
certificates over the past five years.
To get there, the college created
a rigorous system to measure
results and identify opportunities
for improvement, and test results
show that student learning and
completion rates have improved
significantly.
Community leaders praised MCC
for its deep community involvement.
Kirk Smith, CEO of the Greater
Flint Health Coalition said, “Mott
College is a significant community
partner. Our focus in relationship
with them is around health and
health care. But really Mott College
is a part of everything, whether it’s
economic development, workforce
development or even community
improvements in general.”
Alicia Booker, CEO of Career
Alliance/Michigan Works added,
“One of the things that’s really
an advantage to the Michigan
Works system in Genesee County
is the presence of Mott Community
College. The college has taken
such a very aggressive role in
ensuring that the training they’ve
provided – both the credit and noncredit training – result in people
having meaningful and gainful
employment.”
Jason Caya of the Flint Area
Reinvestment Office stated that,
“With the challenges that our
workforce faces, having Mott
Community College and having
them partner with almost all of the
service organizations and the other
colleges and universities here is
vital to prepare our population to
engage in the new economy.”
DisAbility Network CEO Mike
Zelley added, “We have a great and
strong and lasting relationship with
Mott College and it goes beyond
just that. I look to Mott Community
College and Dr. Shaink and his team
as a leadership source for us. One
of the things that I think is very
important that you don’t often find
in the academic setting is they’re
willing to listen and turn on a dime.”
“We appreciate the validation from
national experts that Mott College is
actually doing what we say we are;
seeking ways to bring our students
to success,” said MCC President
Dick Shaink. “We are committed to
serve our community and we are
well aware of the challenges we all
face right now. Higher education is
a critical gateway to a successful
career and Mott College is the
affordable, high-quality option.”
Public Welcome to Use MCC’s FABLAB
“You can make almost anything!”
stated MCC Senior Project Manager
Joe Pakkala, talking about the area’s
first Digital Fabrication Laboratory,
or FABLAB.
The MCC FABLAB, a dream-come
true for inventors of all ages, is a
hands-on laboratory that provides the
technology and modern fabrication
tools to let people build their own
creations and products for personal
or commercial use. The FABLAB
allows a person to essentially take
an idea and discover how to turn it
into a physical object. FABLABs
are also uniquely designed to allow
local communities to foster and
support innovation that can lead
to sustainable solutions for small
businesses.
“The FABLAB is all about ideas,
innovation and making cool stuff ,”
Pakkala said.
The MCC FABLAB contains the
following features:
• A common set of platforms and
tools permitting easy and rapid
exchange of designs and ideas.
• Capacity to allow both technical
and non-technical people to rapidly
translate their ideas and creativity
into reality.
• Stimulation of significant
innovation and highly-motivated
learning.
“We want to be a key resource to
help people configure their ideas
and begin the process of creating
products,” added Pakkala. “Once you
think of something, we can help with
the process. We can help the person
looking for an everyday solution
to a problem, and we can also help
the entrepreneur with a more
sophisticated project that they hope
to commercialize.”
The FABLAB is located in the
college’s Regional Technology
Center (RTC), located at 1401 E.
Court Street on the college’s main
campus in Flint. For a tour or more
information, call (810) 232-4553
To advertise in CareerFocus, please call (810) 762-0456.
Publisher........................................................Dr. M. Richard Shaink,
President, Mott Community College
Editor ............................................................................Michael Kelly
Staff Writer .............................................................Sharon Campbell
Photography ...................................... Michael Tews, Bob Rentschler
Research ..................................................................... Nicola Brozich
Visit MCC on the web at www.mcc.edu
Mott Community College Board of Trustees
Contents
Features
2
A New World of Digital
Photography Opens Up at MCC
3
A Future in Film
4
A Fast-Track
Career in Science
5
Cyndi Vansteenburg,
MCC alumna and pharmacist
6
Life in IT after the Automotive Industry
7
Another Post-automotive IT Story
8
Fast-Growing Field of Esthetics Booming
in Cosmetology Field
Lenore Croudy, Chair
Dr. John Snell, Vice Chair
Albert Koegel, Treasurer
Sally Shaheen Joseph, Secretary
Pamela M. Faris, Trustee
Michael Freeman, Trustee
Rafael Turner, Trustee
CareerFocus
Questions about the Mott Community College programs described
in this magazine can be directed to the MCC Admissions Office
at (810) 762-0200. Visit the college website at www.mcc.edu for
more details about MCC and its more than 100 career programs.
Comments or questions about this publication can be directed to
the MCC Office of Public Information at (810) 762-0455.
Mott Community College Executive Cabinet
Dr. Amy Fugate, Vice President,
Office of Academic Affairs
Larry Gawthrop, Chief Financial Officer
Scott Jenkins, Vice President,
Office of Administration and Student Services
Mark Kennedy, Chief Human Resources Officer,
Human Resources Department
CareerFocus is published twice a year by Mott Community
College, 1401 East Court Street, Flint, MI 48503
All rights reserved. No part of the material printed
may be reproduced or used in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying,
recording or by any information storage retrieval system
without the permission of the publisher.
10
Getting Started with a Career in CADD:
One of the Hottest Fields in
Engineering Technology
12
A World of Food Awaits Careers
in Culinary Arts
© 2011 Mott Community College
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810-762-0200 www.mcc.edu I Mott Community College
CareerFocus I Winter 2011
I1
careerFocus
Feature
A New World of Digital
Photography Opens Up at MCC
T
By Michael Kelly
he Photography lab at
Mott College is anything
but old-fashioned. It
bustles with activity
as a wide range of
students seek to master
old artistry and new
technology. Brand new
digital equipment and a strong
faculty are important assets for this
growing program.
“The instructors are absolutely,
absolutely phenomenal!” stated
MCC graduate Chris Beaudoin,
owner of Captivating Studio
(www.captivatingstudio.com), who
credits the faculty at Mott College
with her decision to become a
professional photographer.
“They treat you as a person as
opposed to being in a class in a large
auditorium where there is no oneon-one.” She continued, “In fact, they
are not just instructors. I’ve made
friends with the instructors. That
was a huge reason why I chose Mott
College. I’ve been at other schools
and if you ask a question, they point.
But at Mott College, people went out
of their way to show me how to do
something. They take the individual
time even above and beyond their
work schedule.”
The fact that most faculty members
are working professionals
themselves makes a big difference.
“They are professionals in the field
they teach,” Beaudoin pointed out,
“They’re not just someone burnt
2
I Winter 2011 I CareerFocus
out at their job and now they’re
a teacher, which I found at other
colleges.”
“I was looking at a lot of other
colleges and, to be honest, the
program and the equipment at
Mott College was very much up to
date and more current than other
colleges,” Beaudoin added.
Beaudoin herself has plenty
of experience at other colleges.
Before she came to MCC to study
media arts and photography, she
had already earned an associate’s
degree in liberal arts from
Oakland Community College
as well as another associate’s
degree in Computer Science and a
bachelor’s degree in Health Service
Administration from Baker College.
Although she already had a
successful career in computers, she
found that the creative aspects of
photography were too attractive
to miss. “I am someone who uses
my right and left brain, so I’m a
very creative person as well as
an analytical person,” Beaudoin
recalled, “I enjoy the freedom of
being a photographer and capturing
treasured moments that will be a
legacy forever as opposed to fixing
someone’s hard drive. I always
thought I was a computer doctor
and I liked helping people but my
passion is definitely photography,
capturing moments that no one else
can.”
Her background in computers
proved to be an asset. As MCC
Photography Program Coordinator
Bob Rentschler explains, “one of
the areas
that is important is the term ‘fusion.’
This means the marrying (or fusion)
of basically all the digital media, as
photographers now have at their
disposal cameras that are capable
of shooting high resolution video as
well as still photos.”
“So, one tool, two capabilities,” says
Rentschler. “I now consider video
editing and a basic understanding
of audio to be important
additions to any photography
student. Everything we teach in
photography is directly relatable to
making moving pictures or video;
composition, lighting, understanding
exposure, depth of field, perspective,
visual storytelling and the list goes
on and on.” “It is just now so easy to merge
the media together with powerful,
relatively cheap desktop and laptop
computers,” Rentschler says, “but
the basics never change; a student
must be versed in understanding
the basic functions of their camera,
which can now do so much more!”
“Anyone can buy a camera and
call themselves a photographer,”
Chris Beaudoin added, “but it’s
different when you’re a professional
photographer. You’re taught the
arts of photography and go beyond.
That includes the editing process
afterwards, as well, to make that
final product something that makes
a parent says, ‘Ooh, I want to keep
that picture forever.’”
“When I started my own business,”
Beaudoin remembered, “what I
Chris Beaudoin
learned at Mott College gave me
confidence; the curriculum, the
classes, the hands-on things that
were required of you, getting real
world experience. If there were a
bachelor’s degree with all the same
people, I’d definitely take it right
now. Mott Community College is the
#1 reason why I am who I am today
and where I am today. I couldn’t
have done it – I really, seriously
couldn’t have done it – without
MCC.”
“I’ve had numerous people ask me
about where to study photography
and I highly recommend Mott
College. Even when I’m working
in Oakland County and people
ask, I can’t speak highly enough
about Mott College; the curriculum,
the classes, the instructors, the
environment, how they’re willing to
work with students…everything,”
she stated.
“I have no regrets. I would do it
again in a heartbeat. Absolutely.”
mott community college I www.mcc.edu
I 810-762-0200
careerFocus
Feature
A Future in Film
D
By Michael Kelly
uring last year’s Super
Bowl, one of the most
popular commercials
was from Chrysler.
It featured rapper
Eminem driving
through Detroit past
some of the Motor
City’s greatest landmarks and
launching a new theme for Chrysler:
“Imported from Detroit.”
Mott Community College student
Eric Hinds worked on the “Imported
from Detroit” series. How did he get
to be part of the production team
for those commercials? He studied
at MCC’s new Media Arts and
Entertainment Technology program.
“I knew I wanted to get into film
studies and knew I wanted to kind
of stay in Flint area,” Eric recalls. “I
had been working in photography
for a long time and I felt that my
ability to actually tell a narrative or
some kind of story would be better
served by using moving images and
sound and I realized that I wanted
to learn more about the technical
aspects of it.”
That brought him to Mott College
and the new Media Arts and
Entertainment Technology program.
The program is housed in the newlyrenovated space that for decades
had served as the studio of television
station WFUM-TV28. In 2010, Mott
College completely renovated the
facility and outfitted it with state-ofthe-art cameras, computers, lighting
and more. Media producer David
Rembiesa designed the program and
serves as its coordinator.
“Mott is committed to student
success both in the classroom and
beyond.” Rembiesa stated, “We do
everything we can to help students
I
network with active professionals in
the field. In the case of Eric, we had
a local producer come and speak to
our advanced production classes. He
was so impressed that he hired
Eric to work on the Chrysler
commercial. Eric is not alone,
several of our students have gained
valuable production experience
working and interning for local
producers, at TV and radio stations,
and on the set of feature films.”
The strong technical aspect of the
MCC program was an attraction to
Eric Hinds. “It’s not as much theory
based as it is technical based,” he
said, “So you get a good overview of
editing, shooting, writing, producing,
sound; you get a really good broad
overview of everything.” That
turned out to be a real advantage
for the ambitious young filmmaker:
“When you do get on a set, it’s really
good to be able to know so much.
I just worked on a Chrysler 300
commercial down in Detroit and
they were trying something and
asked, ‘Is there anybody around who
knows how to do this?’ and I said,
‘Yes, I do know how to do that. Let
me do that.’”
For Hinds, the chance to do the
actual work on professional
equipment was a great advantage.
“I like the hands-on aspect. The
faculty shows you the way that it’s
done in the industry, but at the
same time you’re free to experiment
and be creative. If you have a good
reason why you did something – as
long as you have a good reason for it
and you know why it’s supposed to
be the other way – the professors
are really open to allowing
you to experiment.”
Much of the coursework
involves group projects,
with students taking turns
fulfilling the various roles
found on a film or television
crew. “It’s a good way to
really just get thrown
into it,” Hinds said.
“Here’s what people do in
Hollywood when you’re on
a big budget movie but if you only
have a four person crew, this is what
you would want to do. You’re free to
experiment within those roles, which
is really interesting. I really like
that aspect of it a lot.”
His experience at Mott Community
College has been a good one for Eric
Hinds. “I really enjoyed the faculty,”
he related, “I’ve taken everything
from Philosophy and English to Art,
Media Arts and Theatre, and all of
the professors are very receptive,
especially in the creative fields.
They give you the ability to make
that mistake first so then, when you
don’t understand why this didn’t
work, they can help you see a better
way to do it or help adapt what
you’re trying to do to make it more
efficient.”
That is especially true in his Media
Arts program. “Dave Rembiesa is
really good with doing things like
that. I’ve come up with some pretty
wacky ideas and he’ll say, ‘It’s a
really good idea but you’re going
to have to take this into account,’
and things I haven’t necessarily
thought of are going to be a lot more
technically difficult than I thought
they would be. We do end up having
good technical knowledge and a lot
of real world experience.”
Hinds is eager to get started in his
field and excited about what he sees
as the future of the creative arts in
this area. “I think that’s where we
are right now in Flint. People are
doing really big creative things. I
think when it catches on more and
more, the younger creative people
will start staying around in the city.
That is what’s going to set this city
apart from Detroit or Grand Rapids
or Ann Arbor or any of these other
places.”
“It’s not as much theory based as it is technical based.
So you get a good overview of editing, shooting,
writing, producing, sound; you get a really good broad
overview of everything.”
810-762-0200 www.mcc.edu I mott community college
CareerFocus I Winter 2011
I3
careerFocus
Feature
A Fast-Track Career in Science
By Michael Kelly and
Thomas Cornell
W
interests.
hen
Epidemiologist
Amy Pullman
first entered
MCC in
1998, she felt
unprepared
to pursue her
“Even though I graduated from
a private school that had a weak
science and math program,” she
relates, “I had strong interests in
studying zoology since I was a child.
The math and especially science
classes I took at MCC helped me
to overcome the deficits in my high
school education and provided a
strong basis that has served me well
ever since.”
Mott College allowed Pullman to
delve into previously unavailable
scientific areas. “The classes were
extremely well taught and given
the small size of the classes I
enjoyed close interaction with
the professors,” she said, “This is
often very difficult to do at larger
colleges.”
Her fellow students were also an
important part of her experience at
MCC. “I made some great friends
that enjoyed similar studies and
these relationships made learning
more enjoyable,” the young scientist
said. “I met Professor Thomas
Cornell in an introductory biology
course and his depth of knowledge
and understanding of the course
material were truly inspirational; it
helped to motivate me to be a better
scientist.”
“The classes at MCC were not
just enjoyable but they were
many times quite challenging,”
she stated. There was more to her
experience at Mott College than
coursework. “I especially appreciated
the extracurricular opportunities
provided by MCC. These included
field trips and seminars that
augmented my studies. I learned
to approach topics in science in a
multidisciplinary manner.”
After completing two years
of studies at MCC, Pullman
transferred to UM-Flint and earned
a BS in Biology. “All my MCC classes
transferred easily,” she recalled,
“When I entered UM-Flint I had
a foundation that helped me to
compete with other students at the
university. The multidisciplinary
approach I received from MCC gave
me a breadth of understanding that
provided me a distinct advantage.”
But her experience at Mott College
went beyond just the classroom.
“The sense of camaraderie that
I gained from MCC enabled
me to develop friendships and
collaborations that assisted me in
my studies. Having developed strong
relationships with the professors at
MCC helped me to realize similar
relationships when I transferred to a
larger institution.”
After graduating from UM-Flint,
Pullman was offered a position as
Laboratory Demonstrator at the
university and later became an
instructor. “I was able to adapt some
of the teaching methods I observed
at MCC for use in the classes I
taught at the UM Flint,” she said
While serving on the faculty of
UM Flint, Pullman applied for
an Emerging Infectious Disease
Laboratory Training Fellowship
through the Centers for Disease
Control and the Association of
Public Health Laboratories. She was
awarded the fellowship, offered to
only thirty students worldwide.
“I feel that my success in receiving
this fellowship was a direct result
of the outstanding educational
opportunities given me by MCC,”
Pullman stated. “The CDC
Fellowship took me to Tampa,
Florida where I completed rotations
at the State of Florida’s Department
of Health Bureau of Laboratories.
The rotations included virology,
4
I Winter 2011 I CareerFocus
epidemiology, environmental health
and disease surveillance. I was
able to work in one of the first
laboratories in the state of Florida
involved in the initial days of 2009
H1N1 influenza pandemic.”
Her work in Florida enabled her
to confirm Florida’s first positive
case of H1N1. Her career moved
quickly as she secured the position
of Medical Laboratory Scientist III
at the Bureau of Laboratories after
the completion of her fellowship,
followed by a laboratory position
at the STD and HIV clinic with the
Florida Department of Health. Six
months later, Pullman was promoted
to the Department of Epidemiology
where she is the lead Human
Services Program Specialist for food
borne and enteric outbreaks.
“I have been able to accomplish
so much so quickly because of the
strong math and science background
I received at MCC. It was not only
a matter of learning science and
math but also using my college
experiences as a means to develop
a ‘science lifestyle.’ This has given
me the tools to succeed to and move
quickly along my career path.”
Pullman stated. “I have become
friends and colleagues with some of
the most important scientists and
policy makers in infectious diseases
and public health.”
MCC Professor Thomas Cornell
emphasized the need for science and
math education: “Science and math
education is of vital importance in
ensuring that we have an educated
public that can formulate informed
positions on modern issues; issues
that are becoming more and more
technical and require this kind of
knowledge for a full understanding.
The United States has fallen behind
many other countries in generating
science and math graduates.
Scientists, engineers and related
professionals are responsible for
innovation and advancements
in technology in many fields:
medicine, electronics, information
management and forensics to name
just a few.”
mott community college I www.mcc.edu
I 810-762-0200
careerFocus
Feature
Cyndi Vansteenburg,
MCC alumna and pharmacist
said, “Without learning the basics
in science, like what I learned at
MCC during my pre-pharmacy
work, I would not have had the
knowledge that I needed to succeed
in pharmacy school.”
Vansteenburg is currently a
pharmacy manager for Spartan
Stores. Over her 14 years of being a
pharmacist, she has been a manager
of 3 different retail locations. “I also
give immunizations and teach a
course to my colleagues on how to
give immunizations,” she said, “I
enjoy my job because I get to use
lots of different problem solving
skills every day. I have to rely on
my science background for a lot of
the problems I deal with on a daily
basis.”
She credits her old school for having
given her the foundation for a
successful career: “If I didn’t have
the science and math knowledge
that I learned at MCC I wouldn’t be
where I am today.”
By Michael Kelly and
Thomas Cornell
I
n 1992, Cyndi Vansteenburg
finished her pre-pharmacy
science classes at Mott
Community College and
successfully transferred to
the Pharmacy School at the
University of Michigan in
Ann Arbor. According to the
working pharmacist, “Without
taking the courses and labs that I
had at MCC I would not have been
able to go to pharmacy school.”
She looks back at her time at Mott
College fondly. “The professors were
very helpful and taught me what I
needed to know before furthering
my education,” Vansteenburg stated,
“What I learned at MCC I definitely
used in other courses and still use
today in my career.”
“The other students were wonderful
and made attending MCC a
pleasurable experience,” she
recalled, “No one was afraid to ask
for help or ask questions during
class and the professors were quick
and thorough in their answers.”
Vansteenburg enrolled in the U of M
Pharmacy School and successfully
completed her Doctor of Pharmacy
degree in 1997. “The curriculum
for pharmacy is based in
chemistry, math, and
other sciences,” she
“The professors were very helpful and taught
me what I needed to know before furthering
my education. What I learned at MCC I definitely
used in other courses and still use today in
my career.”
I
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CareerFocus I Winter 2011
I5
careerFocus
Feature
A new life in Information Technology
after the Automotive Industry
to take care of, I was more driven.
I was more focused. It was kind
of odd being the ‘old guy’ in class
but once I started learning things,
I became the old guy who had
wisdom. Kids came to me to ask
how to do this or how to do that.
And also, there were real smart kids
who would help me when I didn’t
understand something. I think it
was an even trade off. I was just
another one of the students.”
L
By Michael Kelly
ike many veterans of
the automotive industry,
Dante McGee lived in
anxiety for many years.
After working more than
20 years in the field,
McGee recalls the difficult
times: “When I was in
the automotive industry, we all saw
the handwriting on the wall. It was
just a matter of time before the
ax dropped. That was a stressful
feeling, not knowing where I was
going to end up. Once they started
closing down shops in Flint, it was a
slow death.”
Along with many others in this
part of the country, Dante McGee
was faced with finding a new career
in midlife. “Once they sent my job
across the border, I had to look at
something more stable just to stay
employed.”
He found his answer at Mott
Community College. “I had
graduated from high school
back in 1986 and worked in the
automotive industry after that.”
McGee remembered, “When my job
was sent out of the country, it was
kind of intimidating to go back to
school at such a late age. Plus, when
I started, I didn’t know anything
about computers. I didn’t know how
to turn on a computer. I had my kids
do it.”
Coming back to school at 41 and
starting college for the first time
might have been intimidating but
that didn’t stop Dante McGee.
“When I graduated high school, I
wasn’t ready. I was a knucklehead,”
he said with a smile. “I wasn’t ready
for college. But going to college at
a later age with a wife and kids
6
I Winter 2011 I CareerFocus
Why MCC? According to McGee,
“It was affordable, close to home
and had small class sizes, which
meant lots of interaction with the
professors, especially in courses
where I needed a little extra help.
When all was said and done, it was
refreshing to have an educational
system where I could get a
learning advantage. They offered
a lot of different ways to learn; online courses, open-entry courses,
classroom classes.”
McGee credits the Computer
Network Administration program
at MCC with keeping him engaged:
“How I was taught and how it was
structured helped me thoroughly
enjoy what I was learning. At Mott
College I found that no matter
what the situation I could call the
professor. Even in an on-line class,
if I was stuck on a project, the
professor would let me come into the
classroom and he would work with
me to work through that problem, so
it was a very good experience.”
McGee earned his degree in
Computer Network Administration
from MCC in April 2011. In May he
was interviewed for a post at Hurley
Medical Center and started his new
career at the beginning of July.
“When I was interviewed by Hurley
Medical Center,” he recalled, “I
had to do a computer presentation
and I did it on the stuff I learned
at Mott College. I did pretty well
because now I’m here. It helped
me to confirm who I was and what
I became through Mott College. It
gave me a leg up because not only
can I do IT, I can help teach the
Electronic Medical Records (EMR)
implementation.”
“Most people don’t know that Health
Information Technology is starving
for people,” he said. “The federal
mandate that hospitals go to EMR
means that the health care field
doesn’t have enough IT people to fill
the positions that have opened.”
MCC gave him a firm foundation
on which to build a new career. “It
was a real good foundation,” he said.
“I’m using the things I learned.
Sometimes, you go to college and
earn a degree and never use what
you learned but, in this situation,
I was using what I learned. It
prepared me well. I know there are
still things I have to learn but when
my employer asked me to do things,
I was prepared to do them.”
Looking down the road, McGee has
high confidence in his future career.
“Health Information Technology
is so new that they’re starving for
IT people to come to the health
care side. My goal is to be one
of the upper echelon in helping
this hospital and, in the future,
maybe other hospitals and being
an integral part of the process. I’m
actually training doctors and nurses
on how to use the new system.
I’m thrilled to be part of that new
implementation.”
“Even if my assignment ends here,”
McGee said confidently, “there
are other assignments I can see
and it feels good to know that the
experience I had here will translate
somewhere else. It’s a different
feeling than automotive. This is like
a new birth. I’m not stressed. I come
to work care free.”
He looks back at Mott College as
the smart choice: “My experience at
Mott College, as opposed to other
colleges, is that it is intimate and
‘user friendly’ to coin an IT phrase.
Being ‘user friendly’ and ‘pocket
friendly’ in terms of cost, all you
have to do is handle your business.”
“I’d recommend Mott College to
anyone, hands down,” he concluded.
“They gave me a new start on life.”
McGee was born and grew up in
Flint but now lives with his family
in Grand Blanc.
mott community college I www.mcc.edu
I 810-762-0200
careerFocus
Feature
Another Post-automotive IT Story
A
“I had dedicated
my life to the
automotive
industry this far,
and through
plant closings,
layoffs, you
name it, I knew
I had to do
something
stable.
Computers and
networking are
stable. They
aren’t going
anywhere.”
By Michael Kelly
Realtors.
nother story of life
after General Motors
can be found with
MCC graduate Jason
Rodgers, Information
Technology (IT)
Manager for the Flint
Area Association of
After graduating from high school,
going into the automotive field was
a natural for Rodgers, who came
from a GM family: “All I knew was
automotive. That’s what I grew up
with. So that’s where I was for 13
years.”
“Most of my career was with tier
one, tier two suppliers,” he recalled,
“At the very end, I was working
at Flint Engine South.” His time
with GM would be brief. After three
months at GM, he was laid off and
never called back. “It was nice while
it lasted,” he laughs. “I got to see my
father retire there because that’s
where he was at, but when I got laid
off there, I knew this wasn’t going
anywhere.”
“I had dedicated my life to the
automotive industry this far,”
Rodgers stated, “and through plant
closings, layoffs, you name it, I
knew I had to do something stable.
Computers and networking are
stable. They aren’t going anywhere.”
That brought Jason Rodgers to
Mott Community College. Why
choose MCC? “Number one – price,”
he said with a laugh. “Also, my
father had attended MCC for his
apprenticeship program so he told
me what to expect.”
Rodgers knew he wanted a computer
program and chose to earn his
degree in Computer Network
Administration. “You’re the one, who
controls it,” he laughed, “that gave
me the biggest bang for my buck.”
Rodgers found his time at MCC to
be more than he expected.
“You’re close with the
people that are in your
class. You get to know all
the people that are in your
class. It’s not like it’s some
huge number and you
don’t even know half their
names. Also, the teachers
were able to have a lot more
one-on-one. The teachers
I
were more than teachers, they were
mentors.”
The work he did at Mott College
was helpful in other ways as well.
“That gave me a lot of hands-on,” he
recalled, “That actually benefited
me the most. I’m more of a visual
person. I want to do it to learn it.”
had gone through other schools prior
but she was most impressed with
the applicants she saw from Mott
College.”
When asked what advice he’d have
for anyone looking at a career in
computers, Rodgers stated, “I’d
recommend Mott College. The way
that the teachers interact with the
students, it’s very personal. They’re
very genuine.”
“If you’re serious about it and
willing to put the work in, by all
means, have at it,” he concluded.
“I’m glad I had the experience I had.
I’d do it again.”
Rodgers completed his degree in
June 2011. By September, he was at
his new position with the Flint Area
Association of Realtors. Coming out
of MCC’s program turned out to be
an advantage when he was being
interviewed for the job, “My boss
810-762-0200 www.mcc.edu I mott community college
CareerFocus I Winter 2011
I7
careerFocus
Feature
Fast-Growing Field of Esthetics
Booming in Cosmetology Field
I
By Sharon Campbell
t may be one of the City of
Flint’s best kept secrets: Mott
Community College operates
a full-service beauty salon
right on MCC’s main campus
in Flint.
MCC’s Transitions School of
Cosmetology Careers and its
salon offers cosmetology, esthetician
and nail technician programs for
students as well as a comprehensive
list of services to patrons from the
community.
Transitions features a cosmetology
lab, which serves as a full-service
salon, a nail technology lab, as well
as an esthetics (skin care) facility
that’s open to the general public. All
services are performed by advanced
students, under the supervision of
licensed, professional instructors
at prices far below what you would
expect to pay at a commercial salon.
The salon industry has grown
rapidly in the last ten years. Job
prospects in the field are quite
rosy. The overall employment of
cosmetology professionals and other
personal appearance workers is
projected to grow much faster than
the average for all occupations – by
20% through 2018.
One of the newest and fastest
growing fields in cosmetology is
Cortney Gwaltney and Kristen Steele
esthetics, which involves the study
and non-medical care of the skin.
Large gains in career opportunities
for estheticians are expected into the
future. According to the Bureau of
Labor and Statistics, jobs in the field
of esthetics are expected to grow by
38%, which is 26% higher than the
average job in today’s market.
Estheticians perform all sorts of
skin care treatments and regimens,
and can specialize in various
aspects of skin care, including facial
treatments, body wraps, waxing as
a form of hair removal, massage
therapy, cosmetic make-up services
and makeovers. Some estheticians
work with dermatologists and
offer more advanced services, such
as laser hair removal, laser skin
resurfacing and various types of
chemical peels.
“We have a list of past students
who are success stories as well
as passionate for the industry,”
added Susan Kolar, MCC Esthetics
Instructor. “When I have students
fill out a questionnaire in the first
week of the course, 90% of the
students want to open their own
salon. It’s nice to share that this
dream is possible.”
8
I Winter 2011 I CareerFocus
Cortney Gwaltney is one of those
success stories. Gwaltney, 34, is an
esthetician and co-owner of The
Retreat Salon & Skin Spa in Fenton,
a full-service salon. Voted 2011 Best
Day Spa in Genesee County, the
Retreat opened its doors in June
2010. Gwaltney was busy completing
her studies in esthetics at MCC
and acquiring her license when she
started working on establishing a
new business at the same time – and
business at The Retreat is booming.
“It’s going really well,” said
Gwaltney, who also holds a
bachelor’s degree in marketing and
advertising. “Who knew? People are
very interested in skin care. There’s
a huge demand for it.”
The esthetics industry has evolved
to a status where having a facial,
a body wrap, or chemical peel is no
longer considered a mere luxury.
Clients are willing to spend extra
time and money on esthetics
services – it’s not just about “extra
pampering,” Gwaltney added.
“Clients can see the difference in the
way their skin looks and feels,” she
added. “You do look and feel better.
We all make sacrifices, and even in
this economy, people still make room
for esthetics care.”
Gwaltney believes the training
she received from MCC’s esthetics
program helped pave the way to the
success she’s experiencing now.
“I felt very prepared when I left
Mott College,” she said.
She enjoys her work and offers
advice to those who may be
considering esthetics as a career
choice.
“You have a lot of versatility with
this job; it’s not just one service
you’re performing,” Gwaltney said.
“There are so many different things
you can offer, and you get a chance
to work with different people and
personalities. That’s what keeps it
interesting.”
“The growth in the day-spa
business has created a need for
licensed estheticians and skin care
specialists,” said Carol Nielsen,
Professor and Coordinator of the
Cosmetology program at MCC.
“Estheticians work to maintain
skin care or correct skin problems,
so they are much more health-
mott community college I www.mcc.edu
I 810-762-0200
According to the Bureau of Labor
and Statistics, jobs in the field of
esthetics are expected to grow by
38%, which is 26% higher than the
average job in today’s market.
oriented. A lot of students like the
medical side; it’s not as hard to build
a clientele because there will already
be people getting their hair and nails
done in a salon, and they can always
work with existing clientele.”
Esthetics students enrolled in MCC’s
esthetician program have a unique
opportunity to study and work in
Smart Classrooms (electronicallyenhanced classrooms integrating
computer, multimedia and network
technology) and a beautifullydesigned, state-of-the-art laboratory
located in the Curtice-Mott Building.
The esthetician lab is comprised of
stations surrounded by draw curtains
to provide privacy for clients, but the
curtains can be opened to give full
class demonstrations. In addition,
a camera and plasma screen TV
positioned in one of the station areas
allows all students to see detail
during demonstrations. Each station
is equipped with state-of-the-art
equipment and students can obtain
supplies from a student-operated
dispensary. A reception area to greet
clients is located in front of the
classroom. Clients receiving services
can use locker rooms equipped with a
I
time instruction also available on
evenings.
restroom, shower, changing area and
lockers.
MCC offers a certificate of
achievement for anyone interested in
pursuing a career as an esthetician.
This state licensed program
provides for the required 400 hours
of specialized instruction and
application of skills necessary to pass
the State Board exams for a Specialty
License in esthetics. This certificate
offers the latest in esthetics and
the necessary business education to
assist the esthetician in a business or
a career.
The esthetician program is just one of
several options available to students
through MCC’s Transitions School of
Cosmetology Careers. Cosmetology
and Nail Technician programs
are also available. Students have
several schedule opportunities to
select, with courses offered on a fulltime and part-time basis, with part-
810-762-0200 www.mcc.edu I mott community college
Employment opportunities are
abundant in a variety of areas. Hair
stylist, hair colorist, nail technician,
make-up artist, pedicurist, platform
artist (with hair product distributors),
salon owner or manager, cosmetology/
nail technology instructors, natural
hair culturist (braiding hair), wig
specialist, are just a few examples
of the multitude of career options
available in today’s beauty industry.
Cosmetology professionals aren’t
just working in salons or day spas;
they can work in a myriad of places,
finding employment opportunities
on cruise ships, day spas, vacation
resorts, in mortuaries, theaters,
movie sets and in photography
studios.
A state-licensed program giving
students an opportunity to attend a
fully accredited beauty school with
licensed instructors as well as gain
practical experience in a beauty salon
environment, MCC’s Transitions
offers the following degree and
certificate programs:
• Associate of Applied Science
Degree-Hair Care Salon
Management
• Certificate of AchievementCosmetic Services
• Certificate of
Achievement-Cosmetology
• Certificate of Achievement-Nail
Technology/Salon Management
• Certificate of AchievementCosmetology/Nail Technology
Student Instructor
• Certificate of AchievementCosmetic Services EstheticianSalon Management
• Alternative Training PreparationNail Technician
For information about the programs
offered by MCC’s Transitions School
of Cosmetology Careers, please call
(810) 232-2707.
CareerFocus I Winter 2011
I9
careerFocus
Feature
Getting Started with a Career in CADD:
One of the Hottest Fields in Engineering
Technology
D
By Sharon Campbell
ennis Hughes doesn’t
work as an employment
recruiter, but he fields
a lot of calls from
employers across
the region looking
for people to fill job
openings.
In fact, Hughes, Professor and
Program Coordinator for the
Computer Aided Drafting and
Design (CADD) Program at Mott
Community College, along with
MCC CADD Professor Rick Sveller,
are constantly searching for
individuals to meet the needs of
companies hungry for highly-skilled
10
I Winter 2011 I CareerFocus
individuals to fill co-op jobs or highend positions in CADD.
Computer Aided Drafting and
Design (often referred to as CADD
or “CAD and Design”), basically
involves the use of computer aided
design software to make plans
and drawings, used by workers in
construction and manufacturing
companies.
“We have been consistently receiving
contacts from area employers in
search of students from our CAD
and Design program to fill vacant
design positions,” Hughes said.
“These employers are interested in
current and future graduates, both
with and without experience.”
mott community college I www.mcc.edu
I 810-762-0200
The demand for Computer Aided
Drafting and Design jobs continues
to grow, as CADD remains one of
the hottest fields in the engineering
arena – even in our sluggish economy.
According to the 2010-2011
Occupational Outlook Handbook
produced by the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics, opportunities for
CADD professionals will be best
for individuals with two years of
postsecondary training. Drafters
held about 251,900 jobs in 2008:
architectural and civil drafters held
47 percent of these jobs, mechanical
drafters held about 31 percent and
electrical and electronics drafters
held about 13 percent. Drafters’
earnings vary by specialty, location,
and level of responsibility.
The job prospects couldn’t be better
for candidates seeking careers in
Computer Aided Drafting and Design,
and the word is out about what MCC
has to offer.
“The Big Three are rebuilding
their design staffs right now; they
are seeing people retire, so they’re
looking for apprentices,” Hughes
added. “Even though the economy
is terrible, we’re witnessing a lot of
forward-looking demand. There are
employment opportunities in this
field, now more than ever, more than
in the last ten to 15 years.”
Hughes believes the availability of
jobs, as well as the quality of students
the college’s CADD program is
producing, helps to sell the program.
MCC offers an Associate of Applied
Science Degree in CADD, a
Certificate of Achievement in CADDArchitectural and a Certificate of
Achievement in CADD-Mechanical.
CADD students at MCC also have
a unique opportunity to sharpen
their skills in MCC’s state-of-theart Digital Fabrication Laboratory
(FABLAB), a hands-on laboratory
that provides the technology and
modern fabrication tools designed to
support creativity and innovation,
allowing people an opportunity to
turn their ideas into products.
“The interviewers at GE were very
impressed with the fact that at my
age I went back to school, and I feel
this fact influenced them in their
decision to hire me,” Mass stated.
the lack of a degree my future was
limited. At every junction of my life
relating to level changes, I was told
because of a lack of formal education,
I could not achieve the next goal.”
Mass said he enrolled in MCC’s
CADD program because he
felt combining his previous
manufacturing experience with the
addition of a CADD
degree would
help him find
employment.
“I had to excel at every position
in order to attain the next level of
achievement, and it was a long hard
road,” he added. “At every point in
my career I would see entry level
graduates moved into the same
positions that I was achieving and
knew that they achieved it through
education and I did it through the
school of hard knocks. My advice to
the next generation is to achieve
your goals the easy way and get the
education you need to obtain your
goals.”
“I feel that
by attaining
this degree it
has changed
my life
forever,” Mass
continued. “I
have always felt
that because of
Edward Mass, 65, graduated
from MCC in April, 2011, with an
Associate in Applied Science degree
in CADD. He was hired by General
Electric in Louisville, Kentucky two
weeks prior to graduation, and has
been working for GE as a Senior
Advanced Tooling Engineer, since
May. Mass said he had previously
been unemployed for more than three
years – “with no prospects of finding
a job.”
I
810-762-0200 www.mcc.edu I mott community college
Mass credits Hughes, Sveller and
MCC’s CADD program with
helping him to attain both
MCC graduate
Ed Mass
his educational and career goals.
“Professor Hughes and Professor
Sveller went out of their way to help
and guide me through the decisions
that I had to make while attaining
my Associate’s degree,” he said. I
have a great deal of respect for these
two professors and feel that they are
a great addition to your staff. I found
their programs very challenging,
even though I had over 20 years
experience as a manufacturing
engineer.”
“What specifically impressed me
about Mott Community College
was how well employers rated the
performance of MCC graduates,”
Mass said. “My goal was to obtain
employment, so what better way
to do it but go to a college that was
highly rated by employers based on
performance of graduates.”
Hughes is proud of the type of
students MCC’s CADD program has
attracted, nurtured, and groomed for
positions in the booming Computer
Aided Drafting and Design field. He
remains confident that opportunities
for CADD professionals with strong,
technical skills will continue to grow.
“We have high-level performing
people here, a higher caliber of
students than we’ve ever had,”
Hughes said. “If you’re qualified and
have a good work ethic, you will find
a job.”
For more information about CADD
programs at MCC, call Dennis
Hughes, CADD program coordinator
at (810) 762-0500, email the
MCC Technology Division at
tech@mcc.edu or visit
http://www.technology.mcc.edu.
CareerFocus I Winter 2011
I 11
careerFocus
Feature
A World of Food Awaits Careers
in Culinary Arts
F
By Sharon Campbelll
rom kneading dough
for artisan bread, to
delicately dipping
strawberries in chocolate,
to designing that elegant
entrée of pistachiocrusted salmon, the
careers of chefs, food
service professionals and managers
call for a broad range of culinary
techniques, skills and creativity.
Mott Community College offers
three different Associate Degrees
in Culinary Arts; Baking & Pastry
Arts, Culinary Arts and Food
Services Management. MCC student
Rebecca Dinnan, 32, is pursuing
degrees in all three of the disciplines
offered by Culinary Arts at MCC,
currently working on her Baking
& Pastry Arts degree. She decided
to try culinary arts after being
laid off from working at a retail
establishment.
“I’m reinventing myself here,” she
said. “This was a blessing in disguise
for me.”
12
I Winter 2011 I CareerFocus
Dinnan pointed out that she has
always loved cooking. “I realized that
cooking was my passion,” she said.
“I’ve always loved cooking, making
people happy and entertaining. I
know that I’m going to be a chef one
day.”
She said that she loves being a
culinary student. “The program
can be challenging, but instructors
are thorough and provide students
with an opportunity to showcase the
skills they have learned,” she noted.
“I really love going to school here, it’s
wonderful,” she said. “We have very
good instructors. They’re awesome,
and they know what they’re doing.”
Although she enjoys all of the
culinary programs MCC offers, she
enjoys baking the most. “I eat and
sleep baking,” she said. “I love to
bake; I just love it.”
Dinnan believes she has what it
takes to be successful in the food
industry. “You should be a peopleperson,” she said. “You have to be
open-minded and be able to take
constructive criticism as well.”
“The food service industry still
employs more people than most
other industries,” said Executive
Chef Matthew Cooper, Coordinator
and Instructor of the MCC Culinary
Arts/Food Service Management
programs (and himself a graduate
of MCC’s culinary program). “Even
in this slow economy, the industry is
still showing growth.”
The restaurant industry is the
second largest source of U.S. jobs,
and growing, according to the
National Restaurant Association.
Currently, America’s restaurants
employ one in 10 Americans, and
could easily add another 1.3 million
jobs over the next decade. The
celebrity status of today’s TV chefs
with all the food programming on
television, such as the Food Network
has fostered a renewed interest in
culinary studies.
A successful culinarian is usually
a hands-on type of individual with
a real sense of creativity, but most
importantly, a pleasant personality,
Cooper said.
mott community college I www.mcc.edu
I 810-762-0200
s
“You must be a people-person,
because you have to smile sometimes,
even when you don’t want to,” he
said.” But optimism is contagious.”
Mott Community College offers a
unique opportunity to learn from
the best: instruction from four fulltime, certified chefs. In addition,
Cooper expects the programs to gain
full accreditation from the American
Culinary Federation next year.
All of the chefs providing instruction
at MCC have their names on a
trophy from the American Culinary
Federation Flint/Saginaw Chapter,
that is displayed in MCC’s Applewood
Café, a fine dining restaurant that
also serves as a laboratory for MCC
culinary arts/food management
students.
“We’ve recruited instructors who
are the best of the best, and we
are seeing more serious-minded
students,” Cooper said. “Our students
are definitely more focused: they are
goal-oriented and career-oriented.
They are here to learn, and they
learn a lot,” he said. “They are able
I
The restaurant industry is the second
largest source of U.S. jobs, and
growing, according to the National
Restaurant Association.
to walk out of here with a good set of
core skills.”
professionals on the MCC faculty and
staff.
Students enrolled in MCC’s Culinary
Arts program receive intensive
training in all phases of the
restaurant business, in food service
and food management. Students
who successfully complete the
programs graduate with a high level
of expertise necessary to become a
professional in any area of the food
industry. They can also gain practical
experience in food preparation, in
addition to valuable management
and customer service skills in the
Applewood Café, which is located in
the Prahl College Center on the MCC
main campus in Flint.
Many students participate in cooking
contests, ice carving demonstrations,
student club and cooperative
education stints in the community to
gain additional skills and experience.
Supervised by MCC culinary arts/
food management faculty, the
Applewood Café is staffed and
operated by students who have
an excellent opportunity to learn,
firsthand, the fine art of cooking
from certified chefs and culinary
810-762-0200 www.mcc.edu I mott community college
There are a number of MCC
graduates who have landed good
jobs locally, throughout the state and
region, and across the nation, Cooper
mentioned.
“I’m very proud of them,” Cooper said.
“They’re private chefs, caterers, food
service professionals in the elder
care market, working in hospitals,
restaurants, in casual and fine dining
establishments, preparing food for
movie sets in Hollywood – we have a
ton of success stories.”
program, and our students are a very
marketable commodity.”
Visitors or prospective students are
invited to visit the dining room, food
laboratory or bake shop at MCC.
For information or to dine at MCC’s
Applewood Café, call (810) 232-7845.
For more information about Culinary
Arts/Food Service Management
programs offered at MCC, call the
Business Division at (810) 762-7845.
Cooper said he has employers calling
his office every week looking for
students to fill job opportunities:
“They have great respect for the
CareerFocus I Winter 2011
I 13
When planning for college, don’t overlook
the poWerful higher education options
available right in your oWn community.
For a solid foundation of college learning and tremendous cost savings, taking your first year
or two of college at Mott Community College is a smart idea.
Save on room and board costs, take advantage of small class size and professors who teach
their own classes, and save with MCC’s lower tuition rates.
Most MCC students are able to work while attending college and MCC college credits transfer
to any university in Michigan and most in America.
Winter semester starts
January 14, 2012.
register early and get the
classes you need at the
times you want!
register online at www.mcc.edu
Visit Us on
the Web!
www.mcc.
edu
Flint • Fenton • lapeer
Clio • Howell
810-762-0200
Career Focus Cost Ad_11.indd 1
10/31/11 9:17 AM