Real Students of Macomb

During four tours of combat duty in Iraq, Bobby Champagne survived two blasts from improvised explosive devices and a fall from a second-floor balcony that would lead to seven knee surgeries. After he was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), however, the U.S. Navy Seabee was ready to accept his honorable discharge. Or so he thought.

“For 15 years, I wore the same thing everyday, so just picking out an outfit was a challenge,” shares Champagne of the transition to civilian life. “Most vets don’t know what to expect when they return home. I want to help vets who are lost like I was.”

In therapy for two years, Champagne refused to take any medication to help ease the anxieties caused by PTSD.  Instead, he followed his therapist’s advice and confronted each one head on, including taking a college class to quell his uneasiness about public places.

“I did some research,” says Champagne, “and Macomb had the most veterans’ support.”

He has since become a full-time student, made the dean’s list every semester, switched his interest from social work to organizational psychology and plans to transfer to Wayne State University to earn a master’s degree.  And, he is in the process of adopting a service dog, who will stand guard against the inevitable nightmares that accompany PTSD. The Dutch shepherd, says Champagne, “will sleep by my bedside and be trained to turn on the light.”

In addition to Ramadi and Fallujah, where he led patrols, Champagne’s military career also provided opportunities to travel throughout Europe and Asia.  And for three years, he was stationed in Hawaii.

“I enlisted at 19 to see the world,” acknowledges Champagne, a New Orleans native who met his Michigan-born wife, Nichole, while he was stationed in California, where she was attending college.  “Looking back on it, my years in the service were some of the proudest of my life.  But once my son was born, my perspective changed and I was more grounded.”

Son Aiden is now 12 and daughter Olivia, 7.  Nichole works as a behavioral analyst, and Champagne credits her support and encouragement for helping him find his niche in civilian life. He also gives credit to Macomb’s Office of Veteran and Military Services, where he knows the director on a first-name basis.

“We can register for our classes there,” says Champagne, of the South and Center Campus locations that provide free resources to veterans. “They make things so much easier for us.  And you have the opportunity to meet other veterans.  It was another vet who told me about the service dog program. We already have two dogs, but he will be a nice addition to the family.”

Like many 20-year olds, Sumaiya Ferdawsi is a pro at using social media. Unlike most, however, she is tweeting to friends and family in Bangladesh, while hoping someday to work behind the scenes at one of the digital behemoths.

“We came a year ago,” says Ferdawsi, who spoke little English when she first arrived in the U.S. from the South Asian nation. “I started at Macomb 20 days after moving here. I learned the language by watching movies.”

Ferdawsi, her mom and two siblings moved from Sylhet, an urban area in northern Bangladesh, to Warren, after choosing Southeast Michigan as the U.S. region in which they wanted to relocate.  The reason for that choice was blue and gold.

“We moved here for the University of Michigan (U of M)” says Ferdawsi, who intends to major in computer engineering at U of M after transferring from Macomb, where she is taking math classes.

Ferdawsi dreams of working at Google (whose CEO attended U of M) – or Facebook or Twitter. In Bangladesh, she had passed the entrance exam at Dhaka University, known to many as the Oxford of the East, and was two months into a software engineering program when her family decided to emigrate.

“We moved here for a better life, and I like it a lot. My favorite class is calculus and Professor Musallam is a really great teacher,” says Ferdawsi.  “Macomb’s students are so friendly; they have helped me a lot.”

That’s not to say there isn’t much about her homeland that she misses.  “There is a lot of natural beauty there,” she says, counting the Bay of Bengal, the world’s longest sea beach, and the tea gardens and tropical forests in the Surma Valley, near where she grew up, among her favorites.

Ferdawsi returned to Bangladesh with her immediate family this summer to attend the wedding of her brother, a Dhaka graduate and government secretary. In traditional fashion, the ladies decorated their arms and hands with elaborate henna tattoos and the bride wore red. Her henna tattoo had not yet faded when Ferdawsi brought her dad (newly emigrated) to visit the office of College Advancement and Community Relations at South Campus. She also brought gifts for those who provided mentoring during her work-study assignment last semester, which she will repeat in the fall.

“With work-study, my schedule is arranged around my classes so I can easily maintain my classes and my job. It saves me time and helps me gain career experience,” says Ferdawsi.  “The campus is so big, but everyone at the College is so kind. And now I have a lot of friends here and in Bangladesh, too.”

Jarod Baker is a self-described people person with boundless energy and a talent for singing and making friends.  All of that comes into play in his role as a member of the Macombers, the touring troupe that represents the College in performances and competitions across the state.

“I first heard about Macomb when I was in middle school,” says Baker. “Then I saw posters at Dakota and it was good to know that Macomb was here for me. I can say I haven’t had a bad teacher since I’ve been here. And, it has saved a lot of cash for me and my family.”

Baker enrolled at Macomb as soon as he graduated from Dakota High School in 2016.   He auditioned and earned a place on the Macombers his first year and has successfully re-auditioned twice.  He will be graduating next May and intends to pursue a degree in musical therapy.  Still, he wouldn’t mind extending his performing career for a few years or a lifetime longer.

“I would love to do professional work,” says Baker, who receives a partial scholarship in exchange for the hours he practices and performs as a Macomber. “I love doing something that I enjoy and getting paid for it.”

Baker played the French horn and euphonium (brass-wind instrument) in high school, but didn’t begin singing until his junior year.  At Macomb, he is also a member of Expressions, an a cappella ensemble that took fourth place in the Great Lakes quarterfinals of the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella last February.  Both the Macombers and Expressions are under the direction of Todd Moses, one of Baker’s teachers at Dakota before he joined the faculty at Macomb.

“It’s comfortable here, and I have been very inspired,” says Baker.  “The Macombers are like a family. I enjoy the music and the people, and I have learned a lot.”

But an even greater joy comes when the houselights go down and Baker reaches out in song to an audience inside a darkened auditorium.  That’s when he connects with his muse and belts out the set playlist, with Flat Foot Floogie among his favorites

“Performing on stage is exhilarating and I love it,” says Baker. “It has taught me to believe in myself.”

James Radjewski graduated high school three years ago and is already managing computer networks and maintaining servers for a Fortune 500 company after Macomb’s Career Services placed him there on a cooperative education (co-op) assignment.

“My co-op placement was a risk for me to take because I knew I would be jumping into more than just networking,” says Radjewski, a student in Macomb’s Information Technology – Networking Specialist program. “Thankfully, I took that chance and it has showed me career paths I did not know existed until I got behind the scenes of a large corporation.”

Radjewski is employed at Meritor, Inc., a global supplier of drivetrains, brake systems and other components for commercial vehicles.  He has been there one year and works full time with duties that include configuring, calibrating and diagnosing electrical control systems.  He is also taking evening and online classes at Macomb as he progresses towards dual associate degrees in Informational Technology and Electrical Engineering.

“I have enjoyed my time at Macomb and the opportunities it has given me to expand my knowledge in my fields and take classes that work around my schedule,” says Radjewski.  “Career Services, especially, has helped me build my resume and make myself presentable in a competitive field.”

The co-op placement that Career Services helped him secure has a notable spot on that resume. It has also given him the confidence to explore ways in which he can broaden his career expertise.

“My experience at Meritor has been amazing.  It has really showed me what it is like to be self-motivated and how to manage my career professionally and effectively,” says Radjewski.  “It has provided me a great opportunity to grow with the company and explore every avenue of my education.”

Radjewski began attending Macomb after he graduated from Lakeview High School in 2015.  He started out in Information Technology – Networking Specialist, but began adding electronics courses to the mix so he could better understand the electronic circuitry that is the backbone of automated control systems.

“I use what I was taught at Macomb every day at my job,” says Radjewski.  “I plan to increase my knowledge in my field and continue growing with Meritor. I want to continue my career with Meritor and see how far my education and experience can take me.”

Glenn McDonald’s 9 to 5 retail job provided a paycheck but little in the way of personal or professional fulfillment.  After 10 years and with the encouragement of his wife, Alison, he decided it was time to take a cue from his childhood.

“Ever since I can remember, I have always loved animals,” says McDonald. “From taking care of the frogs and toads that lived in the window wells of my parent’s house growing up, to the numerous dogs and cats we’ve had throughout the years.”

Although he hadn’t previously considered turning his passion for animals into a career, McDonald, who currently works as a server at a local country club, decided that becoming a veterinary technician was likely his calling.  He began doing research and found Macomb’s program to be well recommended, and now he knows why.

“Since my first day of class, I haven’t had one professor who hasn’t gone above and beyond in the classroom to help me or my fellow classmates in one way or another,” says McDonald, who has completed his first year in the program. “Our director, Dr. Lori, was very adamant about the opportunities that were out there for us, and to make sure we looked and applied for any or all that we could.”

The “opportunities” that McDonald references are scholarships and he has received two to help him finance his studies: the Humane Society of Macomb Veterinary Technician Scholarship and the Mulben Memorial Endowment Scholarship.

“The scholarships meant everything,” says McDonald, whose son, Elliot, will turn two in August, a month after a new baby brother or sister is born. “Our finances had taken a downturn and I was afraid I was going to have to withdraw.  The scholarships have given me the opportunity to follow my passion and dreams.”

Admitting a fondness for the bigger dog breeds, McDonald and his family currently share their home in Emmett with an English bulldog, Bernese Mountain dog and a Newfoundland, as well as a calico, a tabby and two Maine coon cats.  Both McDonald and his wife also share a dream of opening an animal rescue, nursing sick or injured animals back to health and either returning them to the wild or placing them with a loving family.

“Animals bring me incredible amounts of joy, and I truly love being around them,” says McDonald. “With the knowledge and skills I am learning in this program, we hope to one day see this dream achieved.”

Morgan Lashbrook’s career plans do not fit neatly into a portfolio. She is on a mission to “change the world of design,” and she credits Macomb for giving her the foundational skills she will need to do so.

Lashbrook is technically an alumna, after graduating near the top of her class, receiving the Most Distinguished Graduate honor and providing the commencement address on May 11.  But her student perspective is still fresh as she heads off to the College for Creative Studies (CCS) this fall, where she will begin work on her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Communication Design.

“From the first semester, I was blown away by the amount of artistic and design talent that comes out of the MACA (Media and Communication Arts) Program said Lashbrook, a graduate of Lamphere High School in Madison Heights who earned associate degrees in Interactive Web Media, and Design and Layout. “Macomb students were going up against students from four-year colleges for industry jobs and getting them. It seemed like a program that really provided you with the skills you needed to get a job.”

Lashbrook works at The Collegiate Bead Company and has progressed from intern to graphic designer to creative projects manager. She is also a member of Macomb’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year college students.  After CCS, she intends to earn another bachelor’s degree in computer science, possibly from Yale University, with the goal of expanding the capabilities of interactive media to better accommodate the needs of those with limited fields of vision.

“Paul Rand, a legend in the field of design, taught at Yale for many years,” explained Lashbrook of her top transfer choice from CCS. “I feel that it has a strong background in design and that I could best accomplish my intent of using the powers of design and computer science to change the world of design by conducting research, creating and learning.”

At commencement, Lashbrook told her fellow graduates how much they had “inspired” her. “I was fortunate enough to cross paths with students who each had their own story and I learned from them,” said Lashbrook, who, likewise, holds MACA faculty in high regard.

“Macomb provided me with the direction and confidence to go after my goals and future plans,” said Lashbrook. “Thanks to the mentorship of the faculty and the great learning environment at Macomb, I feel I am prepared to take on the rest of my life.”

Brooke Sasinowski has always loved Legos. She’s turned that curiosity for putting things together into a business that’s winning major recognition.

Sasinowski and her 3D printing business, 3D-ology, recently took 1^st place in the Macomb Community College Student Pitch Competition, sponsored by the College’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE). Sasinowski presented her business idea to a panel of entrepreneurial experts, who voted her worthy of the $1,000 top prize.

“I was shocked and surprised,” said Sasinowski, who attended Henry Ford II High School and the Utica Center for Science and Industry. “It felt good to see that other people believed in my business.”

Despite her interests in technology, Sasinowski came to Macomb to pursue a business degree so that she could manage her own company. Discovering the CIE and its resources for aspiring student business owners was a big part of her interest in Macomb.

“I’ve enjoyed checking out Macomb’s campus and talking with Susan McPhillips at the CIE,” she said.

Sasinowski began 3D printing in high school, then branched out to making vintage remote control car and pinball machine parts on her own. She said she will put the prize money toward buying better equipment that will expand her capabilities.

“What I like about 3D printing is that you can design anything,” she said. “Anyone who has an idea, I can turn it into 3D parts.”