Real Students of Macomb

Fanciful nose art has been appearing on military aircraft since WWII, with inspiration supplied by such cultural icons as pin-up girls, Disney characters and the Grim Reaper.  For one Macomb Media and Communication Arts (MACA) student, however, inspiration for the design she entered into a contest sponsored by Selfridge Air National Guard Base came from a nobler source.

“My father was a soldier in World War II, he’s been gone for some time now.  I couldn’t help but feel his presence as I worked,” relates Marianne Pupka. “My husband, who has also passed, was an avid war historian.  I think my dad was on one shoulder and Warren on the other.  I think they would have been pleased with the outcome.”

Pupka took third in the contest that asked artists to incorporate Selfridge’s 2017 centennial into a design for the nose of two types of military aircraft. Taking first and second for their nose art, respectively, were Rachel Barton and Scott Whiteside.  All of the winners received scholarships to Macomb, while the winning design will be painted on the noses of the 127^th Wing’s KC-135 Stratotanker, an aerial refueler, and its 107th Fighter Squadron’s A-10 Thunderbolt II, which provides combat air support.

“My interpretation was to create something that honored (Selfridge’s) first hundred years and shows the connection between Selfridge, the community, state and country,” explains Pupka of her design. “My research on Michigan led me to the words ‘I will defend,’ which is the translation of Tuebor on the Michigan state flag.”

Pupka attended art school after high school and enjoyed a full-time career as a graphic artist and production manager before her position became a casualty of industry downsizing.  Deciding it was time to take a “deep dive” into interactive media, she started taking MACA classes at Macomb and will earn her associate degree next year.

“I’m enjoying my time at Macomb,” says Pupka, who also works part time as a graphic artist with UPS.  “It had been a long time since I’d been in a classroom, but I’m getting a lot out of it.”

Aside from hopes of finding full-time employment after she graduates, two other motivators keep her focused when the going gets tough.

“I have two very creative granddaughters who always want to draw with me,” says Pupka. “Whenever possible, I do my homework while I’m watching them so they can see how important determination is.”

“I’m so proud of myself,” says Mallory Burr, a computer science major, who recently scored two scholarships and a competitive internship with Quicken Loans.  “I’m progressing on my future and so excited to continue my education at Wayne State.”

Life has improved dramatically over the last year for Burr, who lost her mother to respiratory disease in March 2016 and thought about dropping out of college because of family finances.  Then she decided to apply for a scholarship at Macomb.

“OASIS (Macomb’s Online Automated Scholarship Information System) is right there on the website and it was really easy to work with,” says Burr, recipient of a $1,500 Italian American Delegate Scholarship from Macomb and a transfer scholarship from Wayne State University. “There are much worse ways to spend two hours of your time than filling out a scholarship application.”

And the same goes for the Calculus 1 class she took with Professor Zakaria Musallam.

“He made me work at it until I got it. I’m still not a fan of math, but I appreciate it much more because of him, and have moved on to Calculus 2,” says Burr. “That’s what I really like about Macomb – the small class sizes and that the professors actually get to know you.”

After winning first-place in a high school web design contest, Burr briefly considered it as a career.  Then she started at Macomb as a dual-enrolled high school student and discovered computer science.

“It’s sort of like a puzzle that you have to solve,” says Burr. “You peck at it and peck at it and then, when it finally works, it is a very rewarding experience.”

Like attending Macomb?

“Yes,” says Burr, shown here after receiving her scholarship from (left) Frank Coppola, treasurer of the Italian American Delegates, and Macomb President Jim Jacobs. “I’ve really enjoyed my time at Macomb and will miss it when I graduate in May. It helped me figure out what it was I wanted to do.”

When she asked Macomb’s Career Services department for help polishing her resume to send out in search of an internship, Maryam Miro thought it would take months to land a position.

It took a week.

“People just don’t know (about Career Services),” Maryam said. “I know a lot of people like me, and I try to tell them these opportunities through Macomb are a huge help.”

Maryam moved to Roseville in 2013, fleeing a civil war in her home country. She spoke no English when she arrived, but after six months of learning on the job as a cashier, she enrolled at Macomb to continue the engineering studies she had started in her native country. An avid Zumba dancer, she earned an internship with Grupo Antolin, a global manufacturer of automobile interiors with offices in Warren, which now has offered her a full-time job when she graduates this summer.

One of the other people Maryam encouraged to seek Macomb’s help was her younger brother, Mohamad, who moved here by himself a few months before she did. She had him visit Career Services, which helped him land an internship with the industrial engineering company Fives Group.

“I kind of regret not knowing about it until now,” he said. “This is saving me a lot of time. I would recommend it to anyone.”

And his big sister is glad she knew where to send him for help. “I was more happy than when I got my internship,” she said.

Sam Leonardi counts Automatic Transmissions as a favorite class, nabbed an internship in the service area of Merollis Chevrolet and just received a $2,000 scholarship from Grainger Tools, which included some sweet additions to the aspiring service tech’s toolbox. It’s only when dealing with some clerks at auto parts stores that the 19-year-old Lakeview High grad is reminded about currently being the only woman in the GM ASEP program.

“Luckily in my school and work, it’s not an issue,” says Leonardi, whose full name is Samantha.   “But I still have to deal with it when trying to have conversations about cars with some people.”

A corporate-sanctioned automotive technician training program that leads to an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Automotive Technology, GM ASEP is 80 weeks long, with time divided between classroom/auto lab and a GM dealership or private repair facility.

“The experience has been awesome. I have been with these same guys for two years and some of them will probably be lifelong friends,” says Leonardi. “The experience at the dealership has been great as well.  I have learned a lot and made a lot of friends there too.”

Leonardi looked under her first hood in the company of her father and, after taking every auto tech class Lakeview offered, one of her teachers recommended her for Macomb’s GM ASEP program in her senior year. The only thing compromising her loyalty to the GM brand now is the classic car she has spent years dreaming about.

“The 1969 Dodge Charger is a beautiful vehicle, and has a lot of potential,” says Leonardi.  “I want one that has a V8 Hemi motor with a blower on top and off-road suspension package.  Flat black, with chrome trim, and a red stripe wrapped around the rear end.”

With La La Land an early favorite for Golden Globe and Oscar honors, members of the Macombers are no doubt cheering the revival of the Hollywood musical. And for one of these singing ambassadors, the film may remind of another palm-treed haven of which many dreams have been made.

“When I was 15, my mom was transferred to Maui,” relates Veronica Russell, who grew up in Ortonville in Oakland County. “We drove to California, flew to Hawaii and lived in a hotel for a few months before we found an apartment. I’m so glad to have had that experience.  Back then, though, it was a little hard. I missed my friends.”

While Maui offered many sunny distractions, Veronica spent a fair share of her time in high school productions.  When she was invited to join the Macombers in 2016, her repertoire included My Fair Lady, Phantom of the Opera and Cinderella. She had moved back to Michigan by then, after the pull of other family, friends and snow proved too great to resist.

“My dad had just moved from Georgia to Clinton Township and offered me a place to stay. I had never been to Macomb County before, all I knew was that it had a great community college,” relates Veronica, a history major. “My aunt was a Macomber in the 1980s, and she encouraged me to audition. I was too scared the first year, but last spring decided to try.  I absolutely love it.”

The Macombers rehearse five hours a week, average 40 performances a year and receive scholarships to compensate for the time they dedicate to the troupe. For Veronica, shown here before a Macombers’ performance with a very special guest, there is also something else that keeps her singing.

“It’s the friendships,” she says. “I miss my mom, who lives on the Big Island now, but I’ve had so much fun here. Macomb is the first school where I have ever really thrived.”

The last presidential election, which Emanuel Dushaj likened to a “civil war” of words, has convinced him that he is on the right track, which he hopes will lead to George Washington University and a law degree.  But not for the reason one might think.

“I can’t be a politician, I take things to heart,” says Dushaj, a Macomb history and political science major. “I do want to go to law school. Not to work for a corporation, but to serve the human condition.  A job with the United Nations is my ultimate dream.”

A law degree, believe Dushaj, will “open doors” for him that other fields cannot.  And through those doors he wants to take on such issues as the environment, terrorism and human trafficking. Participating in a recent conversation on the last election via interactive video with students from the University of California, Berkeley, coordinated by his political science professor, Dushaj came dressed in a suit because, he says, “your appearance says a lot.”  And so, too, the manner in which you present your opinions to others.

“No one takes time for persuasion anymore,” reflects Dushaj.  “People are too quick to label others who don’t agree with them.  You will never persuade anyone if you label them.”

Enrolling at Macomb after graduating from L’Anse Creuse North High School, Dushaj intends to transfer to Wayne State before moving to Washington, D.C., to pursue his law degree. “Coming to Macomb was one of the best things I could have done in my life,” says the 18-year-old, who balances full-time studies with a customer service job at AT&T. “I really appreciate the opportunities that I have been given here.”