Real Students of Macomb

Samuel Williams began exploring his career options in high school. The 2020 Center Line High School graduate took graphic design and art classes, was a member of the Robotics Club and attended a Summer Career Academy in Information Technology (IT) at Macomb. Winning the design contest for his high school’s 2020 yearbook, however, made his pathway clear.

“Making ideas into reality out of nothing is what excites me,” says Williams.

A student in Macomb’s Media and Communication Arts 3D Animation program, Williams is looking forward to giving depth to his two-dimensional drawings and watching them come alive in a digital environment. He had hoped for on-campus instruction but says he is adapting well to online classes.

“I never thought I would be attending college on Zoom,” he admits. “However, I really like it.  My professors and classmates make it more enjoyable.”

Williams is all too familiar with how the pandemic has disrupted education, but his family has consistently been there with moral support, and then some. When his high school commencement was cancelled because of COVID, his parents and brothers went all out to gift him with a ceremony to remember. They built a stage on their front lawn, which their youngest son helped construct unaware that he would soon walk across it. Rising above the stage was the traditional proscenium arch painted in his high school’s colors of orange and black. Pomp and Circumstance played in the background as Williams accepted his diploma from his father.

“I really appreciated what they did,” Williams told the Macomb Daily, which covered the ceremony in June. “I am very grateful.”    

By the time of that DIY-commencement, Williams had decided to enroll in Macomb’s MACA program since South Campus was close to home and he had already visited it on “multiple field trips.” One of those field trips was to attend a Discover Macomb event (which will be held virtually over six sessions this year: March 16 – April 1) with his brother when Williams was junior.

“That really did it for me,” he says.

Similarly, his MACA classes are affirming his career choice.

“I believe media and communication arts is the wave of the future, and it can help in other industries – music production, sound engineering, TV, film, and editing and design,” relates Williams. “Once I graduate with my degree, I plan on pursuing a position producing animated shorts or in game design.”

Many political careers have started humbly at the grassroots level and that would be just fine for one Macomb student, propelled by the pandemic to seek election this year to his local school board.  

“I saw the direct impact the board had on my education,” says Sellers, who graduated from L’Anse Creuse High School North this past summer. “I was specifically disappointed in the board’s actions during COVID, delaying graduation ceremonies until August, while all the other surrounding districts graduated in June. I vowed to make sure the current senior class would not have to go through what I went through.”

Sellers’ interest in the L’Anse Creuse School Board is actually nothing new. He began following it as a freshman in high school, watching televised meetings and discussing its decisions with his mom, an elementary school teacher.  As he starts his second semester at Macomb, Sellers will begin juggling the demands of his own classes with the needs of L’Anse Creuse students when he joins the board as its newest and youngest elected trustee.

“I would like to make sure that we begin to spend money on all students. In the age of COVID, our families need the support more than ever before,” says Sellers. “I (also) want to recruit and retain our high-quality support staff and teachers. They are asked to work more than ever right now, and we need to make sure they are incentivized to want to work in L’Anse Creuse.”

By the time his six-year term on the school board is over, Sellers will be 24 and, in his words, “two years removed from college.”  He is currently deciding between majoring in political science or business, with plans to transfer to Wayne State University or Oakland University to earn a bachelor’s degree. 

“I wanted this position because I wanted to help the kids in the schools,” says Sellers. “However, this seems like a natural stepping stone for higher office. It could mean more local politics, or a county or state seat. The way I look at it, local government impacts my day-to-day life much more often than the feds do.”

Sellers’ energy extends beyond the political arena as well. He is a self-proclaimed “sports fanatic,” who roots for the Tigers, Lions and Pistons. Preferably, in person when that is again possible. He is a tennis player and coach, and works at Peachtree Tennis Club.  With all that’s going on in his life, he’s appreciative of the assistance and flexibility that Macomb has provided.

“Macomb has been great in assisting me with my class registration so I take classes that will transfer,” says Sellers. “With board responsibilities growing with COVID issues, my classes being online will allow me to be closer to the board office and the schools, where I would like to make sure I am a consistent face.” 

Fighting through language barriers, societal gender inequality norms and even the COVID-19 pandemic, Tasneem Alahmadi, 22, has not only survived but thrived in her studies. One of eight children, Alahmadi’s family emigrated from the Middle East country of Yemen 10 years ago. Upon arrival in the States, the pre-teen had no experience with the English language. Yet, within six months she learned the basics and began to speak it.

After completing middle school at Bridge Academy West, Alahmadi began high school at Frontier International Academy, in Detroit. By the time she graduated in 2017, she had the distinction of being named an honor roll student each year in attendance.

At the recommendation of several of her siblings, Alahmadi came to Macomb to further her education. Two of her brothers studied at Macomb and have transferred, while another brother and sister are currently attending. Three of her siblings are pursuing medical-related degrees, and Tasneem is also following this path. But for Alahmadi, who hopes to be accepted into Wayne State University’s nursing program, the path forward wasn’t always certain.

“I used to be lost and not sure what [my] major will be,” recounts Alahmadi. “But, as you seek counseling in Macomb and you seek Career Services, they will help you know what you want to be in life.”

Also compounding matters was pressure stemming from the cultural norms in Alahmadi’s home country.

“As a woman, especially from an Arab background, they would prefer the women not to continue [their] education,” notes Alahmadi. “So many people tried to stop me.”

While keeping students on track takes a campus-wide effort involving faculty, staff and leadership from many departments, Alahmadi credits one individual specifically with giving her the motivation she needed to continue, even when she felt like giving up. That person is Daniel Thurman, associate dean of Student Success.

“I went through a very hard time, and I thought I’m not good enough. And I had all that negativity in my brain ‘til I met Mr. Thurman,” relates Alahmadi. “He gives me advice to improve, and when I [was] also overwhelmed with school and about to give up, he inspired me […] to finish the road I started.”

That road, the path forward, includes a first-hand experience with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I was recommended to tutor psychology,” tells Alahmadi, “and the day I was going to do that […], COVID happened.”

And then Alahmadi contracted the virus. Thankfully, with the flexibility of online classes and the support of the college, she was able to persist. Further help from Daniel Thurman ensured she was granted an extension on her final exams so she could complete her semester while recovering.

“I was very happy [with] how things went very smoothly for me,” says Alahmadi, as a “student that went from [on-campus] classes to online and also having COVID.”

Unlike Rusty Griswold in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, A.J. Vultaggio volunteered to take over his family’s outside holiday decorating duties at the age of 14.  

“My parents love to come out and see all the decorations up,” says Vultaggio, who is majoring in manufacturing engineering technology and product development at Macomb. “I know they have said, ‘Instead of doing drugs or playing video games, he decorates.’”

This year’s Halloween display, spanning his family’s home as well as those of two neighbors, stopped passersby (including a Macomb Township Chronicle photographer and reporter) in their tracks. He has also created displays featuring the Easter Bunny, Uncle Sam and a proud pilgrim of a turkey. But Vultaggio labors the most over the one undertaken the weekend after Thanksgiving that transforms the front lawn of his family’s Macomb Township home into a wonderland as dazzling as anything found at the North Pole.

“I put all of the decorations from lights to yard ornaments (for three houses) up myself.  It takes countless hours, but it is completely worth it,” says Vultaggio, “Whenever I am not at work or doing school work, I can always be found outside decorating.”

As much as holiday decorating is a family tradition, so, too, is Macomb. Vultaggio’s mother Melanie earned an associate of applied science in nursing and physical therapy and dad Andy, as well as an uncle, earned associate of applied science degrees from the college, while his maternal grandfather taught special machine design. 

“I was interested in going to Macomb for many years and had heard very good things about its engineering programs,” says Vultaggio, who graduated from L’Anse Creuse High School North last June. “My experience so far has gone very smoothly.”

Also “smooth” are the edges his grandfather taught him to hone in the workshop where they huddled together over woodworking projects, with Vultaggio beginning his apprenticeship at the age of six.

“My nonno (grandfather in Italian) spent countless hours teaching me how to scroll saw, carve and paint,” relates Vultaggio. “The two of us would spend as much time as we could together. We enjoyed each other’s company and we were always working on some type of project, which usually had something to do with Christmas.”

A quarter of the decorations that grace his family’s home, which Vultaggio shares with his seven-year-old sister, parents and grandmother, are of his own design. For inspiration, he takes trips to Frankenmuth whenever he has the chance.

“Other than Bronner’s, I get a lot of my ideas yearlong while daydreaming about my plans for the next season,” offers Vultaggio. “Christmas has always played such a big role in my life and while I am decorating, it brings back a lot of wonderful memories that I have made with my parents and grandparents.” 

“Second home.” That’s how Early College of Macomb (ECM) graduate Ashley Soley, 19, describes Macomb Community College. The Fraser High School alum was introduced to ECM by her counselor during sophomore year, and she eagerly jumped at the opportunity to get a free head start in college.

“Finally, I had found a stimulating environment that challenged me to greater heights,” says Soley. “The classroom setting at Macomb made me feel comfortable. I feel confident in having classroom discussions and asking my professors for help.”

During her first two years at Macomb, Soley utilized the many resources available to her, including the Reading & Writing Studios, to which she turned for assistance writing a paper. By the time Soley graduated with an Associate of General Studies degree in 2019, she was fully prepared for her next steps. Through the guidance of Career Services, she discovered her calling: nursing.

“It encompasses several different jobs all into one,” explains Soley. “Nurses take on several different roles of being a caretaker, an educator, a counselor and so much more.”

Soley enrolled in Macomb’s Nursing program. And then Coronavirus hit. After attending only one class in March, COVID-19 forced the closure of Macomb’s campuses. However, Soley feels she has successfully acclimated herself to the learning format changes necessitated by the pandemic through her previous online class experience, her willingness to connect with fellow students for support and, of course, the college’s faculty. Professors such as Cathy Kelly, who taught Soley’s anatomy and physiology course, have created an exceptional learning environment for students.

“The quality of education I receive at Macomb is unmatched,” notes Soley. “The professors at Macomb are beyond extraordinary. I have yet to attend a class with a poor professor.”

Hoping to graduate after the fall 2022 semester, Soley plans on transferring to pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing. Currently employed as a pharmacy technician at Walgreens, her long-term goals include opening a clinic that focuses on pain management and mental health. Adds Soley, “I want to help people find ways to cope with whatever ails them, whether it’s mental, emotional or physical.”

Outside the world of academia, Soley maintains her own mental health by participating in outdoor activities such as hiking and walking her dog. She also has a creative eye, with hobbies that include drawing, painting and photography.

When Jennifer Lafon received the First State Bank Scholarship for Foster Students, not once, but twice, she considered it a win for a misunderstood segment of society.

“So often, foster children are seen as trouble, that’s it somehow their fault,” says Lafon. “But when a financial institution sees the value and invests in this underrepresented population, it’s truly remarkable. It sends out a message of hope.”

Lafon entered the Foster Care System when she was 13 after the successive deaths of her grandparents, with whom she lived. She was taken out of school and placed into emergency foster care. Her belongings from the only home she had ever known arrived a week later in four plastic bags.

“My whole life was placed on the floor in front of me,” relates Lafon, “reduced to exactly how I felt about myself. Garbage.”

Determined to be able to take care of herself, Lafon, who lives on her own, enrolled at Macomb and started on a path toward a business degree. She would “reward” herself with a humanities class now and then, trying to quell the sense that she was compromising a deep-seeded desire to make the system work for others.

“I realized that just because I could do something didn’t mean I should do it for the rest of my life,” says Lafon. “I reflected on all the people and groups that inspired me and my experiences and compassion for others, and tried to imagine a career that included the value they brought into my life. Social work revealed itself every time.”

Lafon received her first scholarship from First State Bank while attending Macomb and says it was “a huge relief.”  She transferred to Wayne State University and was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in social work when the University of Detroit Mercy offered a full scholarship and a job in its alumni relations office. She received her second scholarship from First State Bank this summer to return to Macomb as a Guest Student, taking general education courses that she needed. It was a welcomed reunion.

“I owe so much to the education that I received at Macomb,” says Lafon. “It taught me what truly matters is what you are most passionate about.”

Lafon was selected to give the student address at the college’s December 2018 commencement, when she received her Associate of General Studies degree. In her speech, she called out the “beautiful people” at Macomb who had helped her “curate” her past experiences into a future helping others. And she bravely shared that there had been a moment of hesitation before deciding upon social work as her major.

“It was terrifying to realize I was considering a career that could cause me to relive the years I was in foster care,” Lafon told her audience. “But, if I could help just one foster kid not feel like they are garbage, any emotional cost to me would be worth it.”