Meet our Alumni

Meg Martin’s perseverance and hard work is paying off.

Martin earned her Associate of Science and Arts degree with high honors from Montcalm Community College in December 2021 and transferred to Ferris State University.

Although she is not due to complete her bachelor’s program in business administration until Spring 2023, Martin, age 20, has already received a job offer from Patrick Industries, a leading supplier for the recreational vehicle (RV), marine, manufactured housing, and industrial markets. 

Martin explained that she interned for her future employer the last two summers before the job offer was presented to her after her 2022 summer internship ended.

“Ferris State has an internship built into the business administration degree that students are required to complete,” said Martin, which led to her choosing to complete her internship at Patrick Industries. “It provided me with great insight to the company and gave me a competitive advantage when interviewing for the position.” 

Also minoring in accounting, Martin does plan to continue her higher education via online studies at Butler University in Indianapolis, Ind., upon graduation from FSU. She plans to pursue her master’s in business administration (MBA).  

Although she has her future mapped out with goals of working in business, Martin will be the first to admit she was not sure what she wanted her day-to-day work life to look like when she began pursuing business administration. 

“I did not quite know what my strengths and weaknesses were in business,” she said. “I have always enjoyed every aspect of the business world, and I knew that a degree in business administration would allow me to explore many different avenues and tangents of business.” 

Martin’s official title in her future role with Patrick industries will be “Team 6 IMPACT Member.” IMPACT, which is salary-paid with full benefits, was designed to provide individuals with the chance to learn the business inside and out. 

According to Martin, members of this team will rotate through finance, operations, environmental health and safety, sales, human resources, and production with exposure to high-level situations, helping them to adapt to these environments and contribute to longevity with the company. 

Martin stresses that regardless of the degree, students should still put forth hard work and dedication, particularly in this competitive job market, pointing out how overwhelming this can be for students right out of college. For the remainder of her undergraduate journey, Martin can say that her future employer does go out of their way to make her feel part of the team. 

“The company has continued to show me support and excitement about my return by sending me care packages and ‘Patrick swag’ as I finish up my last two semesters of school. It helps me to feel included in the company and represents the company culture that I will be joining,” she said. 

Ever since he was young, Ethan Hetherington has wanted to be a teacher. He used to play school with his sister, always looked up to his teachers and wanted to give students the same positive experiences he had in school. 

Hetherington, 22, of Vestaburg, started his path toward a degree in education in Montcalm Community College’s Early College Program. In the program, students earn a high school diploma and up to 60 college credits, tuition free. He attended MCC from 2017 to 2020. 

“It sounded like a great program to save money on education and get to have some new opportunities,” Hetherington said. 

Hetherington graduated from MCC in May 2020 with an Associate of Science & Arts and transferred to Central Michigan University that August. He said his experiences at MCC helped prepare him to be successful at CMU.

“I had a better idea of how to be prepared for college, as well as how to navigate the sometimes stressful environment college can be,” Hetherington said. “I also learned more about how to ask for help when I needed it.” 

He liked the small environment, having more one-on-one time with instructors, and how MCC always felt like a community. 

“I am so grateful for my time at MCC,” Hetherington said. “If you would like to have a small-town, community-oriented environment with professors who really care about you, I will always highly recommend Montcalm Community College!” 

In May 2023, he graduated from CMU with a bachelor’s degree in education where he majored in social studies and minored in history. He is now back in the town where he started his education. He began teaching in Vestaburg as a long-term substitute in August 2021. In August 2023, he became a full-time social studies teacher at Vestaburg Middle School. 

“MCC gave me so many great examples about how to help be there for students and build relationships in addition to teaching them content,” he said. “My professors at MCC were top-notch.” 

There were teachers at MCC that helped him as a student.

“Jamie Hansen Hopkins and Andrea Puskas were some huge influences solidifying why I wanted to be a teacher,” Hetherington said. “They were both excellent mentors who helped me further develop my passion for teaching and history. I would also like to acknowledge Dean Gage and Shannon Tripp from the Early College Program who rooted for me since day one. They were wonderful people to learn from and were huge influences in my success and decision to teach.” 

Hetherington currently lives with his parents and is saving up money to buy his own home. He enjoys spending time with friends, attending events, activities, and sports at the school, playing piano, and reading. 

Shannon Tripp, associate superintendent of the CTE/Early College program, said the goal of the program is to teach students the professional skills they need to be successful, as well as ensure they graduate with an associate degree, 60 transferable credits, or two certificates. More than 300 students have enrolled in Early College at Montcalm Community College since it was established in 2013. 

“Our original goal when starting the early college program was to raise the education level of students who would then hopefully come back and work in Montcalm County,” Tripp said. “As we raise the education level of the students in the county, it improves the lives of everyone in the county.” 

When Connie Stewart first came to Montcalm Community College, she was a young mother with two children who realized she needed an education to advance in her career.  

Now, she’s the college’s top leader. 

Stewart, MBA, SPHR, was appointed interim president on July 1, for a one-year term. 

“MCC changed my life,” Stewart said. “I remember being scared to death the first time I walked into a classroom. I was working full-time and had two small children. 

“It took me five years to earn my degree, but I did it,” she said. “When I graduated, I wasn’t the same person walking across the stage that I was when I first walked into a classroom. I grew up at MCC.” 

Stewart is a lifelong resident of Montcalm County with 36 years’ experience working in accounting, human resources and high-level executive positions. She joined MCC in 2011 as its Director of Human Resources after working at Hitachi Magnetics Corporation for 16 years and eight years at Morbark Industries. 

Stewart previously served as the college’s Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. In that role, she led five divisions of the college: business office, facilities (recreation and athletics), financial aid, human resources and information technology services, which she continues as Interim President. She has been involved in small renovations at the college as well as the recent renovation of the Kenneth J. Smith Building on the college’s Sidney campus. 

In addition, she has been involved in strategic planning, facilities master planning, and previously served as MCC’s Title IX and FOIA Coordinator, co-chair of the college’s Emergency Management Leadership Team and as assistant treasurer on the college’s Board of Trustees as well as the MCC Foundation board. 

Stewart is an MCC alumna, earning her Associate Degree in Business Administration in 1993. She also earned her bachelor’s degree in Organizational Development from Spring Arbor University in 2002 and her MBA from Western Governors University in 2013.  She maintains an SPHR, (Senior Professional in Human resources) certificate. 

“I am proof that MCC lives up to its mission of transforming lives through quality education every day,” Stewart said. “I got my start in higher education at MCC and now I’m finishing my career here and helping others achieve their dreams.” 

Bryan Hammis did not grow up with an agricultural background, but he stumbled upon his passion 13 years ago when he took a part-time job on a local farm.

“It was the best decision I ever made, without a doubt,” said Hammis, who is the corn production manager at Main Farms in Montcalm County.

Hammis graduated from Montcalm Community College in December 2020 with a degree in Agricultural Operations. He began working for Paul Main, owner of Main Farms, in June 2008, as a high schooler looking for work to do outside with his hands. After graduating from high school, Hammis attended Western Michigan University, Grand Valley State University and Northwestern University looking for the path that was right for him. Nothing seemed to fit. Hammis had always preferred being outdoors and couldn’t see himself feeling fulfilled in a career that put him behind a desk. During a conversation with Dan Main, the farm owner’s son, who is also co-manager of Main Farms, Hammis expressed his frustration at the difficulty of finding a program that worked for him. That’s when Hammis learned about the partnership between MCC and the Institute of Agricultural Technology at Michigan State University. Paul and Dan had both graduated from the MSU program and recommended it to Hammis. 

“How could I not go to school for what I love?” Hammis said. 

He expressed his appreciation for a program that allowed him to work and go to school. 

“I could be in the harvester up until 30 minutes before class,” Hammis said. 

Hammis’s favorite class was an introductory class in the field of crop and soil science because it was an overview of all the things he appreciates about working on the farm. He feels that the faculty and staff he worked with while a student at MCC were key to his positive experience, citing that most of his instructors had real-life experience on the farm that he feels made them more effective at teaching. 

Hammis now manages production of up to 7,000 acres of corn each season. Last year, he earned third place in the National Corn Growers Association Yield Contest for his skill in growing corn efficiently, achieving nearly 300 bushels per acre. Hammis has three plots set aside to enter the same competition this year. He wants to focus on reducing the amount of nitrogen he must apply to achieve his target yield. 

Despite being unsure of what he wanted to do with his life shortly after graduating high school, Hammis is happy with the decisions he’s made and his prospects at Main Farms. Dan Main is getting ready to fill his father’s shoes as Paul looks to slow down and pass his farm on to the next generation. Hammis said his goal is to help take the pressure off Dan, who has a family of his own to spend time with. 

If he could give advice to himself as a high schooler knowing what he knows now, Hammis would remind himself to follow his passion. He said the old cliché, “do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life,” holds true for him. It’s a piece of advice his grandfather, who worked all his life in construction, instilled in him.

Lakeview native is living his dream

Like many students coming out of high school, Beau Jensen had no idea what kind of career field he wanted to go into, but Montcalm Community College was there as a steppingstone toward his future. 

Jensen took several dual enrollment classes at MCC while attending Lakeview High school, so his transition to the college was simple. He said the main reasons he chose to attend MCC were because he was already familiar with the college, he could take the same classes at lower prices than most other schools and it gave him time to figure out his next steps.  

While at MCC, he completed many of his general education requirements, but was also able to take unique classes such as botany.  

Like many students coming out of high school, Beau Jensen had no idea what kind of career field he wanted to go into, but Montcalm Community College was there as a steppingstone toward his future. 

Jensen took several dual enrollment classes at MCC while attending Lakeview High school, so his transition to the college was simple. He said the main reasons he chose to attend MCC were because he was already familiar with the college, he could take the same classes at lower prices than most other schools and it gave him time to figure out his next steps.  

While at MCC, he completed many of his general education requirements but was also able to take unique classes such as botany. 

“People don’t realize the variety of classes that MCC offers. It’s a great place to explore different fields and find what you like before moving on to a four-year institution.” 

After MCC, Jensen transferred to Ferris State University where he majored in Public Relations (PR). He said while he was still uncertain of his job path, he knew he was good at writing, talking and connecting with people, and PR seemed like a great choice with endless job opportunities.  

Jensen tried his hand in sports PR as an intern for the Grand Rapids Griffins hockey team. After graduating from Ferris, he then went to work in agency PR. He said both positions provided valuable experience, but they weren’t the right fit for him.  

“Do what you’re good at and what you love,” Jensen said. “I knew I was good at marketing and public relations; I just didn’t love the things I was marketing for.” 

After this realization, Jensen discovered his dream career at Bethesda Softworks, a video game publisher based in Maryland, with games known around the world.  

“I found people who worked for Bethesda on LinkedIn and Twitter and followed them, started liking and commenting on their posts, and then sent them my resume. I was thrilled when they contacted me to fly out for an interview,” he said.  

Shortly thereafter, he began his dream career. 

Now, four years later, Jensen has been promoted from Associate PR Manager to PR Manager and oversees marketing efforts for three different branches of the company in the United States and Europe. Among all his job duties, some of his favorites are playing the games so he knows how to properly market them and planning events all over the United States. 

One of Jensen’s most exciting moments was the launch of the DEATHLOOP video game in September 2021 and watching the positive feedback roll in from players around the world. The success of the launch was made so incredible by hundreds of people at Bethesda, but Jensen’s team played a big role.  

“Nothing is unattainable,” Jensen stated. “What I get to do every day doesn’t even feel like a job because it’s something I love and I’m good at.” 

“People don’t realize the variety of classes that MCC offers. It’s a great place to explore different fields and find what you like before moving on to a four-year institution.” 

After MCC, Jensen transferred to Ferris State University where he majored in Public Relations (PR). He said while he was still uncertain of his job path, he knew he was good at writing, talking and connecting with people, and PR seemed like a great choice with endless job opportunities.  

Jensen tried his hand in sports PR as an intern for the Grand Rapids Griffins hockey team. After graduating from Ferris, he then went to work in agency PR. He said both positions provided valuable experience, but they weren’t the right fit for him.  

“Do what you’re good at and what you love,” Jensen said. “I knew I was good at marketing and public relations; I just didn’t love the things I was marketing for.” 

After this realization, Jensen discovered his dream career at Bethesda Softworks, a video game publisher based in Maryland, with games known around the world.  

“I found people who worked for Bethesda on LinkedIn and Twitter and followed them, started liking and commenting on their posts, and then sent them my resume. I was thrilled when they contacted me to fly out for an interview,” he said.  

Shortly thereafter, he began his dream career. 

Now, four years later, Jensen has been promoted from Associate PR Manager to PR Manager and oversees marketing efforts for three different branches of the company in the United States and Europe. Among all his job duties, some of his favorites are playing the games so he knows how to properly market them and planning events all over the United States. 

One of Jensen’s most exciting moments was the launch of the DEATHLOOP video game in September 2021 and watching the positive feedback roll in from players around the world. The success of the launch was made so incredible by hundreds of people at Bethesda, but Jensen’s team played a big role.  

“Nothing is unattainable,” Jensen stated. “What I get to do every day doesn’t even feel like a job because it’s something I love and I’m good at.” 

After graduating from Carson City-Crystal High School in 2008, Seth Newman was unsure of what his career path would be. 

“I didn’t know what type of career path I was interested in or what university to attend,” Newman said. “Because of that, I chose to bridge the gap with Montcalm Community College. I was familiar with the college, having taken swimming lessons there as a child, and it was only a short drive for me.” 

Newman attended MCC from 2008 through 2010. He remembers the benefits of the intimate feel of the classrooms and the one-on-one work with his instructors. 

“Attending MCC helped me adjust from high school to college with being able to interact with students of all ages,” he said. “I have some fond memories particularly of professors who helped bring out my academic side. Ken DeLong was always entertaining with his enthusiasm for teaching. We always waited for him to jump on the desks and start shouting. That style helped me to continually show interest in my work and pay attention to the classroom.” 

In 2010, Newman was accepted to Central Michigan University where he graduated with a degree in journalism. He went on to work for Spartan Sports Network as a radio broadcaster. From 2013 through 2018, you could hear Newman on the radio for Michigan State basketball and football. He became the Michigan State football sideline reporter and pregame host sharing the air with radio broadcasting legend, and Detroit Pistons play-by-play commentator George Blaha. During his time as a radio broadcaster, Newman won numerous awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters. He was featured on a weekly radio show that was broadcast in more than 12 states where he hosted athletes who recounted their careers. MLB Legend Alex Rodriguez and current Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback Kirk Cousins are just a couple of athletes who were featured on his show. 

Aside from his broadcasting, Newman continued to write. He was the lead writer in two regionally published magazines that focused on Michigan State athletics where he conducted one-on-one interviews with future NBA and NFL players. 

“MCC helped me get a footing in my career,” Newman said. “I began to enjoy writing and learning basic AP Style. It was a good mix of not being too intimidating with the atmosphere and helping me learn new aspects that would advance my career.” 

Since leaving the broadcasting industry, Newman has become the Director of Marketing and Advertising for a multi-million-dollar international dental production company that crafts retainers, athletic mouth guards, night guards, and teeth whitening trays. At Sporting Smiles, Newman oversees the direction of the company brand and social media. He’s since moved out of Michigan and now lives near Milwaukee. Looking back at his time at MCC, he realized that it was just the start of his career. 

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without MCC,” Seth said. “It was a great safety net for me to discover what I was passionate about while continuing my education. I’m thankful it was an option while I figured out my next step.” 

Newman attended MCC from 2008 through 2010. He remembers the benefits of the intimate feel of the classrooms and the one-on-one work with his instructors. 

“Attending MCC helped me adjust from high school to college with being able to interact with students of all ages,” he said. “I have some fond memories particularly of professors who helped bring out my academic side. Ken DeLong was always entertaining with his enthusiasm for teaching. We always waited for him to jump on the desks and start shouting. That style helped me to continually show interest in my work and pay attention to the classroom.” 

In 2010, Newman was accepted to Central Michigan University where he graduated with a degree in journalism. He went on to work for Spartan Sports Network as a radio broadcaster. From 2013 through 2018, you could hear Newman on the radio for Michigan State basketball and football. He became the Michigan State football sideline reporter and pregame host sharing the air with radio broadcasting legend, and Detroit Pistons play-by-play commentator George Blaha. During his time as a radio broadcaster, Newman won numerous awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters. He was featured on a weekly radio show that was broadcast in more than 12 states where he hosted athletes who recounted their careers. MLB Legend Alex Rodriguez and current Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback Kirk Cousins are just a couple of athletes who were featured on his show. 

Aside from his broadcasting, Newman continued to write. He was the lead writer in two regionally published magazines that focused on Michigan State athletics where he conducted one-on-one interviews with future NBA and NFL players. 

“MCC helped me get a footing in my career,” Newman said. “I began to enjoy writing and learning basic AP Style. It was a good mix of not being too intimidating with the atmosphere and helping me learn new aspects that would advance my career.” 

Since leaving the broadcasting industry, Newman has become the Director of Marketing and Advertising for a multi-million-dollar international dental production company that crafts retainers, athletic mouth guards, night guards, and teeth whitening trays. At Sporting Smiles, Newman oversees the direction of the company brand and social media. He’s since moved out of Michigan and now lives near Milwaukee. Looking back at his time at MCC, he realized that it was just the start of his career. 

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without MCC,” Seth said. “It was a great safety net for me to discover what I was passionate about while continuing my education. I’m thankful it was an option while I figured out my next step.”