News

SMC Choirs Team Up with Portage Northern

Southwestern Michigan College’s fall choir concert, “Songs of the Soul,” featured a collaboration with Portage Northern High School for the 50th anniversary of “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” “It’s wonderful to have Chelsea Whiteoak conducting us on this piece by one of my favorite artists, Gordon Lightfoot,” said SMC Director of Choral Activities David Carew. “Chelsea is a Dowagiac high school graduate. I recruited her at the McDonald’s drive-through to come to SMC."

Meet SMC’s Athletic Trainer

Ashley Russo of Beacon Health System officially became Southwestern Michigan College’s athletic trainer on Sept. 28. “My favorite part about this job is creating a space for athletes to be comfortable and to feel safe,” Russo said. “Being a student athlete is difficult and can sometimes feel incredibly isolating — especially when trying to recover from an injury."

Wrestling Coach Shooting for the Moon

Ashley Courtney, Southwestern Michigan College’s first women’s wrestling coach, comes from a prominent central Kentucky wrestling family. Her father introduced her to the sport at 7. Her second-oldest brother, Harrison, a four-time state champion, coaches the mat men at their Woodford County High School, which has won 13 state championships, celebrating more than any other Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) school with 61 individual champions.

SMC Hosts Michigan Mathematicians

A mathematics conference hosted by Southwestern Michigan College brought more than 50 educators to the Dowagiac campus on Oct. 11. Interim President Brent Brewer welcomed the Michigan Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (MichMATYC) to Mathews Conference Center West. Chair of the SMC Math/Science Department and Professor of Mathematics Robin Shipkosky introduced keynote speaker Dr. Keith Nabb from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va.

Dr. Riggs Gives Memorable Talk for Academic Speaker Series

Mastering his mind makes Dr. John H. Riggs III, MBA, a memorably young 76. Riggs, who teaches biology at Southwestern Michigan College, led off SMC’s fall Academic Speaker Series Oct. 9 in Mathews Conference Center West. He imparts on his students what he has learned about how the brain works to help them learn to study smarter.

SMC Presidential Finalist Interviews Slated Oct. 21-22

Southwestern Michigan College has scheduled on-campus interviews for the three finalists for president. The interviews will be conducted in the Fred L. Mathews Library and Conference Center West conference room on the Dowagiac Campus, and while audience questions will not be taken during these sessions, they are open for public viewing.

It’s Full Speed Ahead for Carly Kolean

Carly Kolean thrives on challenges, whether it’s teaching a Junior Achievement class, graduating from Southwestern Michigan College in 2020 during a global pandemic, joining Amazon or buying her first home at 20. Kolean, 24, came to Dowagiac from Middleville, a small town close by Grand Rapids.

Fall in Full Swing at SMC

Southwestern Michigan College Board of Trustees heard updates on academics, arts and athletics at its Oct. 8 regular meeting on the Dowagiac campus. Interim President Brent Brewer reported on a flurry of activity six weeks into Fall Semester.

SMC Success Story Told at Automotive Day

Southwestern Michigan College’s Dowagiac campus hosted 225 Michiana high school students Oct. 3 for Automotive Day. Participants included Dowagiac, LaPorte, Berrien Springs, Van Buren Tech, Lawton, Buchanan and Elkhart Area Career Center.

She Set Herself Up for Success

After earning an associate degree in social sciences and admission to Phi Theta Kappa in 2015 at Southwestern Michigan College, Cassidy Purucker Bourdon seemed poised for a career in social work.