Oakland University has a long history of serving students in Macomb County through various programs and partnerships. OU offers classes, internships, scholarships and more to Macomb County residents. This includes fast-track degree programs, internship opportunities through a partnership with Macomb County Government, and scholarships supported by the Macomb Town Hall Lecture Luncheon series. OU is committed to being responsive community partners in Macomb County and providing higher education opportunities for local students.

1. FOCUS
FAST-TRACK
degree programs
at a professional’s pace
MACOMB COUNTY
OAKLAND UNIVERSITY

2. OUT and
AROUND
in MACOMB
COUNTY
More than 2,000
OU students annually
take classes in
Macomb County
For 27 years,
OU has been a partner
in Macomb County,
unlocking higher
education opportunities
close to home
Nearly 700
local high school
students have
attended an
OU SUMMER
CAREER CAMP
since 2012
More than
20,000
OU alums live in
Macomb County
300
alums attended a
2017 baseball game
at Jimmy John’s Field
in Utica
4
FAST-TRACK
degree-completion
programs available
in fall 2018
OU in
Macomb County
Stats

3. Each year, Oakland University strives to be a responsive
community partner in Macomb County. We are
committed to strengthening our existing relationships
while also dedicated to developing new ones. In doing
so, we can be responsive to the needs of our community
at every opportunity. Our staff, students, faculty and
alums live this by participating in local initiatives, events
and projects that make an impact in the lives of those
who live here, work here and beyond.
We finished last year with the success of our Annual
Food Drive to benefit the Macomb Food Program,
which kicked off at the Macomb County Santa Parade
in Mount Clemens. The drive collected 1,175 pounds
of food — nearly triple the 394 pounds collected in
the previous year — to provide “immediate relief” to a
network of more than 50 Macomb County hunger relief
organizations for those in need.
This year, we started with the success of the Annual Red
Cross Blood Drive held at the OU Anton/Frankel Center
in Mount Clemens in January. Once again, OU staff,
students, faculty and alums helped us exceed our goals
by coming out to donate 33 pints of blood to the drive.
A special thanks to all our volunteers on a job well done.
In addition to our continued work in the community,
we are excited to announce that our new fast-track
degree-completion programs will launch this fall.
These programs — in marketing, general management,
information technology and human resources
management — will allow our students to complete
courses in an accelerated, eight-week format combining
classroom work with online assignments. And, students
with transfer credit may be able to earn their bachelor’s
degree in about two years.
OU Executive Director of Macomb County
Outreach | Julie Dichtel
Editorial Director | Emell Derra Adolphus
Creative Director | Debra Lashbrook
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
IN MACOMB COUNTY
Message from the Executive Director
Oakland University
Macomb County
Focus staff
Editor | Patti Georgevich
Project Manager | Laura Phillips
Production Director | Shelby Olsen
Proofreader | Sandra Muise
In this issue of the Oakland University Macomb County
FOCUS, you’ll read about the community-minded
determination of three proud OU alums, students taking
accelerated hybrid courses at the OU Anton/Frankel
Center, experiential internships in Macomb County for
OU students, and, of course, our continued work to
elevate the community we call home.
OU is proud to be in Macomb County, and we are
looking forward to another meaningful and impactful
year.
Julie Dichtel
OU Executive Director — Macomb County Outreach

4. Katelyn Stier’s event planning internship at the Mount
Clemens Downtown Development Authority (DDA) helped
her see her community in an entirely new way.
“An event can create a huge impact on an entire city, and
it’s satisfying to see the improvements, though small and
gradual,” says Stier, an OU communication major who has
lived most of her life in Mount Clemens. “I feel as if I’m
bringing new life into an old historic city.”
Stier’s experience is a wonderful example of the many
eye-opening internship possibilities available to OU students
who call Macomb County home. And, with a new three-year
partnership agreement formalized between OU and Macomb
County Government last summer, more OU students will be
placed for internship experiences in any of the county’s
30-plus departments serving the public.
PUT into
PRACTICE
“Many of our students live and work in Macomb County and
want to secure jobs there,” says Kimberly Byrd, OU director
of field and student support. “We’ve been working with
Macomb County Government for five years, but this new
formalized agreement expands our opportunities to place
more OU students for practical learning experiences related
to their academic program of study.”
Internship experiences help students understand the inner
workings of careers beyond the classroom. For instance,
human resources development major LaVaughn Temple’s
ongoing internship in Macomb County’s Human Resources
and Labor Relations department has significantly broadened
his professional horizons.
“I have never worked in human resources or a
governmental position, so it was just a new
experience,” Temple says. “But it turned out
really well in the end.”
Temple appreciates the autonomy and trust he’s been
afforded in his internship. He’s worked on a number of
By Patrick Dunn Adam Sparkes
Katelyn Stier reviews blueprints with Michelle Weiss at the
Mount Clemens Downtown Development Authority.

5. Brian Jacks (left) and LaVaughn Temple
discuss an upcoming project during his
internship in Macomb County’s Human
Resources and Labor Relations department.
projects for the county, most notably selecting software to
automate a salary increment approval process that was once
done manually. His supervisor, service director Brian Jacks,
says he values how “genuinely excited” Temple and other
interns are about their work.
“They have a thirst for knowledge, and this provides us
with the opportunity to teach some valuable lessons of our
profession in a personal way,” Jacks says.
OU Provost James Lentini, DMA, says Oakland University
has a long tradition of producing work-ready graduates.
“Our emphasis on learning-by-doing is a hallmark of our
curriculum. Combining classroom theory with hands-on
practical experience means our graduates are employable
immediately and able to compete for the best jobs in
the highest-paying and fastest-growing careers,” Lentini
explains.
Even after finishing her internship last year, Stier says she
continues to learn from her internship manager, Michelle
Weiss, the Mount Clemens DDA marketing and event
coordinator. “Even now that we don’t work together anymore,
she always is willing to be a guide and give advice when I
need it,” Stier says.
Both Temple and Stier’s internships have served as an
important culmination to their educations as they prepare
to enter the job market. Temple is mulling over a future in
government, while Stier says event planning has been the
perfect fit.
“I still don’t think that I would choose any other type of field
to work in,” says Stier, who now works for the Macomb
County Bar Association as a member services director. “This
experience made me grow in confidence and allowed me to
use my creativity in ways that can make an impact.”
For more information on these programs,
visit oakland.edu/macomb/academic-programs.

6. Now working in a career field that she loves, Wendy Smith has more time to enjoy her family.

7. BRINGING OUT the BEST
OU alum turns personal determination into professional opportunities
After nine years working on an auto assembly line, Wendy
(Hicks) Smith took a buyout in 2008. Upon accepting the
offer, Smith realized, “I didn’t want a well-paying job, I wanted
a life well-lived.” But to change careers, she knew she’d have
to complete her bachelor’s degree.
While she went back to school, Smith used the money from
her buyout to pay bills. But then the mother of five divorced,
which stretched her already limited resources thinner.
“Those were difficult days — when my children
needed a little more than I could give, bills,
homework and more. My kids relied on me but,
most importantly, they believed in and supported
me throughout my educational journey. I couldn’t
have done it without them,” says Smith.
In 2013, she earned her bachelor’s degree in business
administration with a concentration in human resources.
Shortly thereafter, she accepted a position in Macomb
County’s Human Resources and Labor Relations (HRLR)
Department. She then considered applying to OU for a
master’s degree in counseling psychology.
“I wasn’t sure counseling was what I really wanted to do,”
Smith says. “My supervisor said she’d earned her Master
of Public Administration degree at OU and spoke well of
the program. Her supervisor had also taught classes in the
program. Based on their comments, I decided the MPA
degree offered me a broader range of career opportunities.”
by Patti Georgevich Adam Sparkes
Last spring, the Chesterfield Township resident graduated
with her MPA degree. Then, later that fall, she got remarried
to a fellow Golden Grizzly, William Smith, MPA ’99.
“My kids had insisted I sign up for online dating. After several
emails, Bill and I realized we’d crossed paths professionally,”
Smith adds. “I guess the universe decided it was time for us
to get to know each other.”
As an HRLR service partner, Smith provides high-level
human resources support to many Macomb County Court
departments including the 16th Judicial Circuit Court, Family
Court, 42nd District Courts, Probate Court and Friend of
the Court. She assists them with recruiting, interviewing
and selecting qualified candidates, answering personnel-
related questions from department heads and assisting them
with disciplinary or termination issues. She also supports
negotiations and serves on HRLR project teams.
Smith says OU’s MPA instructors prepared her well for
a career in public service by sharing “practical, real-life
experiences” that helped her understand various levels of
government and how they fit together.
“There’s a sense of happiness and satisfaction when you
do what you love,” she says. “As a human resources
professional, I want that for all employees so they can bring
out the best in themselves.”

8. EXCELLENT
EDUCATOR
Teaching has always come natural to Jennifer (Rymsza)
Sutter, SEHS ’03. “I’ve wanted to be a teacher since I was
a little girl,” she says. “I just love being around kids. Seeing
them smile makes me happy.”
Sutter has taught at Havel Elementary in Sterling Heights for
14 years. She initially spent her first semester at OU studying
computer science after being talked out of teaching. But
she quickly realized the field wasn’t for her and changed her
major to elementary education.
“You have to love what you do,” says Sutter. “If you don’t,
you’re going to be miserable and change your job down the
road anyway.”
When she was an OU student, Sutter completed her field
study at Havel with fellow OU graduate and educator Zita
Burton, SEHS ’77. Burton retired from Havel last year after a
four-decade career as an elementary teacher.
“Her students know she teaches from the heart. Jen’s always
focused on their learning, but she’s also attentive to their
emotional and social well-being,” says Burton. “Every day,
she teaches them lessons they’ll remember for a lifetime —
though they may not realize it now. Jen has an incredible
range of talents.”
Teaching can have its challenges, Sutter acknowledges. But
she’s surrounded by a strong team of Havel colleagues who
remind her of what’s important.
“Our job is constantly changing, but we go back to what it’s
all about: the children,” says Sutter.
Not only is the profession changing, but according to the
Michigan Department of Education, there is a teacher
shortage throughout Southeast Michigan that is affecting
school districts most in need. In Macomb County, leaders are
having difficulty filling key slots in special education, science,
math and English as a second language.
“Throughout Michigan — including Macomb County —
teacher candidate pools are much smaller,” explains Alesia
Flye, the assistant superintendent of instruction at Macomb
Intermediate School District. “In previous years, there may
have been 100 to 200 candidates for some jobs such as
elementary teachers or social studies teachers. But now there
are fewer teacher candidates in general.”
To help meet the demand, OU is playing a role to generate
interest in the teaching profession. The University formed a
partnership with Utica Community Schools to place education
students in field experiences and steer them toward its
schools after graduation.
Sutter is proud of what her alma mater is doing and believes
more people should consider a career as a teacher.
“Teaching is about building lifelong relationships,” says Sutter.
“My kids know when they leave my class at the end of the
year, it’s not goodbye forever. They know if they ever need
anything, I’ll be there for them.”
For more information on these programs,
visit oakland.edu/macomb/academic-programs.
By Robert Guttersohn and Patti Georgevich Adam Sparkes
SEHS PROGRAMS OFFERED IN MACOMB COUNTY
Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education
Education Specialist in Leadership
Master of Arts in Elementary Education

9. SCHOLARSHIP
SUPPORT
By Adam DePollo Josh Scott
For more than 50 years, proceeds from the Macomb Town
Hall Lecture Luncheon have supported the Gladys McLean/
Macomb Town Hall Endowed Scholarship — giving nearly
$9,000 in academic scholarships to deserving Oakland
University students in Macomb County each year.
Created by a group of local educators in the 1960s from an
endowment of nearly a half million dollars, the three-part
luncheon series is one of the most anticipated events of the
year, featuring special guest speakers and performances.
But at its core, it’s all about helping students in need, says
Macomb Town Hall president Cheri Daniels.
“They founded the committee based on the
fact that Macomb County didn’t have a
university, and they wanted to support students
from Macomb County who went to Oakland
University,” says Daniels.
“Over the years, we realized that we shouldn’t have been just
giving money to the university to fund the scholarship. We
should be building an endowment fund.”
Recent OU alumna Melaina Jaeger received one of the
Macomb Town Hall scholarships as an OU Presidential
Scholar. The first in her family to attend a university, without
the scholarship, Jaeger wouldn’t have been able to pursue
her education.
“When I was 16 and prepping for my ACTs, my parents sat
me down and told me that, if I didn’t get scholarships, I’d
either not be going to school or have to take out student
loans because they didn’t have the money to finance my
education,” she explains. “That put a lot of pressure on me,
knowing that if I didn’t do well in school, I wouldn’t be able to
go to college because we didn’t have the money to pay for it.”
With the Macomb Town Hall scholarship as part of her
financial aid package, Jaeger was able to fully focus on
school and get her degree in Writing and Rhetoric a year
ahead of schedule.
“I didn’t need to work to pay my way through school since I
received the scholarship, so I was able to take classes in the
summer and graduate on an accelerated track,” says Jaeger.
“Finishing school early meant that I got married a year earlier
and started working right away. I graduated on a Saturday
and started my job on a Monday.”
For more information on the Macomb Town Hall Lecture
Luncheon series or to purchase tickets to attend, please call
(586) 246-9017.
Luncheon Dates
n Linda Evans: Aging Gracefully Living Your Best Life
and Life Lessons. Oct. 16, 2018
n Joanna Puffer Kotcher Doughnut Dolly: An American Red
Cross Girl’s War in Vietnam. January 15, 2019
n Midwest Dueling Pianos: Energy-Charged Musical Comedy.
April 16, 2019

10. WHEN OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
OU alum and instructor teaches importance of seizing opportunities
Melissa Curtis-Hendley, SEHS ’05, is
living proof that opportunities can
come from anywhere. “I fell upon my
career passion by complete chance,”
she explains. After graduating from
Oakland University in 2005 with a
master’s degree in training and
development, her career change
came from two events.
First, was a frank conversation she
had as a pre-law student with an
attorney who told her the realities of
being a lawyer — grueling hours, large
school debt and low pay. She decided
she wasn’t passionate enough to
pursue a career in law.
The second event was being hired as
a human resources administrator at a
community bank. Although she had
little training, she learned to create job
aids and training manuals — and
discovered she really enjoyed doing it.
This practical, “learning-on-the-spot”
job experience prompted her to
change her OU master’s degree
program of study to training and
development.
“With all the theory I was introduced
to in my graduate program, I found I
was already doing it as an HR
professional,” Curtis-Hendley says.
During her graduate studies at OU,
she received hands-on experience
with a Detroit nonprofit organization
developing curriculum to teach
children better sleeping practices.
She was also introduced to lean — a
continuous improvement strategy to
help organizations eliminate waste and
design more efficient and effective
work processes.
“Companies should always try to
improve processes to increase
revenue and make employees happier
in what they do,” she says.
After earning her graduate degree, she
accepted a position as the director of
instructional design with a Novi-based
training and consulting firm that
provides continuous improvement
services. For 12 years, she shaped
strategies and initiatives for many
organizations — from auto companies
to luxury yacht manufacturers.
Last year, she became an independent
consultant — forming MCH Consulting
and Design LLC — allowing her a
more flexible schedule as she prepares
to pursue her doctorate at OU.
By Robert Guttersohn Alex Godin
“I’d take great pride in
achieving the triple crown
from Oakland since this
university has played such a
critical role in shaping my
career path,”she says.
Curtis-Hendley often shares her
professional anecdotes with her
students in the training and
development courses she teaches at
OU’s location at the Macomb
University Center in Clinton Township.
“I tell my students it’s great to have a
career plan, but you should always be
open to emerging possibilities. I don’t
know where I’d be today if I had
closed off the idea to changing my
education path,” she says.
She enjoys teaching at the University
Center and has grown very fond of the
staff and students.
“They’re so welcoming and
enthusiastic to learning and engaging
in the classroom. It’s not my home
campus, but they all make me feel like
it’s my home.”

12. by Patti Georgevich Adam Sparkes
FINISH
LINE
Fast-track
degree-completion
programs in general
management,
marketing,
human resources
management and
information technology
help working
students like
< Nakisha Scruggs
finish fast

13. Nakisha Scruggs is bringing up her five-year-old daughter
in Mount Clemens — the same place where she was born
and raised.
The single mother has worked on the assembly line at Fiat
Chrysler LLC’s Jefferson North Assembly Plant for five years.
Professionally, she wanted to move to a corporate position.
“There are a lot of career opportunities with my current
employer,” says Scruggs. “But to be considered, I knew I
needed to finish my degree — and preferably one with a
respected name. I also realized that as a working adult, I
needed to do it at a faster pace.”
Scruggs learned about OU’s accelerated hybrid courses
offered at the OU Anton/Frankel Center in Mount Clemens.
The general management major explains these accelerated
courses are perfect for a student like herself who’s beyond
the “campus” stage of life.
She says, “The accelerated courses meant I could fit more
classes into a semester than I could before. Prior to the
accelerated courses being offered, I could take one — maybe
two — classes in a semester. I’m taking three accelerated
courses this semester. And getting my degree finished more
quickly.”
Today’s competitive job market has made higher education a
necessity for a successful career. However, Macomb County
demographics show more than 60 percent of residents over
the age of 25 have taken some college courses or earned an
associate degree but haven’t completed a bachelor’s degree.
This fall, Oakland will offer fast-track degree-completion
programs in general management, marketing, human
resources management and information technology at its OU
Anton/Frankel Center in Mount Clemens. Designed with the
returning student in mind, the courses are offered every eight
weeks and combine classroom work with online assignments.
“Delivering these bachelor’s degree programs
in an accelerated format accommodates our
students’ busy personal and professional
schedules,” explains OU’s senior vice president
for Academic Affairs and provost, James Lentini,
DMA. “As a result, they can accomplish
learning outcomes in a flexible, time-saving
and convenient manner.”
Accelerated courses also freed more time for Scruggs to
spend with her daughter, Blake.
“More time with my daughter is a wonderful thing. As a single
mother working full-time, any ‘free time’ is a bonus,” she
says. “I had more time to help Blake with her schoolwork and
family activities. These accelerated courses were a godsend.”
Julie Dichtel, executive director of OU Macomb County
Outreach, says, “About 41 percent of OU’s students began
their journey as a transfer student. The fast-track programs
will allow students with transfer credits from a community
college or other academic institution the opportunity to finish
their bachelor’s degree in about two years. OU academic
advisers work with students to map a fast-track degree-
completion plan that suits their life.”
Dichtel emphasizes that increasing bachelor’s degree
attainment is important, so working adults who live in
Macomb County are employable, marketable and
workforce-ready.
“We want our students to compete for the best jobs and be
on a path to realizing their career ambitions like getting a
raise, receiving positions with more authority or achieving the
personal satisfaction that comes from attaining this higher
education credential.”
With an online course component, students can submit
homework, take quizzes and participate in class discussions
and forums while at home, work or wherever.
“The alternative format provides more flexibility to balance
their life commitments so they can finish their education
more quickly to advance their careers,” says Kim Serota, a
faculty member in the School of Business Administration’s
Department of Management and Marketing and one of
Scruggs’ instructors. “Students ask if these courses deliver
the same content and value as a traditional course. Without
a doubt. But, I advise them these courses require more
commitment on their part. The materials are equivalent, the
methods fit the format, and most importantly, the outcomes
are consistent.”
Scruggs was able to fit the coursework into her daily routine
without having to restructure her schedule. And Serota, she
explains, clearly outlined his expectations on the first day.

14. “He explained it was the same amount of course material as
in a semester course — only covered in a condensed eight
weeks. He told us the course would challenge us. I knew I’d
need to apply myself to achieve the same learning outcomes
in a shorter amount of time.”
Her daughter Blake inspired her to see and make it to the
finish line.
“I wanted to be an example to Blake and show her that if you
want something bad enough and apply yourself, you can do
anything,” Scruggs says. “I wanted to prove to myself that it’s
never too late, especially to those who said I wouldn’t be able
to do it.”
She adds, “My education has been a long time coming. But
guess what? I did it.”
OU student, Andrew Vernier is taking several
accelerated courses this winter and thinks they’re
a terrific option for his class schedule.
“These accelerated courses allowed me to take
more classes in a faster time period. Without them,
I wouldn’t be graduating in April 2018,” says Vernier.
“They’re perfect for busy students like
myself who want to take an extra class
without being stressed. They’re a definite
time-saver.”
OPENING
DOORS
Andrew Vernier

15. CAREER EXPLORATION
CAMP
June 25 – 29
2018
SUMMER
CAREER
CAMPS
MACOMB COUNTY
OAKLAND UNIVERSITY
HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONS
CAREER CAMP
July 9 – 12 or August 13 – 16
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CAREER CAMP
July 16 – 18
ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER
SCIENCE CAREER CAMP
July 30 – August 3
FOR HIGH SCHOOL TEENS (ages 14–18)
REGISTER TODAY
oakland.edu/careercamps | careercamps@oakland.edu
Oakland University’s highest priority in providing
exemplary academic, athletic and social programs
for youth is protecting the health, safety and welfare
of all participants. See oakland.edu/youth for
detailed information.

16. FOCUSEDFast-track degree completion at a professional’s pace
oakland.edu/macomb
Accelerated courses put Macomb County
resident Nakisha Scruggs on the fast
track to success, granting her more time
to spend with her daughter, Blake.
“As a single mother, working
full-time, any free time is a bonus.
I wanted to be an example to Blake
and show her that if you want
something bad enough and apply
yourself, you can do anything.”