Black History Month profile: Sgt. Kevin Edmonds

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Sgt. Kevin Edmonds, a member of the Schoolcraft College Police Department, has been with the department since 2014.

To celebrate Black History Month, Schoolcraft College will highlight the stories of Black students, faculty, staff and administrators and what Black History Month means to them. Check back every week this month for stories on the Black experience here at Schoolcraft College.

Sgt. Kevin Edmonds is proof that it is never too late to accomplish your dreams.

A member of the Schoolcraft College Police Department since 2014, Edmonds took the long road to earning his higher education degrees. He completed his bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University in 2022, 24 years after first starting college. That experience reflects the similar path his mother took: following a divorce when Edmonds was 12, his mother went back to school and earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in her 40s.

“Little did I know I would follow my mother’s education path,” he said. “I completed my bachelor’s degree after almost 24 years in 2022, taking a class here and there.”

Throughout his adult life, Edmonds has followed an artistic quote that helps him guide his path: “Erase yesterday, draw today, and sketch tomorrow.” He’s worked to be the best person he can be to defy the stereotypes drawn by society as an African-American man, as well as husband and father. When not spending time interacting with students and the Schoolcraft College community as a police sergeant, Edmonds can be found enjoying hobbies such as golf, fishing, hunting and traveling.

Like his mother when he was growing up, Edmonds wasn’t content with just his bachelor’s degree. Edmonds recently graduated with his master’s degree from Liberty University this past fall, earning a graduate credential at 60.

“Following my mother’s lead, I learned the meaning of never say never, and that you’re never too old to pursue your dreams and goals,” he said. “I hope my educational journey inspires other young people to never give up!”

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Hundreds of Schoolcraft College students who have completed the necessary requirement for their degrees will be recognized during the 60th Annual Commencement May 3.

It’s almost time to honor our graduates.

Schoolcraft College will celebrate its 60th Annual Commencement at 1 p.m. May 3 at the TrinityElite Sports Center on the Livonia campus. This ceremony is a time to honor and recognize those candidates and graduates who will receive degrees from the College.

“If there’s one event that is truly what we’re all about here at Schoolcraft College, it’s Commencement,” said Dr. Glenn Cerny, president of Schoolcraft College. “Our students have worked incredibly hard to earn their degree and Commencement is a time to honor them and their achievements. I look forward to shaking their hand on stage this spring.”

Doors open at noon for Commencement, where hundreds of candidates and graduates will walk and receive recognition for their achievements during the annual ceremony. To best prepare, students who have met graduation requirements or are expected to meet their graduation requirements soon can apply for graduation through the College’s online portal, Ocelot Access. Those students who are unsure of whether they qualify to walk at Commencement can speak to an academic advisor.

The last day for students to apply for graduation and have their name in the commemorative Commencement booklet is April 17. Students can still apply for graduation after that date, but their names will not be included in the booklet.

Those eligible to walk at Commencement can attend the College’s Grad Fair at the Campus Bookstore this spring to order and pick up caps and gowns. The Grad Fair will take place at the following times:

  • 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 23
  • Noon to 6 p.m. April 24

Those walking will receive four tickets for family and friends to attend. The ceremony will also be livestreamed on the College’s YouTube channel. Prior to the ceremony, photo opportunities with Ozzy, the College’s ocelot mascot, will be available, as well as other activities to celebrate the day.

The College is currently seeking a student to speak at the ceremony. Those interested in applying can do so by visiting the Commencement page of the College’s website. Student speaker applications are due March 14.

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Elvis Veliu, the president of the Phi Theta Kappa chapter at Schoolcraft College, was one of six students to receive the honor. Veliu will receive the honor during a conference later this spring.

A Schoolcraft College student has been awarded a prestigious honor given to just a handful of students across the country.

Elvis Veliu, the president of the College’s Omicron Iota chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, was awarded Campus Compact’s Student Leadership Award, which recognizes undergraduate and graduate students who demonstrate inspiring leadership qualities through civic and community engagement.

Recipients of the Student Leadership Awards are selected based on their leadership and community impact, their ability to overcome adversity, their commitment to learning and deep engagement with communities, and their support from campus and community partners.

“Elvis’s quiet confidence and determination as the president of the Omicron Iota chapter had earned him the respect of his peers, instructors, and advisors,” said nominator Todd Stowell, advisor for Phi Theta Kappa and director of the Student Activities Office, in a letter nominating Veliu for the award. “Schoolcraft College was fortunate to have a leader of Elvis’s caliber and seemingly unending energy to help provide encouragement and direction to Phi Theta Kappa members and the community at large.”

Veliu is one of six undergraduate and graduate students in the nation — and one of just two community college students – to receive this award.

The Student Leadership Award is presented as part of Campus Compact’s Impact Awards, which recognizes shining examples of meaningful, impactful higher education civic and community engagement work.

The recipients of these awards will be recognized at Compact25, Campus Compact’s annual conference, which will be held March 31 to April 2 in Atlanta.

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Students in Steve Donovan’s supply chain management course worked closely with representatives from Zaman International to assist their efforts and help their operations run more smoothly.

Steve Donovan made a substantial change to his syllabus to his supply chain management course just weeks before the Fall semester began. That change turned out to be an effective one, forever impacting his students and a local community organization.

A conversation with Jessica Worden, who oversees Service Learning here at Schoolcraft College, made him familiar with Zaman International, a nonprofit based in Inkster that helps break the cycle of poverty through evolving education, workforce development and employment programs. Worden told Donovan the organization may benefit from the work of his students through a Service Learning project.

After taking a tour and seeing the facility, Donovan agreed.

“It didn’t take me long to realize that there’s a lot of things that need to be fixed,” he said. “They’ve expanded in a lot of different areas and our students were excited to work with them.”

Throughout the Fall semester, Donovan’s students used Zaman International as a case study, making visits to their warehouse and studying the methods it keeps organized, such as how to help them intake and catalog their materials.

Zaman International began in 1996 when the organization’s founder, Najah Bazzy, was providing care to a terminally-ill infant. The organization works predominantly with women and children, especially refugees. The organization has several divisions, including workforce development programs. It also provides necessities for families as well, such as food and clothing. Since its beginning, Zaman International has assisted more than 3 million people worldwide.  

Donovan pitched the concept to his class at the beginning of the semester, receiving cautious optimism from his class. Once the students heard directly from representatives from Zaman International, a light bulb went off in their heads, Donovan said.

“That hit the mark. That got the wheels turning and got the students thinking, ‘I can help them,’” Donovan said.

A fruitful relationship

Students studied the ways the organization did business, including making a trip to their warehouse to see firsthand how they operated.  

“Working with Zaman International this past semester was an insightful and rewarding experience. It allowed me to apply theoretical knowledge from supply chain management in a real-world nonprofit setting,” said Mohammed Kassak, a student in the class. “The opportunity to collaborate with an organization that focuses on empowering women and children while improving operational efficiencies was both meaningful and challenging. It was also a great chance to observe how nonprofits operate differently from for-profit businesses, particularly in their focus on social impact alongside financial sustainability.”

The culmination of a semester-long project resulted in a presentation made on ways to improve supply chain issues to Zaman International officials.

Connecting the students with the nonprofit was an effective use of Service Learning, Worden said.

“I think this is a great project,” she said.  “The part that I am really excited to see is the student engagement levels that are going on.”

Representatives from Zaman said they hope to utilize some of the recommendations from the students in the future.

“Zaman was a great choice for the class’s projects because we have experienced rapid growth in recent years, from which many new programs and activities that engage various supply chains have arisen,” said Carly Slank, associate director of communications for Zaman. “Schoolcraft students were able to bring a fresh perspective to operations that have been expanded and overlaid across our existing programs over the years.”

Slank said such an example was reimagining the space dedicated for sewing, as well as the organization’s Good Deeds Resale Shop point of sale system.

Florence Burns, a student who gave feedback on the sewing space, said she appreciated how her interactions with Zaman leadership went during the semester.

“Their feedback was appreciative and positive and the fact we did a case study for them. We did ours on the Stitch Lab and they were impressed with the ideas we came up with in our presentation with how to control the waste and inventory control management,” she said. “Some of our ideas they think can be used immediately.”

Donovan said the pivot to working with Zaman International was a worthwhile endeavor this past semester, one he hopes continues in the future.  

“I’ve never worked with a nonprofit organization previously. This is all new to me,” he said. “It was a great enhancement. I’m always open to modifying things and changing things.”

The relationship proved fruitful for Zaman as well, an experience Slank said they were happy to help facilitate.

“For some students, it may have been their first time working in a real-world setting where they could see the practical implications and limitations of what they’ve learned in their studies,” Slank said. “The constraints of real day-to-day operations with all of the complications of an organization’s historical operations, staffing, and budget are things that don’t easily translate into classroom learning, and using Zaman in this project gave them practice considering those factors when problem-solving. “Zaman is incredibly grateful for the work that Schoolcraft students completed last semester to help us improve our operations. As an organization with over 500 active community partners each year, we place great value in the contributions and support of each of our partners.”

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Meet Alexis, an Honors Scholar student who hopes to join the medical field after completing school.

To celebrate Black History Month, Schoolcraft College will highlight the stories of Black students, faculty, staff and administrators and what Black History Month means to them. Check back every week this month for stories on the Black experience here at Schoolcraft College.

Alexis Aguwa isn’t afraid to share her Nigerian heritage.

Aguwa, an Honors Scholars student and laboratory assistant at Schoolcraft College, said her culture is her pride, identity and what defines her.

“To be an unapologetically black emerging scholar here at Schoolcraft College means a lot to me. It’s like spreading and expressing my culture out to the world. The world must know my culture because as a Nigerian anywhere I go, I find people just like me who know their roots and who they truly are.”

She credits her mother as one of her most influential voices in her life. She said her mother has helped her to be able to express herself authentically without shame and no regret toward her culture.

The drive Aguwa has to succeed – she plans on earning her associate degree in nursing before earning a BSN and eventually become a doctor – is best summarized in one of her favorite quotes, which comes from Theodore Roosevelt: “Nothing in this world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty. No kind of life is worth leading if it is always an easy life.”

Aguwa desires to help those in need after seeing the great care given to her father during his battle with cancer.

“I want to take care of others and treat patients who are in critical conditions, bringing back hope and putting a smile on their faces the same may the medical team did for my father,” she said.

In addition to listening to music, dancing and watching her favorite football club (Real Madrid), Aguwa includes studying as one of her favorite hobbies. “My community college experience has helped shaped me in becoming the person that I am today,” she said.

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The acknowledgement reiterates that Schoolcraft College rests on land that was the ancestral territory of several Native American tribes.

Schoolcraft College has recently approved a new land acknowledgement that recognizes that indigenous peoples originally occupied the land the College currently sits on.

The acknowledgement, approved by the Board of Trustees at its Jan. 29 meeting, states the land the College occupies was the ancestral territory of the several Native American tribes and recognizes them as the original owners. 

The land acknowledgement reads as follows:

“At Schoolcraft College, we stand together to honor the past, embrace the present and cultivate a brighter future. We acknowledge that the land in which the College occupies is the ancestral territory of the Potawatomi Tribes, Indian Nations, and all Anishinaabeg – Three Fires Confederacy, including Ojibwe and Odawa peoples. In particular, Schoolcraft College resides on the land that was ceded to the United States government in the Treaty of Detroit of 1807.”

The land acknowledgement serves as a formal statement to recognize the history of the land and the relationship it holds with indigenous peoples. The statement will be listed on the Schoolcraft College website, as well as on a plaque that will be placed on campus later this year.

The decision to acknowledge the Native peoples that originally occupied the nearby lands follows traditions at other institutions of higher education to observe this region’s history.

“Part of being a respectful member of the community is recognizing where we come from and what was here before us,” said Dr. Glenn Cerny, President of Schoolcraft College. “This land acknowledgement shows our community we are working to better understand our history and the people that lived here before us.”

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A party is scheduled to take place to mark the first birthday of the five comfort dogs on campus, as well as celebrate the completion of their training.

It is time to have a big, pup-tacular celebration for Schoolcraft College’s comfort dogs.

The dogs, known as the Campus Comfort Companions, have spent the last several months getting acclimated on campus since their arrival last spring. From visiting classrooms to attending events, the dogs have become an integral part of the Schoolcraft College community. 

Now, the five dogs will mark not only a birthday, but another major milestone: completion of their training. All of them recently finished Comfort Companion training, which is the last piece of major training they need to complete. All the dogs are now Certified Comfort Companions.

To help mark this “pawsome” occasion, the College will hold a birthday party for the Campus Comfort Companions later this month. Guests can visit the dogs during their party beginning at noon Jan. 29 in the Wilson Room of the Vistatech Center. Guests are invited to come and enjoy a cupcake and take photos with the dogs. All five dogs, along with their handlers from the Schoolcraft College Police Department, will be in attendance.

Join the paw-ty on January 29 from 12-2:00 at Vistatech

The five dogs – Scout, Copper, Mocha, Starla and Teddy – were all born between late January and early February last year in Canada. They received initial training after birth and arrived on campus a last spring. Since then, the dogs have worked to become more integrated on campus, attending events and meeting students and employees.

“The Campus Comfort Companions have become such an important part of the Schoolcraft College community since they arrived. Seeing faces light up when they see one of the dogs in our buildings has been so rewarding and we’re so glad the campus community has embraced these wonderful dogs,” said Mark Engstrom, Schoolcraft College Police Chief and handler for Scout. “Their mission of helping reduce stress and improve mental health is critical and they serve an important role here on campus.”

The Campus Comfort Companions program is made possible through the generosity of the Schoolcraft College Foundation. Fulfilling part of the College’s Strategic Plan, these dogs will continue to connect not just with the campus but with the greater community as well.

To keep tabs on the dogs and all their adventures, be sure to follow the Campus Comfort Companions on Instagram @sc_pups.

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The first class of surgical tech graduates were recently recognized for their work in the program.

Marie Nielsen hadn’t even heard of being a surgical technologist when she first took classes at Schoolcraft College. But now, after two years of studying, she’s ready to join five of her classmates as the first graduates of the health care program.

The first class of surgical tech graduates were recognized Dec. 12 during a pinning ceremony held in the DiPonio Room inside the Vistatech Center. The pinning marks the end of coursework for the students, who became the inaugural students in the program back in 2022.

Nielsen said she first began in the nursing program at the College. She later learned about the surgical technology program and decided to make a change.

“This just sounded more interesting to me,” she said.

The Surgical Tech program provides students with the opportunity to learn the skills to become a surgical technologist. Those roles are responsible for assisting surgeons in operating rooms before, during and after surgery. Students in the program who complete all requirements earn the Surgical Technology Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree.

Throughout the program, students learn how to properly identify current instruments needed during an operation, a crucial skill in a field that has thousands of different tools. Being able to learn in the skills needed in a state-of-the-art Health Sciences Center – a building that has two operating rooms for students to learn in – has properly prepared students for their clinicals.

Students spent several hundred hours working their clinicals, getting real-life experiences in health care facilities operated by providers such as Trinity Health and Corewell Health. Those hundreds of hours help get the students prepared for a career after graduation, with many of them having work already lined up once their studies wrap.

With their pinning ceremony complete, the students now turn their focus to studying for the national Certified Surgical Technology exam to earn their credential. That is expected to take place sometime in early 2025.

Surgical technologists are needed in the health care field: the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics states the field is growing at a faster-than-expected rate of 6%. Schoolcraft College students are well-prepared to enter the job market, thanks to the in-depth training, number of clinical hours and state-of-the-art facilities students are taught in during their academic career.

“There’s no better place for our Surgical Tech students to learn the skills they need than right here at Schoolcraft College. With two fully-functional operating rooms and many of the instruments used by surgeons, our students learn what they need to know in order to be successful as soon as they begin working,” said Mary Jo Nowicki, the program’s director who helped develop the curriculum. “Health care providers can be confident in hiring Schoolcraft graduates because of the extensive preparation our students receive during their time here.”

Those looking to enroll in Schoolcraft College’s Surgical Tech program can learn more by visiting schoolcraft.edu.

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Anita Süess Kaushik, an instructor in World Languages, recently earned a rare distinction: she became a member of the International Association of Hyperpolyglots, a group made up of members that speak at least six languages.  

Walk into Dr. Anita Süess Kaushik’s office and it transfers you across the globe. That feeling continues as soon as she begins to chat with you in one of the eight languages she speaks.

Dr. Süess (as many of her students call her because of the identical-sounding children author), a full-time instructor who teaches in the World Languages Department, recently added a new honor to her list of accomplishments: she has become a member of HYPIA, the International Association of Hyperpolyglots; an organization celebrating those who can speak six languages or more.

For Süess Kaushik, spending time learning the languages is just as enjoyable as speaking in them.

“The most important thing is joy. If you force yourself, and your interest in the target language is not that strong, then the path towards fluency will be difficult,” she said. “As far as I am concerned, I have always loved the journey as much as the end result.”

The eight languages Süess Kaushik is fluent in include: Swiss-German, standard German, French, English, Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Hindi.

Dr. Süess, a native of Switzerland, grew up speaking Swiss-German at home. She was a voracious reader, a passion that led to her interest in other cultures, and by extension, languages. After getting her undergrad degree in Switzerland, she moved to Paris to earn her master’s at the Sorbonne. She came to the United States in 1988 for a teaching assistant position at the University of Cincinnati, expecting to only stay one year before heading back to Europe.

That changed on the connecting flight she took from New York to Ohio: she met a man from India who became her husband two years later. Discussing where they would live, they decided on staying in the U.S. and completing their doctorates together at the University of Cincinnati.

Hindi is the most-recent language she has been studying, because she wanted to converse with her husband in his native tongue and be able to easily communicate when traveling in India.  

“So, exactly two years ago, I decided that the moment was right for this new and challenging language, being empty-nesters and all, and I have pretty much dedicated my life to it since then,” she said. “If I’m not working, I’m studying Hindi. I gave up Netflix and reading and reduced other hobbies too to find the necessary time.”

Now that Süess Kaushik is “fluent-ish” in Hindi, it’s become the default language spoken in her household. 

“I know enough now to easily converse with my husband and it’s a miracle that after 35 years of speaking English together, we were able to switch the language,” she said.

Besides acquiring languages as an autodidact, Süess Kaushik has founded or co-founded several conversation or polyglot groups where enthusiasts meet, both in-person and online, to chat and at the same time expand, practice, and maintain their various languages.

The HYPIA membership is a rarity for a faculty member here at the College, said Dr. Michele Kelly, the dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She believes Süess Kaushik is the lone faculty member to earn such a distinction.

A passion for teaching

After UC, Süess Kaushik has worked at universities in Connecticut and Michigan and was hired at Schoolcraft College in 2006. She has taught several languages throughout her career, including French, Spanish, German and Italian. The passion for teaching has kept her in the classroom for all these years.

She has always had a wonderful connection to her students, she said.

“I bring a lot of energy to the table, but it always gets replenished by their enthusiasm, interest and active participation,” she said.

It’s something she’s going to need to find a replacement for: “Dr. Süess” will retire from her full-time role in the World Languages Department later this month.

“Having someone like Anita teaching our students is incredibly valuable. We’ve been so fortunate to have her here at Schoolcraft College,” Kelly said. “To have her become a member of the International Association of Hyperpolyglots is an incredible testament to her dedication and passion.  We will miss her dearly as she prepares for her retirement.”

While Süess Kaushik is departing from the classroom, she’s not saying goodbye completely to the College. She’s been leading annual world travel trips since 2006 and will continue organizing them for the foreseeable future, including the May 2025 trip to Spain, Portugal and Morocco (itinerary and signup can be found online). This tour is open to Schoolcraft College students, faculty, staff, as well as community members. She is also planning on teaching an occasional course at SC to stay connected to her field.

Despite knowing eight languages, Süess Kaushik is ready for a new challenge and plans on adding Catalan to her list, a Romance language spoken in Spain, France, Italy and Andorra. Her son recently married a young woman native from Barcelona. Last year, they all spent Christmas together with her daughter-in-law’s family in Spain and they issued this playful ultimatum: “Okay, Anita, next time we see each other, you better be fluent in Catalan too.”

“How fun — I’ll do my best!” was her response.

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“Detroit: The City of Chefs,” a documentary film made by Keith Famie, explores metro Detroit’s culinary scene, including the educational component taught at institutions such as Schoolcraft College.

A documentary highlighting some of the best chefs in metro Detroit comes with a side of Schoolcraft College.

“Detroit: The City of Chefs,” a film created by legendary local cinematographer Keith Famie, tells the story of the region’s culinary heritage. With a whole host of auto executives traveling to the city beginning in the 1960s, the region’s food scene ramped up and saw influence from chefs from across the world.

Playing a major role in this story is Schoolcraft College, a community college located in Livonia, Michigan, with its world-renowned culinary arts program. Several chefs – including alumni and instructors – are featured in the film, sharing stories and how the school impacted the culinary arts in Detroit.

“It’s an honor to have the Schoolcraft College Culinary Arts recognized for the role it’s played in growing Detroit’s culinary tradition,” said Chef Chris Misiak, CCE, CEC, the program coordinator for Culinary Arts. “Our program has educated many of the region’s best chefs and we were pleased to work with Keith in helping tell this incredible story.”

chef demonstrating how to whisk
Chief Jeffrey Gabriel, CMC, creates some audio using chef’s tools in the Schoolcraft College recording studio. The sounds were used as a part of the documentary film “Detroit: The City of Chefs.”

In addition to chefs being featured in interviews, Schoolcraft College’s top-of-the-line facilities are featured heavily in the film, including in the film’s opening sequence. The College’s kitchens serve as the backdrop for the opening credits, where several stop-motion figurines come to life and become animated after a group of Schoolcraft College chefs wrap up constructing a cake for the evening.

This opening was animated by students at the College of Creative Students, with several sound recordings created using chef’s tools in Schoolcraft College’s sound recording studio. The College’s new Collaborative Learning Studio, a one-of-a-kind demonstration kitchen that opened in 2023 after a massive renovation of the Vistatech Center, is also used throughout the film, as well as the College’s kitchens.

Famie made multiple trips to the College, getting to know the chefs and the way culinary arts students are educated.

“Schoolcraft College has been wonderful to work with the last several months as we create this love letter to Detroit’s culinary arts history,” Famie said. “There’s no question that the food scene we have in Detroit today can be attributed to the wonderful education many chefs received at Schoolcraft. It’s been a pleasure to get to see the campus and incorporate it into this film.”

“Detroit: The City of Chefs” premieres Dec. 9 at Emagine Theatre in Novi. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the theater’s website, emagine-entertainment.com. More information about the film can be found at detroitcityofchefs.com.

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The celebration of anime, manga and plenty more will return Dec. 7 to the Vistatech Center.

The world of anime returns to Schoolcraft College this weekend.

Otaku U anime convention returns Dec. 7 for its third year of celebrating all things anime, manga, video games and more.

The convention, put on by the Schoolcraft College Otaku Anime Club and sponsored by RIW Hobbies & Games, will have activities and event for all ages, including:

  • A vendor hall filled with local vendors and artists
  • Anime AMV viewings
  • Asian cuisine food demo
  • A cosplay contest
  • An array of panels
  • Tabletop gaming area hosted by RIW Hobbies & Games
  • Name that anime team trivia
  • New This Year: The Ribbon Game and in the evening an Underground Dance Party featuring DJ Kuuma and DJ Retcon from Slashsound LLC.

Special guests voice actors Tyson Rinehart, Aaron Campbell and Xanthe Huynh, known for their work on anime programs, will host panels and provide signatures to fans.

people walking around vendor tables
The third year of Otaku U is back at Schoolcraft College’s Vistatech Center, with vendors, activities and more taking place.

Otaku U is ran completely by students at Schoolcraft College, who aim to make the convention a destination for all those who love the world of anime.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming the community to our junior year of Otaku U. This incredible day is a wonderful celebration put on by our students that has become a mainstay on the anime convention calendar,” said Todd Stowell, director of the Student Activities Office at Schoolcraft College. “Between the activities, panel discussions, cosplay contest and more, we have something for everyone here at the third year of Otaku U.”

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Dec. 7 in the Vistatech Center on Schoolcraft College’s campus, located at 18600 Haggerty Road, Livonia, MI 48152. Advance tickets for those who are 11 and up can be purchased for $7 and $5 for those 10 and under at otakuu.org. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $10 per person.

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The app, SC Safe, has several tools available to keep those who visit campus safe.

Schoolcraft College has rolled out one more tool to keep students and visitors safe.

SC Safe is a new app available that provides several safety outlets for those on campus. The app provides a way to contact the Schoolcraft College Police Department, a full list of safety plans for various emergencies and even a way for friends to keep an eye out for those walking across campus.

The Friend Walk feature allows users to send their location to a contact of their choosing. The contact will then receive a link where they can track their friend’s movement in real-time, ensuring they make it to their destination safely. Once the user makes it to their destination, they can disconnect the session.

In addition to the safety features, the app allow users to connect with other resources, such as academic counseling, sexual assault help and mental health counseling. A set of maps of every campus, including the Public Safety Training Complex and the Manufacturing and Engineering Center, is also included.

“Having this app is a great tool to help everyone on campus feel safer,” said Mark Engstrom, Schoolcraft College Police Chief. “We’re excited to offer this app to our students, staff and guests and look forward to utilizing this new platform to keep the Schoolcraft College community better informed.” The free app is available for both iOS and Android devices. It can be downloaded through the App Store and Google Play.