Multicultural Fair returning March 27 to Vistatech Center

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Marking its 20th year, the Multicultural Fair will feature music, dancing, food and more from countries around the world.

A celebration of the world’s cultures is returning to Schoolcraft College this month.

The 20th Annual Multicultural Fair returns to campus March 27 in the Vistatech Center. This international celebration will feature cultural displays from dozens of countries, as well as demonstrations, cuisine and so much more.

The Multicultural Fair, a celebration of the variety of cultures at Schoolcraft College, is a great way to travel the world without having to leave campus. The fair routinely attracts thousands of visitors, from students to community members.

“The Multicultural Fair is one of the signature events we put on each spring,” said Dr. Anna Maheshwari, a member of the Fair’s planning committee and Chair of the College’s English Department. “This event brings together so many wonderful cultures and we’re so excited to share it again with the community.”

Booths representing many countries such as Cambodia, Greece, Iran, Argentina and more will be on hand to share their cultures with visitors. Guests will also be offered a “passport” that can be stamped as visitors make their way through fair visiting country tables.

Performances will include dancers from The Philippines, the Mariachi Jalisco Band, the O’Hare Irish Step Dancers and more.

Several international food demonstrations will also take place in the brand-new Collaborative Learning Studio. Schoolcraft College’s decorated culinary arts student Sous Chefs will showcase foods from around the globe in the lab, including dishes from The Netherlands, Mexico and India.

The Fair is sponsored by the Schoolcraft College International Institute and the Student Activities Office. It is also supported by generous grants from the Liberal Arts and Science Office, as well as the Schoolcraft College Foundation.

The event is free and open to the public. It runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 27 in the DiPonio Room, located inside the renowned Vistatech Center.

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Author and Illustrator Geo Rutherford was a guest at Schoolcraft College March 11 during an event put on by The Center for Experiential Learning highlighting the publishing industry.

Nothing about Geo Rutherford’s path to publishing her book Spooky Lakes was ordinary.

The author and illustrator for Spooky Lakes, a book based on her viral TikTok and Instagram series highlighting fascinating tales of bodies of water across the globe, found success in a way most authors don’t: through their social media account.

“It’s a weird journey. You can’t replicate it very easily, I would say,” said Rutherford, who lives in Wisconsin. “It’s hard to get online and accidently become internet famous and have people reach out to you and then you illustrate a book even though you were really just a high school teacher and you don’t really know how you ended up here in the first place.

“It’s definitely a different approach for the whole thing.”

students reviewing booklet pages in print
Geo Rutherford, author and illustrator of Spooky Lakes, speaks to Schoolcraft College students during a workshop.

Rutherford was a guest at Schoolcraft College March 11 during an event put on by The Center for Experiential Learning. Taking part in a panel discussion on the exciting world of publishing, Rutherford joined several Schoolcraft College faculty members in discussing their experiences in publishing, including Art faculty member Paula Imirzian and English faculty members Brynne Barnes and Kiel Phegley.

Speaking to students in the Kehrl Auditorium inside the Vistatech Center during a panel hosted by Errin Stegich, the director of The Center for Experiential Learning, all four authors made it clear how different the publishing world can be from one author to the next.

Phegley, whose work includes several licensed titles for properties such as Sonic the Hedgehog, said it can take quite a while before an author’s work gets noticed. He spoke about some of his first attempts at getting published, which included flying to the East Coast for a meeting that just didn’t pan out.

“I flew to New Jersey to try to sell this book I had been writing in grad school and when I got there, I realized it was not you meeting with many people: they matched you with one person,” he said. “I sat across from the one person and I said, ‘Here’s the book I wrote, here’s my query letter,’ and she said, “Yeah, this isn’t really my thing.’ “I thought, ‘God in heaven, what am I doing here?’”

It wasn’t until Kegley returned to Michigan that he found a match for someone to publish with. A lunch with a local representative got him rolling and eventually led to a deal.

In addition to participating in a panel discussion, Rutherford also hosted a workshop in Imirzian’s illustration course.

Her book, Spooky Lakes, came out in 2024. It highlights the mysterious bodies of water throughout the world and the wonders that lie beneath the waves. The book stems from her viral online series “Spooky Lake Month,” a short-form video series highlighting a mysterious lake in under three minutes.

Rutherford plans on writing two additional books in her series that will come out in the coming years. She understands trends come and go and is just excited at the ride she’s on when it comes to publishing her series.

“I just see everything as an opportunity and I’ve been just I’m open for to just taking moments and opportunities where they come,” Rutherford said.

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This year’s conference will feature student presenters focusing on this year’s theme: Bridging Disciplines, Building Futures.

Schoolcraft College students will showcase the best ways to make a difference in their communities during the STEAM@Schoolcraft conference later this month.

This year’s event will feature student presenters focusing on this year’s theme: Bridging Disciplines, Building Futures. Students submitted proposals to present during the event, scheduled for March 21. The selected presenters will utilize the concepts of STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics – and demonstrate how the disciplines build on each other to have a societal and lasting impact. The annual student-led conference is a collaborative effort sponsored by the Center for Experiential Learning, Liberal Arts, and the Learning Support Services department.

Formerly known as STEAMz, the conference underwent a rebranding effort led by students in Christina Stansell-Weaver’s COMA 215: Introduction to Public Relations Fall 2024 class. In the spirit of being a student-led conference, Emily Bauman, Taylor Campbell, Sophia Jackson, Alexis Jaros, Katie Metovski, and Kelli Thorn collaborated to select the new STEAM@Schoolcraft name and this year’s theme.

Back for an encore, the STEAM@Schoolcraft Fellows panel will also highlight several students’ experiences as Schoolcraft Scholars and their plans post-graduation. Fellows participating include students Kaleb Aethyr, Maggie Jagielski and Sienna Lee. This panel will be moderated by Dr. Glenn Cerny, president of Schoolcraft College.

“STEAM@Schoolcraft is a wonderful experience for both our exhibitors and our guests each year,” said Stansell-Weaver, who serves as Communication Arts Faculty and STEAM@Schoolcraft Faculty Chair. “We’re excited to see what our students have to present and appreciate how this conference brings the campus community together.”

Along with Stansell-Weaver, Elizabeth Kenney, Director of Libraries & Learning Support Services, and Errin Stegich, Manager of the Center for Experiential Learning, co-lead this effort. This annual event is a successful cross-functional collective of faculty, staff, and leadership that facilitates this student-centered conference.

Scholarships and awards for the conference are made possible by the Center for Experiential Learning, Mellon Foundation University of Michigan Transfer Bridges, The Garritano Family Fund, The Schoolcraft College Foundation, Schoolcraft College President’s Award, Chief Academic Officer, and the Liberal Arts and Sciences Department.

The conference takes place 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 21 in the McDowell Student Center at Schoolcraft College. Register to attend the conference here. Registration is free and open to all students, staff, faculty and community members. Seating is limited and registration is required.

More information can be found at on the STEAM website.

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The partnership between Schoolcraft College and Wayne State University provides students with a seamless pathway to transfer up to three years’ worth of credits from Schoolcraft toward a bachelor’s degree.

The brand-new Michigan Community College Guarantee opens a whole new pathway for Schoolcraft College students seeking to transfer to Wayne State University for their bachelor’s degree.

The partnership between Schoolcraft College and Wayne State University provides students with a seamless pathway to transfer up to three years’ worth of credits from Schoolcraft toward a bachelor’s degree. This collaboration not only offers significant cost savings but also includes the added benefit of the Community College Guarantee, making it an even more attractive option. Students can save both time and money while benefiting from dedicated support and advising to help them achieve their academic and career goals. Add the fact that students can also take several Wayne State University classes right on Schoolcraft College’s campus makes this partnership between the two institutions more valuable than ever.

Students not receiving a Pell Grant taking 15 credits/semester their first two years can have their tuition and fees – which total more than $5,200/year at current rates – completely covered by the state under the new Community College Guarantee. That program covers in-district tuition and fees for recent high school graduates at their local community college.

Once students complete an associate degree or their Michigan Transfer Agreement endorsement, several Wayne State programs allow students to continue taking courses at Schoolcraft College before transferring. If students can remain at Schoolcraft College, they can continue applying the Community College Guarantee, allowing them to remain taking classes under the program.

“Never has there been a better time for students seeking a bachelor’s degree from Wayne State University through the transfer pathway via Schoolcraft College. With the funds from the State of Michigan available at various points during their academic career, our students are truly set up for success,” said Lisa Brooker, Director of Financial Aid for Schoolcraft College. “With our strong partnership, students can even take Wayne State classes right here on our campus.”

Once students transfer to Wayne State, they can apply for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, which provides up to $5,500 towards tuition. Furthermore, students may be eligible for a Wayne State merit scholarship, which can further improve affordability. Overall, non-Pell Grant students can save more than $21,000 over four years by taking advantage of the transfer pathway to Wayne State.

Students eligible for Pell Grants can save even more: students can receive refunds from their Pell Grant during each of their first two semesters while they earn an associate degree, as well as an additional $1,000 as a part of the Community College Guarantee. Some types of aid, including Pell Grants, will only pay for courses in a student’s current academic program. The Community College Guarantee will allow students to take other courses that will transfer and apply toward a bachelor’s degree.

From there, students can utilize the Community College Guarantee and Michigan Achievement Scholarship for their third and four years.

“We have valued our partnership with Schoolcraft College over the years. Having students take classes in Livonia and making it as easy as possible to transfer to earn their bachelor’s degree is an important relationship between our two institutions,” said Charles Cotton III, Ed.D., Vice Provost of Enrollment Management for Wayne State. “We look forward to seeing students explore their options with these new opportunities and continue their education here at Wayne State University.”

For more information on the Schoolcraft-Wayne State partnership and transfer opportunities, visit https://wayne.edu/transfer/community-college/schoolcraft.

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Students can now visit the Career Mentorship and Placement office at Schoolcraft College to get an advantage in reaching their career goals.

Looking for an advantage when it comes to achieving career goals? Schoolcraft College has a new office to help.

Students can now visit the Career Mentorship and Placement office at Schoolcraft College to get an advantage in reaching their career goals. The new Career Mentorship and Placement office opened last summer in the Jeffress Center, With the aim of helping students meet lifelong economic goals, the office provides individualized support for resumes, cover letters, interview prep, mentorship, and job placement.

This office has the following services available for students:

By appointment support: Current students, past students, and alumni can meet with the Career Success Navigator for support with their resume, cover letters, interview prep, and job search strategies.

Drop-in career support: This is a brand-new initiative where student mentors provide current students support with getting started on a resume, cover letter, interview prep, and crafting their LinkedIn profile. Career Success Mentors are trained every semester to be aware of career success tips and strategies.

Internship preparation: Students at the Livonia campus seeking internship can make an appointment to gain support and guidance through the process, including resume, cover letter review, interview tips, guidance on workplace best practices, and referrals to resources.

Industry-specific speaker series and events: The office hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including industry– specific job fairs, networking events, speaker series, and collaborative seminars available to all students.

Professional mentorship program: The College2Career Professional Mentorship Program is an inaugural program at Schoolcraft College that pairs students aspiring to enter various career fields with campus leadership, staff and faculty to receive personalized mentorship towards their goals. Mentors are highly- experienced professionals who work at Schoolcraft College in various offices.

Job board access: Employers and students have access and connections with each other through the college’s college central network job board. This job board allows employers to post openings on the college’s portal to gain interest from students.

Additional programs and services will be announced throughout the upcoming year.

“We are beyond excited to continue tried-and-true career programming while launching exciting new ventures in the Career Mentorship and Placement office,” said Sharon Christian, Director of Workforce Mentorship and Placement. “Our office is strategically positioned to focus on our students’ ‘meeting their personal economic goal’s and we look forward to making ongoing efforts to help students succeed.”

The office is generally open from 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Specific services may have varied hours. Contact the Career Mentorship and Placement office at [email protected] or visit schoolcraft.edu/careeradvantage.

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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.