SMC Graduate Leaves Message for Future Roadrunners

Before he walks in Southwestern Michigan College’s 57th Commencement May 4, Nick Sandoval Jr. of Hartford wants to leave a message for other first-generation graduates who follow in his footsteps.

SMC’s Honors Program's ‘NoTED Talks’ Showcase Student Research

Southwestern Michigan College Honors Program’s NoTED Talks and Poster Presentation for the 2023-24 academic year took place April 23 in the Student Activity Center. Three projects presented on stage in the SAC theatre included Elena Alvarado’s ”Fairytale and Mythology in Young Adult: Cinder and Percy Jackson”; Winona Paul, “Using the Trigonometric Fourier Series to Analyze the Sounds Generated Through Simple Electrical Signals”; and Nick Weston, “The Physics of Running.”

Collage Concert Cements Surround-Sound with Fourth Focal Point

Southwestern Michigan College’s April 25 Spring Collage Concert famously unspools musical selections seamlessy from center stage to wings on each side sans applause until the finale, when swirling spotlights bathe the audience belting out SMC’s fight song in green.

Shawn Rawson Trades Jerdon Hall, SAC for U-M Area Maintenance Coordination

Dowagiac’s Shawn Rawson said goodbye to Thomas F. Jerdon Hall and the Student Activities Center in 2016 for the Big 10. He went from Southwestern Michigan College to Michigan State University, then the Ann Arbor resident joined the University of Michigan, where he is one of three Area Maintenance Coordinators. A highlight last summer was his first “crane lift.”

Michigan Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments at SMC

Michigan Supreme Court justices brought the 29th Court Community Connections Program to Southwestern Michigan College April 24 along with the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and Cass County courts. The program, launched in 2007, aims to provide high school students with a profound understanding of Michigan’s judicial system and appellate courts.

SMC Partners with GVSU Omni to Offer Bachelor's Degree Options

Southwestern Michigan College has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Grand Valley State University to offer bachelor-level classes and degree options on the Dowagiac campus. Starting with the Fall 2024 semester, students will be able to register for face-to-face or hybrid formats, providing more personal interaction than fully-online degrees typically offer.

Locke Roschyk to Study in Germany for a Year

Last April, Locke Roschyk became the third person in his Granger family awarded Southwestern Michigan College’s Math/Science Department’s Appreciation Award. Brother Creed won in 2021, sister Anaya in 2019. She went on to be SMC’s only virtual graduation speaker at the height of the pandemic in 2020.

SMC Jazz Ensemble Playing with Count Basie's Trombonist

Dennis Wilson was in the house April 18, polishing three hours nonstop into the evening with Southwestern Michigan College’s Jazz Ensemble for their collaboration April 27 during the 20th annual Thornapple Arts Council Jazz Festival. Wilson will lead SMC’s band on a few tunes and solo in Hastings. His gravitas enveloped the theatre in the Dale A. Lyons Building with authenticity, especially when he grabbed his trombone to rip off a solo for the rapt young musicians.

Pandemic Redirects Preston into Medical Assisting

At 52, Laura Preston of Niles pivoted from careers with retail giants such as Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue and creative director for an Ohio vitamin company’s five-member marketing team to Southwestern Michigan College’s medical assistant certificate program.

SMC Student Art Show Opens

Sashenka Cruz of Dowagiac and Cecilia Matthews of Edwardsburg received recognition April 16 at Southwestern Michigan College’s annual student art show in the Art Gallery of the Dale A. Lyons Building. Cruz won the popular vote for the Peer Award. This is her first full year as a college student after starting at SMC while still attending Union High School.