This fall, Michigan Career Connect’s Concierge Career Search initiative reached new heights, connecting nearly 300 students with exciting opportunities across Michigan for Summer 2025 internships. Students from our 15 partner Colleges and Universities submitted their resumes, showcasing their diverse talents and aspirations. Our program’s personalized approach ensured that students were matched with internship experiences aligned with their career goals, setting the stage for meaningful professional growth.

Thank you to all the students, employers, and career services professionals who made this season a success. Together, we are creating pathways for the next generation of Michigan’s workforce. We can’t wait to see where this journey takes our talented students!

Last week, students from seven of MCC’s campuses registered to participate in our Virtual Executive-in-Residence session on Criminal Law! This one-hour Zoom event was led by Brian Lennon, an experienced federal prosecutor and criminal defense attorney. Mr. Lennon shared insights from his career, describing his roles and a typical day in the field, as well as answering students’ questions. Participants gave positive feedback, recognizing Mr. Lennon’s extensive knowledge, which helped them gain a deeper understanding of the profession and assess whether it could be a good fit for their future careers. 

This session is just one of the many opportunities Michigan Career Connect offers for students to network with industry professionals. By expanding learning beyond the classroom, the program gives students a chance to explore the practical, day-to-day realities of different career paths. Throughout the academic year, additional Virtual Executive-in-Residence sessions will be held each semester, covering a wide range of career fields. From law to sports management to graphic design, these sessions offer valuable insights into diverse industries. Stay tuned for announcements about upcoming sessions! 

MCC’s Concierge Career Connect program recently held a resume collection for Corewell Health.  In all, 49 students from seven of our MCA campuses submitted resumes, each eager to explore career pathways in digital health services.  This initiative, in collaboration with Corewell Health’s Digital Services Career Pathways Program, is a fantastic step for our students as they pursue opportunities in a dynamic enterprise environment.

Students were also able to take part in two valuable networking events hosted by Corewell Health, offering the chance to connect with hiring managers, learn about internship opportunities, and gain insights into working in a robust healthcare system.  These events held both in-person and virtually provided a unique platform for students to build connections, deepen their understanding of digital health careers, and prepare for impactful roles in the field.

Michigan Colleges Alliance (MCA) has partnered with the Bearcat Advantage to expand the Bearcat Advantage scholarship, providing more opportunities for Battle Creek Public Schools (BCPS) graduates and improving access to private higher education.  Beginning in the fall of 2024, BCPS graduates eligible to receive the Bearcat Advantage will qualify for scholarship funding to attend any of MCA’s fifteen member colleges and universities. 

Within this partnership, MCA aims to support a college-going culture and encourage relationships between students who are working hard to succeed and the vast resources of our academic network.  Our goal is to build college and career readiness for BCPS students. 

The Freshman Career Exploration Fair was held on October 9th at Battle Creek Central High School.  The fair’s goal is to provide students with hands-on, engaging activities to peak interest in a variety of career possibilities that exist in the Battle Creek area and beyond.  Jason Raddatz, Program Director of MCA’s Kalamazoo Math & Science Institute, taught 9th graders to fly Tello drones, while sharing a variety of STEM college majors that prepare students for careers in drone piloting.  Students were highly engaged, which speaks to the value of experiential learning, active participation, and problem solving in STEM specialties throughout the middle and high school years.

Through MCC’s Concierge Career Search program, seventy students from ten MCA-member campuses participated in a successful virtual recruiting event co-hosted with Gentex Corporation. This exclusive event provided students with the opportunity to learn more about Gentex and explore the company’s numerous internship positions. With 135 internships available across a range of departments, including software engineering, electrical engineering, quality engineering, supply chain, chemistry, accounting, marketing, and human resources, students were able to discover diverse career paths and interact with Gentex recruiters.

The event was a resounding success, with both students and Gentex representatives expressing enthusiasm about the future opportunities this partnership may bring.

Gentex Corporation is a global technology company specializing in producing high-tech electronics for the automotive, aerospace, and commercial industries. Known for its innovative products such as rearview mirrors and advanced driver-assistance systems, Gentex consistently pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in modern technology. With a commitment to growth and development, Gentex offers a dynamic environment for students to launch their careers through internships and beyond.

This summer and fall, three Aquinas College students – Cameron Moore, Kaitlyn Yonker and Carlota Arzabe Mecchia – are gaining invaluable experiences through the 2024 MCC Cooperative Learning Collaborative (CLC) Professional Development Program and making significant strides in their professional journeys. Dr. Katharina Häusler-Gross, Aquinas’ Associate Provost for Outreach and Engagement, is serving as the faculty director for the program, overseeing 24 student interns from the participating Michigan colleges and universities: Adrian, Albion, Alma, Aquinas, Calvin, Hope, Kalamazoo, Madonna and Siena Heights.

Students and faculty from Alma College are working with city of Alma Public Safety department staff to provide cardiovascular health testing and exercise training, in order to reduce risk of adverse events and improve job performance.

A team of three members of the Class of 2024 — Sarah Vanisacker, Brenden Coulter and Andrea Taghon — together with faculty advisor Alex Montoye, were rewarded for their efforts with a first-place finish in the Michigan Colleges Alliance 2024 Michigan Campus Community Challenge (MC-3). With the win, the students were awarded a $10,000 scholarship.

“It was a pleasant surprise for our project to be selected for the top award in the MC-3 competition,” said Montoye, associate professor and chair of the Integrative Physiology and Health Science (IPHS) department at Alma College. “We’re glad to see this achieve the twin goals of providing high-impact educational experiences for Alma College students while simultaneously identifying and addressing a need in our community.”

The Bearcat Blast summer program at Battle Creek Public Schools featured a three-day Spheros and Tello drone course, where 15 students learned about velocity, coding, and data analysis. The program, led by Michigan Colleges Alliance and the Kalamazoo Math and Science Institute, with students from Albion College, aimed to inspire students to explore STEM subjects while offering fun, hands-on learning experiences with robots and drones.

Earlier this year, Michigan Colleges Alliance and the Bearcat Advantage teamed up to include Michigan’s top 15 private colleges and universities in the Bearcat Advantage scholarship. Battle Creek Public Schools graduates who qualify for the Bearcat Advantage scholarship now have access to additional scholarship funds covering up to 100% of tuition and fees at MCA-member colleges and universities.