Meet Our Alumni

Macomb Community College

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Erin Weimann

March 9, 2022 by Macomb Community College

California’s Disneyland has long been billed as the Happiest Place on Earth, but after two internships and two years of seasonal work at Disney World in Florida, Erin Weimann found it to be a universal theme in the Disney enterprise.

“It was the experience I kept going back for and all the friends I made,” reflects Weimann. “We have stood up in each other’s weddings and watched our kids grow up.”

There would be another internship that would figure heavily into Weimann’s career, but it wouldn’t occur until after she clocked 10 years in as an emergency medical technician and paramedic. She completed her training for both at Macomb and worked first for an ambulance company before joining a hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.

Something happier

“It was nice to see patients for a longer duration, rather than just picking them up, caring for them, then dropping them off,” relates Weimann. “I got to be alongside them for the beginning and sometimes end of their journey to recovery.”

But the work could be emotionally and physically depleting. Weimann, by then a single mom, was looking for a new challenge that would leave her with more smiles and energy to share with her daughter.

“I had loved what I was doing, but I wanted to do something happier,” says Weimann, “I wanted an environment where I could see people laugh and celebrate more.”

A planner by nature, Weimann’s memories of her work at Disney World drew her to Macomb’s Hospitality Management program in 2020.

“I wanted to experience large scale planning and execution of special occasions,” says Weimann. “I like being creative and problem solving where there are less critical outcomes if a mistake is made.”

“Leap of faith” pays off

Completion of the Hospitality Management program requires an internship. Wearied by the demands of hospital work during the pandemic, Weimann turned to Macomb’s Career Services for help in finding a paid one. They connected her with an internship in 2021 at the more than century-old Detroit Golf Club. After she completed it, Weimann was invited to stay on as full-time Catering and Special Events coordinator.

“It was the best leap of faith I’ve ever taken,” says Weimann.

In her current role, she oversees the service staff and serves as liaison with the culinary team for year-round events that include business luncheons, weddings, showers and the Professional Golfer’s Association (PGA) Tour that stops there every year. Although they didn’t teach her to golf, Weimann appreciates the “support and dedication to teaching” that characterized the faculty she encountered in all of her programs at Macomb.

“All have made an impact on me over the years,” she says. “I learned from each course I took.”

After a long weekend of events at the golf club, Weimann winds down by playing games with her “wonderful” five-year-old daughter and, in characteristic fashion, planning their next trip to the Sunshine State.

“I travel to Florida to visit friends” she says, but, of course, we visit Disney World!”

Charles Havern

January 3, 2022 by Macomb Community College

Charlie HavernDiscovering a new port of call

Charlie Havern thought he was sailing toward a career as a restaurant chef when he graduated from Macomb in 2019 with an associate degree in culinary arts and a lasting friendship with Professor Chef Scott O’Farrell. But a job cooking in the galley of a cruise ship with port of calls in the Hawaiian Islands sent him in a completely different direction.

“While out on the ship, I decided to join the fire team. I thought it would be a good way to get to know people,” relates Havern. “On my first day of training, I absolutely fell in love with it. It was like a spark went off and I knew what I was destined to do.”

Still, working on the cruise ship was an “amazing experience,” acknowledges Havern, who enjoyed swimming in the tropical waters and the smiling faces of passengers and crew. As he was returning from what would be his last cruise, however, COVID-19 was beginning to roll over the world like a tsunami in slow motion. Fearing he would be stranded in Hawaii indefinitely, Havern flew home to be with his close-knit family in Warren. He had already been researching fire academies while aboard ship and knew just what he wanted to do next.

From chef’s toque to firefighter’s helmet

“I was accepted into Macomb’s Fire Academy, which ran from March-May of 2021,” says Havern. “I have never pushed myself physically or mentally that hard, and I finished number two in my class. I owe a huge thank you to Dan Reynolds (Fire Academy instructor). He helps you succeed because he wants you to succeed.”

For his efforts, Havern was the first recipient of the Gerald B. Alward Scholarship for the Fire Academy, and he appreciates the chance he had to virtually meet the retired Washington Township fire chief who established it.

“Speaking to Chief Alward (who passed away in December) was a fantastic experience,” says Havern. “He had so much insight and I think that he saw a lot of him in me.”

“I love everything about this job.”

In September, Havern was hired as a firefighter/EMT with the Chesterfield Fire Department. He works 12-hour shifts, 7 am to 7 pm, and has already been handed the fire hose on the frontline of a building fire.

“The fires have burned hotter and darker that I expected. But, still, I come home and think to myself how much I enjoy this work. It’s such an adrenaline rush when you knock out a fire,” offers Havern. “But one of my favorite things is talking with the crew from the night before.”

And then, there’s his turn in the station’s kitchen, which seems to come up frequently.

“No problem with that, it’s like cooking for family,” says Havern, who has five younger and five older siblings. “I love everything about this job. It’s what I was born to do.”

Leah Crandall

November 11, 2021 by Macomb Community College

An adventurous spirit

She’s travelled to Bora Bora, hiked through the Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks, and rode in a one-day, 100-mile bicycle tour. Leah Crandall is always on the lookout for new adventures, but none will ever be as risky or as exciting as leaving behind a 20-year career and starting anew as her own boss.

“I always knew that I wanted to own my own business,” relates Crandall, who earned an associate degree in business from Macomb in 2012. “Michael Balsamo (dean of Business) inspired me greatly. He is a great listener and understands the business mindset. He has been a great mentor to me.”

Redefining success

Crandall’s inclusion in the million-dollar (sales) club was a proud moment in her career, but she had begun finding much more joy in exercise and nature. An off-the-cuff remark by her employer that she’d be more successful if she put as much energy into work as she did into working out proved to be the catalyst leading to her greatest adventure.
“That lit my fire,” recalls Crandall. “The very next day, I sent in my resignation.”

When Crandall received Macomb’s Workforce and Continuing Education (WCE) Schedule of Classes in the mail shortly thereafter, she found the perfect match to her new version of success: Certified Personal Fitness Trainer. She would learn about biomechanics, exercise physiology, fitness testing, equipment usage and health assessment in as little as nine weeks, allowing her to quickly transform what had been a hobby into a career. And the national exams for the certification credential were included in the fee. Crandall signed up.

“After completing the certification course (in 2018), I was so happy that I announced it on Facebook,” she says. “That led to a health mentor position with the St. Clair County Mental Health Department,” which involved prescribing healthy eating and workout plans to patients.

Now work isn’t “work”

In January 2020, Crandall took her career in yet another direction, opening an F45 Training studio in Rochester Hills followed by a second one in Shelby Township a year later. Part of an international franchise, the F stands for functional full-body workouts, while the 45 references the minutes spent, as Crandall puts it, “in heart pumping, sweat dripping fun.”

“It’s the best workout on the planet,” says Crandall, who practices what she preaches five to six days a week. “At 53, I feel great and the strongest that I have ever felt. I (need to be) to keep up with my grandchildren.”

Crandall also stays fit by taking walks with Sophie, her four-year-old Australian Labradoodle and “best friend,” kayaking and bicycling. The fact that her career is now an extension of all that gives her joy in life is not lost on her.

“I don’t even consider what I do work,” offers Crandall. “It’s more of a passion – to help everyone live a healthier lifestyle, especially during these crazy times.”

Lanna Brasure

September 8, 2021 by Macomb Community College

Pushing for a brighter future

If variety is the spice of life, Lanna Brasure’s spice racks should, by all accounts, be overflowing.

The St. Clair County native, who now lives in downtown Detroit and is a software engineer at Little Caesars, has enjoyed more hobbies and careers than most people do in a lifetime. Perhaps this is due to her drive to reject complacency and reach for the stars.

“There have been times in my life where I could have given up,” notes Brasure. “But I kept pushing forward and striving for better.”

Included in her list of favorite pastimes, Brasure enjoys traveling the world, reading, writing and many activities, including “aerial and pole acrobatics, climbing, hiking, boxing” as well as “singing, dancing, cooking and baking.” Oh, yeah. She also enjoys helping others learn how to code.

Who is the imposter among us?

Brasure also takes great pride in teaching hundreds of people coding with varying degrees of complexity while maintaining her own YouTube and Instagram channels.

“Helping strangers and friends with imposter syndrome. Helping others understand that they can code,” adds Brasure. “This is a skill that can be learned like anything else. To be able to show people the potential I see in them that they may not see in themselves.”

Home sweet Macomb

First majoring in culinary arts at Macomb, Brasure changed her major to production baking. At the time, she was employed as a line cook, and realized the pay and hours involved didn’t align with her career goals.

She would then switch gears three more times: first to psychology, then business. After a great deal of research and self-reflection, she decided upon computer science.

“After my first coding class in college, I went to my car,” continues Brasure, “called my boyfriend at the time, and told him how happy and proud I was of myself that I had finally found what I was supposed to be doing.”

Brasure graduated from Macomb with Associate of Arts in General Studies and Associate of Applied Science in Information Technology – Programming degrees, and also participated in a coding bootcamp through Grand Circus.

She credits Macomb for teaching her the “foundational knowledge” and “soft skills” necessary to be successful in her career.

“I loved going to school [at Macomb],” says Brasure. “I’m happy with Macomb as my choice.”

Having worn many different hats in her career, Brasure credits Macomb’s Career Services team with helping her pave the path to do what she loves.

“Meeting with Career Services was extremely helpful for me when trying to figure out exactly which major I wanted to pursue in tech,” notes Brasure, “and ultimately what I wanted to do after college.”

Erica Wilson

August 25, 2021 by Macomb Community College

You might say that Erica Wilson stumbled upon her career path while a student here. The Warren Woods Tower High School graduate received a volleyball scholarship to attend Macomb in 2013, tore a ligament in her knee diving for a play in 2014 and discovered her calling while recuperating from the injury.

“My doctor recommended physical therapy instead of having surgery,” offers Wilson, who completed her general education requirements at Macomb. “I was amazed how they helped me recover throughout the whole process. I was inspired by their work and that is when I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in physical therapy.”

Returning to the court after her knee was back in service, Wilson continued her volleyball career at Marygrove College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Health Science before starting the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Oakland University.

“All of my credits transferred, which made it an easy transition between schools,” says Wilson. “I received all of my Macomb transcripts in a timely manner, which made applying to graduate school easier.”

Wilson just finished up an eight-week clinical rotation with the Beaumont Health System, during which physical therapists, again, scored big points.

“Seeing patients meet their goals and continually progress with multiple musculoskeletal impairments made me really appreciate the work that physical therapists, physical therapy assistants and physical therapy students do,” says Wilson. “During my clinical rotation, I was able to see a patient move their leg without any assistance for the first time in five years after having a stroke. That was the most rewarding experience and I was so happy to be a part of this patient’s care at the time.”

Wilson expects to graduate from Oakland in December of next year.  After that, she hopes to find a position as a physical therapist that allows her to specialize in neuromuscular impairments resulting from a stroke, spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s or Multiple Sclerosis.

“My family is my biggest support system,” offers Wilson. “Throughout my whole college education, they have pushed me to reach for all of my goals and have tried to help me achieve them every step of the way.”

Befitting someone whose vocation involves maximizing a patient’s mobility, Wilson stays physically active in her down time.  With her boyfriend, she makes it a point to hike a U.S. National Park every year, and she gets frequent exercise in an activity near and dear to her heart.

“I still enjoy playing volleyball and have transitioned to playing in the sand more frequently than indoors,” says Wilson. “It still brings me joy to play the sport that helped me find my career path.”

Carissa Hansen

July 21, 2021 by Macomb Community College

Carissa Hansen has played the guitar since she was 12, is interested in how music is made as well as how it sounds and would welcome a job in the recording industry. But it wasn’t until she took a class at Macomb that she discovered the game-changing nature of one of the 20th century’s most iconic sounds.

“Abbey Jacobsen taught a rock music class that I think about to this day,” says Hansen, who earned an Associate of Arts degree in General Studies from Macomb in 2015. “She was a fantastic professor and opened my eyes to the world of rock music, which I now have a huge appreciation for.”

After graduating high school, Hansen registered for classes at Oakland University. But, unsure about a major or a career, had second thoughts about starting out at a university. Her two older brothers and mom had attended Macomb and she decided it was a better idea for her to do the same.

“I really enjoyed my time at Macomb. I always knew where to get help when I needed it,” relates Hansen, who earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a minor in Marketing from Walsh in 2020. “Leah Bublitz (Macomb’s Reading and Writing Studio/Learning Center manager) has been a huge help to me over the years. She has helped me with philosophy discussion responses, business research papers and writing samples for jobs.”

Transferring to Walsh, Hansen admits, wasn’t initially in her plans. She had been “on the fence” about earning a bachelor’s degree, unconvinced it was a career necessity. But when a classmate told her about Walsh accepting up to 82 credits from Macomb, Hansen decided to give it a try. She transferred to Walsh while still attending Macomb and discovered her career match in marketing.

“To me, marketing is an art and a science,” says Hansen. “It’s a way to combine creativity and analytics, which is exactly how I thrive.”

Hansen received Walsh’s Community College Excellence Award, a scholarship for transfer students that helped pay for her studies. She attended classes at Walsh’s main campus in Troy, at the University Center on Macomb’s Center Campus and online. When she graduated, she was hired by Walsh as a public relations/marketing intern.

“One of my goals right now is to stay working in higher education. I love the environment, and I love advocating for students,” relates Hansen. “I would definitely like to go back to school for my master’s degree. I could easily see myself advising and counseling students.”

While the recording industry still beckons, Hansen acknowledges an indebtedness to Macomb for rocking her world with a rewarding alternative.

“Macomb will always hold a special place in my heart,” says Hansen. “There were so many firsts there. It was a time of uncertainty, learning and growth.”

Sarah Zanchetta

June 21, 2021 by Macomb Community College

Arizona is as different from Michigan as the Emerald City is from Kansas. The road Sarah Zanchetta followed to the Grand Canyon State, however, was paved not in yellow bricks, but in costing models, inventory controls and arrow diagrams. Not to mention a certain college logo depicting the turning pages of a book. (Yes, that would be Macomb’s.)

“It’s always been a goal of mine to relocate,” offers Zanchetta, a Macomb alumna. “I believe my focus on supply chain has opened up many doors of opportunity.”

After graduating from Eisenhower High School in 2015, Zanchetta spent her first year of college at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant.  After a year, however, she discovered “It wasn’t the right fit for me.”  She enrolled at Macomb and took Professor Patrick Greek’s Introduction to Business class her first semester.

“Mr. Greek played a large role in introducing me to global supply chain management,” says Zanchetta, who aligned her Macomb classes with the Michigan Transfer Agreement, allowing her to transfer credits with ease to Wayne State University. “Macomb provided me with the tools and knowledge that gave me more control over my education.”

Zanchetta graduated from Wayne State this past spring with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing and Global Supply Chain Management. During her junior year, she took advantage of a cooperative education opportunity at DENSO, a global manufacturer of automobile components. That “fantastic learning experience” stoked her enthusiasm even more.

“I was part of the operational excellence team on the FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) sales team at DENSO,” said Zanchetta. “This allowed me to experience supply chain and sales operations from within a company, while gaining technical skills.”

After graduating from Wayne State, Zanchetta accepted an area manager position with Chewy, an online pet products retailer, at its Phoenix Fulfillment Center. She and Sully, her “fur baby,” moved west in June.

“I am loving Phoenix,” said Zanchetta, about a week after settling into her new home. “I am welcoming the change in weather. But we haven’t gotten to summer yet, which everyone has warned me about.”

Her wanderlust sated, at least for the time being, Zanchetta has taking up biking in her new environs and is focusing on her job and future opportunities with Chewy. And she is grateful that Macomb showed her the way to get there.

“Macomb was a great tool and resource,” offers Zanchetta. “This is where I had the best experience with teachers and counselors who were interested in my success.”

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