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 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 20^th 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.”

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.”

It is difficult to characterize Katlin Pfropper as either a Macomb alumna or a student because she is intensely good at doing both, as well as many other things, at one time.

She earned associate degrees in Culinary Arts, Pastry Arts and Restaurant Management, and is currently taking business classes toward a fourth degree. Meanwhile, she is a high school culinary arts instructor and the powerhouse behind Pfrosted, her year-old pastry and ice sculpting startup.

“Even with the pandemic,” she muses, “people continue to have a sweet tooth.”

The incentive for getting her business up and running came in late 2019 when she and classmate Jim Ford were invited to compete in the holiday edition of Netflix’ Sugar Rush. The team won first place.

“You watch these shows and think ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to be on one of them?’” relates Pfropper. “I was just blown away being on the set.”

Pfropper is no stranger to the competitive arena. She represented Macomb at the International Culinary Olympics, held every four years in Germany, and at the World Ice Art Championship in Alaska.

“Competing in these events with extremely talented individuals from around the world was astonishing in itself,” says Pfropper. “But having the opportunity to learn and work alongside by professors on these massive projects taught me more than I could’ve learned on my own.”

The connection she has made with those professors, as well as fellow students, is “lifelong,” says Pfropper. She continues to work with Jeff Wolf, her ice carving coach, in his business “Finesse Ice,” and also competes on her own at ice festivals, including in her hometown of St. Clair.

“My experience at Macomb is an experience that I am extremely grateful for,” says Pfropper. “The opportunities to grow in the culinary/pastry world were life changing.”

Pfropper first apprenticed at the elbow of her mother, who hosted Pampered Chef parties and made her children’s birthday cakes from scratch. Pfropper was always a willing assistant. From there, she progressed to the high school culinary program at St. Clair County TEC, where she is now a full-time instructor, enrolling at Macomb after graduating.

Pfropper is from a large German family who loves to eat, and she fondly recalls her Oma (grandmother) making her liverwurst sandwiches and other German comfort food. But when Pfropper is in the kitchen now, she’s more likely to be cooking pan-seared scallops, a recipe she mastered at Macomb.

“Attending Macomb is part of the reason I am where I am at today,” says Pfropper. “If you told me 10 years ago that I would get to do all the things that I have done, I would’ve thought you were crazy.”

When Silvana Palazzolo graduated from Dakota High School in 2017, joining the military was not on her radar. That changed her second year at Macomb when she was drawn to enlist by an ad on Facebook for the Michigan Air National Guard.

“Joining the Guard has been the best choice for me personally,” says Airman First Class Palazzolo, who signed on for a six-year stint in 2018. “It has provided me with travel opportunities, career progression, educational benefits and lifelong friends.”

The Guard has been heavily called upon during the pandemic to, among other things, coordinate food distribution and COVID-19 vaccination sites nationwide. Assisting in these efforts locally are members of the 127^th Wing at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, where Palazzolo is stationed.

“I work with the Air National Guard one weekend every month and two weeks a year, sometimes more depending on additional training days,” relates Palazzolo, who just returned from 10 weeks of training at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas. “My job responsibilities are providing the Air Force with combat-ready Reserve forces, while protecting and supporting our respective state of Michigan.”

Training is a regular feature in the Guard, kicked off by the nine-week, make-or-break regimen that is required of all new enlistees in each branch of the service.

“It was physically and mentally demanding,” acknowledges Palazzolo of the basic training she completed at Lackland Airforce Base in San Antonio. “But it was a transformative experience as I saw not only myself but my fellow airmen grow as individuals.”

As a member of the Guard, Palazzolo can live in her own home and continue her education, both important considerations for her. She also works part-time as a waitress, as her Guard schedule allows. She is majoring in Criminal Justice, Information Assurance and Security, at Oakland University. Her credits from Macomb transferred smoothly and she also left with fond memories of quiet study time in the South Campus Library and an ongoing rapport with faculty.

“I truly enjoyed my experience at Macomb,” says Palazzolo, who took all her general education and prerequisite courses at Macomb before transferring to Oakland. “The classes operated at a steady pace and the professors were always very helpful.”

After she graduates with her bachelor’s degree, Palazzolo would like to obtain a position in cybersecurity with the U.S. Government. She also intends to reenlist with the Guard and, although Selfridge has been a good fit and kept her close to family and friends, she wouldn’t object to a reassignment.

“I love travelling, and If I could relocate anywhere, it would be Colorado or Florida. Polar opposites in terms of weather but both offer some of my favorite outdoor activities,” says Palazzolo. “In addition, they both contain very well-run Air Force bases.”

As a student at Benzie Central High School near Traverse City, Alexis Perry rode with the local police several times to clock observation hours for her government classes. By the time she graduated in 2018, she decided to turn those class assignments into a career.

“I have always wanted to make a difference in the lives of others. I felt that being a police officer was the best way to do that,” says Perry. “My family has supported me day after day as I pursue this career. There are not enough words to thank them for everything that they have done for me.”

Perry earned associate degrees in law enforcement and homeland security from Lake Superior State University before deciding to move downstate and complete her training at Macomb’s Police Academy.

“I have family in the area, so I could stay with them while I was in the academy,” says Perry. “But being in the police academy meant that I couldn’t work for four months. I had many bills to pay and had to use my savings for that.”

Her initial plan was to return to home turf after completing the academy and apply for positions with local police departments. But after receiving the Law Enforcement Education Program and Michigan Schools and Government Credit Union scholarships, and prompted by a job offer from the Woodhaven Police Department, Perry was inspired to take a huge leap from her comfort zone and immediately realize her dream of becoming a police officer.

“The scholarships I received meant everything to me,” says Perry. “I was able to use the scholarships to build my savings back up and make the move from the Traverse City area to downriver. I will also use them to finish my bachelor’s degree.”

In the future, Perry would like to explore opportunities in either a narcotics’ or school resource officers’ unit.  And, with experience and an advanced degree, she hopes to progress to a leadership position in law enforcement.

“I feel that Macomb’s Police Academy has prepared me for the job,” says Perry. “The director, Mike Ciaramitaro, made it even better with the different experiences he exposed us to.”

As might be expected of someone growing up in the northern part of the lower peninsula, spending time in nature “is ingrained in me,” says Perry, and the move to suburbia provided for some culture shock.

“It is very different down here as opposed to northern Michigan, but the department has welcomed me and has provided more support than I could ever expect,” says Perry. “I have been learning so much and being able to see my hard work over the past few years actually being utilized is truly amazing.”