Meet Our Alumni

It is often said that family needs not be blood-related, and Evan Leedy, 23, exemplifies this ideal. In 2015, Leedy read a Detroit Free Press article about James Robertson, a down-to-earth factory worker. Known as the “Walking Man,” Robertson traveled 21 miles to work by foot each day.

So moved was Leedy by Robertson’s story that he started a GoFundMe campaign in hopes of raising $25,000 to purchase him a car. Within seven days, the fundraiser had drawn in more than $350,000. Topping it off, Leedy says, Suburban Ford donated a new car to Robertson, ensuring not only that he had enough money to move closer to his job, but to help him plan for retirement. In the years since, Robertson and Leedy have remained close.

“He comes to my family’s holiday parties,” relates Leedy, “and was at my wedding last year.”

Now a network administrator for a division of Illinois Tool Works (ITW), Leedy got a jump start on his college education through Early College of Macomb (ECM) at 15.

“The ECM program was enticing,” says Leedy. “It seemed like a great opportunity to not only start college classes while still attending high school, but also to get an associate degree for no cost.”

Each year, five Dakota High School students are selected for the accelerated education program and, in 2011, Leedy’s name was randomly chosen after passing the entrance exam. Only 15 at the time, Leedy relied on his parents and friends to help him get to campus until he obtained his driver’s license. The rigorous curriculum often required him to manage three classes at Dakota and another three at Macomb, after which he worked the rest of the evening.

“It was definitely a challenge juggling high school classes, college classes and a job,” offers Leedy, “but it was such a rewarding feeling at the end of it all.”

Whenever Leedy found himself encountering difficulty with a course, he was able to rely on Macomb’s plentiful resources.

“Staying organized and taking advantage of tutoring at Macomb’s library really made a difference in my studies,” says Leedy. “ECM and Macomb have plenty of resources available to help ensure you are successful throughout the program, so take advantage of them. If you are struggling in a class, you are not alone!”

Shortly before completing high school, Leedy was offered an internship at ITW. That led to a permanent role with the company, followed by a salaried full-time position after he earned his Bachelor of Science in Information Systems Management degree from Wayne State University. Come May 2, Leedy is set to graduate with his master’s degree, also in Information Systems Management.

“Managing high school, college and a job all at once really helped me prepare for managing various projects and tasks throughout my career,” says Leedy. “I would not have the job that I do or be graduating with my master’s degree without any student loans if it wasn’t for the ECM program.”

Aviana Vasko graduated from Walsh College last year and is planning to return and begin working on her master’s degree in September.  That’s not only a testament to her determination, but to her business savvy as well.

With the money she saved at Macomb, Vasko had reasoned, she would be able to afford a bit more traveling, she’d already visited Europe and Aruba, and an early start on her master’s degree. So far it’s all going according to plan.

I had a lot of conversations with my mom when I graduated high school,” says Vasko, Henry Ford II High School class of 2013.  “We agreed Macomb was the better option and I am extremely glad I decided to stay home, save all that money and receive the same education. I loved a lot of my teachers at Macomb, and the flexibility to take classes around my schedule.”

When she was a student at Macomb, Vasko could often be found in the library studying, where she appreciated the close proximity of coffee and pre-made sandwiches.  An amateur photographer, she had plans to open her own studio.  At first, she took accounting and marketing courses at Macomb because it made sense to know the practical side of running a small business.  But, then, she discovered that she was good at it.

“I still enjoy photography, but as a hobby,” says Vasko.  “I still want to be creative, and marketing offers me the best of both worlds.”

Vasko earned a Bachelor’s of Business Administration Degree from Walsh, taking most of her courses online or at the University Center on Macomb’s Center Campus.

“It was an easy process to transfer from Macomb to Walsh,” says Vasko, “and the University Center was in the perfect area for me.”

A quality assurance associate with i3Logic, Vasko is finding the experience invaluable as she learns about the business culture.  She believes a master’s degree in marketing will open up more doors for her as she makes her way toward her dream job: head of a marketing department.

“I’m active with the Delta Mu Delta Honor Society, which is a great networking opportunity,” says Vasko.  “In business, it’s about working as a team and constant improvement.  In marketing, it’s about showing the customer how you can make their life better.”

And that, says Vasko, is what Macomb and Walsh have done by showing her how to combine creativity with her own innate business sense.

“I never thought I would go to a business school,” says Vasko.  “You just never know where life is going to take you.”

“The Future in Motion,” is the slogan of Continental AG, the international, tier one auto supplier that employs Mike McMillan, Macomb Advanced Automotive Technology graduate, as a lead test and validation engineer.  And he personifies it well.

“This is a fast growing company with lots of opportunities,” says McMillan, who works in Continental’s Automotive Systems Division.  “It’s a lot more interesting than information technology (IT).”

McMillan studied IT for a year at Oakland University before hearing about Macomb’s Center for Advanced Automotive Technology.  He’d always liked cars and began to think that becoming a certified mechanic would be his niche in the workplace.  He transferred to Macomb, earned his Associate of Applied Science Degree in Advanced Automotive Technology and discovered a new career pathway.

“A couple of my professors starting asking if I had ever considered going into electrical engineering,” offers the 2008 graduate of Anchor Bay High School.  “Instead of getting another degree in automotive, I decided to transfer to Wayne State and earn a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering Technology.  It’s a better route, more general, and I can work in more than automotive if I need to.”

McMillan graduated from Wayne State University in 2014, after receiving a full-ride, transfer scholarship.  He’s been at Continental for four years, working as a software testing engineer and components test engineer before he was promoted to his current position, in which he is responsible for implementing test strategies.

“It’s a dynamic environment, always changing,” says McMillan.  “The company will pay my tuition if I want to go back to school. My goal now is to earn an MBA so that when I’m ready to retire, I can teach at a community college.”

That new direction, he notes, is partly attributable to the experience he had at Macomb.

“I would recommend starting at a community college to anyone. The faculty are just as good as those at a four-year school, and they helped me figure out what I wanted to do,” says McMillan.  “In a short amount of time, I learned quite a bit.”

His skills as a certified mechanic, however, still come in handy.  McMillan drives a Chevy Volt to work, but began racing his turbocharged Dodge Neon SRT-4 last year. He intends to do the same with his Eagle Talon and Yamaha FJ-O9 motorcycle.

“I’ve always liked cars. My dad was always into them and he got me interested,” says McMillan, who shares his Chesterfield Township home with Smokey, the cat. “It used to be just a hobby, but it’s been a lot of fun turning it into a career.”

When Angelo Loria enrolled in Macomb’s Culinary Arts program, he had already earned a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Oakland University (OU) and had worked for 10 years at Ford Motor Company.

“I started at Ford when I was still going to OU,” said Loria, who graduated from Henry Ford II High School in 1994. “But it just wasn’t the right fit.  I had no passion for what I was doing.”

Loria, now executive chef at Vince and Joe’s Gourmet Markets, grew up in a Sicilian household where food was the centerpiece of family life.  Today, he makes regular visits to his poultry supplier in Ohio and is proud that when corn is in season, it’s still warm when it arrives on the loading dock from local fields.  On Sundays, his day off, he loves nothing more than engaging his children (ages 2, 4 and 6) in making an apple crostata a batch of red sauce.

“Cooking,” says Loria, “has always been in my blood.”

Transforming that passion into a marketable skill, however, required long hours and hard work.  He studied pastry arts and restaurant management at Macomb, where, he says, “The chefs set us up to succeed with the right amounts of passion and focus.”  When students were asked to volunteer to help prepare food for the golfers competing in the 2008 PGA Tournament at the Oakland Hills Country Club, Loria quickly signed up.  That would lead to his first professional culinary job as a prep cook at the country club, after Chef O’Farrell  of Macomb’s Culinary Arts faculty put in a good word for him.

“If it wasn’t for that first big break, says Loria, “I would probably still be at Ford.”

Loria progressed through several chef’s positions, eventually becoming the country club’s executive chef.  But the hours were long and some nights, he offers, “I slept in the locker room.”  So when his wife Rosalee found him a new job, as executive chef at the Fox Theatre, he was more than happy to accept.

“The Ilitch’s personal chef was my direct boss,” relates Loria, who assisted with all the Olympia entertainment events.  From there, he went to the Grosse Pointe War Memorial, where he oversaw a revamping of both the menu and the banquet facilities.  This allowed him to use all the skills he had amassed in cooking, catering, beverage management and purchasing and, he says, “It was a great experience.”  He might still be there if Vince and Joe’s hadn’t offered him a job, not once but twice, until he accepted.

That was nearly four years ago and Loria is still excited that, “I get to cook for a living.”

Loria oversees the preparation of all takeaway dishes sold at the markets.  He supervises wine tastings, special events and offsite catering, and manages social media.  And he can often be found helping a customer find that just right something for the evening meal or sifting through papers in his office for a recipe to share.   And does the executive chef have his own favorite?

“My favorite thing to cook,” says Loria, “is the next thing.”

When the American-born Shandana Shah moved with her mother from Sterling Heights to her parents’ native Pakistan just before starting high school, barriers of both culture and language prevented the Macomb alumna from expressing herself to the extent she was accustomed.  Now Shah is making up for it as a communications major at the University of Michigan.

“Although we spoke a Pakistani language at home, it wasn’t the one spoken at school,” relates Shah.  “Not being able to talk to people was difficult. The sense of togetherness we felt with family helped make the transition easier, but, still, my grades in Pakistan were not very good.”

Shah took a year off after graduating from high school to think about what she wanted to do.  Her mom wasn’t quite ready to return to Michigan, and Shah wasn’t quite ready to commit to a major or a school.  By the time they resettled in Roseville, Shah had decided she would attend Macomb.

“My older brothers had both gone there before transferring to Michigan State (yes, you read that correctly, the new Wolverine’s siblings are both Spartans),” says Shah.  “Macomb was familiar, and that is what I needed at that time in my life.”

At Macomb, Shah excelled in her studies and was invited to join Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for community college students.  She volunteered for an alternative spring break trip to New York, where she and other Macomb students, supervised by Daniel Thurman, Macomb’s associate dean of Student Success, prepped, packaged and delivered healthy meals to those with serious illnesses.  She was also selected for a paid Community College Summer Research Fellowship at the University of Michigan, a 10-week program that introduced her to one of Michigan’s most venerable institutions of higher learning.

“Macomb gave me a huge opportunity to reinvent myself. It helped me build up confidence to apply to U of M, and the faculty were genuinely excited for me when I was accepted,” says Shah, who credits Thurman for mentoring her throughout the transfer process.  “It has been so exciting to see Macomb be a part of each new milestone in my life.”

While living in Pakistan, Shah, who loves to read, found an expressive outlet in creative writing. After taking Marketing, her first class at Macomb, she hopes her passion for words will translate into a communications or marketing career.  Now in her second semester at U of M, she is availing herself of all the cultural opportunities the university and Ann Arbor have to offer, as evidenced by the photo of her in front of the Michigan Wings mural in the city’s downtown.

“Macomb taught me how important is to get involved, which is something I regret not doing when I lived in Pakistan,” says Shah. “There will be no more missed opportunities and for that, I am forever grateful to Macomb.”

At age 26, Macomb alumnus Edmon Armstrong has already led a storied career in entertainment, which includes a one-on-one meeting with “Darlene” from TV’s Roseanne and The Conners. More on that later.

It all began with a search for internships. Armstrong was in the process completing three (almost four) degrees at Macomb and wanted to prepare for his transition to the workforce.

“I got one internship from Macomb,” says Armstrong, who then went through the legwork of discovering additional ones on his own. “If you don’t learn how to be by yourself and how to be independent, you’re not going to make it.”

After building up enough experience, Armstrong was hired in to the Disney College Program in Anaheim, California. From there, he set his sights on Los Angeles, where he started performing television background work. In 2017, he landed a job as a Production Assistant (PA) with Reasonable Doubt on Investigation Discovery.

“It just went from there and snowballed,” says Armstrong. “You just need somebody to say ‘yes’ to you one time.” He went on to work for several other network and cable TV shows, including America’s Got Talent and Veep.

The pinnacle of Armstrong’s career journey to date was breaking into scripted television. While he didn’t end up getting the job, he interviewed with Sara Gilbert, executive producer of The Talk. “It was very much one of those heightened weird moments that happen when you’re in Hollywood.”

Behind the scenes, life in LA proved challenging. The cost of living mandated that Armstrong share a living space with as many as 13 people. While he enjoyed the work, the industry’s taxing time commitment also made it difficult to enjoy the exciting experiences that Hollywood can offer. “You don’t see the blood, sweat, tears and the sleepless nights.”

Armstrong returned to Michigan in August for family reasons, and also due to the wildfires. He is currently working as an actor for the Murder Mystery Company, which provides him with the opportunity “to interact with people and have fun.”

On a related note, Armstrong recommends that new Macomb students socialize and “be willing to walk into a club, come into the K Building (South Campus Student and Community Center) and actually see what’s going on.” And, while he believes it’s important to have a clear academic plan, Macomb provides “a place where people can test out the waters in a safe environment that is also going to have some merit, because general studies is everywhere.” In the midst of required classes, Armstrong notes for example that a student may decide to take a Photoshop or speech course, and then discover Macomb’s degree offerings have crossover.

“Something that you may have been just dipping your toe in, you figure out, ‘Oh, I actually do love this,’” says Armstrong. “And then you just go for the rest of the degree, because you’ve already taken one or two classes in it.”

When Casey Spencer was in class at the Universidad de Guadalajara in Mexico’s second largest city last summer, the recent Macomb graduate remembers thinking, “I did this.  I took the initiative to get here.”

Spencer (center in photo, to the right of Professor Maria Ramos) had also taken the initiative to apply for an award from the Macomb Multicultural International Initiatives Study Abroad Fund, which helped offset some of the tuition and travel expenses.

“The price was very reasonable, but the (stipend) definitely helped in paying for it,” says Spencer. “Spending those few weeks in Mexico was one of the best decisions I have ever made.  Like most students studying abroad for the first time, I was nervous about going to a new place. But from the moment I stepped off the plane, it was a really good experience. I met some of the most interesting and kindest people, and my Spanish-speaking skills definitely improved.”

Spencer had never flown in an airplane before or traveled outside of the U.S. when she signed up for Professor Maria Ramos’ study abroad trip to Guadalajara.  In fact, Spencer says, she never had any desire to travel at all until she began taking Ramos’ classes.  Now, she is majoring in Spanish and Global Studies at Wayne State University and planning on joining the Peace Corp after she graduates – eying an assignment in a Latin American country.

“Professor Ramos’ classes really interested me in seeing how other people live,” says Spencer, who, like the other Macomb students, lived with a host family during her stay in Mexico.  “They were wonderful.  Very accepting and understanding. Two of us from Macomb shared a bedroom at each house and we all grew close. If I had not gone on this study abroad trip, I would not be the person I am today and I would never have met some of my best friends.”

One of the highlights of the trip for Spencer was watching with the rest of Mexico as the Latin American country’s soccer team beat Germany in the World Cup championships held in Moscow.  At the time of its loss, Germany was the World Cup holder and all of Mexico celebrated the unexpected upset.

“It’s a day we will all remember,” says Spencer.

Some other standouts from her time in Guadalajara were the tamales her host family served frequently for dinner, visits to the historic city’s museums and strolling through the Tlaquepaque market.

“This was a street with vendors selling clothing, food, pottery and Mexican skulls (a famous fixture of the country’s Day of the Dead celebrations each November), relates Spencer. “Latin culture is very colorful, and we walked everywhere, taking it all in.  There were all these different, really large murals painted on buildings.  We sat down in chairs and looked at them. That was the best, just being there and experiencing the culture.”