For many of our readers, this is the final quarter of the year. For the CCAC, it’s the very busy first quarter of another academic year! Our advisors hit the ground running at Jackson’s 13 Connected Community School districts. Highlights of college & career planning with our Class of 2024 Seniors include: capturing their post-secondary goals and aspirations on the Senior Profile Survey, supporting annual College Month in October, beginning scholarship applications, and gearing up for the new, streamlined FAFSA, which will open on December 31 and feature the most sweeping changes in decades. For our career students, we have focused on 1:1 consultations and workshops that involve career assessments, development of interview and soft skills, and résumé/cover letter construction. With our first Complete2Compete drawing, this newsletter will showcase some of our winning seniors who have already put diligent work towards their goals! Additionally, we sent our CCAC Fall Data Snapshots, which capture important data from our previous year graduates. As we reflect on that information, our IMPACT advisors continue reaching out to the classes of 2014 and beyond.

This quarter has also been a busy time of outreach and collaboration. Our team had the opportunity to participate in professional development through the ISD‘s Poverty Simulator exercise. We have supported career fairs at Napoleon High School and Jackson College, the JC annual Jet Jam, hiring events at Henry Ford Hospital and the Center for Family Health, as well as the MDHHS and JAXPO resource fairs. At the Center, we hosted our Fun Fall College Application and Winter Wonderland Scholarship events. We’ve also enjoyed the opportunity to bring Western Career Prep students out to the Center for career exploration and continuing our Virtual County Workshops.

Additionally, we hosted 7 of our Juniors Over the Local Circuit tours, sending students to explore Jackson College and Spring Arbor University - a traditional community college and a Liberal Arts institution. We were also excited to kick off our 8th grade Kids2College/Pathways2Professional Skilled Trades initiative, sending 3 school districts to our partnering colleges and manufacturers. This quarter, we also began a new collaboration with Sharp Park Academy, where we are hosting English as a Second Language classes to parents of Jackson Public School students. We continue to collaborate with LUX Languages through evening classes at Paragon Academy, as well.

Finally, our team has been busy with professional development at the Michigan College Access Network Conference and Michigan Pre-College and Youth Outreach Conference. Advisors have also been preparing for this year’s major revisions to the FAFSA. In addition to the FAFSA, the Michigan Reconnect and Michigan Achievement Scholarship continue offering support to middle income families.

It has been an exciting and busy quarter indeed! We thank you for your continued partnership and support of ALL Jackson County students and families as they Start Their Futures!

Enjoy a Healthy and Happy Holiday Season!

Our Community Initiatives Coordinator, Brian Green, had a busy quarter attending college and career fairs, showcasing the CCAC, and providing valuable college and career services to the community. We participated in JAXPO - a vibrant event hosted by the Jackson Chamber of Commerce and Spring Arbor University, where 84 local vendors connected with the community. Additionally, we had the opportunity to offer resume support for those who attended the Henry Ford Jackson Hospital Hiring Event, and attended Napoleon High School’s college and career fair while also providing students with a financial aid workshop, where Brian and CCAC Advisor, Jorge Rodriguez, helped students create FSA IDs to prepare for the upcoming FAFSA.

This quarter, 7 out of 13 high schools participated in Juniors Over the Local Circuit, where over 450 juniors had the opportunity to learn more about local post-secondary options through campus tours of Jackson College and Spring Arbor University. We’re excited to continue these tours in the spring, providing all Jackson County juniors the chance to explore post-secondary opportunities. For more, check out the links to our social media posts on these tours: East Jackson High School | Grass Lake High School | Hanover-Horton High School | Jackson High School | Napoleon High School | Springport High School | Vandercook Lake High School

This quarter 3 out of the 13 districts participated in the Kids2College/Pathways2Professional Skilled Trades initiative, where 8th-grade students have the opportunity to learn about two post-secondary options: the skilled trades and college. We are so grateful for our partnering manufacturers and colleges that make these tours possible. This fall we visited 7 local manufacturers and companies including Orbitform, Wardcraft Conveyer, Classic Metal Finishing, Emergent Health Partners, Michigan Automotive Compressor Inc. (MACI), Advance Turning and Manufacturing, and Lomar. We also visited 5 colleges including Albion College, Adrian College, Eastern Michigan University, Hillsdale College, and Jackson College. We are looking forward to continuing these tours in the spring! For more, check out the links to our social media posts on these tours: Michigan Center Jr/Sr High School | Northwest Kidder Middle School | Springport Middle School

The CCAC hosted over 25 juniors and seniors from Western Career Prep High School to get a tour of the Center and to learn more about our college and career advising services. We also facilitated a fun workshop and discussion about potential post-secondary pathways where students came up with advantages and disadvantages to each post-secondary pathway option.

For the first time ever, we held a College Application Event at the Center, where we encouraged students and parents to come spend some time with us on a Saturday, enjoy a free lunch, and submit some college applications. Traditionally, we host our Fun Fall FAFSA Event in October, but due to the delayed opening of the FAFSA, we took this as an opportunity to focus on college applications! October was Michigan College Month and many colleges and universities waived the application fee for students. This was a great opportunity for seniors to apply to their safe, match, and reach schools while receiving expert assistance from advisors. We had 22 students attend this event, representing 8 out of the 13 school districts.

We hosted our third annual Winter Wonderland Scholarship Workshop at the Center where students had the opportunity to receive expert assistance with some local scholarship opportunities including the Jackson Community Foundation Competitive Scholarship, Myer and Lois Franklin Scholarship, and the Sigmund Scholarship. The Center was packed from start to finish with eager seniors ready to tackle their scholarship applications. We had 24 students attend this event, representing 9 out of 13 school districts.

The CCAC's Complete2Compete initiative gives incentives to seniors who complete important college and career tasks throughout the year. We completed our first drawing of the year where students who submitted at least one college application were entered to win an Amazon gift card. Take a look at some of our winners from East Jackson, Concord, Jackson High, Columbia Central, and Hanover-Horton!

Our team attended the 12th annual Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) Conference where the them was The Time is Now: All in for Attainment. It was a great opportunity where we gained new insights, connections, and motivation to continue to work towards the state goal AND our goal for Jackson County which is 60% post-secondary attainment by 2030.

For the first time, members of our team attended the MI Pre-College and Youth Outreach conference at Wayne State University. The theme for this conference was Better Together: Building Partnerships. We had the opportunity to connect with new people and organizations and learn more strategies and best practices to help students reach their post-secondary college and career goals.

Our team had the opportunity to participate in a Poverty Simulation facilitated by the JCISD Learning Services Team. This was an interactive learning opportunity that allowed us to gain greater insight into what it is like to live in poverty and help us build empathy for individuals in our community.

At the beginning of each new school year, we administer a Senior Profile Survey to gain insight into seniors' current post-secondary aspirations. This survey helps advisors guide their 1:1 consultations with seniors. We received 1,147 responses to this survey and found that 64.5% of seniors plan to attend a college, university, trade school, or military academy, 15% of seniors plan to directly enter the workforce or military, and 20.5% are undecided. The top 3 career pathways indicated by seniors were: Engineering, Manufacturing, and Industrial Technology; Business, Management, Marketing, and Technology; and Health Science.

Each fall we create a Fall Data Snapshot for Jackson County and each of the 13 school districts that highlights specific data points from the previous year's senior class. We highlight the number of students our advisors met with, TIP and FAFSA completion, Summer Melt data, and Jackson Community Foundation scholarship applicant and recipient data. Take a look at the County-Wide Fall Data Snapshot for the Class of 2023.

The CCAC collects and curates data for each of the 13 Connected Community School Districts and houses this data on individual Data Corner Websites. Links to these websites can be found on our website, here. We encourage you to check out the County-Wide Data Corner Website to learn more about the data we collect and share about the students we serve in Jackson County. Click the button below to check it out!

Typically, each year the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opens on October 1st; however this year, the FAFSA is getting some updates, causing the opening date to be December 31, 2023. Upon the release of this NCAN article, we have learned some new important updates about the new FAFSA.

Some of the key takeaways are:

• During the "soft launch" period there will be "planned pauses" in which the FAFSA site will be down so that the site is not overloaded. These pauses will not come with advanced notices.
• After a FAFSA is submitted, students will receive a confirmation email and access to a confirmation page with their estimated Student Aid Index, or SAI, (replacement for EFC) and estimated federal aid eligibility.
• Students will not receive their FAFSA Submission Summary (new name for the Student Aid Report) until the end of January.
• With colleges not receiving FAFSA data until late January, they will need time to fully test their systems. This process may take weeks. Therefore, it is expected that students will not begin to receive aid offers until late February or March at the earliest.

We encourage students and parents to utilize the CCAC as a resource and for assistance when filing the FAFSA. Our team is receiving continuous information and training on the new FAFSA so that we are prepared to help. For more updates and information, please check our social media page or visit the Federal Student Aid website: https://fsapartners.ed.gov/knowledge-center/topics/fafsa-simplification-information/2024-25-fafsa-updates.

We are excited to be continuing our partnerships with Lux Language and Jackson Public Schools (JPS) in the new year. Lux Language will be offering adult ESL classes every Wednesday evening at Paragon Charter Academy from 6:30 PM-8:00 PM starting January 17th through March 20th. JPS will be offering adult ESL classes to parents of JPS students on select Fridays at Sharp Park Academy from 2:00 PM- 3:00 PM. Check out the information below and feel free to contact us with any questions.

Our President's Day FAFSA Event is right around the corner!! We are ready and looking forward to helping students and parents work through the new FAFSA. We do recommend that students and parents come prepared with their FSA ID already created a few days prior to the event. Students and parents are welcome to come to the Center to get their FSA ID created at any time.

We will be serving some FREE, delicious BBQ and giving out prizes for all students who attend the President's Day FAFSA Event on February 19, 2024!

Our Virtual County Workshop series will be continuing into the new year! These virtual workshops allow for students and families to participate in our services and complete important college and career planning steps from the comfort of home. Monthly topics include: college and scholarship action plans and applications, FAFSA completion, resume/cover letter construction, and Decision Day planning. Each workshop is an hour in length and designed to deliver useful resources and detailed information. At the end of each workshop students have the opportunity to ask questions and receive virtual assistance in completing their college or career tasks.

Written by: Alex Kranick - CCAC Intern

The CCAC is pleased to highlight Kickstart Nutrition as our local Business of the Quarter. The founder, who was employed at Michigan Center's Keicher Elementary School, looked for a career shift three years ago as the world struggled with the effects of COVID-19. She saw herself starting a nutrition club that would not only provide healthy options but also function as a warm and inviting place for the community to come together. This idea was inspired by her own experience with Herbalife and her desire to have a positive impact on her neighborhood.

The founder's spouse supported her concept, and the two of them founded Kickstart Nutrition, a location where customers could enjoy nutritious options in a friendly and comfortable setting. Kickstart Nutrition's aim has been driven by a passion to provide delicious, healthier options. The pleasant and cheerful atmosphere that permeates every day at Kickstart Nutrition is a clear reflection of their commitment to providing excellent customer service.

With an eye toward the future, Kickstart Nutrition wants to establish a respectable financial standing for itself in the hopes that the founder's child will inherit the company upon retirement. Kickstart Nutrition draws inspiration from the community, and every client helps to create the lively and positive environment that defines the business as a whole.

The owner of Kickstart Nutrition advises aspiring business owners, stating, "Follow your heart with passion." It supports the idea that sincere enthusiasm and hard work can result in creating a profitable and satisfying company. Kickstart Nutrition is an excellent illustration of how passionately pursuing one's idea can benefit people and the community as a whole.

If you would like to get in touch with, or would simply like to try Kickstart Nutrition please do at, 105 5th St, Michigan Center, MI 49254.

Phone: (517) 513-3128

Social Media: Facebook

The CCAC’s College of the Quarter is Kellogg Community College (KCC). Located in Battle Creek, Michigan, KCC was founded in 1956 by the Battle Creek Board of Education. KCC’s mission is “dedicated to providing accessible, high-quality education to enrich our community and the lives of individual learners.” KCC has multiple campus sites including, Battle Creek, Albion, Coldwater, Hastings, and in the Fort Cluster Industrial Park.

KCC offers its students 60 pre-professional transfer curricula, 37 associate degree programs, 25 certificate program, 7 categories of professional certifications, and even some short-term, non-credit courses. To name a few, KCC has the following areas of study: Arts, Communication and English, Business and Computer Information Technology, Early Childhood and Teacher Education, Health Sciences, and Social Sciences. They also have skilled trade programs such as Manufacturing, Industrial Electricity and Electronics, Welding, and HVACR. To ensure their students’ success, KCC offers comprehensive academic advising and coaching, career services, transfer assistance, tutoring, and counseling. Aside from academics, KCC has over 15 clubs and organizations including, Art League, Film Club, Pokemon GO Club, and Students of Color Club. They also have 9 athletic teams.

The total cost of attendance for KCC is dependent on the total number of credit hours that a student is taking each semester. Financial aid is available to students who complete the FAFSA and qualify. KCC does have institutional scholarships and grants for which students can apply. To learn more about Kellogg Community College, be sure to visit this link: https://kellogg.edu/.

Meet the College and Career Access Center’s Student of the Month: Rachel Keeler is a Northwest High School senior, who has been proactive about her post-secondary plans since the beginning of the school year. This year, Rachel has connected with her College and Career Advisor, Skye Jarskey, who has helped her with college applications, scholarships, and general advice on college expectations. “I come into her office daily during my off-hour and she has helped me ease my anxiety greatly about college. She is always a joy to be around and I am very thankful that she came to my school," says Rachel.

After graduating high school, Rachel aspires to attend The University of Findlay to pursue a degree in pharmacy, driven by a deep-seated inspiration from her late grandfather. Rachel's dedication to organizing and understanding her grandfather’s medications sparked a passion for medicine and a commitment to aiding others in their health journeys.

In her free time, Rachel shows horses nationally and has shown in Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. As the captain of a youth equestrian team and the president of a tri-state youth organization, Rachel leads with determination. A crowning achievement for her was securing fifth place at the country's largest breed show with her horse Collin (pictured with Rachel), which is a testament to her skill and dedication. “This class was made up of 30 of the best riders in my age division in the country and to place fifth with a horse I have trained mostly myself was extremely rewarding.”

For her peers, Rachel encourages everyone to get involved wherever they are and shares some words of encouragement quoting Winston Churchill, “Success is not final: failure is not final: it is the courage to continue that counts.” What a great quote to live by. Thank you for sharing your story, Rachel!

Meet the College and Career Access Center’s Student of the Month: Ty Northrup is a Jackson High School senior with exciting post-secondary goals. His sights are set on attending the University of Michigan, where he will major in either Marine Engineering or Business and Economics. These areas of study will help pave the way for his future career goal of working for companies specializing in building sailboats and yachts.

Due to his family’s involvement in construction work, Ty developed an interest in problem-solving and building at a young age. Growing up, he had access to a workshop that allowed him to explore and develop his passions. He fondly recalls a pivotal project at the age of 15 - the restoration of a 1995 jet ski. This project along with spending a lot of time participating in water activities, and his passion for building and creating, inspired him to pursue his particular career path.

Ty is a competitive diver of 4 years. He also participates in a local Power Lifting Club and manages his own automotive detailing business that he started during the pandemic. One of his proudest accomplishments has been winning his 10th-grade CEO Challenge, where he had to pitch a business idea or product to a panel of judges. His product was a hybrid trailer for a jet ski. Reflecting on this achievement Ty shared, “It was my first time ever winning something like that and I was really proud of myself.”

Ty attributes much of his success to the unwavering support of his parents. Their encouragement of his dreams and self-discovery have made him who he is today. For his peers, Ty shared some words of encouragement, stating, “Stay consistent and try to avoid procrastination. You would be surprised at how much you can actually get done.” Thank you for sharing your story, Ty, and best of luck with all your future endeavors!

Funding Partners:

13 Connected Community School Career Preparatory Funds • Alro Steel • The A.P. Cook Foundation • Baker College • The Bill and Vi Sigmund Foundation • Dream Maker Fund • The Grace Family Charitable Endowment Fund • The Hurst Foundation • Jackson College • Jackson Community Foundation • Jackson County Intermediate School District • John George Student Loan • The Lavery Foundation • Marshall Plan for Talent • Michigan College Access Network • Michigan Small Business Restart Program • National College Attainment Network • Phil and Pat Willis Foundation • Robinson Family Endowment Fund • Spring Arbor University

Programming Partners:

Jackson’s 13 Connected Community Schools • Jackson Area Career Center • Jackson Collaborative Network • Jackson Community Foundation • Jackson Housing Commission • JCISD • Jackson Talent Consortium • The Jackson YMCA • LUX Language • Martin Luther King Center • Michigan College Access Network • MIWorks! Southeast • National College Attainment Network • Alro Steel • Dawn Foods • American Tooling • Classic Metal Finishing • Industrial Steel Treating • LeMatic • Lomar Machine • Orbitform • Wardcraft Conveyer • Adrian College • Albion College • Baker College • Eastern Michigan University • Hillsdale College • Jackson College • Spring Arbor University

Bill and Vi Sigmund