Meet Jessica Harrison. Harrison made a last-minute decision to attend Schoolcraft after realizing that she wasn’t ready for a big university yet.  Harrison, who said her high school grades were only so-so, didn’t know what she wanted to study. But that quickly changed.

“From my very first day on campus, I felt completely comfortable and at ease,” she said. This newfound confidence led to a 3.89 GPA and a spot on the Dean’s List during her first year at Schoolcraft. With encouragement from Professor Alec Thomson, her history instructor, she applied to the Honors Scholars program and started her second year at Schoolcraft as a proud member.

She is thankful for the fantastic experiences being an Honors Student has brought her. One event in particular, hosted by Honors Scholars and the campus Amnesty International Club, stands out. At this program Harrison met and talked with immigrants from Freedom House Detroit, which was an amazing experience. Through the Honors Program she’s learned to engage with her community, which was something she had never been comfortable with before. 

Harrison graduated in Winter 2020 and is looking forward to attending Wayne State University to continue her studies and achieve her dream of becoming a history teacher. Harrison credits Professor Thomson, Erin Stegich and Kimberly Lark for helping her discover what kind of history teacher she would like to become. “Thanks to these professors, along with the many others I have had, I was finally able to find my place in academics,” she said.

Although she was sad to leave Schoolcraft, Harrison’s advice to future students is to take advantage of every opportunity that you come across, not be afraid to grow and change and to participate in as many things as you can on campus.