Andrew Denton is on a new path to a rewarding career in the advanced manufacturing industry, and the Michigan Reconnect Scholarship, coupled with some hard work, is to thank.
“It’s literally changed my life in the course of a few months,” says the 32-year-old from Ypsilanti of his scholarship. “I don’t know what I’d be doing right now if I hadn’t gotten that.”
After high school, Denton completed a couple semesters of college. But unsure of his plans, he dropped out to work various jobs, including running a music recording studio.
“I was bouncing around to a lot of different jobs. The music recording studio was a passion project but didn’t pay all of my bills,” he says. “I was tired of getting stuck at low pay, working hard with no promotions or raises. I realized I needed to do something and get paid for a skill.”
Denton considered becoming an electrician, but returning to college would have been unlikely.
OPENING DOORS
The Reconnect scholarship opened the door for him. “I thought school was out for me, so this scholarship was a huge deal. I wouldn’t have had the money to pay for it otherwise,” Denton says.
The Reconnect program was introduced during COVID-19 to help adults return to college to earn a degree and better their quality of life. According to the state, 75% of Michigan jobs in the future will require an education beyond high school, and individuals who have a two-year degree can earn $7,500 more annually.
As of Fall 2023, nearly 3,500 students have enrolled at WCC with Reconnect funding.
PAID APPRENTICESHIPS
After enrolling at WCC, one of his instructors encouraged Denton to apply for the new FAME work-and-learn apprenticeship program. FAME is an acronym for the national Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education program offering college students on-the-job training while they’re in school.
WCC leads as the only higher education FAME institution in the state. Industry partners are anchor Toyota Motor North America, as well as Orbitform, Novi Precision, Lomar Machine & Tool Company and Caster Concepts.
At WCC, Denton is pursuing an Associate in Applied Science in Mechatronics-Robotics and Automated Systems. Mechatronics is a multi-disciplinary field that involves robotics and automated systems to develop skills for the advanced manufacturing industry.
Denton committed to the 18-month FAME program, which set him up with a 30-hour a week paid internship at Orbitform in Jackson. He works three days a week and is on campus for classes two days a week. The days are long and full, but well worth it, he says.
“It’s pretty cool because I’m learning a lot. You learn things at school and then you go to work the next day and you see that very thing happening on the job. I never really felt invested in my earlier jobs; it was just a means to an end. But here I want to go to work and do a good job,” he says.
He can see himself staying with Orbitform after the apprenticeship or possibly transferring to a four-year college or university to pursue an electrical engineering degree.
Denton credits his WCC instructors and fellow students for his successes in a supportive environment.
“The instructors are very good teachers and always there if you have questions. They told us when we started that the teachers are here because they want to be here. If they wanted, they could probably go work in their field and make double, but they are here because they care,” Denton says.
RECONNECT EXPANDS TO 21+
The Michigan Reconnect Scholarship program designed to help people move beyond socio and economic barriers is expanding its reach to help even more students obtain a college education.
Key changes in the program, which pays in-district tuition rates at community colleges throughout the state, have lowered the minimum age from 25 to 21 and now allow current students to become eligible.
These students must be enrolled at WCC and begin coursework by the Fall 2024.
The changes aim to attract even more students to community colleges to earn an education and increase prosperity.
Since the program launched in 2021, about 123,000 Michigan residents have been accepted into the Reconnect program with 27,000 enrolled at a community college.
To be eligible, students must:
- Be at least 21 when they apply.
- Have lived in Michigan for a year or more.
- Have a high school diploma or equivalent.
- Have not yet completed a college degree (associate or bachelor’s).
Learn more about the Michigan Reconnect Scholarship on the WCC website at: wccnet.edu/reconnect.
Part of the process requires filling out a FAFSA form for federal student aid.
Contact WCC’s Financial Aid Office at [email protected] or 734-973-3523 for assistance.
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This story appears in the Winter 2024 edition of Launch magazine. See complete issue.
Tags: 2023, Launch, Launch Winter 2023, Michigan Reconnect, Scholarship, Student Success