2016 Automotive Graduate Wears Many Zolman Hats

Alex Severinghaus wears a lot of hats as Regional Store Manager for Zolman’s Best One Tire and Auto Care’s three Michigan retail locations in Niles, Kalamazoo and Portage. At 30, and 10 years after completing the Southwestern Michigan College automotive program, Severinghaus, of Niles, oversees 25 people.

217 SMC Students Named to Honor Rolls

Southwestern Michigan College named 55 students to the President’s List for the Spring 2026 semester. Students honored on the President’s List must earn a perfect 4.0 grade-point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale while carrying a full study load of at least 12 credits. The 162 students making the Dean’s List achieved at least a 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale while carrying a full study load.

SMC Hosts Second MiCareerQuest Cass County

On May 19 Heritage Southwest Intermediate School District’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department, in conjunction with Michigan Works! and Southwestern Michigan College, held the second annual MiCareerQuest Cass County.

SMC Hosts 221 Area High School Students for Junior Day

Southwestern Michigan College hosted 221 high school 11th graders from Lawton (50), Cassopolis Ross Beatty (62), Decatur (60), Covert (22), Edwardsburg Alternative Education (12) and Niles (15) on May 15. Participants visited SMC’s Dowagiac campus for nuts-and-bolts advice on the college admissions process.

Roadrunners in Ohio, Va., Pa., D.C., to Ring in Semiquincentennial

This year’s Southwestern Michigan College extended learning experience prepared history students for the Semiquincentennial, the 250th anniversary of America (1776-2026), by visiting Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.

$670,000 Designated for SMC Student Scholarships

At its regular meeting on May 13, Southwestern Michigan College’s Board of Trustees heard that the SMC Foundation’s financial aid for student scholarships is increasing for 2026-27. Chief Financial Officer Michelle Kite reported that the foundation contributed $500,000 last year and is boosting that to $590,000, plus $80,000 in lease income from the Edward Guse farm, for a total of $670,000. “The foundation does a lot of good for us,” Chairman Tom Jerdon said.

Revered Professor Taught 39 Years

Dr. Stephen E. Jess, Southwestern Michigan College social studies instructor, retired in 2016 after 39 years teaching an estimated 7,000 students. Before he joined the SMC history faculty in 1977, Dr. Jess, who died March 11 at 84, taught at the University of Nebraska, from which he earned his doctorate and master of arts degree in English history.

SMC's 59th Commencement Graduates 417

A future pediatrician and a business graduate spoke on behalf of Southwestern Michigan College’s Class of 2026 on May 9 at the 59th Commencement ceremonies outdoors in Alumni Plaza on the Dowagiac campus. Chloe Itimu addressed the School of Arts, Science and Business and School of Advanced Technology Saturday morning. Kaylee Bradshaw spoke to the School of Arts, Science and Business and School of Nursing and Health Services Saturday afternoon.

SMC Graduates 13-Member Nursing Class

Southwestern Michigan College May 6 welcomed 13 new nurses to America’s largest health care profession with more than 4.3 million registered nurses (RNs) nationwide. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a need for more than 200,000 new RNs each year to meet demand and replace retiring nurses. SMC’s spring class received associate degrees in nursing (ADN) in a pinning ceremony in the theatre of the Dale A. Lyons Building on the Dowagiac campus.

Itimu Has Dreamed of Being a Pediatrician Since She Was 8

After college, Chloe Itimu plans to return to her native Malawi and, as a pediatrician, fulfill a dream her grandmother suggested to her at 8 years old.