This weekend, I was one of the many guests in attendance at Southwestern Michigan College’s 50th anniversary party.

Unfortunately, I was too busy taking photos of the festivities to take a ride on the Ferris wheel or to take a spin inside the inflatable army fort, though I have it on good authority (i.e. several 10-year-olds) that the latter was a ton of fun.

Despite my duties, even I could sense the fun, and more importantly, the pride, that the crowd and volunteers felt that afternoon. While I can’t speak for how others have felt over the past 50 years, it’s still kind of impressive to me that our humble city of Dowagiac has such an impressive institution in its backyard.

When I first visited campus during my first week on the job, I was blown away by the size and breadth of what the community college offers students. Not only were the learning facilities clean and modern, but the resident halls and massive student recreation center a far cry from experiences in community college only a few years ago.

More important than that, though, is the dedication and passion I sense from the men and women who keep the school running. I’ve spoken to quite a few instructors and administrators over the past 10 months, and no matter what their level of responsibility to the school is, they all share a common love for their mission of delivering affordable education to young learners from all around the state.

Congrats to 50 years of service to the community, SMC. Let’s hope that the next 50 are just as great.

 

Ted Yoakum is the community editor for the Dowagiac Daily News. He can be reached by phone at (269) 588-1040, or by email at ted.yoakum@leaderpub.com.