Michigan Budget Director Al Pscholka shared a couple of stories — and then some — at Southwestern Michigan College’s 50th commencement Saturday.

In 2016, Pscholka championed legislative efforts that secured $4 million for SMC’s nursing building expansion, set to begin in July.

Term-limited after six years as state representative, in January, Pscholka joined Gov. Rick Snyder’s cabinet, overseeing a $56 billion budget and 300 employees.

Working with an SMC icon during a blizzard Super Bowl weekend 2010 while on U.S. Rep. Fred Upton’s staff formed Pscholka’s first narrative.

Pscholka and founder Dr. Fred L. Mathews, who died March 19 at 87, collaborated on a “hail-Mary pass” which rescued eight Haitian children burned or with broken limbs from the Jan. 12 earthquake.

“Al was my number-one receiver,” Mathews said at the time. “He never fumbled the ball, always took it down the field and we eventually got it over the goal line.”

Dr. James Wierman, a 40-year medical missionary, started the four-day rescue ball rolling with a call from Haiti Feb. 6 during Dowagiac’s ice festival. Mathews contacted state Sen. John Proos, who reached Pscholka at home in Stevensville from Las Vegas.

“I miss Fred,” Pscholka said. “What I worked on with him was probably the greatest accomplishment of my life. Idaho missionaries had been arrested trying to get kids out of Haiti. I called the state department. A guy answered the phone, but sounded like a 12-year-old intern. He was snowed in. I’m trying to explain I’m with a Michigan congressman’s office, trying to fly kids to Boston, and this young fellow says, ‘Where is Dowagiac?’ It took Homeland Security, Immigration and the State Department and writing a letter for the governor of Massachusetts. It was like Whack-a-Mole. New issues kept popping up.

“That snowstorm hit 10 miles south of Boston’s Logan Airport. When we got all the way through this process, the United Nations said it couldn’t go. I made one more call to the state department. Then we were airborne! Eight kids are alive today because we didn’t give up.”

Pscholka pivoted to his personal life, growing up in Saginaw, his father, “a terrible person, a bad dude who left his 11-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter and never paid child support. I didn’t see the man for 30 years. He filed for bankruptcy twice and left us a house we couldn’t pay for. Mom was too proud to take assistance, so we did what lots of folks do. We moved in with grandma and grandpa.

“My mother was a homemaker. She enrolled at Delta College to become a medical records technician and got cancer in the middle of her program, studying in the hospital after surgery to pass her test. I stand before you as a single-parent-household kid. Maybe some of you in this class are. Maybe you’re here because you’re a single parent yourself.”

Pscholka tore his rotator cuff pitching at Western Michigan University, went home and entered Delta. His Michigan history teacher “turned my academic career around. I was tired of being broke and eating macaroni and cheese and Crock-Pot. My uncle got me a job at Midland Dow as a gandy dancer (railroad construction). I was never in such great shape moving rails and ties by hand for 10 months until returning to college.”

Pscholka’s mantra, “And. Then. Some.” is the “key to greatness, the difference between average and top people in most organizations. Top people always do what is expected and then some. They are thoughtful of others, considerate, kind and then some. I am thankful for people like you who overcame obstacles, stuck with it and then some.”

“SMC’s new nursing building and the Daugherty and O’Leary buildings completed last year, totaling over $18 million, would not have come to fruition without Al,” Board of Trustees Chairman Tom Jerdon said. “Al was recognized as Legislator of the Year by more than a half-dozen organizations and named most effective House member in 2015. In six years in the Michigan House, he authored and passed 64 public acts — more than any other member during that time period. Al is proof community colleges make real differences in the life of students.”

President Dr. David Mathews recognized “two beloved longtime faculty members attending their last commencement exercises.”

Patti Frontczak, keynote speaker for the nursing pinning which followed on the 38th anniversary of her SMC graduation, earned her bachelor’s degree from Ferris State University and master’s degree from Grand Valley State University. She was on SMC’s faculty for 22 years.

David Baker taught art at SMC for 36 years — full-time 29 years, then seven years ago became SMC’s first departmental professor emeritus.

“Thank you both for dedicating your life’s energy to students here at SMC,” Mathews said.