ALMA — As part of Alma College’s Tartan 101 new student orientation, first-year and transfer students took part in the “Gateway to Gratiot and Beyond” program on Aug. 22, an event designed to connect them with the people, organizations, and opportunities that make the community unique.
The program also launches Alma’s community-engaged First Year Seminar, which partners with nearly 30 local organizations around ten key themes. Through hands-on experiences and community introductions, students will learn how they can make a positive impact during their time at Alma College and beyond.
“Gateway to Gratiot and Beyond helps our newest Scots understand right away that Alma College and Gratiot County grow stronger together,” said Carla Jensen, director of the Alma College Center for College and Community Engagement (3CE). “By meeting community partners and experiencing their work firsthand, students begin to see how their education connects with real-world challenges and opportunities.”
Students explored themes such as food security, youth development, economic growth, environmental conservation, animal welfare, mental health and housing access. Activities ranged from helping distribute food to local families at MyMichigan Health, to joining an “Amazing Race” tour of Alma businesses, to meeting therapy dogs at the Wright Leppien Opera House. Other groups hiked nature preserves, visited Alma Public Schools and traveled to the Ziibiwing Center in Mount Pleasant to learn about the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe.
Emma Sage, a senior psychology major from Lowell, Mich., led a group of 15 underclassmen at DreamWorks Resale Shoppe in Ithaca, where they learned about social and vocational opportunities for adults with disabilities. She said it was a rewarding experience, and especially beneficial for first-year students.
“I feel like the more connected you feel with the community, the more at home you are,” Sage said. “Seeing students who haven’t been exposed to a small-town, agricultural-based community get that experience through orientation is a really great way to introduce them not only to Alma, but to the community around it.”
Curtis Dancer, finance director and treasurer at the city of Alma, joined with the Gratiot Area Chamber of Commerce and Greater Gratiot Development, Inc., to lead the “Amazing Race” tour. He said working with Alma College students through the Gateway to Gratiot program was a great experience.
“It’s exciting to see students engaging with downtown businesses, exploring the community, and thinking about the impact they can have while they’re still in school,” said Dancer, a member of the Alma College Class of 2015.
“Programs like this help students see that Alma is more than just a campus — it’s part of a larger city with opportunities to grow, contribute, and maybe even stay after graduation. As an alum, it’s refreshing to see how much emphasis the college now places on connecting students with the community — far beyond what we had when I was here 10 years ago.”
Alma Public Schools joined with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Children’s Discovery Academy, and East Central Childcare Coalition to introduce students to some of the youngest members of the local community. John Helinski, who serves as K-12 school improvement director for APS, said Gateway to Gratiot provided meaningful mentor relationships and global perspectives for his students.
“Gateway to Gratiot and Beyond is a great opportunity not just for Alma College students, but for our local students as well,” Helinski said. “We did some get-to-know-you activities, then a multiple-choice game with questions about Alma Public Schools and the community. For kids in Gratiot County to have that exposure, and for college students to connect with the community they may end up living in, is incredibly valuable.”
For more information about how Alma College students engage, learn and grow in partnership with their local community, visit alma.edu/offices/center-for-college-and-community-engagement.