NEWS

WCC earns community impact honors

State Rep. Jason Morgan presented the WCC Board of Trustees with a special tribute at its February meeting commending WCC for having the best completion rate out of all Michigan community colleges and for generating the most Michigan Reconnect graduates. (Photo by Kari Klavon)

Yana McGuire

Deputy Editor

From helping adult learners complete degrees to reducing campus waste, WCC’s work is drawing widespread recognition. Over the past few months, WCC has received multiple honors and awards from state and local leaders of the community. These included the Environmental Excellence Partnership Program Award, Distinguished Service Award and a tribute from Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

President Bellanca shared her thoughts about WCC’s recent achievements in a statement released to the Washtenaw Voice via email.

“As we celebrate our 60th anniversary, these recognitions are a powerful reminder of our enduring mission to open doors and create opportunity for our students and their families,” Bellanca said. “From the Rotary Club’s generous support of scholarships, to the life-changing impact of the Michigan Reconnect program, to our commitment to sustainability, each of these honors reflects a shared investment in student success and community well-being. We are proud of this moment, but even more inspired to keep the momentum going — expanding access and affordability to our exceptional programs, strengthening partnerships, and continuing to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve.”

State Honors

During the February 24 board of trustees meeting, Rep. Jason Morgan, D-Mich, presented WCC with a state tribute for producing the largest number of graduates through the Michigan Reconnect Scholarship program and achieving the highest completion rate out of all 28 Michigan community colleges, ranking at 33 percent.

The honor presented was on behalf of Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II and State Senator Jeff Irwin.

In a video played at the board meeting, Governor Whitmer stated that “Washtenaw Community College has been a great partner focusing on providing an affordable, high-quality education to help students get the skills they need for good-paying jobs.”

Morgan was once a student at WCC, then later served as a faculty member through teaching as the head of government relations. He also served as a staff liaison to the Washtenaw Voice from president Bellanca’s office as the director of media relations.

Elected officials regularly present tributes and awards. However, Morgan feels this honor was particularly special to him because he witnessed the hard work the WCC community puts in to make things happen. He believes that the ability of the faculty and staff to recognize when a student is having a hard time and their willingness to jump in to help out is one of the main reasons WCC graduation rates are successful.

“I absolutely love WCC,” Rep. Morgan said. “I know the amazing impact that the college makes in the lives of all of our students and our community throughout Washtenaw County, and so I’m thrilled to continue being an advocate for WCC in the legislature today.”

The Michigan Reconnect Scholarship pays the in-district community college tuition of adults over 25 years old who have never completed a college degree.

Environmental Excellence

The Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner’s office honored WCC with an 2025 Environmental Excellence Partnership Program Award in the Waste Reduction and Recycling Award category. The award represents WCC’s exemplary commitment to a high-quality material management system across campus.

Standardized recycling and reduced single-use plastics campus wide are just some of the practices put in place by this system. These efforts have allowed WCC to divert 56% of waste material from going to a landfill.

Becky Andrews, WCC resource recovery manager, credits the WCC community as a whole for its hard work in making this accomplishment possible.

“We wouldn’t have achieved it without them, because if they don’t put the material in the correct bin, it can’t be recycled in the first place,” Andrews said.

Becky Andrews, WCC Resource Recovery Manager, offers tours of the recycle area to all students. Tours can be scheduled by calling (734) 677-5312. (Photo courtesy of Fran Lefort)

Students can continue contributing to environmental excellence at home by checking with their local government to find out what services are available for their home, according to Andrews.

“Understand what services are available to you depending on where you live,” Andrews said. “There can be a really big disparity in what services are offered. And not just where you live, but the type of building you live in. So, just check with your local government or your county, and you should be able to find out.”

Andrews encourages the community to continue being mindful of how to dispose of waste while on campus by learning more and engaging with the system. Students are welcome to take a tour of the area where the material is sorted called the Loading Dock. More information can be found on the WCC website by typing recycle in the search bar.

Distinguished Service

Rose Bellanca, WCC president, accepted the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor’s, RCAA, Distinguished Service Award, DSA, on behalf of WCC on Feb. 18.

The award is the club’s highest honor, which is presented to individuals and/or organizations who have showcased the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self” in their professional achievements, community involvement and/or contributions to Rotary service.

WCC received a Distinguished Service Award from the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor. President Dr. Rose B. Bellanca (second from left) accepted the Rotary’s highest honor on behalf of the college. She is shown with Rotary members (from left) Current President Dawn Johnson, Past President Collyer Smith, Past President Joyce Hunter and Past President Susan Froelich. (Photo courtesy of WCC)

Joyce Hunter, chair of the DSA committee and immediate past president of RCAA, describes “Service Above Self” as adhering to a code of ethics and completing the four-way test before making professional decisions.

Created in 1932 by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor, The Four-Way Test asks: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build good will and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? If the answer is yes to all of these questions, the decision will serve all involved rather than the individual personal interest, according to the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor’s website.

Affordable tuition, the amount of transferable credits and the partnership with the RCAA to provide struggling students with the means to attend college are the main reasons Hunter and her colleagues felt like WCC deserved this year’s award.

RCAA has contributed over $320,000 in student scholarships for 150 students over the past 10 years through A2 Rotary’s STRIVE program and Service Above Self scholarships.

“We feel it’s a great institution,” Hunter said. “And not only for our programs, but other programs that they’re doing.”