How did you get your start at LCC?  What do you remember most from your first day/week/month?

I hired in originally as part of Career & Employment Services in the Student Affairs Division.  The team was very welcoming and helpful getting me settled in and knowledgeable about LCC systems, procedures, guidelines, educational programs, etc.  

Have you held different positions at LCC? How would you describe your career path and the role that LCC played in it?

I hired in originally to work exclusively with the CIT program students and apprenticeships.  My position was transferred to the Technical Careers Division in 2016.  My role evolved into what is it today, Apprenticeship Specialist, working with apprenticeships and companies within the TCD in all occupational areas supporting apprentices.  I have also represented LCC at various professional organizations including MASCI (Michigan Apprenticeship Steering Committee, Inc.), CATECH (Capital Area Tech), MEATA (Michigan Apprenticeship and Training Association), MCWT (Michigan Council of Women in Technology), and others.  I am one of only three employees at LCC who can sign the electrical apprenticeship paperwork as the LCC related technology instruction (RTI) provider representative.

What's your favorite memory from your time at LCC? Who are the people who made working here great?

I have enjoyed working with all of my colleagues throughout the college.  I have also enjoyed working with all the students with whom I helped with their career and job search.  It has been a pleasure to also work with our amazing employer partner including the state of Michigan-DTMB, Custom Electric, Bekum, and many more.  I have volunteered with other LCC employees at a Habitat for Humanity build project in Lansing, Rosie Day, the Greater Lansing Food Bank, etc.  I have especially enjoyed our departmental team-building trips to various locations over the years (Kalamazoo Air Zoo, Lansing Lugnuts, and various restaurants.  I have participated in Welcome Week, Finals Frenzy, and graduation. It is very rewarding to have seen so many students begin and finish their educational journey and begin a new career.  

What were your greatest accomplishments or successes while working at LCC?

I have assisted many, many LCC students and employer partners connect with each other for employment opportunities.  I used to joke that the state of Michigan-DTMB should have me on their payroll, since I helped so many LCC students connect for employment with them.  Working with students 1-1, I have assisted them with their confidence level when applying to positions.  The ability to have an impact on their lives in a positive way has been very fulfilling for me.

I am proud that I have always tried to help students by going above and beyond my job responsibilities.  I have not just tried to help them get a job, but share knowledge and resources that will help them keep a job and have a successful and fulfilling career.  I am pleased to say there are many other faculty and staff at LCC who share this same kind of commitment to others. 

Also, I hope I have brought some joy to the job for my coworkers and colleagues.  I try to say "Happy (fill in the blank)," every day.  For example, I will say Happy Monday (or as I like to call it, Happy Friday Eve, Eve, Eve, Eve!), Happy Payday Friday, Happy First Day of the Semester, etc.

What are you looking forward to in your retirement? What plans are you most excited for?

God willing, I look forward to spending time with my two sons and their families, especially my six grandchildren: Grace, Tristan, Fiona, Alexis, Rhys, and Cameron.  None of them live close (one family is in Lapeer, MI and the other family in Cordova, TN near Memphis), so it has been difficult spending time with them.  My two oldest grandchildren are both 16 now and I want to spend some time with them before they head out into the world on their own.  I also hope to do some traveling and visit places I have never seen in person and visiting with extended family in Michigan, Virginia, Florida, Texas, and California.  I also have a lot of projects around my house I am looking forward to completing!

I am also excited to know I am leaving with someone (Kelsey Lorichon, my direct colleague) who can carry the torch forward.  Kelsey has been an amazing coworker these past three years.

Supervisor: Dennis Pipper

What's your favorite memory of this employee? Do you have any other positive thoughts to share about this individual?

I have known Wyn for his entire time at LCC - as a coworker in Computer Information Technologies Program and now, as his final supervisor.

Wyn has been one of those rare colleagues who makes the work look easy and everyone around him better for it. He can walk into a room full of strangers and walk out with three new contacts, a new lunch invite, and a story to tell. That same gift is exactly what made him so effective with students and employers.

His care for students is genuine, and they knew it. You can't fake that.

On a personal note, I'm going to miss having him down the hall; partly because he's good at what he does, and partly because he always had a story ready whether I had time for it or not :-)

Now he gets to redirect all of that energy toward six grandkids, which by my calculation is a full-time job with overtime and and I hear the benefits are fantastic! Retirement is probably going to keep him busier than he expects.

Wyn, you've given a lot to Technical Careers Division and to LCC. That doesn't go unnoticed. Enjoy every minute of what comes next, you've earned it.