Zackery Christianson is a graduate of the Corrections Officer Certificate Program at Bay College and is currently employed with the Michigan Department of Corrections, Marquette Branch Prison. Zack was hired right out of Bay’s first ever Corrections Academy, and he got to choose the prison he wanted to work in. Zack was an exceptional student and cadet, and was nominated by his peers to...

Traci Hallmann did not always want to be a welder. Before moving to the Upper Peninsula with her husband, she worked in plastic injection manufacturing. Once they had moved, she realized there were few job opportunities for that method of manufacturing in the area. At the time, Traci’s husband was enrolled in Bay College’s welding program. One day, she saw her husband welding out in the...

Amber La Casse, an Escanaba, MI native, began her journey at Bay College in fall of 2013. She graduated in spring 2016 with two Associate in Applied Science Degrees in both Marketing and Business, along with a Certificate in Entrepreneurial Small Business. Before graduation, Amber got a job offer to work with Fastenal, the largest fastener distributor in North America. She made the big move to...

Ryan Valiquette graduated from Bay College in 2007 with an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) Degree in Computer Systems Technology and was named the Outstanding Graduate for the Technology Division. He continued his education through Lake Superior State University in the 3 + 1 transfer program, where he completed 3 years at Bay and transferred 84 credits to LSSU. Ryan obtained his Bachelor of...

“Bay College gave me the ability to propel my career reinvention!” Brayden Whitman was a business owner in Oregon for many years. When he moved to the U.P. he was faced with the challenge of reinventing his life – and his career. He saw Bay College as an opportunity to start down a new path, and began classes shortly after. In May 2016, Brayden graduated with both his Licensed Practical...

Dr. Matt Smith, from Gladstone, MI, enrolled at Bay College in fall of 2001. He started on the path to become a teacher, but after his first semester he changed to pre-pharmacy curriculum. Matt utilized the pre-requisite path for Ferris State University and was able to complete the entire undergraduate program at Bay, which was a huge cost savings for him. “The small class sizes allowed a lot...

Amanda Bink is a graduate of Escanaba High School and graduated from Bay College with her Associate in Science degree in Pre-Engineering in May 2016. She was chosen for the 2016 Outstanding Math/Science Graduate by her educators for her academic excellence, leadership, and community service. While in the Pre-Engineering program, Amanda took advanced math courses including Calculus I-III,...

Jesse Goudreau began his journey at Bay College in fall of 2014 and graduated in spring 2016 with his Associate in Arts (AA) degree. At Bay, he developed a passion for art and was able to challenge himself to become a better artist and expand his creativity. “You’re able to get on a personal level with the instructors at Bay,” says Goudreau on his experience there. “When I was struggling...