Michigan College Access Network announces 14 College Access Impact Award Winners

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — Michigan College Access Network honored college access and success champions from across the state Nov. 6 at its 13th annual conference. The 2024 College Access Impact Awards recognized 14 people and organizations that are positively impacting college access and attainment in Michigan. This year’s conference, held at the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort in Mount Pleasant, was themed Celebrating Wins and Learning from Losses.

“The College Access Impact Awards applaud the exceptional work of individuals and organizations to improve postsecondary attainment. The awardees are essential in helping us open doors for Michigan students, especially low-income students, first-generation college-going students, and students of color,” said Ryan Fewins-Bliss, MCAN executive director. “This year’s awardees represent collaborative efforts across many sectors, including K-12, higher education, policy and advocacy, student support, and workforce development, all to meet Michigan’s Sixty by 30 goal.”

THE COMPASS AWARD

Senator Darrin Camilleri, 4th District (D-Trenton)
The recipient of this award is an individual or organization that has launched and/or championed bold proposals focused on increasing Michigan’s postsecondary attainment rate. MCAN is proud to present Senator Darrin Camilleri with the Compass Award for his tireless work to support postsecondary access and attainment. Sen. Camilleri introduced the Michigan Universal FAFSA Completion Bill in August 2023 and worked to get it passed in the Senate. This bill, SB463, promotes universal Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion for all high school seniors. MCAN values Sen. Camilleri’s leadership as Chair of the Senate Pre-K-12 Appropriations Subcommittee and his passionate support for increased and more equitable funding, innovative programming and support for teachers.

"As a former teacher and the first in my family to attend college, my time in the legislature has been focused on expanding access to higher education. For many students, a quality public education is their best path to attending college, and as Chair of the K-12 Budget Committee in the State Senate, I've overseen the largest education budget in Michigan's history, providing free breakfast and lunch to all students and creating an opportunity index to invest extra state dollars in the school districts that need them most. I've also championed SB463 – legislation to make FAFSA a universal graduation requirement. MCAN has been a fantastic partner on these initiatives, and I look forward to our continued collaboration in the future." – Sen. Darrin Camilleri, 4th District (D-Trenton)

THE OMBUDSMAN AWARD

• AdviseMI: Spencer Hickey, Three Rivers High School
• College Completion Corps: Andrew Jordan, Bay College
• Michigan College Advising Corps: Gina Dossantos, Western International High School
• Michigan State University College Advising Corps: Holly Iseler, Yale High School

MCAN values the leadership and service of AmeriCorps members serving as college advisers and college completion coaches across the state. This award honors a member from each Michigan corps — AdviseMI, Michigan State University College Advising Corps, Michigan College Advising Corps and College Completion Corps — to recognize their passion for college access and success.

• The AdviseMI awardee is Spencer Hickey, who served for two years at Three Rivers High School. Hickey’s outspoken and positive presence has left a lasting impact on the school’s students and the other advisers. They saw improvements in student attendance at college fairs, college tours and college representative visits. Hickey offered individualized support to students and parents to lessen anxiety around paying for college. They held one-on-one meetings with all 136 students in the school’s senior class, who all submitted at least one college application.

"Working with MCAN, AmeriCorps and Three Rivers High School has been a wonderful experience. It has helped me learn and grow as I was able to help high school students on their journey of self-discovery and growth." – Spencer Hickey, AdviseMI

• The College Completion Corps winner is Andrew Jordan, a College Completion Coach at Bay College. Jordan worked to proactively contact students close to graduation to identify gaps or barriers in their journey and build innovative solutions, leading to significant systemic changes on campus. During the 2023-24 school year, Andrew held 340 one-on-one coaching sessions with 94 unique students, and nearly 71% of his cohort completed the FAFSA.

“The wonderful educators I met during my college experience helped me grow so much as a student and person. It has been so rewarding to pay that forward by being a point of support for my own students. As an AmeriCorps alum, I want to continue finding ways to encourage people in my community to be passionate about their education, because I know how transformative that can be.” – Andrew Jordan, College Completion Corps

• The Michigan College Advising Corps winner is Gina Dossantos, an adviser at Western International High School. Dossantos established herself with student-centric work that built trust, engagement and wraparound support for the students. Internally, Dossantos was a key organizer for a monthly convening of MCAC and school leadership with external college access partners. Dossantos held 766 meetings with students, the highest amount in the corps, and seniors earned an outstanding $770,674 in institutional aid.

“I learned what being an advocate means because of this job, and I’ll always be grateful for that.” – Gina Dossantos, Michigan College Advising Corps

• The Michigan State University College Advising Corps honoree is Holly Iseler, who served at Yale High School. Iseler worked to transform the college-going culture at her school and community through scholarships, grants and innovative advising, resulting in beneficial partnerships for her rural students. The school now holds an annual college and trades fair. Iseler advocated for and utilized a trauma-informed approach to her advising practice, sharing valuable insights from her mental health training. Iseler is proud to transition to a teaching role at Yale High School in the fall.

“I am honored to be a recipient of the 2024 Ombudsman Award and to have worked with MSUCAC as a college adviser. Getting the chance to support my community in any way is amazing, and I am even more grateful that I am continuing this work at Yale High School to further provide resources to our students.” – Holly Iseler, Michigan State University College Advising Corps

THE ENDURANCE AWARD

Delta College
The recipient of this award is an institution leader or a college/university that has been exemplary in advancing innovative ways to expand access, build critical relationships in the region and support student persistence and completion. Delta College exemplifies a proactive postsecondary campus fully dedicated to student success and achievement. Delta College implemented a review process that revamps all student forms to remove redundancies and improve efficiencies. The school embraces equity and social justice through its Belonging, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (BEDI) Services Division. Delta College President, Mike Gavin, PhD, expresses his conviction that community colleges have the capacity to eliminate societal inequities and is devoted to eliminating opportunity gaps for underserved students.

“We are very pleased to be presented with the MCAN Endurance Award. In partnership with MCAN and through our strategic plan, Delta College has increased fall to fall retention, raised completion rates and narrowed equity gaps. This award is a celebration of how far we’ve come, but our work is not complete. Delta, like all community colleges across the state and nation, has the capacity to reshape society through open access education, equity and teaching excellence.”  – Dr. Michael Gavin, President, Delta College

THE FLAGSHIP AWARD

Ostego Career Access Network
The recipient of this award is an individual or organization that has provided leadership in the creation of effective alliances focused on postsecondary attainment. MCAN presented the 2024 Flagship Award to Otsego Career Access Network for modeling the ideal design and strategy for Local College Access Networks. OCAN focuses on systems change by asking the right questions and bringing the right people to the table to tackle college access issues and barriers, as well as actively engaging with community partners during MCAN’s Educated Workforce Summit.

“Otsego Career Access Network's success is a direct reflection of the productive relationships our leadership team has with MCAN, local schools, organizations and employers. As a team, we are committed to building a bridge to higher education for each and every Otsego County resident that has a desire to obtain a post-high school credential or degree. OCAN is honored to receive the Flagship Award and will continue to implement strategies that support Otsego County as a great place to work, learn and grow.”  – Brian Pearson, Coordinator, Otsego Career Access Network

THE CHUCK WILBUR PROMISE KEEPER AWARD

• Senator Sarah Anthony, 21st District (D-Lansing)
• Senator Rosemary Bayer, 13th District (D-West Bloomfield)

The Michigan Promise Zones Association bestows The Chuck Wilbur Promise Keeper Award to individuals or organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to community-based programs using Promise Scholarships to expand educational opportunity and promote economic development. This year, MPZA and MCAN recognize Sen. Sarah Anthony and Sen. Rosemary Bayer. The monumental signing of Senate Bills 350 and 555 modifying Michigan's Promise Zone Authority Act allows Promise Zones to fund student expenses beyond tuition and mandatory fees and include college success initiatives. Sens. Anthony and Bayer were instrumental in these new legislative changes affecting all Promise Zones statewide. It was their hard work and bill sponsorship that created the flexibility and opportunity for scholarship programs to fully address student needs.

“I am proud to represent a state that is doing the work to ensure everyone has access to a high-quality education that spans from cradle to career. Promise Zones play an integral part of our Sixty by 30 strategy, and these scholarships have become an invaluable tool for Michigan students over the last two decades. To this day, we remain the only state      actively promoting and expanding a program like the Michigan Promise Zones. As former deputy director at MCAN, I am honored to receive this award and remain committed to doing everything I can to support and develop Michigan’s Promise Zones and improve opportunities for Michigan’s youth.” – Sen. Sarah Anthony, 21st District (D-Lansing)

"Our Michigan Promise Zones, with their proven track record, are critical to the success of Sixty by 30 because they bring postsecondary opportunities into communities that are often underserved or overlooked. I'm fortunate that I was able to bring improvement to the Promise Zone system — change that recognizes the broader set of needs for students in Promise Zones, to make sure we address those and keep our promise to give our students a real opportunity to succeed! Combined with the Community College Guarantee, we are making it possible for all Promise Zone students to successfully navigate all the barriers and achieve their postsecondary goals." – Sen. Rosemary Bayer, 13th District (D-West Bloomfield)

THE PASSPORT AWARD

Carlotta R. Prince, PhD, Dearborn Heights School District (Annapolis High School)
The recipient of this award is an individual school counselor or school counseling program that has made significant strides in advancing the college readiness and enrollment supports and services provided to students. The 2024 recipient is Carlotta R. Prince, PhD, of Dearborn Heights School District No. 7, who is beginning her 16th year as an educator and 13th year as a school counselor. Prince’s goal is to help high school students confidently and successfully navigate the college-going process. Prince is a Certified FAFSA Specialist and Summer Educator FAFSA Specialist. She is also a graduate of the MCAN School Counselor Fellows program.

“I am deeply honored to receive this award and grateful for the recognition of the work we are doing to empower our students. My commitment is to ensure every student has the opportunity for postsecondary success, to achieve their dreams, and to make a lasting impact. Together we are building a foundation for future generations, shaping a brighter future one student at a time.” – Carlotta R. Prince, PhD, Annapolis High School

THE CATALYST AWARD

Howell Public Schools
The recipient of this award is a school or district that has advanced the college-going culture and/or tackled systems-level change within the school/district community. Howell Public Schools, which serves nearly 7,000 students, has a vision for "future ready" students and works diligently to prioritize postsecondary awareness, access and opportunity beginning well before high school. Howell Public Schools utilizes reflective leaders and practitioners, leverages key partnerships and understands the collective responsibility of the entire community to uphold its college-going culture. Its annual Decision Day event is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the state.

"While we are honored to be recognized, we'd like to thank our entire team at Howell Public Schools. It takes a team effort, and we are fortunate to work with a strong team that includes collaboration from our LESA, our ISD, central office, building administrators, school counseling team, classroom teachers and community partners. We truly are #OneHowell!"  – Jason Schrock, Principal, Howell High School

THE CONNECTIVITY AWARD

Youth Solutions
The recipient of this award is an organization that has significantly contributed to the college access field through direct service in their community/region. Youth Solutions was the first recipient of MCAN’s 10/10/10 birthday grants in August 2020 to support Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates. Its mission is to equip young people with the skills to overcome barriers and succeed in education, employment and in life. Since its founding in 2008, Youth Solutions has grown into a powerful nonprofit dedicated to ensuring every youth in Michigan has access to career-focused education. Youth Solutions is driven by collaboration, excellent outcomes, transformational leadership and student success.

“Youth Solutions is extremely proud to receive MCAN’s Connectivity Award and to be recognized for the work we, and our partners, have done for over 15 years to transform the lives of over 39,000 youth across Michigan. This award represents not only the past, but even more so the future, as we continue to strive to ensure every Michigan youth has access to high-quality, career-focused education and graduates high school with the essential skills and an actionable plan for a successful postsecondary pathway.” – Roger Curtis, CEO, Youth Solutions

THE PATHWAY AWARD

Michigan Works! Association
The recipient of this new award is a workforce agency or employer for an innovative project, strategy or initiative that connects K-12, higher education and workforce partners in support of the Sixty by 30 goal. Michigan Works! Association is the inaugural honoree for this award. Michigan Works! Association has been instrumental in building partnerships between workforce development and postsecondary education across the state. Additionally, many MWA agency staffers have completed MCAN training to become Certified FAFSA Specialists, helping students expand their career options through postsecondary education. We thank MWA for their commitment to students and Michigan’s workforce, ultimately contributing to the betterment of all Michigan residents.

"The Michigan Works! Association is honored to receive the inaugural Pathway Award from the Michigan College Access Network. This award recognizes the power of collaboration across education and workforce sectors, and our commitment to creating equitable pathways to higher education and career success for Michigan’s students. We look forward to continuing our work toward the Sixty by 30 goal, ensuring more Michiganders achieve their educational and professional aspirations.” – Ryan Hundt, CEO, Michigan Works! Association 

THE BRANDY JOHNSON BOARD OF DIRECTORS AWARD

Amy Smitter, ACT’s Center for Equity in Learning
To celebrate MCAN's fifth anniversary in 2015, the board of directors created an award that they may present when the occasion arises but is not necessarily given each year. In 2019, it was named in honor of MCAN founder and former executive director Brandy Johnson. This award is given to an individual or organization that has particularly supported MCAN's mission and the Sixty by 30 Goal. This year, MCAN is thrilled to award Amy Smitter, program director of philanthropic engagement at ACT’s Center for Equity in Learning and founding MCAN board member. Smitter has been active in education and equity work through Camp Quality Michigan, Habitat for Humanity Michigan, Campus Compact, Safe & Just Michigan and ACT. On the MCAN board, Smitter has been a consistent voice for equity and a champion for students. MCAN thanks Smitter for her 14 years of service on its Board of Directors.

“So many people contribute to helping Michiganders actualize their educational and workplace dreams, I am humbled to be selected.” – Amy Smitter, Program Director, Philanthropic Engagement, ACT’s Center for Equity in Learning

To learn more about MCAN’s College Access Impact Awards, visit micollegeaccess.org/awards.