Don MacMaster

Now that our second annual “once in a lifetime” ice storm has finally let go of its grip, I’d like to shine a spotlight on three recent accomplishments at ACC that merit wider recognition. The write-up below on Esports is courtesy of ACC Athletic Director Allen Telgenhof.

Esports Thriving at Alpena Community College

Esports at Alpena Community College isn’t just about video games. It’s about students finding a place to belong, compete, and grow — and this year, new coach Aaron Guitar brought in seven Lumberjacks into the program. ACC fields two Esports teams competing in the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC), one of the country’s premier collegiate Esports organizations. One squad competes in Rocket League — a fast-paced team competition that blends soccer strategy with rocket-powered vehicles. The other competes in Rainbow Six Siege, a team tactical shooter requiring precise communication and split-second decision-making. What makes the Rocket League team particularly unique: all three players — Charlie Best, Max McCarty, and Isaac Zocco — are also members of the ACC baseball team, making them genuine dual-sport collegiate athletes.

This week, that squad delivered one of the most dramatic results in program history. As the seventh seed in NECC East Division 8, ACC knocked off No. 2 Seton Hill University of Pennsylvania in a seven-game series — erasing a 2-0 deficit and winning four straight to advance to the divisional semifinals. A true March Madness moment. Freshman Isaac Zocco, who had six assists and the series-clinching goal, said it best: “It means a lot to represent ACC — the school that took a chance on me — and be a dual-sport athlete here. The chemistry we have built is unlike any other I’ve been a part of.”

“Competing for ACC in Esports has taken something I’ve always loved and made it much bigger,” added Charlie Best, a Utility Tech student and standout gamer. “What started as just playing games with friends has grown into a more intense and competitive experience against other collegiate teams. It has felt so rewarding to see something I once thought of as “just a game” become something I can take pride in.”

Looking ahead, Coach Guitar and the program have a deliberate goal of expanding Esports to students with physical disabilities and bringing in athletes that would otherwise not be attending ACC — ensuring the thrill of collegiate competition is available to every student who wants it. That inclusion is exactly what makes Esports such a meaningful addition to ACC.

ACC Phi Theta Kappa Award Winner Receives National Recognition

I recently received the delightful letter below from the President and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa nationally recognizing Valerie Binge, a 13th year ACC Early College student from Atlanta, with national Phi Theta Kappa recognition as a 2026 Coca Cola Academic Team

Scholar. Most years only one Phi Theta Kappa awardee per state earns the Coca-Cola scholarship. Considering that almost every one of Michigan’s 28 community colleges maintains a Phi Theta Kappa chapter to recognize student academic and community service excellence, this recognition is rare and significant. After ACC Valerie says she plans to transfer to Saginaw Valley State University to become a teacher. Great job, Valerie!

Dear President MacMaster,

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society www.ptk.org< ACC Receives MiLEAP Hunger-Free Campus Activities Grant

Alpena Community College recently received a $99,700 Hunger-Free Campus Activities Grant from the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP). The grant will support upgrades in ACC’s food pantry operations. It will include service enhancement across four locations: Besser Technical Center, Van Lare Hall, College Park Apartments, and Oscoda Campus. The grant targets seven main priorities to help students navigate food insecurity:

1- installation of commercial-grade refrigeration and freezer units to increase access to fresh and perishable food.

2- an ID-based access and utilization tracking system at each site, including badge-access hardware, secure entry integration, and reporting configuration that will allow independent student access without staff mediation.

3- expanded hours of availability with time-stamped, aggregated data to monitor demand, guide inventory planning, reduce waste, and ensure equitable access.

4- $5,000 in cafeteria meal vouchers distributed through advising, student services, and the ACC Foundation for students experiencing acute food insecurity.

5 – formal integration of SNAP awareness and referral support in partnership with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

6- establishment of a cross-functional Hunger Task Force and administration of baseline and follow-up food insecurity assessments using the USDA 6-item module.

7- delivery of at least four educational workshops on budgeting, meal planning, and effective use of pantry resources. A minimum of 100 students will be served by grant funding. The grant-funded activities will create a coordinated, data-informed system with defined processes, measurable outcomes, and ongoing institutional oversight to support student retention and success.

Despite ACC stocking a food pantry with generous community support open to students for the past nine years, feedback from student focus groups continues to identify food insecurity as a significant ongoing barrier to their success. Kudos to ACC staffers Lisa Blumenthal, Kristen Wisniewski, and Dawn Stone for their vision in support of student success and productive work to obtain the resources to address this challenge. Some say it takes a village to raise a child or that a rising tide lifts all boats. At ACC we align with this aphorism.

What can we do today to help students succeed?