This Saturday, Alpena Community College will celebrate 70 years of service. The college’s Board of Trustees, administration, faculty, staff, and volunteers beginning at 1 p.m. will host an open house kicking off with an anniversary celebration at a hospitality tent located on the Johnson Street campus.

In 1947 with a vision to establish a regional junior college, Dr. Russell Wilson and other community leaders created a higher education vision for northeastern Michigan.

ACC began its educational approach on Sept. 15, 1952. The classes were conducted at the Alpena High School, then located on Second Avenue. The first class had 133 students.

Ground was broken on the first campus building, Central Hall (later named Van Lare Hall), in 1957 on land donated by Jesse Besser, along with the city and county of Alpena. The cost to construct the building and fill it with requisite equipment was approximately $575,000. Van Lare Hall opened in September of 1958.

In the early years, ACC was an integral part of the Alpena Public School system. A November 1980 milage election created ACC as its own educational institution.

According to data provided by ACC, over the past 70 years nearly 19,000 associate degrees and certificates have been awarded to northeastern Michigan, United States, and international residents. In addition, over 15,500 of these are unique graduates with a degree and multiple certificates.

Established in 1982 the Alpena Community College Foundation has awarded more than

$3 million in student scholarships. In addition, the ACC Foundation has supported the college with more than $8.1 million for the college’s curriculum and multi-campus infrastructure.

With a 690-acre Alpena campus and an Oscoda campus, which opened in 1969, the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program cited ACC as one of the nation’s top 150 community colleges. Across the nation there are over 935 community colleges.

Across Michigan’s two peninsulas, the state has 28 community colleges. According to data assembled by the Center for Educational Performance and Information, ACC has the highest graduate rate (nearly 36%) as compared to the cumulative rate of the other 27 colleges (at under 23%).

Recent ACC data indicates the dual and early college enrollment of high school students into college curriculum continues to be significant in numbers. In addition, the college’s annual student enrollment age has transitioned from 25.5 years in 2010 to 20.8 in 2020. Both of these statistics mean younger students are rapidly “on the road” to a formal education or technical skill.

ACC’s curriculum has evolved over the decades to serve the market and student’s needs. Designed around a traditional associate degree the college has further developed unique courses and facilities. For example, courses within health care, concrete technology, manufacturing, public safety, utility/lineperson, and arbor (tree) services.

A positive aspect, many former students stay in northeastern Michigan and within the state of Michigan. Without a doubt ACC will continue to develop future creative programs.

I am fortunate to be an ACC graduate. The college was my launching pad into a graduate degree and subsequent post graduate studies which directed me into military service and three decades in health care administration.

I know I am not alone with ACC credentials. Thousands more will follow me.

I maintain numerous relationships with fellow ACC graduates.

One of my favorite memories was during my second year. A number of students were from Kuwait. As I interviewed them for a Lumberjack college newspaper story I inquired “How did you come to ACC?” Their response, “ACC was early on the alphabetical list of colleges profiled.”

My wife, Penny and I hope to see you on Saturday. Penny is also a community college graduate which launched her into a meaningful LMSW management career.

Jeffrey D. Brasie is retired health care CEO and frequently writes op-eds and feature stories. He is a former Alpena resident and resides in suburban Detroit and is a U.S. Navy and U.S. Navy Reserve veteran.