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Welcome to Community Convos, a podcast and radio program from lcc. Connect with conversations about what's happening in Lansing and around mid Michigan. Hey, this is Dadalion, back on the convo once again. And joining me in the studio today is Tina Nguyen. She is the marketing and membership manager for Fenner Nature Center. That of course, being located on East Mount Hope and Aurelius and Lansing. Fenner is an educational Environmental center with 134 acres of green space available to explore. I did not know it was that much.

yeah, yeah, there's over four miles of trails to explore and it's just so fantastic if you get a chance to go out there to really see all of the animals out at specific times of the day. I think it's just a really unique place.

Open year round too, right?

Yes, it is open year round most of the year. We have public programs. We have summer camps that are eight weeks long. We even have a nature preschool down the street.

Very cool. Well, we're already diving right into Fenner, but I want you to take a little bit of time, introduce yourself, tell us exactly what it is that you do at Fenner and how long have you been there and how you became involved.

Okay. Well, hello everyone. My name is Tina. I am the marketing and membership manager at Fenner Nature Center. I have been at Fenner Nature center for we two years, but it's felt like a really long time and I've learned so much. I work with an incredible group of educators and people who care deeply about connecting people to nature through conservation, education, education, stewardship. And I really got involved because I care so deeply about storytelling. That's really. You could probably tell from the conversations we've had already. I care so deeply about the community and really getting people involved in all the amazing things happening in Lansing. And I just so happened to place myself at Fenner.

Right, right, right. Yeah, yeah. Tina and I did quite a bit of chatting ahead of time, even before we even got on Mike here. And you've been an absolute pleasure to talk to, but we of course want to talk specifically about the Maple Syrup Festival. It's going to be taking place March 21st and 22nd this year. For someone who's never been to it before, what can they expect?

Great question. So this festival has had so many different versions of it, but we have celebrated the Maple Syrup Festival at fenner for over 50 years now. That's over five decades of environmental education. Wow. And I think that every year there's a little different activities. There's different celebrations. You know, we have like maple cream demonstrations at the last one, which I don't think was at the ones before that. But it's an incredible way for people to come out and get to know the space, whether or not they are very connected to nature or not. I think there's a little bit of something for everyone. Sometimes people ask me, how do people connect to nature there? And my answer to that is, it's different. It's different. Everyone come out and see what works, what they connect with most. There's so many different ways, but a lot of people don't realize that Fetter Nature center is a free and public accessible green space for them in the heart of Lansing.

That's a very cool place to visit. And I try to get there almost every summer for sure. Winter occasionally I'll get out there fall definitely, because it's gorgeous at that time of the year. But the maple syrup festival, of course, a unique event in that what? It would probably only happen around this time of the year, am I correct?

That's right. I mean, that's a great thing that you brought up because it's kind of towards the end of winter and kind of starting the beginning of spring, and that's the perfect time for SAP to flow.

Okay.

So this is just a great opportunity if people love maple syrup or want to know more about maple syrup, to see how it's produced, how it's collected, and really see like firsthand, like hands on doing everything. They can even tap the trees themselves, learn about the traditional sugaring methods even. I didn't know so much about it before I started working at Fenner. So I would highly recommend going out and just checking it out. We have like all you can eat pancakes and then we have so many different themed treats.

When people come out to the festival, do you feel like they're there mostly for the experience, learning something new like you just talked about, or does it seem to be more like a family tradition for some people?

I think it's a little bit of both. There are people who have showed me pictures of them at our festivals, like the first, you know, like very early years all the way to now. It's such a fun tradition for them. I think Fenner is a safe and like a happy place for a lot of families who have told me all of their stories. I learned through them, really. And then there are people who want to try some maple cream, they want to try maple cotton candy, my personal favorite, maple root beer. There's so many fun themed treats there. And hey, you can't really say no to all. You can eat pancakes.

Yeah, no, no, I'm pancakes. I'm all about it. Yeah, it sounds delicious. And I honestly have never tried maple root beer, so I'd be curious to try that myself. Like I said, this is partly a learning experience for people. And I know you've only been there at Fenner for a short time, but did you ever kind of go through it and you see a kid's face where they kind of got what was happening and they go, oh, neat.

Yes. Actually, I had a moment last year when I was teaching in the maple grove, and what's cool is that it kept happening. So, you know, like, you're really getting a connection there.

Yeah.

And I was asking people a simple question. I was standing next to the bucket where the tree is tapped, and I asked them, do you know what maple SAP looks like? And I will ask you, dadalyn, do you know how much percentage of sugar is in maple SAP?

I do not. If I had to take a guess, I will say 80% lower. Really?

30.

Lower.

Seriously?

10% lower.

3%.

So there's 2%. You're very close.

2%.

Really?

2% sugar and maple syrup.

Really?

Yeah. And 98% of it is water. So when I opened the lid of the bucket, people are like, oh, like, you know, like, the expressions on their face, the way that they responded was really a connection point for me because people don't realize that maple SAP looks just like water.

Yeah.

And so what's incredible about the maple syrup festival and what's so special about maple syrup is that it is a very time consuming process and a very long and respected process. To be like, boil that SAP into maple syrup. It takes anywhere. It really depends on how much SAP you have, but anywhere between 8 to 20 hours just to boil it down to that consistency of syrup.

Okay.

And when people taste. I've had them actually taste it, and I'm like, what does it taste like?

And when you're saying that, you're saying that tasting that directly from the tree.

Yeah. So it will drip from the spill. It tastes like water. But if you've had coconut water, it's kind of has a little hint of sweetness, but just very, very like. Yeah, it's very subtle. So when we're talking about turning SAP into syrup, which is called the sugaring process, this is what the festival is all about. You know, like, there's so many reasons people come out, but when people get the chance to really see how food gets to their Table and the long process that it takes, then they really appreciate it just that much more. So I loved seeing everyone's faces and them seeing, like, wow, that's what SAP looks like. It's just a bucket of water.

Right.

I loved getting a chance. And then also, there's actually very strict legal guidelines on what is considered maple syrup. So it's around 66% sugar level until it's considered maple syrup.

Okay.

Yeah. So it's all these interesting facts about maple syrup that I wouldn't have known before I started.

Now, do you happen to know why it goes from the watery look from the tree to more of a brown vibe, I guess, when it comes out of your bottle of syrup that you might purchase at the store?

Yeah, that's such a good question. Do you have Scientifically, I personally need to learn more about that. I haven't had a chance. But I do know that they're really specific about that. They use, like, an actual tool to check the density to make sure that it does match exactly around 66%. Otherwise, it's not considered maple syrup. And some people are really serious about that.

Gotcha. Okay.

You're the marketing and membership manager. So from your perspective, what's something that a lot of folks wouldn't know about? Making a weekend like this work.

Oh, boy. So we're a nonprofit, and we have a small team. People don't realize that we rely a lot on our volunteers, who are really great people who come out and invest their time into giving back to the community, take the time out of their day to come out and make these festivals possible. But not only that, the maple syrup festival, even though it's in March, we start planning for that months and months beforehand. You know, it could be anywhere between December to January. We're already thinking about it. So when every single person comes out, you know, it means so much to us. Whether they are there for just pancakes or they're going on a walk on the trails. They're getting a jar of maple syrup to support our mission. I think that I would want people to know that no matter what they're coming out there for, it means so much when they come out. It makes everything we do worth it.

Yeah.

Very good. You probably have repeat volunteers each and every year. What do you think makes them come back for something like this?

Gosh, I believe. I would hope that they're just enjoying spending time there. We take it very seriously. All of our volunteers mean so much to us. We have an incredible volunteer and stewardship coordinator who really personalizes his communication with every single volunteer, make sure they feel welcome to the space and comfortable with whatever they're doing. But I think what differentiates us really, is that we make sure that every volunteer who comes out, whatever they're helping us with, they want to do it.

Yeah.

So we're not just placing them anywhere. We ask them, what do you want to do? What are your interests? And that could be anything from helping us with, like, the native plant garden, like, you know, in other parts of the year, to managing invasive species during our stewardship day series. So the volunteers are really the heart of the festival. It would not be possible without them.

Anything like this.

Yeah.

Are you still in need of volunteers at this point?

Absolutely.

How would somebody get involved if they

wanted to do that?

Visit us@mynaturecenter.org There should be a volunteer portal there. If you want to help us out at the Maple Syrup Festival. And. And if you're just interested in volunteering in general, whether if you're a student or interested just to come out on the weekends, there is an opportunity for you. There's different things to do all year round.

Very cool. I did want to ask you about, and I am forgetting the name of the ones that do the pancakes.

Yes.

Chris Cakes.

Because this looked pretty awesome. I saw a video of this. Is it that energetic?

Yes, I said it does live up to the videos and content you see. I think it's even more energetic in person. Chris Cakes has actually been our pancake fundraiser partner for quite a few years now. And they.

It's like pancake acrobatics.

Yes. They are getting the pancake.

Yes.

Pancake flippers. So they've been known to flip the most pancakes in an hour. But what's so cool about it is their aim is actually freakishly good in a good way. You could be standing across the room with your plate and they would be. They would be able to flip it onto your plate, like, perfectly.

It is awesome.

I think the kids, even the adults, love that. It's not just getting pancakes. You're actually getting an experience where you have to catch your pancakes. So I think.

Yeah, yeah, I saw a couple of folks miss that too. So.

Yeah.

And you get a sample of the real maple syrup, too, as a part of the pancake.

Okay, so you got the pancake breakfast. The tapping of the trees. What are some of the other things that we can expect?

We have animal encounters every year, so inside the visitor center, you can meet some of our animal ambassadors who teach us so much about habitats and environmental education. And then we also have vendors, local artisans who are out. So if you want to support your local community, come on out. And in the Davis Nature Pavilion, right across from the visitor center, we will have maple syrup sales. And so that means you can buy your own maple cream or try maple tea, maple candy, and even granulated sugar, like maple sugar that people sprinkle into, like their pancake mix instead of using maple syrup. It's. There's so many things that you can try out, but those donations go back into supporting all the work we do year round with the kids and the local community.

Is a donation required just to kind of walk in and kind of look around?

No, it is not. So the admission is free, parking is free. There is a suggested $5 donation, completely optional, but helps us if you want to support us or make a donation that day. And of course there's opportunities to donate in other ways, like throughout the festival if you don't want to do it right up front right there. And there's.

Yeah.

And of course that kind of helps Fenner overall for everything that you guys do for our community and here in the area. So thanks.

Thank you. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share this event with you.

You're welcome. Tina Nguyen, she is the marketing and membership manager for Fenner Nature center. Stopping by to talk about the Maple Syrup Festival again. It's taking place March 21st, 22nd at Fenner Nature Center. If you want to find out more information, visit mynaturecenter.org and again, thanks for joining me on the convo.

Thank you.

I'd also like to than thanks Sarah Pierce from 517 Living for her assistance with this episode. To find out about Mid Michigan events or list your own event, you can always stop by the website 517living.com. You've been listening to Community Convos, a podcast from LCC Connect. Listen to this episode and others@lccconnect.com or wherever you get your podcasts. If you or someone you know would like to feature an event on Community convos, email us LCC ConnectCC.edu and thanks for joining the combo. Examining the issues and topics that affect our lives from the local level to the world stage, Listen to the programs of LCC connect anytime@lccconnect.org

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Thank you for listening to LCC Connect. I'm Paul Schwartz and I host a show called the Safety Plan. The Safety Plan is about the latest cyber scams and how to avoid them. You can catch the Safety Plan here on LCC Connect or listen anytime@lccconnect.org as

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visit lcc Edu and search Job Fair LCC Connect Voices Vibes Vision hello friends and welcome to Coach Cut's Corner. Streaming bright from Michigan's capital city, this podcast is dedicated to helping you better understand the who, the what and the why of mental performance, personal growth and Lansing Stars Baseball Coach Cuts Corner brought to you by Eyewash in collaboration with Lansing Community College. And now here's your host, Stephen Cotter.

Alright, today's going to be a solid one. I've got a friend in the studio who I've known for a few years now and this summer I finally got to be in the trenches with him. As a coach, we saw a lot together. Big wins, terrible losses and a group of athletes that just kept getting better. Welcome to Coach Cut's Corner where we challenge limits, push for greatness and develop athletes who thrive on and off the field. I built a program centered on discipline, self belief, and relentless preparation. Each week I bring you insights from my coaching journey, conversations with high performers, and lessons that drive winning habits. If you're serious about growth, whether as a player, coach, or leader, you're in the right place. Let's get after it. Last August, I sat down for a meeting that I didn't fully realize at the time would turn into a great friendship and one of the most enjoyable coaching experiences I've had outside of the game of baseball. It was with today's guest coach, Mike rehm, head coach of the 18U crash softball team. The meeting, well, that was about the possibility of working together for this past season. And what stood out to me was his humility, his willingness to learn, and the way he put his ego aside. Fast forward to this summer. 17 wins, tremendous team growth, and a championship in our final tournament. I got to see firsthand the kind of leader he is. And today we're going to talk about the journey, the ups and downs of travel, softball, and what it takes to build a strong culture in a sport that's a little like the wild west these days. Mike, welcome to the show.

Thanks for having me.

I'm glad you got a chuckle out of that. How'd you first get involved into coaching softball? Because I think you were a halfway decent baseball player.

Yeah, I played a little bit of baseball. I got into softball because the good lord blessed me with a whole lot of daughters.

That's why I think that's how I got into softball, too. You know, Delaney tried out for your team. I believe it was around 12 or 13. You. So about three years ago, somewhere in there. And I remember at the tryout first meeting, you and some of your. Some of your family, like your wife and some other people there. But I. I remember being taken back because you seem like you really had a passion for trying to help those girls. And a lot of times, what, at least what I've noticed during my time in the coaching journey is a lot of times with parents, their priority, their children. And of course, it's supposed to be. It's supposed to be, it's your children. But then the coaches that are coaching other kids kind of lose sight of everybody else that's there, and they make it the priority just to make sure their child has a great experience. And I really picked up at that first point of, like, you had to care for the girls that were on your team. You also had been coaching them for a little while. Too. Right. So what level did you start at when you got into softball coaching?

So I actually started in Travel Ball at 10U. I started at T ball with my kids. So I've went from the very beginning all the way up to 18U. Now travel ball, I dipped my toes in it at 10U. And it just kind of took off from there. I mean, I found my passion for it. And, I mean, you're absolutely right. I mean, I care about these girls deeply. And, you know, there's always that. I guess we'll call it. I don't know. There's always that stereotype of, oh, he's a dad and a coach. I have worked very hard and to fight it. Yeah. And then had many conversations, even with my own kid, of, I am your dad, but I'm not your dad on the field. And I've seen it go both ways, where they treat their own kid worse because it's their own kid, or better because it's their own kid. And I've really tried to have balance in that. When someone stands at the fence and watches our team, the only reason they know that it's my kid is the name on the back of their jersey. Outside of the way that I treat or coach them.

I really recognized it because I had also went through that in my coaching journey. Same thing. Coached our son for a long time. Got to coach him in college as we wrapped up, and now he's actually coaching here with the stars, so getting a whole. The whole gamut in there. But I saw it, because I not only saw it in others, but I saw it in myself, and I really had to. I was, like, dead set. Like, I'm gonna fight this. You know, just like what you were saying. And then through the fight, I realized that I was being harder on him than I was being on anybody else. And so then I had to come back a little bit and stop worrying about fighting it, so. And trying to just give to anybody that was in the room.

Yeah.

And so when we started coming around your program, that was one of the first things that stood out. And it stood out because I was aware of that kind of stuff and had lived both sides of it. Was there a point when you started coaching? You know, obviously, the T ball probably wasn't there, but it could have been. Was there a point when you're like, man, you know, I kind of. I like this coaching piece, you know, especially as a former player, too. Yeah.

I mean, I think if you talk to any athlete through their journey, there's always a coach that sticks out in their mind that maybe turned them off towards the sport or made a big difference in pushing them further in the sport. I had both growing up. So it really. And especially, like, you know, I laugh about your joke about travel ball being the Wild west, but it really is the wild west and the win column and the morals tend to go out the window, and a lot of coaches and programs lose focus of what's most important, and that is the players. It kind of became my mission of I want to have a very competitive culture, but I also want a good culture and that we're developing girls not just to be good ballplayers, but to be good human beings.

I want to talk about this summer a little bit, but before I talk about this summer, I wanted to speak about, like, September last year. You know, I think we got together sometime in August and we sat down and I kind of proposed to you. Hey, I've got to watch from the fence for a couple seasons, and I've got a couple ideas. And I think these ideas might help. And you were more than willing to say, I'll gladly listen. I thought that was pretty cool. And when I started helping, as I said before, I think we started in September, and I remember the first practice and sitting there, and we're talking about some of the things we're going to try to chase, some of the things we're going to try to look at, and basically speaking to them about how important competing on the field and off the field is winning in life. And I remember having points in that first practice thinking to myself, what am I doing here? You know, I've got a program and, you know, there's a lot of players in our program and a lot of dedicated players in our program. But, you know, there's. There's a lot going on with that. And I just thought, man, this is so different. And I'm sure we'll get into it because I know I'm going to ask some questions about it. But a lot of times I'd heard that the sports are so different, and as I said, we'll kind of get into that piece of it. But it was interesting when I started reflecting back and we get to the summer where we'd already stacked a lot of bricks, and so you start seeing, like, some of the fruits of the labor. It wasn't perfect by any stretch, but you could see growth. And we talked about, like, the growth a lot. What was it like for you when we started this process, too? Because some of it, you had to just kind of step back and kind of see how it worked before you could even say I like that or I don't like that.

Yeah, no, I mean this year has definitely been a learning year for me. But I've always had the mindset of the day I quit learning is the day that I probably just need to be done. So, you know, that is definitely for sure. Why my answer to you of yeah, absolutely is because I'm always looking for more. Any tool I can put in my bag. So it was definitely different being the head coach and having these girls for a few years and then as we start getting into practices and stepping back and letting you go a little bit. But it was also great for me. And just like you said, reflecting, like I look back over the past year and, and honestly the growth started happening so quick and was it like earth shattering or huge? No, but being that I've been around these girls for enough years, the little things that I started to see change, that's where you start to really buy into the process. And then there in turn, that's why I went and became mpm. And it's been huge. I mean, not just for the team, but for me personally. I mean my day to day life has changed a lot and how I do things. So yeah, I mean it was awesome. It was a learning curve for me. It was a good year. I mean, you know, even if the girls didn't necessarily think it was great, I thought it was great.

Yeah. I think the stats show that it was a solid year. We saw a consistent improvement in a lot of areas. So it was a positive year. It tends to be one of those things where it's somewhat challenging when you start stacking those bricks. But the most important thing I think that we really tried to focus on not only with the team but with anybody around. It was like how important the belief system is and understanding that most people that have accomplished anything they thought they could before they accomplished it.

Yeah.

And that was some of the stuff I started seeing in like October and November, in December as we transition inside and the weather's colder and we're not outside anymore and we're in a couple cages and we're dealing with all that. It was like, you know, I, I don't know, I don't know. And I, you know, you hear a lot of the negative self talk constantly tearing themselves down. And I remember telling a few different girls, like, I'm sure that you don't talk to your friends the way you're just talking to yourself.

Right.

So what you know, why, if you're not going to do it to them, why are you going to do it to yourself? Was there any kind of turning points as you think back from that fall season to the indoor season or maybe even the summer season where you started seeing stuff click? Because as I asked that question, I was thinking about that question a little bit and trying to figure out, you know, where was the turning point on this team.

I'd say there was a few different moments. I mean, you know, towards the end of fall before we went indoors, you've seen glimmers of it. I wouldn't say that there was like a specific moment, but we started to have a lot more success towards the end of fall. Wintertime, you know, you go through that lull a little bit, but I felt like we just kept stacking bricks and continuing to push the positive of self talk. Even though it's a hard time of year for anybody, you know, you're stuck indoors. It's not the same. And there's no one that can convince me playing softball or baseball indoors is anything near the same as doing it outdoors. But for me, probably when I really feel like you could see the bricks that we had stacked and it was glaring, was our first tournament this summer and I don't know if it was a part of, you know, they had all just got done playing three months of high school ball. And as we all know, high school ball isn't always the most positive experience. That coming back as a group and you know, we didn't run right into a tournament. We took two weeks and practiced and settled back in. And I don't know if it was that culture of feeling it was a better culture, but we just kind of hit the ground running. And I mean, that was to me is where you could really see the work that we had done.

You mentioned practice, and that was something we incorporated more consistently this year before the tournament. And then I think I had a grand idea of trying to give them a little bit of a break as we were starting to roll in the season. And their athletes are. They're doing a lot more than just playing in tournaments. They're doing a lot and man, you just gotta give them a little bit of a break. And then we don't practice one week or cut it way back at the very least, and then we go to a tournament and it was a disaster. So did you see that same thing? Oh, yeah.

I mean, that one particular day of that tournament, they were, to me, they were unrecognizable.

They were as bad as bad could be.

And. And then the next day they came back out and we were back.

And we were back.

Yeah, but that. Those three games that day, I've tried to block out of my. Out of my memory a little bit.

Yeah, I think it's. It's a driver. I try to, as much as they suck, be like, oh, yeah, not going to forget that. I think as much as you're trying to black it out, I think you were not going to forget that next

summer when you say, hey, I think they need a break, I'm like, do you remember?

Yeah. There's some cognitive insights there, too, of just understanding the why. How come that happened? Well, I think I can give you some insights on why that happened and you start learning. I kind of wanted to talk about the outside noise a little bit because it's there, and it's there in the college game, it's there in the pro game, it's there in the high school and in travel ball as well. There's a lot of outside noise. There's a reason why when I started this show, I talked about it's the Wild west. And how have you learned how to handle that outside noise with. When I speak about, like, travel ball, it's parents. You're starting to get into the other noise of recruiting, and there's a lot of noise there. How have you been able to handle it when parents are coming up to you and, you know, they want to know why their daughter's not playing as much or they. Before they come to the team, they want to make sure there's a spot. And I saw you experience some noise this year, too, and just thought maybe you could speak on that a little bit.

Yeah, I mean, I think that the biggest thing is learning what requires a response and what doesn't require a response. There is a lot of noise. I mean, I think at times a lot of it's just white noise and it's just best to be ignored and not even engaged with. But, you know, I try and I feel like, you know, even prior to you joining, I am very proud of, you know, for the most part, the group of parents that we have. And we have, you know, we have, for the most part, drama free outside of normal teenage drama, which I don't consider that drama. That's just teenagers being teenagers. But, you know, I couldn't ask for a better group of parents, but that didn't happen overnight. I mean, I've had tougher situations with parents, but I feel like honesty is the best policy. And, you know, if someone comes to me and it's about playing time or, you know, is being frank about it, of, this is what it is, this is why it is. And ultimately, it's up to her, you know, the player, to change that. The other great thing about 18U is I really try not to engage with the parents as far as when it comes to a kid's playing time, it's between me and the girls. I mean, it's between us, you know, and that's where it needs to be. I mean, in the end, these young ladies are almost adults and will be out on their own before you know it. So mom and dad really doesn't need to be involved. It really should be more between us.

Yeah. And I know that we definitely saw that this season because a lot of things boil down to motivation, you know, how motivated of an athlete they are. And at the younger levels, it's typically how motivated are the parents, you know, and the kids will try to follow that suit. And if the parents are extremely motivated and the kid isn't as motivated, maybe for just. We'll just say love of the sport. They have some talent and stuff like that, but they don't love the sport. It gets pretty challenging as you get older. And, you know, we experienced that with the baseball program. And it's like, you know, you really gotta love this, because if you have some motivation and you have some love for it, you can see growth. So is there, like, one. If you could give some advice to somebody? Because I think most parents, I would assume, come at a direction of, I want to see my daughter get better. Is there any advice that you could give for somebody that says they want to see their daughter get better? What would you lay out to them? What's it going to look like? What's it going to take? Because it's more than just. It's typically more than just, well, we're going to practice or we're going to play in these tournaments. There's development that has to happen before you actually go on the field and play. And if you don't do it, then the teams tend to struggle, and then parents get mad because their daughter or son didn't get better. So is there any advice you could give on the softball side for how do I get better?

In the end, it falls on the kid.

Yes.

Love that.

I think it's often, and I know it's in baseball or softball or anything. There's a lot of parents that, whether they want to admit it or not, try to live vicariously through their kids. And that, to me, just that a lot of times, ends up being the downfall of the kid. The player has to learn to love the grind. And that is just the reality of it. And there's nothing wrong with a kid not having it. It just means that the next level may not be for that player. You know, I mean, you and I have had many conversations. It sticks out. We know who's hitting off a tee all the time or taking lessons or putting in extra work. You see it. I mean, and it sticks out. Whether they believe it or not. It is a very bright light for the girls that are watching. It shows 100% it show.

I know I've had a fair amount of people ask me, you know, what's the biggest difference between baseball and softball? And I know my answer has changed over the last year. And I really look at it like this now. I think the difference is the competition and stuff. That's all the same. The responses are different. It came down to responses that was the biggest difference between baseball and softball, the responses. And so then learning how to manage the responses, because that's a human. Doesn't matter who you are. It's still a human interaction of how do you manage that response when the tears are rolling because of failure or whatever else it might be going on. And to me, that was the biggest difference. Do you have anything that stands out for big differentiators? Because, like I said, you came from the baseball world.

No, I mean, I 100% agree with you. I mean, I'm sure you've heard. I mean, coaching boys versus girls, it's just different. I mean, I. I did coach wrestling for a little while. And so it's not like I haven't coached boys. And, you know, I know you've heard me say it. I said, when it comes to coaching girls, they have to feel good to play good. And for boys, they have to play good in order to feel good. And coaching girls, I mean. I mean, now I've been doing it long enough, and I'm sure there's been times over the past year where you're like. Like you're so mad because you didn't like the response from a girl. And I'm probably like, yeah, no, that's just. That's. That's what we deal with, Steve. We got.

We got.

We gotta adjust and go with.

With everything I did want to say on air. I certainly appreciate our relationship and everything that we've been able to do and the responses and the mental performance and everything that's been brought into the program. We have seen a lot of growth, Growth. And not only the girls, but with you and I and how we're trying to figure out some of these things when we do see, you know, the, the negatives. And I just got a couple questions for you. One is you've had somewhat of a journey before you got in coaching. You weren't just a stay at home stay right in the Lansing area that you've been here the whole time. You want to kind of bring yourself to speed where you came from.

Yeah, so I grew up in Pennsylvania. I moved to Michigan between my. Well at the start of my senior

year, which is not easy to do. Start of your senior year. Our girls have got used to moving, but you know, it's typically been like freshmen in high school, stuff like that.

Yeah, I mean, but it was all right. It was a good experience. You know, I came from Pennsylvania, I came from a very large school and then I went to a much smaller school here in Michigan. So that was definitely an adjustment. I played football, I wrestled and played baseball my senior year. Wrestling was my first love for a lot of years. And anyone that knows Pennsylvania, I mean that, that is wrestling was king in PA And I started wrestling when I was five years old and was fortunate enough. I was ranked in the nation a couple of times when I was younger and I ended up actually just kind of burning out on it. And baseball was, you know, it was always a love of mine, but never really thought of it as any more than just playing baseball, baseball. And got to Michigan and ended up getting asked to be on a Legion team. And halfway through the summer they started asking me, you ever consider playing college ball?

And you're like, what?

No. No, not really. College was a little bit of a failed journey. Big learning point, had some health issues, kind of played a factor in it too, and came back home and went to work and started a family and the rest is kind of history. And I've worked at the University of Michigan now for 20 years and. And as we've talked, it gets in the way of coaching all the time.

Stupid, stupid other jobs.

But I'm fortunate enough that it's flexible enough that I'm able to do what I do. And so.

Well, you're, you're a grinder. And like I said, I appreciate you and the girls are very lucky to have you and you're having a lot of success and it's not just on the scoreboard. And that's the stuff that's, that's going to ultimately matter. The wins and losses. They are what they are. They're just a reflection on the journey and how well you're doing or how much you need to improve. Kind of. One final question for you. If you could go back and tell your. When you started coaching at T Ball, tell your younger coaching self something, what would it be?

I would say, because this has really become a pet peeve of mine is teach these kids how to crawl and walk before you teach them how to run.

Love that. It's powerful. Yeah, I've thought about that question, too. And mine is just really, just try to be as present as you can be and enjoy the journey.

Yeah.

Because it goes fast. And whether it's in the work environment or in the coaching world, it just. It goes really fast. And the more present you can be to enjoy that piece of it, I mean, you know, you're constantly looking at, well, next year we'll be at this level, or next year we'll be at this level, you know, and it's going to be, they're going to get better and, you know, just on and on. And I think if I could go back and just, man, just enjoy it. T Ball stuff. When I was coaching, T Ball was. Was incredible. Our teams were undefeated and they told all the kids to eat broccoli. You know, we didn't keep score, but they were still undefeated. I was telling the kids, you got to go home and eat broccoli if we lose this game. You know, it's just, you know, extreme motivation at that point. But I really appreciate you coming into the WLNZ studios, and I've certainly enjoyed this journey. So thank you for being here. Thank you to everyone tuning in. Make winning in life your habit, not your goal. Excellence isn't an outcome, it's a daily standard. My mission is to build athletes and teams that compete at the highest level, not just on game day, but in every aspect of their journey. Build the right habits, lead with intent, and push yourself beyond the limits others set for you. And don't forget to cherish the small moments. They pass by in a blink of an eye. Until next time, keep stacking bricks and go stars. Coach Cutscorner is recorded live in the WLNZ studios with the Dell Lowry providing engineering and production assistance. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed today's podcast, please share it and follow us on all forms of social media. Our program has been built and maintained with the help of many great people. If you want to be part of our mission, you can donate using the link in the show. Notes below. You can learn more@coachcutter.com and more about our team@lccstars.com See you next time.

Featuring the faculty, staff, students and others that help to make Lansing's premier college what it is today. LCC Connect Mid Michigan's connection to Lansing Community College to find out more about our featured programs or to listen on demand, Visit us@lccconnect.com LCC Connect Voices vibes Vision.

Lansing Community College Performing Arts presents 1984 by George Orwell Adapted for the stage by Nick Hearn Winston Smith has been imprisoned for committing thought crimes against Big Brother. As part of his RE education, he is forced to relive key moments from his past, reenacting his mistakes alongside other thought criminals so that all may learn from his failure, especially his greatest crime of all, falling in love with Julia. George Orwell's 1984 remains a powerful and chilling vision of life under totalitarianism, set against a world of surveillance, control and fear. Featured in LCC's Dart Auditorium April 10th through the 12th and April 17th and 18th. All performances are free to attend. Visit LCC.edushowinfo for showtime details.

Keep yourself connected with what's happening in Mid Michigan by joining us for Community Convos, a show from LCC Connect where we talk with the people who put the festive in our festivals and those that give traction to our attractions. Find out who's on the convo and listen on demand@lccconnect.org

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be a part of their journey. Learn more today@uso.org returning to school can be a challenge if You're a recent high school grad, a new Michigan Reconnect participant at lcc, or a GED holder. We want to help you succeed. With extra support in reading, writing and math. LCC's Coalition for College and Career Readiness presents College Connect, a four week no cost initiative created to prepare students with the tools needed to succeed at lcc. College Connect begins in July, but seating is limited. To find deadline and enrollment information, visit lcc. Edu, cc, LCC Connect, Voices, Vibes, Vision.

Welcome to the Star Zone. I'm Patty Spagniello. From Resource Fairs geared towards our students to arts and entertainment aimed to connect with our community. Lansing Community College hosts many events throughout the year and the Star Zone gives you a rundown on what's on the way, where it's happening, and how you can get into the Zone at lcc. Hello. Today I'm joined by Graham Burke and Becca Soa. Graham Burke is the Systems and Operations Manager at the LCC Transfer center and a proud LCC alumni and a transfer student. Graham is also a technology and barbecue enthusiast, so he's going to bring us some treats later. And Becca is the Career services manager with LCC's career and employment Services. Becca has worked at LCC for 15 years and is an LCC and MSU alum. Thanks for coming on the show, guys.

Absolutely. Happy to be here.

All right, today we are here to talk about an event, the Job, Internship and Transfer Fair. Let's start out with what makes this event different.

Yeah, so I think for the students, there's both pieces upon exiting lcc, whether that's moving on to your four year institution or entering the workforce or a combination of both if a student's, you know, looking for an internship or any of those other opportunities. But it does kind of bring together the unique pieces of both being able to transfer and entering the workforce all in one space on campus.

Right.

One thing I noticed that a lot of students give feedback on is maybe they would originally intend to come to this event to look for a job or an internship, and then they find out other opportunities about transfer that maybe they didn't consider. So one of the biggest pieces that I hear is students get answers to questions that maybe they didn't even think about. And that makes me happy as a transfer center and a transfer promoter. To hear students be able to talk to multiple schools and multiple employers on the same day at the same event makes it a really unique event.

You know, I think I got ahead of myself here instead of having you maybe describe the event first. So it's all happening in Gannon on March 18, 2 to 5.

Yes.

And it'll be the second floor and the first floor. And so students, I assuming families or people who are interested in jobs even. And they don't have to be an LCC student to come, Correct?

Yeah.

Our event's open to the public. We do promote it as a community event. We obviously encourage our students to attend. But it's also open to anybody and everybody who looking for some sort of employment.

And then the melding of the two is perfect because I'm assuming some people might go to an employer and then find out, well, when you get a four year degree or when you get your two year degree, then you're more, you could be a supervisor with us or something. They're going to hear that. So then it's going to trigger like, oh, well, maybe I should go see what's going on at the academic side.

Absolutely. One thing students also say a lot is this particular event is extra valuable because when they go to look to a specific employer, you hear the students say, hey, what majors typically are you hiring out of college for these positions? And maybe they're a business major, maybe they're a communications or a marketing major. And then they leave that day thinking of two or three other majors that they may not have been considering. So the job, internship and transfer fare really works well together. And the transfer fare portion will be on the second floor just past the Star zone main hallway. And the job and internship portion will be on the first floor. You can park on any level of the Gannon ramp. But just keep that in mind. When you park, make your way to whichever level first that you prefer. And we'll be there and we'll be excited to see you.

Is registration required for this event?

It is not. It helps us speed up, check in, especially if you're not an LCC student. But you're welcome to just attend day of and we'll get you checked in and ready to go to the event.

Great. What businesses are attending and like, how does that kind of help the business? The ones that are there?

Yeah. So we have, I think 78 employers registered. We're at capacity. We actually have a wait list for the event. We have businesses from pretty much every industry. We have healthcare represented with U of M Health Sparrow, we have the insurance industries represented. So we have a little bit of everything manufacturing. So we have jobs too that you don't necessarily have to have that degree to get in as the entry point. And then we have employers who are Looking for those degree students, whether that be an associate's or bachelor's track. So it's good for everybody. And then for the employers, you know, it's one. A lot of brand recognition for students. There are a lot of great employers in the Lansing area that unfortunately our students don't just necessarily know about. Right. They aren't huge companies so they don't have the brand recognition. So it's really great for them to be able to come to campus, meet students and also I think to just get an idea of what our students are, the skills that they have. And it's really great to showcase what our students can offer in the workforce. So it's kind of a win win for everybody.

Great. You know, I had, I did a podcast a few weeks ago with the people that were hosting Big Steam and that was one of the things I'm like, I think students don't always understand what degrees, what they can do job wise. So this might help them connect those dots a little bit. Like, oh, I didn't realize that I'm, you know, I'm a geology major. I could go work for this water sanitation place and you know, whatever, take water samples and you know, figure out if there's lead or whatever. I just think that sometimes we don't connect those dots and the students, unless it's something really like big, you know, media wise, then we don't think about, geez, my workday could look like this. Wouldn't that be awesome?

You know, yeah, it's really great, I think for students that are first, second semester students too, because they do get to talk to the employers and understand what are they looking for, what are those majors that could get them a position in that company, what skills they're looking for. So it is a really great career exploration and networking tool for those students that are early on, maybe not quite ready to enter the workforce or that's just not where they're at right now. But it does allow them to explore different options and different career paths that are available here locally.

Should the students bring like a resume or what?

Yeah, we recommend bringing, you know, copies of your resume, but also it's kind of important to leave those. But it's, it's also important to bring like a notebook to put business cards, take notes on who you talk to, because a lot of times they'll be, hey, you know, send me an email the next day or whatever. And if you don't have anything to capture that information with, it can be challenging. So it is great to bring resumes to hand out. But it's also important to bring, you know, we see a lot of students bringing like, like business cards with their contact information on it instead of a full blown resume. Because a lot of times it's a follow up after. Here's my resume attached to this email. But it's capturing, you know, those conversations that you had with the employers so that you know who to connect with on LinkedIn, who to send a follow up email with, who asked you to apply online so that you can follow up promptly and efficiently once the event is over.

Great. Okay, let's switch over to the transfer side of it. So what kind of schools? I mean, I don't expect you to name them all but, but typically we

focus on our top 20 transfer destinations. Now sometimes some schools can't commit to the exact date or time, so it's typically our top 20. And I'll read through them real quick. But please visit our LCC Edu calendar page for the most up to date event attendees. But Albion, Elma, Kelvin, Central Michigan, Cleary, Davenport, Eastern Ferris State, Grand Valley, Kettering, Michigan State, Northwood University, Oakland, Saginaw Valley, University of Detroit, Mercy, University of Michigan, University of Michigan, Flint, and Wayne State and Western Michigan will be there. And so there's the 20 schools that are scheduled to be there. But again, check that website for the most up to date list.

Great. And how does this help students in terms of increasing the likelihood of their success?

Sure. I think students that come to this event can benefit from a lot of things. One, just a reminder, for all students, whether you're brand new or you're ready to transfer the next semester, this event can still benefit you don't think that, oh, I've got, you know, I've got three, four or five more semesters. I don't even want to think about that. I understand that, but it can still help you to start thinking and start planning about those things that maybe you're not thinking about. So how does it raise the success chance? I think just getting used to talking to multiple schools and universities helps you develop as a student because the more four year representatives that you talk to, the more you'll learn how those universities can help you reach your goals. Every student has their own unique educational pathway and goals. And so as you talk to more people about those goals, you'll learn more about yourself. And I think that's a big piece that maybe most students don't realize. So the takeaway there is no matter where you are on your educational journey, this can benefit you and don't be afraid to stop by. Everyone there is very friendly. They're there to help you and just keep an open mind.

And what do the four year schools, how does this help them?

Sure, it's an opportunity for them to really showcase their strengths. What programs are growing, what programs they're focusing on. You'll hear different representatives talk about, oh, our health careers building just got renovated, or we're really looking forward to these new additions to programming and undergraduate studies. And so they benefit because it gives them a chance to talk directly to LCC students, to make those connections, because at the end of the day, they're here to recruit, but at the same time, it gives them an opportunity to showcase their strengths. And so the feedback we get from them typically is that they love hearing what the students are studying. And so they want to hear your major, they want to hear how that's going, they want to hear about what the students are trying to do. And it gives them an opportunity to really kind of have that conversation.

One of the things that I think is really important and we kind of miss it now in this virtual world, but it's meeting people face to face, right?

And a big piece too. These people that you're talking to, these are our Lansing area representatives. These are the people that could potentially help you throughout the whole process until you transfer. This is not just a person you'll talk to once and you won't deal with again. And so it's pretty important to foster that communication and that relationship with that person. Because typically these people, after you meet them, after you kind of get and you have an idea that maybe you do want to transfer to that specific institution, you can reach out, email that person, call that person, leave them a voicemail, and that's the same person that you had talked to already. So that's pretty important. I think some students don't treat that as a relationship, they treat it as a transaction. And I understand that. But these are the people that are the Lansing area representatives for these schools.

What do you tell a student who's not sure what they want to go into?

Such a good question. And LCC is a wonderful place to find that out. And so I usually say a handful of things. I say first, I ask them what classes they're in and what they're enjoying. And most of the time they say, I'm doing my basics, you know, my math, my chemistry, my Composition one, my English class. And that's great because just taking those Michigan Transfer Agreement, those MTA classes, you're going to learn a lot about yourself. And so don't be afraid to take that first semester or two. You don't have to have all the answers right away. So I tell the student, just take your time, find out what really interests you and think about it, reflect on it. Maybe every week. Write down what you really enjoyed about that week with that specific class, that specific instructor. Talk to your professors a little more, talk to people in Becca's area about what industries are growing. Do a little research that if you have a general idea what major you want, start looking at those careers, what areas are growing, what jobs are requiring that degree or that program. Another big tip I tell students is when you start looking for jobs that you really want, that your end goal, like when you finish your educational path, look at those jobs, what are they requiring? Most jobs will say, oh, we're looking for a degree in X, Y and Z. Some are flexible, some aren't, but start doing those things, it's only going to benefit you long term.

Becca, are there things on your side of the house that you assist or somebody in your group assists with the whole career thought process?

Yeah, that's kind of our bread and butter. So we do have a career advising specialist. We offer career assessments, things like that, that students can take, and then those one on one conversations to kind of help with that exploration, decision making process. But we also encourage students to look at job shadows, look at doing some informational interviews with individuals, do internships. Because sometimes it's about figuring out what you don't want to do. A lot of times students come in with, you know, oh, this is what I want to do. And then they get out there and they do a shadow or they do an internship and they're like, oof, that's not for me. And that's great, that's, that's part of the process. But we, you know, we also encourage students to look at the end in mind, like what type of lifestyle do you want to live, you know, where do you want to work? Because obviously different industries are available in different locations. But we definitely encourage students to start getting those experiences early. Even if it's joining student organizations or volunteering or things like that, so that they have some experience and some insight on what it looks like in the real world as opposed to just, you know, oh, this was fun in class. How does it look to work a 40 hour week in that type of position or that industry?

That's where it gets real, right?

That's where it gets real.

And everybody wants to be rich and Be an influencer. Okay, so I'm wondering what the feedback is like. Let's start with you, Becca, on the feedback from the businesses and from the students on how they felt about the events in past years and whether or not it seems like a lot of students or community members have connected with businesses and been successful. Do we know that?

Yeah. So obviously we don't get a ton of feedback just because it's, you know, self reporting and surveys, and nobody loves to complete those. But yes, every year we do get students that come back to us and they're like, hey, I got an interview and a job because of that event, or I made this connection and got an internship because of this event. So it is happening. I think one of the things is sometimes individuals come and they think like, they're going to talk to somebody and they're going to offer them a job right on the spot. And that's not necessarily how it works, but it's building that connection, learning about the opportunities, what are the next steps, and making a good first impression so that, you know, when you do submit that app or you follow up with that resume, they call you for an interview and that then the process goes from there. But we absolutely hear that students are getting opportunities and jobs out of this event, which is why we keep doing it. And then on the employer side, this is our biggest event. We always end up with a wait list. I mean, I wish we could, you know, have an infinite amount of tables, but we're limited with space. So employers do come back. We see a lot of the same employers coming back year after year. A lot of them have attended lcc, so they do like coming back and talking to the students and kind of sharing their story. So the students realize, like, hey, I was in your shoes at one point, and this was my story, and this is how I got to where I am. And this is how we can help you. Because I do think, you know, whether they're transfer schools or employers, the individuals at these events that are recruiting at these events, they do want to talk to the students. They do want to help them. They want to share information. And even if it's not with their organization, like, help be a connection point. So I do think they like, one, recruiting and filling positions and, you know, getting the best talent they can. But also I think there's that sense of connecting with students and giving back and sharing knowledge and, you know, just helping students along the way as best they can. And it's really fun to see people that have attended LCC and They love, you know, sharing that and there's so much pride in that when they come back and start recruiting. So it's kind of a fun thing to see, especially when you can see that connection is made between a student and an employer.

Yeah, that's got to be a good feeling. That's a win.

Absolutely.

Okay, Graham, so what are you. What's the feedback that you're getting from the schools and the students?

Sure. From the students. Which makes me happy to hear. It's pretty common that a student will say, you know, I just didn't know where to start. And this was the jump start that I needed because that's the most common thing is when we receive feedback or the forms, the transfer success forms on our website is a lot of people just don't know where to start. And so that's great to hear that feedback because that gets them going. And even if they're not ready to even take that next step, at least they learn about those next steps. And then the feedback from the four years is always really good. Thanks to Becca's partnership with the job and internship portion, this is a very high traffic event. Even though we are a little limited on space, we still have two floors in the Gannon Building. The Gannon Building is an excellent location for this. Parking is great. If you're listening to the show and you have a little trepidation, don't worry, please come see us, even if you can only make it for half an hour. So the feedback from the four years is good. They typically are very happy with the turnout, they're happy with the discussions, they're happy with the contacts that they make and they want to come back every year. And similar to what Becca said, I would love to have, Instead of top 20 destinations, I'd love to have top 50 or even more. But logistically, top 20 seems to really work well and the feedback is always really good.

Awesome. One thing I want to talk about, and I didn't mention it before, but also going on that day is the open house for the new transfer center. So that will be occurring from 3 to 4:30. There'll be food, cake, and it's just, you know, come through, see our new space. We'll be moved in by then and we're excited to accept students and schools to come into our space. And even if you're not really interested in transferring right then come in, sit down, just make yourself comfortable, do your homework. We'll have bottled water. You know, we just want it to be a really welcoming open and then you never know what conversations might kind of click in your head and you might decide you want to do something. So anyway, we're very proud of that center and we would really love it if people would also meander through there from 3 to 4:30 and talk with us and grab something to eat and yeah, just be part of the fun. So anything else either of you wanted to add about your events? Anything you're looking forward to?

I would just encourage people to attend whether they think they need to or not. It's great practice to have that professional interaction, whether it be with a school, an employer. Talking to people you don't know can be challenging. And this is just a great way to get that experience, build that confidence and build some professional connections, whether they're schools, they're employers, or even LCC staff.

Right. I agree. That's such, it's such a good opportunity to kind of practice those skills. Whether you're on the transfer side of the event or the job and internship side of the event, everyone's friendly. Don't worry about making mistakes. You're there to learn. You're there to understand what your next steps are in life. And so my biggest reminder to anyone out there is no matter what stage you are in your educational career, that this event can help you, whether you're brand new or you're at 60 plus credits. And you were ready to transfer yesterday. So keep that in mind.

Awesome. Well, Graham and Becca, thank you so much for being my guests today. And this is Patty Spagnolo. Wishing you well. Everyone, Thanks for joining us here on the Star Zone. For more information on this episode, visit lccconnect.org you can also find a complete list of Lansing Community College events by visiting LCC.edu calendar. Until next time, thanks for getting into the Zone.

This is WLNZ Lansing. You're listening to LCC Connect, a weekly program that features the Voices, Vibes and vision of Lansing Community College. The Find out more about LCC Connect programs or to listen on demand, visit us at lccconnect.org LCC Connect, voices, vibes, Vision.