Mott Community College: Dinah Schaller Named Michigan Hero 

Press release from Mott Community College:

Dawn Hibbard

Jan 26th, 2022

Mott Community College’s Dinah Schaller has been named a Michigan Hero, part of the Michigan Heroes Project of the Michigan Community Service Commission. Schaller was nominated for her work through the Lenore Croudy Family Life Center at MCC.

“This is a well-deserved recognition for Dinah,” said MCC President, Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, “her compassion for helping others, and her ability to think out-of-the-box to find solutions have made a tremendous difference in the lives of so many of our students.”

The Michigan Heroes Project recognizes individuals and organizations that have made a difference for Michigan and its residents. It is overseen by the Michigan Community Service Commission, the state’s lead agency for volunteerism. The Commission works to leverage and catalyze innovation and the volunteer power of Michiganders to strengthen their communities, grow the ethic of civic engagement, and build a stronger Michigan.

Her profile can be found at https://miheroesproject.org/see-all-campaigns/entry/351/?gvid=1666

Schaller joined MCC in 2019 to help meet the needs of students, especially those facing barriers to completing their education. She worked tirelessly to integrate wrap-around services under one roof at the soon-to-be-opened Lenore Croudy Family Life Center on the main campus in Flint.

Schaller coordinated moving the Mott Eats food pantry, Ellen’s Closet clothing closet, and social work consulting services into a resource hub under one roof at the Family Life Center.

When the Pandemic hit in March of 2020, many barriers for students intensified. Schaller was able to connect students with programs and services available to them, such as the Cares Act, which offers numerous forms of aid for students from loan deferment to financial resources for technology.

When the campus closed for in-person classes, she advocated to safely keep the center open to provide food for students through the food pantry, recruiting volunteers from the campus and the community to provide drive-up services and make weekly deliveries of food directly to the students’ own doors. She was also able to coordinate the delivery of computer technology that for many, was a lifeline to stay in school.

When the campus re-opened on a hybrid basis, Schaller launched new services through community partnering initiatives with non-profits such as Partners for Recovery and Fostering Success to offer nine affinity groups including for foster students, single moms, and returning incarcerated students, providing them with spaces to meet and talk. She implemented an internship program to help social work interns gain practical experience. She is working with Michigan Reconnect to help older adults coming to college navigate the systems, especially with technology needs, and launched a partnership with Michigan State University medical interns, Hurley Hospital, and the Greater Flint Health Coalition to provide health education and services to MCC students.

This press release was produced by Mott Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.