Student Profile
Emily Cleary, up up and away
A debate with her fiancé over what would happen if gravity disappeared reignited Emily Cleary’s interest in learning and her decision to return to college.
That decision brought her to SMCC, and she’s now a pre-engineering student with a near-perfect grade point average. After SMCC, she plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in astronautical engineering. She has her sights set on the University of Southern California, the University of Michigan, the University of Colorado or Emerson-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Emily went to a four-year university for about half a semester after graduating high school in 2008. She then worked in retail before getting into an argument over what would happen if gravity simply vanished. She researched the answer for months on her own, sparking her love of learning.
Now her interest lies in space travel, satellites, GPS in space or anything else to do with space.
“Some people have this ingrained idea that you’re either smart or you aren’t. But that’s not right. You have to work hard at it.”
Faculty Profile
Michelle Neujahr,
Michelle Neujahr started her own business when she was just 21. Now she helps students learn what it takes become entrepreneurs.
Besides teaching Entrepreneurship and Social Media Marketing for Small Business classes, Neujahr also run SMCC’s Entrepreneurial Center.
Most of her Entrepreneurship students either run a small business or intend to start one. For her Social Media Marketing course, students are paired with a local business or nonprofit to create a social media marketing plan for them.
“My favorite part of teaching is watching students take what they learn in the classroom and apply it in the real world.”