Alumni Spotlight
Jason Glynn, from Maine to D.C.
A one-time high school dropout, Jason Glynn is now earning a bachelor’s degree — and learning Chinese — at American University to prepare for a future in international relations.
Jason came to SMCC in 2013 at the age of 29 after realizing he wasn’t going to go far without a college degree. Once here, he excelled with a near-perfect GPA while taking on leadership roles with Phi Theta Kappa, the Captain’s Cupboard and The Beacon student newspaper.
With his associate degree in hand, he transferred last fall to American University’s prestigious School of International Service, which prepares students for internationally-focused careers in government, non-profits and the private sector.
He feels fortunate to be in a city like Washington, D.C., with its wealth of opportunities in international affairs.
“There’s a big difference between Maine and Washington. One of my primary focuses is to forge relationships down here.”
Faculty Spotlight
Tom Joyce, from crime scene to the classroom
Tom Joyce was a police officer for 25 years before becoming a full-time professor at SMCC. It’s that experience that he likes to share with his students.
After high school, Tom graduated from SMCC in 1977 and went on to a long career with the Portland Police Department, working as a crime scene technician, a patrol sergeant and a detective.
He became a full-time faculty member at SMCC after retiring from the police department in 2004 and now serves as chairman of the Criminal Justice Department.
His favorite part of teaching it to convey his knowledge in helping students go on to successful careers in law enforcement, corrections, private security and other fields in the criminal justice system.
“We aren’t just training people to be police officers, we’re giving them the skills and knowledge to springboard wherever they want to go.”