After he graduated from Brandon High School in Ortonville, MI in 2017, Joel Welch found work as a laborer for LiUNA Local 1075. Since then, he’s become a Bay College student pursuing a degree in a different field—namely, social work.
“I was living here, and I was like ‘I should probably go back to college.’ So Bay was the way,” he said.
Joel started taking classes at Bay during the Fall 2022 semester and continued his studies for the rest of the year. After taking a gap year to go to new places, he returned to campus during the Fall 2024 semester.
“There’s a lot of homework, but it’s still going good,” he said of his first few weeks back at Bay.
One of the things Joel has appreciated most about his time at Bay has been his teachers. Along with that, he said being a college student has had a positive effect on his social life.
“I just need practice getting to know people, and a college setting is a good way to do that,” he said.
To that end, he has attended Bay’s Thursday-night movie screenings and joined Gaming Galaxy.
“It’s a good place to meet people and play video games,” Joel said.
According to Joel, he decided to go into social work because of his passion for helping other people.
“I was always interested in grassroots efforts, like going to other countries and helping people with medicine or food. Social work seemed like a good way to get into that,” he said.
In the Fall 2024 semester, Joel is taking classes related to social work, anthropology, and communications.
“Those should all help me with social work,” he said.
Joel plans to graduate from Bay at the end of the Winter 2025 semester. Beyond that point, he hopes to find a job related to social work (or to pursue his bachelor’s degree, if necessary).
No matter what happens after he graduates, Joel voiced his appreciation to the people at Bay for helping him pursue a new career.
“I’m glad that I decided to come here,” he said.