By Michael C. Guilmette Jr.
Staff Reporter
BAY MILLS — Demonstrating that a bad situation can be turned around and opportunities can be made to those who choose, Bay Mills Community College student Joe Lucier has been named as the BMCC American Indian Higher Education Consortium Student Congress Student of the of the Year for 2004.
Lucier, a Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians member from Oden, Mich., is completing his degree in Social Studies from BMCC, and he is considering going on to Northern Michigan University to pursue his Bachelor's Degree in Social Work.
Recovering from drug addiction, Lucier said that he has a strong desire to get into counseling work because of the help he received from social workers during his recovery. He said that growing up, he never knew what he wanted to do with his life.
“I didn't want to work, because I didn't think work would be fun,” Lucier said.
Falling into drug use, Lucier's lifestyle culminated in a 6-month jail sentence when he was 20. He got into a treatment program during his incarceration, and it was there that he received his first taste of helping others.
“I began helping others that came into the [treatment] program, and I found that to be very rewarding,” Lucier said. Upon his release, he came to BMCC to begin his studies, saying that the community was recommended to him by his counselors because it had a strong support system for recovery.
Now 23, Lucier has found that the opportunities before him have increased tenfold.
“Everything is fitting into place,” he said, adding that he is glad that he came to Bay Mills. Aside from his high academic achievement, Lucier is also on the BMCC Student Council, and he regularly volunteers with the Boys and Girls Club. He feels particularly drawn to helping out children, considering his own past.
“I think it's important for kids to have positive people around,” Lucier said. Recently, he helped with the Boxing Club's “Battle on the Bay,” held on March 20.
BMCC officials were happy to be see that Lucier was named Student of the Year.
“Joe has been a very good student,” said BMCC President Michael “Mickey” Parish. “It is good to be able to recognize him.”
BMCC Professor Richard Lewis, one of Lucier's instructors, also spoke highly of his honored student.
“[Lucier] is a very motivated student. He definitely has a plan to move on in his education,” Lewis said.
Teaching classes on Social Deviance and Interpersonal/
Intercultural Relations, Lewis said that Lucier is an excellent student who is very participatory in class. He added that Lucier readily volunteers to help the community, and that he is on the intramural basketball team.
Lucier eventually wants to earn his Masters degree in Professional Counseling, and once he completes his education, he wants to work for Little Traverse Bay Bands in some way so that he can give back to the community that raised him.
He admitted that he needs to focus on his lifestyle more, saying that he needs to be aware of who he is around regularly and that he must separate himself from the bad influences that led him astray before.
“Before, I couldn't see the opportunities before me, and a lot of that was because of the drugs. Now that I've cleaned up and started living a good life, my opportunities have opened up,” Lucier said. He also spoke highly BMCC and community members — including Kelly Bedell, Tina Miller, Lewis and Deb LeBlanc — who have helped him make it through his time in Bay Mills.
The Student of the Year Award is given to those graduating students who have 3.0 or higher grade point average, show considerable community involvement and a commitment to their education. The award itself is a $1,000 scholarship.
