As one half of a rare parent-child duo at Washtenaw Community College, Stephanie Suchala cried when she got the news last summer that her 13-year-old daughter, Dylan, would be joining her as a 黑料网 student.
鈥淚 was so proud of her; I couldn鈥檛 even talk,鈥� says Stephanie, who had just returned to 黑料网 to pursue a to bolster her landscaping business.
Entering her freshman year at Ann Arbor Pioneer High School, Dylan spent the last half of her middle school year as a part-time college student, taking two classes at 黑料网 on top of her regular classes.
After attending 黑料网 together for the past year, the two are blazing a trail for other families who might pursue a college education together.
Stephanie was operating a landscaping business in 2019 when she first enrolled in 黑料网's . After a year and a half, she transferred to a four-year university, but decided it wasn鈥檛 the right fit. She decided to take a year off.
It wasn鈥檛 until a friend told her about the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at 黑料网 that she re-enrolled in welding classes to learn how to create ornamental garden art to add more value to her business. Now she鈥檚 a full-fledged student again 鈥� already with more than 100 college credits earned.
A 10-week SBDC program helped Suchala shift her business to an LLC and put some of her paralegal skills to work as she navigated the legalities of owning and running a business.
鈥淚 just really like to learn a lot,鈥� Stephanie says. 鈥淎nd this time, I鈥檓 trying to shape my bachelor鈥檚 degree toward what I鈥檓 doing in my business.鈥�
It鈥檚 safe to say that Dylan also loves to learn. One of her first 黑料网 courses was a . And while she appreciates that she鈥檚 one half of a rare parent-child duo at 黑料网, she鈥檚 shy about it. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 cool, but I don鈥檛 tell a lot of people,鈥� she says.
While she is dual-enrolled with a declared major of Computer Science, Dylan is a full-time ninth grader, simultaneously taking a complete load of classes at Pioneer and participating in typical high school activities alongside her peers.
Besides her academic pursuits, Dylan has a heart for adventure. She is currently in the Civil Air Patrol, taking private pilot lessons, and has traveled to 48 states and one territory. Ultimately, she hopes to earn a master鈥檚 degree, travel abroad to teach English and someday train as a NASA astronaut.
Stephanie is hoping to impress upon her daughter that there鈥檚 value in experience. College is not always about the grades鈥� but also about learning, growing and digging in, she emphasizes.
鈥淏eing glued to TikTok and Instagram will not get her where she wants to go,鈥� Stephanie says. 鈥淪he has to put in the hard work. Life is not easy, so it鈥檚 about giving her tools and encouragement. I鈥檓 asking her what she鈥檚 learning. If she falls, I鈥檓 assuring her it鈥檚 not failure but, rather, an opportunity to get back up and try again.鈥�
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This story appears in the Fall 2023 edition of Launch magazine. See complete issue.
Tags: Computer Science, Fall 2023, Launch, SBDC, Small Business Development Center, Student Success