Bay Mills Community College

🎓 A Historic Night of Celebration in Choctaw, Mississippi! 🎓

On June 3, 2026, Bay Mills Community College proudly honored its Early Childhood Education graduates from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians at a special ceremony held at the Silver Star Casino and Convention Center.

Surrounded by family, tribal leaders, faculty, and community members, these outstanding graduates were celebrated for earning their degrees through the HOPE program. Their achievement will directly impact the Tribe’s youngest learners through the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Department of Early Childhood Education (DOECE).

The HOPE program, made possible through a federal grant, is breaking down barriers for early childhood educators and offering stipends for local graduation ceremonies so that all graduates can be celebrated in a meaningful way, regardless of distance from BMCC’s Michigan campus.

As graduate Tina Hickman shared: “This degree represents hard work, perseverance, and the desire to make a difference in the lives of children and families in my community.”

🔗Read the full story on BMCC News Splash: https://bmcc.edu/news/2026/MS-Choctaw-Commencement.html

🏳️‍🌈 Happy Pride, Pikes! 🏳️‍⚧️

Bay Mills Community College is so excited to celebrate Pride with our students, alumni, and local community!

We’re giving away free BMCC Pride stickers (available to everyone – students, alumni, AND the public) and 30 free BMCC Pikes PRIDE flags (for students & alumni only while supplies last. One flag per person).

How to get yours:

📍 Locals – Stop by the BMCC reception office to pick up stickers (available now) and flags (available after June 22).

💻 Online/remote students – Email Chelsey at [email protected] with your name and mailing address. Please request items by June 19 to be mailed to you.

🌈 Interested in making a difference? Join the BMCC PRIDE Collective!

Our 2SLGBTQIA+ group is open to current students and alumni – whether you’re on-campus or online. Your voice matters, and you can help create events, activities, and a more inclusive BMCC for everyone.

As a member, you can:
-Make a real difference at BMCC
-Help plan Pride Month celebrations and more
-Connect with fellow 2SLGBTQIA+ students and allies

🔗Visit the link to learn more & join the BMCC PRIDE Collective or other student groups: https://bmcc.edu/student-services/clubs-organizations.html

Let’s build something amazing together, Pikes. Happy Pride! 🏳️‍🌈❤💛

We’re thrilled to announce that Heather Church has been named 2026 Faculty of the Year - and she’s making history as the very first adjunct instructor to receive this honor!

Heather, who serves as Assistant Registrar and teaches part-time in both the Office Administration and Education programs, was nominated by students for her patience, clarity, and the encouraging learning environment she creates - even while balancing multiple roles herself.

One student shared:
"Heather Church has been a fantastic educator... She has made learning easier and has been so helpful to me, and others as well."

Congratulations, Heather, and miigwech for all you do for our students every day.

🔗Hear from Heather and read the full article on the BMCC News Splash: https://bmcc.edu/news/2026/Faculty-of-the-year-Church.html

🛠️ Summer workshops are coming to Bay Mills Community College!

The Construction Technology program is opening its doors to the community for two hands-on workshops. Space is limited with only 10 spots per workshop - so don’t wait!

🐦 BIRDHOUSE WORKSHOP
- June 23, 2026
- 1:00 – 3:00 PM
- BMCC West Campus – 1723 S Iroquois Row, Brimley, MI
- All ages welcome (children must be accompanied by an adult)

🧱 DRYWALL PATCHING
- August 9, 2026
- 1:00 – 3:00 PM
- BMCC West Campus – 1723 S Iroquois Row, Brimley, MI
- Adults only

Registration required for each workshop. You do not have to attend both workshops.
To register, email Sheryl at [email protected]

We are proud to announce that Bay Mills College’s Early Childhood Education Program has received the MOSPA Program Award for 2025-2026 – recognizing our commitment to students with special needs in career and technical education.

This honor shines a light on our HOPE initiative (Honoring Our People through Education), which has exceeded every expectation in enrollment, persistence, and academic success. With an 84% retention rate – above the college average – our ECE program is making a real difference for tribal nations and communities across the country.

🔗 Read the full press release on BMCC News Splash: https://bmcc.edu/news/2026/ECE-MOSPA-award.html

Huge thank you to all the high school students who came to visit BMCC today!

You got a taste of life as a Pike - from exploring our programs to hanging with Gilly, grabbing some pizza, winning prizes, and having a blast.

We loved showing you what makes Bay Mills Community College so special.

🔗Visit here if you'd like to check out our programs too: https://bmcc.edu/academics/programs/index.html

🎓 Bay Mills Community College Commencement – Tomorrow! 🎓

Join us as we celebrate our graduates tomorrow, Friday, May 15 at 10:30 AM in Adikameg Hall (lower level).

Can’t make it in person? No problem! You can watch the livestream of the ceremony by clicking the link below.

🔗For full ceremony details and a livestream link, visit: https://bmcc.edu/commencement.html

🔗 WATCH THE LIVESTREAM: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NDVmYTZhMDYtY2UwNy00OGZkLTliYTYtZmUxZjQxNjk3NzRm%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22075173c9-d2e2-48d4-b463-3756b6e24755%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2275ddf78e-29a0-48e3-a4d2-9204ebe355b5%22%7d

Let’s come together to honor our graduates’ hard work and achievements. Congratulations to the Class of 2026!