Graduate Spotlight: Halle St. Clair

“Dear Halle, I am pleased to inform you that the School of Criminal Justice has recommended to the Office of Admissions that you be admitted to the Criminal Justice online Masters program at Michigan State University.”

After reading the first line of that letter, you can be sure that deafening cheers of jubilation soon followed for this Class of 2016 LCCTC Commercial Artist, Halle St. Clair.

After graduating Cum Laude from Slippery Rock University, Halle put her Criminal Justice degree to work with an internship at Lawrence County Adult Probation. Her job entailed helping to rehabilitate offenders to decrease recidivism — to help guide them in their second chance in life. Her duties included checking in on clients, drug testing, and attending court. “I really like that I could be a part of the rehabilitation of people who have made mistakes in their lives,” Halle states. “It gave me great pleasure to know that I could help motivate them to change their lives around to be contributing members of society.“

“After all, I was motivated by adults in my life,” Halle recalls. “Even though I would not be who I am today without every single person at LCCTC, I would chose Ms. McVicker as one of my major motivators. As my teacher and SkillsUSA Opening and Closing coach, she broke me out of my shell, helped me blossom, assisted me to grow in confidence, and offered me opportunities to succeed in ways I never thought possible.”

“Being a part of SkillsUSA was one of the biggest driving forces in my life,” Halle continues. As president of the team in her senior year of high school, she grew confident, showed persistence, and became motivated. She credits her time spent competing as providing her with many of the tools she needed to succeed in her post-secondary education and career.

There was one pivotal moment during the competition — 400 miles away from home at SkillsUSA Nationals in Louisville, KY — that shaped Halle into the successful young woman she is today:

It was in the first round, and Halle knew that this could be the last time that she might be competing. Though no one expected anything but their very best. It was the first time since the 70’s that LCCTC sent a team to National competition, and the odds were against this recent state gold-medal-winning team from Pennsylvania.

Of all things, the unexpected happened in the first round. “I knew that part 100%, but the incredibly advanced level of competition must have gotten to me. Without rhyme or reason, I just blanked.”

Somehow maintaining a smile and the courage to hold it all together with an air of confidence, Halle completed the demonstration, but when she reached the doors to exit, she broke down just outside of the competition room. Having watched the team’s emblem presentation, two college competitors from Georgia passed to her advice to last a lifetime: “This one moment will not define you.”

Feeling incredibly defeated and practically inconsolable, Halle recalls that “The team and Mrs. McVicker rallied around me and helped me know that, no matter the outcome of the first round, it was all going to be okay.” Halle recalls that the best aspect about LCCTC is a sense of an additional sense of family: “I still stand by how close and supportive my high school experience was as a whole — even when times were tough. I was so lucky to be a part of such a close and heartwarming environment.”

A fear of the unknown can be unnerving, but it’s familiar to Halle. “The type of nervousness of putting myself out there and applying to grad school felt similar to my experience in SkillsUSA.”

Waiting to hear the news of acceptance to grad school, good or bad, was as well-known as waiting to hear if the SkillsUSA team would move on to the second round. Getting into grad school can be considered one of the biggest achievements Halle has had so far in life. “I sort of always knew I would go to college, but I never pictured myself wanting to pursue my education even further. Now, I WANT to keep learning; I’m not finished yet.”

Halle considers, “I have learned that you have to trust your gut and know that life would never throw anything you couldn’t handle.”

Oh yeah — the end to the story from SkillsUSA Nationals? —

Even though the team knew what the probable outcome would be, the team remained together — supporting each other in the alcove away from eyes that would certainly perceive that the desired outcome of the day was not as was hoped. Tear-stained eyes of our team watched as the Opening and Closing teams began to gather at the results board below. Some teams cheered, some fractured and stormed away, some hugged each other and sobbing consoled each other right there on the spot. Halle just wanted that second chance — to show the judges, her team, and herself what she could do.

“When Mrs. McVicker’s husband PJ went down to the board (after all, she was busy crying with us), we all held our breaths and grasped each others’ hands — we sorta knew that we didn’t make it to the second round, but we still held on to a sliver of hope.” PJ looked at the board, took a picture of the results, looked at his phone, looked back up at the board, looked down at his phone again, and — without looking back up at the team to give away any hit of expression — stepped on the escalator for the long, long journey to the balcony where they waited.

PJ sat down at the table, took a deep breath, and said to the team, “Well — it looks like we’ll have to get your shirts cleaned for tomorrow because YOU ARE ALL GOING ON TO THE 2ND ROUND!!”

Once again, deafening cheers of jubilation soon followed — they made it through! The judges must have witnessed what Halle’s supporters have witnessed — that there is something special about this young woman … and about the team who stood beside her.

Just one night later, after having the second chance to prove she could do it, Halle delivered perfect scores for her part in that second round. Just two nights later at the medal ceremony, Halle and her team stood proudly on the bronze-medalist podium to gather their medals — THIRD IN THE NATION!

Sweet success that can be found in a second chance. This understanding will serve Halle well as she pursues the next chapter in her life in her Masters Studies for Criminal Justice at Michigan State University.

Halle has a bit of advice to current and future students: Be open. Be mindful. Put yourself out there and be kind. The world can be a scary place sometimes, but never stop being kind. No one will remember the clothes you wore, if you were popular, if you weren’t popular, or if you had the nicest car. They will always remember that showed them kindness and that you never gave up — and always take that second chance.