IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (WZMQ) – Bay College revealed the recipient of its Distinguished Alumni Award for the year 2024. The honor was bestowed upon Jean O’Dette, now the Senior Vice President and Chief Credit Officer at First National Bank and Trust.
O’Dette’s journey with Bay College traces back to her days as a non-traditional student, navigating her educational path while juggling the responsibilities of starting a family and having a full-time career. Graduating in 2007 with an Associate’s degree in Business shortly after the opening of the Iron Mountain campus, O’Dette’s commitment to education was unwavering.
Reflecting on her humble beginnings, O’Dette reminisced, “Way back when I graduated high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do… I didn’t have the opportunities, but they did have corresponding classes in the Iron Mountain Kingsford area.”
Driven by a passion for education and a vision for her community, O’Dette played a pivotal role in the establishment of Bay College’s West Campus. “It was a passion of mine to make sure that it was there, that there was a campus. So I kind of joke that I was kind of a career banker/career student because my education took me all the way from the late 80s up to 2007 when the campus opened, and I continued to take classes during that time because I wanted to take my last course at the new campus which I was able to do.” she shared.
Joining the Bay West committee, O’Dette tirelessly worked to rally support and raise awareness for the initiative. Her efforts culminated in the successful realization of a local campus, helping provide accessible education opportunities for youth and nontraditional students like herself.
Thrilled to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award, O’Dette expressed gratitude for the impact Bay College has had on the community. “I am just thrilled. I am so thrilled to represent the distinguished alumni, because of what they’ve done for our community. They filled that niche of having a real campus here, plus what they did is they looked to our industry they looked to our businesses in town and said ‘what do you need from us? What kind of classes, what type of training?’, and they morphed themselves into forming all these classes for welding and for the specialty things that we have in town here, and that just keeps people in the community and provides a low-cost education opportunity. People can stay at home if they need or be a nontraditional student like I was.” she remarked.
O’Dette’s moment in the spotlight as the distinguished alumni for 2024 shines as an example of the transformative power of education and the enduring legacy of those who champion accessibility and opportunity within their communities.
*Photo Courtesy: Bay College
