DIRECTIONS
Chelsea Retirement Community resident Earl Avery started his career in education as a science teacher in 1961. However, his student-focused approach led him to wonder, ‘What were their barriers to learning?’ “I had the opportunity to take some counseling classes and got really excited,” explains Earl. He became a certified guidance counselor in 1965 and has been helping students at both the high school and college level ever since.
Today, at age 82, Earl continues to work part-time as a guidance counselor at Washtenaw Community College. “We all want to be useful,” says Earl. “As I celebrate more birthdays, I realize that I grow with my students. They help me see the world in many different ways, and I love helping to remove obstacles so students can reach their dreams.”
At CRC, Earl says team members sometimes stop to talk to him about going back to school. Earl understands that it’s not easy with a job, kids, and family to also consider. “It’s like a big puzzle,” says Earl. “Each piece must fit together in order to achieve success. It’s hard to do it alone.”
Having adequate resources for further education is also an important puzzle piece. “UMRC Foundation’s Staff Scholarship program is wonderful and helps ease the financial burden for team members to achieve their career goals,” says Earl.
For more information on how you can make a gift to help support our dedicated UMRC and Porter Hills team members reach their educational dreams, contact Wendy Brightman, President, UMRC Foundation and Porter Hills Foundation at 734-433-1000 ext. 7502 or 616-577-2297.