Jamar Ragland, a mentor in the Early College of Muskegon County program at Muskegon Community College, has been selected by the Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce as one of its 2021 Future 15 honorees.
The awards program, which began in 2012, annually recognizes 15 outstanding and upcoming young professionals in the Muskegon Lakeshore region. The honorees are selected for excelling both within their place of employment and with their community service. See a complete list of the 2021 honorees below.
They will be recognized on Thursday, Aug. 12, at The Deck located at Pere Marquette Park. Pre-registration is required for the free but limited capacity event which begins at 4:30 p.m. WGVU radio personality Shelley Irwin will serve as the host.
Ragland started at MCC in October 2017 as an enrollment services representative in the Admissions Office, where he served a broad range of students from alternative, urban, rural and private schools. Currently, he is a mentor for Early College Muskegon that serves the Muskegon County public school districts.
Passionate about college access and success, he was a college advisor at Muskegon High School prior to arriving at MCC.
Ragland serves on the Muskegon Young Black Professionals Board of Directors and as a member of both the Muskegon Public Schools Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and the Muskegon Community College Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force. He volunteers for Feeding America Food Trucks.
A native of Detroit, MI, he graduated from Old Redford Academy Preparatory High School. A first-generation college student, Ragland attended Grand Valley State University, where he earned both a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and a Master of Arts in Higher Education with an emphasis in College Student Affairs Leadership. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
While at GVSU, he gained experience in housing and residence life as an assistant living center director, provided academic advising for pre-major students, and worked as a camp counselor and program coordinator for MI GEAR UP which offers students the academic skills, information, and encouragement they need to not only graduate from high school, but to apply and attend an institution of higher education.
This year’s Future 15 emerging young leaders are:
- Amber Mae Petersen, The Fish Monger’s Wife
- Andre Williams, New Jerusalem Church
- Bethany Jean Brown, Resilience Health and Wellness/State of Michigan Health and Human Services
- Brianna MacPherson, HealthWest
- Christina Robison, Sei Bella Tattoo/Spirit 33
- Cody Wasilchenko, Burl & Sprig
- Daniel Bonner, Muskegon Luge Adventure Sports Park/Yoga with Dan
- Jamar Ragland, Muskegon Community College
- Kelly Krispin, Manpower
- Kumasi Mack, Tyson Foods
- MaryAnn Winsemius, Cannon Muskegon
- Norman Young, Muskegon Intermediate School District
- Samantha Jones, Muskegon County Prosecutor’s Office
- Sharonda Carson, City of Muskegon
- Tonya Pell, Michigan State University Extension