Ask current and past students what they love about Oakland Community College and you will often hear the benefits of great instructors, small class sizes, low tuition and the opportunity to build a solid foundation to start a career or continue academic endeavors.
For Amber Shayler, OCC offered those advantages along with an amazing opportunity to pursue her academic and athletic career goals.
Former OCC student-athlete Amber Shayler
Growing up in Perry, Michigan, Shayler was a star athlete in cross country and softball. After visiting many colleges in high school, Jamie Corona, athletic director and head softball coach at OCC, invited her to visit the campus.
“After thinking about my visit, I knew I found my new home and OCC was the place for me,” Shayler said.
She ran cross country for OCC for two years and received academic awards during both seasons. She also participated in softball for three years and was able to go with her team to nationals while making the Dean’s list every semester.
Shayler is currently continuing her academic and athletic career at the University of Northwestern Ohio studying sports marketing and management while playing softball for their team.
Her goal is to coach softball and share her passion for the sport with future generations.
“I would like to operate a training facility for student athletes who want to play at the collegiate level and look forward to mentoring future athletes to be the best they can be while helping them reach their goals.”
Shayler said she loved her instructors at OCC and the small classes helped her tremendously.
Shayler’s Experience at OCC Not Unique
Shayler’s student athlete experience at OCC is not unique. Just ask Corona, who obtained her associate degree in Liberal Arts from OCC while also earning a scholarship to play softball.
Carona's achievements as a student at OCC led to academic and athletic scholarships from Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU), where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education.
“I am a Raider to my core and attending OCC and having the amazing experience that I did, made me want to come back and work for the College.”
Corona, who is entering her sixth year as athletic director and fourteenth year as softball coach, is proud of numerous achievements the Raider teams have accomplished during the 2020-2021 academic year.
This includes the golf and softball teams qualifying and competing in the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) National Tournaments, with only 16 teams per sport qualifying in the whole country. In total the program had 15 All-Conference athletes, 8 All-Region athletes and 3 All-American athletes. OCC also had 27 Academic All-Conference athletes (3.2 or higher GPA), 9 NJCAA Academic All-Americans (3.6 GPA or higher) with 6 of 7 teams having a team GPA of 3.0 or higher.
For student athletes considering community college athletics at OCC, Corona emphasizes it is not an intramural program. Coaches recruit most of the talented athletes on their teams with a good majority earning scholarships to play at four-year universities after they transfer from OCC.
“We offer a highly competitive, quality athletic program that allows student athletes to pursue and succeed in their academic and athletic endeavors,” Corona added. “Being a part of any of our athletic teams gives students the opportunity to represent OCC locally, regionally and nationally, all the while making memories and developing skills that will last a lifetime.”
For further information visit Raiders Athletics.
About OCC
Offering nearly 100 degrees and certificates, OCC is Michigan’s largest multi-campus community college and No. 1 transfer institution in the state. The College provides academic, career training and enriching experiences, designed to empower students to reach their potential and enhance our community. More than 1 million students have enrolled in the College since it opened in 1965. A seven-person Board of Trustees governs OCC. Board members are elected on a non-partisan, at-large basis, serve as volunteers and are not paid. Mission statement: OCC is committed to empowering our students to succeed and advancing our community. Learn more at oaklandcc.edu.
Media Contact: Marketing & Communications-(248) 341-2020| contactus@oaklandcc.edu