Steven Pritchett has a lot to be thankful for. At 48 he has found a career he loves,
is poised to enter into graduate school and works in a field where he makes a difference
in people’s lives every day. But his life hasn’t always been this good.
Having once been in the same position as many of the clients he now counsels, Pritchett offers a unique understanding of many of life’s challenges.
“I needed help once upon a time,” he said. Living in a shelter in downtown Ann Arbor while working as a dishwasher, the choice to continue his education came at the encouragement of the shelter director’s daughter. “She encouraged me in my education and told me what a good school Washtenaw Community College was.”
Dedication beyond measure
With the decision to attend WCC made, Pritchett knew exactly what direction he wanted
to take with his education.
“Social work is my life’s journey,” he said. “It’s not about the money, it’s about giving back. My lifelong dream is to help children— they are our future. Too many people don’t want to take the time to show them that there is a better life out there.”
His dedication to that journey would be tested many times over the years, first when his mother fell ill and he had to leave school to help take care of her and again when he was in a car accident that resulted in a broken neck. Neither situation could stop Pritchett, who finished out his education at WCC while still wearing a Halo Brace to support his injury.
Through the college’s articulation agreement with Eastern Michigan University, Pritchett went on to earn his Bachelor of Social Work, graduating in April of 2012.
“Washtenaw gave me a life that I never thought I could have. The college taught me that I could do anything in the world that I wanted to do,” Pritchett said. “WCC was like an extended family for me—that goes for the counselors all the way to the deans. The college changed my life.”