ALMA, Mich. — When Alma College student Sarah Sherk goes to class, she feels like she’s living through an important moment in history. That’s because Sherk, a nursing major from Kingsford, was among 15 Alma students who volunteered to administer COVID-19 vaccines at the Central Michigan District Health Department.

Allison Neyer, simulation specialist and clinical coordinator at Alma College, said her nursing students became involved to help alleviate a problem public health officials have dealt with since the start of the pandemic: too much demand for services, not enough doctors and nurses.

Thankfully, she said, the region has been able to care for people who have become sick with COVID-19. But now that vaccines are available, she said, demand for services has shot up, and the local health departments just can’t keep up.

“Administering vaccines takes training,” Neyer said. “It’s not something that just anyone can do. When we realized the shape of things, and saw we had a chance to help, we jumped at the opportunity. Our position is, ‘It’s all hands on deck.'”

Neyer said the Central Michigan District Health Department, which serves Isabella County and surrounding counties to the north, reached out to Alma College through a past connection within the program. The Mid-Michigan District Health Department covers Clinton, Gratiot and Montcalm counties.

Every nursing student and instructor has had the opportunity to be vaccinated before giving out vaccines themselves, Neyer said.

Beyond assisting to put an end to the biggest public health crisis in a century, the opportunity to volunteer is also beneficial to the students’ education at Alma, said Laura Jean-Francois, an instructor in the program.

“This is a unique opportunity to practice a skill you wouldn’t normally practice much, because in a hospital setting, you focus more on IVs than you do injections,” Jean-Francois said. “It’s also a unique opportunity to work in a public health setting, as opposed to a hospital or a doctor’s office.”

Only senior students are helping to give vaccinations, Jean-Francois said. Before volunteering, they received a specialized training on the vaccine from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The training focused on teaching patients about what’s in the vaccine, how to ensure the safety of patients who receive it, and perhaps most novel — the proper way to handle the vaccine.

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MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Emily L. Blazer of Kingsford was named to the Mount Mary University fall 2020 dean’s list. She is studying for her bachelor of arts, English education.

The dean’s list honors full-time students who have earned a 3.6 grade-point average or better while taking 12 or more credits during the recent semester. Part-time students are eligible for the dean’s list when they have earned a 3.6 GPA or better while completing at least eight credits.

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OSHKOSH, Wis. — University of Wisconsin Oshkosh students received diplomas in December during the university’s 56th midyear commencement.

The new grads from all three UWO campuses — Fond du Lac, Fox Cities and Oshkosh — include nearly 750 with bachelor’s degrees, more than 150 with master’s degrees, about 170 associate degrees and eight who earned doctorate degrees. The degrees became official Jan. 22.

Local students receiving degrees include Sydney Maher of Iron Mountain, College of Business, supply chain management; and Brooke Bosch of Norway, College of Business, business administration.

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MILWAUKEE — These local students received academic honors from Milwaukee School of Engineering for the 2021 winter quarter:

Iron Mountain — Sydney Dunkes, dean’s list, bachelor of science in mechanical engineering;

Niagara, Wis. — Jessica Oratch, honors list, bachelor of science in user experience;

Norway — Britta Grayvold, dean’s list, bachelor of science in user experience and communication design.

Undergraduate students who have earned at least 30 credits and have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.20 or higher on a 4.0 scale are on the dean’s list. Students who have maintained a 3.70 or higher receive “high honors.”

Undergraduate students on the honors list have earned a GPA of at least 3.20 for this quarter and are not on the dean’s list.