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TIMELINE OF ACHIEVEMENT
from BRIDGES Summer 2022
by Holly Wright
TIMELINE of
ACHIEVEMENT
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Over the decades the University of Michigan-Flint has educated some truly remarkable minds. Our graduates have gone on to make significant impacts in their careers, communities, and the world-at-large. In their respective sectors of business, education, physics and mathematics, their educations have opened doors of achievement for these alumni and those they have inspired.
1950 s
AUDREY L. LATTIE
Class of 1958 | History
Born and raised in Flint, Audrey attended Flint Junior College for two years when she learned that the University of Michigan was going to establish what was then known as a “Senior College” in Flint. When enrollment opened, Audrey was ready to transfer. There was no catalog and no course schedule. As shared by Audrey, “The faculty was very welcoming, and willing to give of their time. We got personalized attention at UM-Flint. I had perfect confidence in this new university. I knew it had to be up to the quality of UM. Students embraced the idea that this is new, this is different, we’re going to try, and it’s going to work. And look where we are now.”
Audrey Lattie (middle), Graduation, 1958
1960s
Bobby D. Crim with Kenyan runner Julius Kogo, 2014 Class of 1960 | Social Studies; Honorary Degree, Doctor of Law, 2009
Bobby Crim’s career began in a classroom in Davison, Michigan, in 1960. While serving as State House Speaker, Bobby was invited to attend a track meet for the Michigan Special Olympics. What he saw that day inspired him to organize what is now the nationally–ranked Crim Festival of Races. Of the University of Michigan-Flint, Bobby Crim said, “It’s like coming home. You think of everything the university has done for you, how it has educated you and given you the opportunity in life. It’s like a mother and father. You never forget that. You never leave that.”
ALBERT J. SELESKY
Class of 1970 | Business Administration
Upon graduation from Flint Community Junior College, Al transferred to UM-Flint where he was involved in numerous activities and began dating his future wife, Janyce Henry Selesky, a secretary in the Psychology Department. After graduating with a degree in Business Administration, Al accepted a position at Caterpillar Tractor Company in Peoria, IL. Caterpillar was the 34th largest corporation in the US at that time. Of the 1975 Athens Greece 2,000 applicants to the Sales and Marketing Department, less than 200 were hired. Three months later, Al was drafted into the US Army.
Following basic training with a company of 240 men, five were issued noncombat assignments – Al being one of the five. Assigned to the Pentagon, Al said, “I firmly believe my assignment was directly a result of my Michigan degree.” After six months in Washington, DC, Jan and Al were sent to Heidelberg, Germany, home to headquarters of the United States Army in Europe. Al became a civilian again in 1972, and returned to Caterpillar, Inc. Al characterizes this phase of his career as “adventurous.” He and Jan would live in Geneva, Switzerland; Beirut, Lebanon (in ’75 when the civil war broke out); and Athens, Greece, before leaving Caterpillar and returning to the states. After retiring from Generac Corporation, Al helped grow a small company from three to more than 80 employees, retiring as VP in 2015. Jan and Al are the proud parents of two adult children, Bradley (UM-Flint, Class of 2000) and Katherine.
1970 s
“In many ways, I have lived a charmed (or lucky) life, yet I know my degree from University of Michigan-Flint helped prepare me for an interesting life.”
1980 s
Class of 1988 | Social Work
Also known as Miss Marnise, S. Marnise Roberts is co-founder and managing partner of Roberts & Limbrick Enterprises, LLC, a Michigan-based, educational-services consulting company, established in 1999. Miss Marnise® offers motivational speaking on a variety of education and character subjects, and provides practical consulting and training in areas such as professional development, team building and parenting. Her clients include universities, federal and state government organizations, small businesses, nonprofits, K-12 school systems, churches and parents. Early in her career, Marnise worked as a top advertising executive for Davis Broadcasting Incorporated in Columbus, Georgia. Her award-winning parenting book, Friendly Not Friends, is a practical, humorous, quick read based on 12 true stories from her own experiences raising three successful college graduates. Miss Marnise is a “connector” who has a passion for making a difference in the lives of others, especially young people. Marnise and her spouse Byron, both natives of Flint, reside in Canton, Michigan. They are the proud parents of three adult children; Winston, Shelbey, and Greer. Connect with Miss Marnise at Missmarnise.com.
S. Marnise Roberts
Boh, Asad, Gyasi, Zuri and Millicent
A. BOH RUFFIN, PH.D.
Class of 1995 | Physics, Mathematics
Born and raised in Flint, Boh and his family reside in New York, where he works as an applied optical physicist for Corning Incorporated. Boh describes his fondest memory of UM-Flint: “I applied a few days before the fall semester was scheduled to begin. My nerves were a bit raw because of the uncertainty I faced surrounding the late admissions and financial aid process. I remember this overwhelming anxiety building as I sat waiting to meet with an admissions counselor. Dr. Johnny Young stepped from behind the desk after noticing the distraught look on my face. Without saying a word he reviewed my application and placement scores, nodded, and said, ‘Follow me.’ Within the hour I was enrolled in UM-Flint. The kindness Dr. Young extended to me during a moment of highanxiety absolutely changed my life. Since then I’ve been proud to call myself a Wolverine and UM-Flint Alumnus.” Dr. Ruffin was invited back to give the 2010 commencement address.1990s
Class of 2007 | Honors Program, Communication
It was Brian’s campus involvement that led him to discover and pursue his vocation. In his own words, “Because of UM-Flint and its vast array of opportunities, I discovered my love for higher education. This ultimately led 2000s me to the field of Student Affairs and the work I’m doing today. I use my communication degree daily, but if it weren’t for long nights in Student Government “From working meetings, conversations with my advisor Jessie part time in the Hurse, the impact of creating community with my fraternity chapter, and so many more library, to joining student organizations, starting a chapter of experiences, I would never have discovered Kappa Sigma Fraternity, and my love for working with students. The serving in various roles people in my life today are mostly from UM-Flint. I’m forever grateful to UM-Flint in Student Government … everything I engaged with at UM-Flint had value for bringing them into my life.” and ultimately helped create the person Brian D. Hercliff-Proffer
I am today.”
– The National, January 2020
Mona Haydar
2010s
MONA HAYDAR
Class of 2015 | English
Mona Haydar is a Syrian-American Muslim rapper, poet, activist and chaplain. Born in Saudi Arabia, Mona moved to the US at a young age, and grew up in Flint, Michigan.
In 2015, Mona gained national and international press for a project she and her husband initiated in the wake of terrorist attacks in cities around the world. Mona and Sebastian erected a kiosk in Cambridge, Massachusetts, inviting passersby to “Ask a Muslim.” The project garnered the attention of reporters from The Boston Globe, NPR, People magazine, and The New York Times among others. Mona broke into the hip hop music scene in 2017 with “Hijabi (Wrap My Hijab)” whose video-featuring Haydar pregnant with her second son-went viral. Billboard magazine named Haydar’s track one of the top feminist anthems of all time. Mona has performed internationally, spoken at churches, synagogues and conferences, and has been invited to speak by institutions such as Smith College, MIT, Princeton and UC Berkeley.
