This episode dives into purpose, grit, and the power of having someone in your corner. Lisa Alexander chats with Jason Britton, an Academic Success Coach at Lansing Community College, about how his background in social work and higher education, shapes the way he supports students. Jason shares why real relationships, not just checklists and deadlines, make the biggest difference when facing challenges, lifting others up, and chasing goals with heart.

Website: Meet the Academic Success Coach Team

Hey, hey, hey. This is Lisa A. And you're listening to Who's that Star? On LCC Connect at Lansing Community College. Who's that Star?

Is a behind the scenes show where I sit down and talk with the employees at the college.

This is an inside look at LCC where you have a chance to learn about their passions, projects and what inspires them both in their work and personal lives. I'm your host, Lisa Alexander, and I'm so excited to get a chance to talk to all the people who make LCC great.

This show is for you to get to know the people that work at Lansa Community College a little bit more and see what makes them tick. Are you ready? Okay, let's find out Who's that Star.

Today's episode is all about purpose, resilience, and what it really means to show up for others, especially during times of change.

My guest today is someone whose work has always centered on helping people move forward, whether that's in their personal lives, their communities, or their educational journeys. No matter where life has taken them across Michigan, one thing has stayed consistent.

A deep commitment to supporting others as they work towards their goals.

With a background rooted in both creative thinking and social work, today's star brings a unique blend of empathy, insight and real world experience to higher education.

After spending years working in clinical and community based roles, this star found himself drawn towards work that allowed him to support students in a more holistic way. A pull that ultimately led him to Lansing Community College where his passion for student success continues to grow.

Outside of work, today's star values family, enjoys slowing down with a good book or movie, and is always up for a good conversation about Michigan State sports and Detroit Lions. So are you guys ready to meet today Star? Drumroll, please. Today's star is Jason Brittain. Jason, welcome to who's at Star? I'm so glad that you're here.

Yeah, thank you for having me on, Lisa. I've been really looking forward to being on your show for a while now.

Yes. Took a minute for us to get here, but we finally got here. So let's get started. So when people really know you, how would they describe you?

Well, you said not to cuss on the show, so I won't. But most people would describe me as pretty laid back. I don't get too worked up about things. I don't really get too angry or too high or too low.

Just pretty, even kill. Most of my friends would describe me as kind. I hope funny can be kind of goofy at times.

Yeah, I'm sure, there's probably some things I'm missing, but those are kind of the things that pop into my head right away.

Yeah. And that's what we can say. So we'll keep those. We'll keep it clean for our audience today.

What is your role here at lcc and how do you usually explain what you do?

So I'm an academic success coach here. And so basically a lot of people kind of get my job mixed up with an academic advisor's job.

The way I kind of differentiate the two is an academic advisor will help you with what to do, whereas a success coach will help you with how to do it.

Okay.

So whereas an advisor might tell someone, hey, you gotta take English ACAD and math this semester. That same student would talk to me or one of our other success coaches about strategies to be successful in that class.

Time management, study habits, different things to kind of bring about that classroom success.

So how did you find your way to Lansing Community College?

I took the scenic route to get there. I was initially a therapist, like a psychotherapist for several years.

I'm working in social work field for years, but I always felt the pull towards higher education. I saw some opportunities open up at LCC and I applied and didn't get called back. But that's all right. I kept on applying for different positions.

Eventually I saw academic success coach, kind of did some research about what that role entails and applied and the rest is history.

So what keeps you coming back to LCC on my paycheck?

Nah, I'm playing. I'm playing. Nah.

A lot of the relationships that I've made along the way with students getting kind of know them, getting to kind of see what best helps them, what best serves them, and the relationships I've made with some of my co workers and faculty, different faculty members, different staff, I mean, those relationships are invaluable.

My personal feeling is regardless of the type of work you do, who you work with, the type of environment that you're in can really make a difference in whether or not you get up to come to work every day.

That's so true. You write about that. I know for me, a lot of the draw to come back to LCC is the people that I work with and the students that I see.

Do you work with a specific type of student?

Yeah, mainly my population is business students.

Okay.

So, you know, these are students who are looking to maybe be an accountant down the road or.

Right.

You know, do something with business.

And for me, it's really rewarding to meet Them when they first come to lcc, you know, fresh out of high school or maybe even coming back after several years and kind of seeing that growth over time.

Right.

That, that's so rewarding for me. That's. That might be the main thing besides my paycheck that keeps me coming back to work every day.

Yeah, no, it is that, that is the relationships that we develop. And I know as a success coach, you get to have a really personal relationship with your students. Right.

You get to understand some of the trials and tribulations. Do you think from your past you can see yourself and your students?

Oh, absolutely. I think about myself as a teenager and I really am amazed that I'm alive and employed today.

I meet a lot of students who are dealing with a lot of different issues and I can relate to that. Growing up, I was a 17 year old father. Yeah, it was, it was not easy.

I had to work full time, go to school, had to juggle a lot of things that a typical 17, 18 year old doesn't have to deal with.

And so with a lot of my students, especially when they're dealing with those problems that feel a little bit too big for them, I really enjoy talking to them, getting to know them outside of maybe the classroom. Yeah, it's just super rewarding for me to do that, to help students kind of overcome those barriers and obstacles.

Yeah. Because I mean, I didn't know that about you, that you were like a teen parent pretty much.

And to be able to go work, go to school, get a bachelor's degree, and then go on to get a master's degree, that's not easy to do.

No.

And I think it just makes you so much more credible to some people sometimes when they're going through things that they're like, wow, he did this. I can hear his story. And he made it. I can do it.

And so I think that is something that I know we don't suppose to overshare, but that's something that I think could benefit students to know.

Oh yeah, definitely. I mean, especially when you're dealing with students from maybe underserved areas. I mean, I went to underserved high school, quote, unquote.

And so a lot of the things that these students experience, a lot of the things that they're maybe missing or didn't experience, I can kind of speak on that from my own personal experience.

Yeah, no, you're right. I think that's great. And I think that's just one of the great things about LCC is that we have a Diverse employee pool. You know what I mean?

Like, everybody has done something, they've had life experiences that can help and relate to students, to show them that despite this or because of this, you can still make it.

Absolutely. Absolutely. Especially, like, I was born in Saginaw, Michigan, and I don't know if everybody's familiar with that area.

I was born in Saginaw, Michigan, in the 80s. So it wasn't like the most glamorous or most prosperous life.

And to make it out of that takes a lot of work, a lot of luck, and a lot of perseverance. You're gonna fail more than you succeed. But the important thing is not giving up.

No, you. Right. And that's true. You are going to fail a lot more than you succeed. But it's that getting back up that makes a difference.

Well, it sounds like you have a good place here. You found your place and the students that you can help. But who are you outside of work?

Outside of work, I am really boring. I'm just being honest. Outside of work, if it's Monday through Friday, you can find me at home.

You can find me in the living room watching something on tv, reading, checking out a movie or something. Like, I am very boring outside of work.

I find that hard to believe. Jason, if you don't mind me asking, you said you had a family. Could you tell me a little bit about your family?

Oh, yeah, sure. Got my wife, my daughters. My son. My son lives in Grand Rapids. He's, you know, living life. Had his first kid, what, about a year and some change ago.

My first grandson.

Beautiful.

Yep. Loving that grandparent life. Teenage daughters at home, they always keep me on my toes.

How old are they?

13 and 15.

Oh, yes. Yes.

And so, you know, they. They, like I said, they keep me on my toes.

I end up just being a referee most of the time when I'm dealing with them, just trying to keep them from killing each other. Just, you know, the little things.

Right. Well, what helps you recharge or brings you joy?

As far as recharging goes, I'm kind of an introvert, so I extrovert all day long. So for me, what helps me recharge is just to be in a quiet place. Just.

Honestly, just a quiet place allows me to kind of recharge mentally, emotionally. Something that brings me joy. Outside of work, I'm kind of a nerd, so I play video games, read books.

Talking to different family members, different friends, just kind of helps, kind of replenish me after a long day.

So you talk about video Games. Right now my daughter has an Xbox, but she's thinking about getting a PS5. Do you have an alliance?

I see. All right. I have an Xbox and I'm kind of like your daughter. I'm thinking of switching over to the PS5, but for now I'll make it work with the Xbox.

That PS5 is coming. It is coming.

Yeah. What games do you like? Like what type of games do you play?

Usually I play like sports games like Madden or NBA 2K or right now I'm playing college football. Sometimes I like playing role playing games. So right now I'm also playing this game called Hades. Pretty cool game. I enjoy it.

Yeah, Some first person shooters. So. Okay, like you Call of Duty type games.

Okay.

But for the most part just sports and role playing games.

It seems like that's another thing that could bring you closer to your students that you work with because a lot of people are into gaming now.

What you trying to say, Lisa? I'm not mature enough?

No, I'm saying that, I'm saying that you would have things to talk about with your student and it can engage, you know, have a good conversation and they can be like, oh, he likes something that I like. Because I wouldn't know the first thing about any of those games. Xbox, PS5, PS4, I don't know none of that.

Well, see, when I was coming up, all that stuff was just coming out. So I mean, the first Nintendo came out, I think I was like five or six when they came out. So I mean, that was, that was the greatest.

And so I kind of grew up with these video game systems. So.

Yeah, it's very relatable to you.

Yeah.

So then is that something that you like to use to unwind the games?

Oh, yeah, definitely. Kind of play the game, unwind after a long day, sometimes get online and play with my son. Just stomp him out at Madden real quick.

I know he's gonna love hearing that,

you know, just stomp him out real quick.

So I know I read in the bio you had things that you would have a good conversation about Michigan State sports or the Detroit Lions. So does that mean that you root for Michigan State?

Oh, come on now, Lisa. Yeah, of course.

Okay. I didn't know because there's some other people back in your office that don't. So I just wanted to clarify. And so you root for Detroit Lions as well?

Yeah, it ain't always been easy. The first like 40 years or so was a little difficult to be a Lions fan. But these last four years, it's been pretty cool.

Pretty cool being a Lions fan.

It has. And so I know during this time you're kind of getting sad because there's only one game left.

Yeah, I mean, there's one game left, but, you know, I'm gonna enjoy it, check it out, maybe with some friends or something. Eat a whole lot of unhealthy food. It'd be a lot better if the Lions made it.

Oh, it would have been great. It would have been a wonderful week if the Lions had made it.

See, I don't know if Michigan could handle that, though, if the Lions made the Super Bowl. And the Pistons are good at the same time.

Oh, I know.

And the Red Wings are good at the same time. I don't. I don't think the state of Michigan could handle that much positivity all at once.

They would have been too much, huh?

Too much.

I know I would. I want to find out, though. Please, one day, let's all of us get in sync and get a Super Bowl. Another championship. And what's the Red Wings?

What did I get?

The Stanley Cup.

Stanley Cup, Yeah. Can we get all of that?

Oh, man. If we got all of that at once, I could go ahead and die and have no regrets.

He said you would be good to go, huh?

Yeah, I'll be good to go.

All right. Well, that's so funny to me. Cause I know you not by yourself. A lot of people will be just so happy.

But let me ask you, like, do you consider yourself, like, an introvert, an extrovert, or somewhere in between?

Well, like I said earlier, I consider myself an introvert. I could literally sit by myself all day and be fine. I do extroversion. I don't particularly enjoy it all the time, but I know it's.

You know, you got to deal with people in this life. But, yeah, I'm definitely more of an introvert.

See that? And I wouldn't have thought that, but as you say that and you and I think about it, I would consider myself, like, an introvert kinda.

But when I'm at work, I have to be extroverted. And so I understand that. And so, like, when you say I do extrovert, like, I know how to do it, but that's really not my personality.

I would like to be more laid back.

Oh, yeah. Like, sometimes. It's funny, my stepdad said this to me years and years ago.

He would tell me how he would, like, forget I was in the house sometimes, because I would just be in my room doing my own thing, reading a book. Or something like that. And, ah, Jason, you here, like, not bothering nobody? Yeah.

And did you have siblings?

Uh, yeah, five sisters.

Oh, wow. Oh, okay. You have five sisters. That's a lot. Are you the youngest or oldest?

Oh, no, I got five sisters, one brother, and I'm dead in the middle.

Oh, okay. Okay. Middle child. You think you have those characteristics, they say? The middle child syndrome?

I don't think so, but, I mean,

I need to ask the other people.

Yeah, I mean, I kind of stay out the way, stay to myself. I'm like that Homer Simpson meme, just disappearing into the bushes.

Okay, well, I got a couple of more questions. What's a lesson life has taught you?

That's a good one. A lesson life has taught me is let go of expectations.

If you'd asked me when I was 13 years old if I expected to be working at a college with a family and being relatively happy, that would not have been an expectation for me. But. But life has a funny way of kind of putting you in situations that you need to be in.

And so when you go into things with a lot of expectations, you kind of limit yourself at times because instead of focusing on what you are experiencing or what you are getting, you're thinking about what it should be or what you expected it to be and how what's going on may or may not live up to your expectations.

So I try to carry that lesson everywhere, is to just be more accepting of what's in front of me versus trying to make things fit into what I expect them to be, if that makes sense.

It does. No, it does.

It is limiting, I guess, when you have your kind of sometime, like a fixed mindset, you know, like, you think, I expect this to happen, I expect that to happen. And sometimes those things can be positive, but sometimes they can also be a hindrance to you. And so I think that's some good advice, right?

Oh, yeah. I forgot who told me this a long time ago, but they were just telling me. One of the worst things we do to ourselves is talk about what we should do.

I should be doing this. I'm doing this thing, but I should be doing this other thing because it detracts from your appreciation of what you are doing.

Right.

You're not focused on the moment. You're focused on this imaginary expectation of what you should be doing.

I like that.

I think I'm gonna start trying to keep that in my mind and give myself some grace, because I know a lot of times I'm a woulda, shoulda, coulda, not doing this, not doing that. So I appreciate that word right there. So let me ask you a last question.

Pretty much, what advice would you give to someone who's trying to find their place at lcc?

Somebody trying to find their place at

lcc, They're a new hire, they're coming in, they don't know. Or if they're a student and they're new and they're trying to find their place. If you can talk about either one

or both, I'll talk about both. I would give the same advice to both. Is just be yourself.

A lot of time when people go into new environments or around new people, they sometimes forget to just be themselves and they try to fit into what they think is acceptable behaviors or fit into what the group is doing. When oftentimes the group needs you to be yourself, to bring what you bring, you know, as an individual to the group.

So don't be afraid to try new things. Don't be afraid to experience new people, but be yourself in all of those interactions. Be genuine.

Because if you're fake, the people who do kind of gravitate towards you aren't really gravitating to the genuine person that you are. They're more gravitating to this Persona that you've kind of presented. So that'd be my advice. Be yourself.

Whether people like you or don't like you, that's their problem.

I like that, though, really. And that's the thing that. Yeah, we worry about that a lot. Sometimes too much.

Well, Jason, I want to thank you so much for sharing your story and your heart with us today. It's been a joy having you on Who's that Star? Is there anything you'd like to say before you leave?

Yeah. Come check out my podcast, Student Success Stories. It's on the LCC Connect Network. We'll be doing some new episodes coming up shortly.

It's myself, another academic success coach. Laz Lane, Dominique Vaughn, Larry Smith, Brendan Finnerty.

We're really looking forward to interviewing some students and getting some success stories. So, yeah, Shameless. Plug in the middle of somebody else's podcast.

That's okay. That's all right. We family. And I definitely want. I think it's important. Cause you guys showcase some really, you know, positive things on your show.

So I'm excited. All right, Who's that Star? Family, until next time. You've been listening to Who's that Star? I'm Lisa A.

And you can listen to this episode of Who's that Star? And other shows from LCC Connect anytime online at lccconnect.org thank you for listening. Catch me next time to find out who's that star.