Celina Grondin – Women's Golf Coach
Celina Grondin has been a leader in athletics and academics since her days as a student-athlete at Lake Superior State University. Even as a busy international business major with an above-average GPA, she found her way to the top on the court and the track as well.
Grondin was an NCAA Division II nationally-ranked tennis player, as well as a school record-holding sprinter for the LSSU Lakers. After graduating with honors in 2007, she eventually found her way to the Blue Water Area where she joined the SC4 staff in 2010.
For the last 10 years she's been working as the Director of Institutional Research and Grants. She also picked up golf, as it was something she could do with her husband and stay active. She says the Port Huron Golf Club is her favorite course in the area.
"I've always liked golf and it's something we both like," Grondin said. "It's similar to tennis. It's a great sport you can play all your life, it's kind of addicting."
Unable to stay away from college athletics, she joined head men's golf coach Dale Vos and helped his team for a bit, but even greater things are up ahead for Grondin and the Skippers.
This fall will be the inaugural season for the SC4 women's golf team, led by Grondin.
"I'm excited about coaching my own team," she said. "We are the only community college in Michigan with a full team for women. We had a couple women play before a few years back, but this will be the first official team."
Starting something new and leading a group of determined women is nothing new for Grondin, as she has been an initiator in developing female sports in the Blue Water Area.
She helped jump-start SC4's Michigan Promoter of Women's Equal Rights in Sports (MPOWERS) group to help female athletes achieve their athletic goals. It connects local leaders in women's athletics and equips them with resources and support. She also helped SC4 become the only community college member of the WeCOACH organization that helps mentor and grow the number of women coaches at all levels, all across the country.
She said she's looking forward to the upcoming golf season for the Skippers, no matter what it might look like.
"I don't think we're going to get to play much this fall, but it'll be a good practice semester," she said. "But it's still exciting. Obviously, I love golf and I think this is a great opportunity for the women in the area to play golf in college.