Faculty Spotlight—Suzanne O’Brien

Dr. Suzanne O’Brien is the department chair for Humanities and has worked for SC4 for thirty-six years. Suzanne has taught many courses in English throughout her career and has extensive experience working with students in the writing center.

Suzane’s passion is for helping students find agency in their writing journey.  She emphasizes that the writing center is designed to help students find their voice.

“Some have never been told that they have something important to say and that they should be here. I want them to feel like they have a place.”

Suzanne lived across the nation growing up. She lived first in New York, then Arizona, and finally in Michigan. She was raised in an education family. Her mother was a high school English teacher, and her father taught English at a number of community colleges, including Washtenaw Community College.

When asked if she always wanted to pursue English, Suzanne laughed and responded, “Oh, heck no!” and explained that she originally studied radio, television and film at Washtenaw. She continued her education at the University of Michigan, playing in the band and taking classes part-time. Suzanne then transferred to Eastern Michigan University, but many of the credits she needed for her radio, television and film major did not transfer. Not wanting to repeat the classes she had already taken, Suzanne decided to switch her major to English (previously her minor) with a new minor in speech.

During college, Suzanne edited manuscripts for small publishing houses and was an assistant to the editor of the Journal of Popular Culture at Eastern Michigan. Finished with her bachelor’s degree, she was accepted into Eastern’s Master’s program, where she worked as a teaching assistant and in the Washtenaw writing center.

Following her time at Eastern, Suzanne worked as a lecturer at Bowling Green State University for four years. When her four-year commitment was finished, she accepted a full-time position as an English instructor at SC4, where she has been since 1988. While teaching and raising three children, she completed her Ph.D. in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education at Michigan State.

When asked about her time at SC4, Suzanne responded,

“I have the best colleagues on the face of the earth. I have the privilege of working with faculty, students, and staff in the Humanities Division. It has been an experience that has greatly enriched my life. I love this campus. I really do. And I love the students.”

In response to the SC4 writing center, she said

“It’s a comfortable, welcoming place that’s staffed by empathetic, very bright and capable tutors where students can usually find snacks and candy.”

Suzanne lives in St. Clair with her husband, a retired DTE lineman and SC4 graduate of the electronics program, and they have three grandchildren. In her spare time, Suzanne enjoys running and reading contemporary literary fiction and poetry.

For more information on tutoring and the writing center at SC4, please visit https://sc4.edu/support-services/tutoring/ or email studentsupport@sc4.edu.