Get to Know HFC: Jack Proctor smooths the path for pre-nursing students
Jack Proctor’s career goal was to teach history at the high school level.
“I’ve always been a history buff. I really loved the history teachers I had when I was in high school. I wanted to get my degree in history and teach, just like them,” recalled Proctor, a lifelong Dearborn resident.
By the time he graduated from Wayne State University, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. This made Proctor decide to pivot. He went to grad school and started working in higher education.
“I loved being a student and seeing the benefits of education. I still wanted to work in education,” he said. “As an academic advisor, I like that one-on-one interaction. My advisors had really helped me when I was a student. I never felt rushed when I had a conversation with my academic advisors about my goals and aspirations. That inspired me to go into advising.”
Getting connected with his community through HFC
A graduate of Edsel Ford High School, Proctor earned his bachelor’s degree in secondary education with a concentration in history and his 6-12th grade teaching certificate from Wayne State. He later earned his master’s degree in higher education from Madonna University. Now he is taking classes at HFC.
“I’m doing that for my own enrichment. I’m taking a Music Fundamentals class,” he said. “I’m also doing it to get a better feel for how the classes run at HFC, and get to know the College community better.”
Proctor has worked in higher education since 2022. He was a Success Coach at Madonna for three years and taught Madonna’s Transitions to Higher Education class for incoming freshmen. He joined HFC in February 2025, where he advises pre-nursing students. He reports to Assistant Director of Academic Advising Amal Qureshi.
“As a higher education administrator, I wanted to get a better understanding of community college services. I was a student at a public 4-year university, I was a student at private 4-year university, but I had no interaction with a community college. HFC was an excellent opportunity to get connected with my community and get a better understanding of the programs and needs HFC serves to broaden my understanding of the higher education landscape,” he explained.
Working together to support students
In his first year at HFC, Proctor has been impressed by the cooperation and collaboration between the College’s departments.
“It has been a collaborative effort working in the Welcome Center,” he said. “I can go to colleagues and ask questions. Enrollment Services has helped me more times than I count, as has the Testing Department. This is a collaborative space at HFC, which is an asset to serve the students and show them we’re only working together to support them; we’re not just one area working independently.”
HFC Program Advisor Julie Fountain has had many opportunities to work with Proctor.
“Jack’s prior experience in higher education was a big asset when he joined the College. Because so many of our nursing students will continue their education after HFC, he has been able to provide an extra layer of support,” said Fountain. “Jack has been a wonderful addition to the pre-nursing advising team. He’s very conscientious and has a heart for student success. With the Nursing program admissions process being selective, keeping in touch with students about policies and checking their progress through the prerequisites is very important. We’re very fortunate to have him working with our pre-nursing students.”