As Washtenaw Community College prepares to celebrate its 60th anniversary, we recognize
the thousands of alumni who turned opportunity into achievement. For six decades,
WCC has opened doors to education, careers and brighter futures — and these 60 Stories that will be compiled over the year reflect that enduring mission.
It was 1971 when Dale Throneberry first walked onto the campus of Washtenaw Community College.
The college itself was still young — having opened just five years prior — at a time when community colleges were emerging nationwide as a new and expanding pathway to higher education.
It was exactly what Throneberry needed in the middle of a life transition that felt anything but simple.
“I had never heard of a community college,” Throneberry recalled. “I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t know what it did.”
What he did know was that he needed a place to land.
Throneberry’s path to WCC began far from Ann Arbor. A self-described “Jersey boy,” he was drafted during the Vietnam era and entered the U.S. Army’s Warrant Officer Flight Program, where he learned to fly helicopters.
After graduating from flight school, he was deployed to Vietnam, serving with the 195th Assault Helicopter Company from December 1968 to December 1969.
His mission was direct and dangerous: carrying troops into and out of combat zones.
Following his tour, Throneberry served as an instructor pilot before being discharged from the military in 1971.
Like many veterans, the transition from military to civilian life was not easy for Throneberry.
He and his wife had decided to move to Ann Arbor after visiting the city just once — in the middle of winter, with the falling snow and flickering lights of Main Street giving the young couple It’s a Wonderful Life vibes.
But plans quickly became complicated. Throneberry applied to Eastern Michigan University and was rejected. Admissions staff encouraged him to consider Washtenaw Community College instead.
Unsure of what to expect, Throneberry applied ... and waited anxiously for a response, unaware that WCC was an open-admissions institution.
“I sweated it out,” he said with a laugh. “Finally, the letter comes. I’m in school again.”
By the end of his first day on campus, Throneberry says he knew he had found something important. “I knew I was home,” he said. “And I was safe.”
At WCC, Throneberry found instructors who encouraged him to push himself academically — and he responded. He excelled in his classes, gaining confidence and momentum that carried him forward.
“I did so well that I got into the University of Michigan, which really surprised my family and friends” he said, still sounding amused by the memory.
Throneberry complemented his WCC associate degree by earning a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in communication from Michigan.
In 2001, fate brought Throneberry back to where his college journey had begun. WCC was looking for part-time instructors in public speaking. He applied.
“Finally, I feel like I’m back where I belong,” he said.
More than two decades later, Throneberry remains a part-time instructor at WCC. This semester, he is leading two sections of COM 101: Fundamentals of Speaking.
Beyond the classroom, Throneberry continues his commitment to service and storytelling. In 2003, he co-founded Veterans Radio, a weekly radio broadcast and podcast dedicated to sharing the stories of America’s veterans.
For Throneberry, his journey at WCC represents something larger than a line on a résumé or a return to a former campus.
“I’ve come full circle here,” he said. “It’s a place where you’re welcome. It’s a place where you’re safe. It’s a place where you can start over. It’s a place where you’re encouraged to dream about what you can be.
“I’m grateful to WCC for allowing me to be here for the past 25 years. It’s been so much fun.”
More than 50 years after first enrolling, Throneberry’s story is deeply woven into the history of Washtenaw Community College as a student, alumnus and instructor.
Tags: 60 Stories, Alumni Profile, Faculty Profile, March 2026, On The Record, Wadhams Veterans Center