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.
For Kaitlin Lesser, her Washtenaw Community College education is on display every day — from the fields of her family farm to the operations floor of a local manufacturing business.
Lesser serves as Director of Administration at Alpha Metal Finishing in Dexter, where she oversees maintenance operations, administrative functions and safety and compliance efforts.
The role demands a broad understanding of business operations, problem-solving and professionalism — skills she credits directly to her time at WCC.
Those same skills also support her work closer to home. Lesser plays an active role at Lesser Farms & Orchard, her husband’s family farm in Dexter. There, she applies marketing, sales and business planning strategies to help grow the farm’s beef, chicken and other home-grown product sales.
Now 29, Lesser attended WCC from 2014 to 2018, earning a Business associate degree and a Core Business Skills certificate while completing the Michigan Transfer Agreement.
WCC’s flexible scheduling allowed Lesser to balance classes with full-time work while gaining real-world experience and confidence.
Inside the classroom, she found instructors who emphasized professionalism and long-term learning — not just passing exams.
“They gave me a strong foundation in marketing and general business practices,” Lesser says. “They really helped me learn how to retain the material.”
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This story can be found in the Summer 2026 edition of Launch magazine. Read the full publication.
Tags: 60 Stories, Alumni Profile, Business, Launch Summer 2026