Tamara Babcock graduated from Kellogg Community College in 2000 with an Associate in Arts degree. In May, she was crowned Mrs. Michigan, qualifying for the national Mrs. America Pageant in August.
After graduating from KCC, the 1997 graduate of Battle Creek Central High School earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education with endorsements in Early Childhood and Language Arts in 2003 from Aquinas College, where she graduated with honors and was on the Dance Team. She later earned a Master’s in Reading Education from Grand Canyon University.
Babcock, now 46, held the title of Miss Battle Creek/Cereal City while a student at KCC and competed in the Miss Michigan Pageant in 2000.
“KCC is an incredible community college that provided me with time to learn and grow,” Babcock said recently. “The instructors were top-notch and gave me the best support and education that enabled me to move forward towards my goals and ultimately set me up for my future success.”
Babcock said she fell in love with Communications while at KCC and competed on the forensics team. She noted Communications Professor Sarah Stout as “the most influential teacher during my time at KCC.”
She also enjoyed her science and phys ed classes, and traveled with KCC on a trip to the Smoky Mountains.
Today Babcock is in her 22nd year of teaching with Battle Creek Public Schools, teaching kindergarten and serving as a Professional Learning Community lead and Instructional Leadership Team member at LaMora Park Elementary.
At KCC, she said, “I learned more about myself than anything else. It was quite the experience. I’m so happy I chose KCC when I did.”
Photo by Meagan Gilbert, meagangilbert.com.
This article first appeared in the June 2025 edition of BruIN magazine. To read the issue online, please visit kellogg.edu/bruinmagazine.
