We are excited to share with you the hard work the Grand Rapids Community College Foundation has done this past year.
The numbers are compelling: $1 million in scholarships distributed to 1,571 students during the 2022-2023 fiscal and academic year. Our scholarships are the result of an enduring collaboration that results in a better West Michigan for all of us.
Our generous donors are the first part of this success story. Without your contributions, we couldn’t do what we do as a college: meeting students where they are and helping them achieve their dreams.
We both consider it an honor to work for a college and in a community with such strong support for the opportunities provided by higher education.
Foundation staff members not only match up scholarships and students, but they create opportunities for donors and recipients to build a relationship. Through events such as scholarship recipient workshops, Scholarfest and Creating Connections, they ensure that the bonds between our donors and students go beyond financial help. Our students tell us repeatedly that while they are grateful for the money, the encouragement they feel through knowing that someone they’ve never met supports their goals is just as important to them.
Our students are the final part of the success that is the GRCC Foundation. Their persistence in overcoming obstacles inspires and humbles us. They leave our campus with excitement and a sense of accomplishment, ready to take that next step into a bachelor’s degree or a career. Many of these alumni become donors themselves because they’ve experienced the life-changing power of a scholarship.
Stories from our donors, the GRCC community and students fill the pages of this annual report. They are stories of generosity, gratitude and success. We thank you for the part you’ve played in them and for your support of our foundation and our college.
Be well. Be Kind. Take care of each other.
Charles W. Lepper, Ph.D., GRCC president
Kristine Babcock, GRCC Foundation board chair
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