GRCC staff and members of the Latino Student Union (LSU) club attended the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI) National Conference in February. This annual event is the largest gathering of students, young professionals and emerging leaders in the nation. Attendees have the opportunity to interact with public policy makers, expert presenters and current community leaders. For Alexsandra Aguilar-Delgado and Joel Reyes Hernandez, the conference offered an opportunity to grow their leadership skills and connect with their cultural identity. Aguilar-Delgado is a current GRCC student and treasurer for the LSU. Reyes Hernandez is a GRCC alumnus and currently serves as the ALAS program coordinator. Creating Space for Connection Over the four-day event, attendees connected over meals, listened to inspiring keynote speakers and participated in workshops. Both Aguilar-Delgado and Reyes Hernandez described feeling energized and empowered at the end of every day. “It was a life changing experience,” said Aguilar-Delgado. “I met professionals with the same background as me. Or people who grew up in difficult circumstances and still found success. Hearing about their journeys was so inspiring.” “Being there with all those people was powerful,” said Reyes Hernandez. “I felt valued and like my voice mattered. I know that if we stick together, we can make a huge impact in our communities.” A Focus on Leadership USHLI is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering communities through education, leadership development, civic engagement and research. The 2026 conference theme was “Uplifting America’s Emerging Leaders” and encouraged participants to access resources and grow their servant leadership capability. “I didn’t realize how many Hispanic leaders we already have in the United States,” said Reyes Hernandez. “There were politicians, ambassadors, educators and industry leaders at the conference. Especially in our current political climate, it helped me see that we have what it takes to make the world a better place now.” “One workshop was about the reality of being from two different cultures,” said Aguilar-Delgado. “It can feel like having two different identities and splitting your time 50/50 between them. But the speaker encouraged us to think about both identities being 100% you. Added together, that’s 200%.” The conference was presented in both English and Spanish. “That was a huge plus for me,” said Reyes Hernandez. “One of the biggest challenges we face as an underrepresented community is the language barrier. Having both languages there equally made me more comfortable. I didn’t feel pressure to have perfect English. I could be myself.” Inspired to Make a Difference   “I learned a lot about leadership and community,” said Aguilar-Delgado. “One speaker received a very prestigious award, but she did so with so much humbleness. She said love for her community inspired her to lead. It helped me realize that the answer to a lot of problems we face today is love. Love for your community, love for everything. And that love will inspire you to stand up for what’s right and fight for justice.” “Instead of creating divisions, we need to create more unity,” said Reyes Hernandez. “My biggest takeaway is to not let fear hold me back. Put yourself out there and do the right thing even if you feel scared. And to always root for yourself and believe in your own potential.” Aguilar-Delgado and Hernandez hope more GRCC students and staff have the opportunity to attend next year’s conference. “This conference is one of the ways GRCC extends learning beyond the classroom,” said Reyes Hernandez. “Opportunities like this empower students and help them realize that learning happens everywhere and that we can make a bigger impact when we do it together.”  

March 25, 2026 Grand Rapids Community College has received a $251,942 Barrier Removal - Growing Institutional Capacity grant from  Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) to strengthen mental health services for students through expanded capacity, training and campus-wide engagement. The three-year grant will support the work of  GRCC’s Center for Counseling and Well-Being and advance the college’s strategic priority to expand equitable access to mental health supports for students. “This funding allows us to move from understanding the need to taking meaningful, systemic action,” said Melissa Ware, program director for GRCC’s Center for Counseling and Well-Being. “We know our students are navigating significant stressors, and this grant helps us ensure that support is visible, accessible and embedded throughout their college experience.” Meeting a Critical Student Need Data collected from GRCC students underscore the urgency of this work. According to the Fall 2024 #RealCollegeSurvey, more than one-third of students experienced food insecurity in the prior month, nearly half reported housing insecurity in the past year, and 4% experienced homelessness. These challenges often take a significant toll on student mental health and academic access. Findings from the Healthy Minds Study and additional research conducted by the Mental Health Improvement through Community College (MHICC) initiative revealed that: 57% of GRCC students reported currently needing help for mental health concerns 40% said their mental health negatively affected their academic performance multiple days in a single month 55% experienced clinically significant symptoms of depression, anxiety or suicidality Only 13% had ever used counseling services on campus Mental health is also the most frequently cited reason GRCC students give for leaving college before completing a degree. Expanding Capacity and Awareness Grant funding will be used to grow institutional capacity in three key areas. Building Faculty and Staff Knowledge Faculty and staff across the college will receive Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) training — an evidence-based suicide prevention program that helps participants recognize warning signs, initiate supportive conversations and connect students to help. GRCC will use a train-the-trainer model to offer quarterly sessions and ensure long-term sustainability. Increasing Student Awareness and Engagement The Center for Counseling and Well-Being will expand peer-to-peer outreach by training student peer educators to deliver presentations, host events and promote help-seeking behaviors. A new Student Advisory Board will provide a formal channel for student voice in shaping mental health services. Additional initiatives include: Outreach campaigns that connect students with faculty and resources.  Annual Student Success and Well-Being Summits featuring workshops, screenings and community resources Strengthening Systems and Infrastructure GRCC will join the JED Foundation’s  JED Campus program, a nationally recognized initiative that helps colleges implement a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to mental health promotion and suicide prevention. Through assessment, strategic-planning and ongoing technical assistance, GRCC will enhance crisis protocols, pursue accreditation for its counseling services and plan for long-term sustainability beyond the grant period. “This work is about creating a campus culture where asking for help is normal and support is easy to find,” Ware said. “By strengthening systems and empowering both students and employees, we’re building a foundation that will serve GRCC students well beyond the life of this grant.”