Jan. 31, 2025 Coral De La Garza Ramos and Daisy Meza not only received a great education at Grand Rapids Community College, they also got a great introduction to the working world. While earning associate degrees in  Pre-Social Work , both students worked part-time at the front desk of GRCC’s Lakeshore Campus in Holland. It’s a big job with a wide range of responsibilities assisting students, staff, instructors and the public with everything from admission applications and class registration to campus tours and financial aid. Both De La Garza Ramos and Meza excelled at their jobs, said Miguel Espinoza, the GRCC support professional who supervises the Lakeshore Campus front desk. “Coral and Daisy are probably among the top three or four student employees I’ve worked with in my 20 years at GRCC,” Espinoza said. “They're very professional, they're responsible, they're mature, they’re patient and they have all the skills required for this job.” Both women have been recognized for their work at GRCC – Meza won the 2024 Student Employee Impact Award, which honors a student whose employment within the college has made a positive impact in their life. De La Garza Ramos was a runner-up for the award.  Meza, who lives in Holland, began attending classes at the Lakeshore campus in 2022 after graduating from the Great Lakes Adventist Academy in Cedar Lake. She usually worked about 28 hours a week while also balancing her studies. The 21-year-old said she liked the convenience of attending a college so close to home and appreciated the flexibility of online classes. “Online classes allowed me to study at my own pace, which really helped me,” she said. Working at the Lakeshore Campus gave Meza a first-class education in customer service. “When I first started working at GRCC, I was nervous to even pick up a phone because I didn’t know what the caller was going to ask me,” she said. “But this job really taught me how to be professional, how to deal with complicated situations and helped me gain confidence in myself.” Meza graduated in December and plans to earn her bachelor’s degree in social work at Grand Valley State University. De La Garza Ramos is completing her final semester at GRCC and will graduate this spring with an associate degree in social work. Now 20 years old, she started at GRCC’s Lakeshore Campus in 2022 after graduating from West Ottawa High School in Holland.    De La Garza Ramos said she enjoys her classes, her professors and serving as the first point of contact at the Lakeshore Campus. “I strive to create a welcoming environment by giving campus tours and empowering students to pursue their postsecondary goals,” she said. “As a first-generation college student, this job constantly provides opportunities for me to learn something new, and I use that newfound knowledge to empower other students on their educational journeys.” She said the job also taught her the importance of time management – a skill that will serve her well throughout her career. “Juggling work, classes and your personal life can be overwhelming, especially during exams or busy academic periods,” she said. “But Miguel and my professors really work with me and the rest of the students to help you balance it all.” Espinoza, who has a master’s degree in social work, said he’s grateful to have played a small role in helping both students in their life journeys and future careers. “The skills they exhibited here like being very empathetic, very caring, being a good listener – all while being patient - are skills they’re also going to need in social work,” Espinoza said.  Learn more about  Career and Student Employment Services at GRCC. This story was reported by Beth McKenna.

Jan. 29, 2025 When was the last time you saw an advertisement? Odds are, you’ve recently passed one on a billboard or seen one on a commercial break for your favorite television show. For many, these are what comes to mind when they think of marketing. But, according to Felix Pereiro, who heads the Business Department at Grand Rapids Community College, advertisements are just one small part of a much bigger picture. “Marketing people are creative problem solvers,” Pereiro said. “They look at issues that customers, or potential customers, have and ask if there’s a better way to do it.” With a marketing degree from GRCC , you’ll learn the fundamentals of operations, strategy, and customer relations. You’ll dive deep into the 4Ps of marketing: product, price, place and promotion. And you’ll study the marketing process whereby goods, services and processes move from concept to adoption by the customer. Expand your career horizons All of this will give you a head start on the path to solving problems in sales, retail, advertising and a whole host of other fields.  According to Forbes , marketing is an essential component of every business, because all companies rely on marketing strategies to develop marketing plans, determine pricing, implement advertising campaigns and gather analytical information to evaluate their efforts. Choosing to study marketing at GRCC means opening yourself up to a wide variety of excellent career options. There really is something for everyone in the world of marketing, says Pereiro, no matter your personality or interests.  “It’s all very entrepreneurial. You have some people who are the inside engines, some who like to go out and talk to people, some who like to stay back at the office and really work the data and analytics. You could go into marketing for 40 years and I guarantee you, you could switch areas every two to three years, and you’ll never run out of opportunities,” Pereiro said. Explore emerging industries According to Pereiro, some of the most exciting opportunities for using your marketing degree lie in the world of digital marketing and content creation. “Massive amounts of content are being created online every day, whether that’s through social media platforms like TikTok and X or in other places. It’s a whole new world,” said Pereiro. In fact, data compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that jobs within digital marketing are set to witness a  6% increase in growth by 2032, higher than the average rate for any other profession. This wealth of opportunity is being fueled by another industry that Pereiro is excited by – artificial intelligence. “We’re not afraid of AI; we embrace it. We’re asking how we can use it, to the best of our ability, to help our customers solve problems,” Pereiro said. Get ahead of the competition When it comes to the world of marketing, the sky really is the limit, and the strength of your education at GRCC will leave you well positioned to get there.  “What we do with our marketing degree is prepare our students to go out and get jobs right now,” said Pereiro. “There’s never been a more exciting time to be in marketing.” Learn more about the  Marketing degree from GRCC. This story was reported by Alissa Griffin.