Feb. 18, 2026 American author F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, “Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.” Kaleb Gomez Corder will tell you this is good advice. The journey that brought him to GRCC had its share of challenges, but is culminating with great rewards. “I didn’t care about education when I was in high school,” Gomez said. “I wasn’t planning to go to college. By the time I got myself together, I had to transfer to another high school just to graduate.”  Somewhere along the line, Kaleb discovered a love of music and decided that college sounded like a good idea after all. Unfortunately, his past stood in the way. “All the local college music programs rejected me,” Gomez said. “Then I discovered GRCC, and it provided the bridge that I needed.”  Kaleb’s educational pathway crossed that of Dr. Jonah Elrod, assistant professor of music theory and composition. Dr. Elrod saw Kaleb’s potential and encouraged him to enter a local composition competition.  “Winning a competition is the first step on the road to self-publishing for a composer,” Elrod said. “It builds a network and creates something playable. This is how you sell yourself and your talents to the world. Since this was a local competition, with a collegiate division, Kaleb stood a better chance of winning than he would have in a national or international competition. Knowing Kaleb’s talent and attention to detail, I thought this was a great next step for him.” Kaleb entered his composition, entitled  Yet the Blue Bridge Still Stands , into the 175 Years/88 Keys competition sponsored by the Piano Teachers’ Forum of Grand Rapids. Not only did he enter — he won!    “This was my first professional competition,” he said. “I was confident in my piece, but so surprised to find out that I won.” Professor Elrod was not at all surprised.  “The award is well-deserved,” he said. “Kaleb wrote a great piece that followed the prompt of the competition. It’s a wonderful achievement for him. Wins like this are also the sign of a robust music program. GRCC is honored by this win, too.”  Musically, Kaleb based his composition on the 1st, 7th and 5th degrees of the scale, honoring the 175th birthday of Grand Rapids. Emotionally, his composition echoes his own personal optimism and tenacity.  “The 1-7-5 sequence has an ethereal sound,” he said. “My piece is about two people who meet on the blue bridge of Grand Rapids during the winter. They become romantically involved, but ultimately a proposal of marriage is rejected. That’s a crushing blow. However, in spite of that adversity, the bridge where it all started still stands. The bridge reminds us not to get discouraged by failure.” Indeed.  Kaleb is finishing his last semester at GRCC, and will graduate with an associate of Music degree. He plans to transfer to Grand Valley State University, where he has already been accepted, to complete his bachelor’s degree with a dual major in composition and education. “For someone who was kicked out of band in high school, this is a little bit surreal,” he said. “I want to teach high school band in a low-income area so that I can make music accessible for students who might not otherwise have the chance to experience it. Ultimately, I would like to teach at a college like GRCC, where acceptance can transform defeat into victory.”  Learn about the  GRCC Music Department , including degrees, courses and performance opportunities.  This story was reported by Julie Hordyk.