March 10, 2025 Phillip Huynh wanted a college degree, but worried he might get in over his head. “I thought about going to Hope College or a university to obtain a bachelor’s degree right from the get-go,” said Huynh, 19. “But I didn’t want to worry about school loans or be a financial burden to my family especially if things went south with college and I had to leave school.” The Grand Rapids Community College  Lakeshore Campus in Holland  proved the perfect solution. “The Lakeshore Campus felt like a good way to get comfortable with college and get into a good routine,” said Huynh, a 2023 West Ottawa High School graduate. GRCC offers programs and classes for everyone, whether you’re looking to get a certificate, take a training course, or start your degree and then transfer to a different institution. GRCC opened a new 52,000-square-foot satellite campus in Holland in 2021 to provide programs and student services in one convenient, state-of-the-art location. The Lakeshore Campus has nine classrooms, four computer labs and five unique labs for biology, chemistry, electronics, automation, welding and machine tooling, housing programs for students working toward an associate degree or a career-focused certificate. Thousands of West Michigan students like Huynh have found the Holland satellite a time-saving alternative to attending classes at GRCC’s Main Campus in downtown Grand Rapids. Huynh is enrolled full-time and doing well in the  Pre-Chemical Engineering Program . As he’s grown more accustomed to GRCC and progressed academically, he’s also developing life skills and habits he believes will serve him well in the future. “I’m not saying that a university can’t also be used as an opportunity to grow as a person,” he said. “But for those who may not feel super confident about a university right away, they can use community college to pace themselves, think about their future and, perhaps, not feel as pressured.” Huynh’s had the chance to spread his wings and find others with similar interests. “In the beginning, I kind of treated college like a job: I got on campus, I studied and I got out,” he said. “But as the semesters passed on, I kind of explored a bit more and got in touch with more people to study together and that sort of stuff. It's been kind of fun since then.” Huynh hopes to graduate in 2025 and eventually earn a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. For now, he’s unsure where or when he will pursue it. He does know he’s happy he chose GRCC. “It’s a great place to get your feet wet and figure out what you want to study and what you want to do when you get older,” he said. “GRCC was definitely the right stepping stone for me.” This story was reported by Beth McKenna.