August 26, 2024 Casey Brunetti loves drinking beer. But she  really loves making it. Now pub brewer at Big Lake Brewing in Holland, Brunetti got her start at Grand Rapids Community College in the renowned  Craft Brewing, Packaging & Service Operations Certificate Program . The program changed the trajectory of her life. “I’m very grateful that I was able to go through the program because it gave me a good introduction to the world of craft brewing,” said Brunetti, who earned her certificate in 2018. “GRCC is also where I met my classmates who are still at the heart of my professional network today.” But brewing beer wasn’t always the career the Alpena native envisioned for herself.  In 2016, Brunetti earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology at Michigan State University planning to continue on to a master’s in social work after taking a gap year. She lived in Ireland, working as an au pair and traveling across Europe whenever time allowed.  “And I drank so much good beer,” said Brunetti, now 30. The experience was wonderful — and eye-opening. She realized she no longer wanted to become a social worker, sitting behind a desk for the rest of her life. Beer is what really interested her. “I found out about GRCC’s craft brewing program by literally Googling ‘beer college’ and enrolled at GRCC when I got back home,” she said. In addition to classes, she worked at GRCC’s on-site brewery,  Fountain Hill Brewery , getting hands-on experience in the art, science and technology brewing. She interned at Five Lakes Brewing Company, formerly located in Dorr. After earning her craft brewing certificate, she held a series of brewing jobs in Alpena and Grand Rapids before and after the pandemic. She started at Big Lake Brewing a little over a year ago. “I had a pretty tumultuous start to my career because of COVID, but I feel very comfortable at Big Lake and have had so many amazing opportunities to do cool stuff,” said Brunetti, who most recently crafted three new beer recipes debuting there in September.  When she’s not crafting beer, she volunteers with the  Pink Boots Society , a national nonprofit dedicated to advancing the careers of women and non-binary people in the brewing industry. In January, she was elected leader of the organization’s West Michigan chapter. The GRCC alumnus is happy with the path her life has taken — and so is her family. “My mom was a little shocked by my decision to craft beer for a living, but she’s been my biggest supporter since I started doing this,” she said. “She really likes craft beer, so that helps a lot.” This story was reported by Beth McKenna.

August 23, 2024 Just over 18% of the K-12 students in  Ottawa Area ISD’s  service region are Hispanic or Latino. In contrast, 30% of the students at the  GRCC Lakeshore Campus in Holland come from this background. What is attracting all these students to GRCC? In a word: intentionality. “GRCC is an open access college that prepares individuals to attain their goals and contribute to the community,” said Cameron Buck , dean of the Lakeshore Campus. “We want to provide relevant educational opportunities that are responsive to the needs of the community. On the Lakeshore, that means being intentional about understanding and reaching the Latinx community.” Word of mouth is an important part of sharing information. That’s why GRCC partners very closely with  Latin Americans United for Progress (LAUP) , which has been around for more than 60 years. That organization is a key entry point for GRCC to share information and resources. “GRCC has sponsored LAUP’s Fiesta event for many years,” Buck said. “This is a significant and visible way for us to be present and get the word out. We also provide college presentations for youth involved with LAUP, and assistance with financial aid forms. We open our building for LAUP events. Our goal is to get as many people through the door as possible so they feel like they belong here.” Johnny Rodriguez, president & CEO of LAUP, notes that this collaborative approach yields excellent results.  "Our joint efforts enable us to cater to the distinctive needs of the Latinx community,” Rodriguez said. “LAUP provides culturally responsive, accessible programs that encompass education, skill development, career advancement and celebration of Latinx culture. The partnership with GRCC and their role as Fiesta community engagement sponsor exemplifies how we can work together toward a shared goal.” The entire Lakeshore Campus focuses on providing a welcoming, affirming environment for all people. The leadership and staff pay particular attention to the challenges faced by the Latinx community. GRCC recently created the position of operations manager for the Lakeshore Campus, and promoted  Jackie Araiza to that position. Araiza grew up in a Spanish-speaking home, which allows her to connect effectively with the Latinx community.  “A lot of our work focuses on dispelling misconceptions,” Araiza said. “It’s understandable that the Spanish speakers in our community would assume we only speak English. We also understand their hesitancy over complicated things like the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process, especially if they don’t have a Social Security number. For those and other reasons, our Latinx neighbors may not feel GRCC is for them. We are working hard to get accurate information out there by partnering with LAUP. I put “Se habla español” right on my business card so that they know we speak Spanish here and will feel comfortable starting a conversation.” Rodriguez appreciates the intentionality that GRCC demonstrates in connecting with the Spanish-speaking community. “GRCC fosters a welcoming and inclusive environment by hiring diverse faculty and staff,” Rodriguez said. “GRCC's most significant contributions are providing affordable, high-quality education and training programs; enabling accessible pathways to higher education; and promoting success and socioeconomic mobility for the Latinx community.” Araiza agrees that a community college is a wonderful bridge to opportunity.  “You don’t need a high GPA or perfect grades to succeed,” Araiza said. “We have tutoring available. When someone comes in, we ask if they want to converse in Spanish or English. That bi-lingual support allows parents to come, communicate, and understand how to help motivate their kids.” What’s the bottom line?  “The personal connection matters,” Buck said. “Our classes are in English but the welcome is bi-lingual. We want everyone in our community to view GRCC as a place where they can achieve their goals.” Learn more about the GRCC Lakeshore Campus.  This story was reported by Julie Hordyk.

August 21, 2024  If only Henry Ford could see how technology has transformed manufacturing!  The founder of Ford Motor Company was known for his assembly line methods and likely would be intrigued by what manufacturing and production looks like now.  “So much of manufacturing and production are technology-driven today,” said Patrick Van Otteren, associate professor of electrical/controls technology at Grand Rapids Community College. “The field is growing exponentially and the technology is changing fast. Employers are eager to hire people who can keep everything running.”  That’s why GRCC offers two options for people seeking more education in industrial maintenance technology. Both programs are offered at the Main Campus in Grand Rapids, as well as at the Lakeshore Campus in Holland.  “Our certificate program teaches someone the skills they need to work as an industrial maintenance technician,” Van Otteren said. “We cover networking, robotics, programmable logic controllers, touchscreens, industrial electricity and much more.”  A student who is working while going to school can typically complete the  certificate in one year. GRCC also offers an  industrial maintenance technology associate degree . The degree incorporates general education courses along with technical skills courses. Students typically complete it in two or three years. Van Otteren stresses that students who complete their studies at GRCC graduate with the skills employers want.  “We stay in sync with manufacturers through our advisory committee, and I also visit local businesses to understand their needs,” Van Otteren said. “For example, networking between systems is the hot need right now, so we are getting deeper into that. Keeping our technology current requires a lot of time but the payoff for our students is huge. They will have hands-on experience with all the latest versions of manufacturing or production hardware and software. Once they learn the basic principles of one system, they can easily learn others.”  GRCC’s industrial maintenance technician programs give students plenty of hands-on experience.  “A large percentage of our students come to us because they are already in an  apprenticeship program ,” Van Otteren said. “We have a mechatronics line in the classroom. Students can learn how to support the mechanical side — hydraulics, pneumatics and motor replacement. They can also focus on the electrical side — replacing sensors, monitoring and maintaining touchscreens. All of this learning allows them to maintain uptime in a manufacturing or production environment, which is essential for business.”  Van Otteren says that the industrial maintenance technician field is red-hot. An industrial engineering technician with an associate degree can earn from $22.51 to $39.77 per hour according to the  West Michigan Works! 2024 Hot jobs list .  “I like to call this a ‘target rich’ environment,” Van Otteren said. “If you complete the program and have motivation, you will get a job.”  Learn more about industrial maintenance technician programs at GRCC . This story was reported by Julie Hordyk.