April 19, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Izzy Regner, Fernando Rivera-Calderon and Lucas McKinney of the Grand Rapids Community College softball and baseball teams were named Michigan Community College Athletic Association Northern Conference Players of the Week after outstanding work both on the mound and at the plate. Regner pitched four complete games, giving up no earned runs while striking out 37 batters, including 11 twice against Alpena Community College. The sophomore hurler from Elkhorn, Wis. not only ranks as one of the best in the conference, but one of the best in the country.  Her 11.97 strikeouts per inning ranks her second in the national NJCAA division two rankings.  She's also fifth in the nation with a 0.89 ERA and 188 strikeouts. Regner also ranks as one of the best batters in the conference, batting .472 with 20 RBI, four home runs, 12 doubles and a triple. McKinney picked up two wins during the week for the baseball team, once against Mid Michigan College in their final game of the series and the other against Alpena Community College in game three of their series. At Mid Michigan, the freshman from Clarkston, tossed a complete game, giving up just three hits and one run.  Four days later, against the Lumberjacks, he gave up five hits and no earned runs.  For the week he posted an ERA of 0.69 and struck out 10 batters. McKinney leads the team with five wins in six appearances. In 29 innings on the mound, he has 24 strikeouts and opponents are batting just .217 against him. Rivera-Calderon slugged his way to player of the week honors by batting .583 with seven extra base hits, including two home runs and a triple.  He had at least two hits in six of the seven games played.  He also had five stolen bases and had nine putouts. The sophomore from Cayey, Puerto Rico is the only player on the team to play and start in all 30 games for the Raiders. He leads the team with 36 hits, 10 stolen bases, 31 RBI and four triples.  He is second on the team in batting average, .371; home runs, five; doubles, nine; and slugging percentage, .701. The baseball team is 20-10 and on an 11-game winning streak. The softball team is 16-13 after taking three of five in their last conference series. Both teams are scheduled to resume conference play April 21 in a five-game series with Muskegon Community College. This story was reported by Ben Brown. 

April 19, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Like so many, Daniel Martinez was barely making ends meet. “I was working in an office supply warehouse working 60 to 80 hours per week and was still struggling,” he said. Martinez then learned about an opportunity to learn and get paid as a water intern at the city of Grand Rapids. “I was excited at the prospect of having a stable job working 40 hours a week with security, benefits and decent pay.” Municipalities are preparing for a large number of employees to retire in the near future. Career opportunities in public works are available in a variety of areas and interests. Because of this, the city of Grand Rapids has partnered with Grand Rapids Community College and Bay De Noc Community College to offer this unique program. Interns work part time with the city of Grand Rapids Water Department while taking online courses through GRCC and Bay College.  Interns are mentored by current and retired Grand Rapids employees. By the end of the program, students are prepared to take certification tests for Michigan Drinking Water and Municipal Wastewater licensing.  Martinez is pleased with program. “I found this to be a really supportive system. Everyone wants to see us succeed.” The interns are encouraged to apply for open positions even as they work through the internship program. Martinez was recently hired in the area of operations. “I think it’s a fun job to tell people about,” he said. “Most people don’t know anyone who works at the Grand Rapids Water Resource Recovery facility or what even happens here. Drinking water is so important and there is really cool science happening here. I already have a friend who is interested in the program for the next session.” Some of the potential job opportunities include: Water plant operator, utility aide, utility field operator, plumbing inspector and project engineer. Courses include Wastewater Operations and Management, Water Operations and Management, and general chemistry. Professional Development workshops are also offered. “What is nice about taking classes while we are working is that if we have any questions or don’t understand something, we can ask the professor, a co-worker, or another intern. Actually, we can just go into the facility and figure things out by looking at the water system,” Martinez said. The group of six students has been part of the pilot program that began in November 2022 and will end in September. Due to its success, dates are currently being worked out for the next session. If you would like to be contacted about the program, please sign up here or go to grcc.edu/water .

April 18, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Izabella Regner didn’t intend to be a pitcher when she started playing softball as a 10-year-old in Elkhorn, Wis.   But then, as is often the case in sports stories, the girl who was supposed to pitch backed out, and Regner, who goes by Izzy, volunteered to take her place. She still remembers the moment. “I instantly fell in love with it,” she recalled. A decade or so later her love for pitching has only intensified. And after a sterling high school and travel ball career, Regner now toes the pitching rubber for the Grand Rapids Community College Raiders. And, she has become one of the top pitchers in the nation. “What I love about pitching is having control of the diamond and seeing hard work pay off with big swings and misses,” she said with a smile.  Those swings and misses have come in abundance this season when she gets the start. After a recent weekend five-game series against Alpena Community College – in which she pitched and won three times – GRCC was 16-13 overall. Regner’s record was 13-2, including three wins against Alpena by scores of 4-0 (eight strikeouts and one walk surrendered), 9-1 (11 strikeouts, one walk) and 5-0 (11 strikeouts, three walks). For the season, the 5’6” right-hander had pitched 110 innings with 188 Ks and just 23 walks. For good measure, her .472 batting average through 29 games was among the best on the Raider squad. Regner’s strikeouts per seven innings is third best in the nation in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Division II. She’s third in complete games and fifth in strikeouts overall. Regner said she decided to come to GRCC when her boyfriend was recruited to play baseball at Cornerstone. It’s a long way from Elkhorn, Wis., to Grand Rapids, some 280 miles around the bottom of Lake Michigan. But the distance from the mound to home plate is still 43 feet, the feel of the softball is the same in her hands and the sound of a perfectly placed fastball popping the catcher’s mitt for strike three never gets old. That’s especially true this year, after GRCC didn’t field a team in 2022. And Regner is savoring every moment. “Last year was heartbreaking for sure,” Regner said. “I was really looking forward to playing but (former) Coach (Molly) McKinney made the best out of the situation. We continued to practice even without a season, and I focused on strengthening my body for this season.” When new head coach Chuck White and assistant coach Steve Roersma were hired to head up GRCC softball, they and Regner made an instant connection. “Coach White and Roersma have made a significant impact on the program,” she said. “Coach White has improved every single pitch that I have and pushes me to be better every day. The coaches have given me a new level of confidence both on the mound and in the batter's box.” White said Regner is “a great teammate and a competitor.” “Izzy works on things until she can’t get it wrong and picks up things quickly,” White said. “The team has instant swagger whenever she’s on the bump.” And though she will wear the Raider colors for only a single season (she is being recruited by numerous NAIA and NCAA four-year programs and will play at the next level in 2024), she said she has loved her time at GRCC. “I think we have good competition that pushes us to improve every game,” she said. “I also love seeing everyone's improvements throughout the season and great relationships being made.” Her classroom experience has been equally terrific, she said, and she will be graduating this month with an associate degree in business which will set her up for an eventual bachelor’s degree in business administration and then, she said, a career still to be determined. Before that happens though, there’s a season to finish, more games to start, and, she hopes, a few more swings and misses. This story was reported by Phil de Haan. 

April 17, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Hon. Drew William Allbritten was one of the nation’s first work study students at Grand Rapids Junior College, setting the stage for a career of service that included posts serving President Ronald Reagan and others. Start at Grand Rapids Community College and go anywhere. Every former student has a story to tell about how GRCC gave them the education and opportunity to be successful. Allbritten graduated from GRJC in 1967 and was mentored by Dean of Students Donald Black, and President Richard Calkins.  Allbritten accredits his academic and professional confidence to his time at GRJC. He was elected as Student Government president, and was an officer in the International Relations Club.  “This was an eye-opener for me,” Allbritten said. “ I began to understand the relevance between my academics, career aspirations, and community/civic responsibility. I also was able to establish lifelong relationships which served me well.” Allbritten continued his education and received his bachelor's degree at Western Michigan University, as well as a master’s degree and a doctorate degree. Early in his career, he wanted to pay it forward for his experience at GRJC and was an aspiring administrator at Alpena Community College, Glen Oaks Community College, and GRJC.  Allbritten was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1978, serving until 1980. He authored the Child Passenger Safety Act, a seat belt bill that became a national model and within a decade saved over 125,000 lives, according to a WMU profile. He then became a state and national public policy leader. He was appointed by Reagan to a post for Intergovernmental Relations at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development between 1981 and 1987.  He also advised administration officials for several other presidents, and worked on several important national initiatives. He helped develop President George H.W. Bush's National Institute for Literacy in 1992 as the Coalition of Lifelong Learning chair. He then helped develop President Bill Clinton’s School-to-Work program in 1994 and Welfare-to-Work program in 1995 as the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education executive director. He served as executive director of the Georgia Association of Educators from 1998 to 2002, overseeing its restructuring and actively participating in political issues related to education in Georgia. Allbrittenin 2003  became executive director of the Council for Exceptional Children, a special education association dedicated to serving professionals, organizations, and parents of children with a variety of physical, mental, and emotional challenges. Allbritten became a senior fellow for Public Administration at the University of the South Pacific and also a visiting professor at Fiji National University before retiring. He now resides in Occitanie, France and helps others advance in their careers.  Allbritten says there was no magic or secrets to his success.  “I knew that coming from humble beginnings, I had to work harder, smarter and longer than others,” he said. “Early on, I developed a mutually beneficial support network of kindred spirits who also cared about human rights and equal opportunity.  I knew that being ethical could make you a professional target.”  He specifically recalls receiving the Outstanding Service Medallion in 2021 from AAACE . The medallion honored over five decades Allbritten spent advancing the adult learning profession in the United States and internationally as well.  Allbritten encourages current students to be resilient and try difficult things.  “GRCC is an opportunity for all to be academically prepared to compete in the global marketplace,” he said. “If your time and obligations permit, get involved in some extra-curricular opportunities to begin developing networks for your future (be sure to develop relationships outside your usual ones).”   Start your story at GRCC by applying here .  

April 15, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS Mich. –  The Grand Rapids Community College baseball team swept a rare a triple header against Alpena Community College on Saturday, running its win streak to 11 games.   The softball team won its season series against Alpena after winning two of its three games. All three starters picked up victories for the baseball team, with Lucas McKinney and Jeremy Marble pitching six innings in games one and three and Colton Leatherman pitching a complete game shutout in game two.  GRCC's pitching staff finished with 25 strikeouts while giving up just 12 hits in its 9-2, 4-0 and 9-0 triple header victories. Offensively, GRCC (20-10, 14-1) batted .366 on the day with Fernando Rivera-Calderon leading the pack by going 6-for-10 at the plate with four doubles and a triple. Tommy Reid, 4-for-6; Xander Reisbig, 4-for-8; Aaron Bess, 4-for-9; Jacob Gumieny, 3-for-7; and Zacarias Salinas, 2-for-5 all batted .400 or better.  The team also was 11-for-11 in stolen base attempts, while allowing just one steal. The softball team, (16-13, 8-7), took the day’s first and third games, but fell short in the second game. After a 9-1 opening game victory, GRCC's bats cooled down until the fourth inning when the comeback began. Down 5-0, GRCC scored two in the fourth and then four in the fifth to make it a 7-6 game and only trail by one. Alpena plated one more run in the seventh and it proved to be the insurance run they needed.  GRCC scored one run, left the bases loaded, giving the visitors an 8-7 victory. In game three, Izzy Regner picked up her second win of the day, and 13th of the year, shutting out the Lumberjacks 4-0. Five players batted .400 or better for the softball team as well, with Jaye Guchelaar, 6-for-12, and Brynn McArthur, 5-for-10, leading the way batting .500. Regner, Annika Roersma and Samara Kolehouse all went 4-for-10 and each had a double. Both teams will resume conference play on April 21 for a five-game series against Muskegon Community College. This story was reported by Ben Brown.

April 14, 2023, CENTREVILLE Mich. –  The Grand Rapids Community College baseball team won both games of a doubleheader against Alpena Community College to win its eighth consecutive game. The softball team split its twin bill. Hurler Izzy Regner picked up another win, and it credited with 11 of the team’s 14 victories.     The GRCC golf team also had a good day, dominating a field of six teams on Friday, winning by 20 strokes at the Glen Oaks Invitational Tournament. In the baseball game, Jerad Berkenpas, Connor Foley and the rest of the team defeated Alpena 11-0 in sixth innings and then 17-4 in five innings. Berkenpas picked up his fourth win in the opener, allowing just three hits while striking out eight. Xander Reisbig, Trevin Laming and Fernando Rivera-Calderon all hit home runs. Rivera-Calderon's two-run blast ended the game in the bottom of the sixth. GRCC (16-10, 11-1) scored the first nine runs of the nightcap, and finished the game with 19 hits. Tommy Reid and Laming each had three hits and a double. Foley picked up the victory after allowing just two earned runs while striking out five. In the softball game, Regner struck out 11 and gave up just three hits. Jaye Guichelaar and Brynn McArthur combined for four hits and four RBI. In the nightcap, GRCC (14-12, 6-6) led 2-1 after one inning and 3-2 after three innings. But Alpena took advantage of Raider errors and scored the next eight runs of the ball game.  Only six of the 14 runs were earned for GRCC starter Macy Huver. Offensively, GRCC outhit the Lumberjacks 16-12, led by Guichelaar who went 4-for-5.  Lauren James, McArthur, Madi Lemke and Annika Roersma each had two hits. One of Roersma's hits was an inside-the-park home run - her first of the season. Both teams return back to conference play as they take on Alpena Community College in a triple header on Saturday, with the first game starting at 11 a.m.  In the golf tournament, Drew Harrington was the medalist for GRCC, as he finished with a 1-under 71, while making three birdies. Teammates Brad VandenHout and Ty Marchlewski tied for second shooting 73s. They each had four birdies.  Sam Foss shot a 75 to finish sixth and Zach Basiaga shot a 78 to finish in ninth place. This story was reported by Ben Brown. 

April 14, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Monica Hudson gets to assist students with fast-tracking their education to enter the workforce.  Hudson is an Educational Training Specialist with the MTEC Champions Program. The program allows underserved young adults aged 18 to 24 to receive free training in any MTEC program that is 12 months or less.  The program is offered at no cost to students and also offers services such as transportation assistance, mental health resources, and more.  Hudson's favorite part of her role is getting to attend MTEC graduations.  “I have had the honor to attend two graduations and it’s fun to witness the student's pride in their accomplishments and seeing the support of their loved ones,” Hudson said.   Hudson has been at GRCC for just over one year. Previously she worked in a variety of roles in a hospital. The environment was always fast-paced and stressful. Hudson had always wanted to work in higher education and felt GRCC would be a great change of pace.  One year later she is surprised by how much she enjoys her work and wishes she explored working in higher education sooner.  Hudson encourages students to ask questions and not to be afraid to ask for help. GRCC has many resources available to students and faculty and staff members love to help. More information about the Champions program can be found at grcc.edu/champions.

April 14, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich . — Kim Budde had barely started at Grand Rapids Community College in 1996 when her mom was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. “Once I found out Mom was terminally ill, it really took everything out of me,” Budde said. “I needed to focus on her, so I paused college and told myself I’d go back the next year.” But life — and death — got in the way. Until now. On April 28, more than a quarter-century since first attending GRCC, Budde will walk across the stage at GRCC’s Gerald R. Ford Fieldhouse and accept her diploma. “You can bet I’ll be thinking about my mom and dad and brother and all the other people that I've lost the past two years as I walk across that stage. They’ll be right there with me, and I’ll make sure I give all the thanks to them,” Budde said. Budde is also thankful to Michigan’s Futures for Frontliners. The state scholarship program was created for Michiganders without college degrees like Budde who worked in essential industries during the state’s COVID-19 shutdown in spring 2020. The scholarship provided frontline workers with, in most cases, tuition-free access to local community colleges. “Frontliners was truly a blessing because it gave me another great reason why I needed to stay in school. I didn’t want to let GRCC down either,” she said. Budde grew up in Newaygo County, part of a large, close-knit family. After her mother’s death in 1996, she and her husband, Harry, built a new home in Rockford where they raised two daughters. She’s spent her career in the medical insurance industry in Grand Rapids, rising through the ranks to her current position as a senior manager. But her mom’s dreams for her never faded. “My mom never went to college; she only made it through the eighth grade. I think that’s why she really wanted college for me,” Budde said. “But for 25 years I just focused on my work and my family. “In the back of my mind, though, was keeping that promise to my mom; I thought I let her down by quitting college. I always figured one day I’d go back, I just had to find the right time.” That time came in January 2021 when Budde re-enrolled at GRCC as a business major. Since then, she’s kept her nose to the grindstone with a full-time job and a full class load the past several semesters. All that hard work paid off: Budde has earned a 3.78 GPA, serves as a GRCC Honors Ambassador and is vice president of Alpha Upsilon Kappa, GRCC’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for community colleges. She’s also been on GRCC’s President’s or Dean’s list every semester. Kim also was one of three students named to represent GRCC on the All Michigan Academic Team through Phi Theta Kappa. But continuing her educational journey wasn’t always easy. She lost her father to COVID in October 2021 and her brother passed away last summer. Despite the pain of loss, she persevered at GRCC. “We’re a very close family and my dad’s sudden death hit us hard,” she said. “But I just couldn’t pause school again. I made a promise to myself that I would forge ahead and keep going until I earned my degree.” And she will on April 28. After graduating with an associate degree in business administration at GRCC, Budde will continue with her studies this fall through GRCC's pre-business " 3+1 " program, a partnership with Davenport University, where she will earn a bachelor’s degree.  She hopes her story will inspire others facing what seem to be insurmountable obstacles. “I’ve seen my share of struggles like a lot of other people,” she said. “All you can do is just keep going, keep pushing forward.” This story was reported by Beth McKenna.