March 21, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College baseball team split a doubleheader against Davenport University’s junior varsity team, winning 8-2 before dropping the nightcap 3-2. In the first game, sophomore Fernando Rivera-Calderon led the offense with three hits, while Dylan Chargo added two hits and center fielder Trevin Laming hit his first home run of the season. Freshman Lucas McKinney picked up the victory pitching two perfect innings with one strikeout. GRCC's pitching staff allowed just three hits in the second game, but five walks proved costly, resulting in two of Davenport’s three runs. Tommy Reid had two of the Raiders’ six hits while Jacob Gumieny and Zacarias Salinas each had a double. Mike Eddington's baseball team is scheduled to play Wednesday against the Cornerstone University junior varsity team.  

March 21, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Wade Wiltenburg, a Grand Rapids Community College student in a Workforce Training apprentice program, earned a bronze medal in a national competition featuring nearly 200 of the nation’s top-performing craft professionals. Wiltenburg, an electrical apprentice from Coopersville, placed third at the Associated Builders and Contractors’ National Craft Championships in Kissimmee, Fla.  Wiltenburg represented both his employer, Buist Electric, and the Western Michigan ABC chapter in the 34th annual competition. “I’m leaving the competition with a new motivation and respect for the trades,” Wiltenburg. “I competed with the best in the country this week, and that inspires me to keep trying to be the best I can be.” Wiltenburg faced 38 competitors from across the country during the two-day competition, which included a two-hour online exam and a six-hour practical performance test. “We are so proud of Wade representing Buist Electric and electrical apprentices in West Michigan,” said Matt DeVries, personnel director at Buist Electric. “He started with Buist at 16 years old and is the perfect example of a student who, with the right training, education, and mentorship, can have a successful career in the trades. We hope Wade's story and accomplishments inspire future students to join our industry.” Established in 1987, the National Craft Championships celebrate and recognize upskilling in construction, draw some of the country’s most talented craft professionals and highlight the important role that craft skills training plays in the construction industry. The NCC featured the nation’s top-performing craft professionals, including carpenters, electricians, pipefitters, plumbers, welders and more, all vying for top honors in 16 competitions with skills on display in 12 crafts. NCC also featured a team competition with journey-level craft professionals from different crafts working to complete a joint project. “ABC’s premier skilled trades competition showcases the best construction craft professionals in the industry,” said Milton Graugnard , 2023 national chair of the ABC Board of Directors and executive vice president, Cajun Industries LLC, Baton Rouge, La. “Western Michigan’s craft students brighten the future of the merit shop industry, build America stronger and highlight the countless career opportunities available in construction. From all across this great country, these craft professionals traveled to Florida to demonstrate their superior skills, education and safe work practices.”

March 20, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Grand Rapids Community College trustees approved a 1.7 percent tuition increase for the 2023-2024 academic year, part of a continuing effort to keep higher education affordable and accessible for students of all ages from across West Michigan. GRCC President Charles Lepper said the new tuition rate, approved unanimously by the board of trustees on Monday, reflects the focus on keeping a college education within reach at a time when many people in the community face financial challenges. “A college education will change lives” Lepper said. “We tell our community members, ‘You belong at GRCC, and we will help you be successful.’ We want to keep our tuition as affordable as possible to help students of all ages get the education they want and need.” The in-district tuition rate of $120 per contact hour is a 1.7 percent increase -- $2 per contact hour -- from the 2022-2023 rate. The total cost for most fulltime students will be $4,059. The tuition change comes at a time when students also have several options to attend with education costs covered by state, local, and federal programs. One in five students attending during the Winter 2023 semester has tuition covered by grant or scholarship program. Michigan Reconnect is available for residents ages 25 and older who have not yet earned a degree, and covers the cost of in-district tuition. Additional information is available at grcc.edu/reconnect . The new Michigan Achievement Scholarship could provide future Grand Rapids Community College students with $2,750 a year to help cover the cost of tuition. The college is proud to partner with the Grand Rapids Promise Zone this fall to provide a GRCC education without cost to graduates from 25 public, public charter and private high schools located within the city. Additional details are at grcc.edu/promisezone . Students also may qualify for a federal Pell Grant, or for scholarships through the Grand Rapids Community College Foundation. Additional information is available at grcc.edu/financialaid . Michigan community colleges receive revenue largely from three sources: tuition and fees, local property taxes, and state aid. “We don’t take approving tuition increases lightly,” said David Koetje, chairperson of the GRCC board of trustees. “Trustees recognize any increase in tuition can create a challenge for some students. But the college crafted a responsible financial plan, considering the rising costs we all are facing and some of the structural challenges in the way colleges are funded. We think this is a plan that allows us to continue delivering a high-quality education while keeping the cost to students as low as possible.”

March 18, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Collegiate, Grand Rapids Community College’s student news publication, earned 12 awards in the college division of the 2022 Michigan Press Association Better Newspaper Contest , including four first-place honors. The Collegiate competed in the competition’s Division 3 against other two-year college publications, with awards announced this week. “It is more important than ever to recognize and encourage good, impactful journalism,” said Joanne Williams, associate professor of journalism and mass communication at Olivet College and MCPA president. “That is what our college newspapers are doing, and with support and recognition from contests and professionals in the field, that will continue. Our experienced faculty and advisors will see to it as well." GRCC’s honors are: Best News-Only Photo – First Place. Elizabeth Halvorson, “Protests continue in GR after GRPD release the video of death of Patrick Lyoya.” Alena Visnovsky earned third place for her photo, “Why I Stopped Viewing Social Media Stories” Column- Review or Blog- News – First Place. Elizabeth Halvorson, “My Walk Through a Mental Minefield.” Column- Review or Blog- Sports – First Place. Jackson Heidon, “It’s Time for Change for the Betterment of the NFL.” Kaia Zimmerman earned third place for “The World is Putting Too Much Pressure on Athletes.” Editorial – Second Place. Alena Visnovsky, “Inherent Classism Continues to Impinge Community Colleges and their Students who Choose to Invest in These Low-cost Educational Options” Feature Photo – Third Place: Alena Visnovsky, “Why I Stopped Viewing Social Media Stories.” Investigative Reporting – Third Place: Brendan Petruska, “Is it Time for GRCC to Re-evaluate Pronoun Policy?” Elizabeth Halvorson, Kaia Zimmerman, Joseph Poulos earned an honorable mention for, “President Leaving GRCC After Closed Search at FSU Coverage.” Online Newspaper – Honorable Mention. The Collegiate Original Cartoon-Editorial or Entertainment– First Place: Abby Haywood, for “Tough on Toys,’ ‘President Pink Pieces Out,” and “Fact Checking with Aaron Rodgers.”’ Sports News/Features – Third Place, Kaia Zimmerman: “GRCC announces New Softball Coach After Brian Skudre Resigns.” The Collegiate’s faculty adviser is Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood.

March 17, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A second team of Grand Rapids Community College students was named a finalist in a NASA competition, and will pitch a plan to create edible packaging for astronauts.   Abby Tichelaar and Cole Herring, from GRCC's Launch U Middle College Engineering and Mechanical Design Program, will head to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to present their project in front of NASA researchers, engineers, and flight doctors on April 19. Launch U is a partnership with the Kent Intermediate School District. They will join GRCC culinary students who earlier in the week were named finalists for a competition to send a meal to the space station . Tichelaar and Herring’s project is part of the NASA HUNCH program in the Health and Biomedical Science category, focusing on the needs for NASA's future exploration missions and are part of NASA's Human Research Program. They created an edible cargo transfer box that will hold nutrition bars, and at the end of its life cycle, the container can be upcycled into an edible solution, such as gummy bears, recycled, or downcycled into plastic components. The interdisciplinary project’s goal is eliminating waste on space missions, where space on aircraft is at a premium. The project passed a preliminary design review in January and a critical design review in February. They were named finalists late Thursday. Tichelaar and Herring will join culinary students Katie Bird and Devon Vanderwall, who are among 10 finalists competing to send a meal to the International Space Station, with a cookoff planned for April 20. The Secchia Institute is partnering with the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District’s Careerline Tech Center, with students Bird and Vanderwall preparing a recipe of Austrian style steak soup. Both teams are coached by Dr. Werner Absenger, Secchia Institute’s program director, and Chef Jennifer Struik, an instructor in the program. The team has been working since early September, using nutritional guidelines from NASA and a research project looking at how foods affect astronauts in low gravity.      

March 17, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Kendra Bearss joined the U.S. Air Force when she was 17 years old. Now she assists fellow veterans as they navigate college after serving in the armed forces.  Bearss began at GRCC as a student pursuing an associate degree in Photography. She received assistance from the Michigan Reconnect program and the Futures for Frontliners program to make college affordable.  Once classes started, she began to look for an opportunity to volunteer with veterans. One year ago she began working with the GRCC Veterans Center as a peer advisor. Now with graduation on the horizon, she is stepping into the role of veteran student navigator. Bearss has experienced the transition from being an active-duty military member to a GRCC student. In her new role, she will be able to support others as they make the same transition.  GRCC currently has over 300 veteran students enrolled. The Veterans Center connects individuals with resources to assist with mental health, financial needs, housing, and more. Bearss also assists veterans with on-campus services such as signing up for classes, connecting with tutors, and anything else they may need.  “It’s important to create a space for veterans to feel safe addressing specific issues and needs,” Bearss said. “A lot of veterans' needs aren’t recognizable to the average person. The Veterans Center provides opportunities for veterans to be unashamed to ask for the help they need.” Bearss says the most rewarding part of her job is building relationships. The military has always felt like a family for her. Her experiences have given her the ability to see what an individual truly needs.  Bearss encourages students to ask questions. It can be scary and humbling to ask for help, but GRCC faculty and staff are always willing to assist.   More information about the Veterans Center can be found at  grcc.edu/veterans.

March 17, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Avery Gardner is well on the way to an associate degree in Culinary Arts at Grand Rapids Community College, on track to graduate in the spring of 2024. It’s not something they could have imagined a decade ago -- or even a few short years ago. This is Gardner’s third try at a GRCC degree. After graduating from Kelloggsville High School in 2014, they had dreams of becoming a forensic pathologist and went to GRCC for prerequisite classes. “Unfortunately, I did not do well and wound up on academic suspension,” Gardner recalled recently. Things took another turn when they had a son in February 2019. “I put him up for adoption because I was not in a place to raise a child,” they said. “The summer following my son’s birth, I went inpatient and had my meds adjusted. I came out feeling way better than I did going in. I got my own apartment and started to do better. I wanted to do better and be better. To make finding him a loving home worth it.” Inspired, Gardner came back to GRCC with an eye toward a career in nursing. But it wasn’t clicking.   “After three semesters, I realized that I was not happy and my grades were suffering,” they  added. Still, something was tugging at them. “I had started working in kitchens in 2022 and fell in love,” Gardner said. “Food had always been my stepdad’s love language, and it became mine, too.” They started researching and discovered that GRCC’s Secchia Institute for Culinary Arts  is among the best in the country. So, they came back to the college for a third attempt. And? “The third time’s the charm,” Gardner said with a laugh. “Now, I want to hopefully own my own restaurant or catering company one day. I love feeding people. It makes me happy.” In addition to carrying a solid load of classes, Gardner also works two part-time jobs as a line cook at local restaurants, hours that add up to 40 hours – or more – of work a week. For Gardner, what they are learning at school and what they are doing at work often come together in ways that help them realize what a great education they are getting at GRCC. Gardner recalled a day in early March when they had learned how to dice an onion in their GRCC skills development class. “And -- literally -- what was I doing at work that day?” they said with a laugh. “I had to dice vegetables for a stew we were making. That sort of thing happens all the time. The professors I have are awesome because they know what the real world is all about, and they help us every day learn things that will benefit us at work.” Gardner admitted that working full time and going to school full time is a challenge, but they said two offices at GRCC – Occupational Support Services and Disability Support Services – have made things manageable for them, helping them stay on track while working toward their degree. “Daniel Nyhof, my caseworker (in Disability Support Services) has been phenomenal,” they said. “Anytime I email him with a question, if he doesn't know the answer, he goes right out and gets it for me, which is great. When I email him, I'm anxious about something because I just found something out, right? And my anxiety is bad. So, he's really quick to answer, which is nice.” The same is true for Occupational Support Services, Gardner added. “They've been really helpful,” they said. “If I'm having trouble focusing or getting my homework done, I can reach out and ask if they have any helpful tips for that, and they always come through. Sarah Rose, who I work with, is so great.” Gardner is using Michigan Reconnect to help fund their education. The program is for state residents 25 or older without a college degree and provides eligible students with tuition-free access to pursue an associate degree or occupational certificate at their local community college. And, Gardner said, they have gained their financial aid back after making the Dean’s List last fall! “I know, if my son knew what I was doing, he’d be proud of me,” they said with a catch in their voice. “I’m proud of me. It’s been a long time since I could say that, but I am.” This story was reported by Phil de Haan.