March 15, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The innovative Secchia Piazza project and its already iconic SkyCone earned statewide honors for Granger Construction, the company that built the event space. The Granger project team was honored with a Washtenaw Contractors Association 2023 Pyramid Award on March 10 in the category of Best Project Team for projects costing $3 million and $25 million. The Secchia Piazza is located in Grand Rapids Community College’s Wisner-Bottrall Applied Technology Center, 151 Fountain St. NE. Progressive AE was the architect for the project. GRCC artists designed some of the features, and the project was overseen by the GRCC Facilities Department, with Executive Director James VanDokkumburg. “This project will forever change the skyline of Grand Rapids,” said Brad Hesche, Granger’s regional director of West Michigan. “It is always fun getting to work on cool projects like this, but it is especially meaningful to be part of a team that is helping bring state-of-the-art higher education spaces to the communities where we live and work. This was a challenging build on many levels, especially given the one-of-a-kind design elements. But on behalf of Granger, I can say we are proud of everyone who was involved in helping successfully deliver these spaces for the GRCC community.” The Secchia Piazza project transformed an existing outdoor patio into an indoor multi-use space, and another opportunity to tell the stories of students’ journeys from the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education to destinations around the globe. The project included innovative and challenging features, including the SkyCone, a 31-foot wide by 15-foot-tall cone-shaped skylight with colorful glass panels that reshaped the campus and serves as an iconic landmark in downtown Grand Rapids. Other key features include a custom floor feature, a Live Roof system and renovations to the Heritage Restaurant, a teaching restaurant for Secchia students. Site logistics were a challenge for the builders.  The building is located on the corner of a busy downtown intersection, which left little to no room for laydown space. Additionally, the work within the building took place above and adjacent to occupied spaces. The most prominent design feature is the SkyCone, which Granger leaders believe is the first of its kind. This architectural feature included 20 colored panels, each made up of laminated glass panels with a colored film inner layer in seven shades of oranges, yellows and greens. The glass was set in a painted aluminum frame, and the entire system serves as the center portion of the ceiling for the new piazza addition. Creating this kaleidoscopic roof system was challenging given both the design itself and the size and type of glass materials used. Between the room’s suspended acoustical tile ceiling and the skylight above, custom laser-cut plastic panels colored to match the skylight glass are supported by a custom fabricated aluminum structure to improve room acoustics while also enhancing the experience of light and color in the room. Centered beneath the cone-shaped skylight is a 30’ diameter polished concrete tondo with steel/metal inlays, creating a unique form of circular art. The metal panel inlays were designed by GRCC artist Ben Benefiel to evoke the educational pathway students take from the Secchia Institute to culinary opportunities across the country and around the world. Outside, the new addition features a terrace deck with views of the city, accessed by oversize sliding glass doors which also introduce fresh air and breezes to the event space. This project required collaboration, highly skilled craftsmanship and extensive coordination to ensure success. The team navigated extremely tight site logistics in a high-traffic, occupied facility and overcame numerous supply chain and volatile market challenges. In the end, they delivered a distinctive space that will leave a legacy for GRCC, its students and the surrounding community. The Secchia Piazza is a gift from the late Peter Secchia and his family, whose generosity and drive for excellence helped the Secchia Institute create state-of-the-art facilities, attract top faculty members, and prepare students for rewarding careers in the hospitality industry. GRCC’s culinary program was renamed after Secchia and his wife, Joan, in 2007. The Pietro and Regina Amphitheater, named after Peter Secchia’s grandparents, was added in 2012. Peter’s Pub was launched in 2016 as part of GRCC’s Fountain Hill Brewery, tapping into the demand created by Grand Rapids’ growing craft beer industry.    

March 14, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The Grand Rapids Community College softball and baseball teams completed their spring break trip in Florida, facing stiff competition and tallying nine wins along the way. The softball team, led by freshman pitcher, Izzy Regner, finished with a 7-5 record, while the baseball team finished 2-8 against tough NJCAA Division 1 competition. "Overall,  I was very happy," coach Charles White said. "We played hard, improved throughout the week and we never gave up in tough spots. Gotta love a scrappy team!" Highlights from the week for the softball team included first collegiate home runs for sophomore outfielder Jaye Guichelaar, freshman third baseman Lauren James, freshman catcher Samara Kolehouse and another by Regner. Freshman outfielder Carly Sluiter had a game-winning single in extra innings, and James had a three-run shot that broke a scoreless game in the sixth inning against Illinois Valley that ended up being the only scoring in the game. GRCC's bats were solid all week long, batting .298 as a team. Five players batted better than .300, including Regner, .545; Guichelaar, .526; Autumn Scott, .455; James, .368; and Alyssa Wierenga, .333.  Regner and Guchelaar both had a slugging percentage over .800. Regner was the team's best hitter, but she was dominant from the pitching mound, with a perfect 6-0 record, five of which via a shutout.  She allowed just five earned runs, with a 0.83 earned run average.  She also struck out 81 batters against just six walks in 42 innings. The baseball team got off to a hot start defeating Coastal Alabama Community College in its opening game, 9-2, and two games later commanded Chipola College, 17-6.  The offense cooled down in the next five games. But despite losing, the team finished strong, scoring 15 runs in its final two games at Andrew College. "I thought we had a pretty good southern trip playing against some of the top D1 community colleges, which should give us confidence,"  coach Mike Eddington said. "We had a chance to win five games. But more important than wins and losses, we learned what we have to work on to get better." Eddington said the team's hitters can and will improve on their hitting approach, with a better idea on how the opposing pitcher is attacking GRCC hitters. He said the team's pitchers did well, but issued too many walks. The defense needs to slow down and do a better job anticipating what to do before the ball is hit to them with multiple runners on base. "Our players are excited to get the regular season started," he said.  Six GRCC baseball players batted .300 or better, led by sophomore Xander Reisbig who batted .462 with two home runs.  Joe Hoeks batted .368 with a homer run and nine runs batted in. Dylan Chargo batted .360 with a home run and a team-high 10 RBI. Tommy Reid batted .353, Zacarias Salinas batted .346 with a homer, and Trevin Laming batted .333.  Sophomore Fernando Rivera-Calderon hit two home runs, giving the team seven total long balls during the 10-game trip. Seventeen pitchers played for GRCC, totaling 39 strikeouts.  Sophomore All-American Jared Berkenpas and Connor Foley picked up the lone wins. Kellen Smith led the team with eight strikeouts. The baseball team is scheduled to play again March 17 in Lima, Ohio as it takes on the junior varsity of the University of Northwestern Ohio.  The softball team isn't scheduled to play again until March 24, when it hosts Delta College in a five-game conference series.   This story was reported by Ben Brown.

March 14, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Maggie Voelkel is at Van Andel Arena on a Saturday afternoon, and she is on the move. Although puck drop for the Grand Rapids Griffins isn’t for another two hours, she’s walking with a purpose through the ground-level labyrinth on the building’s south side, headed toward her favorite of the two Zambonis that are used to make the ice right for the home squad. There are propane tanks to be checked, water levels that need to be ascertained, maybe a tire or two that needs topping off and, in general, a thorough walk-around to make sure “the Zam” is ready to roll. She’s one of two drivers at the arena, and on Griffins game nights, the first of her three passes takes place at roughly 6:48 p.m., after both teams have their pre-game warmup, with one more after each of the first two periods. And for Voelkel, a Grand Rapids Community College student on track to graduate in August 2023, nothing is left to chance. “Driving the Zam is a little like driving a car,” she said with a big smile. “Except it’s a really expensive car. So, you definitely want to double-check and triple-check everything.” Voelkel first took the wheel of a Zamboni in 2014 when she was hired to keep the ice clean – among many other sundry duties – at Griff’s Icehouse in Grand Rapids. That apprenticeship, of sorts, led to a call-up to the big leagues five years ago when she was hired to do the job at Van Andel Arena. A new Zamboni runs around $200,000 and, according to the Zamboni website , there are only 12,000 or so in the world. The machines, named after inventor Frank J. Zamboni, resurface the arena’s ice. The two Zambonis at Van Andel Arena are similar but with some small, subtle differences, and Voelkel prefers driving the Meijer Jolly Green Giant. By now, she said, it fits her like a glove. But she still recalls her maiden voyage on a machine that weighs almost 10,000 pounds when filled with water. “Oh my gosh,” she said. “I was so nervous. It was a Saturday night, and there was a huge crowd. My hands were shaking.” But just like a player making his professional debut with the Griffins, Voelkel had to trust her training and lean on the fundamentals of her craft. “I had to remind myself that the rink here is the same size as at Griff’s,” she said. “And the Zamboni is basically the same Zamboni. Once I settled down a little, I was fine.” In fact, the arena staff gave her a puck from that game, just like a player might get a puck for his first game or first goal. “I have it in a case by my nightstand,” she said with a laugh. “I’m such a hockey nerd.” Voelkel comes by it honestly. She grew up playing hockey, still plays in various leagues around town and her husband, Zach Feldt, is a manager and adult hockey league coordinator at Patterson Ice Arena (where Voelkel is an on-call, emergency Zam driver). She calls driving the Zamboni her dream job, and she gets to live out that dream in five-hour increments 40 nights a year at Griffins home games, plus at other events in the arena as needed. But she also works full time at HearUSA, a hearing aid center on the north side of Grand Rapids, and she is back at GRCC, taking a class a semester as she works her way toward a degree in Exercise Science. Like many GRCC students, Voelkel’s higher education path has not been a straight line from her 2014 Northview High School graduation. She first went to Ferris State University with an eye toward a degree and a career in athletic training, but it didn’t work out as she had hoped, with cost being a major factor. Then came her first pass at GRCC, but she ended up leaving the college four credits short of an associate degree in Exercise Science. Being so close nagged at her, like a little strip of missed ice in the middle of a freshly cleaned sheet – the bane of Zamboni drivers around the world. So last summer, she returned to the classes and labs of a college campus for the third time. And now she is on track to graduate this year with that degree in Health and Exercise Science . She said she wants to make a difference in the world in whatever ways, big and small, that she can. “Doing something with physical therapy or occupational therapy would be my dream,” she said. “With my current job, I can make a small difference. But I think it would be extremely rewarding to work with people in a physical therapy session and help them get to where they’re trying to go.” GRCC has helped her see that her dreams are possible, she said. “A lot of my favorite classes are the ones pertaining to my degree,” she said. “All of my professors are so passionate about teaching and make sure to let us know that they are available to help. It is nice seeing how they not only care about what they are teaching, but also making sure we succeed as students.” Her own personal journey and growth has also contributed to her continued success as a student. “When I first started at GRCC, I was in a toxic relationship,” she said. “My focus was not fully there, and I also worked a lot at that time as well. My focus began to fade, and I had to take time off and build myself back up. Being 26 now, I have gone through and have overcome many life obstacles.” Voelkel also credits her mom and many other women in her extended family for her growing sense of self and her quiet independence. “I do not have to work as much as I do, but I do like to make sure money is saved just in case,” she said. “My mom is strong and had to go through a lot. I work as much as I do and want to develop my career, so my life doesn't have to be as much of a struggle as what she went through.” Top speed on a Zamboni is just under 10 mph, and it takes time – almost 10 minutes of more or less going in circles for one machine to resurface a typical ice rink. But at the end of those 10 minutes, hacked-up, snowy ice has been turned into a smooth, glistening sheet that’s perfect for skating. There’s another thing too. When you drive the Zam, Voelkel said, you can’t exactly see where you’re going. “You really can’t see over the front of it at all,” she said with a laugh. “People don’t realize that.” Instead, you navigate by looking off to the side, to your left, using little navigational guides like the lines on the Zam and the boards and other visual aids that come to be part of your toolkit over time. Voelkel said her higher education journey has been a little like that. Though it might appear she has been going in circles, she’s making progress and her degree is in sight. The view out front has often been imperfect, but leaning on the little things in her life that stay constant has helped her understand that she’s making progress, going in the right direction and getting to where she needs to be. That it took a community college to make it happen is something she wishes she had known more about a decade ago. “A four-year degree is not something everybody needs to do,” she said as she watched the Griffins warm up just a few feet away. “It’s not for everybody. GRCC has been great for me. It’s maybe taken me a little longer to get to where I want to be, but I’m getting there.” Like a fresh sheet of ice, her future awaits. This story was reported by Phil de Haan.

March 13, 2023 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Are you ready to change lives? Grand Rapids Community College is hosting an adjunct recruiting event where you can learn about the job and how you can help change students’ lives through education. The recruiting event runs 8 a.m. to noon March 18 at GRCC’s Wisner-Bottrall Applied Technology Center, 151 Fountain St. NE. Following presentations on the hiring process and resources for adjuncts, department heads and current adjuncts will be available to answer questions. A light breakfast is included, and help will be available for the application process.  Please RSVP online by March 15. While those who specialize in any subject are welcome to attend, GRCC is primarily interested in adjuncts for: Applied Technology. Biology. Construction Electrical Apprenticeship. Manufacturing. Mathematics. Psychology.

March 13, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.  –  Erin Van Egmond, who has spent her career helping students overcome financial obstacles to life-changing higher education, has been named executive director of the Grand Rapids Community College Foundation. “The GRCC Foundation plays a vital role in the overall success of our students and the college,” GRCC President Charles W. Lepper said. “My goal is to continue building upon the success of the foundation and expand its reach within our community. Erin has proven herself to be an outstanding professional and has made tremendous contributions to the success of our students, the college and the foundation.” Van Egmond has served as the foundation’s associate director since 2015 and has worked at GRCC since 1998. She started as a student worker in the Financial Aid Department and became part of the foundation team in 2005. She previously served as the foundation’s donor relations coordinator and director of alumni relations. “The GRCC Foundation is an important connection between our greater community and the college,” Van Egmond said. “So many people and organizations in West Michigan support our students because they know an investment in a student is an investment in our community. It is so moving to talk with students who are able to attend college and follow their dreams because a GRCC scholarship helped remove financial barriers.” The Grand Rapids Community College Foundation awarded $1.3 million in scholarships to 1,642 students during the 2021-2022 fiscal year. The foundation also works with donors on capital campaigns, raising funds to renovate or build facilities to expand opportunities for students. Recent projects include renovations of Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall, the Wisner-Bottrall Applied Technology Center and the Custer Alumni House, as well as construction of the Secchia Piazza. Van Egmond is a Grand Rapids native who earned an associate degree at GRCC, then a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master’s of Higher Education and Adult Learners from Grand Valley State University.  

March 13, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Michael Herblet II’s business education at Grand Rapids Community College is hard at work as he builds his Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea location. Start at GRCC and go anywhere. Every former student has a story to tell about how GRCC gave them the education and opportunity to be successful. Herblet graduated with his associate degree in 1987 and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Western Michigan University. He then embarked on a career in operations and supply chain management. He decided to open Sweetwaters at 601 Bond Ave. NW in 2019 as a way to combine his longtime dream of owning a business with his knowledge and passion for coffee, tea and gourmet beverages. One of Sweetwaters’ first big jobs? Supplying beverages for the 2019 Creating Connections, a breakfast organized by the Grand Rapids Community College Foundation as a way to connect scholarship recipients to donors. Herblet was happy to support the college that played such a key role in his life. “GRCC was the perfect fit for me as a high school graduate,” he said. “It provided the academic, social and athletic opportunities I was looking for in a college. My experiences at GRCC provided the tools I needed to succeed at WMU, Amway, business ownership and Oliver Healthcare Packaging.” Start your GRCC story today here.

March 11, 2023, FLINT, Mich. -- The Grand Rapids Community College women’s basketball team punched its ticket to the NJCAA Division II National Basketball Tournament with a dominating victory over Glen Oaks Community College on Saturday. GRCC, the No. 5 seeds in the Great Lakes B District Tournament, defeated No. 2-seed Glen Oaks 83-66 earning the championship. “Can’t say enough about this group of sophomores,” coach David Glazier said. “We talked about being built for this opportunity and today, as a group, they cemented that legacy we’d been talking about for a week. Grace Lodes and Sally Merrill just dominated their performances. But without everybody doing their job, we wouldn’t have had the success that we’ve earned.” The win came off a huge, 28-point performance from Merrill, who was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.   Lodes, a sophomore, had another commanding night, scoring 27 points and snatching 15 total rebounds, four of them on offense and 11 as a defender. GRCC as a team commanded the free throw line, shooting 19-22. Lodes and sophomores Marlene Bussler were named to the All-Tournament Team, and Glazier earned District B Coach of the Year honors. This story was reported by Mackenzie Ondersma

March 11, 2023, CLERMONT, Fla. -- Izzy Regner finished off her perfect week for the Grand Rapids Community College softball team with a 7-0 shutout over South Suburban College on Saturday to conclude the team’s play in southern Florida. Earlier in the day, GRCC was defeated by Waubonsee Community College, 7-3. Waubonsee  broke a three-all tie with four runs in the final inning.  Macy Huver took the loss, giving up three unearned runs. GRCC scattered eight hits, led by Annika Roersma and Jaye Guchelaar with two each. In GRCC’s final game of the 12-game road trip, both teams were held scoreless until the top of the fourth, when Autumn Scott broke the tie with a two-out two-run double.  Scott finished with a game-high three hits. GRCC scored five more runs in the fifth and Regner held South Suburban scoreless the rest of the way. Regner finished her week with a 6-0 record, 0.67 ERA, and 81 strikeouts, allowing just six walks. She also led the team in batting with a .576 average and eight extra base hits. Four other GRCC players finished the trip batting .300 or better: Guchelaar, .526; Scott, .455; Lauren James, .395; and Makayla Noon, .333. GRCC comes home with a 7-5 record and isn't scheduled to play again until March 24, when it takes on Delta College in a five-game series to begin conference play. This story was reported by Ben Brown.

March 10, 2023, CLERMONT, Fla. -- The Grand Rapids Community College softball team won a thriller of a game against Waubonsee Community College in extra innings, and then dropped an 11-7 decision in their final game on Friday.  GRCC had a 4-3 lead going in the final frame of the game, but Waubonsee tied it up in the next inning.  After GRCC was shut down in the bottom of the seventh, Waubonsee scored three runs in the eighth.  GRCC matched that to force a ninth inning, and Carly Sluiter came through with the game-winning single to score Lauren James. Jaye Guchelaar led the offense with three hits and James added two hits.  Seven other GRCC players had one hit, totaling 12 in all. Macy Huver picked up her first collegiate win, coming in relief of starting pitcher Izzy Regner, who left the game in the seventh inning after 141 pitches and 11 strikeouts. In the second game, St. Louis Community College came out on top in the slugfest that included 25 total hits, including 11 again from GRCC's bats. Guichelaar led the team again with three hits, including two doubles. Alyssa Wierenga, James and Samara Kolehouse each had two hits, including a home run for Kolehouse - her first of the season. GRCC will play its final two games of their trip on Saturday as it faces Waubonsee at 11:30 a.m. and then finishes up with South Suburban College at 2 p.m. This story was reported by Ben Brown.