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.

March 10, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Jonathan Wyckoff teaches his students how to use CNC machines in a hands-on job training program. At the end of 18 weeks, students receive job placement assistance and enter the workforce.  Wyckoff was a GRCC student in 2014. He graduated with an Associate of Arts and Sciences and continued to Ferris State University where he received his bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering.  Wyckoff worked for Herman Miller as an engineer and a machine technician for eight years. He began to expand his career in 2002. His family’s history of teaching, and his love of the art of machine equipment brought him to GRCC.  As a CNC Machine Tool professor, Wyckoff teaches students to use machine tools to shape and cut metal to precise dimensions. The pieces CNC’s create are then used to create vehicles, medical equipment, and more.  Wyckoff loves watching his students see things in the world and know how those items are made. He also enjoys working with the other job training staff, many he referred to as his “college machining buddies”.  Wyckoff enjoys helping students and the students enjoy learning from him as well.  Matthew Collins, a Machine Tool/CNC student said, “Jonathan Wyckoff has been super. The lab is a very comfortable environment, it is great. He really focuses on hands-on skills. The day goes really fast because we are always working on parts and you have to really pay attention to what you are doing.” Wyckoff encourages students to explore the endless opportunities that GRCC offers. He advises students to be unafraid of trying different classes and programs, and to continue exploring until they find the right fit. More information about the CNC Machining Job Training program can be found at grcc.edu/cnc .   

March 10, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A typical morning in the Grand Rapids Community College pottery studio is quiet, but students from local high schools recently filled the studio with laughter, hundreds of pounds of clay, and friendly competition. Students participating in ArtCamp raced against the clock and each other to break a record for the tallest coil pot. Students stood on chairs and feverishly rolled coil after coil of clay, attempting to make their pot stand over 44 ¾ inches without collapsing. The idea is to give high school students a glimpse into GRCC’s Visual Arts programs, and raise awareness of the possibilities of the arts in higher education. Throughout the half-day camp, students rotated through classrooms, with each 30-minute class focusing on a different discipline. Students gained hands-on experience with drawing, photography, pottery, and graphic design. They also learned about art history and the Visual Arts programs, ending their day with a campus tour. This year five high schools brought nearly 100 art students to campus, many unaware of the opportunities to pursue further education in the arts. Twelve years ago, professor Scott Garrard introduced the idea to the Visual Arts faculty as an opportunity to connect to the community and recruit new students. Department members were excited about the camp, and with the help of professor Katie Budden, they created the event that students experience today. "ArtCamp was an immediate success,” Garrard said. “Area high schools have truly enjoyed participating in the event. Many of the visiting students are currently enrolled at GRCC and in art classes. Next year, the event is expanding from one ArtCamp Day a year to two ArtCamp Days, one in the fall and one in the winter semester. This expansion will double the area's high schools and the number of students able to attend.”   GRCC’s Visual Arts program is one of six at community colleges in the nation with a National Association of Schools of Art and Design accreditation. The program offers Associate of Fine Art degrees in both studio and photography as well as Associate of Arts degrees for students interested in a general arts education. Many Visual Arts students graduate and transfer to four-year schools and even receive scholarships for their portfolio reviews. More information about the Visual Arts Programs can be found at grcc.edu/VisualArts .

March 9, 2023, FLINT, Mich. -- The Grand Rapids Community College women’s basketball team is heading to the final round of the NJCAA Great Lakes B District Tournament after a dominating win over the No. 1 seed Jackson College. GRCC, the No. 5 seed, won 74-65, leading from early in the first quarter all the way through the final buzzer. “This was another game that really highlighted that this team wins together,” head coach David Glazier said. “Each player understands her role and does it to the best of her ability. When this group plays as one, they’re tough to beat and the opportunities are endless.” The win was in big part to outstanding offensive performances from sophomores Sally Merrill, who scored 24 points, and Marlene Busser, who scored 23 points. Shining on defense sophomore Grace Lodes, with nine defensive rebounds, and Allison Kellogg with six. GRCC heads to the final game for the third year in a row. The game is scheduled for 6 p.m. on March 11 at Mott Community College in Flint. This story was reported by Mackenzie Ondersma.  

March 9, 2023, CLERMONT, Fla., -- Izzy Regner’s pitching boosted the Grand Rapids Community College softball team twice on Thursday – first as a starting pitcher and then in relief. One swing of the bat was all GRCC needed in the first game to defeat Illinois Valley Community College 3-0. Freshman third baseman Lauren James hit a three-run homer - her first of the season - in the top of the sixth inning and that was the scoring the Raiders would need.  James also hit a single and a double. Regner struck out 15 batters, while allowing three hits and walking just one to pick up her first win of the day.  In game two, against Niagara County Community College, GRCC came back from a 7-4 deficit by scoring five runs in the bottom of the sixth.  Regner, a freshman from Elkhorn, Wis., closed the game to pick up the win in relief, by striking out five of the eight batters she faced. She is now 5-0 on the season without allowing a run and fanning 56 batters. Offensively, GRCC had 11 hits, including a 4-for-4 performance by Regner that included two doubles and her first home run of the season. Jaye Guchelaar added two hits including a big triple in the sixth inning. The softball team improves to 5-3 on the southern trip. GRCC is back in action at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, playing Waubonsee Community College and St. Louis Community College. This story was reported by Ben Brown. 

March 9, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Lydia Hendrian says she wasn’t interested in a traditional college degree, and wanted to learn in-demand skills that would lead to a rewarding career. Hendrian appeared on the My GRCC Story podcast to talk about her decision to enroll in the Automotive Technology certificate program through GRCC Workforce Training. “I’ve always been a more hands-on person,” she said. “I knew I didn’t want to do the classic, English, math pathway for school. So, I started looking into applied technology, more hands-on programs. I like working on my car. And I like being the one in the family who knows some of the stuff, and I want to gain more knowledge and learn a lot more about it.” GRCC has the largest automotive training program in West Michigan, with an advisory board including representatives from automotive shops from across the region. Classes include lab and lectures, with lab times increasing as the semester moves forward. “I know a lot of people say, ‘That’s like a trade school,’ Or ‘You can learn that by actually working in a dealership and picking it up,” she said. “Those are all very true. But it is definitely really nice to have a classroom setting as well as having other individuals who have a similar goal, and have different education levels on cars, so that you can gather knowledge from multiple bases, then obviously from your instructors, who have had years and years of experience in this. It just feels more personal because they’re able to give you that one-on-one, or that group time where they are teaching you very specifically.” Hendrian said there are not many women in the program, but said she has felt welcomed and would recommend the program to other women who might be interested in the field. “You need to be determined about it, because it can be a little intimidating at first,” she said. “I remember I told my dad, ‘I want to go into this, taking classes to see how it goes.’ And he said not a lot of girls do that. And I said, ‘Yeah, but I’m a determined person. I want to push through and see what happens.’ So, I did, and I really enjoyed it a lot.” The My GRCC Story podcast is available here , Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other hosting sites.

March 9, 2023 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Filling out one form can make a life-changing difference to Grand Rapids Community College students. The Grand Rapids Community College Foundation awarded $1.3 million in scholarships to 1,642 students during the 2021-2022 fiscal year – all available by completing just one application! “A scholarship can lift so much anxiety from a student’s shoulders,” said Kristine Babcock, the foundation’s interim executive director. “Using one application makes the process easier – and less stressful – for students, ensuring that we can connect as many of them as possible with the funds they need to pursue their goals.” The application can be found at grcc.edu/scholarships , and the priority deadline is March 15. Receiving the Clearing Sky Christensen/WN+J Business Scholarship helped Tiara Garcia reach her long-held goal of a college degree. She struggled, and eventually dropped out, in her first attempt at higher education in 2009. “It wasn’t until last year I realized I had student loan debt but no degree to show for it,” she said. “So, I thought about my goals in life and where I was and decided to go back to school.” It was a different experience for her in her second attempt: She passed all her classes and was on the Dean’s List every semester. “Receiving the scholarship means I have succeeded and the hard work has really paid off,” said Garcia, who plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in human resources. “A lot of people believe that there isn’t help out there, but this shows that there is.”