June 27, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College culinary professor Jenn Struik made it to the final round of a popular Food Network game show. But in the end, she got Chopped. Struik is a GRCC alumna who returned to the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education to help the next generations of students find success in the kitchen. She said last week that she’s long been a fan of Chopped, where four chefs compete against each other in preparing an appetizer, an entrée and a dessert. The ingredients make things complicated, with contestants on the show that aired Tuesday presented with items including beef fat fudge, roasted bone marrow, and a steak cake – meat buried in mashed potatoes. Struik sailed through the appetizer and entrée rounds, and judges had praise for her dessert crumble, which contained the marrow, hash brown waffles, plums and goat cheese caramel. But judges said her bison ribeye in the entrée was slightly undercooked, and awarded the $10,000 top prize to Atlanta-based Chef Marlo Nash. Struik said recently the episode, which was filmed in New York in October, was stressful. The chefs had 20 minutes to make the appetizer, 30 minutes each for the entrée and the dessert and then the presentation time for the show’s three judges. It was her second appearance on the Food Network, winning the top prize on Supermarket Stakeout, where chefs create dishes from groceries they purchase from nearby supermarket customers. When not competing at teaching at GRCC, Struik is a chef and registered dietician. She also was a coach for the team of GRCC culinary students who were finalists in the recent NASA HUNCH competition, and prepared a meal judged by astronauts and other NASA leaders. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in dietetics before earning certifications in Culinary Arts, Personal Chef and Chef Training from GRCC. Struik teaches at GRCC, but also has worked as a dietician for local hospital systems. Since 2018, Struik has run her own business, called Jenny with the Good Eats, offering weekly meal prep, including for those with chronic health conditions; private in-home dining experiences; cooking classes; restaurant consulting and more. “Feeling proud of the journey in my career so far,” she said. “And having these opportunities and such wonderful experiences.” Phil de Haan contributed to this story.

June 23, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Grand Rapids Community College is launching a new Data Science Certificate program to help students gain skills for careers in a fast-paced, evolving field. The program, which can be completed in a year, combines computer information systems and mathematics skills to help students process data to help employers make informed, strategic decisions. “Information is abundant in today’s high-tech world,” said Dr. Kristi Haik, dean of GRCC’s School of STEM. “The challenge we face today is understanding and interpreting data to make better decisions. This new certificate will help students gain their first steps into an exciting field, and prepare them to continue advancing in their education and careers.” Students earning a Data Science Certificate will learn how to take raw data, run it through a set of tools and algorithms to understand the information and help shape decisions. With the certificate, students can hope to be hired into an entry level, data analyst position, transitioning to data scientist and data engineer roles with additional training. Analyst jobs pay an average salary of $69,638. The Data Science Certificate program is intended to be a first step in a computing career. Students can continue their education for a variety of careers, including data scientist posts, which average $120,000 a year. GRCC is working with a curriculum developed with industry leader Intel, with classes including Microsoft Excel, Computer Science I, Statistics, Programming for Data Science, Database Design, Intro to Data Science, and Applied Data Science as a capstone course. Students can take classes in online, seven-week formats that start with the upcoming fall 2023 semester. Additional information is available on the GRCC Data Science Certificate webpage , or by contacting the Computer Information Systems Department at cis@grcc.edu and by phone at (616) 234-3670.

June 23, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Phoenix Noelle says she “practically grew up” in Grand Rapids Community College's Wisner-Bottrall Applied Technology Center.  Noelle began working for the college in the summer of 2003, she served 15 years with the U.S. Navy submarine fleet and returned to GRCC in 2019.  Noelle is now responsible for maintaining the labs and equipment that originally inspired her to pursue a technology career.  “I am humbled and proud to be trusted with the responsibility,” Noelle said. “Everything we do enriches the world around us.” The Technical Operations department works hard to “futureproof” student experiences. Members help faculty provide the best hands-on education available. Technical Operations are often the unseen workers. The team ensures lab equipment is safe, working, and up to date.  Noelle said wearing GRCC swag is like wearing a beacon of hope.  “Everywhere I go, when folks learn I am from GRCC, we get to talk about their hopes, dreams, and plans,” Noelle said. “I’ve met students who were living out of their vehicles to save money for tuition, or parents fighting to improve their children’s quality of life, or folks on the street looking to GRCC as a way to level up. Every time we talk they have a light in their eyes and a hunger to succeed. First at GRCC, and then wherever their dreams take them.”  Noelle encourages students to ask lots of questions, and to explore any course that is interesting to them. Everyone from administrators, custodians, directors, deans and everyone in between knows how to navigate college and enjoys helping students.  GRCC succeeds by supporting and serving each other. For more information about getting started at GRCC visit grcc.edu .   

June 22, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Cheyenne Belonga never imagined that she would find herself taking a welding class, but life has a funny way of presenting unexpected opportunities. “When I received an email from GRCC with the subject line 'Women can be welders, too!' I couldn't help but be intrigued,” she said. “I immediately reached out to my mom, Tanya Contreras, and suggested that we take the class together. After all, we've always been a team, and this seemed like an exciting new adventure for both of us.” The Grand Rapids Community College Metallica Scholars Welding Bootcamp has been a transformative experience for the two women. “Not only has it provided us with valuable skills for entry-level welding positions, but it has also opened our eyes to a world of possibilities,” Belonga said. “Growing up with a father who was a welder for over two decades, I always had a curiosity about welding. It felt like the perfect time to explore this interest and learn a skill that could benefit us in countless ways.” The GRCC Metallica Scholars Welding Bootcamp offers people the opportunity to gain skills for entry level welding positions.  It is a short-term program to get welders work in West Michigan, with the goal of helping them grow into apprenticeships or other learning opportunities within the welding field.  As a mother-daughter duo in a household dominated by men, Contreras and Belonga have always encouraged each other to break gender stereotypes and pursue their passions. ForBelonga, the idea of being able to tell her children and grandchildren that they are capable of doing anything they set their minds to has been a driving force for many of her life choices. “We want to be living proof of that truth,” she said. “By taking this welding class, we are not only expanding our own horizons but also inspiring future generations to dream big and embrace non-traditional paths.” Contreras truly appreciates the training. “The instructors, Nick Pinckney and Brianna Lampe, have been phenomenal,” she said. “They create a supportive and inclusive learning environment, where making mistakes is seen as part of the learning process. Their guidance and encouragement has boosted our confidence and allowed us to improve our skills with each passing day. We have also formed a tight-knit community with our fellow students, exchanging knowledge and giving each other helpful pointers. The camaraderie and shared passion for welding have made this class even more enjoyable.” Looking ahead, the possibilities seem endless. The two are talking about building a shipping container home to crafting custom furniture. Belonga is excited for what her future holds. “We have envisioned a myriad of projects that we can now tackle with our newfound welding skills. Personally, I have even contemplated exploring the fascinating field of underwater welding in the Texas area. Life is too short to let our minds limit us, and we want to look back and say that we pursued every opportunity that came our way.” Both have tremendous gratitude to GRCC and Metallica for creating a program like the Metallica Scholars Welding Bootcamp. “It has not only provided us with the technical know-how but has also given us a pathway into a rewarding career.”  GRCC works to attract people from diverse backgrounds so the program is fostering inclusivity and breaking down barriers. Completing the program on June 15, 2023 marks an important milestone in Contreras’ and Belonga’s journeys. “Our thirst for knowledge and personal growth will continue,” Belonga said. “We are committed to lifelong learning because we firmly believe that if you're not learning, you're not truly living. Thank you, GRCC, for helping us discover a passion we never knew we had and for empowering us to embrace a future filled with endless possibilities." GRCC was one of the first 10 colleges in the nation to earn a Metallica Scholars grant, a partnership between the legendary band, its All Within My Hands Foundation, and the American Association of Community Colleges. To qualify for the program, participants must be 18 years of age, have a high school diploma/GED, and be able to work in the United States. For more information go to grcc.edu/metallica .  

June 19, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – When Jen Struik was a student at City High School in Grand Rapids, she and her friends used to emulate the chefs who would compete on what was then a new show on the Food Network called Chopped . “Yes, growing up my friends and I would do little culinary competitions like Chopped,” said Struik, now an instructor in Grand Rapids Community College’s Secchia Institute for Culinary Education. “We’d pick random ingredients and see what we could make with it.” A decade or so later, Struik had a chance to be on the show for real, going up against three other chefs on the Chopped set in New York City in an episode that filmed in October 2022 and will run on the Food Network on June 27, 2023. The show’s premise is pretty simple: four chefs compete against each other in preparing an appetizer, an entrée and a dessert. The show then “chops” one chef after each course with the winner earning $10,000. The twist though is that the chefs have to use ingredients the show provides, and those ingredients often create unlikely combos. An episode called "Yucca, Watermelon, Tortillas," for example, included appetizer ingredients of watermelon, sardines, pepper jack cheese and zucchini. Struik said her long-ago high school rehearsals did not really prepare her for the stress of the real thing which included 20 minutes to make the appetizer, 30 minutes each for the entrée and the dessert and then the presentation time for the show’s three judges. “Chopped is known as being one of the most stressful culinary competitions,” she said. “I wear a Whoop (a type of fitness band), and after we taped the episode, I went back to my hotel to look at the stats. I can’t say too much because I can't give away spoilers. But let’s just say that my heart rate was very, very increased at certain points in the day. It was funny to go back and look at it because it actually registered as a cardiovascular activity.” Despite the high-stress nature of the show, Struik said she was able to calm herself by going back to the base she has built in recent years as both a chef and a registered dietician. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in dietetics before earning certifications in Culinary Arts, Personal Chef and Chef Training from GRCC and currently not only teaches at GRCC but also has worked as a dietician for local hospital systems and since 2018 has run her own business, called Jenny with the Good Eats , offering weekly meal prep, including for those with chronic health conditions; private in-home dining experiences; cooking classes; restaurant consulting and more. She also was a coach for the team of GRCC culinary students who were finalists in the recent NASA HUNCH competition, and prepared a meal judged by astronauts and other NASA leaders. All of those experiences helped ground her as she thought about the challenges Chopped would present. “For me, I think when you approach shows like this, you just have to think of it like okay, I'm going to go in with a certain amount of knowledge about appetizers that I could pull off in 20 minutes, of an entrée I could do in 30 and a dessert I could do a 30,” she said. “You start to do a lot of recon into your culinary skill set and ask yourself what you can actually accomplish in the timeframe?” Struik also knew she belonged on the Chopped set. She had submitted copious amounts of information on her culinary background and had three or four interviews with the show’s staff over Zoom before she was selected. She also previously was a winner (as Jennifer Fillenworth) on a Food Network show called Supermarket Stakeout in which chefs create dishes from groceries they purchase from nearby supermarket customers. Still, when she got that final email saying she’d been selected to be on Chopped, there was a moment of disbelief, she said. “I found out just a few weeks before, sometime in September I think,” she said. “We had just started a new semester here (at GRCC), so there was a lot of scrambling I had to do to make it work. But it was totally worth it.” She said she and her fellow chef competitors got a chance to meet each other the morning of the competition, and they all clicked with each other. “We all sat in the green room and kind of just talked,” she said. “And that's where you start to size people up a little bit and try to figure out who your competition is. But everybody was great. We had a friendly group and to this day, we still have a group chat, and we all talk, so it was a really good experience in that regard.” She and her fellow chefs were given permission to start to talk about the show just this week, and talking about it with people has reminded her all over again of how stressful last fall was, she said with a chuckle. Still, she can’t wait for June 27. She’ll actually be on vacation that week in Northern Michigan but said she plans to watch with her significant other, Bryan. “We're planning to stream it and see what unfolds,” she said. “A lot of my friends and family members are planning watch parties, so I'm excited to see how everyone else is watching it.” And since she knows the outcome of the show already, she said her biggest emotion when she watches the unveiling is likely to be a sense of pride. “Feeling proud of the journey in my career so far,” she said. “And having these opportunities and such wonderful experiences.” This story was reported by Phil de Haan. 

June 16, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College mourns the loss of David Frey, who has supported opportunities for GRCC students for nearly 50 years. Mr. Frey, who passed away on June 14 at age 81, was a leader in his family’s Frey Foundation. The organization was founded in 1974 and made its first donation to what was then Grand Rapids Junior College that same year, supporting the newly created preschool program and assisting students who needed childcare while they attended classes. “David Frey and the Frey Foundation have touched the lives of GRCC students for decades, making a life-changing college education more accessible for them,” said Erin Van Egmond, executive director of the GRCC Foundation. “Our college, and our city as a whole, is a stronger, better place because of his kindness and generosity. We will miss him, and know that he leaves a tremendous legacy.” The Frey Foundation’s support for GRCC includes donations for the Fratzke Early Childhood Learning Center, the Alfred P. Smith Music Center, the Open Door Campaign, the GRCC Works Capital Campaign and the Broader Vision Campaign. The foundation also is a key supporter of the Grand Rapids Promise Zone, which covers the cost of attending GRCC for students graduating from high schools within Grand Rapids. GRCC honored the Frey Foundation and family at the 2015 Scholarfest event. Mr. Frey and the foundation supported causes throughout Grand Rapids, often leveraging public-private partnerships to create, grow and support community institutions and organizations. He was born in Grand Rapids, and earned degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War before entering the banking world, succeeding his father, Edward Frey, as chairman of Union Bank & Trust. Edward Frey and his wife, Frances, established the foundation. Frances Frey was a Grand Rapids Junior College graduate. David Frey was co-chairman of Grand Action and chairman of Grand Design, organizations that spearheaded efforts to create the Van Andel Arena, De Vos Place Convention Center, Grand Valley State University’s downtown campus, the historic renovation of the Meijer Majestic Civic Theater, Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine and the Downtown Market, among others.

June 16, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Tom Mulder spends his days teaching students English at Grand Rapids Community College. The classroom conversations and assignments often allow him to learn just as much as he teaches.  Mulder encourages his students to always give their all in the classroom and creates a space where students can collaborate and look out for one another.  “The camaraderie of colleagues and the openness and determination of students are what I most enjoy about teaching for GRCC,” Mulder said.  His English and writing classes often incorporate themes from Grand Rapids. This could be a writing assignment focused on a current event in Grand Rapids, or an activity focused on exploring the community.  Throughout his nearly 15 years of teaching Mulder has enjoyed many chance encounters with colleagues and former students. It is inspiring to hear their success stories and the impact that GRCC had in their journeys.  “GRCC’s community is filled with remarkable graciousness and generosity,” said Mulder.  When he is not teaching Mulder can be found writing his own works. He has authored two books that are being released this summer: Grand Rapids Walking Tours Kids Can Lead, Scribe Publishing; and Writing the Pandemic, Equinox Publishing.  Grand Rapids Walking Tours Kids Can Lead is an interactive guidebook to exploring Grand Rapids. The book is easy for kids to read and encourages them to take control of leading the exploration. Mulder was recently interviewed on Fox 17 Morning Mix to discuss the book. Watch the conversation here.  Writing the Pandemic gives an inside look into what education looked like during the pandemic. The book discusses the “new era” of education and its impacts on both students and instructors. Much of the information in this book came from students in Mulder’s classes during the height of the pandemic.  More information about the English department can be found here.

June 16, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Grand Rapids Community College was the right fit at the right time for Jacqueline Lopez-Bravo. “There was a great selection of classes; the professors were helpful, and the small class sizes were just what I needed,” said Lopez-Bravo, who graduated from Lee High School in Wyoming. “It was close to home, so I could live with my family, and was flexible enough so I could work a part-time job.” It also laid the perfect foundation for her academic future. Now in her final year at the University of Michigan, Lopez-Bravo was recently named the university’s 2023 Senior Student of the Year Award for excelling in academic achievement, student leadership and service. “It was truly shocking when I heard my name called at the Michigan Difference Student Leadership Awards ceremony,” she said. “I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it.” School wasn’t always easy for Lopez-Bravo, the first woman in her family to attend college. Her mother, from Chiapas, Mexico, raised three children and decided to migrate to the United States to pursue better living conditions. Lopez-Bravo, now 23, was born and raised in Grand Rapids, where she had the opportunity to begin her academic journey. “Being the first generation, it’s hard to navigate things like applying for college or filling out your FAFSA forms,” she said. “Even though my mom couldn’t help me with those things, she’s always been supportive.” Lopez-Bravo graduated from GRCC in 2021 with an associate degree in pre-business. She then transferred to U-M, finding great satisfaction and success in Ann Arbor. “Jackie wasted no time getting involved in supporting over 350 transfer students through our programs,” said Paige Horsburgh, of OptiMize, a U-M organization that offers programs and mentorships for students. While pursuing a double major in communications and media and Latinx studies, she’s made time to help community college transfer students adjust to university life. She also facilitated workshops at GRCC and Henry Ford College to mentor students hoping to move on to a four-year institution. It’s not always an easy transition, she said. “It can be hard as transfer students to meet friends or find a community because it's a completely different experience than a first-year freshman,” she said. “At a four-year school, there’s a lot of support for the first years, but not a lot of resources for transfers.” That’s why peer support is so important. Often, community college transfer students are “nontraditional,” working to succeed in college while balancing spouses, children, jobs or responsibilities. “I think because of my time at GRCC, I have a soft spot for community college students and want to do whatever I can to make their transition to university life a little easier,” Lopez-Bravo said. After graduating from U-M in December, she plans to return to Grand Rapids and pursue a career in marketing or public relations. “I’ve even considered creating my own business that could be a resource for Latinx students either in high school or community college,” she said. The Transfer Bridges to Michigan partnership is made possible by a grant from the Mellon Foundation. To learn more about the transfer experience, or opportunities made available through the GRCC partnership with U-M, visit  Transfer Bridges U-M .  This story was reported by Beth McKenna.