Feb. 1, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Cory Stout worked in the tool and die Industry for several years, but moved into a construction job when he heard rumors of layoffs. Then, during the COVID shutdown, Stout was able to reflect and decide what comes next. He remembers being interested in the welding activities during his time in tool and die. He heard GRCC has a reputable welding program and checked into it. “Once I looked at the program and the hands-on welding lab, I was excited to get started.” Stout was connected to career coach Michael Wemmer, who turned him on to the Michigan Reconnect program. “If you are willing to fill out the forms, there is support available. Michigan Reconnect has been a godsend.” Michigan Reconnect is a state program that covers the cost of in-district tuition for Michiganders 25 or older without a college degree. This program provides eligible students with access to pursue an associate degree or occupational certificate at their local community college. The Job Training Welding program meets for 18-weeks, Monday through Thursday, for 34 hours per week and offers job placement assistance. “The schedule of the program is great,” Stout said. “It’s set up just like a job.” As a student, you learn: shielded metal arc welding, gas metal arc welding, gas tungsten arc welding oxy-fuel welding, cutting, brazing, blueprint reading, mathematics, metallurgy, problem solving, teamwork and communication skills. The program is led by GRCC Instructor Nate Haney. Haney holds a Bachelor of Science in Welding Engineering Technology from Ferris State University and is an American Welding Society Certified Welding Inspector and Certified Welding Educator. “Nate is far and away the best teacher I’ve ever had,” Stout said. “Truly exceptional. He never says a negative thing. He will tell you the positive aspects of the weld and how to improve it, but he never uses the word ‘bad’. Every time you walk away from Nate, you feel confident that you can improve on what you are doing. That is something you don’t find anywhere. Anyone can pass on learned knowledge but to do it in a way that you want to learn is truly special.” Stout believes the hands-on aspect is invaluable. “There is no comparison between learning from a book and learning by doing. We started welding the second day of class!” He also enjoyed the staggering of the class start dates. “The class that started before me was really helpful and now I am helping the classes that started after me. We are all learning from each other. It’s been fun and very satisfying,” he said. “There is so much new technology developing in the welding field. It’s not just old school welding- it’s lasers, micro welds, pulse welds, spray welding-avenues I never even knew existed! If I were to get a job and get training from my employer, I would never learn all the other types of welding that are out there.” This program is highly regarded by employers as a top trainer in welding and fabrication. Job Developers are ready to help you with the job search process. Graduates will be ready to begin a career as a welder, cutter or brazer – with the skills to meet the needs of not only local companies but national companies as well. Stout is looking at several different employment opportunities.  “I have been working with Diego Roman, a job developer at the MTEC, but pretty much everyone has helped me somewhere along the way. Everyone seems to have connections in the industry and they are working really hard to help find the best fit. “My family is super supportive and proud of me. I have had to make some sacrifices financially but it is totally worth it. This may be short-term training but there are definitely long-term benefits. The program gets you into the workforce in just over four months and, for me, without any debt.” Stout has already finished the required work for the program and will graduate on Feb. 16.   One Workforce grant has provided the careering coach and job develop support for Cory. The next section of Job Training programs begins, April 17, 2023. For more information: grcc.edu/jobtraining or (616) 234-3800.

Jan. 31, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Jazz McKinney, the executive director of the Grand Rapids Pride Center, will deliver a keynote address as part of the Grand Rapids Community College Black History Month celebration. GRCC’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion worked with campus partners to create a month of events. “Black History Month is a time for us as a campus and community to come together and remember, reflect and celebrate,” said David Selmon, GRCC’s dean of Strategic Outreach and interim director of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. “The team has created a slate of events that are fun and informative, and might challenge people to see things differently.” McKinney is planned to speak at 4 p.m. on Feb. 9 in GRCC’s Wisner-Bottrall Applied Technology Center Auditorium, 151 Fountain Street NE. McKinney is a Black, Indigenous Two-Spirit individual who has been involved in the mental health field for more than 10 years and with racial justice work as well as advocacy/activism in the 2-SLGBTQ+ community for more than 18 years, committing themselves to highlighting the importance of education, awareness, and involvement to create change. McKinney is co-owner and lead trainer of Paradigm Shifts Consulting in addition to being executive director of the Grand Rapids Pride Center. The Detroit native is passionate about working to decolonize gender roles and identities as well as discussing the impact harmful gender binaries can cause within communities.  The keynote is part of ODEI's Diversity Lecture Series, which is co-sponsored by Steelcase. Other events include: Black History Month Trivia, with the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The event is planned for 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Feb. 2 in Student Center, 122 Lyon Street, NE room 234. “A Black Woman’s Survival Kit,” a virtual event hosted by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion set for 4-6 p.m. on Feb. 14. Silent Disco, presented by the Campus Activity Board with the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The event is planned for 4-6 p.m. on Feb. 16 in the Raider Grill in the Student Center. “The Black Male Narrative,” a virtual event hosted by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, planned for 4-5:30 on Feb. 21. “Real Talk Student Round Table,” planned for 4-5:30 p.m. on Feb. 23 in room 234 of the Student Center and offered virtually as well. Registration for all of the events is available here.      

Jan. 30, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Shawn Cheshire rode across the country on her bicycle, depending on Grand Rapids Community College professor Jesse Crandall to guide her every bit of the two-month, 3,700-mile trek. Cheshire is a Paralympian who is blind and competes in a variety of sports at the international level. Through a friendship with the GRCC chemistry professor, she has added bicycling to her activities, traversing the country, meeting and inspiring people all along the way. Crandall said both teaching and guiding are about helping others through obstacles. “For many students, introductory chemistry is something they have no experience with,” said Crandall, a GRCC associate professor of chemistry. “So, when I’m teaching, it helps to think about my experiences coaching my friend Shawn, who is totally blind. Then I try talking about the lesson in a language that, hopefully, everybody can understand.” That gift for guiding students was born of a longtime friendship — and many record-breaking escapades — with best friend Cheshire, an Army veteran, Paralympian and renowned adventure-seeker who is blind. Following her years in the military, Cheshire became an EMT/paramedic. During a 2009 snowstorm, she slipped while treating a patient in an ambulance and sustained a traumatic brain injury that resulted in total vision loss. Sports and physical challenges ignited her competitive spirit and helped her confront her blindness, she said. “You have to want to live,” Cheshire said. “For me, I wanted to be someone I could be proud of.” Crandall and Cheshire have been skiing, climbing, running and bicycling together for the past decade. They met in New York when Cheshire, in search of greater independence, decided to learn cross-country skiing. “Here was this woman who was blind and had never seen someone cross-country ski because she grew up in Texas, where you don’t find much snow,” said Crandall, a top skier and former ski coach who was in Syracuse earning his doctorate in chemistry. “She had no way to visualize cross-country skiing or recall seeing someone else do it.” But that never stopped Cheshire — or Crandall. Cheshire not only learned to ski, she earned a spot on Team USA and was the first blind woman to compete in biathlon (skiing and rifle shooting) for the U.S. Paralympic Nordic ski team. She has since competed for Team USA in both summer and winter sports. Since the Rio Olympics in 2016, Cheshire has focused on competing in awe-inspiring athletic feats to challenge social norms for the blind. Instead of her eyes, she relies on her ears -- and on Crandall to show her the way. In 2018, the pair and two friends faced the steep terrain of the Grand Canyon, completing a rim-to-rim-to-rim double crossing in just over 24 hours. As they walked 42 miles through the night, Cheshire listened for warnings of obstacles from Crandall and the other guides, as well as the noise of the bell the lead hiker wore, which sounded as they walked. “There was lots and lots of climbing and lots and lots of descending,” Crandall said. “She did it in just over 24 hours, which is the world record for any blind person doing it.” In 2021, Cheshire set another world record by riding her own bicycle — not a tandem — from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. The cross-country trek took 60 days and covered 3,700 miles. It wasn’t easy. “We had two-way radios in our helmets, and I had a speaker on the back of my bike; I would give her directions and describe road conditions -- if we were moving right or left and any hazards -- and she would follow my sound,” Crandall said. They are accompanied for a portion of the trip by Steve Martin, a U.S. Army veteran who lost his legs below the knees in an explosion in Afghanistan. Last year, Cheshire biked the Tour Divide, a 2,700-mile mountain bike race along the mountain passes and windswept valleys of the Continental Divide from Banff, Canada, to the Mexico border with Crandall and another friend. It was the worst weather in the history of the race and more than half of the riders who started the race dropped out, according to Cheshire’s website here .  They finished the race in 50 days, cycling through snow, mud, hail, rain, freezing temperatures and triple-digit temperatures. With this feat, another world record was set. And now? Cheshire is training to summit both Mount Everest and Mount Lhotse, the highest and fourth-highest mountains in the world. If she completes the back-to-back expeditions this spring, she would be the first blind woman in history to summit Everest and one of the first blind people to attempt this double summit. But this time, Crandall won’t be joining her in the Himalayas. He’ll be at GRCC, guiding his students as they navigate the often-overwhelming world of chemistry. At least for now. “I don’t know what our next adventure will be,” Crandall said. “We’ve talked about skiing across Antarctica … I do know that with Shawn, there are no limits.” This story was reported by Beth McKenna.

Jan. 30, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Steven Van Iwaarden lives in Manhattan with his wife and dog and works at a prestigious New York law firm. He has a law degree from the University of Michigan and helped launch a first-of-its-kind law journal.  It all sounds like a dream come true, but Van Iwaarden didn’t believe it could happen to him – not at first. “For various reasons, my high school career was less than stellar, and I did not attend college for years after graduating high school,” he said. 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. When Van Iwaarden decided to finally get serious about his education, he enrolled at GRCC. He found knowledgeable and understanding professors and uses many of the skills he learned in those early classes – College Writing, Principles of Microeconomics and Macroeconomics, and Fundamentals of Public Speaking – in his career today. “In my first semester at GRCC, I entered – and ended up winning – the ‘One Book, One College’ essay contest,” Van Iwaarden said. “The prize for this was getting to attend a dinner with the author of the book that was the subject of the contest, Josh Sundquist, and then getting a front-row seat to his keynote speech later that evening. “Winning this contest really put wind behind my burgeoning academic sails. It was through this experience that I realized my talent for reading and writing could lead to great things, so long as I put the requisite effort into developing it.” Another turning point: a GRCC-sponsored bus trip to Ann Arbor to tour the University of Michigan. “That ended up being an important factor in me thinking I could actually attend that university after graduating from GRCC,” Van Iwaarden said. After receiving his associate degree in 2016, he earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, politics and economics in 2019 from U of M, where he served as an ambassador to transfer students. He earned Juris Doctor degrees from University of Michigan. He gained experience working on employment discrimination claims as a clerk to Administrative Judge Thomas Harward of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s hearings unit in Los Angeles. He also helped a group of law students and doctoral candidates launch the Michigan Journal of Law & Society, which brings the humanities and social sciences into legal scholarship. Last year, Van Iwaarden, who passed the New York State Bar exam in July, accepted an offer from Latham & Watkins LLP to become a lawyer in its New York office. Van Iwaarden credits the success he’s seen to the support of his family and friends, as well as his willingness to take advantage of opportunities offered to him, like the Ann Arbor bus trip.  For him, GRCC means two things: hope and opportunity. “I view GRCC as a place offering hope to prospective students who don’t fit the archetype of the over-achieving high schooler who goes straight to a four year university,” he said. “GRCC is an institution that serves an invaluable social goal: a gateway to prosperity for those who didn’t have it handed to them.  “I would not be where I am today without GRCC.” Start your GRCC story today here.  

Jan. 28, 2023, GRAYLING, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College men's and women's teams dominated in their games at Kirtland Community College on Saturday, both by more than 30 points. The women's team bounced back from a tough loss at Muskegon Community College on Wednesday, cruising to an 85-51 win while getting two career performances from players off the bench. After scoring a season-low 35 points in their previous game, the Raiders offense lit it up for a season-high in points, including 30 in the second quarter.  The team also set season highs in overall field goal percentage, with 45.2 percent; and three-point field goal shooting, with 60 percent. Alyssa Katerberg was on fire from behind the arc, totaling five threes for a career-high 15 points while adding five rebounds. Dual sport athlete Karissa Ferry scored a career-best 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting while grabbing a career-high 12 rebounds, including 12 on the offensive end. Sally Merrill led GRCC with 20 points and Grace Lodes added 15 points, helping the team improve to 9-6 overall and 3-2 in MCCAA Northern Conference play. The men's team led by just seven points at the half, but erupted for 62 points in the second half on 65 percent shooting, to cruise to a 98-59 victory, the team’s 14 th of the season. "Incredible effort from the guys in the second half," head coach Joe Fox said. "We really locked into the scout and played with incredible energy. Brockton Kohler was a steadying force, and Jack Scrimshaw really helped us close the game out. Feels great to string a few wins together on the road. After an 11-0 start, the team dropped four in a row. But now it is riding a three-game win streak to improve to 3-2 in the conference. GRCC had a total of 12 players score on the night, led by Kohler who scored 16 points on 5-of-8 from the floor. Just as it did in its previous game, GRCC led in every statistical category, including only turning the ball over 10 times against 23 for Kirtland, and blocking five more shots. Danyel Bibbs scored 14 points and Chris Coleman, JaJuan Walker and Myron Brewer all added 10 points. Both teams will be back on the road on Feb. 1, visiting Delta College.  The women will tip-off first at 5:30 p.m. 

Jan. 26, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College President Charles Lepper said the Michigan Reconnect program has provided access and opportunities for students across West Michigan, and encourages lawmakers to thoughtfully consider Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s call to expand the program. Whitmer in her State of the State Address on Wednesday called for expanding the Michigan Reconnect program to include residents age 21 and older. The program, now for residents ages 25 and older, covers the cost of in-district tuition, helping remove financial obstacles for residents looking to start or restart their education. “Reconnect has already helped more than 1,000 students at GRCC, and we find them on our campus gaining a quality education and in-demand career skills,” Lepper said. “Our mission as an open access college is to serve as many people in our community as possible. Our entire region grows stronger when more people have access to a life-changing education. We appreciate that our lawmakers have supported Reconnect in the past, and we encourage thoughtful consideration of this proposal in the months to come.” Dr. Lepper on Monday heard about the successes of the Reconnect program from students Andre Broussard and Jodi Holland on Monday at a roundtable hosted by Lt. Governor Garland Gilchrist II at GRCC’s Wisner-Bottrall Applied Technology Center. Reconnect, launched in Feb. 2021, is aimed at students 25 and older who have not yet earned a degree. Frontliners was available in 2020 for residents who worked in essential fields during the state’s COVID-19 shutdown. The two are part of Gov. Whitmer’s Sixty by 30 goal, hoping to have at least 60 percent of the state’s adults have a college degree or career certificate by 2030. Lawmakers last year approved an additional $6 million to help pay for other expenses, such as daycare or transportation. Andre Broussard said he used the Reconnect program to enroll in GRCC’s Computer Support Job Training program. He recently was awarded the first-ever MTEC Leadership Award, which recognizes a student who has gone above and beyond expectation. Jodi Holland is a first-generation college student, who came to GRCC at age 58 to gain skills to follow her dreams of being a baker – and also to inspire her grandchildren. As of September, 9.5 percent of all state Reconnect and Futures for Frontliners students were at GRCC. Of the winter semester that started this month, 2,584 students were accepted to GRCC through Reconnect, and 1,141 are enrolled for the winter semester. Others can start in the summer or in the fall. About half of the enrolled Reconnect students -- 556 – are taking classes for the first time. And 464 students are returning after more than two years away to complete their education. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/reconnect and grcc.edu/reconnect .  

Jan. 26, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Grand Rapids Community College is teaming up with the University of Michigan to provide students with cutting edge research opportunities. GRCC students have until Feb. 10 to apply for the 2023 statewide Community College Summer Fellowship Program , a 10-week, paid fellowship at U-M.  The program runs May 30 to Aug. 4 and offers research projects with mentors representing all 19 colleges/schools at U-M. The fellowship is offered by the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program at U-M and is open to any currently enrolled community college student interested in transferring in the future to any four-year university, not just Michigan. The fellowship is a great chance to do research at U-M, gain professional networks and opportunities, and attend professional training workshops teaching the latest research techniques, said Michelle Ferrez, director of U-M’s Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program. “We see the real-world assets that community college students bring to the program, which is invaluable,” Ferrez said. Many GRCC students have taken part in the research program through the years. “The summer program has strengthened not just their academic skills, but their confidence as scholars and prepared them for a more successful transfer experience,” said Leanne Challa, GRCC program manager for the Transfer Bridges partnership between GRCC and U-M. Student access to these programs removes barriers to learning which often exist between the two- and four-year institute experience, she said.  “By encouraging and supporting the exploration of fields of study, connecting students to professionals in these fields, and providing the ability to engage first-hand with the four-year institute experience, these partnerships help build the bridge for successful transfer,” Challa said. Research fellows receive a $3,000-$6,000 stipend for their part- or full-time participation in the program, and there are both in-person and virtual opportunities. CCSFP seeks to attract a diverse student population, including women and historically underrepresented students, first generation college students, students from low-income backgrounds, and veterans. Applicants must have: Completed at least 18 credits (or two semesters) at the community college level and must have already graduated from high school or earned a GED Completed 30 credits at the community college if you are a dual enrolled in high school Enrolled and in attendance at a community college in Michigan The CCSRP is one of many opportunities available to GRCC students available through the Transfer Bridges U-M grant relationship. For more information, GRCC students can visit the U-M Community College Summer Fellowship Program page here , or reach out to Leanne Challa, p rogram manager, Transfer Bridges to the Humanities U-M, via email at lchalla@grcc.edu. This story was reported by Beth McKenna.

Jan. 25, 2023, MUSKEGON, Mich. – Danyel Bibbs celebrated his birthday by leading the Grand Rapids Community College men's basketball team to a win over a tough Muskegon Community College team on Wednesday. With the 83-74 victory, the Raiders are 13-4 and 2-2 in MCCAA Northern Conference play. The women's team snapped a two-game win streak to move to .500 in the conference after a tough, 62-35 loss. The men’s team was back and forth all night with Muskegon, with a season-high 26 lead changes. But Bibbs' and-one with five minutes to go was the final lead GRCC needed to secure the victory. “It’s so great to go on the road and get a win against a good team,” coach Joe Fox said. “I was very happy with our execution down the stretch, and I thought our guys really picked their spots well. Isaac Warning played his best game as a Raider and Danyel Bibbs also was great. I can’t say enough about how excited I am about our execution of the game plan tonight.” Bibbs finished with a team-high 22 points while grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out four assists. GRCC led in just about every statistical category, including field goal percentage, three-point shooting, rebounding, blocks and steals. Chris Coleman and Issac Warning also had solid outings, scoring 30 total points and grabbing 15 rebounds. The women's team never could get into any rhythm on the offensive end, scoring a season-low 35 points while shooting just 1-of-19 from behind the arc. "Tough loss to a good Muskegon team," coach David Glazier said. "We will have to get much better as the year continues to compete with the teams atop the North." Sophomores Sally Merrill and Marlene Bussler led GRCC with nine points while Grace Lodes added eight points and team highs with seven rebounds and four assists. Both teams will be back on the road on Jan. 28, visiting Kirtland Community College.  The women will tip-off first at 1 p.m.  

Jan. 25, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Grand Rapids Community College is celebrating the 40 th anniversary of the GIANT Awards with an evening saluting the leaders of the past and present while inspiring the next generations. Since 1983, GRCC has hosted the annual awards recognizing African American leaders and organizations for their exceptional contributions in shaping the history and quality of life in Grand Rapids and West Michigan. The 40 th anniversary celebration will highlight the past GIANT honorees and present a special anniversary award, with recipients revealed at the event. “GRCC is tremendously proud to host the GIANT Awards each year, recognizing the people who have played key roles in making West Michigan a stronger, better place to live,” GRCC President Charles Lepper said. “The 40 th anniversary milestone is a perfect time to pause and reflect on those who have been honored over the decades – to hear again their stories, appreciate their impact, and celebrate their important places in our history.” The gala is planned for 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, at DeVos Place’s Exhibit Hall, 303 Monroe Ave. NW. Individual tickets are $100, with eight-seat tables available for $1,000. Proceeds will support the Milo M. Brown Scholarship and the Junior GIANT Fund and can be purchased online . The keynote speaker for the event is Dr. Jacqueline Walters – better known as “Dr. Jackie” – a philanthropist, health expert, women’s advocate, television personality and award-winning doctor of obstetrics and gynecology. A two-time breast cancer survivor, Walters founded the 50 Shades of Pink Foundation, an organization focused on treating the inner and outer beauty of survivors. The Atlanta resident is featured on the Bravo hit reality series “Married to Medicine” and is a frequent speaker on the topics of women’s health, wellness and self-esteem. Local media personalities Jamal Spencer, Eddie Rucker and Jennifer Moss will serve as emcees. The event is being planned by a community committee that includes Vanessa Greene, Larry Johnson, Tempy Mann, Darius Quinn, Faye Richardson-Green, Misti Stanton and Shannon Wilson, and facilitated by GRCC President Emeritus Juan Olivarez and GRCC leaders. “The GIANT Awards are special to so many people in our community,” Olivarez said. “It’s an honor to work with leaders who are devoted to recognizing what we have done to this point, but also making sure this important work continues long into the future.” Mann said the awards are an opportunity to look back, but are also a call to action. “The people who have been honored over the last 40 years are the ones who built our community,” Mann said. “When we tell their stories, we reflect on their legacy. But we also remind ourselves that there is so much more to do. We stand on the shoulders of our Giants, but we need to continue to carry on the work they started.” The annual GIANT Awards, last presented in October 2022, salute 11 leaders. Each award is named after a local person who has demonstrated excellence and serves as a perpetual memorial to those notable contributions. Honorees have made meaningful contributions to Grand Rapids in a variety of areas, including justice, education, religion, medicine, humanities, business and labor. The Junior GIANT Award, named in honor of GIANT founders Dr. Patricia Pulliam and Cedric Ward, are presented to students of African American heritage who have demonstrated leadership, community involvement and impact. The Milo M. Brown Scholarship is presented to at least one male and one female African American GRCC students returning as full-time sophomores for the following fall semester.

Jan. 25, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Sally Merrill started playing basketball in third grade and had been around the game all her life because of her dad, who played collegiately. She remembers loving to hoop when she began but also remembers with a smile that “I wasn’t very good. My first couple seasons I never even scored and that discouraged me a lot as a kid.” Things have changed a bit since then! Last year, Merrill, a sophomore 5’10” combo guard and forward, averaged 15.8 points per game for the Grand Rapids Community College women’s basketball team, while playing 36 minutes per contest. She also pulled down an average of 8.1 rebounds per game as the Raiders ran their way to a 20-11 record, reaching the championship game of the NJCAA Great Lakes A District tournament. And she finished the season as an All-Region, All-MCCAA, First Team All-Conference and All-Freshman Team honoree. She has picked up where she left off in 2022-23, averaging a double-double with 13.5 ppg and an even 10.0 rpg through GRCC’s first eight contests. Merrill admits that after a good high school career at Hamilton High, she didn’t necessarily see this level of success coming at the collegiate level. “We won regionals twice,” she said, “and we made it to the Final Four. We always had a really good record. But last year, here at GRCC, I had to step up and contribute more, and I found that the ball was in my hands a lot more than it was in high school. This was a big transition for me and helped me gain a ton of confidence as a player.” GRCC coach David Glazier said there’s a good reason Merrill found herself with more touches last season. “I had seen her play a couple times prior to her joining us, and it was her drive, her never-take-no-for-an-answer mentality that she had that made me realize how much benefit our program could get from Sally being a part of the family,” he recalled. “But there is an added level of introspection that I have a respect for because I am that way at times. Basketball is a sport that demands leadership which is typically most valued if the leadership is loudly vocal. I think Sally's ability to be introspective will help her find continued success as a player and as a person.” For her part, Merrill said she loves playing for Glazier. “Coach definitely has a more relaxed coaching style,” she said. “He lets his players play and create. He also does a good job of finding sets that work well for the players and for the strengths we have.” Her experience in the classroom has also been stellar. “Overall, I have had a great experience at GRCC,” she said. “I am currently studying exercise science, and I plan to get a four-year degree in exercise kinesiology in the future. My classroom experience has been positive. I have had many kind professors who care about me.” One of her favorites, she added, is Melanie Schiele- Gady of the GRCC E xercise Science department. “I had her for an Introduction to Exercise Science class and now I am in a second class with her,” she said. “She is so kind and always takes the time to say hello whenever I see her.” Next year Merrill hopes to continue her education, and to play basketball, at a four-year National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics school. This story was written by Phil de Haan.