March 23, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Melissa Gheorghiu graduated high school in 2000 and never attended college. She was a little nervous about starting at Grand Rapids Community College as a single mother of three children. Flash forward a year, and Gheorghiu ahs been wildly successful. She was named to the All-Michigan Academic team , is a leader of Phi Theta Kappa honor society and worked a project to help fellow students and community members overcome obstacles to success. “I have a friend who told me I should go to college,” Gheorghiu said on the My GRCC Story podcast. “I’m good with numbers, and he said I should go into finance. So, I decided to try it. GRCC is local, and it does stuff online, which I need to do since I’m a single mom.” Gheorghiu completed GRCC’s Honors Program and is involved with the Psi Beta Honors Society for psychology students and TRIO Student Support Services, a program for first generation college students. She has made the Dean’s List every semester since she enrolled. She is a chapter officer for Alpha Upsilon Kappa and serves on the PTK bylaws committee for the Michigan region. Gheorghiu is a semifinalist for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship and received a GRCC Salute to Women award this year. She will start a combined bachelor’s and master’s program in finance at the University of Michigan next fall. “I honestly didn’t know what to expect,” she said of her decision to attend college after 20 years away. “I knew in high school I did really well, but that was some time ago and now I have three small children. So, I juggle my children and my house and being a mom. But I put the time into all my studying and it’s really paid off. And I also reach out to any and all professors at the beginning of every semester to introduce myself and let them know who I am, that I’m an honors student and also a PTK officer, and tell them what I’m expecting.” Gheorghiu said she took advantage of GRCC’s online opportunities so she could scheduled classes around her family responsibilities. She said GRCC tutoring labs were a great asset, and can be accessed remotely. She encourages others who have been away to try taking courses. “You don’t have to be a full-time student like I am,” she said. “You can do it part time. Last semester I took five classes, I completed an honors project, plus I did the capstone project and I’m an officer for PTK, so I come and do stuff on campus for that as well. And – I did it!” Gheorghiu said she became interested in the Honors Program after getting an email saying she qualified on her high school grade point average. She was excited to learn about capstone projects, which include a community service component. She worked with classmate and felloe nontraditional student Kim Budde on a clothing drive, which took place in November. “I knew exactly what she wanted to do,” she said. “I have three children who are constantly growing, and clothing can be very expensive. I always have giant piles of clothing in my house that need to be donated, and I knew other people could benefit from it.” The students collected enough clothing to fill 12 eight-foot-long tables, and shared leftovers with local shelters. The My GRCC Story podcast is available here , Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other hosting sites.

March 23, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Residents can gain skills to enter the in-demand field of computer numeric controls through the One Workforce for West Michigan Manufacturing grant, provided to Grand Rapids Community College from the U.S. Department of Labor. The One Workforce grant staff worked with West Michigan employers to develop the program. The grant will supplement the cost of the program, making the hands-on training available for $50. There are more than 25 companies in West Michigan with CNC operator positions available with starting wages from $18-$22 per hour. Job developers will connect students to employers by providing two interviews as part of the program. "What sets the One Workforce program apart is the intentional connection it creates between the student and the employers,” program manager C. Dennis Triggs said. “Not only are we listening to employers to tailor the training, we do everything possible to place every student in the right job.” This 16-week, part-time class is open to anyone and allows those who are currently working to gain skills to improve their income potential. No experience is necessary. Students will learn by doing in the Advance Manufacturing Lab at West Michigan University’s downtown Grand Rapids location. Instructor Andy Beach has many years working in the field and enjoys teaching others about it. “Watching the students realize the opportunities that are available to them just by learning these basic skills is very rewarding,” he said. “Once a participant learns what CNC or machine tooling is, they start seeing it everywhere in our lives. When the light bulb turns on and the student understands, it is the best. It’s fun to watch.” The One Workforce for West Michigan Manufacturing project will help people who are unemployed or underemployed gain transformative academic and career skills with enhanced support. The program will build a talented workforce to fill existing job openings and prepare for the future of manufacturing, helping residents and the region as a whole. GRCC in 2021 was one of 19 organizations in the nation and two in Michigan to earn grants in the program. To find out if you qualify for this 64-hour, hands-on training, apply at grcc.edu/oneworkforce or call 616-234-3383.

March 22, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The Grand Rapids Community College baseball pitching staff struck out 18 batters in route to a 13-6 victory over the junior varsity of Cornerstone University on Wednesday. Sophomore Blake Waibel was unstoppable on the mound for GRCC in the first four innings, allowing just one hit while striking out 10 batters.  The Raiders offense scored 11 runs before Cornerstone finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning. Jacob Gumieny led the offensive attack with three of the team's 10 total hits, including his first home run of the season.  Leadoff hitter Trevin Laming, who hit his second homer in as many days, and Aaron Bess each had two hits. Ethan London, Alex Schmitt, Mason Hammond and Austyn Adams all pitched at least one inning in relief of Waibel and combined for eight strikeouts while giving up just three hits. GRCC is scheduled to begin MCCAA Northern Conference play this Friday against Delta College. First pitch of game one is set for 2 p.m. This story was reported by Ben Brown.

March 22, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College basketball player Sally Merrill was named Co-Player of the Year and Grace Lodes was named Defensive Player of the Year by the Michigan Community College Athletic Association Northern Conference in postseason awards announced Tuesday. Merrill and Lodes were also named All-Region, All-MCCAA, and First Team All-Conference for the second consecutive year. Merrill also earned Most Valuable Player honors of the NJCAA Great Lakes B Tournament helping GRCC to their second championship in the past three years. "I'm proud of our student-athletes and coaches for strong performances," Athletic Director Lauren Ferullo said. "We have strong programs, with some of the best players in the state, and the nation. They work hard to be successful on the court and in the classroom." GRCC's Marlene Bussler was named Second Team All-Conference, and Allison Kellogg, Emersyn Koepke and Alyssa Katerberg were named Honorable Mention All-Conference. Merrill is the team's leading scorer at 16.6 points per game while Lodes averaged a double-double this year, scoring 13.9 points and grabbing 10.6 rebounds per game. Bussler, who shares the honor with Jade Schultz of Alpena Community College, averages 11.6 points and a team-high 5.3 assists per game. Kellogg averaged a solid 8.8 points and 6.5 rebounds. Koepke was third on the team in assists and fourth on the team in steals and three-pointers made. Katerberg was the team's second best three pointer shooter and second best shot blocker. The women's team currently has a 19-9 record and plays its second game of the NJCAA National Championships Thursday at 9 a.m. For the men's team, Danyel Bibbs was named Second Team All-Conference, earning him back-to-back All-Conference honors. He averaged a team-high 16.7 points per game and led the MCCAA with six assists per game. Brockton Kohler, Chris Coleman and Bashir Neely all were named Honorable Mention All-Conference. Kohler, who is signed to play with Cleary University next year, averaged 12.3 points per game and was the team's leading three-point shooter. Coleman averaged 10.3 points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal per game.  Neely averaged 11.4 points and was the team's leader with 46 steals. Rico Wade was named to the All-Defensive team after an outstanding individual defensive season guarding 1-4 for GRCC, and being an anchor for the team defensively. The men's team finished with a 21-8 overall record and third place in the conference. This story was written by Ben Brown.

March 22, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- It can be a long and winding road when it comes to finding your passion and turning it into a career. Sydney Sayre’s journey led her to become a Metallica Scholar. “I went to Western Michigan University and studied social work,” Sayre said. “I took a break from that to join AmeriCorps and did that for about three years. By the time I finished, I realized that the social work field was not for me.” Sayre started looking into the possibility of learning a professional trade. “I didn’t see a lot of opportunities for women. I was working for a concert venue doing production and these bands would come in with semi-trucks and set up these massive stages – it was amazing! That led me to take a Women Who Weld bootcamp in Detroit for a week – I absolutely loved it!” 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. The goal is to help people grow into apprenticeships or other learning opportunities within the welding field.  “I’ve had my eye on this program since it started,” Sayre said. “I’ve been waiting for the timing to be right and I’m so glad it came together!” Sayre said it turned out to be even better than she thought it could be. “What really surprised me the most is how good the instruction is and how supportive Nick Pinkney and Bri Lampe are. They just want to see you succeed. It’s kind of like a mentorship almost. They really care about you and your goals.”   The hands-on training program meets for 14 weeks and includes OSHA training. “It’s a lot of information in a short time span but it’s all good information and I like the way Nick presents it. He’s very approachable and willing to answer questions.” The program goal is to build an accessible pathway into the field of welding with a focus on producing ready-to-work welders for Kent County companies. This program works to attract, retain, and graduate individuals of different genders and racial/ethnic backgrounds to welding careers. “I was impressed with how you have been able to recruit a diverse population. We have so much fun together!” she said. Now that Sayre has completed the program, she wants more! “I am transferring from where I go to school now to come here. Just seeing how the welding program is set up, I know that’s what I want to do and I want to be here at GRCC. “I know that I would like to work as a welder but I’m not 100 percent sure what exactly I want to do. Definitely something creative or maybe working with production for a band. I’m really interested in getting women into skilled trades. I’m working on creating a supportive network so that women can be successful. I loved this program. It has been phenomenal.” To qualify for the program, participants must be 18 years of age, have a high school diploma or GED, and be able to work in the United States. For more information go to grcc.edu/metallica .

March 21, 2023, PORT HURON, Mich. -- The Grand Rapids Community College women's basketball team had a strong first half against the No. 2 team in the nation, but wound up losing in their opening round game of the NJCAA Division II National Basketball Championships on Tuesday. “Tough outcome against a talented group,” head coach David Glazier said. “I thought our kids played a really good first half, but CCBC’s depth got the better of us. I’m Looking forward to continuing to compete toward our goal of playing on Saturday.” GRCC's basketball team got off to a slow start, scoring just two points after one quarter of play, but bounced back by out-scoring Community College of Baltimore-Essex 18-16 in the second quarter to trail by just 14 points at the half. GRCC couldn't cut into the lead any further, and CCBC-Essex, whose only loss this year was to the No. 1 ranked team in the nation, cruised to the 87-40 victory. Point guard, Marlene Bussler led the team with 17 points on seven-of-18 from the field, and grabbed six rebounds.  Last week's district tournament Most Valuable Player, Sally Merrill, led the team with 10 rebounds.  Grace Lodes tallied eight points and six rebounds. GRCC's next game will be at 9 a.m. on Thursday against 10-seeded North Central Missouri College who lost their opener to No. 7 Pima Community College 69-66.  This story was reported by Ben Brown.  

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

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