Oct. 31, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Mansfield Matthewson, Grand Rapids Community College’s former purchasing director, was inducted into West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum’s Sustainable Business Hall of Fame earlier this month. Hall of Fame inductees are recognized for their individual contributions in the workplace for their sustainability efforts and results. Matthewson was joined by the late Amy Butler, who was the director of sustainability for Michigan State University. Luis Chen, founder of Wormies Vermicompost, was honored as this year’s Future Hall of Fame Award winner. The Sustainable Business Hall of Fame is a lifetime achievement award recognizing extraordinary contributions to the growth of sustainable business in West Michigan over the course of a career. The Future Hall of Fame award honors an emerging professional whose work deserves wider recognition. Under Matthewson’s leadership, GRCC made every reasonable opportunity for minority, women, disabled persons and micro business enterprises to participate in GRCC’s contracts as suppliers, contractors, and subcontractors performing work for the college. “I am very thankful for this lifetime achievement honor,” said Matthewson, who retired from GRCC earlier this year. “As director of purchasing, I thought it was crucial that GRCC’s spend mirror the demographics of the student body and the community we serve.” Six local businesses also were recognized, including Sustainable Business of the Year South East Market. These organizations and institutions are recognized as best representing the region’s commitment to the triple-bottom line and its efforts to advance climate leadership, social justice and the creation of a circular economy. The other businesses were the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan, Hope College, Meijer, PADNOS, and Volta Power Systems. “We are grateful for the opportunity to recognize the important work that local businesses and institutions are doing to advance sustainability outcomes,” said Daniel Schoonmaker, WMSBF executive director. “Our honorees are representative of West Michigan’s leadership within the state and country.”  The honors were bestowed at the organization’s ninth-annual Triple Bottom Line Bash at the Peter Martin Wege Theatre.  

Oct. 31, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Jacki Fuller credits GRCC for the nursing skills she uses every day and for helping her develop a trait that’s equally essential: leadership. As director of nursing at Spectrum Health Hospitals Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, she oversees care for 140 patients and supervises a staff of about 150, including registered and licensed practical nurses, certified nursing assistants, nurse managers, nurse supervisors, doctors, case managers, a nurse educator, and a specialist in infection prevention. 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. Fuller appreciates the leadership classes she took at GRCC. “Being a leader is incredibly multifaceted, especially in the world of nursing,” she said.  The hands-on training through clinicals and the simulation labs prepared her for patient care, but it was the Nursing Program’s work in the community that had a special impact. “I was able to see real health issues and disparities that people in my own community are facing,” Fuller said. “Being able to contribute to improving those issues as a nursing student was impactful in my journey.” A trip to Costa Rica with her cohort in the Associate Degree Nursing program is a favorite memory. “This was eye opening!” she said. “It was incredible to see how the people in Costa Rica live and what little access to health care they have. Our time volunteering made a huge difference in their lives.” Fuller graduated with her associate degree in Nursing in 2016, after first earning her Licensed Practical Nurse certification in 2013. She had worked with Spectrum Health during a clinical rotation and knew she wanted to build a career there. “I worked as a bedside nurse for a few years while also going back to GRCC for my ADN,” she said. “During this time, I was offered a position as a nurse supervisor. I continued in the nurse supervisor role for two years and then moved into a nurse manager role. I recently moved from the nurse manager role into the director of nursing role.” Fuller, who completed her bachelor’s degree in nursing last year through Capella University and plans to complete her master’s there in December, leans on what she learned at GRCC every day. “GRCC is a great size,” she said. “They have the tools and resources to provide a quality education but also aren’t so large that I felt like a number. I truly felt like I was valued, and my success was important.” Let GRCC help you start your story. The first chapter starts at grcc.edu/apply

Oct. 29, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The men's and women's nationally ranked Grand Rapids Community College cross country teams both punched their tickets to the national tournament after a runner-up finish at the MCCAA/NJCAA Region XII Championships on Saturday. Lansing Community College, ranked No. 1 in both the women's and men's national poll, ran away with both victories, but GRCC finished well ahead of the third-place teams in each race. Southwestern Michigan College was third in the women’s race, and St. Clair County Community College in the men’s competition. After a GRCC record-setting performance in her last meet, All-American Kaylee Scott led the No. 4-ranked women's team with a time of 19:35, 25 seconds behind the winner Olivia Vanderway of Lansing. She was fourth overall out of 80 competitors. Fellow All-American Audrey Meyering finished in eighth place with a time of 19:58. Rose Meyer was 11th overall with a time of 20:11. All three Raiders earned All-MCCAA and All-Region honors for their performances. Women’s coach Sharon Becker said she is “satisfied with some solid performances and amazed and thrilled with some others performances!” “Kaylee finishing in top five was super cool for her- she ran a great, steady, strong race today!” Becker said. “I'm so proud of Audrey and Rose for their strength, resilience and perseverance to power through to the very end. Today was a huge step to the progress we plan to pay off and finalize on Nov. 12!” Becker said. “The Raiders are not done yet. They have more to accomplish and look forward to the privilege and opportunity at the National Tournament in Florida! GRCC's men's team, ranked No. 7 in the latest U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll, was led by the first time this season by 2021 All-American Coleman Clark, who ran the race in 26:35. Freshman Mason Kolhoff ran 26:41 finishing in sixth place, while Andrew Periard and Dan Kehoe both broke 28 minutes finishing in a respective 17th and 18th place. Clark and Kolhoff both earned All-Region and All-MCCAA honors, while Periard and Kehoe earned All-MCCAA honors with their performances. Men’s team coach Rob Hyde said he is “super proud” of his team. “Yes, we did not beat Lansing but it is the No. 1 ranked team in the nation, and we've gotten closer and closer to it,” Hyde said. “We broke up the top group like we've never had before and our guys coming behind them are getting closer and closer. My guys are bummed that the times are slow, but every single person in this race had a slower time. That's cross country. We were ahead of teams by larger margins than ever before. So overall, we are still moving in the right direction with one more race to go.” Both teams will have two weeks off to prepare for the National Championships, which will take place Nov. 12 in Tallahassee, Fla.  

Oct. 29, 2022, FLINT, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College volleyball team won its sixth-straight Michigan Community College Athletic Association Tournament championship with back-to-back wins on Saturday, including a five-set thriller in the championship match. “Our staff was extremely proud of how our kids represented our school and the new MCCAA North Division of our conference” Coach Chip Will said. “To defeat the West and East champions was a great way to prepare for the regionals next weekend. Both our opponents pushed us to get better each set and grow under some pressure situations. Another goal was met for our season with two more big goals to still achieve.” After winning the 12th conference title in program history, GRCC qualified for the MCCAA Tournament to first battle Lake Michigan College, the champions from the Western Conference. GRCC dominated, winning 25-6, 25-15, 25-13. GRCC played nearly flawlessly, committing only one reception error and one service error while hitting a superb .369, the team’s second best this season. Audrey Torres had 12 kills, while hitting a career-high .524 while teammate Eliza Thelen had 11 kills and hit .500. In the championship against the host school, Mott Community College, the GRCC grinded out a 15-12 fifth set win to beat the Eastern Conference champions for the second straight year. After dropping set one 26-24, the GRCC regained control of the match, taking the next two sets 25-21 and 25-16. But the Bears responded with a 25-21 win to force a final set. GRCC led by as many as seven points, and Thelen finished off with her 21st kill of the match. Torres led the team again with 22 kills while hitting .300, while Karissa Ferry bested her career high by five with 16 kills and Audrey Gower picked up her 800th career dig. On the day, Shannon Russell totaled 92 assists, 21 digs and five kills, including a killer B in the fifth set. GRCC now awaits their opening match opponent in next week's Region XII-Great Lakes B Tournament.  They will play against the winner of Schoolcraft College and Southwestern Michigan College on Thursday Nov. 3 at 6 p.m.       

Oct. 27, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Some of the fastest cross country runners in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana are headed to Grand Rapids on Saturday, as Grand Rapids Community College hosts the NJCAA Region XII and MCCAA Championship meet. The event includes representatives from the GRCC cross country teams and student-athletes from 20 other schools competing at the Gainey Athletic Complex, 1661 E Paris Ave SE, in Grand Rapids. Admission is free, and parking is $5. “GRCC is proud to host an event that showcases the best programs in the region,” Athletic Director Lauren Ferullo said. “This is a great opportunity for people in West Michigan to see some of the top community college runners in our state and beyond.” The women's five-kilometer race will begin at noon and the men's eight-kilometer race is set for 1:00 p.m. Eight schools competing are ranked in the latest national poll, including Lansing Community College, has the No. 1 men’s and women’s teams in the nation. GRCC’s women’s team, coached by Sharon Becker, is ranked No. 4, and the men, coached by Rob Hyde, are ranked No. 7. The GRCC team includes All-Ameicans Kaylee Scott, Audrey Meyering and Coleman Clark. Scott set a GRCC record at the Oct. 15 meet, and was named MCCAA Cross Country Runner of the Week in September. Mason Kolhoff earned the honor earlier this month. Gainey is located one mile east of Calvin University’s main campus and borders East Paris Road SE and the university’s nature preserve. The start and finish are located on the Gainey soccer fields. The course features 10-meter-wide paths cut through the Calvin property north and west of the Gainey Athletic Complex, wide sweeping turns, a long straightaway parallel to the service road, beautiful tree-lined trails, and good footing. A brief segment runs through the Gainey Baseball fields and finishes just west of the start near the soccer stadium bleachers.

Oct. 26, 2022 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. –   The Grand Rapids Community College Foundation is honoring Dr. Juan Olivarez and Mary Olivarez for their service to the college and community in this year’s Scholarfest. Scholarfest is an annual event celebrating GRCC’s philanthropic leaders and highlighting achievements of faculty, staff and students. Proceeds support GRCC scholarships. The event is planned for 6-8 p.m. on Nov. 1. It will be the first event in the Secchia Piazza, located in the Wisner-Bottrall Applied Technology Center, 151 Fountain St. NE in Grand Rapids. Tickets are available here. The GRCC Foundation awarded more than $1.4 million in scholarships last year and supported students in other ways as the community was affected by the pandemic. “Juan and Mary are such an important part of our campus community, and their service extends throughout West Michigan,” said Dr. Kathryn Mullins, executive director of the GRCC Foundation and vice president for College Advancement. “Honoring them allows us to salute their service, and also inspire the next generations of GRCC students and those who help them be successful.” As GRCC’s eighth president, Juan Olivarez forged community partnerships and increased educational opportunities for underserved populations. The son of migrant workers from Benavides, Texas, he was the first Hispanic president of any Michigan college or university. Dr. Olivarez was an educator in the Grand Rapids Public Schools for more than 20 years before becoming GRCC’s Dean of Institutional Research in 1991. After retiring from GRCC in 2008, Olivarez became president and CEO of the Kalamazoo Community Foundation. He was named Aquinas College’s seventh president in 2011, retiring in 2017. He was a distinguished scholar in residence for diversity, equity, and inclusion at Grand Valley State University’s Dorothy Johnson Center for Philanthropy between 2018 and 2021. Dr. Olivarez continues to be an important part of GRCC, serving as interim president while the college searches for a new president. Mary Olivarez is equally committed to education, spending 24 years with Grand Rapids Public Schools, teaching kindergarten and early childhood education, and working with students with multiple impairments.  The Secchia Piazza is the newest addition to the GRCC Main Campus and connected to the renovated Heritage restaurant. Supported by donations by former Ambassador Peter Secchia and his family, the Secchia Piazza provides opportunities for students in the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education and tells the story of the program’s global reach.      

Oct. 25, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. --  Potential students of all ages can learn more about how Grand Rapids Community College can help change their lives during open houses at both the main and Lakeshore campuses. The main campus event is planned for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29, in the Gerald R. Ford Fieldhouse, 111 Lyon St. NE in Grand Rapids. The Lakeshore event is planned for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12, at GRCC’s Lakeshore Campus, 12335 James St. in Holland. “Open houses are great opportunities for people interested in learning more about how a GRCC education can get them the skills, credits or degrees they need to transform their lives,” said Lori Cook, associate dean of Access and First Year Success. “We encourage everyone to come on down, meet with our experts, and get all their questions answered. It’s perfect for people who are planning to attend GRCC, or just learn a little more about the college and what it offers.”  GRCC specialists and faculty can help open house participants navigate through admissions and financial aid processes and discuss eligibility for cost-saving programs such as Michigan Reconnect and the Grand Rapids Promise Zone. Campus tours also will be available. Those attending the event and enrolling at GRCC can win one $500 scholarship. “Open houses are great opportunities to learn more about GRCC, get all your questions answered, and meet the people who will be here to help you,” said Kristi Welling, GRCC’s associate director of Enrollment Center services. “There are local, state and federal programs that can remove cost as an obstacle, and GRCC offers classes in a variety of formats and schedules so students can plan around home and work responsibilities. Come visit to find out what might work best for you.” Open house topics include: How to explore GRCC’s 12 Academic Pathways and more than 150 degrees. Options to pay for college. How to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as FAFSA. The steps to apply to GRCC. The benefits of earning an associate degree at GRCC and seamlessly transferring to a four-year college or university. Academic programs and student services offered in Holland at the GRCC Lakeshore Campus. Determining eligibility for the Grand Rapids Promise Zone Scholarship and Michigan Reconnect. Connecting with campus resources – and finding lots of fun swag! While walk-ins are welcome, students can reserve a spot by registering at  grcc.edu/openhouse .

Oct. 24, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is a finalist for the Ally to Accomplice Award at the inaugural Prism Awards from the Grand Rapids Pride Center. ODEI has worked to amplify the LGBTQ+ community through initiatives such as the LGBTQ+ Think Tank, Being Queer at GRCC, a digital montage of student narratives, and PRIDE Outside the Box; a series of programs that critically examine socio-political, economic, and identity issues from an intersectional framework. Since 1988, the Grand Rapids Pride Center has empowered LGBTQ+ individuals through supportive services and awareness. The Prism Awards are an opportunity to celebrate and showcase the community’s collective impact. The new event also will help support the center’s programs and services. The center is offering three individual awards and two for groups. The Ally to Accomplice Award acknowledges a group or organization that has done the work and made progress on its journey to support the 2-SLGBTQ+ community. The Prism Awards will be presented at a Nov. 10 event at New Vintage Place, 889 Broadway Ave NW in Grand Rapids. The event is sold out.

Oct. 24, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Deavondre Jones knew that enrolling at Grand Rapids Community College would give him useful credits that would transfer to his dream school: Columbia College Chicago. But he wanted more than that. “A young guy from Benton Harbor saw endless possibilities,” he said of his time at GRCC. “It was valuable because I made it valuable. I refused to only get a transcript when I left. I wanted connections and new perspectives that would help me on my journey.” 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. Jones found mentors and friends on campus, counting his membership in leadership development organization Alpha Beta Omega and working in the Student Life Office and as an orientation leader among his favorite memories. Also among those fond memories: “Running to catch the bus every day because I didn’t have a car and meeting so many people who said I helped their GRCC experience in some way.” Jones continued at Columbia after graduating from GRCC in 2013 with an associate degree in marketing. He attended on a Presidential Scholarship and earned his bachelor’s degree in business, management and marketing. “GRCC business and math courses, specifically accounting, prepared me more than I could ever understand at the time,” he said. Jones, the father of 6-year-old Brayden, founded DanceSpire, which works to accelerate the adoption of standardized hip hop education for dance programs, and the digital marketing company DanceSpire Agency. He also teaches at Hope College and Michigan State and Oakland universities. He serves on the Michigan Action Plan for Fatherhood Involvement and volunteers for the West Michigan “Dads Count!” collective. He still looks to learn something “from every room I walk into.” “GRCC is what you make it – so is your experience in the world,” he said. “GRCC is a low-cost, high-value practice for your next step. Don’t waste it.” Let GRCC help you start your story. The first chapter starts at grcc.edu/apply

Oct. 23, 2022, SHEPHERDSVILLE, Ken. -- Drew Harrington led the Grand Rapids Community College golf team to a seventh-place finish at the Heritage Hill Fall Collegiate, wrapping up the 2022 fall season. GRCC finished with a two-round score of 636, which was 58 strokes behind Campbellsville University, which dominated the field of eight teams with a score of 578. GRCC, the only two-year school in the tournament, had two players finish in the top 20. Harrington, who was in 10th place after round one, dropped five spots to finish tied for 15th with a score of 152 strokes. Mason Anderson tied for 20th place with a score of 157, but improved by seven strokes from round one to round two. Sam Foss had the biggest improvement of all eight GRCC golfers competing, with an 84 in round one and a 74 in round two, finishing tied for 22nd place. His 74 included a team-high five birdies. GRCC’s first tournament of the spring is scheduled for April 7, 2023 at Marion University in Indianapolis.