Sept. 29, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Grand Rapids Community College’s Communications team earned top honors from a national college and communications and marketing organization for efforts including sharing how the Michigan Reconnect program can transform lives. The award was among 17 Medallion Awards earned by GRCC and presented by the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations District 3, which includes community, technical and junior colleges in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and the Canadian province of Ontario. The GRCC team earned seven Gold Medallions, six silver awards and four bronze awards, presented Wednesday at the organization’s conference in Chicago. “It’s an honor to tell the stories of GRCC students, colleagues and programs,” Communications Director Dave Murray said. “They inspire us to do our best, and we hope their stories inspire others to start an educational journey that will change their lives.” The Communications Department is part of the GRCC College Advancement team, directed by Dr. Kathryn Mullins, vice president for College Advancement and executive director of the GRCC Foundation. The Michigan Reconnect awareness campaign included student profiles that were highlighted by the state government and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, social media campaigns, outdoor advertising and other materials telling people about the program, which covers the cost of in-state tuition for residents age 25 and older. The GRCC Foundation’s Annual Report was among the Gold Medallion winners. It’s the third year in a row the annual report, which shares how students and the greater community benefit from foundation support, has earned a top NCMPR honor. GRCC also earned: A Gold Medallion for flyers sharing how the TRIO Educational Opportunities connect students with college resources A Gold Medallion for the 2022 Commencement program. A Gold Medallion for a poster promoting “Eurdyice,” a performance by the GRCC Players. A Gold Medallion for the “You Think You Know GRCC” television ad, a collaboration with the GRCC Media Technologies team. A Gold Medallion in the Special Event or Fundraising Campaign for “One Day, Four Ribbons Cut,” last year’s celebration of the renovations to Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall, the Wisner-Bottrall Applied Technology Center, Steven C. Ender Hall and the Custer Alumni House. A Silver Medallion for holiday cards that highlight students in the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education’s retail baking class. A Silver Medallion for the college’s two viewbooks. A Silver Medallion for the new package students receive when they are accepted to GRCC. A Silver Medallion for the design of the mural on the first floor of Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall. A Silver Medallion in the long-form writing category for a profile of former cross country assistant coach Stephanie Thomas, who returned to GRCC as 27-year-old, joined the cross country team, became an All-American who set a school record that still stands. A Silver Medallion for the @grandrapidscc Instagram account. A Bronze Medallion for an e-card telling donors about the Armen Oudmedian Consecutive Giving Club. A Bronze Medallion for the design of the grcc.edu website. A Bronze Medallion for the design of a logo for the Secchia Institute’s team participating in the NASA HUNCH competition. A Bronze Medallion in the short-form writing category for sharing the story of Seth Noyes, a student who was motivated to succeed after being placed on academic suspension.

Sept. 28, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. –  Audrey Gower, of the first-place Grand Rapids Community College volleyball team, was named Michigan Community College Athletic Association Northern Conference Defensive Player of the Week.  Gower,  a third-year libero from Dimondale, compiled 44 digs and three service aces in three victories for the Raiders last week, all in straight sets. In a doubleheader at Alpena Community College Gower reached the 600-dig milestone, averaging just under five per-set in her five sets of action. Against Delta College, Gower had a  three-set match  career high of 21 digs. "Audrey's a special player," associate coach David Rawles said. “Her grit, fight and will to lay it all out there help her be one of the best defensive players we have ever had at GRCC." Since dropping its first two matches of the season, GRCC has won nine straight, including five in the conference. GRCC will travel to Muskegon Community College on Sept. 29 in a 6:30 p.m. match that will determine the outright lead in the conference as Muskegon is also undefeated. 

Sept. 28, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Come for ArtPrize, then see some of GRCC’s prized art! The campus proudly displays artwork from Grand Rapids artists who are known around the world. There are three paintings from Mathias J. Alten exhibited at GRCC. Alten emigrated from Germany to Michigan as a young man in 1889. He honed his creative skills as a furniture decorator, and took on commissions to decorate local buildings. By 1899 he established a studio and school in Grand Rapids and became one of the region’s most respected artists, specializing in landscapes, seascapes and portraits. Alten’s portrait of Lt. Avery C. Gilleo has special meaning for GRCC, and hangs outside the Veterans Center at level G2 of Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall. Gilleo was among the 49 students enrolled in the inaugural class of what was then Grand Rapids Junior College before enlisting in the Michigan National Guard, and was eventually deployed to France during World War I, and was promoted to the rank of captain. Capt. Gilleo married his GRJC classmate Eleanore Alten – the artist’s eldest daughter. Avery and Eleanor were the parents of Dr. M. Alten Gilleo and Anita Gilleo, who where both GRJC graduates. Two of Alten’s landscapes are on display in Steven C. Ender Hall on GRCC’s DeVos Campus. Michigan Autumn was painted in 1934, and Flowers in a Green Glass Bowl was painted in 1933. All three paintings were generously donated to GRCC by Anita Gilleo. GRCC displays many Paul Collins paintings and prints, with his work hanging in nearly every building on campus. Collins was born in Muskegon but moved to Grand Rapids as a child. He has traveled and painted extensively in the United States and around the world, and his work has been featured in exhibits in 22 states and 13 countries. Collins has long been a GRCC supporter. The gallery was named in his honor in 2003 and is dedicated to providing diverse, high-quality exhibitions for the education and inspiration of the college and the community. “My life and my work is not art about art -- it’s about art that can save us all from destroying each other,” Collins said in 2019. “It’s art that will help show respect for all brothers and sisters. If the artists and musicians really pay close attention to the profound effect they can have on people, I think we’d have less of the negative stuff. Because we really, really have reached a point where we really have to begin to realize we all are created equal and all come under the sign of being brothers and sisters.” Among the best-known works from Collins at GRCC include his painting of Frederick Douglass and a print of his mural celebrating the life of President Gerald R. Ford, with both hanging in GRCC’s Administration Building. GRCC’s Paul Collins Art Gallery is hosting three ArtPrize entries, showcasing digital animation, pen and ink technique and acrylic painting. ArtPrize 2022 runs until Oct. 2 and features 750 entries in the interactive art competition. The Collins Art Gallery is found on the fourth floor of Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall, 143 Bostwick Ave. NE. Until Oct. 2, the gallery will be open from 1-8 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Guests visiting during the weekend should enter through the doors on the south end of Finkelstein Hall Level G2, near the iconic lion fountain, or through the skywalk connected to Parking Ramp A. Signs or staff will direct you to the gallery.

Sept. 28, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- David Puente moved to Grand Rapids to be with his girlfriend and start a new life and found a new career through Grand Rapids Community College. “My vision of Grand Rapids was much different than what I found to be true,” he said. “There are so many opportunities for people and so many resources to help. The Metallica Scholars welding program is just example of how Grand Rapids is different.” 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 these residents grow into apprenticeships or other learning opportunities within the welding field.  Puente had no experience as a welder but wanted to take a welding training program while he was incarcerated. COVID shut down that idea as all hands-on programs were no longer offered. When Puente was released, he heard about the Metallica Welding Scholars program through his parole officer, and got in contact with Tassell M-TEC team members. “I started getting emails and text about the program and I signed up. The people at GRCC have been so helpful.” 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 people of different genders and racial and ethnic backgrounds to welding careers. Puente believes it was all it was meant to be. “I really wasn’t looking for it. It was a real blessing how it all came together. I hadn’t had any welding experience before. I had never held a welding gun. So, when we held that welding gun on practically the first day, I was really surprised at how well I could do it! “I was excited and a little intimidated at first. Nick Pinckney, our instructor, is very good and very knowledgeable. I had all the confidence in him. He never skipped a beat. His teaching is very thorough and that helped build my confidence. Because of that, I knew I would come out of this class knowing how to weld.” For many adult learners, class schedule can be a barrier. “Because the program is offered at night, it allowed me to work during the day. I have to continue working and carrying on my responsibilities. The schedule made this possible for me.” For a long time, Puente didn’t have a career path. “These skills not only allow me to provide more for my family but also give me direction. It’s a good feeling to feel stable and confident that I have given myself the opportunity to live a stable life and develop a career.” Puente grew up listening to Metallica. “It’s great that they have used their resources to give back and make a difference. When you have the opportunity to make a difference you should. I am very grateful. The program has been excellent. The fact that the Metallica scholarship covered the $4,000 tuition was truly a blessing.” Puente plans to gain more skills in the future. “This is not where it ends. This is the beginning of a great thing. This is an opportunity, not just for me, but my whole family is excited about it!” Puente started at Etna as a hand welder in August, making a great hourly wage with opportunities to earn more! “I feel so good about it! This certification gave me the confidence to get a direct hire position.” Metallica Scholars is a partnership between GRCC Workforce Training, the band's All Within My Hands foundation, and the American Association of Community Colleges. The next offering of the Metallica Scholars Welding Bootcamp begins Oct. 27, 2022. 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 .  

Sept. 27, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – All-American cross country runner Kaylee Scott of Grand Rapids Community College was named Michigan Community College Athletic Association Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week Scott, a sophomore from Grandville, finished in 2nd place in a field of 87 Michigan Community College Athletic Association competitors at last week's Kirtland Firebird Invitational. “Kaylee deserves the recognition as Runner of the Week,” coach Sharon Becker said. “She has been working on her goals. She is been focused on her goal to get her 5K time faster. It will come. She will get there. She improved so much. Her training and her personal best times will come. She is trusting the coaching and the process and getting the work done. She had been a great leader for others on the team to follow.” GRCC, ranked No. 6 in the first U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll of the season, also finished in second place in the race. The Raiders are next scheduled to compete in the Oakland Community College Invitational on Friday Sept. 30. Competition is set to begin at 1:30 p.m. for the women and 2:30 p.m. for the men.

Sept. 27, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. –   When Grand Rapids Community College professor Bob Schultz gets the chance to meet with alumni in the far-flung corners of the globe, he learns more about the cuisines of other countries, and wonders how he can bring that back for his international cooking class. This year, he returned from his travels with an unusual menu item for GRCC’s Heritage Restaurant: kangaroo. With three decades of teaching at his alma mater and its Secchia Institute for Culinary Education , Schultz has a large network of former students he has stayed in touch with over the years. “I try to make a trip every summer, see former students and bring back things to my current students that we can explore in the kitchen,” he said. This summer, that meant a trip to Australia to spend time with Daniel Wilson , an acclaimed chef and 1997 graduate of GRCC’s culinary education program. And that trip means his students -- and diners in West Michigan -- will have a chance this fall to taste kangaroo filets, likely a first for the area. Schultz explains. “When you travel, you can’t help but eat, especially the local foods,” he said. “In Australia, Daniel was my tour guide, and in Melbourne, we spent days at what is billed as the largest outdoor market in the Southern Hemisphere. I can’t even describe it, but the diversity there was amazing.” That diversity included kangaroo. On one of their market trips, Schultz said, he was struck by the rows and rows of hanging meat available for sale, especially an animal with a distinctive ruby-red appearance that was unlike anything he’d ever seen. Wilson told him that it was kangaroo. Schultz knew he needed to know more, so he bought some steaks and some stew meat, and he and Wilson experimented with different ways of cooking it at Wilson’s house. As his stay Down Under continued, he explored other local neighborhoods and markets, seeking out distinctively Australian items he could serve with kangaroo. When his kangaroo filets arrive in West Michigan – likely the second part of the fall semester -- he and his students will be creating a dish with macadamia-encrusted kangaroo with apricot mirin sake sauce, parsnips and Davidson Plum powder. It will bring an authentic taste of Australia to local palates and create what Schultz calls a culinary story. “All of these different flavor profiles will help us build a plate that tells some of the story of Australia,” he said. “I can’t wait for people to try it, to experience it.” The dish, which is currently being prepared with venison, will be available at The Heritage restaurant, GRCC’s fine dining experience that is staffed by culinary school students under the direct supervision of chef and table service professors. Indeed, Wilson credits much of his career success to not just his classroom education at GRCC but also the hands-on experience he got working on campus. “I worked with Bob when he was the banquet chef,” Wilson recalled. “We did all kinds of events, and Bob's positive attitude and strong work ethic made me feel welcomed and gave me something to look up to.” Now, three decades later, Wilson is thrilled to have become a good friend of Schultz and other GRCC instructors. “The breadth, experience and passion of the instructors was instrumental in developing my career,” he said. “I feel very grateful that I had the opportunity to learn from masters of their craft and build many lasting friendships along the way.” Wilson, a native of Auckland, New Zealand, said he loves that Schultz was able to bring a kangaroo dish to West Michigan.  “Bob has a very inquisitive nature and loves to share his learnings and knowledge with his students,” he said. Schultz notes that Australians have created what they believe is a sustainable source of meat with kangaroos. All kangaroo meat in Australia, and anything that is exported, comes from kangaroos that are harvested in the wild from specific areas, with quotas set on the number of animals that can be taken. He added that kangaroo meat is high in protein and low in fat and has been eaten for generations by indigenous Australians.   And although Schultz and his students are currently making the dish they hope to launch next month with venison, kangaroo doesn’t really taste like venison, he said. “No,” he said with his characteristic broad smile, “it actually tastes like ostrich. It’s a little bit gamey but also a little bit sweet.” This story was reported by Phil de Haan.  

Sept. 26, 2022 ST. CLAIR, Mich. -- Grand Rapids Community College placed four golfers in the top six to finish in second place at the Sam Kromer Invitational on Monday. "The Raiders played well through rainy and cold weather," coach John Forton said. "We are starting to get more acclimated to collegiate competition." One of GRCC’s top golfers, Conner Oman, finished in the top 10 last week at the Aquinas Invitational. He bowed out of the Monday tournament after just nine holes, which certainly played a huge part in the scoring. Tournament rules required Forton to turn in a lineup with five players competing as a team, and the remainder compete as individuals. Only two of GRCC's five score-qualifying golfers finished among the top four on the team; Mason Anderson and Drew Harrington each shot a 76 and finished tied for fourth place. Jayson Bultman and Sam Foss both finished tied for sixth shooting 78s on the par-72 St. Clair Golf Course. Had GRCC’s top four golfers been used for scoring the team would have run away with the title. Instead, it finished behind Glen Oaks Community College by two strokes; 314 to 316. Hunter Schwiling also finished in the top 10 in the field of 29 golfers, shooting an 80. Next up for GRCC is the Glen Oaks Invitational on Oct. 6 on the course of Island Hills in Centreville.