Sept. 26, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- When you have a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Indiana University and a master’s in education from Harvard, where do you go next? For Abbie Groff-Blaszak, it was Grand Rapids Community College. 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. After a 20-year career in K-12 education – including nine years with the state Department of Education – she was ready for a change. “I knew that I wanted to do something different, try something different, and the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education provided everything I needed to not only explore an entirely new field but to visualize myself within it and equip me to jump right in,” she said. Groff-Blaszak, who received her certificate in Craft Brewing in August, is now the head brewer for Creston Brewery. “I knew I wanted to work for myself, and rather than limit myself to working toward that goal within the fields I knew, I decided to explore a bit,” she said. “I’d always harbored a desire to go to culinary school, so I enrolled in the Secchia Institute and decided to pursue both the Baking and Pastry Arts and Craft Brewing certificates.” The Craft Brewing classes fit better around her schedule as director of the West Michigan Leadership Academy and “everything just clicked.” “I entered the program as an experienced craft beer enthusiast but with zero knowledge of the scientific and technical aspects of brewing,” Groff-Blaszak said. “In less than a year, GRCC equipped me with the practical knowledge and hands-on learning and experience to be a capable brewer and earn the confidence of an established Michigan brewery.” She especially appreciated the connections she was able to make through the program. “I got to learn how to brew from a brewer, learn sensory analysis from a certified cicerone and spend time in multiple breweries around the area,” she said. While she isn’t working for herself yet, she loves her head brewer job and is thinking about what she will do when she’s ready to start her own business. “For me, GRCC is the place that gave me the tools, resources and support to not only envision, but fully inhabit and embrace a career I wouldn’t have imagined possible.” Let GRCC help you start your story. The first chapter starts at grcc.edu/apply

Sept. 25, 2022 - GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. – Grand Rapids Community College is looking for coaches to head its fledgling soccer program, and the deadline to apply for the posts is approaching. Candidates have until midnight on Oct. 3 to apply for the head coaching posts for the men’s and women’s teams, which will start playing in fall 2023. Details about the jobs and online applications are available here . The GRCC Athletic Department is looking for candidates, preferably with collegiate head coaching experiences, collegiate recruiting experience, knowledge of NJCAA or NCAA eligibility, administrative experience and NJCAA experience. Applicants are required to have three or more years of soccer coaching, and a minimum of an associate degree.   The soccer teams are a first for GRCC, and Athletic director Lauren Ferullo said the sport is the most asked about sport from prospective student-athletes when they visit campus. Soccer is the most followed sport in the world and is growing in popularity in the United States.  The FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international soccer championship, is planned to be played in the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2026.  Interest in the sport increased in 1994, when four World Cup matches were played in Michigan in the Pontiac Silverdome when the United States hosted the tournament. Currently GRCC offers volleyball, women's basketball, men's basketball, golf, baseball, softball, men's cross country and women's cross country.  Soccer will be the first new sport introduced since the cross country program was resurrected in 2014. The Michigan Community College Athletic Association includes five colleges with men's and women's soccer programs: Muskegon Community College, Schoolcraft College, Jackson College, Ancilla College and Lake Michigan College fielding teams.  Kellogg Community College, St. Clair County Community College and Delta College have women's teams. Potential players are encouraged to fill out an athletic recruiting questionnaire. 

Sept. 23, 2022, GRAYING, Mich. –   All-American runners Kaylee Scott and Audrey Meyering and freshman Mason Kolhoff finished among the top five, helping the nationally ranked Grand Rapids Community College cross country teams to a second-place finish at the Kirtland Firebird Invitational on Friday. The women's team, ranked No. 6 in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll of the season, was just 14 points back of first place and No. 1 ranked Lansing Community College, but 34 points ahead of third-place Mott Community College. First-year head coach Rob Hyde said it was a really fun race to watch while waiting for his men's race to begin. "The women really put themselves in a good spot and then moved all the way through the entire race.  Definitely beat more people in the second half," he said. Scott placed second overall in a field of runners that consisted of 87 Michigan Community College Athletic Association competitors. Her time of 20:46 was 26 seconds faster than Meyering, who finished in fifth place. Other women runners included Rose Meyer, ninth place with a time of 21:31; Mariana Zaragoza, 17th place in 22:08; Chloe Jones in 25th place in 22:56; and Zoe Zawacki, 46th place in 25:04. The men's team, which came into the rankings at No. 13, lost to Lansing Community College, the top-ranked team in the nation, by just two points. Kolhoff led GRCC for the fourth time this season with an 8-kilometer time of 27:02, good for third place, in a field of 109 MCCAA runners. Both Dan Kehoe and Andrew Periard also cracked the top 10, with times of 27:32 and 27:47. 2021 All-American Coleman Clark placed 19th in his first event of the season with a time of 28:31. Other men runners included Lucas Schneider, 20th place with a time of 28:36; Craig Fuller, 23rd place in 28:43; Derek Hopkins in 27th place in 28:55; Zach Richards, 39th place in 30:03; and Alex Weber, 63rd place in 32:29. “I’m very happy with the men today,” Hyde said. “They definitely beat their ranking. Good pack running helped us get a good team placing, along with personal records and team bests. Our eyes are on the regionals and the nationals, and today helped us get closer as a team.”  GRCC is next scheduled to compete in the Oakland Community College Invitational on Sept. 30.  

Sept. 23, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College cross country teams are among the best in the country, according to the first U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll of the season. The women’s team, with All-Americans Audrey Meyering and Kaylee Scott, was ranked No. 6 in the nation, and the Men’s team, with All-American Coleman Clark in No. 13. The teams have spent most of the young season competing in races that included many four-year schools. While it’s good to be challenged, women’s coach Sharon Becker said it is important for the teams to focus on their performances and improvements and not worry about the other competitors. Becker said all seven of her runners improved their times and racing skills during the first two competitions of the season. “When running a race with many 29 teams and 200 runners, it is easy to forget our original race goals, what we can control and how well we ran the race or finished the race,” she said. “Even though our brains like to trick us and compare, compare, compare, we start looking at how green the grass looks on the other side. Theodore Roosevelt said, ‘Comparison is the thief of joy.’ If we stop comparing and look at the facts, our team has many reasons to be joyful.” Last year, both of the GRCC teams finished the season ranked No. 7 in the nation.  Both teams are racing Friday at the Kirtland Fireboard Invitational at the Hanson Hills Recreation Area in Grayling.    

Sept. 22, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Grand Rapids Community College alum Chris Wessely’s dream of opening a restaurant that also fights food insecurity will get a boost after being among 10 projects earning $20,000 prizes at the Start Garden Demo Day. Wessely, a 2011 graduate of GRCC’s Secchia Institute for Culinary Education, plans an upscale ramen noodle and boba tea shop and pledges to donate a portion of every meal to charities providing meals to children. Noodle Pig, at 601 Bond Ave. in Grand Rapids, is planned to open this fall. Start Garden is a Grand Rapids organization aiming to accelerate experimentation, risk-taking and investment in early startups. Wessely in July was chosen to be a finalist in the Start Garden 100, a competition for entrepreneurs. At Wednesday’s Demo Day at GLC Live at 20 Monroe, Noodle Pig and nine other projects were selected and winners received $20,000 to help their businesses. He prepared for the event in the Secchia kitchens, creating samples to share at the competition and speaking with current students. “I was humbled and honored to have been selected as one of the top 10 to be awarded this year,” Wessely said. “I was also very proud to be able to also represent my culinary school last night. Thank you again for all the love and support!” Wessely didn’t start out to be a chef. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Aquinas College in 2004, majoring in Political Science and Japanese, participating in a year-long exchange program with Seikei University in Japan. In 2008 he founded the Sport and Social Club, which operates sports leagues for adults, with an eye toward helping young professionals stay fit.  But he loves to cook, and enrolled in the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education while running the Sport and Social Club, graduating with a 4.0 grade point average and earning Faculty Choice honors. Now he’s changed his responsibilities with the Sports and Social Club to focus on opening Noodle Pig. “It’s going to be a different concept, a fast-casual ramen restaurant like you’d find in Japan and big cities here,” he said last year. “I think of it as healthy foods meeting quickness.” He plans to make all of the food from scratch, including the noodles. He purchased a Japanese noodle machine and patrons will be able to watch it work. Every bowl of ramen sold will help cover the cost of a meal for three children. He plans to partner with three charities focused on feeding children. He is looking to partner with a local and national effort, and with a friend who runs a children’s home in India. “As you slurp away to ramen-bliss, know that you’ve also made a significant impact in three children’s lives today,” Wessely posted on the restaurant’s website. “Together, we will end child hunger, one bowl at a time.”

Sept. 21, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – For a guy who sings “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” shock rocker Alice Cooper is actually really nice, Grand Rapids Community College golf coach John Forton says.   The legendary rocker is known for his outlandish stage show, and also for being an avid golfer. Prior to Wednesday’s DeVos Performance Hall concert, Cooper and several band members headed to Egypt Valley Country Club in Ada, the home course for the GRCC golf team. “He was one of the most sincere, normal guys you want to meet,” Forton said. “I’ve been rocking to this guy for 45 years! I was a little nervous at first and called him ‘Mr. Cooper.’ And he said, ‘Nah, just call me Alice.' He was joking around and being just one of the guys.” Cooper, born Vincent Furnier in Detroit, credits the sport for helping him overcome his addiction to alcohol. His 2007 book is called “Alice Cooper, Golf Monster: A Rock ‘n’ Roller’s Life and 12 Steps to Becoming a Golf Addict.” Cooper was joined at Egypt Valley by GRCC assistant golf coach Mark Rasmussen and guitarist Ryan Roxie and bass guitar player Chuck Garric from his band. The group played just nine holes so the musicians had time to get ready for the show. Cooper told Forton he plays about 300 rounds a year. He’s appeared in ads for Callaway Golf equipment, and the company tries to line up course time while the band is on the road. “He’s a pretty good player, shooting a 39 for the nine holes,” Forton said, who was headed to the concert. “I tried to recruit him for our GRCC team, but he said he’s a little busy right now.” Off the course and on the stage, Cooper is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee known for songs including, “Under My Wheels,” “School’s Out,” and “Welcome to My Nightmare.” Forton is in his eighth year as GRCC golf coach – named MCCAA Western Conference Coach of the Year seven times -- and is the director of instruction at Egypt Valley. Forton said the Raiders had a good day on the links, too. Conner Oman finished in the top-10 helping the Grand Rapids Community College golf team to a fifth-place finish at the Aquinas College Fall Invitational on Wednesday. Oman, a sophomore who graduated from Coopersville High School, shot a 76 on the par-72 Kaufman Golf Course, which was just one stroke away from tying for fifth place. As a team, GRCC combined to shoot a 314, which was 26 strokes higher than Hope College, which ran away with the crown, defeating second place Lourdes University by 17 strokes. GRCC was the only two-year institution in the 12-team field. Freshman Mason Anderson and Drew Harrington each tied for 20th place while Ty Marchlewski finished tied for 26th place, shooting a respectable 79 and 80. Other Raider golfers included McCoy Denhartigh and Hunter Schwiling with 80 strokes and Sam Foss, with 94 strokes.     

Sept. 20, 2022, UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. -- Audrey Torres and Audrey Gower had career nights helping the Grand Rapids Community College team finish off its northern trip with a perfect 5-0 record, extending the Raiders’ win streak to nine games. After toughing out a 25-22 first set win against Delta College, GRCC won the final two easily, 25-6 and 25-17. "Overall, I think this trip was a super great experience for all of us," said Torres, who hit a career-high .438 during the last match. "We had so much success throughout the five days with not dropping a single set and finding ways to keep grinding even when we were all mentally and physically exhausted. Everyone was able to get some playing time and it was awesome seeing everyone show up and prove themselves. This last game was such a great way to wrap up the trip as we left it all out there on the court and had fun doing it." Torres' finished with a match-high 16 kills with just two hitting errors while adding an ace, four digs and two blocks. Gower, who just picked up her 600th career dig on Monday, added a match-high 21 digs, which was also a career best in just three sets. She also tied for the team lead in service aces with two. As a team GRCC played extremely well in all aspects of the game and they had to, playing a solid Delta team that was coming off two straight wins. The team had just two service errors and four reception errors, while picking up ten blocks and averaging 13 kills per set. GRCC, the pre-season pick to finish first in the new Northern Conference, won't play again until Sept. 29 as the team travels to take on rival Muskegon Community College.  

Sept. 20, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Milo Cadman’s educational journey has had some twists and turns. As a high school student, the Holland native recalled a lot of discrimination towards LGBTQ students. And after his 2018 graduation, he went immediately to college, enrolling at GRCC, but then dropped out after three semesters because of both financial and housing instability. It would have been hard for him to imagine then where he is now: back at GRCC, studying child development and planning to go to a four-year school after finishing his associate’s degree with an eye toward a career in child education. Oh, he added with a smile, there’s also his fiancé, gardening and taking care of a menagerie of animals that includes two dogs, four cats, 11 snakes, a bearded dragon, a tarantula, hermit crabs and fish! Milo is currently working as a Registered Behavioral Technician for an autism center in Indiana, helping kids on the spectrum develop new skills, strengthen current skills and reduce problem behaviors. He credited GRCC’s TRIO Educational Opportunity Center for helping him get back on a path he could feel good about. The Educational Opportunities Center connects people with programs and services that help with high school diploma or GED certificate completion, tutoring and mentoring, career exploration, financial assistance and completing college admissions and enrollment processes. The work covers a region of 13 counties. GRCC was awarded a five-year, $1.16 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to create the center, where unemployed or low-wage workers, prospective first-generation college students, and other adult learners can work with campus specialists to explore higher education options and connect with on- and off-campus resources and programs to support their educational goals. “I didn't utilize EOC until I returned to school a couple of years after dropping out,” he said. “I learned about it when I was trying to figure out how to go about continuing my degree, changing my focus from tech to child development and seeking help with my name change in the system after I had my name legally changed in the time I had away from school.” The result of reaching out to EOC? They helped me accomplish all of those things,” he said. “And now I am enrolled in classes to bring me closer to my degree.” This semester, Milo is taking Human Growth and Development and Biology in Society, both online courses. Those classes are providing the validation he needed to affirm the career shift he made when he left the tech world to work at Head Start in Holland. “I discovered how much happier I was working with children than I ever was working with computers and code,” he said. After his recent move to Indiana, he is not sure how the rest of his GRCC education might unfold. “I don’t know whether I'll be able to complete my degree in its entirety online through GRCC or if I'll have to transfer,” he said. “I only have this semester planned out so far.” But, he added, thanks to EOC, that’s enough. He can envision a future that includes a four-year school and continuing to work and advance his current career. And as he looks back, he said simply: “GRCC has been pretty good with helping me accomplish my education goals.” Additional information about the TRIO Educational Opportunity Center is available by email at eoc@grcc.edu, by phone at (616) 234-3399 and on the web here . This story was reported by Phil de Haan.