Oct. 2, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. –  The Grand Rapids Community College volleyball team extended its win streak to 14 matches in a row after sweeping all four opponents at the annual Raider Challenge this weekend.  GRCC, ranked No. 11 in the latest NJCAA Division II poll, defeated Kellogg Community College and Macomb Community College on Saturday and Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Oakland Community College on Sunday. The team has won 23 sets in a row and 12 straight matches at the Raider Challenge dating back to 2019.  Freshman Lizzie MacIntosh had a break out weekend, leading the team in three of the four matches in kills and finishing with 46 overall. She hit a career-high .550 against Macomb and finished the tournament second on the team at a .381 clip.  She was also second on the team with six service aces. Braelyn Berry had 39 kills, five aces, and 40 digs.  Lilly Peterson hit the 200-kill milestone with 34 while adding four blocks.  Ava Schultz now has 100 career kills after 28, including 10 against Kellogg.  Autumn Cole led the team with 90 assists and 10 aces.  Vienna Koenigsknecht led the team with 48 digs.  Sophia Ritsema hit a team-high .417. The Raiders, now 16-3 overall, return to conference play on Oct. 3 against Delta College, which is in second place. This story was reported by Ben Brown  

Sept. 29, 2023 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Gene Paxton, who led Grand Rapids Junior College’s basketball team for 25 years, passed away Sept. 12. Paxton started at what is now Grand Rapids Community College in 1965 and referred to his time coaching as “the best years of my life.” He retired with a 517-280 record and five Michigan Junior College Athletic Association championships – the winningest coach in school history.  Born in Indiana, Paxton served with the Marines in the Korean War, earning a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. He later earned a master’s degree in physical education from Ball State University.  David Selmon, GRCC’s dean of Strategic Outreach, played under Paxton and later followed in his footsteps to coach the team. “Coach Paxton played a huge role in my life and my development, as a basketball coach, mentor and friend,” said Selmon. “He will be missed by coaches and players from all over the state – he was just a great person all around.” Paxton was inducted in the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan Hall of Fame in 1986 and into the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame in 2018. GRCC celebrated his achievements during its 2019 Homecoming basketball game. A memorial service is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 6 at O’Brien-Eggebeen-Gerst Chapel, 3980 Cascade Road SE.

Sept. 28, 2023 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Learning Center is celebrating a 20-year partnership between Grand Rapids Public Schools and Grand Rapids Community College that helps students complete high school while working on an associate degree. The center, established in 2003, provides opportunities for 16- to 19-year-old West Michigan students to earn a diploma online, dual enroll at GRCC, identify a career path, and start college or workforce training after completing high school. Students, program alumni, educators, community leaders and the public are invited to a celebration lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 29, at GRCC’s Sneden Hall, 435 E. Fulton St. An open house will follow the lunch from 3 to 7 p.m. RSVPs are due Thursday, Sept. 28; call (616) 819-1045 or email CerdaM@grps.org to sign up. No reservations are needed for the open house. Two local visionaries will be recognized during the luncheon for their roles in the GRLC’s success: David Selmon, GRCC’s dean of Strategic Outreach and a former basketball coach, and Kurt Johnson, executive director of athletics at GRPS. The center, then known as the “Learning Corner,” started with two locations: one on Wealthy Street and the other on Grand Rapids’ West Side. The two sites eventually consolidated on the GRCC campus, where it has thrived for 14 years. “This ground-breaking collaboration between GRPS and GRCC gives our students a unique opportunity to make up missing credits and work ahead to earn college credits,” said Rodney Brown, the center’s principal. You can learn more about the Grand Rapids Learning Center online .

Sept. 25, 2023 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich . – Grand Rapids Community College’s Paul Collins Art Gallery is home to two ArtPrize category finalists. “String Theory Series Part 2” by Gary Mesa-Gaido and “Mictlantecuhtl – Facism Killed the Old Gods” by GRCC assistant professor Matthew Schenk are among five finalists for second or third place in the international competition’s digital category. The 25 entries with the most number of public votes were announced Friday night. In addition to the top 25, ArtPrize organizers selected an additional 25 entries – five from each competition category – based on how many public votes they received. These entries are eligible for ArtPrize’s second- or third-place awards of $50,000 and $25,000, respectively. Second-round voting runs through 11:50 p.m. Sept. 28. Winners will be announced Sept. 29. The Collins gallery is on the fourth floor of GRCC’s Finkelstein Hall, 143 Bostwick Ave. NE. Through Oct. 1, it will be open 1-8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, noon to 8 p.m. Saturdays, and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays. ArtPrize visitors who venture onto GRCC’s campus are invited to make time for fine dining at the Heritage Restaurant or grab a casual quick bite at Foodology, staffed by students and faculty in GRCC’s Secchia Institute for Culinary Education. Details on the Heritage Restaurant and Foodology menus can be found online.

Sept. 22, 2023 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Nominations are now open for the 41st annual GIANT Awards, which recognize exceptional African American leaders for their contributions to the history, quality of life, and culture of West Michigan communities. Dr. Patricia Pulliam and the late Cedric Ward created the event in 1983 to preserve history and inspire future generations. Grand Rapids Community College hosts the annual ceremony. The upcoming event will be at 6 p.m. on Feb. 3, 2024, at DeVos Place Ballroom, 303 Monroe Ave. “This event shows the beauty and significance of where we live and who we serve,” said Tempy Mann, chairperson of the 41st GIANT Awards. “This is the time to celebrate the African American community; to say look at us, look at what we’ve done, and look at how we’ve contributed to this city and our community.” Thirteen giants of the community will be honored at the upcoming event, Mann said. Nominations may be submitted until 5 p.m. on October 31 at grcc.edu/GIANT . The selection committee encourages those who have previously nominated people who have not been selected for an award to please submit again as there is a new application. Proceeds will support the Milo M. Brown Memorial Scholarship and the Junior GIANT Scholarship. The Junior GIANT Cedric Ward Leadership Scholarship and the Junior GIANT Dr. Patricia Pulliam Leadership Scholarship was established in 2017. The Milo M. Brown Memorial Scholarship was established in 1987.

Sept. 21, 2023 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — There’s a story of love and hope behind those ArtPrize kidney beans. Nine years ago, when Grand Rapids Community College student Natalie Frias was rushed to the hospital, both her kidneys — irreparably damaged by childhood strep throat — were failing. In fact, they’d shrunk to the size of dried kidney beans. “I needed a kidney transplant, but none of my family or friends were a match,” Frias said. “I’d just met my now-husband, Mike, on Match.com a month earlier. Mike stayed by my side and even got tested to see if he was a donor match … and we matched again.” On March 21, 2016, the pair underwent a successful transplant surgery at Trinity Health Grand Rapids Hospital and married just three months later. Today the couple lives in Hudsonville with their two young children. Natalie Frias is happily enrolled in GRCC’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program. And her kidney is holding its own. Their amazing tale of matching has been featured on the “Today” show, in People magazine and on the local news. She even wrote a book about her journey called “Fighting Failure.” But that’s not the end of her story. “I consider myself a kidney warrior,” Frias said, now 41. “Even though 1 in 7 American adults has kidney disease, 90% of them don’t realize they have it.” Frias has made it her life’s mission to spread awareness of the dangers of kidney disease and the importance of becoming an organ donor. She shares her message using social media, public appearances, her book — and now through art. Frias created her very first piece of art — a sculpture with painted kidney beans as its foundation — and entered it in this year’s ArtPrize. Her entry is called “Silent Absence” and can be viewed through Oct. 1 at the JW Marriott in downtown Grand Rapids. The piece includes hundreds of kidney beans painted green, draping vine-like down an empty wooden chair and pooling on the floor. “The kidney beans represent kidney disease, and the chair represents a place at the table with your loved ones,” she said. “It’s meant to demonstrate how kidney disease slowly takes over, taking you away from your loved ones and your normal daily life.” Frias worked on the piece late at night this winter after putting her kids to bed and finishing her homework. It became a kind of therapy for her. As a busy mom, wife and student, Frias hasn’t had a lot of extra time to chat with ArtPrize visitors viewing her work. But when she’s there, the experience has been magical. “When I’m able to tell people my story to better understand the sculpture, the look that comes over their faces is really amazing. They suddenly understand why I’m so focused on kidney disease awareness and we just instantly connect,” she said. Matt Mekkes, director of GRCC’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program, said he appreciates how Frias is utilizing ArtPrize as a platform to educate others. “This skill of advocacy is one we strive to develop in all our students as they move from student to practitioner,” Mekkes said. In the end, Frias said, the piece is meant to tell a story. “If you look very closely, you’ll see a flower blossoming near the top,” she said. “That flower represents hope … hope for a cure.” This story was reported by Beth McKenna