April 26, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College baseball team built up an eight-run lead over Davenport University’s junior varsity squad, and almost watched it slip away But GRCC held off to cling to a 10-8 victory in a nine-inning game, evening the season record at 20-20, and one tie. GRCC scored five runs in the fifth inning to go up 8-0, with Xander Reisbig, Max Varon, and Caleb Engelsman all driving home runs. Davenport chipped away at the lead, scoring two runs in the fifth, one in the sixth and other in the seventh before rallying for four runs in the bottom of the ninth. Kellan Smith earned the win for GRCC, with the righty pitching three innings, allowing no runs on two hits, striking out two and walking one. Caden VanDeBurg recorded the last two outs to earn the save. GRCC scattered 12 hits in the game. Reisbig, Varon, Dylan Chargo, Zacarias Salinas, and Jacob Gumieny all managed multiple hits. GRCC has won five games in a row since a 3-3 tie against Calvin University a week ago at LMCU Ballpark. The team is back in action on Friday with a doubleheader on the road against Kalamazoo Valley Community College. Photo by Steve Jessmore. Powered by Narrative Science and GameChanger Media. Copyright 2022. All rights reserved.

April 26, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Grand Rapids Community College students will have a seamless path to Kuyper College's bachelor’s degree programs through a new agreement between the two institutions. The transfer partnership agreement ensures that GRCC students can transfer to Kuyper with minimal credit loss or duplicate coursework. “GRCC is for many students the first step on their educational journey,” said Dr. Bill Pink, GRCC president. “It is rewarding to see students build on that solid academic foundation with additional degrees. Agreements with four-year institutions such as Kuyper College create outstanding opportunities for students and reflect the value our community places on education and collaboration.”  GRCC has transfer program agreements with most higher education institutions in West Michigan. This agreement with Kuyper, the first between the two colleges, notes that GRCC students who are specifically seeking a bachelor’s degree in business leadership will be able to take their classes at Kuyper’s urban campus at the Center for Community Transformation, 1530 Madison Ave. SE. “This new partnership agreement allows any GRCC student pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Kuyper, Michigan’s only federally recognized Work College, to transfer into low-cost bachelor’s degree programs with guaranteed jobs,” said Dr. Patricia Harris, Kuyper College president. “Transfer scholarships and grants are available, allowing students the opportunity to graduate with little or no debt.” The articulation agreement idea got its start when professor Felix Pereiro, head of GRCC’s Business Department, and Marc Andreas, associate professor of Business Leadership and Business Leadership Program Director for Kuyper College, collaborated in discussions about how to help business students and our community. “GRCC offers our students a high-quality education at an affordable price. We are at a pivotal time in our society where the cost of obtaining a college degree is beyond the reach of many, especially those in disenfranchised populations,” Pereiro said.  “Kuyper’s campus at the Center for Community Transformation is a breakthrough moment for the community we serve. Students who earn their Associate of Business degree at GRCC now have a path to earn a baccalaureate degree and employment opportunities that are aligned with their coursework. The location of the building was critical. It is strategically located in a neighborhood to help those most in need.” Pereiro said discussions with Andreas focused on how they could help students attain academic, career, and life goals. “Many students begin their journey to obtain their goals at GRCC and then move onto one of our great transfer college and university partners. We challenged each other to develop programs that are truly exciting and innovative to offer our students,” Pereiro said. Photo by Steve Jessmore.

April 26, 2022 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A Grand Rapids Community College biology professor will cap a 30-year career with the 2022 Faculty Emeritus designation during commencement this week.  Paul Krieger, a biology professor who retired in 2019, says working at GRCC was his “dream job.” “I taught courses in anatomy and physiology, general biology, and personal health,” he said. “My former students have launched their own successful careers as nurses, dental hygienists, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, physician assistants, occupational therapists, and medical doctors, as well as many other careers.” Krieger will be recognized during ceremonies on April 29 at Gerald R. Ford Fieldhouse, 111 Lyon St. NE. Students in the School of Arts and Sciences will attend a 4:30 p.m. commencement, and those in the School of Workforce Development will be at a 7:30 p.m. ceremony. Krieger credits what was then Grand Rapids Junior College for setting him on his career path. He loved both art and science, and his instructors suggested he consider teaching. “I decided this would allow me to combine my passions for art and science in a meaningful way,” he said. “This turned out to be a great decision for me and worked out even better than I could have imagined.” After receiving his Associate of Science in 1984, he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Michigan and a secondary teaching certificate. He received a master’s in biological sciences from Wayne State University in 1991. Before starting at GRCC in 1991, Krieger taught at high schools in Beijing and Jackson. During his teaching career, he wrote and illustrated the four-book Visual Analogy Guides series, which cover anatomy, physiology and chemistry.  

April 25, 2022, CALEDONIA, Mich. – Brad Dunn pitched a five-inning one-hitter to lead the Grand Rapids Community College baseball team in a 10-0 shutout of Glen Oaks Community College, part of a doubleheader sweep and the team’s fifth win in a row. GRCC snagged a late lead to claim victory in the first game, 11-7 on Monday. The GRCC golf team also fared well, with a third place finish in its annual home invitational at Egypt Valley Golf Course. Dunn, a freshman from Saugatuck, was in command in the second baseball game, allowing just a second-inning single. He struck out six and walked none to earn the win. Ryan Dykstra jump-started the GRCC scoring on the first inning, hitting a triple on a 2-2 count, scoring one run. The team scored four runs in the third inning with Dykstra – who homered -- Zacarias Salinas, and Andres Rivera-Calderon all sending runners across the plate with RBIs in the inning. GRCC had 11 hits, with Rivera-Calderon, Dykstra, Dylan Chargo, and Jacob Gumieny all managed multiple hits in the shortened game. The opener was tied at two in the bottom of the fifth when Ryan Dykstra singled on a 1-1 count, scoring one run, and Xander Reisbig hit a solo homer. GRCC scored five runs in the sixth inning. Caleb Engelsman, Chargo, and Reisbig each had RBIs in the big inning. Engelsman was on the mound, lasted five and a third innings, allowing seven hits and five runs while striking out two. GRCC is now 19-20-1 on the season, and is next in action on Tuesday against Davenport University in a scheduled nine-inning game. In the golf tournament, Matthew Denhartigh and Connor Oman finish among the top-10 helping GRCC to a third place finish in its annual home invitational at Egypt Valley. Denhartigh was one of just seven golfers to break 80 on the tough windy course in Ada. The sophomore finished with a 79, good enough to tie for fifth place. Oman cracked the top-10 shooting an 80. Arie Jackman shot an 81, finished all alone in 11th place while Brad VandenHout, 84, and Sam Foss, 85 finished 17th and 19th respectively in the field of 37. Muskegon Community College dominated the field with a 305, finishing 17 strokes ahead of second-place Oakland Community College and 19 strokes better than GRCC. Steve Cullen, of Muskegon Community College took home the medalist honors with an even par 72 performance. Powered by Narrative Science and GameChanger Media. Copyright 2022. All rights reserved.

April 25, 2022 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College’s 2022 Distinguished Alumnus was told that higher education wasn’t for him when he graduated high school. Loyd Winer’s sister was an excellent student, but after their father paid for her to attend Michigan State University, she didn’t go. Winer was told to get a job at Michigan Bell as he wasn’t college material. Michigan Bell required at least a two-year degree, so he enrolled at what was then Grand Rapids Junior College. Winer’s father made him pay his own way. The first year at GRJC, he took all the classes he should have taken in high school: chemistry, calculus, trigonometry. The second year, he “finally figured things out” and started to excel. “You have to apply yourself and it will come,” he said. “Keep trying – you can do it.” Winer will be recognized during GRCC’s commencement on April 29 at Gerald R. Ford Fieldhouse, 111 Lyon St. NE. Students in the School of Arts and Sciences will attend a 4:30 p.m. commencement, and those in the School of Workforce Development will attend a 7:30 p.m. ceremony. After graduating from GRJC in 1950, Winer went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from MSU. After serving in the Navy on the USS Ticonderoga, he joined J. & G. Daverman Co. His engineering work took him across the United States and many countries. One of his most memorable projects was designing the original runways and taxiways for Gerald R. Ford International Airport – he still checks up on them from the public viewing area once or twice a week. In 1969, he co-founded Grand Rapids Testing Service and Newhof and Winer Inc. He helped design buildings for Herman Miller and Amway and foundries in Newaygo, Ionia and Mexico. After selling his share in the businesses to his partner, Paul Newhof, he worked for insurance agencies, reviewing building liabilities and often testifying in court. Winer hasn’t forgotten his beginning in higher education: He and his wife, Suzanne, who passed away in 2018, established the Loyd and Suzanne Winer Scholarship through the GRCC Foundation. The fund targets students enrolled in STEM programs – science, technology, engineering and math – at GRCC.    

April 23, 2022, CENTREVILLE, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College baseball team blasted four home runs, three of which were season firsts, helping the team to a Saturday sweep over Glen Oaks Community College to begin the season series. Ryan Dykstra's two-run shot in the top of the first inning was one of three home runs hit in the first game. The outfielder now has a team-best five homers. Xander Reisbig connected to hit his first home run of the season in the fifth, giving the team a 3-0 lead.  Glen Oaks responded by scoring three runs in its half of the inning, but Zacarias Salinas blasted a lead-off shot in the sixth -- his first home run of the season. GRCC scored two more runs in the top of the seventh and held on for a 7-3 victory. Unlike game one, where both teams had 11 hits, hits were at a minimum in the nightcap, with both pitchers throwing a no-hitter through three innings. A base- loaded walk by GRCC brought home the first run of the game in the fourth inning.  Glen Oaks responded with a squeeze bunt to tie the game in the bottom half of the frame. Leadoff hitter Jacob Gumieny crushed his first homer of the season in the fifth and GRCC went on to win 5-1. Both pitching staffs gave up just four hits, including GRCC's Drew Murphy, who picked up the win, while striking out seven batters. The baseball team is now 17-20-1, 10-8 in the conference, and will continue the four-game series April 24. 

April 23, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College journalism students earned top honors from the Michigan Community College Press Association for writing, illustration and photography skills. The organization recognizes Michigan student journalists, with entries judged by media professionals. Awards were presented virtually recently by the MCCPA conference host, Central Michigan University’s Department of Journalism. The Collegiate earned 19 awards, including Best Website for the fourth year in a row. “These awards show the hard work of every reporter and editor on the Collegiate for the past year,” Editor Kaia Zimmerman said. “We are excited to get recognition for our hard work. This is our fourth year in a row winning best website and we couldn’t have done it without our advisor, Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood, and the hard work she gives to this publication.” The students last month earned the top award in Division III in the College Better Newspaper Contest, and placed second in the Open Class – Online Newspaper category, finishing behind the University of Michigan’s Michigan Daily. The Collegiate’s MCCPA awards include: Anthony Clark Jr. earned first place in the First Amendment Reporting category for “Courageous Conversation: GRPD and GRCCPD leaders discuss community policing,” with an honorable mention to Sean Chase, for “GRCC Board freezes tuition, gives President Pink a raise with approval of $115.4 million budget.” Clark also earned second place in the Best Column, Serious category for “Being a non-traditional student doesn’t prevent a life of success,” with Angelina Jahn earning third place for “A letter to my Mom” Alena Visnovsky earned second place in the Best Column, Humor category for “Do Your Research,” and Joseph Poulos earned third place in the Critical Review category fo “Dad’s night out at The French Dispatch” Clark earned first place in the Sports News Story category for “GRCC Volleyball ends after upsetting loss in NJCAA Great Lakes Finals,” with Zimmerman earning second place for “GRCC announces new softball coach after Brian Skudre resigns” Zimmerman also earned third place in the Sports Column category for “The world is putting too much pressure on athletes,” and Matt Denhartigh earned an honorable mention for “Grand Rapids Griffins offer strong support system for the Detroit Red Wings” Visnovsky earned first place for her editorial “Inherent classism continues to impinge community colleges and their students who choose to invest in these low-cost educational options.” Abby Haywood earned first place for her editorial cartoon “Community College Surprise” and first place in the Original Comic: Entertainment category for “Fact-checking with Aaron Rodgers,” and second place for Best Informational Graphic for “You could win $2 million for getting vaccinated in Michigan.” Kristen Schetag earned second place for her photo“Vikings even season series as Raiders’ defense struggle” in the Sports News Photo category, with Kennedy Rappleye earned third place for “GRCC Volleyball continues perfect conference record with win over Kellogg CC” Chase earned third place for Best Multimedia Reporting for “FLOTUS visits GRCC pop up vaccine clinic,” and Aspen Strauss earned first place in the Best Video Production or Online Audio Slide Show Production category for “GRCC students get real about their second pandemic semester.” "These are some challenging times to be a journalist - especially a student journalist. Many Collegiate reporters are juggling multiple jobs and challenging course loads in addition to their time spent reporting for The Collegiate,” said Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood, The Collegiate adviser. "They work hard and make personal sacrifices to publish regular news content for the GRCC community. Many come to GRCC with limited or no prior journalism experience, and it’s a real privilege to help students develop their skills with the support of everyone on campus who agrees to an interview.”  

April 22, 2022, JACKSON, Mich. – Matthew Denhartigh shot a 70 at the Jackson College Invitational, leading the Grand Rapids Community College golf team to a second-place tie on Friday. It was Denhartigh's second straight tournament shooting under-par, after shooting a career best 68 at the Glen Oaks Invitational. Mott Community College won the conference meet, while Oakland Community College tied GRCC. Conner Oman, 74, Brad VandenHout, +74, Arie Jackman, 78, and Sam Foss, 82, rounded out the Raider golfers. The GRCC team on April 15 finished first at the Glen Oaks event, which was the first MCCAA match of the season. The team defeated the field of six opponents with a score of 302, 14 strokes better than second-place Muskegon Community College. GRCC is set to host a tournament at Egypt Valley Golf Course on April 25. 

April 22, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- When Grand Rapids Community College holds commencement on April 29, it will be the end of three stressful years for Fabiola Carrillo Esparza. It will also be the culmination of a long-held dream, one that started in 2007. Back then, Esparza couldn’t join in when her fellow high school seniors talked about their plans.  “For me, it was different,” she said. “The circumstances didn’t allow me to continue school back then. I came with my parents and my brother at the age of 11 years old to the U.S. as tourist visitors. My parents did not come with a plan to stay, but God had different plans for us. Soon after, our visas expired, and we became illegal immigrants.” Her parents’ hard work kept the family fed and clothed, but they didn’t have the means to send her to college. And her status as an illegal immigrant disqualified her from accessing help by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as FAFSA. So after graduation, she got a job making bouquets, which paid enough to meet her personal needs but not enough for college tuition. She married in 2010 and gave birth to a son. Raising him helped her realize that her dream of attending college was still there – and now there were resources that could help. “Thankfully, DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program) started in 2012, and I was able to obtain a work permit,” Esparza said. “I started working at Interpreter Network as an interpreter and office scheduler. In the meantime, we came across Justice for Our Neighbors, an organization that helps low-income families in West Michigan with legal services. I was blessed to obtain my permanent residency, a process that took close to a year.” After the birth of her daughter, Esparza began working at the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative, a coalition of community organizations that educates young children in vulnerable areas of West Michigan. She discovered her passion: teaching. She applied for a T.E.A.C.H scholarship from the Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children and started at GRCC in 2019. While Esparza was excited and thankful to finally pursue her college dream, the past three years have been difficult. “Being a wife, mother of two young children, and working a part-time job was very difficult,” she said. “It meant going to sleep past midnight to spend some time with my children after work, and then do homework. “I was exhausted all the time, stressed, and, at times, I felt like giving up.” But Esparza was surrounded by support: her husband, her parents and GRCC Foundation scholarship donors. She received foundation scholarships that allowed her to be a full-time student this final year. Esparza shared her story on Friday at the foundation's Creating Connections gathering, where scholarship recipients meet supporters. “I want to thank the donors of the Grand Rapids Community College Foundation, who have faith in us and support our education,” she said. “I want you to know that it was a big blessing for me, and I am sure it has been – and will continue to be – for many others.” Esparza doesn’t regret the “challenging” path she took to college and is excited for commencement. “This means so much to me and my family,” she said. “I will be doing my internship this summer, God willing, then I hope that in the fall, I can start doing what I love to do: working with children.” Photo by Andrew Schmidt.  

April 21, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Students enjoy being in Nancy Forrest’s math classes because she breaks down hard concepts and problems in a way they can understand. Her students know that she truly wants them to succeed. “GRCC students are a joy to work with,” said Nancy. Come to GRCC and learn from the best. Forrest helps students relate to math and overcome their challenges in the subject by celebrating with them that mathematics is the foundation of everything. She also focuses her teaching around the knowledge that math can bring with it more challenges than simply solving an equation. “If students don’t like math it’s often because they felt embarrassed about incorrect answers in the past,” Forrest said. Her goal is to help them understand that it's okay to make mistakes during the learning process. Forrest earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Grand Valley State University and a master’s degree in environmental studies from University of Rochester. Teaching math to college students was not how Forrest started her career. “I started out in the field of biology and switched to mathematics,” she said. “At the high school level, I taught biology, physical science, earth science, chemistry, and physics. I love all the sciences.” Looking back to teaching during the pandemic, Forrest enjoyed the opportunity for roommates, family members and pets to join the virtual classroom and even faculty meetings. “My cats got to put in their two cents during my Zoom meetings,” she said. Looking for opportunities in any challenge is one of many characteristics Forrest shares with her hero, President Abraham Lincoln. “Lincoln is my hero because of his integrity, compassion, intelligence, wit, sense of humor, and service to others,” she said. You can experience Forrest’s enthusiasm for all things math when you watch a video she created for her online students called “The Number Tau,” or her GRCC Mathematics Seminar “PI, My Favorite Number.” Or, take one of her classes and you may get to learn about Mole Day, or how the Chinese abacus has been used to calculate and record numbers for over nine hundred years. You will find Forrest teaching MA 107 Intermediate Algebra, MA 108 Trigonometry, MA 110 College Algebra, MA 131 Precalculus, MA 133 Calculus with Analytic Geometry l, MA 134 Calculus with Analytic Geometry ll.