Aug. 30, 2022 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Where some people saw a blind woman, Grand Rapids Community College saw a burgeoning musician. “This is the polar opposite of how I was treated in the rest of my school life,” said Hailey Cone, a 25-year-old GRCC voice major. “GRCC is an environment where they see me past my blindness and see me for my love of music.” Along with singing, Cone has developed a keen interest in musicology, or the study of music. She recently joined the writing staff for “Inside the Score,” a YouTube channel with 272,000 subscribers that produces content to deepen the appreciation of classical, film and art music. Cone’s first script about Maurice Ravel’s “Piano Concerto for the Left Hand”  debuted Aug. 22 on YouTube and had nearly 86,000 views in its first week. In the video, Oscar Osicki, creator of “Inside the Score,” included Cone’s personal reflection on how the Ravel composition inspires her as a person with a disability — and motivates her music studies. “As a music student with my own disabilities and hardships to navigate, I come back to the left-hand concerto when I am consumed by self-doubt or fear,” Cone said. “Hearing that triumphant ending reminds me that adversity can be overcome – and even celebrated.” But her musical path has had its challenges. Cone’s vision impairment stems from complications from her extremely premature birth in 1996 at just 5 months gestation. She has no sight in her right eye and minimal vision in her left eye, even with glasses. “I’m considered legally blind,” she said. “But I can cook, clean and I live life independently; the only real issue is I can’t drive.” Cone enrolled at GRCC in 2016 after graduating from East Kentwood High School. Uncertain about a career, she considered English or social work degrees. But while taking an elective choir class at GRCC in 2018, her professor encouraged her to pursue a music degree . “Music called to me a little louder,” Cone said. “I had this massive spark for music for so long, but it was extinguished over and over and over until I got to college, where it was finally ignited and taken seriously. “From the start, all my GRCC professors have been extremely accommodating, encouraging and really generous with their time -- I’m just sort of blown away by that,” she said. Unable to read paper sheet music, Cone relies on her tablet to enlarge the music enough so that she can read it. She’s already enjoyed several semesters performing in GRCC’s Music Department’s College Choir, Concert Choir and Madrigal Singers. Her love of singing, musicology and creative writing made her a perfect fit for “Inside the Score.” She chose “Piano Concert for the Left Hand” as her first script because Ravel is her favorite composer. He was commissioned a century ago to write the concerto for Paul Wittgenstein, a concert pianist who lost his right arm in World War I. This semester, Cone is attending school, working on her second script and debating the next step on her musical career path. “Hailey is one of our very best,” said Caleb Wenzel, GRCC’s director of choral and vocal activities. This story was reported by Beth McKenna.

Aug. 29, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Phong Nguyen’s training at the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education has allowed him to share the dishes from his native Vietnam with West Michigan. Nguyen opened Monsoon Vietnamese Cuisine at Monroe Center this summer – “a dream come true for me.” But he began working on that dream as a GRCC culinary student. “I appreciated how hands-on the program was,” he said. “I was able to practice my knife skills and my cooking skills every day. All the teachers and instructors were super friendly and helpful!” 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. Nguyen, who arrived in the United States in 2013, earned an associate degree in culinary arts in 2017 and then transferred to Ferris State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in hospitality administration and management. “It was a good deal since all of my courses from the culinary arts were transferable,” he said. “I was able to get my bachelor’s degree in two years!” Nguyen’s experience includes work in many kitchens in Grand Rapids and Indiana. He has prepared meals for a senior living community, a catering company and in private homes. He continued to plan for his own restaurant someday. He, Tai Nguyen, Kevin Nguyen and Thuan Truong formed Vietbrothers Restaurant LLC and celebrated the launch of Monsoon this summer. “The many years of hard work, dedication and finding funds to open my restaurant paid off!” Phong Nguyen said. “The GRCC Culinary Arts program helped me significantly for who I have become and equipped me with the skills I needed to succeed.” Let GRCC help you start your story. The first chapter starts at grcc.edu/apply  

Aug. 27, 2022, PERRYSBURG, Ohio – The Grand Rapids Community College volleyball team has four matches in a row, on Saturday defeating two nationally ranked opponents at the Owens Express Invitational.    GRCC, ranked No. 11 in the NJCAA Division II preseason poll, opened against the defending region champions, Terra State Community College, which is ranked No. 6 in the preseason poll.  With the exception of one set, the Raiders dominated the match, taking down the Titans 25-12, 25-27, 25-12, 25-13. Sophomore outside hitter Audrey Torres, who had a team-high 58 kills in last weekend’s tournament, led the team again with 15 kills against just three errors, hitting a solid .364. She also led the team in digs with 11.  Karissa Ferry added eight kills while sophomore setter Shannon Russell totaled 31 assists, seven digs and four of the teams 15 total aces. GRCC was tested in its final match of the day against the defending Division III champions Owens Community College. GRCC came out on top in five, 22-25, 25-18, 25-19, 16-25, 15-11. Sophomore middle hitter Eliza Thelen was nearly unstoppable in the match, going for a career-high 16 kills and a career-best .538 hitting percentage. Thelen compiled 22 kills versus just three hitting errors on the day. "We did a great job winning today's games, not only physically, but mentally," Thelen said. "Going to five sets in a game is very draining. But we were able to come together as a team and execute a victory." Kara Hecht was the team’s leading point scorer with 15 kills, five blocks and an ace.  Audrey Gower and Vienna Koenigsknecht finished with 15 and 13 digs, with Hecht and Torres each tallied 12 digs. Alena Visnovsky, a sophomore middle, led the team with 12 blocks, making her season total 29. GRCC is now 4-2 on the season. GRCC will have the next 20 days off to prepare for a big northern trip where it will play five matches in five days, including matches against three new opponents: North Central Michigan College, Bay College and Delta College.

Aug. 26, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College is gaining new equipment to help students learn in-demand career skills through a partnership with Lakeshore Advantage and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation The GRCC Lakeshore Campus is one of three programs in Ottawa and Allegan counties to be supported through the Michigan Workforce Training Center Equipment grant program, intended to improve or expand area training programs for health care and automation. “Our training providers are educational catalysts for the ongoing development of our local workforce,” Lakeshore Advantage President Jennifer Owens said. “As lakeshore companies continue to grow and expand, the need for a trained workforce becomes more pressing. The Michigan Workforce TEC grant program helps ensure our training providers have the appropriate equipment to help workers and students achieve the credentials and skills needed to be successful in today’s marketplace.” The GRCC Lakeshore Campus in Holland Township was awarded $49,875 which will be used to purchase equipment that will allow for advanced automation training for the local workforce. These funds will also provide certification opportunities under Smart Automation Certificate Alliance and FANUC certifications. "GRCC values our collaboration with Lakeshore Advantage, Holland area employers and the MEDC to give local residents the ability to gain skills they need for today and for the future,” said Julie Parks, Grand Rapids Community College’s dean of Workforce Training. “Industry 4.0 adoption is strong in this region, and this additional equipment is another piece that allows GRCC to make sure the workforce is ready to produce products that make Michigan a manufacturing leader.” This funding awarded was part of a $3 million statewide funding program for the Michigan Workforce TEC Grant Program to support the needs of qualified training providers that provide workforce training for qualified employers and individuals in Michigan.  Lakeshore Advantage was one of several area economic development organizations that administered the program on behalf of the state. Thompson M-TEC/Ottawa Area Intermediate School District SD was also awarded $49,875 which will be used to purchase equipment to train on a FANUC/Miller ARC Robotic Weld Cell and offer FANUC specific certifications in robotic welding processes.  This equipment will be housed at the M-TEC center located in West Olive. Allegan County Area Technical Education Center which offers 19 technical training programs as well as vocational training opportunities for students with special needs. ACATEC, located in Allegan, was awarded $30,400 by Lakeshore Advantage to be used to cover the cost of training equipment for students working to earn Patient Care Tech and EKG certifications. Lakeshore Advantage is a non-profit local economic development organization started in 2003 by business and community leaders to ensure current and future generations want to live and work in the region’s vibrant economy. Lakeshore Advantage assists primary employers, from startups to large world-class corporations, in West Michigan’s Allegan and Ottawa counties. More information on the Michigan Workforce Training Center Equipment Grant Program can be found here .    

Aug. 26, 2022 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College’s Opening Day celebration included honoring three employees for their work with students and the community. The Excellence in Education awards were established in 1989 to honor GRCC employees for their contributions. On Thursday, the faculty award went to Werner Absenger, program director for the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education, with Marne Apolo, of the Language and Thought Department, and Victoria Janowiak, executive director of Operational Planning, receiving the adjunct and staff awards, respectively. In presenting the faculty award to Absenger, President Emeritus Juan R. Olivarez, who is serving as GRCC’s interim president, noted his work on restructuring the internationally respected culinary program’s curriculum to improve access and affordability and on building community partnerships to bring his nutritional knowledge to underserved populations. “He is innovative, always looking on the horizon for what his faculty and programs should be incorporating in order to best prepare our graduates,” Olivarez said. Absenger, noting that he usually hates surprises, said, “Without our faculty and staff, it wouldn’t be possible.” Apolo started at GRCC in 2008 and developed the college’s first online communications course in 2010. Her colleagues call her “the kind of teacher who we all want to be and we all want to learn from.” Apolo looked back on her career and noted she was excited to have in-person classes once again. “It’s hard to believe my daughter was five when I started, and now she’s in college,” Apolo said. “She’s hiking in the mountains right now and I wish I could call her because she’d be so happy about this, too. It means a lot. It’s really sweet and meaningful to be acknowledged.”   “Her adaptable approach allows all kinds of learners to reach their potential,” Olivarez said. Janowiak oversees how the college’s spaces are used and maintained, making sure they are run effectively for students, faculty, staff and community members. That job has proven especially challenging during the past few years because of COVID-19. She worked with all the departments and administrators, along with state and county health agencies, to ensure that students and employees were able to return safely to on-campus instruction after the pandemic shutdown. “While Vicki’s work has always been outstanding, she has done exceptionally impressive and important work during one of the most difficult times the college has faced,” Olivarez said. Janowiak noted that she’s written many recommendation letters for others and never expected to receive the award herself. “Thank you for putting me in such good company,” she told the Opening Day audience.

Aug. 25, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- A new program that sees GRCC partnering with Spectrum Health has already produced its first six graduates with the next cohort of seven students starting this fall - and setting the stage for additional programs to fill needs in emerging healthcare fields. The Neurodiagnostic Apprenticeship Program was designed to fill a significant gap in the United States healthcare system: a shortage of neurodiagnostic technologists (NDTs) and a greater and greater need for NDTs as the baby boomer generation ages and retires in larger numbers. “NDTs are highly skilled and in-demand medical professionals,” said Julie Lacksheide, GRCC’s Program Director of Radiologic Technology/MRI. “Their specific skill set in recording electroencephalograms (EEGs) is what sets them apart from other healthcare professions.” GRCC and Spectrum also worked with Lansing Community College, West Michigan Works! and the U.S. Department of Labor to create the new apprenticeship program. All six members of the first group of graduates are Spectrum employees who were able to complete the apprenticeship at no cost, while continuing to work full time for the hospital system. Upon graduation they have the potential to make $22 an hour -- well above Spectrum’s normal $16 per hour minimum wage -- and if they pass a board exam to become certified, they qualify for a $25 per hour wage. Lacksheide, who had a dozen years of work experience in Diagnostic Radiography and Computed Tomography before coming to GRCC in 2010, noted that the new apprenticeship program follows a model the college is bringing to multiple areas of its certificate and degree programs in the healthcare field. “Throughout the state of Michigan, we have or will have shortages in a number of different areas of healthcare,” she said. “But the challenge is that we can’t really sustain a really large cohort in any one location. So, with this new approach we are taking, we may have six students that are at one location and another college has six at their location, and this could happen across seven different colleges. Our overall group then becomes large, and we start to fill the cracks in the statewide system. It’s a really innovative and effective approach.” Students agree. Phoebe Potter has been with Spectrum Health for almost four years. She has some college courses under her belt but not a degree, so after being hired as a Neurodiagnostic Assistant, she started looking at schools she could attend to get registered. When she heard about the new partnership between her employer and GRCC, she was thrilled. “I love the fact that I didn't have to split my time between work and school,” she said. “I couldn't afford to cut back work hours to go to school to do unpaid clinical hours at a facility across the state every week.” Kyle Smestad echoed her remarks. He originally went to school to become an Emergency Medical Technician and has a certificate from Great Lakes EMS academy. Just shy of 10 years ago he was hired by Spectrum, first as a student in nutrition services and then in the cardiac monitoring center at Blodgett Hospital before accepting the EEG job and training through the apprentice program.  “There was so much that was appealing about the program,” he said. “For starters, it gave me the ability to work fulltime, have a hands-on experience working with patients and be around co-workers who have the knowledge and experience to help me learn at a faster pace than if I was solely in a classroom setting.”  Such comments bring a smile to Lacksheide’s face. “The apprenticeships that we generally hear about are generally in areas like manufacturing and skilled trades,” she said. “This is different. The fact that we get an opportunity to do an apprenticeship in healthcare, that just doesn't happen very often. It's life changing for a lot of students.” Lacksheide said the program is structured so that participants are considered GRCC students while they also remain fulltime Spectrum employees. They take online classes – both synchronous and asynchronous – and all of the labs are done in-house at Spectrum. At the end of the program, the students earn a certificate of completion which makes them board eligible and once they pass the boards, they are on track for the bump from $22 per hour to $25 per hour. For the first six graduates, the extra money was a significant incentive, but the program was about much more than just the money. “Going to school at your place of employment is such a huge benefit,” Potter said. “I always had a mentor on hand, and everyone in the department wants you to succeed. I know this program has prepared me to give the best care I can give to our patients who deserve it.” The next cohort of seven students will all also be both fulltime Spectrum employees and GRCC students. The twist to this group is that some of them were GRCC students who heard about the program, wanted in and got hired by Spectrum to gain entry into the apprenticeship. One such student is Noah Tietz. He’s excited to be part of the next cohort. “When I came across this new program that acted like an apprenticeship, it caught my attention,” he said. As he explored it further, he became even more excited, and he eventually left his job at another health system to work for Spectrum and pursue the apprenticeship. “I couldn't pass this up,” he said. This story was reported by Phil de Haan.