Nov. 22, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- 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. GRCC alumnus Parker Wonser loves music. But his passion goes beyond listening – he works to help musicians create it. “My first experience messing around with the revolutionary OP-1 Swedish synthesizer blew my mind,” he said. “The OP-1 broke every rule I had preconceived about music composition and taught me to think outside the box.” That epiphany inspired him to create the uRiff Magnet, a device targeted to intermediate-level musicians that helps them break down the musical expression process into two steps: finding pitch and adding rhythm. “It enables musicians to express and capture musical ideas in their own way – anytime, anywhere,” Wonser said. “Bone-conductive technology makes the entire process entirely silent to bystanders, making it great for mobile brainstorming.” Creating the uRiff Magnet took him a year of designing and processing feedback from more than 200 musicians. “Exploring and creating countless prototypes was a fun challenge,” he said. “Initial concepts ranged from mimicking a conductor with an electric wand all the way to telepathic devices.” Wonser’s invention has been validated beyond the music world: It won first place in the 2020 MWest Challenge student venture competition. He was a student at Ferris State University’s Kendall College of Art and Design at that time but valued the feedback from business professor Felix Pereiro – whom he calls “the dean of entrepreneurship at GRCC.” “GRCC professors genuinely want the best for their students’ future and were always willing to meet outside of class for additional feedback on my startup,” Wonser said. Wonser graduated from Kendall in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial and product design and now lives in West Palm Beach, Fla. The uRiff Magnet recently earned another award: first place in this year’s Florida ASID competition in the Under 35 Design Concept category. The 24 judges in the American Society of Interior Designers contest selected Wonser’s invention from 150 submissions nationwide. His invention was also endorsed by STUDIO 11, the recording studio of Kanye “Ye” West and Snoop Dogg. Having finished the nonprovisional patent application process for uRiff, he is searching for engineering and business co-founders. In December, he will complete a six-month startup accelerator program affiliated with 1909 in West Palm Beach and plans to start manufacturing uRiff next year. Let GRCC help you start your story. The first chapter starts at grcc.edu/apply .    

Nov. 19, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A new scholarship is providing a tuition-free pathway for essential workers not eligible for federal financial aid, putting a life-changing education within reach for more people. The Michigan Equity, Courage, Hope, and Opportunity Scholarship – MI ECHO -- is designed to serve Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients, Temporary Protected Status immigrants, Special Immigrant Juveniles, and others who are excluded from most traditional financial aid opportunities. The scholarship is funded by private donors and philanthropic organizations and administered by the Michigan College Action Network, a Lansing-based advocacy group focused on increasing college readiness, participation and completion, especially among low-income, first-generation college students as well as students of color. MI ECHO is for people who cannot access federal financial aid and who worked in an essential job during the COVID-19 pandemic, starting with the March 2020 shutdown. Candidates must live in Michigan and be eligible for acceptance into a certificate or associate degree program and cannot have previously earned an associate or bachelor's degree in any country. It can be used as early as the Winter 2022 semester, and registration for classes is now open. “Our community grows stronger when everyone has access to higher education,” said Tina Hoxie, GRCC’s associate provost and dean of Student Affairs. “Futures for Frontliners and Michigan Reconnect have made it possible for thousands of people to start or restart their education at GRCC. The MI ECHO scholarship will help even more people gain new skills for careers, help their families and change their lives.” The scholarship covers the cost of tuition, contact hours, and other mandatory fees to help students work toward a degree or earn a career-focused certificate. Applications may be submitted through Dec. 31, 2022. Funds are limited, so people interested in the scholarship are encouraged to apply as early as they are able. Students must enroll in the associate degree or certificate program within six months of being accepted or reapply. “We were excited to see how Gov. Whitmer’s Futures for Frontliners program changed the conversation around community college and brought in so many Michiganders who are eager to improve their economic opportunities through postsecondary education,” said Ryan Fewins-Bliss, MCAN executive director. “We designed MI ECHO to mirror that opportunity for workers who served in essential roles throughout the pandemic, but who are unable to access federal financial aid. MI ECHO honors the hard work of these individuals while investing in our workforce and moving us closer to our state’s Sixty by 30 goal.” Information about applying is available through email at info@michiganecho.org, calling (517) 316-1713 or online at Michiganecho.org .  

Nov. 18, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Always remember, at GRCC, you are surrounded by people who want you to be successful and are ready to walk with you on your educational pathway. We are here to help! Meet GRCC Police Chief Rebecca Whitman. Chief Whitman is here to help students and employees be safe on campus. "If you ever feel unsafe, have a concern, or see a dangerous situation call GRCC PD right away at 234-4911, or 4911 from an on-campus phone," she said.  "It is the GRCC Police Department's primary job to keep people and things safe while on our campus." Chief Whitman's 17-person police department also focuses on emergency preparation and service. Programs such as GRCC Safe Walk, where an officer assists people walking between buildings and parking garages after dark, as well as assisting with medical emergencies and helping motorists, are aimed at providing security and peace of mind. As a police department for a community college, GRCC PD has full law enforcement authority -- with the ability to arrest and carry firearms. Officers enforce college policies as well as all city, state and federal laws. Chief Whitman more than 35 years of law enforcement experience, and the members of her department have more than 250 years of combined law enforcement experience. Every day. Chief Whitman and her team leverage that experience to be a resource for members of our campus community. “I'm satisfied knowing that our students can come and go freely without worrying,” she said. Without that worry, students are free to focus on what brings them here, skilling up to begin a career, training to enter a high-paying professional trade, or finding the right pre-major degree and charting their path to a four-year university. Chief Whitman can identify with non-traditional students and is proud of the success they find at GRCC. She initially attended Grand Valley State University after high school with the sole desire to be a police officer. After her freshman year of college, she got a job as an intern with the Grand Rapids Police Department, where she was hired a year later as a recruit. “I, along with 11 others, attended the Kalamazoo Valley Community College Police Academy for 16 weeks while living at Red Roof Inn," she said. "My police academy was through KVCC because that's the college that the City of Grand Rapids chose to send their pair recruits to. It had the right schedule for us to go straight through without the academy being included with a degree program. I then spent the next nine years finishing my bachelor's degree while working full time and raising a family." Chief Whitman received a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Grand Valley State University and also completed Northwestern University's School of Police Staff and Command, and has trained at the FBI National Academy. She has been the GRCC Police chief for 10 years – the second woman chief in the department’s history. Prior to coming to GRCC she was 25-year GRPD law enforcement veteran, having worked on burglary, check fraud and major cases in the Detective Unit, as patrol officer, and as a commander of the Honor Guard, Internal Affairs Unit and neighborhood policing units in the city’s Central and West Side districts. You can find additional information about GRCC Police Department services at grcc.edu/police .

Nov. 17, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The Grand Rapids Community College men's basketball team played into overtime for the third time this season, falling 106-104 to Calvin University’s junior varsity squad.  GRCC, now 3-3 on the season, trimmed a Calvin lead to 46-38 at the half after Justus Clark sank a half-court shot as time expired.  The Raiders kept clawing their way back in the game, and a Rico Wade three-pointer with 12:15 on the clock gave the team their first lead in nearly 20 minutes of action. GRCC maintained the lead until 15 seconds to go in regulation, when Logan Van Essen knocked in a triple to knot it up at 86.  He went on to score a game-high 41 points. In the first overtime period, Andrew Moore made one of two from the charity stripe to make it 92-89 with 20 seconds on the clock, but the Knights would hit another game-tying three-pointer, this time by Gabe Dirksen (20 points,10 rebounds) with just two seconds left. In double-overtime, GRCC’s Brockton Kohler was fouled with 21 seconds left, and he would tie the ball game up at 104. But the Knights weren't done. On the inbounds, Kohler deflected the ball, but it landed right in the hands of Van Essen would hit the game-winning jumper just before time expired. "Tough to lose a second double-overtime when it felt like we had a good chance at it in regulation and both overtimes," head coach Joe Fox said. "We fought until the end, but little errors in execution along the way add up. Our assistant coach, DeQuaveon Stuckey, told the team in the locker room, ‘It’s not a loss, it’s a lesson,’and I thought that rang true. Excited for a little break to get healthy, then a fun road stretch in a few weeks." Moore, a top-five scorer in the conference, led GRCC with 29 points.  Freshman Matthew Richards did a little of everything, including back-to-back nights with fast break steals and lay-ups. He was eight of nine from the floor, finishing with 18 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and three steals. GRCC won't be back on its home court until January.  The team’s next game is Nov. 29 at Delta College, followed by three more road games before the holiday break. 

Nov. 17, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- GRCC Workforce Training programs provide in-demand skills leading to rewarding careers. Each Wednesday we’ll meet students who are heading down an educational pathway and changing their lives by earning occupational certificates. Shomari Gaunichaux decided in 2018 he was ready to transition out of working in the service industry. He did some research and soul searching to determine if he wanted to enroll in a degree program or gain skills and become a trades person. “I ultimately landed on the trades. It was a good fit for me. Although I only had minimal experience in construction, I enrolled in the Construction Electrical Job Training program.” The GRCC Construction Electrical Job Training program provides the basic knowledge and skills required to become an electrician and be placed in an Electrical Apprenticeship program in just 18 weeks of training. Toward the end of Gaunichaux’s program, representatives from Parkway Electrical visited his class and talked to the students. Shortly after that, Parkway came back for interviews and Gaunichaux was hired. “I think I started at Parkway the very next week after I graduated from the Job Training program. Once I started working, the apprenticeship program was next.” This week marks the seventh annual National Apprenticeship Week sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Apprenticeship Week is a nationwide celebration where industry, labor, equity, workforce, education, and government leaders showcase the successes and value of Registered Apprenticeship. GRCC’s Electrical Apprenticeship program is a four-year program and consists of 10 classes taken in the evenings over that period of time. Gaunichaux is nearing the end of the program and plans to sit for the State Journeyman Exam next summer. “All of this has been a great experience for me. I have been able to work, and get paid, while continuing to go to school. I’m so fortunate that my employer pays my tuition,” he said. “Once I pass the test, hopefully on the first try, I will receive my Journeyman’s card. That will mean a pay raise and some other really valuable benefits! “I always knew I wanted to do something more but I could have never seen this as my future. Last week, I welcomed my first child, Natalie Jade. It’s been great. She’s perfect.” Anyone interested in gaining career skills through GRCC Workforce Training can connect via email at workforcetraining@grcc.edu, and by phone at (616) 234-3800.

Nov. 16, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., – More than 4,500 Grand Rapids Community College students took advantage of an incentive program to receive the COVID-19 vaccines, part of a campus-wide health and wellness program. About 180 people received the vaccine or vaccine booster shots at campus clinics during the last months, with plans for additional clinics in the months ahead. A total of 4,534 students received a $200 credit on their RaiderCards to use for campus dining, parking, printing, and in the bookstore after being vaccinated before the Nov. 15 deadline. Vaccines have been determined to be the most effective tool in preventing serious illness and hospitalization due to COVID-19. Eligible students received a $200 credit on their RaiderCards to use for campus dining, parking, printing, and in the bookstore. The vaccination incentive program was available to students enrolled in an in-person, hybrid, virtual, or online credit course, clock-hour Job Training program, or apprenticeship program that began after Aug. 30. The incentive program was one of the steps GRCC is taking or extending as part of a campus safety and wellness plan. The college has hosted a series of vaccination clinics on the main campus and at the GRCC Lakeshore Campus. The Nov. 11 clinic had nearly 100 people getting vaccinations or booster shots, and an Oct. 27 clinic helped 76 people. Additional clinics are expected to be scheduled, and vaccination location information is available at vaccinatewestmi.com . The campus is requiring face-coverings indoors, and has posted face-covering dispensers near entrances in many buildings.  On-campus class sizes will be limited to 75% capacity, and the college is replacing two-person desks with single-person desks in most classrooms. The college is also installing new furniture for common areas that is intended to help with distancing. Hundreds of hand sanitizing stations were added last year, and changes were made to campus cooling and ventilation to increase air flow. College leaders are monitoring developments with COVID-19 and the delta variant, and are communicating with state and federal health authorities for guidance as conditions change. GRCC Nursing students administered shots into the arms of students, campus employees, and others in the spring as part of the Shot of Love campaign, a partnership with Urban Church Leadership Center and Spectrum Health. In May, the college hosted a campus vaccination pop-up clinic, which was visited by first lady Jill Biden.

Nov. 15, 2021 - GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Grand Rapids Community College's women's and men's basketball teams topped Aquinas College junior varsity teams Monday, with the women dominating in a 23-point victory and the men with a comeback win in overtime by four. Sally Merrill, a freshman from Allegan, made five of her first nine shots, including three from three-pointers, and helped the Raiders build a 34-19 halftime lead. She would go on to score a game-high 19 points with five assists. The Raiders would cruise to their first win of the season, 69-46 after three losses to begin the season. Marlene Bussler and Grace Lodes each scored 11 points, with Bussler adding a game-high of six assists and four steals. The men's basketball team played its second overtime game of the year, this time prevailing 99-95. The Saints had a 12-point lead in the first half, but GRCC battled back and built an 11-point lead of their own in the second half. The Saints tied it up at 78 four minutes later, and forced overtime when Jared Dugner sank a three-pointer with 43 seconds left in regulation. In overtime, Aquinas scored the first basket, but GRCC’s Rico Wade hit a three on the following possession, giving the Raiders the lead that they wouldn't relinquish. All five GRCC starters scored in double figures, led by redshirt freshman Justus Clark, who scored 24 points and added a team-best seven assists. Andrew Moore added 20 points and four steals and Brockton Kohler knocked in 16 points including three long balls. Both teams will be in action on Nov. 17, hosting Calvin University’s junior varsity teams. The women’s teams tip-off first at 5:30 p.m. 

Nov. 15, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- 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. Madelynn Pohl has two jobs now. Pohl graduated last year from GRCC’s Manufacturing program and now works at Autocam Medical as a machinist. But she’s still a GRCC student, taking electives to transfer to Ferris State University for a bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering technology. She uses what she learned at GRCC in both roles. “My GRCC experience was valuable because it was so hands-on,” she said. “I also really appreciated a couple of the teachers I had throughout my associate degree. They taught me things that I use today, and I can help teach others at work the things they taught me.” One of her favorite classes was MN 200 – Intermediate Machine Operations. “We had a very small class size, and it allowed for Professor (Jeffery) Tyler to really help each and every one of us,” Pohl said. “All of my classmates really got to bond in that class because we helped each other out – and we had a lot of fun doing it!” GRCC gave her a place to grow and set her up for success. “I believe that it makes me a better student and employee because I went through the Tooling and Manufacturing program,” she said. Let GRCC help you start your story. The first chapter starts at grcc.edu/apply .

Nov. 13, 2021 - EAST PEORIA, Ill. - The Grand Rapids Community College women's basketball team played some of the nation's best teams in the annual Illinois Central College Tournament, but fell short twice, losing Saturday 78-55 to Parkland College. The team struggled against Illinois Central on Friday, falling 84-48. Illinois Central, ranked No.4 in the NJCAA Division II poll, jumped out to a 21-5 lead after the first quarter and never looked back. GRCC trimmed the 27-point halftime deficit to 18 late in the third quarter, but was unable to get closer. Marlene Bussler, of Battle Creek, was lone Raider in double figures with 12 points, and adding a team-best six assists. Grace Lodes, a West Catholic grad, chipped in nine points as a total of 11 players scored for the Raiders. In Saturday's match-up against the Parkland College, ranked No. 6, GRCC battled hard the first half, even having a 25-24 lead with four minutes in the second quarter, but the Parkland proved too tough in the second half, outscoring GRCC by 24 points the rest of the way. Allison Kellogg, of Jenison, was the lone Raider in double figures against the Parkland, with 10 points and five rebounds. Ten players scored in all for the Raiders with 24 points coming from the bench including seven from Audrey Harnish, of Kentwood and six from Karissa Ferry, of Chesaning.