Nov. 9, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., -- A print shop, a jewelry store, and the zoo aren’t typical places a classical guitarist might be found. But Grand Rapids Community College music instructor Jonathan Marshall says the pandemic brought dramatic changes to the arts – including how and where people can perform. Musicians opted for virtual performances during COVID-19. For his upcoming “Familiar Places” virtual concert, Marshall decided to bring his guitar to many places people go to for work or pleasure – but not necessarily to enjoy a concert. “The idea for this event came to me in a dream, but I believe that the virtual performance world is in its infancy,” he said. “COVID and its restrictions have spurred concertizers and musicians to come up with innovative ideas for the virtual platform. There are many untapped performance and marketing ideas that have yet to be discovered.” Among his destinations: Robinette's Orchard, Swift Printing, Paul Medawar Jewelers, Bosgraaf Homes, Ludus Ticketing Co. in Holland, John Ball Zoo Park, St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids, the Grand Rapids Public Museum, Sawyers Brewing Co. in Montague, RIT Music store, Indian Mounds Road, and on campus at the Linn Maxwell Keller Recital Hall. The performance will debut online at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 11, and will be available afterward. Viewing is free, although people are welcome to donate to support GRCC’s International Guitar Series. Access is through a link here. Marshall is the Guitar Series director, and he already has offered a number of virtual classical guitar performances in more traditional settings. Innovative virtual performances could allow more people to experience the concerts. No longer limited to people in attendance, the performances could be attended virtually by anyone, anywhere. “The purpose of the International Guitar Series was to bring excellent guitar performances to our community,” he said. “But we now not only have a local following, but a national and international one as well, due to the virtual option. The series plans to move to live performances in the winter of 2022, but the virtual option will remain available to our external following.” Marshall said he selected locations for “Familiar Places” based on connections or just because he thought they might be interesting. The program will showcase composers of the Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassical, and 20th-century eras, and includes three pieces he composed. Marshall has taught at GRCC for 12 years, and also owns Jonathan Marshall Guitars, a classical guitar dealership. He performs solo and with fellow GRCC instructor Brian Morris.

Nov. 8, 2021 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — When the rubble and dust settle after a disaster, area chefs will be ready to step up to help through special training hosted by Grand Rapids Community College’s Secchia Institute for Culinary Education and the City of Grand Rapids. Chefs from area hotels, restaurants and hospitals will join GRCC instructors for Chef Relief Training on Nov. 22 and 23. Famed chef José Andrés, founder of the nonprofit World Central Kitchen, launched the intensive training course this year to prepare chefs to safely and effectively provide meals for their communities after a disaster.  Werner Absenger, program director for the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education, notes that the course is based on World Central Kitchen’s real-world experience in the aftermath of countless manmade and natural disasters. “The WCK training will help us prepare for events that hopefully will never happen,” Absenger said. “But should it, we will have a solid plan in place to provide food to aid first responders and the community in dealing with the aftermath of disaster and minimizing its deleterious effects.” Allison Farole, Grand Rapids’ emergency management administrator, said the training, which GRCC is providing for free, gives the city an important resource. “I am excited to see this partnership established to help build resilience in our community and ensure we are setting up local chefs and our hospitality industry up for success to recover from any disaster,” she said.  The chefs participating in the training will practice what they learn, sharing the results with GRCC’s Student Food Pantry.  “We at the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education are super geeked to collaborate with the city of Grand Rapids,” Absenger said. “Thank you to Doug Matthews and Allison Farole for helping to bring leaders from the city, local chefs and GRCC faculty and staff together for this important training.” The chefs participating in the training will practice what they learn, sharing the results with GRCC’s Student Food Pantry. 

Nov. 8, 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. A notable achievement in Loyd Winer’s career was designing the original runways and taxiways for Gerald R. Ford International Airport. He now devotes much of his time and resources giving back to the school that helped him take off and soar. Winer’s father had a sixth-grade education; his mother earned her GED diploma – at the age of 71. His dad paid for Winer’s sister to attend Michigan State University, but when Winer graduated from high school, he was told to get a job at Michigan Bell as he wasn’t college material. Michigan Bell told Winer that he needed at least a two-year degree to be hired, so he enrolled at what was then Grand Rapids Junior College. He paid his own way by working while attending and graduated in 1950. Winer – now definitely college material – went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from MSU. After serving in the Navy, Winer worked on engineering projects around the world, started his own company, and served as an expert witness in building failure and liability cases. For Winer, success is meant to be shared: “God is first; others are second, and I’m third.” He has 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. These subjects were just as much a passion for Suzanne Winer and for her husband. Suzanne Winer, who passed away in 2018, graduated with honors from MSU with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. Their children and many of their grandchildren have found careers in the STEM fields. Winer is grateful to the college that set him on his career path and is happy he can help current and future students achieve their dreams. “It’s an excellent community college, and there are so many students who need support,” he said. To contribute to the Loyd and Suzanne Winer Scholarship – or any other scholarships offered through the GRCC Foundation, follow this link: grcc.edu/donate . Let GRCC help you start your story. The first chapter starts at grcc.edu/apply .

Nov. 6, 2021 - GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Grand Rapids Community College's women’s and men’s basketball teams hosted the St. Clair County Community College on Saturday with the women losing a tough one in overtime 68-59, while the men came back to win 89-84. Grace Lodes, a freshman from Comstock Park, began her college career with a stellar performance. But GRCC couldn't hold on to an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter. Lodes scored 20 points and 15 rebounds, adding five assists and five blocks in 43 minutes of action. Sally Merrill, a freshman from Allegan, gave the Raiders the lead 52-41 with 6:16 left in the fourth quarter. But the Skippers went on a 16-4 run to take a one-point lead with just two seconds remaining. Merrill, who scored 16 points and had eight rebounds, was fouled on the next possession and made one basket from the line to force the extra period. St. Clair County then scored 11 of the 13 points in overtime to take the win. It wasn’t the outcome head coach David Glazier said the team has worked for, but he's excited to watch this squad grow and is looking forward to seeing it compete next weekend in Illinois. "I thought the second quarter was by far the best basketball this group has played in its short time here," Glazier said, noting the team shot 53% and put up a game-high 19 points. "The players understand putting four quarters of consistent team basketball is how we find success." The men's basketball game featured 10 lead changes and 11 ties. A 13-4 Skippers run gave the visitors their biggest lead of the night in the second half, but the back-to-back field goals and two free throws by sophomore Andrew Moore made it an 80-78 lead with 2:44 remaining and his Raiders would hold on for the victory, the first for head coach Joe Fox. Moore, a Forest Hills Northern High School grad, led the Raiders with 24 points, including 13 of them from the charity stripe. Moore, who played in all 40 minutes against St. Clair County, was coming off a 32-point performance in Monday's season opener. Justus Clark, a redshirt freshman from Farmington Hills, added 18 points and a game-high eight assists while freshmen Rico Wade, of Atlanta, Ga., and Myron Brewer, a freshman from Grand Rapids, scored 17 and 15 points, respectively. The men will be back at home Nov. 9 to take on Delta College.  The women travel to Illinois Central College Nov. 12 for a two-day tournament against the fourth- and sixth-ranked teams in the latest National Junior College Athletic Association Division II poll.  

Nov. 6, 2021, PORT HURON, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College volleyball team's season came to end after losing to Terra State Community College in Saturday's NJCAA Region XII Great Lakes B Tournament championship. GRCC dropped its opening match of the tournament to Muskegon Community College on Thursday. But the team responded by sweeping both opponents on Friday, and got a chance at redemption against the Jayhawks in the semi-finals. GRCC swept the Muskegon 25-18, 25-19, and 25-21 to advance to the championship against Terra State Community College of Ohio, ranked No. 7 in the nation. GRCC fell short in a hard-fought match. This season reminded the GRCC assistant coach Amanda Glaza of 2017, when the team suffered a loss to No. 1- ranked Owens Community College at the regional final. GRCC was ranked No. 3 at the time. "We knew it was going to be an uphill battle after losing our first match to a very good Muskegon Community College team,” she said. “But winning five in a row is tough, and I think we just ran out of gas in the end.  A ton of credit goes to Terra State. It has a very great team and played amazing. It will do very well in Iowa and deserves to represent our region." After falling behind by nine in the opening set against Terra State, the Raiders - ranked No. 6 in the nation - clawed back to make it just a one-point game. But the Titans would hang on for a 25-23 win.  After losing the second set 25-19, GRCC made a few adjustments and was ahead late – but could not close the door on the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference champs. GRCC had three set points, but lost 26-24 to win their second straight district title. The loss ends the Raiders’ season with a 24-7 overall record. Terra State, which has not lost since getting swept by the GRCC on Oct. 3, will head back to the NJCAA DII National Tournament with an impressive 35-3 record.  GRCC’s Annie Holesinger and Audrey Torres were named to the All-Tournament team after outstanding play over the past three days. Holesinger, a sophomore from Rockford, had a match-high 15 kills against Muskegon in Saturday's opener. Torres had 11 against the Jayhawks and a team-high 10 against Terra State. Some of the highlights for GRCC this season was an 18-match winning streak spanning 66 days, a 10th conference title, finishing 14-0 in Western Conference play, and an MCCAA Championship, the team’s fifth in the last six years. Regional tournament statistical leaders: Kills: Torres, 50; Holesinger, 49; Kara Hecht, 36; Kylie Oberlin, 20; Karissa Ferry, 16; Eliza Thelen, 14. Assists: Shannon Russell, 156; Ola Nowak 23. Digs: Nowak, 52; Torres, 49; Audrey Gower, 39; Hecht, 25; Russell, 30; Morgan Fugate, 10. Blocks: Holesinger, 16; Ferry, 9; Oberlin and Thelen, 7; Hecht, 6. Aces: Russell, 9; Torres, 8; Nowak and Hecht, 6. Post-season awards are scheduled to be announced Nov. 8.

Nov. 5, 2021 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College’s Native American Student Organization has partnered with the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education on an event focused on sharing Anishinaabe history and culture. The Decolonizing Diet Project Culinary Speaker Events, offered online 6-8:30 p.m. Nov. 8, will feature a panel of experts discussing the topics of food sovereignty, clean water, land access, foraging and cooking as a way of learning traditions. The speakers are: Dr. Martin Reinhardt, a Native American Studies professor at Northern Michigan University and president of the Michigan Indian Education Council. Frank Sprague, drummer from the Gun Lake Band Potawatomi Nation tribal elder Turtle Clan. Camren Stott, an Anishinaabe personal chef, a Grand Valley State University advisor and co-owner of Thirteen Moons Kitchen. Myriah Williams, a GRCC alumna and Gun Lake youth specialist now attending graduate school at NMU. Williams and Stott will lead a live cooking demonstration, and Sprague will open and close the event. In-person registration for the event has closed but you can still sign up to participate online through the link here . You can also find a QR code on the NASO Facebook page here . The culinary speaker series is funded, in part, through a grant NASO received from the Native American Heritage Fund in 2019. The student organization also sponsored a trip to the Ziibiwing Center of Anishinaabe Culture and Lifeways in Mount Pleasant. "The GRCC NASO would like to thank the Native American Heritage Fund board members for awarding us this grant back in the fall of 2019," GRCC NASO President Rachel Beecher said. "As our grant proposal states, the GRCC Education and Reconciliation Project will create educational opportunities for students, faculty, staff and the greater community that will enable individuals to learn about Anishinaabe history and heritage as a way to foster awareness, dialog, understanding, and reconciliation. NASO accepted this opportunity with humble hearts and have diligently worked with much enthusiasm and excitement ever since. We understand the importance of further enriching GRCC and the greater Grand Rapids community with events that delve into the hidden histories and present day happenings of the Anishinaabe peoples and culture."   Beecher said the vision behind this grant work was a healing cycle, or medicine wheel, representing four quadrants as directions: truth, talk, teach, and tell. "This imagery is important to me as it represents a teaching tool, a reminder that we should all learn the obscure truth of our past, talk towards reconciliation, teach the community about its various rich cultures, and tell the next generation to continue this vital work," she said. "In keeping with that imagery and after a long COVID-19 pause, we created the second half of this NAHF grant work, our Decolonizing Diet Project Event." Beecher said she found myself going beyond just those four directions and began to further understand it as seven directions, like the seven grandfather teachings. "Thanks to the NAHF grant, Secchia Institute, GRCC NASO faculty advisor, and our Anishinaabe panelists, I worked to talk with community members gaining more wisdom, I lovingly helped teach the hidden histories of our past, I bravely researched and asked about the lack of Anishinaabe (female) perspectives within our classrooms, I respectfully asked elders about traditions all while fostering that much needed dialogue, and I held a mirror up to the circle for more transparency encouraging honesty and humility here at GRCC and beyond. Miigwech, Thank you for this opportunity, it was my chance to help give back to my people, a promise made many years ago during an eagle feather graduation ceremony."   About 0.5% of GRCC students identify as Native Americans, according to GRCC Institutional Research and Planning. NASO, which is open to all students, has hosted film screenings and discussion panels, taken part in a Ghost Supper, and participated in cultural activities with preschoolers in the Phyllis Fratzke Early Childhood Learning Laboratory.

Nov. 5, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- When Penelope Jones saw the chance for a tuition-free degree at Grand Rapids Community College, she knew she had to take it. Never mind she’s 70 years old. “My whole life, I always wanted to go to college. So, when I heard about Futures for Frontliners , I knew if I didn’t walk through that door, it might never be open again,” said Jones, a Kentwood grandmother of five. Futures for Frontliners is a state scholarship program for Michiganders who worked frontline jobs in essential industries during the state's COVID-19 shutdown. The scholarship provides eligible frontline workers with free in-district tuition to pursue an associate degree or a certificate at their local community college. Futures for Frontliners and Michigan Reconnect have proven wildly popular for West Michigan adult learners. At GRCC, 24% of students this fall -- 3,017 out of 12,685 -- are enrolled in the scholarship programs. Jones qualified for the free tuition because she worked at a local FedEx office facility throughout the pandemic. But she’s certainly no stranger to hard work. Her hefty resume includes a lifetime of work with Grand Rapids-area nonprofits, businesses, a municipality and a hospital, among others. Her longtime husband, Eric D. Jones Sr., was pastor of the former Agape Christian Ministries International, where she also worked. Together, they raised three sons. After her husband died in 2017, Jones moved in with her son David and his family. She retired from FedEx in June after nearly 15 years as a store consultant. But Jones isn’t one to sit idle. “I believe in staying busy and staying current,” she said. “So much I’ve seen has changed with the world going global and digital, and I said, ‘I need to know how to make it in that kind of world.’ “A GRCC degree is my opportunity to dust the cobwebs off, to be current and see where it leads me.” This fall, she began her first semester with two virtual courses: business management and English 101. While the classes are challenging, she felt prepared after this summer’s FastTrack, a three-week learning lab at GRCC that helped strengthen her academic and study skills. In FastTrack, Jones worked with a success coach to brush up on her writing skills and then tested well enough to sidestep the need for additional developmental courses. “Mrs. Jones pushed herself by taking advantage of everything FastTrack offers and really set herself up for success,” said Sulari White, a GRCC academic advisor. “She is an amazing, inspirational and dedicated student.” So, what’s ahead? Jones said she’s hopeful her business coursework will give her the expertise to serve on local boards as a well-informed – and active – participant. “I don’t know exactly what I’ll be doing -- but I will not be sitting on my hands,” she said. The story was reported by Beth McKenna for GRCC.

Nov. 4, 2021, PORT HURON, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College volleyball team will have to fight its way through the consolation bracket if it wants to return to NJCAA DII National Tournament after losing 3-1 to Muskegon Community College in the opening round at the NJCAA Region XII Great Lakes B Tournament. Muskegon, which lost to GRCC in both regular season matchups, defeated the MCCAA conference champions 25-16, 19-25, 25-22, 25-13 to advance to the winner's bracket final against Terra State Community College on Friday at 8 p.m. Head coach Chip Will said he was disappointed with the outcome, but believes the team has plenty of fight left in it. "We've been in this position before," Will reminded his players. "We've come out of the consolation bracket before, and I believe this team has what it takes to do it again." GRCC is set to take on Glen Oaks Community College Friday at 2 p.m. If the team wins, it will face either Kalamazoo Valley or Lansing Community College in a 6 p.m. match-up. To get back to the national tournament, GRCC – ranked sixth in the nation -- will have to win two matches on Friday and then three matches on Saturday. Statistical Leaders: Kills: Audrey Torres, 10; Kara Hecht, 9; Annie Holesinger, 8. Assists: Shannon Russell, 29; Ola Nowak, 16. Digs: Torres, 15; Audrey Gower, 12. Blocks: Eliza Thelen and Kylie Oberlin, 3. Aces: Torre and Russell, 2; Nowak, 1. 

Nov. 4, 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 Ashley Fox. Ashley is here to help in the Student Life and Conduct office. As the assistant director her goal is to connect students with student organizations, or to help create new student organizations, all of which will enrich their time here at GRCC. "Getting involved can easily expand your circle of friends, and is a great way to stay motivated about your personal or academic interests, even if you’re still deciding," she said. "I co-advise Student Alliance and the Garden Club, and it is life giving! If you're curious about how to get involved, stop in and we’ll talk!" Working in the office of Student Life allows Ashley to get to know students for who they are who they aspire to be. She knows building community with staff and faculty on campus is important for a student's academic and personal development. Ashley attended GRCC right out of high school and was the first in her family to go to college. Everything was new and unfamiliar to her. "I remember feeling pressure to perform well in school while balancing work and family commitments, among other life circumstances," she said. "At the time, I didn’t know what college was supposed to be, or feel like, but I knew I loved learning and enjoyed being in downtown, Grand Rapids."  At first Ashley did not know what career she wanted to aim for, but she knew what to study, and kept taking classes -- moving towards what gave her energy, while ruling out what was not a good fit. "It didn’t always feel like I was making progress," she said "But I knew to keep trying." Fortunately, there were staff and faculty who encouraged Ashley to broaden her horizons and try new things on- and off-campus. She is glad she was challenged to step out of her comfort zone. Outside of her self-perceived limits, she experienced job shadowing, working as an intern, volunteering in the community, traveling, researching, and meeting new people via student orgs. Those new experiences helped her consider and discard many career options, and moved her forward on her educational journey. Those experiences also helped her build her community, and gave her a sense of belonging that helped her stay committed to her education. "Fast forward to today, it’s no surprise that my work here on campus is fueled by my own college experiences and the culture of care that is so valued at GRCC," she said. After graduating from GRCC, Ashley attended GVSU to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in social and cultural perspectives on education. She continued at GVSU to earn a Master of Education with an emphasis in college student affairs leadership. Ashley wants students to know that she understands how hard it can be hard to walk into unfamiliar spaces on campus, even when the stakes are low. But she encourages everyone to take the leap, and wants them to know that you have a place in Student Life. "Come in and find a comfortable spot to take a break between classes and to be yourself," she said. You can connect with Ashley and the Student Life team on the first floor of GRCC’s Student Center, or by emailing studentlife@grcc.edu or calling (616) 234-4160.

Nov. 3, 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. Today we are putting the spotlight on one of our own. John Doane has only 20 days left with GRCC Job Training students as he is retiring in December after 33 years of inspiring others. “When I started at what was then GRJC in January of 1989, I was an instructor for the Furniture Finishing Program for GRJC Occupational Training. It was located in a small building over on the corner of Leonard and Ball,” he said. Doane has seen a lot of changes at both GRCC and in the field of construction trades training over the last three decades. “The requirements for our faculty now include both industry experience but also credentials in teaching. This really elevated our level of teaching. Another major shift was when our programs became eligible for financial aid. Most of our students qualify for some financial help, if not all of their program getting paid. “The big changes in the construction industry have really focused on safety. We never used to teach anything on safety, if you can believe that! Now we teach OSHA 10 and safety protocols on a daily basis. The other change has been in the area of sustainability, energy efficiency and green building practices. Both of these have been winning improvements for the students.” Doane started the Intro to Construction Job Training program in 2002, when Job Training moved into the Leslie E. Tassell M-TEC. It was the first program GRCC offered in the construction trades. Now Job Training offers Residential and Electrical as well. “I really found my calling when I switched from manufacturing to teaching. The best part of this job is working with students. I love interacting with students! Helping them, seeing them flourish and seeing them get opportunities that they otherwise wouldn’t have gotten had it not been for our programs. I love teaching!” Doane will be retiring but will still have his hand on a hammer. His daughter is an interior designer and has an Airbnb business, and he’ll be helping her expand her business. Doane and his wife, who also recently retired, love to travel, and will be doing some of that too. “I’ve been very fortunate. The faculty, staff and supervisors I have worked with have been a joy!” 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.