Oct. 7, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Four West Michigan chefs -- three with Grand Rapids Community College ties -- will compete in a live cooking competition to fund humanitarian relief and scholarships for Haiti. The third annual Chopped Grand Rapids kicks off at 6 p.m. tonight at GLC Live at 20 Monroe. The competition, based on the Food Network show “Chopped!,” features three rounds in which chefs create dishes from a mystery basket of ingredients. Tickets can be purchased at choppedgr.com . Facing off in the competition are: Jenn Fillenworth, a GRCC alumna and a Secchia Institute for Culinary Education instructor, and executive chef at Root Functional Medicine.  Trimell Hawkins, executive chef at Portico restaurant and an alumnus of GRCC’s Secchia Institute for Culinary Education. Oscar Moreno, executive chef at MeXo and the 2019 Chopped Grand Rapids winner. Luke VerHulst, executive chef at Reserve Wine and Food and an alumnus of GRCC’s Welding Technology program. Filllenworth has had success in competitions . She was the winner in Food Network’s “Supermarket Stakeout” television show in January. The game show requires chefs to stake out a grocery store parking lot and convince shoppers to sell them their purchases. The chefs then must create dishes based on different themes. Matt Sova and WOOD TV 8’s Rachel Ruiz will serve as emcees, and Martha’s Vineyard will provide a roaming dinner. The fundraiser also includes live and silent auctions. Proceeds will benefit victims of the August earthquake in Haiti and the nonprofit Power of Education, which provides education, nutrition and access to medical care to students in grades K-9 in Port-au-Prince.    

Oct. 6, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College volleyball player Annie Holesinger continues to gain recognition for her dominating performances on the court, earning MCCAA Western Conference Player of the Week honors for the third time this season. Holesinger, a sophomore middle blocker from Rockford, was saluted for her performances against Lansing Community College at the Raider Challenge, a tournament hosted by GRCC. Holesinger has earned the award in back-to-back weeks, after first being recognized in August.   GRCC has won 11 consecutive matches, and won four times in the last week -- including defeating No. 2 Owens Community College and No. 5 Terra State Community College. Holesinger totaled 59 kills, averaging 4.53 kills per set, and eight blocks across the four matches this past week. She currently ranks in the top-20 in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II rankings in kills and kills per set. The Raiders will look to stay in first place as they host Muskegon Community College on Oct. 7.  

Oct. 6, 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. As a 2019 graduate from Hamilton High School, Nash Diekevers was still figuring out what he wanted to do. “Before I enrolled at GRCC, I was working at a Sherwin Williams in their shipping and receiving area. I am one of three triplets and my mom is always looking for ideas and opportunities for us. She is how I found out about GRCC’s Job Training Computer Support Technician program. She saw my interest in computers even before I did. Growing up, I played video games and even built a computer myself. She connected the dots!” The program prepares students to achieve two certifications: the CompTIA A+ Certification and the Network+ Certification. Both of these IT certifications are globally recognized and represent in-demand skills sought by a wide array of employers. “At first, I was nervous about the cost, but then I started to research jobs and career potential and I knew it was going to be totally worth it! I started the program in February of this year,” he said. The Computer Support Technician Job Training Program is now offered in an entirely online format; however, there is still a personal element in the program. Instructor Moss Ingram stresses that should not deter anyone from taking the program. “We have structured the program in a way that provides flexibility but keeps the personal interaction necessary to be successful in the program and in the industry,” Ingram said. Diekevers credits Ingram for truly preparing him for his new job. “Moss Ingram is honestly the best teacher I have ever had!” he said. “The combination of his teaching style and my interest in the topic made this experience the best. It was awesome! At first, I thought I would rather be taught in person but the methods that are used really prepare you for how IT work is being done. Remote seems like the new standard.” Unlike many training programs that meet the needs of a specific market, any and all employers who use computer technology require computer support. Whether provided by a full-time employee or by a contracted managed services company, every company needs IT support. This program is designed to address Computer Support from four perspectives: technical, professionalism and employability, business innovation, and design. Students regularly meet local IT technicians, engineers, business owners, and recruiters via Zoom to learn from their experiences and current market expectations. Nash recently started a position through TEKsystems and is now on contract at Peckham. “I work remotely as a help desk person for them. I’m in training right now, learning their systems but the knowledge I gained from the CST program has been invaluable!” The topic of design is integrated throughout the program in order to best prepare students to satisfy the increasing and ever-changing demands and expectations of today’s IT users. “I have received my Comp TIA+ Certification and plan to gain more work experience and move toward adding more certifications and move up.”  “I had a real desire to make a difference in my life. I have a girlfriend, and a young son, and now a promising future!” GRCC has an unmatched reputation among employers for supplying West Michigan with work-ready technicians. Our graduates specialize in providing empathy for the people they support while solving complex problems using troubleshooting and design thinking methodologies. Students are also taught to focus on human-centered solutions and technology-based innovations for both colleagues and customers. The next Computer Support Technician Program sessions begins Oct. 18, 2021. Go to Grcc.edu/jobtraining for additional information.

Oct. 6, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College students who served in the military have a new support center aimed at connecting them with resources to be successful and be a part of a special campus community. U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer joined GRCC leaders Wednesday to cut the ribbon on the Veterans Center in the newly renovated G2 floor of Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall. GRCC President Bill Pink said the college has a history of being a veteran-friendly campus, and the new Veterans Center will increase the ways students connect with support services. “Our college has always been a place where student veterans are welcomed and supported,” Pink said. “This new Veterans Center will allow us to take this service to the next level. They’ll be able to connect with academic support, but also have a dedicated space to connect with people with shared experiences who are ready to help them with anything they need.” The U.S. Education Department awarded GRCC a grant in January to create the center, which will serve as a hub for planning and delivering services to students who have served in the armed services. Meijer, elected in 2020, was deployed to Iraq as a member of the U.S. Army Reserves and worked in Afghanistan for a nongovernmental organization delivering emergency assistance. “We are so proud of the veterans who have served their country, and the families who have supported them,” Meijer said. “We need to help them get the education they need as well as the support services to help with the transition from the military to college. GRCC’s new Veterans Center is the perfect example of how we can stand with them, and help them build on the skills they’ve already learned in their service to thrive long into the future.” The center will serve as a single point of contact, connecting veterans with campus resources, including financial aid, advising and disability support. The project also will expand GRCC's partnerships with state and local veteran's agencies, helping students access benefits and support in the community. The center will help with outreach efforts, making veterans in the community aware of opportunities at GRCC to earn credits for degrees or transfer and in-demand career skills. It will host workshops and speakers, and provide opportunities for networking and social events for the students. The center will include peer advising through a new Veteran2Veteran program, which provides peer support, outreach, and resources for student veterans through Peer Advisors for Veteran Education, including veterans supporting each other through the transition to college. Other services will include: One-on-one advising. Veterans Administration work-study positions. Tutoring and academic support. Assistance in completing the VA education benefits process. More than 400 GRCC students take advantage of existing veterans services, and the college hopes to grow that number to more than 500 in three years. Patrick Coleman, an Army veteran with a career in education and support services, is serving as the new veteran’s success coordinator and will oversee the center. Coleman worked in several roles with Michigan Works!, an agency that helps people gain in-demand skills and connect them with employers. He then became a business community liaison with the Gerald R. Ford Jobs Corps Center, and became executive director of 70x7 Life Recovery. He came to GRCC as an educational training specialist in 2020 after a post in state government. He’s also worked in the classroom, serving as an adjunct instructor at GRCC, Muskegon Community College, Davenport University, and ITT Technical Institute. Coleman will work with a Veterans Success Team that includes Janice Holton, GRCC’s benefits certifying official, who has long helped GRCC students best access their veteran’s benefits, and other staffers with military experience. Students can connect with the Veterans Center by phone at (616) 234-2578, and by email at veterans@grcc.edu. Additional information is at grcc.edu/veterans .    

Oct. 5, 2021, CENTREVILLE, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College volleyball team grinded out a win at Glen Oaks Community College on Tuesday, to stretch its winning streak to 11 matches. After dropping the first set 18-25, GRCC battled back to win the final three, 25-13, 25-20, 25-10. The Raiders, ranked seventh in the latest NJCAA Division II poll, hit .000 with 11 kills - 11 errors in the first set, but finished the match hitting .381 in the final set.  The win improved the Raiders to 14-5 and 8-0 in the conference. The Vikings dropped to 14-11 and 6-3. Redshirt freshman Kara Hecht, of Zeeland, finished with 6 kills, 7 digs and 2 solo blocks, and was especially happy with how the team pushed hard. "It's something when every team you play wants to beat you," Hecht said. "Tonight, against Glen Oaks, we ran into that. We started off steady, but a few calls and a few imperfect contacts made our job as a team challenging. With all excuses aside, we decided we needed to grind. What was happening on the other side of the net didn't matter, only how we were going to respond.  After we put our heads together and played like it was our last game, we got rewarded with the sweet feeling of victory and the ability to maintain our undefeated record." Freshman outside Audrey Torres, of Caledonia, led the 12 kills and 14 digs.  Annie Holesinger added 11 kills and freshman middle Eliza Thelen had a career-high 7 kills.  Ola Nowak led the defense with 16 kills. Statistical Leaders: Kills: Torres, 12; Holesinger, 11; Thelen, 7; Hecht, 6. Assists: Shannon Russell, 31. Digs: Nowak, 16; Torres, 14; Hecht, 7. Blocks: Karissa Ferry, 4; Holesinger, 3; Thelen, 3. Aces: Nowak, Morgan Fugate and Audrey Gower, 2; Hecht and Holesinger, 1. The Raiders will look to remain unbeaten in the conference as they host Muskegon Community College on Oct. 7 at 6:30 p.m. 

Oct. 4, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College’s Communications team earned top honors from a national college and communications and marketing organization for efforts to tell the story of First Lady Jill Biden’s visit and cards encouraging students to be resilient during the pandemic. The awards were among seven Medallion Awards earned by GRCC and presented by the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations District 3, which includes community, technical and junior colleges in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and the Canadian province of Ontario. Elly Bainbridge, education and promotion specialist in GRCC’s Leslie Tassell M-TEC, earned the organization's Communicator of the Year honors for highlighting Workforce Training students and programs. The GRCC team earned a Gold Medallion in the competition’s Government or Community Relations Campaign category for telling the story of Dr. Biden’s May visit to a campus popup COVID-19 vaccination clinic. The second Gold Medallion Award was for a series of cards sent to students following the fall 2020 and winter 2021 semesters, encouraging them to be resilient during the pandemic, and to know there are people on campus ready to support them through challenging times. “The branding and messaging was spot on in conveying resiliency and a culture of caring. The card is beautifully designed and impactful," judges wrote. “Great idea! Nice, clean images with a strong impact. Well done.” GRCC’s Instagram account, @grandrapidscc, earned a Silver Medallion in the Social Media category. The college also earned a Silver Medallion for the Workforce Wednesday series in the Successful DEI Marketing Campaign category. The weekly series profiles Workforce Training students, sharing how gaining in-demand skills is changing their lives. A logo celebrating the new GRCC Lakeshore Campus earned a Bronze Medallion in the Logo Design category. A video created by GRCC’s Media Technologies team featuring alum York Tardy earned a Bronze Medallion in the Video-Long Form category. Tardy, a project superintendent for Christman Company, spoke about his GRCC education prepared him for his career and overseeing the transformation of the former JCPenney in the Shops at Westshore into the new GRCC Lakeshore Campus. The Media Technologies team also collaborated on a series of radio ads calling for people to attend last year’s virtual open houses. The series earned a Bronze Medallion in the Radio Advertisement category.