Oct. 1, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College’s world-class teaching culinary program is gaining a new piazza allowing it to serve more guests and share the story of students’ journeys from Secchia Institute for Culinary Education to destinations around the globe. The new Secchia Piazza is a gift from the late Peter Secchia and his family, whose generosity and drive for excellence helped the Secchia Institute create state-of-the-art facilities, attract top faculty members, and prepare students for rewarding careers in the hospitality industry. “The Secchia Institute for Culinary Education has long been recognized as one of Grand Rapids’ best teaching and dining experiences, and Peter Secchia always believed our students are capable of great things,” said Dr. Kathryn K. Mullins, vice president for College Advancement and executive director of the GRCC Foundation. “These additions will create a beautiful setting to tell the story of the Secchia Institute and the opportunities it creates for students.”    The Secchia Piazza is located in GRCC’s Wisner-Bottrall Applied Technology Center, 151 Fountain St. NE and will be used by GRCC students, faculty and staff, and the greater community as an event space and a place to come to reflect and connect to the Secchia Institute. Designed by Progressive AE, the renovations will enclose an underused outdoor patio, and add a 31-foot-wide, 15-foot-tall, colorful "skycone" that will be one of the college’s most recognizable features. Granger Construction will oversee the project. A tondo -- a round floor pattern -- designed by GRCC artists will evoke the educational pathway students take from the Secchia Institute to culinary opportunities across the country and around the world. GRCC’s culinary program was renamed after Secchia and his wife, Joan, in 2007. The Pietro and Regina Amphitheater, named after Peter Secchia’s grandparents, was added in 2012. Peter’s Pub was launched in 2016 as part of GRCC’s Fountain Hill Brewery, tapping into the demand created by Grand Rapids’ growing craft beer industry.    

Oct. 1, 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 Bruné Garcia. As the service and technology coordinator for Student Life and Conduct, Bruné oversees something used by every GRCC student and employee: RaiderCards. RaiderCards are your student ID – and so much more. RaiderCards as part of GRCC’s ongoing commitment to campus safety. RaiderCards can be used for parking, point-of-sale registers on campus, cash-to-card machines, vending machines, printing, and, in some cases, door access. You can use your RaiderCard to check out materials in the Library, access the campus food pantry, and get into the Gerald R. Ford Fieldhouse and use the GRCC Fitness Center. A RaiderCard also is your ticket to free admission to GRCC sporting events and, through the Go See GR program , also the Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids Public Museum, Gerald R. Ford Museum, John Ball Zoo, and Grand Rapids Children's Museum. Bruné also is the main supervisor for the front desk staff at the Student Life and Conduct office where RaiderCards are printed, online photo submissions are approved, and where students can connect with other students through clubs and organizations. As a college student, Bruné remembers choosing GRCC because the tuition was affordable and it was close to where he lived. He started working at GRCC in 2004 as a student in the Ford Fieldhouse as a lifeguard. After graduating from GRCC with an associate degree, Bruné worked in the Enrollment Center while attending Ferris State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. Bruné later moved to Student Life and Conduct, where he and his team are ready to help!  As an alum and employee, Bruné knows the ins and outs of GRCC. If you have a question he's unfamiliar with, he and his team will get you to the right person. "The feeling of knowing that I can make a difference is what gets me excited about coming to work here," Bruné says. "What moves me to connect with students is the knowledge that I’m supported by my team.  I'll always have someone to ask for help with finding the right answer." You can connect with Bruné and his team in the Student Life office on the first floor of GRCC's Student Center.   

Sept. 30, 2021 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Not only did all the students in Grand Rapids Community College’s Radiologic Technology program pass their certification exam – they passed on their first attempt! Students have a year after earning their Associate of Applied Arts and Sciences in Radiologic Technology to pass the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists exam. With the success of a GRCC student taking the exam in June, the class of 2020 has a 100% passing rate with all 18 graduates. GRCC Radiologic Technology students take five clinical courses at area hospitals – putting them on the front lines as essential workers during the pandemic, noted program director Julie Lackscheide. “All radiographers come in contact with COVID 19 patients on a daily basis,” she said. “They are one of the first contacts for patients, performing diagnostic testing to assist in their treatment plan. With the many challenges the pandemic brought to the tail end of their education, our students found support in each other, along with their clinical sites. We are very proud of how our students met these challenges and grateful for the support they receive from our healthcare community. They are wonderful additions to our profession." GRCC’s program, accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology, prepares students for certification in general radiography, magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography.