Sept. 4, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The Grand Rapids Community College cross country teams faced stiff competition in the first meet of the season, racing against some of the best teams in the country in NCAA D2, NCAA D3, and the NAIA. GRCC was the only community college team competing in the event, the Calvin Knight Invitational. The men’s team finished in 11 th place out of 12 teams, and the women’s team was in ninth place out of 10 teams.    The cross country teams are coming off a successful 2020 season, with both finishing in the top 10 nationally and three runners earning All-American honors. New men’s team coach Garrett Lacy said he was excited just to see all 15 runners healthy and ready to go on the start line. When he came to GRCC two years ago the team had just three runners competing at the first race. “Our men fought very hard against some intense competition, probably the toughest field they will face all season long against teams from NCAA D2, NCAA D3, and NAIA,” said Lacy, who was assistant coach last season. “There were top 25 teams in the country from all three of those divisions in the race today. This environment was more competitive than what we will even see at our national meet, and that big meet experience is invaluable.” The men were led by freshman Coleman Clark, who was out in front of GRCC from start to finish in an impressive time of 26:48 for the 8k distance. Coleman was followed closely by redshirt freshman Brian Frazee in a time of 27:14, finishing in 77th place overall; redshirt freshman Andrew Periard, at 27:47 and 94th place; redshirt freshman Joshua Kipkoech at 28:14 and 112th place; and freshman Christian Martinez-Ramos at 28:16 and 113th place. Other GRCC finishers included freshman Derek Hopkins in 29:14, 141st place; freshman Lucas Schneider in 29:17, 142nd place; redshirt freshman Jaydon Moleski in 29:33, 145th place; freshman Craig Fuller in 29:56, 152nd place; redshirt freshman Lance Jourdan in 30:07, 157th place; redshirt freshman Ashton Brennan in 30:17, 159th place; redshirt freshman Gabriel Sanchez in 30:36, 163rd place; freshman Sam Kikstra in 30:45, 165th place; freshman Zachary Richards in 30:59, 169th place; and freshman Caleb Peterson in 31:05; 170th place. “We are off to a good start to achieve everything that we set out to achieve at the start of this year, and we will use this experience and learn from it and come back to this same course two weeks from now for our own home invitational and look to be even better than we were today," Lacy said. The women’s team found 2020 All-American Audrey Meyering and newcomer Kaylee Scott working together the first mile of the race. At the one-mile mark and after the steep hill, Scott was feeling better and was able to propel away from Audrey, maintaining her 6:30 pace. Scott finished a solid 40th place among very talented runners from NCAA D2, GLIAC & NAIA schools, with a final 6K time of 24:32, a 6:35-per-mile pace. Meyering focused her attention on pushing through the race with “heavy legs” as best she could, maintaining a respectable race pace and not falling too far back from her teammate and finished in 60th place with an average pace of 6:49 per mile. Scott ran like a seasoned veteran despite being a freshman in her very first college race. “The event today was a great experience for Kaylee,” women’s coach Sharon Becker said. “She proved today that she is on path to be able to compete alongside All-American Audrey Meyering as a top runner in the MCCAA Conference and at the NJCAA Region 12 – and even at NJCAA D2 Championships. Both of GRCC’s new runners, Kaylee and Rose Meyer, ran very well today. They both will continue to get better throughout their season and will make a great contribution to our team.” GRCC’s Elizabeth Meyering finished in 73 rd place with a time of 26:10; Allison Hoop finished in 78 th place with a time of 26:31; Meyer was 84 th with a time of 27:06; and Alexzandria Webster was in 102 nd with a time of 28:52. “We are only finishing our fourth week of training together as a team,” Becker said. “At practices and at our overnight team camp, we have talked a lot about the importance of making progress through small steps - and to work on the process - to not focus on only the end results.”

Sept. 3, 2021 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- A five-year, $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education will allow Grand Rapids Community College to help adult learners enter or return to higher education. GRCC will use the grant to create a TRIO Educational Opportunities Center, where unemployed or low-wage workers and other adult students can work with campus specialists to connect with counseling and receive information on admissions and support services. Educational Opportunities Center programs offer academic and personal counseling, tutoring and mentoring, career workshops, student financial assistance and help with completing the college admission process. The centers support a range of adult learners, including those with limited proficiency in English, those with disabilities, those facing housing insecurity, people aging out of the foster care system, and other members of groups that are traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary education. The TRIO program also supports students who are low-income or are potential first-generation college students. “A community thrives when all of its members have access to higher education,” GRCC President Bill Pink said. “We appreciate this support from the U.S. Education Department to help GRCC connect residents with services that can help them be successful on their educational pathway.”  Educational Opportunities Centers, launched in 1972, are part of a set of federal programs known as TRIO, which is authorized by the Higher Education Act to help low-income, first-generation students and those with disabilities succeed in higher education. During the 2020-2021 fiscal year, 139 Educational Opportunity Centers served more than 192,000 adult learners. “As systemic inequality and financial hardship discourage students from succeeding in college, TRIO programs like EOC take on new importance because they continue to help guide unemployed and underemployed workers and returning high school and college students toward earning a degree,” said Maureen Hoyler, president of the nonprofit Council for Opportunity in Education in Washington, D.C.

Sept. 2, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Kylie Oberlin racked up a match-high 11 kills to lead the Grand Rapids Community College volleyball team to a 3-0 win in its conference opener against Glen Oaks Community College on Thursday.   The No. 16-ranked Raiders (4-5, 1-0 in MCCAA) defeated the Vikings (4-2, 1-1) by a score of 25-22, 26-24, 25-16. Oberlin, a third-year starting middle from Fruitport, had her best outing of the season, hitting at a .556 clip, and had just one hitting error to go with her match high 11 kills. She also tallied two blocks and even picked up an assist. Annie Holesinger of Rockford finished with nine kills and two blocks and Audrey Torres of Caledonia tallied nine kills and a match-high 12 digs. Morgan Fugate of Wayland contributed with seven kills and eight digs. In her first match of the year in the libero jersey, redshirt freshman Kara Hecht of Zeeland tallied 11 digs, received a team-high 16 serves and even had an ace. Statistical Leaders: Kills: Oberlin, 11; Torres and Holesinger, 9; Fugate, 7; Ola Nowak, 3; Haley Dobry 2. Assists: Nowak, 32. Digs: Torres, 12; Hecht 11; Fugate, 8; Gower 4. Blocks: Holesinger, Oberlin and Nowak, 2. Aces: Nowak, 4; Torres, 2; Hecht, Gower and Kruger, 1. Conference play continues for the Raiders on Tuesday, Sept. 7 as the team travels to Muskegon Community College. GRCC will be back at the Ford Fieldhouse next Thursday, Sept. 9 as it takes on Lake Michigan College. 

Sept. 2, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College is planning vaccination clinics at two Grand Rapids locations on Sept. 8 and at the new GRCC Lakeshore Campus on Sept. 14, part of an effort to help students, employees and community members have access to an effective COVID-fighting tool. Vaccines were administered to 25 people at the Aug. 28 Raider Rally event, helping students take advantage of a $200 vaccination incentive. More than 2,000 students have registered so far for the incentive, one of several measures GRCC has taken to promote safety and wellness as students returned to campus for the fall 2021 semester. The upcoming clinics are open to the public, as well as students and employees. The Sept. 8 clinics are planned for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in front of Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall, 143 Bostwick Ave. NE in Grand Rapids as part of an Involvement Day activity, and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Leslie E. Tassell M-TEC, 622 Godfrey Ave. SW in Grand Rapids. Another vaccination clinic is planned for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 14 at the GRCC Lakeshore Campus, 12335 James Street in Holland.   Eligible students can receive a $200 credit on their RaiderCards to use for campus dining, parking, printing, and in the bookstore. The vaccination incentive program is available to students enrolled in an in-person, hybrid, virtual, or online credit course, clock-hour Job Training program, or apprenticeship program that begins between Aug. 30 and Dec. 16, 2021. Eligible students must meet this enrollment definition at the time incentive funds are disbursed to their RaiderCards and have achieved fully vaccinated status any time on or before Nov. 15, 2021. To be considered for the incentive, students should log into their Online Center, select the “GRCC Vaccine Incentive” tile, and complete a brief form. There will be a place for students to upload a photo of their COVID-19 vaccination record card. Credits will be added to RaiderCards in September for students who have completed the process, and weekly thereafter as students become fully vaccinated and upload a photo of their card. The incentives are limited to GRCC students. Employees are ineligible. Additional information is available on the GRCC COVID information page. Additional vaccination location information is available at vaccinatewestmi.com .  

Aug. 19, 2021, HOLLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College and Ottawa County leaders are celebrating the opening of the new Lakeshore Campus and the transformation of a shuttered department store into a vibrant learning hub for students of all ages. Starting with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting on Thursday, GRCC plans three days of events intended to introduce the community to the opportunities created by the new campus, located in the former JCPenney in The Shops at Westshore mall. “The GRCC Lakeshore Campus reflects a vision of a community college education being accessible to everyone,” President Bill Pink said. “As we walk through this magnificent facility, you will be surprised that it was once a department store. But you will be amazed at how this revitalized space will help people change their lives and make this entire community stronger. We are taking higher education on the Lakeshore to a new level.” GRCC has offered classes on the Lakeshore, spread out in four locations, for more than 20 years. The new Lakeshore Campus consolidates resources and programs in the heart of Holland Township with access to public transportation, employers and services. The 52,000-square-foot facility has nine classrooms, four computer labs and five unique labs for biology, chemistry, electronics, automation, welding and machine tooling, housing programs for students working toward an associate degree or a career-focused certificate. The $12 million project also has spaces for advising and counseling and other student support services and a satellite library, as well as areas for use by community groups. GMB Architecture + Engineering designed the project, and construction was directed by The Christman Co. The building will be LEED certified, part of GRCC’s sustainability goals.  Donors to the project include the Brooks family, the Community Foundation for the Holland/Zeeland Area, Gentex Corp., GMB Architecture + Engineering, Haworth, Herman Miller, Hudsonville Ice Cream and the Patrick A. Thompson and Family. “The generous support for this project reflects Lakeshore residents recognizing the value of a community college and GRCC’s ability to help students of all ages fulfill their dreams,” said Dr. Kathryn K. Mullins, GRCC’s vice president of Advancement and executive director of the GRCC Foundation. “We embrace this community partnership, and know it will grow even stronger in the years to come.” Current class offerings can lead to an Associate of Arts, Associate of General Studies, and Associate of Applied Arts and Sciences-Industrial Maintenance Technology, as well as certificates in Industrial Maintenance, Industrial Technology, Tooling and Manufacturing, and Welding. Workforce Training programs include Welding Bootcamp, Certified Production Technician, Pharmacy Technician and other offerings. Continuing education and professional development will be available for a variety of sectors, as well as customized training and assessments.  The expanded space will increase GRCC’s partnerships with area employers, and plans call for additional programs, possibly in health care, early childhood education, and teaching. A community open house is planned for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 21, with opportunities for residents to come as visitors and leave as students, with experts from the Enrollment, Financial Aid, the Academic Advising, Student Records, Veterans Benefits, Student Life, Honors, TRiO, and the College Success Center all on site to help. Specialists at the open house also can help with admissions and registration, and help potential students learn if they are eligible for the Michigan Reconnect program or federal Pell grants, which could substantially reduce costs.