A School News network feature --  It’s almost 1 p.m. in Grand Rapids Community College’s Recital Hall and as professor Shannon Shaker takes the podium, she signals her wind ensemble to quiet their instruments for the start of class. Shaker’s students start tuning their instruments, preparing themselves for an hour and a half of practicing music for their upcoming spring concert. After warming up, Shaker, GRCC’s new director of bands, began conducting “Planet B,” written by Ukrainian composer Catherine Likhuta. She counted off three intro beats, took a breath and the sounds of trumpets, flutes and percussion swelled. Third-year GRCC student and percussionist Zane Goldsmith praised Shaker for her growing success as conductor over a short period of time during a break between pieces. “We experienced a bit of an awkward transition last semester having a new director to get used to, but Professor Shaker is so musically talented,” Goldsmith said. “She picks great pieces, expects a lot more and knows how to get us to grow and produce a higher quality of music.” GRCC students Jonah Walters, left, and Joe Schimmelmann play alto saxophone in the wind ensemble Trailblazing Through Music Shaker is a woman on a mission to make music education more accessible and inclusive at the college level.  “This position is a dream come true,” Shaker said. “GRCC truly offers high quality music education, and it’s really a place where we can take students as they are and help take them where they want to be, no matter their prior experience.” As the first female in the role, Shaker seeks to advocate for the inclusion of equitable and inclusive practices into her teaching and research to ensure everyone has access to a high-quality music education. “This department and the people in this school are seeking out diverse voices and people who are changemakers in their fields,” she said. “It’s great to be in a community where they see the value I bring to the table.” Student and alto saxophone player Jonah Walters agrees with Shaker that the “end goal of music education shouldn’t be to churn out highly skilled musicians.” “Studying music is about enjoyment and striving for personal mastery,” Walters said. “We’re iron sharpening iron and sounding really good after (Shaker) only being with us a short time.” Becoming Professor Shaker As a high school sophomore, Shaker decided she wanted to be a band director. Despite growing up in poverty, she became a first-generation college student and graduated from Central Michigan University in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in music education. “I am a first-generation student. I’m here with a doctorate now and along that way there were a lot of times when I wasn’t sure I was good enough to pursue my career,” Shaker said. I kept doing the next right step to get there, and if you find the right people, anything is possible.”  Job searching fresh out of college during an economic recession proved difficult, but Shaker traveled to Colorado for an opportunity to teach music. “Music teaching jobs were in short supply, so when I was offered a job teaching elementary music, I took it,” Shaker said. She moved back to Michigan to teach music in Ypsilanti schools, while she researched and applied to master’s programs. She returned to Central Michigan to complete her master’s degree of music in wind conducting. “I conducted some of (CMU’s) bands, assisted with music education and conducting classes, and I fell in love with working with undergrads,” Shaker said. “I thought, ‘I want to do this at the higher ed level and this is the group I’m really meant to teach.’” During graduate school, she began noticing the gender bias present in music education. “I was in my third year of graduate school when I realized I had never programmed one piece of music by a woman,” she said. “I hadn’t taken the time to learn any music by women composers or teach them to my students when I was teaching in public schools.” Frustrated, she completed a doctorate of musical arts in wind conducting from Arizona State University to eventually work in higher education and increase equity and diversity for future music educators. “As a teacher, I have full control over the music that my band plays, which means I can choose music that accurately reflects our students and their cultures and incorporates diverse composers,” Shaker said. Conducting the wind ensemble class at GRCC this semester, Shaker says her students love learning a variety of new music. “A music education student who only experiences music written by white men will only have those experiences to draw on later when they select the music to teach their own students,” she added. Shaker also works to diversify the guest artists and clinicians brought into her classes, to provide “a wealth of resources, voices and topics” for her students to learn and one day, incorporate into their teaching.  ‘You Don’t Have to Be the Best’  Shaker envisions living in a “society of musicians” at GRCC where people “never have to stop playing their instrument” because of money or because they do not wish to pursue music as a career. “Not everyone needs to major in music, but having those opportunities provides more people in the community with a place to come and experience really wonderful music education,” she said.   Next fall, GRCC is bringing back their campus band, designed for non-music majors who would like to continue playing a band instrument in college or music majors performing on their non-major instrument, after a hiatus during the pandemic. The band will meet one day a week in the evening, making it more accessible to students and community members who work or take classes during the day.  “You’re not here because you’re perfect; you’re here to learn,” Shaker said. “So often, if a student is struggling in a competitive field, it can be really hard for students no matter how much talent they have.” Access to music education during their primary schooling years is beneficial for musicians to succeed at the secondary level, she said. “If a student at a low-income school has their music program cut, they’re not going to pursue it at university level,” Shaker said. “(Music education) needs to be something that doesn’t get cut when times get tough. If we have good, relevant music education in all levels of schools, it encourages all students to keep doing it.” In addition to her teaching responsibilities at GRCC, Shaker is on a mission to be a music education resource through workshops and presentations. “Giving middle and high school teachers concrete things they can do translates to more diverse and equitable band rooms,” Shaker said. “We are part of the community and we are serving the community. Explore more unique video stories of students learning, interesting school programs and educators working to help all children succeed. This story was reported by Alexis Stark and photographed by Dianne Carroll Burdick of the School News Network.

April 27, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Friday is a huge day for Tanaya Shepherd. It’s not only the day when the 44-year-old single mother will graduate from Grand Rapids Community College, it’s also the very first time Shepherd will step foot on campus. “If you’re a busy person like I am, and you don’t want to do the whole classroom thing, online is the way to go,” Shepherd said. “I earned my GRCC degree completely online: classes, books, counseling – everything.” That’s not saying it was easy. Shepherd had dreamed for years of pursuing a college degree. But with four growing children -- and their schools, hobbies and sports -- plus a full-time job as a life coach at Hope Network in Grand Rapids, time was one thing Shepherd couldn’t spare. Inspired by her mother, Yolanda Johnson, who’d recently earned her master’s degree, Shepherd knew she needed to follow her dream. “I needed something else,” she said. “I’m never a person to be content staying where they are.” Shepherd was able to balance all her responsibilities by taking classes part-time and strictly online. “I know some people need to be in a classroom, and that’s OK,” she said. “But for me and my schedule, online classes was the way to go.” Time management was key. Shepherd took no more than two courses each semester. After working all day and between ferrying her children to school, cheerleading, band or basketball practices, she studied evenings in a makeshift office upstairs in her Kentwood home. “All the kids knew that when I said I needed to do my homework, they needed to let me concentrate,” she said. “They were great.” Although she originally planned to earn a juvenile criminal justice degree at GRCC, she eventually chose to avoid the required math courses. Instead, she earned an Addiction Studies Certificate as a certified peer recovery mentor and will receive a General Studies Associate Degree on Friday. Although she enjoyed her classwork, Shepherd has no plans to earn a bachelor’s degree. Now her goal is to help the Grand Rapids community in whatever way she can. And on Friday? There’ll be a whole cheering section on campus at commencement watching her accept her GRCC degree. “Honestly, I thought I was just too old to go back to school,” she said. “But my family and friends and coworkers were behind me all the way. “Quitting was not an option.” This story was reported by Beth McKenna.

April 27, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Four months ago, Ben Mast didn’t have any of the skills or knowledge required to be an electrician. Fast forward and next week he will begin his career as an electrical apprentice. “I had been going to Grand Valley for a couple of years and was studying business. Then classes moved to all online because of COVID,” he said. “At that time, I was working full time and I just liked working more than school. I heard from a friend who went through this program and it sounded like a sweet gig. Less school sounded like a sweet idea for me just because I wasn’t having a whole lot of fun. I signed up for the waitlist and started just before Christmas. It’s been a blast!” GRCC Workforce Training programs provide in-demand skills leading to rewarding careers. We are introducing students who are heading down an educational pathway and changing their lives by earning occupational certificates The GRCC Construction Electrical Job Training program provides the basic knowledge and skills required to be placed in an Electrical Apprenticeship program in just 18 weeks of training. Mast started the program with no experience in this field. “I feel like most of the students don’t have any experience when they started. I’m super grateful to have Doug (Wiersma) as my instructor. He is super knowledgeable. He’s got an answer for everything and he also makes it super fun!” Students participate in job site, lab area, field trip and classroom settings. Learning is hands-on in all areas of electrical installation including employability skills, construction and electrical safety, hand and power tool safety, electrical math, electrical history, electrical theory, the National Electrical Code, electrical material identification, blue print reading, underground installations and residential/commercial wiring. Mast came into the program at the same time as five other students. “Because we all started at the same time, there is a competitive aspect to it,” he said. “It’s always a challenge to see who is doing it faster, better, getting stuff to work the first time. We’ve grown pretty close in the past four months. It’s been really fun to be doing it with your buddies.” An electrical apprenticeship with Windemuller Electric is next for Mast. Once graduates of this program are hired, they may register with the State of Michigan as an Apprentice Electrician. The 18-week Job Training program covers the first year of training in the four-year apprenticeship. “The work is satisfying and fulfilling. I feel like this program is preparing me and making me feel a little bit better about going into a field I’ve never worked in before. It’s been my favorite school I’ve ever gone to.” According to the Michigan Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives, there will be 16% job growth annually in this field from 2012 to 2022. Average wage per hour is $23.78. New sessions of GRCC Job Training programs begin throughout the year. The next session begins June 6, 2022. For more information go to grcc.edu/jobtraining.

April 26, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College baseball team built up an eight-run lead over Davenport University’s junior varsity squad, and almost watched it slip away But GRCC held off to cling to a 10-8 victory in a nine-inning game, evening the season record at 20-20, and one tie. GRCC scored five runs in the fifth inning to go up 8-0, with Xander Reisbig, Max Varon, and Caleb Engelsman all driving home runs. Davenport chipped away at the lead, scoring two runs in the fifth, one in the sixth and other in the seventh before rallying for four runs in the bottom of the ninth. Kellan Smith earned the win for GRCC, with the righty pitching three innings, allowing no runs on two hits, striking out two and walking one. Caden VanDeBurg recorded the last two outs to earn the save. GRCC scattered 12 hits in the game. Reisbig, Varon, Dylan Chargo, Zacarias Salinas, and Jacob Gumieny all managed multiple hits. GRCC has won five games in a row since a 3-3 tie against Calvin University a week ago at LMCU Ballpark. The team is back in action on Friday with a doubleheader on the road against Kalamazoo Valley Community College. Photo by Steve Jessmore. Powered by Narrative Science and GameChanger Media. Copyright 2022. All rights reserved.

April 26, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Grand Rapids Community College students will have a seamless path to Kuyper College's bachelor’s degree programs through a new agreement between the two institutions. The transfer partnership agreement ensures that GRCC students can transfer to Kuyper with minimal credit loss or duplicate coursework. “GRCC is for many students the first step on their educational journey,” said Dr. Bill Pink, GRCC president. “It is rewarding to see students build on that solid academic foundation with additional degrees. Agreements with four-year institutions such as Kuyper College create outstanding opportunities for students and reflect the value our community places on education and collaboration.”  GRCC has transfer program agreements with most higher education institutions in West Michigan. This agreement with Kuyper, the first between the two colleges, notes that GRCC students who are specifically seeking a bachelor’s degree in business leadership will be able to take their classes at Kuyper’s urban campus at the Center for Community Transformation, 1530 Madison Ave. SE. “This new partnership agreement allows any GRCC student pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Kuyper, Michigan’s only federally recognized Work College, to transfer into low-cost bachelor’s degree programs with guaranteed jobs,” said Dr. Patricia Harris, Kuyper College president. “Transfer scholarships and grants are available, allowing students the opportunity to graduate with little or no debt.” The articulation agreement idea got its start when professor Felix Pereiro, head of GRCC’s Business Department, and Marc Andreas, associate professor of Business Leadership and Business Leadership Program Director for Kuyper College, collaborated in discussions about how to help business students and our community. “GRCC offers our students a high-quality education at an affordable price. We are at a pivotal time in our society where the cost of obtaining a college degree is beyond the reach of many, especially those in disenfranchised populations,” Pereiro said.  “Kuyper’s campus at the Center for Community Transformation is a breakthrough moment for the community we serve. Students who earn their Associate of Business degree at GRCC now have a path to earn a baccalaureate degree and employment opportunities that are aligned with their coursework. The location of the building was critical. It is strategically located in a neighborhood to help those most in need.” Pereiro said discussions with Andreas focused on how they could help students attain academic, career, and life goals. “Many students begin their journey to obtain their goals at GRCC and then move onto one of our great transfer college and university partners. We challenged each other to develop programs that are truly exciting and innovative to offer our students,” Pereiro said. Photo by Steve Jessmore.

April 26, 2022 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A Grand Rapids Community College biology professor will cap a 30-year career with the 2022 Faculty Emeritus designation during commencement this week.  Paul Krieger, a biology professor who retired in 2019, says working at GRCC was his “dream job.” “I taught courses in anatomy and physiology, general biology, and personal health,” he said. “My former students have launched their own successful careers as nurses, dental hygienists, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, physician assistants, occupational therapists, and medical doctors, as well as many other careers.” Krieger will be recognized during ceremonies on April 29 at Gerald R. Ford Fieldhouse, 111 Lyon St. NE. Students in the School of Arts and Sciences will attend a 4:30 p.m. commencement, and those in the School of Workforce Development will be at a 7:30 p.m. ceremony. Krieger credits what was then Grand Rapids Junior College for setting him on his career path. He loved both art and science, and his instructors suggested he consider teaching. “I decided this would allow me to combine my passions for art and science in a meaningful way,” he said. “This turned out to be a great decision for me and worked out even better than I could have imagined.” After receiving his Associate of Science in 1984, he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Michigan and a secondary teaching certificate. He received a master’s in biological sciences from Wayne State University in 1991. Before starting at GRCC in 1991, Krieger taught at high schools in Beijing and Jackson. During his teaching career, he wrote and illustrated the four-book Visual Analogy Guides series, which cover anatomy, physiology and chemistry.  

April 25, 2022, CALEDONIA, Mich. – Brad Dunn pitched a five-inning one-hitter to lead the Grand Rapids Community College baseball team in a 10-0 shutout of Glen Oaks Community College, part of a doubleheader sweep and the team’s fifth win in a row. GRCC snagged a late lead to claim victory in the first game, 11-7 on Monday. The GRCC golf team also fared well, with a third place finish in its annual home invitational at Egypt Valley Golf Course. Dunn, a freshman from Saugatuck, was in command in the second baseball game, allowing just a second-inning single. He struck out six and walked none to earn the win. Ryan Dykstra jump-started the GRCC scoring on the first inning, hitting a triple on a 2-2 count, scoring one run. The team scored four runs in the third inning with Dykstra – who homered -- Zacarias Salinas, and Andres Rivera-Calderon all sending runners across the plate with RBIs in the inning. GRCC had 11 hits, with Rivera-Calderon, Dykstra, Dylan Chargo, and Jacob Gumieny all managed multiple hits in the shortened game. The opener was tied at two in the bottom of the fifth when Ryan Dykstra singled on a 1-1 count, scoring one run, and Xander Reisbig hit a solo homer. GRCC scored five runs in the sixth inning. Caleb Engelsman, Chargo, and Reisbig each had RBIs in the big inning. Engelsman was on the mound, lasted five and a third innings, allowing seven hits and five runs while striking out two. GRCC is now 19-20-1 on the season, and is next in action on Tuesday against Davenport University in a scheduled nine-inning game. In the golf tournament, Matthew Denhartigh and Connor Oman finish among the top-10 helping GRCC to a third place finish in its annual home invitational at Egypt Valley. Denhartigh was one of just seven golfers to break 80 on the tough windy course in Ada. The sophomore finished with a 79, good enough to tie for fifth place. Oman cracked the top-10 shooting an 80. Arie Jackman shot an 81, finished all alone in 11th place while Brad VandenHout, 84, and Sam Foss, 85 finished 17th and 19th respectively in the field of 37. Muskegon Community College dominated the field with a 305, finishing 17 strokes ahead of second-place Oakland Community College and 19 strokes better than GRCC. Steve Cullen, of Muskegon Community College took home the medalist honors with an even par 72 performance. Powered by Narrative Science and GameChanger Media. Copyright 2022. All rights reserved.