Feb. 24, 2021 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- GRCC Workforce Training offers programs providing 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. Jerrittia Roseburgh has tenacity. She was a young mother of five children when she enrolled in the GRCC CNC Machining Job Training program. “I really had no idea what CNC was when I started. All I knew is that with this training, I could make a good hourly wage and that is what I needed,” she said. That determination earned her a position at Autocam Medical as a machine operator, but also set her up to become the only woman to be selected to participate in their apprenticeship program that year. An apprenticeship program is a partnership between an employer, in this case Autocam Medical, and an educational institution. The program offers the combined benefits of on-the-job training plus college instruction. Apprentices gain both practical experience and exposure to the theoretical aspects of skilled occupations. Companies work with GRCC to create apprenticeship courses, which are then approved by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeships. An apprentice is required to have a minimum of 8,000 hours of on-the-job training in addition to successfully complete 30 credit hours in the technology area to be eligible to receive their journey-person’s certificate. This opportunity would not have come to Roseburgh without her initial training in the Machine Tool/CNC Job Training program. This 20-week training program has recently been completely redesigned and updated to better meet the industry needs. CNC machinists are in high demand. The jobs in the industry pay well and offer many upward pathways to increase wages. As a machinist/computer numerical control technician, students shape metal and various materials to precise dimensions by using machine tools. MT/CNC technicians plan and set up the correct sequence of machine operations in accordance with blueprints, layouts or other instructions to write both manual and computer-generated machine programs. The technician is required to use various hand tools, micrometers, gauges and other precision measuring instruments. To be most effective in the manufacturing environment of today, individuals will need to be able to read blueprints, perform basic shop math, read measurement tools and communicate effectively with others using today's Machine Tool/CNC terminology. 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. Additional information is at  grcc.edu/programs/job-workforce-training .

Feb. 23, 2021 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The number of Grand Rapids Community College students completing federal financial aid forms has increased dramatically in the last year, but many students are still potentially missing out on grants and programs to make college more accessible and affordable. GRCC is boosting ways to assist students filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as FAFSA. The number of FAFSA forms submitted to GRCC for the 2021-2022 academic year is up by nearly 2,000 applications, about 44%. That’s the opposite of state and national trends, according to the National College Attainment Network. But GRCC leaders say there are many students who can still take advantage of financial aid opportunities. “The FAFSA application is unquestionably the key to accessing scholarships and financial aid programs that can reduce or even eliminate college costs,” said Dr. Tina Hoxie, GRCC associate provost and dean of Student Affairs. “GRCC is focused on helping students complete their FAFSA. We don’t want anyone to miss out on a life-changing education.” FAFSA is an online form that requires financial and tax information for students and parents, if the students are dependents. Students can connect with GRCC financial aid specialists by phone at (616) 234-4030; email at financialaid@grcc.edu ; text at (616) 219-8224; or virtually or in-person by appointment. GRCC has a series of helpful videos available on YouTube’s GRCCtv.   The FAFSA can be completed at fafsa.gov using a computer, tablet, or mobile phone. The U.S. Education Department’s Office of Federal Student Aid also has information for students and families available at StudentAid.gov . The form can usually be completed in under an hour. The form is required for students to receive federal Pell Grants, which can cover all expenses for some students, and for students to take advantage of the local Grand Rapids Promise Zone and statewide Michigan Reconnect and Futures for Frontliners programs. The Grand Rapids Community College Foundation also requires a FAFSA for students to be eligible for scholarships. The foundation last year awarded $1.1 million in scholarships to GRCC students. The priority deadline to apply for a foundation scholarship is March 15, 2021. Information and universal applications are available at grcc.edu/scholarships. “Every year, we see the difference a college education can make in a person’s life,” said Dr. Kathryn K. Mullins, vice president for Advancement and executive director of the GRCC Foundation. “For many students, that dream becomes a reality because of a scholarship. Completing the FAFSA is the first step toward a brighter future.” Grand Rapids Community College offers learners of all ages opportunities to gain credits for degrees or transfer and in-demand career skills leading to rewarding careers. GRCC was established in 1914 – Michigan’s first community college -- and offers affordable classes on weekdays, evenings, Saturdays and online at locations throughout Kent and Ottawa counties.

Start at GRCC and go anywhere! Every former student has a story to tell about how GRCC – or Grand Rapids Junior College – gave them the education and opportunity to be successful. We’re sharing some of those stories, and want to hear yours! Bill Hardiman says he didn’t really know what he wanted to do with his life when he first attended Grand Rapids Junior College. But after serving with the Army in Vietnam, he returned to GRJC with a new sense of purpose. Hardiman was the third-oldest of his family’s eight children. His parents separated when he was 14, and he was raised by his mother. After graduating from South High -- President Ford’s alma mater -- he enrolled at GRJC. He left when he was drafted. He went to Vietnam in 1966 as a medic. In a 2003 interview for Grand Valley State University’s Veterans History Project, he described a mortar attack that ignited his infantry unit’s ammo dump: “I don’t know how long we were there, but something happened that changed everything. Someone ran by the tent and yelled one word -- ‘medic’ -- and every one of those guys jumped up and grabbed their aid bag and ran out to help someone. I had just landed, didn’t know what I was doing, but I thought, ‘I am not going to shirk my duty. I’m not going to be left here,’ so I grabbed my bag and ran out, didn’t know where I was going and running toward our perimeter just looking for someone to help. “I realized something, that courage is not the absence of fear. I don’t think you can be courageous if you don’t fear. It’s overcoming that fear and doing the right thing, regardless.” When he returned home, he entered the workforce -- until his wife, Clova, encouraged him to go back to the classroom. After earning his Associate of Arts at GRJC, he received a bachelor’s in behavioral science and public administration from GVSU in 1977 and a master’s in public administration from Western Michigan University in 1978. “I was just determined,” Hardiman told GVSU interviewer James Smither. “I was going to go full time whether I’m working or not and get the degree.” He got a job with Kent County Community Health but felt he could be doing more: “I felt like some area of public service was mine, so I just wrote the mayor of Kentwood, where we lived, and said, ‘I’d like to serve anywhere you think I could be helpful.’” The mayor appointed Hardiman to the Parks and Recreation Commission, and that first assignment led him on the path to the Board of Appeals, Kentwood’s City Commission and his election as mayor from 1992 to 2002. He represented the 29th District in the state Senate from 2002 to 2010 and is now the director of the Office of Community and Faith Engagement for the state Department of Health and Human Services. In addition to being named GRCC’s Distinguished Alumnus in 2006, Hardiman received a Giants Award in 1998. Other recognitions include the United Way of Kent County Volunteer Award, the 1998 National Association of Home Builders Annual Local Official of the Year, the Frederick Douglass Award from the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs Inc.’s Grand Rapids chapter, the 2004 Much Ado Award from Michigan’s Children, and special recognition from the Michigan Federation for Children and Families. Let GRCC help you start your story. The first chapter starts at grcc.edu/apply . And tell us your story here: https://www.grcc.edu/communications/shareyourgrccstory

Feb. 21, 2021 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Dr. Patricia Oldt will be remembered for a strong belief in equity and social justice, advocating for women to advance to leadership. Dr. Oldt, a lifelong educator, was Grand Rapids Community College’s former assistant dean for community education. She passed away this week at age 84.   “Dr. Oldt’s impact is felt not just in the students she helped educate at the K-12 level and higher education, but in women she inspired and mentored to follow in her footsteps as a leader,” GRCC President Bill Pink said. “That’s a tremendous legacy. We at GRCC extend our condolences to her family and friends, and hope they are comforted with the knowledge that her work and advocacy has made West Michigan a better place.” In addition to her leadership role at GRCC, Dr. Oldt was assistant superintendent of Grand Rapids Public Schools, superintendent of Northview Public Schools, and both the distinguished professor of education and vice president for Planning and Equity at Grand Valley State University. She was instrumental in developing GVSU’s charter schools program. She earned many awards and honors, including election to the Michigan Association of School Administrators Hall of Fame in 2009. The DeQueen, Ark., native earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma, then master’s and doctoral degrees from Michigan State University. A strong advocate for education and equality all her career, Dr. Oldt said in a 2014 interview that growing up and attending public schools in the segregated South shaped her beliefs.   “Being exposed to blatant discrimination against women and people of color convinced me that the only ‘equalizer’ that could make a difference is education,” she said in a GVSU profile after being honored in the university’s Celebrating Women in Sport and Physical Activity She commissioned Northview’s first Title IX audit of athletics, revealing the inequities in girls and boys sports. "I viewed athletics as an extension of the classroom, and many did not see it that way," Dr. Oldt said in the GVSU profile. "I used to ask people, 'What if your daughters didn't have textbooks in the classroom? How is that so different from not having equal access in athletics?'" She focused on equity at Grand Valley as well, leading a campus climate study that resolved inequities in salaries, scholarship opportunities and employee benefits. Dr. Oldt’s family requests that those wishing to make contributions in her honor donate to the Grand Rapids Community College Foundation's Salute to Women Scholarship at grcc.edu/foundation or to the Grand Valley State University Foundation's Grand Valley Fund, at gvsu.edu/giving/gvu-foundation .

Feb. 19, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College is testing basketball players for COVID-19 weekly through a partnership with Ferris State University, saying the college is committed to keeping student-athletes safe while competing. Interim Athletic Director David Selmon said the testing exceeds safety protocols prescribed by the National Junior College Athletic Association and the Michigan Community College Athletic Association. Through a partnership with the Ferris College of Pharmacy, students, coaches and training staff participating in contact sports will receive weekly antigen tests, with results available in about 15 minutes. The tests are administered by Ferris faculty and students, and are planned to continue through the end of the season. “We’ve adopted several protocols to keep our student-athletes as safe as possible during the pandemic,” Selmon said. “This is an additional step, but we think it is an important one for teams competing in contact sports. Ferris has been an excellent partner for GRCC over the years, and we appreciate being able to work together on this testing.” GRCC Athletics is closely following safety guidelines from the NJCAA and MCCAA, including requiring face coverings, social distancing where possible and prohibiting spectators from the arena during games. That’s in addition to GRCC policies, which include daily health screenings and frequent deep cleanings. “This is another signal that our leadership is keeping the safety of our students first in mind,” Women’s coach David Glazier said. “Our students can safely engage in athletics, and we appreciate these extra steps are being taken. It definitely keeps us moving.” Sophomore basketball player Richard Major said the testing gives athletes peace of mind as they work through the season, which starts tonight against Muskegon Community College. Basketball season has been delayed by several months due to the pandemic. The testing involved a pair of nasal swabs, which are then run through a device. “It’s not too bad,” Major said. “It’s something we need to do to be able to play safely. It will help us stay on the court and get the season in.” All GRCC basketball and volleyball homes games are being live streamed and archived at MichiganSportsRadio.com . Additional information about the basketball teams is available at grccraiders.com . Grand Rapids Community College offers learners of all ages opportunities to gain credits for degrees or transfer and in-demand career skills leading to rewarding careers. GRCC was established in 1914 – Michigan’s first community college -- and offers affordable classes on weekdays, evenings, Saturdays and online at locations throughout Kent and Ottawa counties.

GRCC Workforce Training offers programs providing 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. Matthew Bronkema was laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was looking for a new job. He heard about GRCC Workforce Training’s Metallica Scholars program. “My mom received an email about the Metallica Scholars program. It came at just the right time,” he said. “I knew I needed to find something that was more sustainable, some type of job that would grow. When my mom suggested I apply, I listened to her, and I’m glad I did!” Metallica Scholars is a partnership between the legendary heavy metal band’s All Within My Hands Foundation, the American Association of Community Colleges, and Wolverine, the Rockford-based manufacturer of work boots and apparel. GRCC was one of just 10 community colleges in the nation selected for the first Metallica Scholar grants in 2018. The college launched an extensive welding program that included an accelerated schedule and career preparation assistance. Welders are in-demand , and the job includes basic duties such as cutting, brazing and welding of various metal components to more advanced activities include metal inert gas welding and tungsten inert gas welding using aluminum and stainless steel. Welders gain an understanding of metallurgy, American Welding Society standards and welding equipment maintenance. People effective in the career are able to read blueprints, perform basic shop math, read measurement tools and communicate effectively with others. “When I found out that I made it into the program I was pumped,” Bronkema said. “There weren’t very many seats available. I love this program!” The 2016 Coopersville High grad said professor Nick Pinckney allows students to move at our own pace, and Bronkema has been able to progress quickly. “I plan to complete this training and work toward getting my journeyman’s card. This program has given me the confidence to really plan my future. It’s looking bright!” Matthew and others in his Metallica Scholars cohort will graduate on Feb. 25. Several students have already been offered job, and others are preparing for interviews with employers this week. 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. Additional information is at grcc.edu/programs/job-workforce-training .

Start at GRCC and go anywhere! Every former student has a story to tell about how GRCC – or Grand Rapids Junior College – gave them the education and opportunity to be successful. We’re sharing some of those stories, and want to hear yours! Terry Rostic made history, becoming the co-founder of Michigan’s first Black-owned craft brewery. But he said that might never have happened without GRCC. Rostic co-founded Black Calder Brewing  with Jamaal Ewing in Grand Rapids last year, garnering national attention as trailblazers .   “GRCC gave me a chance when no one else would,” he said. “I was able to learn from great professionals and professors. GRCC gave me the confidence to continue my education.” Rostic had a solid high school grade-point average, but said he wasn’t a good test-taker and a low ACT score prevented him from getting accepted into a four-year college. Given an opportunity at GRCC, he thrived. “GRCC helped improve my confidence in my learning ability and helped me realize that I belong in higher education -- I just needed a chance,” he said. “I was also exposed to students from all over the country, which was a nice change from my high school, which wasn’t very diverse at the time. Learning about different cultures and having the freedom to pick the classes I wanted and explore was key to my growth as a person, student, and man.” Rostic said he excelled at two four-year institutions after graduating from GRCC in 2004, receiving bachelor’s degree at Cornerstone University with a 3.75 GPA and earning an MBA at Davenport University, graduating with a 3.92 GPA. “If it wasn’t for GRCC I would have not received my MBA,” he said. “I was even accepted into a doctorate program at University of Southern California that I later declined to pursue my dream of opening a brewery.”  He also works in the Human Resources department of Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital and started an African-American male global leadership program called Alpha League that focuses on academic and social success. Rostic and Ewing have released six brews so far, and are planning a scholarship for GRCC’s craft brewing program to attract more African-American students to the growing industry. Let GRCC help you start your story. The first chapter starts at grcc.edu/apply . And tell us your story here: https://www.grcc.edu/communications/shareyourgrccstory

Feb. 12, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – There is still time for students to enroll in late-starting winter semester classes at Grand Rapids Community College, offering opportunities to get started on work toward a degree or to stay on track for graduation. There are openings available in classes covering a variety of subjects, including math, English, wellness, geology and child development. Many of the classes are offered in online, virtual real time and hybrid formats and start on March 8. Seven-week classes cover the same amount of content and quality of teaching in about half the time, potentially meeting more often or for longer periods of time. Research has shown students in seven-week classes have higher success and completion rates, and provide flexibility for students looking to schedule around home and work responsibilities. “Late-starting classes are excellent, affordable opportunities for students of all ages who are looking to start momentum toward a degree,” said Tina Hoxie, GRCC associate provost and dean of Student Affairs. “Even taking one or two classes at a time keeps you moving forward, making progress.” Students with questions about late-starting classes can contact the GRCC Enrollment Center at (616) 234-3300 or by email at enroll@grcc. Financial aid specialists can assist with questions about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as FAFSA, at (616) 234-4030 and through email at financialaid@grcc.edu. Grand Rapids Community College offers learners of all ages opportunities to gain credits for degrees or transfer and in-demand career skills leading to rewarding careers. GRCC was established in 1914 – Michigan’s first community college -- and offers affordable classes on weekdays, evenings, Saturdays and online at locations throughout Kent and Ottawa counties.

Feb. 11, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The COVID 19 pandemic magnified technology gaps and other obstacles, sparking Grand Rapids Community College to take additional steps to ensure all students continued to have access to a quality education, GRCC President Bill Pink told state lawmakers Thursday. Pink was one of four college presidents invited to testify remotely before the state Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Universities and Community Colleges, talking about lessons learned during the pandemic. Pink was joined by Calvin University President Michael LeRoy, Eastern Michigan University President James Smith and North Central Michigan College President David Finley. A recording of the session is available here.  He praised faculty and staff for responding quickly and creatively to meet students’ needs, both inside and outside the classroom. After initially transitioning all classes remotely, GRCC adopted four educational formats, with online, hybrid, virtual real-time and in person classes. About 80% of fall 2020 classes had online components. Pink told senators the shift revealed the virtual formats were effective for many students, allowing them to take classes scheduled around home and work responsibilities. He said the college will likely continue to offer an expanded number of online classes to augment in-person education as more students are able to return to campus. “We learned our delivery modes now, in some cases, address some students who might not have been able to reach us before,” he said. The pandemic also exposed gaps and created others, especially as students faced a reduction in work hours or found their jobs eliminated entirely. “One of the things we realized being in an urban area like Grand Rapids is we have many students who have different needs, and a pandemic only magnified those,” Pink said.  “We have students who faced food and housing insecurity. We are honored and thrilled to help our students because we know those needs are out there.” GRCC purchased more than 500 laptops and about 350 mobile Wi-Fi hotspots to loan students, and strengthened the Wi-Fi signal in a campus parking lot. The college also partnered with the Kent Public Library to provide students with Wi-Fi access in branch parking lots, and created a Wi-Fi zone in the new Lakeshore Campus under construction in Holland Township. “If we’re going to be online, let’s make sure you can access those classes,” he said Pink told lawmakers the college worked with community partners to provide students and their families with more than 2,000 packages of groceries from the campus food pantry since March, and nearly 500 meals in the fall semester alone. Donations also included hygiene products, cleaning supplies, baby supplies and pet food. Organizations providing food or resources include Heart of West Michigan United Way; Kent County, Michigan government; GRCC Student Alliance; GRCC Campus Dining; the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education; Feeding America West Michigan; Plainsong Farm; the Grand Rapids Children's Museum; I Support the Girls; and others. Pink also thanked senators for their support for the Futures for Frontliners program, which provides free community college tuition to people who served in essential roles during the spring shutdown, and Michigan Reconnect, which covers tuition for students 25 and older who don’t have a degree. “Thank you for programs that are going to make a difference in our community,” he said. “They are going to make a big difference in helping our community to rebound from this pandemic. Not only will we get people back to work, but also get some of our companies the talent they need to get them back up and running. We’re honored you chose community colleges to deliver these programs and we look forward to being of service to our community and to our students.” Grand Rapids Community College offers learners of all ages opportunities to gain credits for degrees or transfer and in-demand career skills leading to rewarding careers. GRCC was established in 1914 – Michigan’s first community college – and offers affordable classes on weekdays, evenings, Saturdays and online at locations throughout Kent and Ottawa counties.

Feb. 10, 2021 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Here’s a second opinion that confirms the original diagnosis: Students graduating from Grand Rapids Community College’s Nursing program are perfect. According to a National Council of Licensure Exams summary for the year 2020, all GRCC Associate Degree Nursing graduates and all Practical Nursing graduates who took the licensure exam passed the exam on their first attempt. It’s the second year in a row GRCC Nursing students posted perfect pass rates on their licensure exams amid a pandemic that has required ongoing shifts in instructional modalities and modifications to the hands-on experiences necessary for nursing education. “Despite the many challenges of this past year, GRCC nursing students, faculty, and staff demonstrated determination and commitment,” said Michelle Richter, director of GRCC’s Nursing programs. “Congratulations goes out, not only to these graduates and their success on NCLEX, but to the faculty and staff that continue to make this possible!” College leaders say a new curriculum that increases interactive experiences is one reason for the success. Students take part in simulation sessions with manikins that respond and talk – and even deliver a baby. Richter said she’s appreciative of the support from the program’s many clinical partners who have worked diligently to provide students with clinical opportunities in a healthcare setting despite the challenges of COVID. GRCC faculty members also continue to contribute their time and expertise to support the community, both in volunteer roles and as nurses. Last year, GRCC celebrated seven decades of training nurses, with its Practical Nursing certificate program commemorating its 70th anniversary and the Associate Degree Nursing Program starting 50 years ago. The anniversaries coincided with the World Health Organization’s designation of 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, in honor of the 200th birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. Grand Rapids Community College offers learners of all ages opportunities to gain credits for degrees or transfer and in-demand career skills leading to rewarding careers. GRCC was established in 1914 – Michigan’s first community college -- and offers affordable classes on weekdays, evenings, Saturdays and online at locations throughout Kent and Ottawa counties.