May 18, 2026 According to the National Center for Education Statistics, up to 70% of students under 25 enter college undecided, and over half of all undergraduates change their major at least once. If you’re afraid of those numbers, you shouldn’t be! Just talk to Karalynn Davis about the sheer joy of achieving clarity when exploration suddenly snaps your future into focus. “I came to GRCC, as did all of my siblings, because my mom works here,” Davis said. “Like many students, I came in the door with multiple interests. I couldn’t decide between journalism and music, so I started with music because I love it so much.” Finding Clarity and Purpose Davis says it only took one semester for her to figure out that music, while fulfilling, was not the right path for a career. “The GRCC music program is exceptional,” Davis said. “Everyone here is so high caliber. Ironically, that’s one of the reasons I realized music was not for me. Trying to make a living from something that brings you solace is not necessarily the right career move.” Fortunately, Davis had a second passion in her back pocket “I did a lot of journalism in high school and loved it, but didn’t really think about it as a career because I had been so enamored with music,” Davis said. “The light bulb clicked for me in my recording technology class. I spent far less time on the recording than I did on the video that was supposed to go with it! I can’t tell you how many hours I invested in perfecting that silly video. I realized that the fire and passion I felt while editing, and that incredible feeling of getting it done and published, were things I wanted to do for the rest of my life.” Working Toward a Goal Once she figured that out, Davis locked in on her goals. After completing her Pre-Multi-Media Journalism A.A. at the end of summer 2026 semester, she plans to attend Central Michigan University to pursue a Media Arts major with a Journalism minor. “My goal is to be a news anchor,” Davis said. “My ultimate, ultimate goal is to host CBS Sunday Morning.” In a surprising plot twist, however, she will be attending CMU as the first-ever transfer student to be awarded the prestigious Lem Tucker Journalism Scholarship. “After I visited CMU, Mike Potter of the journalism faculty recommended I explore this scholarship opportunity,” Davis said. “I dove headlong into Lem’s story to see if the opportunity made sense.” Davis spent hours upon hours researching Lem Tucker…his stories, his life, and his significance in the world of journalism. She studied, wrote, edited and fine-tuned her application with the advice and critique of her grandmother, a beloved confidante and former English teacher. “Something about Lem really resonated with me,” Davis said. “I found his reporting and storytelling to be magnetic. He injected every story with an ardor that made me want to listen. That’s the kind of reporter I want to be.”   Pursuing Journalistic Dreams Davis says that winning this scholarship has been transformative. “The quality of my life has skyrocketed,” Davis said. “Before, I was working four jobs and still didn’t know how I was going to pay for my degree. I was overcommitted and highly stressed. Now I can spend time with my family and my boyfriend. I’m getting more sleep. I’m down to two jobs, which is much more manageable. And I can pay attention to the world around me, which is a critical part of my future career success.” As Davis prepares to pursue her journalistic dreams, she is undaunted by the challenges she knows are lurking, especially as they relate journalistic integrity. “To me, journalism is a human profession,” Davis said. “It’s about humans showcasing another person’s story in a way that only a real person can. My goal is to earn public trust by telling the truth, even when the stories are hard. I hope that someday, people value both my bluntness and my dedication to the truth.”   In her scholarship essay, Davis wrote, “Lem Tucker’s legacy is one of candor. He told the truth, even if shying away from it was more convenient. Lem Tucker’s commitment to reporting with candor and fervor is one in a million. As I enter my first year at Central Michigan University as a transfer student, I hope to grow in my skills to emulate his legacy — no matter what I’m covering.” Visit the Journalism web page to learn more about this program at GRCC. This story was reported by Julie Hordyk.  

May 14, 2026 As Jonah Elrod , assistant professor of music theory and composition, finishes up his first year at GRCC, he has nothing but praise for his students and colleagues. “The students are happy and positive,” professor Elrod said. “They love what they are doing, and that says a lot about GRCC. My colleagues are also great. No one is competing. Everyone has their lane and is supportive of the department as a whole.” That collegial and collaborative environment is one in which Elrod thrives both personally and professionally. “I started playing music in elementary school and never stopped,” professor Elrod said. “By the time I graduated from high school, I knew I wanted to be a music major. I, too, attended community college at first so I could lower the cost and live at home. My initial music classes confirmed that I had made the right career choice. I was getting straight As for the first time in my life!” Elrod loved composing music, but couldn’t see how to make a living that way. He earned a music education degree because that was the most job-forward option he could find, and went on to teach. But that compositional itch persisted. “I really wanted to compose but I knew I needed more training,” professor Elrod said. “So I continued my education, earning a Master of Music in music theory and composition from the University of New Mexico, followed by a Doctor of Philosophy in music composition from the University of Iowa.” After that, the job search led Elrod to GRCC. Community College Was an Intentional Choice Elrod says he was looking for a place where he could teach a variety of topics. “I love teaching music theory, composition lessons, music history and music technology,” professor Elrod said. “GRCC had all that in their job description. In addition, I really wanted to teach at a community college because of the influential role it played in my own musical career.” In addition to the perfect job description he found at GRCC, Elrod found the Michigan weather to be a bonus. Yes, really! “My music is very nature-based,” professor Elrod said. “As I was investigating the opportunity at GRCC, I realized that there’s a lot of inspiration here. The water, the trees, the snow…all of that is fodder for my compositional mill.”  Accolades and Accomplishments Professor Elrod is happy to be at GRCC and we are thrilled to have a musician of his caliber teaching our students. In the last year alone, two of his students — Kaleb Gomez Corder and Tyler Watkins — have won composition awards. He’s also staying busy with his own work. “I usually have a few projects in the works at any given time,” professor Elrod said. “I just finished arrangements of Revolutionary folk songs from the 1700s. This was a project commissioned by mezzo-soprano Anne Marie Bice at Valparaiso University. It was fun to present the songs in their original form, and then put my own interpretations on them while respecting traditional harmonic progressions.” Elrod was also the Black Bayou Composition Award winner in 2025. His piece, entitled “ In the Absence of Snow ,” illustrates Elrod’s curiosity about nature and his creative gifts. “I saw a paper predicting that if the global warming rate reached 2.5 degrees, there would be no snow,” professor Elrod said. “That inspired me to make art about it. I graphed temperatures over time and translated that data into music. The earth is literally in the piece.” That award led to a commission from New Music on the Bayou, the organization that sponsors the Black Bayou Composition Award. Professor Elrod will be working on that piece this summer. Elrod says that his collaborative approach to music is a bit unique. This earns him opportunities that others might not be open to tackling. “I worked with the dance troupe at Valparaiso University to compose a piece for them,” professor Elrod said. “Anyone who has worked with dancers knows they want to change things! Not many of my composer friends want to work that way, but I enjoyed it.” Elrod says that while collaborating is fun, he also loves to explore his own creative ideas. He has been accepted into the competitive ART14 Residency in Patton, PA this summer. For two weeks, Elrod will be living with other artists of all kinds who are there to create art. “This is an incredible opportunity for experimentation,” professor Elrod said. “There’s no specific deliverable. I have an idea about where I want to start, but I can literally do anything, either on my own or in collaboration with other artists. There’s nature inspiration galore in the Appalachians, so I’m excited about the opportunity!” Learn about the Music department and areas of study at GRCC. This story was reported by Julie Hordyk.