Prior to joining our department in 2018, Nicole was a full-time faculty member at Purdue University Northwest.  She earned her B.S. in Biology from Grand Valley State University and her Ph.D. in Cell and Developmental Biology from the University of Michigan.  Niki currently teaches our Biology Major's Introduction to Cells, Molecules, and Genes as well as our Genetics course.  Her expertise is in genetics, molecular biology, and developmental biology.  In her spare time, Niki enjoys swimming, hiking, and cooking.

Oversees the Adult Education, Citizenship, and Cruisin' to College program. Elino Cortes Figuereo was born and raised in Dominican Republic and moved to Grand Rapids, MI in 2012. He graduated from ESL Adult Education program and advanced to ESL Program at Grand Rapids Community College Main Campus while also pursuing a higher education. Elino started working with GRCC Admission & Enrollment as Student Employee in 2014 and was promoted to Placement Testing Coordinator. Elino has been part of Hispanic Student Organization (Secretary-Treasurer) and Latino Support Services (Member) and work alongside Financial Aid Department, Student Financial Services office (formerly Cashier's), Records Office to support underrepresented and minority students achieve and pursue their goals and dreams. In addition, Elino has been working at the YMCA for more than two years as Membership Specialist Representative helping and improving the wellbeing for its members and guests.

Katie Peña serves as the Coordinator for Global & Community-Based Learning within the Center for High-Impact Experiences at Grand Rapids Community College. In this role, she coordinates and advances high-impact learning experiences that enhance students’ global awareness, community engagement, and applied learning. Katie leads the day-to-day coordination of Study Away, Service Learning and Community Engagement, and College-Sponsored Student Travel (CSST) initiatives. She works closely with faculty, campus partners, and community organizations to design and implement meaningful learning experiences—ensuring equitable access and driving consistent, high-quality implementation across programs. Her work focuses on strengthening program design, coordinating student- and faculty-facing processes, and using engagement data to continuously improve the reach and impact of these experiences. As a proud first-generation college graduate and GRCC alum, Katie brings a personal commitment to expanding access to transformative, real-world learning opportunities. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State University and a Master of Science in Education in Higher Education Leadership and Administration from Capella University. Katie values collaboration and enjoys working alongside students, faculty, and community partners to generate new ideas, strengthen programs, and expand opportunities for student learning and engagement. She welcomes opportunities to connect and support students in getting started.

Isabel Vargas is here to help you save time and save money by awarding you GRCC credits for your prior learning. Isabel works in the Student Records Office as the Credit Evaluator. She awards transfer credits to students who have completed coursework from other colleges and universities, and from recognized tests outside of GRCC. Isabel knows this is an important step for students to take who are going to start, or complete, their education with a certificate or degree from GRCC. "When I was in high school I took AP classes and sent my AP scores to GRCC," says Isabel. "I got college credit for several classes, even before officially starting college! It was a relief to know that I didn’t have to take those classes! I encourage all perspectives and current students to transfer credits because it's one step closer to meeting graduation requirements!" Isabel enjoys lending a hand to students who have been looking for a career change. "What gets me excited about my work is seeing the huge excitement in the student's eyes/voice when I tell them the credits that they were awarded," says Isabel. Isabel is a proud community college student. She graduated from GRCC in 2017 and transferred to Grand Valley State University where she earned her bachelor's in Business Administration in 2020. "It is truly an honor to serve as a resource for students and impact their life, the way mine was impacted when I was a student here," she says.

I enjoy working with children.  I received my associate degree in Child Development from Grand Rapids Community College in August, 2017, and began working at the Early Childhood Learning Laboratory in September of 2017.  In my spare time I enjoy dancing, word search puzzles and spending time with my family and friends.