They did it. You can, too!
Michiganders like you are already using the Michigan Reconnect program to learn new skills, further their education, and advance their careers. Here are their stories.
Jodi Holland
GRCC student Jodi Holland was “completely shocked” to pick up her phone and hear Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II on the other end.
“I know he had been getting over COVID, and the first thing I said was, ‘Are you OK? How are you feeling?”
Gilchrist assured Holland he was feeling better, congratulated her on making the Dean’s List, then thanked her for allowing Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to tell Holland’s story during Wednesday’s State of the State Address.
Morgan Brink
“Honestly, I barely graduated from high school,” said Brink, now 32. “But today, I’m taking Honors classes at Grand Rapids Community College -- and I’m actually on the Dean’s List!”
So, why the turnaround? Brink credits her new love of learning to three things: maturity, a strict homework schedule and Michigan Reconnect.
Michigan Reconnect is a state scholarship program that provides free in-district tuition for those 25 and older who don’t already have a college degree. This fall, 998 students enrolled at GRCC through Reconnect.
Avery Gardner
Avery Gardner is well on the way to an associate degree in Culinary Arts at Grand Rapids Community College, on track to graduate in the spring of 2024. It’s not something they could have imagined a decade ago -- or even a few short years ago.
This is Gardner’s third try at a GRCC degree. After graduating from Kelloggsville High School in 2014, they had dreams of becoming a forensic pathologist and went to GRCC for prerequisite classes.
“Unfortunately, I did not do well and wound up on academic suspension,” Gardner recalled recently.
Things took another turn when they had a son in February 2019.
Cory Stout
Cory Stout worked in the tool and die Industry for several years, but moved into a construction job when he heard rumors of layoffs.
Then, during the COVID shutdown, Stout was able to reflect and decide what comes next. He remembers being interested in the welding activities during his time in tool and die. He heard GRCC has a reputable welding program and checked into it.
“Once I looked at the program and the hands-on welding lab, I was excited to get started.”
Christina Hindley
Christina Hindley isn’t one to back down from a challenge.
So, to be an ArtPrize participant next month, while also juggling four new classes at GRCC and homeschooling her high school senior, leaves her undaunted.
“I’ve juggled more,” she said with a hearty chuckle.
Hindley, 46, returned to the classroom as a student last year after her husband’s Parkinson’s diagnosis made her realize she needed to buttress her resume with some employable skills.
Emily Rivera
As a welder, Emily Rivera knows what it means to work under pressure and bring two things together.
The same is true for her life away from work.
Right now, she’s combining full-time work with part-time studies as a GRCC Manufacturing and Industrial Maintenance Technologies student.
It’s a lot of work, and she couldn’t be happier.
After almost a decade away from school, she has a plan for her future. And she has the Michigan Reconnect program – and its tuition-free assistance – to thank for it.
CJ Norton
It’s the kind of place where everybody knows your name.
“The Veterans Center is always my first stop when I get to campus,” said CJ Norton, who served in the U.S. Marines and is now enrolled at Grand Rapids Community College. “When you meet another veteran there for the first time, it’s like an instant connection … you know you’ve gone through similar circumstances.”
Start at GRCC and go anywhere. Every student has a story to tell about how GRCC gave them the education and opportunity to be successful, with support services available to help them through.
Ashley Van Bennekom
Ashley Van Bennekom has advice for young parents dreaming of a college degree.
“Don’t be afraid to go get it -- anytime, anywhere or in any season of your life,” said Van Bennekom, a 32-year-old mother of three pursuing an interior design degree at Grand Rapids Community College thanks to a Michigan Reconnect scholarship.
Tuition-free programs like Michigan Reconnect and Futures for Frontliners have been popular for West Michigan adult learners. During the Winter 2022 semester, 21% of GRCC students -- 2,385 out of 11,383 –– were enrolled in the state scholarship programs, which cover the cost of in-district tuition.
Nick Turpen
GRCC Workforce Training programs provide 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.
Nick Turpen had been working as a production lead in a local manufacturing company for nearly 12 years when he saw a story on the news about Michigan Reconnect. That got him to thinking - again.
In 2009, Nick thought about going back to school but there was no way financially that he could swing it.
Jennifer Lotterman
After 30 years working as a pet groomer, Jennifer Lotterman needed a beer. Well … sort of.
“Grooming dogs is hands-on and quite demanding on your body,” said Lotterman, 47. “Michigan Reconnect was a godsend because it gave me the freedom to leave my business behind, earn my craft brewing certification at GRCC and, hopefully, fulfill my dream to open a small brewery with my husband.”
Michigan Reconnect is a state scholarship program that provides free in-district tuition for those 25 and older who don’t already have a college degree. This fall, 998 students enrolled at GRCC through Reconnect.
Rowan Richard
GRCC Workforce Training programs provide 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.
Rowan Richards was an appliance technician for a local appliance repair company. After five years of learning all she could from the other technicians, Richard was ready to take her skills to the next level.
“I am very puzzle oriented,” she said. “In my work fixing appliances, I have always enjoyed working on the electrical components inside of the machines. Figuring out the circuits and how they work intrigues me.”
Joshua Middleton
GRCC Workforce Training programs provide 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.
Joshua Middleton worked in the restaurant industry for 15 years when the COVID-19 pandemic hit that industry hard.
“Like so many others, I started doing construction projects at my house and really liked doing it,” he said. “I had been thinking about a career change for a while when I heard about the Michigan Reconnect program, so I contacted GRCC.”
Nik Thomasma
Singer and songwriter Nik Thomasma tried college in his mid-20s but never really found his groove.
Now 41, the lifelong musician is back at Grand Rapids Community College studying business and marketing – and pulling straight As.
“I realized I knew how to be a musician. But now I’m focusing on the business of being a musician and taking some ownership in it all,” he said.
Although Thomasma always wanted a college degree, he never imagined it possible until Michigan Reconnect. Launched nearly one year ago, the state scholarship program removes cost as a barrier by providing free in-district tuition for those 25 and older who don’t already have a college degree.