June 16, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Grand Rapids Community College was the right fit at the right time for Jacqueline Lopez-Bravo.
“There was a great selection of classes; the professors were helpful, and the small class sizes were just what I needed,” said Lopez-Bravo, who graduated from Lee High School in Wyoming. “It was close to home, so I could live with my family, and was flexible enough so I could work a part-time job.”
It also laid the perfect foundation for her academic future.
Now in her final year at the University of Michigan, Lopez-Bravo was recently named the university’s 2023 Senior Student of the Year Award for excelling in academic achievement, student leadership and service.
“It was truly shocking when I heard my name called at the Michigan Difference Student Leadership Awards ceremony,” she said. “I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it.”
School wasn’t always easy for Lopez-Bravo, the first woman in her family to attend college. Her mother, from Chiapas, Mexico, raised three children and decided to migrate to the United States to pursue better living conditions. Lopez-Bravo, now 23, was born and raised in Grand Rapids, where she had the opportunity to begin her academic journey.
“Being the first generation, it’s hard to navigate things like applying for college or filling out your FAFSA forms,” she said. “Even though my mom couldn’t help me with those things, she’s always been supportive.”
Lopez-Bravo graduated from GRCC in 2021 with an associate degree in pre-business. She then transferred to U-M, finding great satisfaction and success in Ann Arbor.
“Jackie wasted no time getting involved in supporting over 350 transfer students through our programs,” said Paige Horsburgh, of OptiMize, a U-M organization that offers programs and mentorships for students.
While pursuing a double major in communications and media and Latinx studies, she’s made time to help community college transfer students adjust to university life. She also facilitated workshops at GRCC and Henry Ford College to mentor students hoping to move on to a four-year institution.
It’s not always an easy transition, she said.
“It can be hard as transfer students to meet friends or find a community because it's a completely different experience than a first-year freshman,” she said. “At a four-year school, there’s a lot of support for the first years, but not a lot of resources for transfers.”
That’s why peer support is so important. Often, community college transfer students are “nontraditional,” working to succeed in college while balancing spouses, children, jobs or responsibilities.
“I think because of my time at GRCC, I have a soft spot for community college students and want to do whatever I can to make their transition to university life a little easier,” Lopez-Bravo said.
After graduating from U-M in December, she plans to return to Grand Rapids and pursue a career in marketing or public relations.
“I’ve even considered creating my own business that could be a resource for Latinx students either in high school or community college,” she said.
The Transfer Bridges to Michigan partnership is made possible by a grant from the Mellon Foundation. To learn more about the transfer experience, or opportunities made available through the GRCC partnership with U-M, visit Transfer Bridges U-M.
This story was reported by Beth McKenna.