March 25, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The Grand Rapids Community College Communications team’s efforts to share the stories of students overcoming obstacles and the people who support them earned the highest honor in community college marketing and communications on Friday.
The 2019-2020 GRCC Foundation Annual Report earned the Paragon Awards “Best in Show” honor, in addition to first place in the Annual Report category from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations, a community college communications and marketing organization representing schools in the United States and Canada.
The college also earned first place in the Television/Video Ad category for its “You Think You Know GRCC?” ad during the awards, presented at the organization’s annual conference in Denver.
The 2019-2020 Annual Report focused on the stories of the people the foundation has helped and the lives it has transformed – shared by the people themselves, often telling their stories in their own words.
The edition includes inspiring stories about students and alumni including trailblazing Super Bowl Chef Dayanny De La Cruz, and Amanda Constant, who used the support from a Spectrum Health Care Professionals Education Scholarship to rise above a series of setbacks and complete her Medical Assistant program.
It also highlights alumni and philanthropists Dave and Karen Custer, and 41 years of giving from former college employees Jerry and Jan Benham.
The Annual Report was created by GRCC’s College Advancement team, which includes members of the GRCC Foundation and the Communications team.
Judges praised the report’s stories, photos, design, and graphics.
“The intention was to put the emphasis on people, and they definitely delivered on that,” judges said. “Well put together and visually enticing. Love it.”
It’s the second year in a row a GRCC Foundation Annual Report earned recognition. The 2018-2019 report earned a Gold Medallion from NCMPR’s District 3.
The “You Think You Know GRCC?” ad also earned a first-place Paragon Award, honored in the Television/Video Ad category.
The video battles misperceptions about community colleges in general and GRCC specifically. The 30-second spot features GRCC President Bill Pink and real GRCC students, telling of the college’s impact on students and the greater community.
The spot was a collaboration between the GRCC Media Technologies team and the Communications team, and captured the energy of the president and students, posing the question, "Did you know?" and telling about GRCC’s impact and programs.
“Having the president in it, telling people to ‘Come talk to me,’ is a great touch,” judges said. “This ad made me feel like the college has a lot to offer.”
The Paragons are NCMPR’s national awards. GRCC in October earned seven regional awards from NCMPR’s District 3, which includes community, technical and junior colleges in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and the Canadian province of Ontario.
The district awards included Gold Medallions, with GRCC honored for telling the story of first lady Jill Biden’s visit to a campus pop-up vaccination clinic, and a series of cards from President Pink encouraging students and saluting them for overcoming challenges brought by the pandemic.