Sept. 23, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Always remember, at GRCC, you are surrounded by people who want you to be successful and are ready to walk with you on your educational pathway. We are here to help!
Meet Mike Schavey. Mike is here to help if you want more out of your community college experience.
If you are ready to step out of your comfort zone, he is here to provide you with experiences to help you grow into the person you want to become.
Get ready to travel the world, become immersed into a community of high achieving students, or make an impact in your community. Mike will give you the tools you need to be successful in the honors, service learning, and study away programs -- programs students often describe as amazing and life changing experiences.
Mike also supports GRCC faculty members as they create experiences enriching student learning.
Examples include helping a faculty member to:
- Create a course that incorporates an international travel experience.
- Work with an honors student who wants to complete an additional assignment in their course.
- Incorporate a volunteer experience into their course.
"At GRCC we care about the quality of your overall experience," he said. "There is so much to take advantage of that will help you meet your academic and personal goals."
When Mike graduated high school, he attended GRCC because it was his only option.
"Over the span of two years at GRCC, I met many amazing faculty members who challenged me, encouraged me, and, at times, counselled me," he said. "I participated in several activities that pushed me out of my comfort zone -- the self-confidence and skills I gained are most certainly applied to how I live my life today."
Mike recalls not being a straight A student when he attended GRCC, but through perseverance and great mentors he was able to transfer to Grand Valley State University where he earned degrees related to sociology, psychology, social work and public administration.
Given the collaborative nature of his work, Mike is in touch with almost department on campus. When he gets the chance to listen to students share their goals he's prepared to point them in the right direction.
"I really enjoy working at GRCC because our culture is very much centered around improving the student experience and a strong desire to help, regardless of where you're at in your academic journey," he said.
Mike’s team is located in the newly renovated Steven C. Ender Hall located on the DeVos Campus. You can connect through email at experientiallearning@grcc.edu or by calling call (616) 234-4162.