Oct. 14, 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 Sarah Rose. Sarah is here to help you learn about in-demand, high-skill and high-wage jobs that you can qualify for with a certificate or associate degree. Those occupations include electronics, heating and cooling, culinary arts, automotive, supply chain management, computer programming and more.
As program director and academic adviser of the Occupational Support Program, Sarah advises GRCC students to help them identify and reach their goals.
"Many students don't realize the income potential that they have with one or two years of training, or how badly local employers need skilled graduates," she said.
"I partner with students to explore their interests and values, and help them match those to GRCC programs. Then we create academic plans and I teach them more about that career. I also connect students to financial and community support to keep them moving forward! Bottom line, the occupational support team is developing and graduating students into the future employees they want to be!"
As a long time GRCC adviser, Sarah's favorite part of her work is getting to know her students’ stories and dreams, and finding ways to get them to their goals.
Sarah grew up close by in Wyoming. There, she watched her family, friends and neighbors struggle with making financial ends meet all without having a clear path of how to improve their living wage. She has seen how fitting college into busy lives can feel impossible.
So, at GRCC she helps students make a long-term plan to make career progress while in college, not just once they graduate.
"College can be a time for building the stepping stones of our careers so we are ready to launch successfully," she said.
"I'm proud that with every Occupational Support Program student we work with we discuss academics, financial needs, gaps in work history, and more. We tackle real-life concerns like managing sick kids, trying out a first job, criminal backgrounds, bravely expanding our networks, and talking directly about stress. We make it a team effort to look for additional support on campus and in the community so our students keep going! Success is often about who you know and who knows what you need!
"I love being able to share with students the potential that I see in them. My goal is that students will begin to notice their own power and strengths clearly over time. But hearing others acknowledge your super powers can be powerful in the beginning of a career journey. Our students are honestly real-life superstars who are determined to change their lives, even while juggling work, parenting, finances, child care, housing insecurity, transportation challenges, learning English, medical or learning challenges, and other complex situations!"
Sarah attended Central Michigan University after high school with plans to earn a bachelor's degree in biology to go into genetic counseling. But when she took her first genetics course her junior year she wondered if it was a good fit, and she also noticed that there were themes in the courses she enjoyed most - psychology, human development, family systems, world religions, and Native American culture. She loved those courses that were all about understanding and connecting with people.
Sarah graduated from CMU with a bachelor's degree in biology. Then she followed her passion for human diversity, the power of relationships, and the beauty of human potential, and earned a master's degree in Counseling Education from Western Michigan University.
After graduation, Sarah worked at various Michigan Works! offices in different roles, then started at GRCC as a counseling and advising intern. Since then she hasn't stopped learning from students here at GRCC.