March 3, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — DeMarco Adkins has some advice for Grand Rapids Community College students with disabilities: If you need help, ask for it.
“When I started at GRCC, I really didn’t want to ask for help from Disability Support Services,” said Adkins, whose cerebral palsy makes writing difficult. “It was my pride. I really wanted to try my best to do my work without that extra support.”
That, he said, was a mistake.
Adkins, who attended GRCC after graduating high school in 2008, dropped out his first semester when poor grades threatened his GPA. When he returned the following semester, Adkins said he gave himself permission to ask for help.
“I really wanted to start off the semester as best as I could, so I requested their services immediately,” he said.
He found the Disability Support Services advisors helpful, explaining the types of accommodations available and all required documentation for services.
GRCC’s Disability Support Services is one of many learning resources the college offers. Its mission is to help students of all abilities have equal access to all curricular and co-curricular activities. That’s made possible by helping to remove campus barriers or coordinating reasonable accommodations.
That support made all the difference.
“The advisors assigned an individual who was a note-taker because I write slow and couldn’t keep up with the class and what the instructor was talking about,” said Adkins, now 32. “I was also given extra time to take tests and exams, which was very helpful for me.”
The college’s Academic Advising & Transfer Center later stepped in to assist Adkins when he decided to transfer in 2010 to Cornerstone University.
“Most of my GRCC classes were transferable, which was great,” said Adkins, who completed an associate degree and bachelor’s degree in ministry leadership at Cornerstone.
Adkins suggests other GRCC students with disabilities immediately seek support services to avoid falling behind like him.
“There’s no shame in it, trust me,” he said.
The Disability Support Services office is located on room 368 of the Student Center, and can connect with students in person and virtually. The office can be contacted by email at disability@grcc.edu, and by phone at (616) 234-4140.
This story was reported by Beth McKenna.