Aug. 19, 2022, ROCKFORD, Ill. – The Grand Rapids Community College volleyball team struggled against two of the top teams in the nation on Friday, dropping the squad’s first two matches of the season. GRCC is ranked No. 11 in the nation, but faced the No. 4 and No. 3 teams at the McHenry College Invitational.   GRCC opened the season Iowa Central Community College, which was ranked No. 4 in the National Junior College Athletic Association DII preseason poll after a fourth-place finish in the national tournament last year.  The Tritons were winners in four sets: 25-23, 19-25, 25-23, 25-23. Sophomore outside Audrey Torres scored a career-high 26 points including 23 kills, two aces and a block. She and sophomore Audrey Gower each had 12 digs with Braelyn Berry and Shannon Russell each digging up 10 balls. Alena Visnovsky was GRCC's leading blocker, with a career-best six. GRCC then took on No. 3-ranked Johnson County Community College, which defeated Iowa Central for third place in the national tournament last year. The Cavaliers would sweep GRCC 25-16, 25-18, 25-20. All 12 GRCC players contributed during the match. Torres once again led the team in kills, with eight.  Berry had four kills in her first start as an outside hitter. Right-side hitter Karrisa Ferry added six kills after having 10 in the first match.  Visnovsky had a career-high four kills while adding two more blocks. Gower led all players with nine digs and Kara Hecht added six. GRCC will be back on the court at 10 a.m. on Saturday against Carl Sandburg College.  The team concludes the tournament with a match against State College of Florida at 1 p.m.   The matches are streamed live on the team’s Facebook page.

Aug. 19, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Grand Rapids Community College baseball players Ryan Dykstra and Jerad Berkenpas played big roles in the Kalamazoo Growlers’ Northwoods League Championship victory Thursday. The Growlers defeated the Duluth Huskies 8-3 to become the champions of the summer, wood-bat league for elite college players. Ryan Dykstra, who graduated from GRCC and is headed to Oakland University, drove home two runs, had two hits and a walk in the championship game. Dykstra’s .422 batting average led the GRCC team last season, and he also had the most runs, hits, doubles, home runs, and runs batted in. That performance earned him four postseason honors from the Michigan Community College Athletic Association. He was named All-Region, All-MCCAA and First Team All-Conference. He also was named to the All-Tournament team at the regionals after batting .588 in five games. He plans to enter the teaching or business world after graduating from Oakland. Jerad Berkenpas, who pitches for GRCC and is returning this season, started the game and threw six innings with two strikeouts allowing only one run to score. Berkenpas was also named All-Region, All-MCCAA, First Team All-Conference, and to the All-Tournament team at regionals after tallying two wins. The 6-foot, 5-inch righty was GRCC's top pitcher and led the team with a 9-2 record, 1.41 ERA, 71 strikeouts, .223 opponents’ batting average, and had four complete games.

Aug. 19, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Caleb Wenzel, director of Choral and Vocal Activities at Grand Rapids Community College, has directed, composed, mentored young composers, conducted and performed nationally and internationally for choir, vocals, orchestra, and piano chamber music.  “I have always wanted to do something creative with music, but have explored many aspects of the profession,” Wenzel said. “I've studied business and entrepreneurship, worked as a marketing director, led a church music program, worked in community support organizations, and led my own private music studio. All of these experiences helped me focus my career goals and hone the skills I use as a teacher/performer every day.” Wenzel began teaching at GRCC during the  height of the COVID-19 pandemic.  “There's usually a nervous period of getting to know your students and students getting to know a new faculty member,” Wenzel said. “Because everything has been upended, all of us were freed to just be ourselves from day one. The rapport we have and the joy we've shared in studying music has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my teaching life.”  “I love the energy of the students,” Wenzel said. “They are determined, full of hope, and relentless learners.  Wenzel finds the strength of GRCC’s music program lies in the ensembles and accomplishments of the faculty.  “Whether you are a music major preparing the professional skills for a career in music or you just love making music, we likely have an ensemble for you,” Wenzel said. “Our faculty members are highly accomplished and love teaching. Whether you're early in your musical training or highly advanced, our faculty will enjoy helping you enrich your current level of accomplishment and will help you find the next level in a way that's supportive, challenging, and satisfying.” Wenzel also serves as the music educators program director at the Conducting Institute of Caminos del Inka under the directorship of eminent conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya, and the conducting area coordinator and as principal conductor of the American Creators Ensemble at the Oregon Bach Festival Composers Symposium at University of Oregon. Learn more about Wenzel’s expansive experience and education in his bio . “Nothing about a career in music happens quickly,” Wenzel said. “It takes years of serious and focused study to cultivate the musicianship to compete in the music profession, and then it takes years to establish yourself within the profession. It's a long, long journey, but it's also one of the most satisfying journeys you can take.” Recollecting mentors who have had a long career before him Wenzel singles one out as a personal hero, his piano teacher Jo Boatright. “Even as she nears her 90th birthday, she's still teaching and performing with the energy and devotion that I hope I bring to my students,” Wenzel said. Join Wenzel this year at GRCC in Concert Choir, College Choir, Madrigal Singers, Music Theory I, History of Music I, Intro to Music Education, Vocal Performance Lab, Conducting Lessons, Choral Music Composition.

Aug. 18, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Christina Hindley isn’t one to back down from a challenge. So, to be an ArtPrize participant next month, while also juggling four new classes at GRCC and homeschooling her high school senior, leaves her undaunted. “I’ve juggled more,” she said with a hearty chuckle. Hindley, 46, returned to the classroom as a student last year after her husband’s Parkinson’s diagnosis made her realize she needed to buttress her resume with some employable skills. A Michigan Reconnect student, she already has earned a GRCC gerontology certificate, a program that sees students study the field of aging, focusing on a basic understanding of processes, programs and policies related to aging, including the biological, behavioral and social aspects of later life. This school year, she will complete an associate degree in psychology with an eye toward either working after graduation or going on to complete a four-year degree. “I am going to need to work at some point in the near future,” she said simply. “And I’ll need to have a job that will pay decently. My GRCC degree will help me get there.” She added that she is grateful for GRCC programs and classes that are helping her discern future career paths. Indeed, she pointed to a class last year on death and dying as being both transformational and vocational. “It was required for the gerontology certificate,” she said. “But I really enjoyed it, and it made me realize that I maybe wouldn’t mind working in a hospice setting at some point. I think it would be a great fit with my service mindset.” Her ArtPrize exhibit, titled “For the Love of Hope and Harmony,” also has, Hindley said, a service component. The piece is 14,114 paper-quilled hearts mounted on board that is four feet by eight feet and arranged to resemble a sunset. Paper quilling is a centuries-old craft that uses thin strips of paper that are then formed into shapes; these shapes are combined into further shapes via artistic pinching and the strategic use of glue. Hindley estimates that the project totaled hundreds of hours of work from December 2021 to July 2022. But the time invested, she added, was for a greater goal. “My purpose is to show everybody that we are a lot more similar than we are different,” she said. “All of the hearts are individual but similar and then put together in what looks like a sunset because that's something that everybody can see all over the world from anywhere you are. So, it's a unifier. I feel like there's just so much division right now. I wanted to do something to pull people together.” As a self-proclaimed Guinness World Records fan -- “I was born in the 1970s and loved reading the Guinness books,” she said -- the fact that her piece might qualify for a world record is simply icing on the cake. She’s been in contact with the Guinness World Record folks and, so far, has met all the criteria to set a world record. One stipulation is her work has to be displayed for at least five minutes, and her ArtPrize station (she will be at Park Congregational Church, near the GRCC downtown campus) fits the bill, so she’s hopeful that she’ll qualify. And if not? “It's all just a bonus at this point,” she said. “I've always just wanted to be a part of ArtPrize. I can’t wait.” This story was reported by Phil de Haan.

Aug. 17, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Students don’t have to choose between making good money and going to college to start or restart their education. Grand Rapids Community College’s fall semester starts Aug. 29 with spaces still available in classes delivered in a variety of formats and places, allowing students to schedule around home and work responsibilities. GRCC also can help students take advantage of state and local programs that can reduce or eliminate college expenses. The deadline is approaching, but students still have time to apply and enroll in fall classes. “Wages are growing right now, and we know many people want to take advantage of that,” said Eric Mullen, GRCC’s dean of Student Success. “We’re making sure students can earn their education on their schedule while they are working. It’s never been easier to plan classes around busy schedules, with online, seven-week and Lakeshore options to help students keep their education on track.” Students can apply and enroll for the semester at grcc.edu/ready , and learn more about events planned to help them prepare for the start of the semester. This fall, GRCC plans for about 40 percent of classes to be online or have an online component, and about 1,600 seats are available. Students who prefer an in-person experience will also find many available seats.  GRCC has expanded the number of seven-week classes, this year offering 123 sections that include general education courses as well as Entrepreneurship Certificate and the Marketing associate degree programs. Additional information is available at grcc.edu/programs/7week-classes . The college also has increased opportunities at its Lakeshore Campus in the Shops at Westshore. Classes at the Holland Township facility were limited to 75 percent capacity last academic year because of health and safety protocols. Enrollment has jumped from about 600 students to more than 900 this year, with additional seats available in both credit and certificate programs. Additional information is available at grcc.edu/lakeshore . Students might be eligible for financial support through the state’s Michigan Reconnect program and the Grand Rapids Promise Zone. Michigan Reconnect is available for residents ages 25 and older who have not yet earned a degree. The Grand Rapids Promise Zone scholarships are for students graduating from a high school within the city. Additional information is available at grcc.edu/reconnect , by calling the Reconnect hotline at (616) 234-3366 and by emailing reconnect@grcc.edu. Additional information about the Grand Rapids Promise Zone is available at grcc.edu/promisezone , by email at promisezone@grcc.edu and by phone at (616) 234-4321. Students who are not eligible for Michigan Reconnect or the Grand Rapids Promise Zone might still qualify for a federal Pell Grant or for one of the many GRCC Foundation scholarships. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as FAFSA, is required for the programs and scholarships. The college has a FAFSA Hotline – (616) 234-4030 – with specialists available to answer questions about the form. Students also can make appointments to connect with specialists in person, virtually or over the phone at grcc.edu/financialaid . Specialists can be reached via email at financialaid@grcc.edu . GRCC also provides services for student veterans, opening its first Veterans Center last year on level G2 of Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall. The Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs recently saluted the college as a Gold Level veteran-friendly school. “GRCC is committed to helping our student veterans persist and graduate,” said Registrar Valerie Butterfield, who oversees the program. “Our Veterans Center is a one-stop shop for students looking to connect with campus support services, or even just to be part of a community with people with similar experiences.”

Aug. 17. 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- In 2019, Liliana Saldana wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. “After high school, I didn’t head right to college. I was indecisive about what I wanted to do.” A family member suggested that she look into the Grand Rapids Community College Public Works Academy. “They thought it would be a great way for me to explore different types of work and it really was.” GRCC and area municipalities partnered to create the academy. Public works employees are vitally important in our communities, and in great demand across West Michigan. “The Public Works Academy was a real eye-opener for me. It was interesting learning about what a city has to do support its citizens,” Saldana said. “There is so much! I liked that so much of it was learning hands-on skills. I also didn’t realize all the rules and safety protocols necessary to know.” This program features a small class size, hands-on training, and job placement assistance. Participants have a career coach and a job developer to help support their success. As part of the program, successful graduates are interviewed by local public works departments. Saldana credits the Public Works Academy for her opportunity to work for the City of Grand Rapids. “It was great that I got interviews with the different cities. It took a while to hear back but I had a second interview, this time it was for a customer service position. That surprised me! They said that because I had the knowledge that I learned from the hands-on training, I was a really good fit.” Saldana is proud she has been able to improve customer service to the Hispanic community. “Because I am bilingual, I was really able to help with our Spanish-speaking customers,” she said. “Many of the issues that I saw when I first started were mostly due to language.” Municipalities are looking for people who are passionate about improving the lives of those around them. “The public works department is so critical. Working through the pandemic helped me see how it’s really essential. From the roads, to trash, to trees – people don’t realize how this work impacts our quality of life.” Saldana thinks the Public Works Academy is great for anyone who is not sure what they want to do and don’t want college debt. “If you are ready to get into the workforce and you like hands-on jobs, working outside, different tasks every day, or customer service and office work, this program is for you.” Many of the public works positions are seasonal, meaning the tasks or duties may change depending on the season. “In the winter your job may be snow plowing, but in the summer, you can be filling potholes and other street work. It’s great if you get bored easily because it can change throughout the year. Plus, it’s easy to move around once you start. It’s hard to explain because there is so much to it!” Taking this program really opened Saldana’s eyes to how we treat our environment and sparked a passion she didn’t even know she had. “It made me realize how much I enjoy learning about the environment and the sustainability aspect of our systems. It genuinely makes me happy. I do want to go back GRCC to take some classes on that and the City of Grand Rapids offers tuition reimbursement. “With the way our city is growing, we have to plan for the future. There is going to be more and more people needed to keep it going and keep it a great place to live.” The next session of the Public Works Academy begins Oct. 18, 2022. The class meets on Tuesday and Thursday evenings for 15 weeks at the Tassell M-TEC, located at 622 Godfrey Ave SW in Grand Rapids. The cost of this program is $650; however, if you live in the City of Grand Rapids, your cost is $25. For more information contact the M-TEC at 616-234-3376.

Aug. 16, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College volleyball team will start the season ranked No. 11 in the nation in the National Junior Community College Association Division II poll released on Monday. Last week GRCC was named the preseason favorite to win the newly created Northern Conference in the Michigan Community College Athletic Association, voted on by coaches in the conference. “I’m very excited to get back in it,” returning player Audrey Gower said. “The returners and I are determined to make it to the national tournament this year since our season was cut short last year. We will all have to work nonstop together as a team to achieve our goals one step at a time.” GRCC last year posted a 24-7 overall record, and was undefeated in the MCCAA Western Conference. The team finished as the runner-up in regionals after winning its 10th conference championship and eighth MCCAA title. Will reached a milestone 400th victory, and is 410-75 in his 15-year coaching career. Nine players are returning, including outside hitter Audrey Torres, who earned All-Region, First Team All-Conference honors; setter Shannon Russell, who earned Second Team All-Conference honors; and Kara Hecht, Karissa Ferry and Eliza Thelen who were all named All-Conference Honorable Mention. Also returning is Alena Visnovsky, recently named to the NJCAA All-Academic team for a perfect 4.0 GPA; Rylee VanPatten, an outside hitter from Charlotte; Charlie Baker, a defensive specialist from Whitehall, and Gower, a defensive specialist/libero from Dimondale. The team has five incoming freshmen. Outside hitter/defensive specialist Braelyn Berry graduated from Morley Stanwood High School and was named Female Athlete of the Year. Defensive specialist Lexi Heavner went to Rockford High School, and defensive specialist Vienna Koenigsknecht comes from Portage Central High School. Also joining the team are setters Autumn Cole and Alyssa Wierenga. Cole is a graduate of Kenowa Hills High School and Wierenga is from Forest Hills Northern High School. The regular season begins on Aug. 19 as the Raiders travel to Rockford, Ill. for the McHenry County College Invitational. The team will face stiff competition including No. 3 Johnson County Community College and No. 4 Iowa Central Community College, which finished third and fourth in the NJCAA National Tournament last year. One week later the team travels to Owens Community College and will play No. 6 Terra State and the host team, Owens who comes in at No. 1 in the pre-season Division III poll.    

August 15, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College is partnering with the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity to remove financial obstacles preventing residents in underserved communities from connecting with life-changing career skills. LISEP is providing financial support to GRCC to cover living expenses for eligible students. Students with dependents will receive $350 stipends per week or $6,300 over an 18-week career-training course. Students without dependents will receive $225 per week, or $4,050 in total. The Washington-based institute will cover students enrolled in GRCC’s welding, electrician, and computer support technician courses. “To date, these students haven’t received financial assistance geared specifically toward living expenses while they pursue their credential,” said Gene Ludwig, who founded LISEP in 2019. “This means some of them have had to forego valuable training courses or drop out prior to earning an industry certification. This stipend is intended for students to be able to put food on the table and complete classes at the same time. Ultimately, it will give young adults a better chance at a good-paying job and a better future.” GRCC will work to place these students into jobs with local, minority-owned businesses they are working with that employ welders and electricians and that are positioned for growth. “We get to see the transformation in a student’s life when they leave our program with in-demand skills and a job,” said Julie Parks, GRCC’s Dean of Workforce Training. “We also know there are so many more people who could benefit, but worry about the financial obstacles. The Ludwig Institute’s program will remove those barriers and give people opportunities that will not only help these students, but the region’s employers as well.” West Michigan employers are looking for welders, fabricators, electricians, and computer support technicians, and are often struggling to find people with the needed skills to fill openings. GRCC partners with employers to create programs that match the skills needed in evolving fields. The Ludwig Institute’s mission is to improve the economic well-being of middle- and lower-income Americans through research and education. Its research includes new economic indicators for unemployment, earnings, and cost of living. Gene Ludwig is an internationally recognized leader on matters related to banking and fiscal policy and was Comptroller of the Currency during the Clinton Administration. Ludwig is also the co-founder of the Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation, whose grantmaking in education primarily focuses on empowering young people from low-income backgrounds to achieve their educational and professional goals. The Carol and Gene Ludwig Family Foundation has been helping grantees award direct financial assistance to students from low-income communities since 2014.  

Aug. 15, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- GRCC alumna Sonia Riley is always finding – and learning – new ways to serve her community, taking on roles in education, politics and health care. Riley is a community school coordinator for Kent School Services Network, a nonprofit organization that collaborates with K-12 schools to connect families with support services. She works with Dickinson Academy in the Grand Rapids school district. Start at GRCC and go anywhere. Every former student has a story to tell about how GRCC gave them the education and opportunity to be successful. “The majority of my career has been working for nonprofit organizations that work with underserved communities reducing health disparities, removing barriers to academic success and providing a voice for those who have been intentionally marginalized,” said Riley, who earned an associate degree in Criminal Justice in 2010. Working with one agency or organization frequently points her to others that need her help. Her jobs as a community health care worker with Strong Beginnings, a federal program that works to improve the well-being of African American and Latino families during pregnancy and early childhood, and as an administrative aide for the city of Grand Rapids led to her entering the civic sphere. “Although I was doing great work for some amazing organizations such as Strong Beginnings, I felt obligated to do more,” she said. That led to her roles on Wyoming’s Community Enrichment Commission and as 2nd vice chair of the Kent County Democratic Party. Every step of the way, Riley has taken advantage of opportunities to learn more. She earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Ferris State University and is looking at programs to earn a master’s in education leadership.  She also completed FSU’s Latino Talent Initiative (now known as the Leaders Program), a Fellows Program at affordable housing advocate LINC Up, and New American Leaders training. Riley credits her time at GRCC for giving her a strong foundation for her work. “I value the connectivity and the real-life experiences that were shared with us,” she said. “GRCC gives a lot to the students. It’s not just the textbooks, but also the internships. It was the whole college experience.” She has maintained her GRCC connections, serving on the Juvenile Services Advisory Board and collaborating with the Criminal Justice Club. “They have been a great partnership to our school, providing winter gear for all our students during the pandemic,” she said. “Anytime I presented to the club and staff, they have answered the call to action.” Riley, who was a single mother of three during her time as a GRCC student, said her journey hasn’t been easy, but it’s been fulfilling. “I have a lot of people who provided a lot of support on my journey, and the GRCC staff is one of them, because, as an alumna, I know I can count on them to steer me in the right direction,” she said. “They believed I could do it, and I did.” Let GRCC help you start your story. The first chapter starts at grcc.edu/apply