April 27, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Four months ago, Ben Mast didn’t have any of the skills or knowledge required to be an electrician. Fast forward and next week he will begin his career as an electrical apprentice. “I had been going to Grand Valley for a couple of years and was studying business. Then classes moved to all online because of COVID,” he said. “At that time, I was working full time and I just liked working more than school. I heard from a friend who went through this program and it sounded like a sweet gig. Less school sounded like a sweet idea for me just because I wasn’t having a whole lot of fun. I signed up for the waitlist and started just before Christmas. It’s been a blast!” GRCC Workforce Training programs provide in-demand skills leading to rewarding careers. We are introducing students who are heading down an educational pathway and changing their lives by earning occupational certificates The GRCC Construction Electrical Job Training program provides the basic knowledge and skills required to be placed in an Electrical Apprenticeship program in just 18 weeks of training. Mast started the program with no experience in this field. “I feel like most of the students don’t have any experience when they started. I’m super grateful to have Doug (Wiersma) as my instructor. He is super knowledgeable. He’s got an answer for everything and he also makes it super fun!” Students participate in job site, lab area, field trip and classroom settings. Learning is hands-on in all areas of electrical installation including employability skills, construction and electrical safety, hand and power tool safety, electrical math, electrical history, electrical theory, the National Electrical Code, electrical material identification, blue print reading, underground installations and residential/commercial wiring. Mast came into the program at the same time as five other students. “Because we all started at the same time, there is a competitive aspect to it,” he said. “It’s always a challenge to see who is doing it faster, better, getting stuff to work the first time. We’ve grown pretty close in the past four months. It’s been really fun to be doing it with your buddies.” An electrical apprenticeship with Windemuller Electric is next for Mast. Once graduates of this program are hired, they may register with the State of Michigan as an Apprentice Electrician. The 18-week Job Training program covers the first year of training in the four-year apprenticeship. “The work is satisfying and fulfilling. I feel like this program is preparing me and making me feel a little bit better about going into a field I’ve never worked in before. It’s been my favorite school I’ve ever gone to.” According to the Michigan Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives, there will be 16% job growth annually in this field from 2012 to 2022. Average wage per hour is $23.78. New sessions of GRCC Job Training programs begin throughout the year. The next session begins June 6, 2022. For more information go to grcc.edu/jobtraining.

April 26, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College baseball team built up an eight-run lead over Davenport University’s junior varsity squad, and almost watched it slip away But GRCC held off to cling to a 10-8 victory in a nine-inning game, evening the season record at 20-20, and one tie. GRCC scored five runs in the fifth inning to go up 8-0, with Xander Reisbig, Max Varon, and Caleb Engelsman all driving home runs. Davenport chipped away at the lead, scoring two runs in the fifth, one in the sixth and other in the seventh before rallying for four runs in the bottom of the ninth. Kellan Smith earned the win for GRCC, with the righty pitching three innings, allowing no runs on two hits, striking out two and walking one. Caden VanDeBurg recorded the last two outs to earn the save. GRCC scattered 12 hits in the game. Reisbig, Varon, Dylan Chargo, Zacarias Salinas, and Jacob Gumieny all managed multiple hits. GRCC has won five games in a row since a 3-3 tie against Calvin University a week ago at LMCU Ballpark. The team is back in action on Friday with a doubleheader on the road against Kalamazoo Valley Community College. Photo by Steve Jessmore. Powered by Narrative Science and GameChanger Media. Copyright 2022. All rights reserved.

April 26, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Grand Rapids Community College students will have a seamless path to Kuyper College's bachelor’s degree programs through a new agreement between the two institutions. The transfer partnership agreement ensures that GRCC students can transfer to Kuyper with minimal credit loss or duplicate coursework. “GRCC is for many students the first step on their educational journey,” said Dr. Bill Pink, GRCC president. “It is rewarding to see students build on that solid academic foundation with additional degrees. Agreements with four-year institutions such as Kuyper College create outstanding opportunities for students and reflect the value our community places on education and collaboration.”  GRCC has transfer program agreements with most higher education institutions in West Michigan. This agreement with Kuyper, the first between the two colleges, notes that GRCC students who are specifically seeking a bachelor’s degree in business leadership will be able to take their classes at Kuyper’s urban campus at the Center for Community Transformation, 1530 Madison Ave. SE. “This new partnership agreement allows any GRCC student pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Kuyper, Michigan’s only federally recognized Work College, to transfer into low-cost bachelor’s degree programs with guaranteed jobs,” said Dr. Patricia Harris, Kuyper College president. “Transfer scholarships and grants are available, allowing students the opportunity to graduate with little or no debt.” The articulation agreement idea got its start when professor Felix Pereiro, head of GRCC’s Business Department, and Marc Andreas, associate professor of Business Leadership and Business Leadership Program Director for Kuyper College, collaborated in discussions about how to help business students and our community. “GRCC offers our students a high-quality education at an affordable price. We are at a pivotal time in our society where the cost of obtaining a college degree is beyond the reach of many, especially those in disenfranchised populations,” Pereiro said.  “Kuyper’s campus at the Center for Community Transformation is a breakthrough moment for the community we serve. Students who earn their Associate of Business degree at GRCC now have a path to earn a baccalaureate degree and employment opportunities that are aligned with their coursework. The location of the building was critical. It is strategically located in a neighborhood to help those most in need.” Pereiro said discussions with Andreas focused on how they could help students attain academic, career, and life goals. “Many students begin their journey to obtain their goals at GRCC and then move onto one of our great transfer college and university partners. We challenged each other to develop programs that are truly exciting and innovative to offer our students,” Pereiro said. Photo by Steve Jessmore.

April 26, 2022 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A Grand Rapids Community College biology professor will cap a 30-year career with the 2022 Faculty Emeritus designation during commencement this week.  Paul Krieger, a biology professor who retired in 2019, says working at GRCC was his “dream job.” “I taught courses in anatomy and physiology, general biology, and personal health,” he said. “My former students have launched their own successful careers as nurses, dental hygienists, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, physician assistants, occupational therapists, and medical doctors, as well as many other careers.” Krieger will be recognized during ceremonies on April 29 at Gerald R. Ford Fieldhouse, 111 Lyon St. NE. Students in the School of Arts and Sciences will attend a 4:30 p.m. commencement, and those in the School of Workforce Development will be at a 7:30 p.m. ceremony. Krieger credits what was then Grand Rapids Junior College for setting him on his career path. He loved both art and science, and his instructors suggested he consider teaching. “I decided this would allow me to combine my passions for art and science in a meaningful way,” he said. “This turned out to be a great decision for me and worked out even better than I could have imagined.” After receiving his Associate of Science in 1984, he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Michigan and a secondary teaching certificate. He received a master’s in biological sciences from Wayne State University in 1991. Before starting at GRCC in 1991, Krieger taught at high schools in Beijing and Jackson. During his teaching career, he wrote and illustrated the four-book Visual Analogy Guides series, which cover anatomy, physiology and chemistry.  

April 25, 2022, CALEDONIA, Mich. – Brad Dunn pitched a five-inning one-hitter to lead the Grand Rapids Community College baseball team in a 10-0 shutout of Glen Oaks Community College, part of a doubleheader sweep and the team’s fifth win in a row. GRCC snagged a late lead to claim victory in the first game, 11-7 on Monday. The GRCC golf team also fared well, with a third place finish in its annual home invitational at Egypt Valley Golf Course. Dunn, a freshman from Saugatuck, was in command in the second baseball game, allowing just a second-inning single. He struck out six and walked none to earn the win. Ryan Dykstra jump-started the GRCC scoring on the first inning, hitting a triple on a 2-2 count, scoring one run. The team scored four runs in the third inning with Dykstra – who homered -- Zacarias Salinas, and Andres Rivera-Calderon all sending runners across the plate with RBIs in the inning. GRCC had 11 hits, with Rivera-Calderon, Dykstra, Dylan Chargo, and Jacob Gumieny all managed multiple hits in the shortened game. The opener was tied at two in the bottom of the fifth when Ryan Dykstra singled on a 1-1 count, scoring one run, and Xander Reisbig hit a solo homer. GRCC scored five runs in the sixth inning. Caleb Engelsman, Chargo, and Reisbig each had RBIs in the big inning. Engelsman was on the mound, lasted five and a third innings, allowing seven hits and five runs while striking out two. GRCC is now 19-20-1 on the season, and is next in action on Tuesday against Davenport University in a scheduled nine-inning game. In the golf tournament, Matthew Denhartigh and Connor Oman finish among the top-10 helping GRCC to a third place finish in its annual home invitational at Egypt Valley. Denhartigh was one of just seven golfers to break 80 on the tough windy course in Ada. The sophomore finished with a 79, good enough to tie for fifth place. Oman cracked the top-10 shooting an 80. Arie Jackman shot an 81, finished all alone in 11th place while Brad VandenHout, 84, and Sam Foss, 85 finished 17th and 19th respectively in the field of 37. Muskegon Community College dominated the field with a 305, finishing 17 strokes ahead of second-place Oakland Community College and 19 strokes better than GRCC. Steve Cullen, of Muskegon Community College took home the medalist honors with an even par 72 performance. Powered by Narrative Science and GameChanger Media. Copyright 2022. All rights reserved.

April 25, 2022 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College’s 2022 Distinguished Alumnus was told that higher education wasn’t for him when he graduated high school. Loyd Winer’s sister was an excellent student, but after their father paid for her to attend Michigan State University, she didn’t go. Winer was told to get a job at Michigan Bell as he wasn’t college material. Michigan Bell required at least a two-year degree, so he enrolled at what was then Grand Rapids Junior College. Winer’s father made him pay his own way. The first year at GRJC, he took all the classes he should have taken in high school: chemistry, calculus, trigonometry. The second year, he “finally figured things out” and started to excel. “You have to apply yourself and it will come,” he said. “Keep trying – you can do it.” Winer will be recognized during GRCC’s commencement on April 29 at Gerald R. Ford Fieldhouse, 111 Lyon St. NE. Students in the School of Arts and Sciences will attend a 4:30 p.m. commencement, and those in the School of Workforce Development will attend a 7:30 p.m. ceremony. After graduating from GRJC in 1950, Winer went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from MSU. After serving in the Navy on the USS Ticonderoga, he joined J. & G. Daverman Co. His engineering work took him across the United States and many countries. One of his most memorable projects was designing the original runways and taxiways for Gerald R. Ford International Airport – he still checks up on them from the public viewing area once or twice a week. In 1969, he co-founded Grand Rapids Testing Service and Newhof and Winer Inc. He helped design buildings for Herman Miller and Amway and foundries in Newaygo, Ionia and Mexico. After selling his share in the businesses to his partner, Paul Newhof, he worked for insurance agencies, reviewing building liabilities and often testifying in court. Winer hasn’t forgotten his beginning in higher education: He and his wife, Suzanne, who passed away in 2018, established the Loyd and Suzanne Winer Scholarship through the GRCC Foundation. The fund targets students enrolled in STEM programs – science, technology, engineering and math – at GRCC.    

April 25, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Brad Pennock was working in facility maintenance at a hospital when he decided an education in a skilled trade would help his career. “I had heard a few success stories from people who had taken classes at, or graduated from, the GRCC Applied Technology Center,” he said. “After some research, I had chosen the program of Electrical Controls Engineering Technology.” 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. Pennock, who was an electrician in the Navy for four years, earned his associate degree in 2018. But he decided he wasn’t done with his education. “While navigating the curriculum, I was drawn to how electrical controls integrate with mechanical heating and cooling systems,” he said. “The education I received from GRCC allowed me to continue to pursue an education and achieve my professional goals with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a certificate in project management from Ferris State University.” Pennock, an HVAC technician for University of Michigan Health-West, found GRCC’s Veteran Services office an important support in his college journey. “It was very clear to me from the beginning that they cared a lot about helping their community and those who had served our country,” he said. “With their help, I was able to maximize my education benefits and have some remaining to use toward a bachelor’s degree.” Pennock found just what he needed at GRCC. “Whether it be a stepping stone to an affiliated university, someone returning to further their education, or someone looking to find direction, they will all find what they are looking for at Grand Rapids Community College.” Let GRCC help you start your story. The first chapter starts at grcc.edu/apply .

April 23, 2022, CENTREVILLE, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College baseball team blasted four home runs, three of which were season firsts, helping the team to a Saturday sweep over Glen Oaks Community College to begin the season series. Ryan Dykstra's two-run shot in the top of the first inning was one of three home runs hit in the first game. The outfielder now has a team-best five homers. Xander Reisbig connected to hit his first home run of the season in the fifth, giving the team a 3-0 lead.  Glen Oaks responded by scoring three runs in its half of the inning, but Zacarias Salinas blasted a lead-off shot in the sixth -- his first home run of the season. GRCC scored two more runs in the top of the seventh and held on for a 7-3 victory. Unlike game one, where both teams had 11 hits, hits were at a minimum in the nightcap, with both pitchers throwing a no-hitter through three innings. A base- loaded walk by GRCC brought home the first run of the game in the fourth inning.  Glen Oaks responded with a squeeze bunt to tie the game in the bottom half of the frame. Leadoff hitter Jacob Gumieny crushed his first homer of the season in the fifth and GRCC went on to win 5-1. Both pitching staffs gave up just four hits, including GRCC's Drew Murphy, who picked up the win, while striking out seven batters. The baseball team is now 17-20-1, 10-8 in the conference, and will continue the four-game series April 24.