April 17, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College baseball team is facing Calvin University at a special game on Tuesday, April 19 at LMCU Ballpark, home of the West Michigan Whitecaps. The teams are playing a doubleheader, with the first game starting at 2 p.m. Here’s what you need to know: The home team: GRCC is 14-20 on the season, but that’s a little misleading. The team started the season on a tough, 11-game road trip down south facing four-year schools and other top competition, losing the first 10 games. GRCC is 8-8 in conference play. Players to watch: Byron Center native Ryan Dykstra is powering the GRCC offense, leading the team in batting average with .371, hits with 39, doubles with nine, and home runs with four. Jerad Berkenpas, also from Byron Center, has been the ace, leading team with four wins, a 2.45 earned run average, and 46 strikeouts in 40.1 innings. Caleb Engelsman, of Rockford, recently had a game for the ages, hitting a two-out, bases-loaded triple to give GRCC a walk-off win against rival Muskegon Community College – and even pitched a complete-game victory. The coach: The Raiders are led by Mike Eddington, who played two seasons at Grand Rapids Junior College for legendary Coach Tom Hofmann. He was part of the team that placed sixth in the Junior College World Series and was an honorable mention All-American. Eddington transferred to Michigan State University, where he broke the Spartan home run record, previously held by former Detroit Tigers star Kirk Gibson -- a record that still stands today. The opponent: Calvin University is 12-12 this season, coming off a doubleheader split against Kalamazoo College on Saturday. Catcher Rick Padilla is leading the team offensively with a .372 batting average, eight doubles and three homers. Pitcher Calvin Miller has three wins, a save and a 2.19 earned run average. Kevin Van Duyn is in his fourth year as Calvin’s head coach. A two-time Division III All-American second baseman at Calvin, Van Duyn has a record of 42-38 and a second place MIAA finish in 2021. Honorees: The GRCC Athletic Department is celebrating the 26th anniversary of the 1996 team and the 25th anniversary of the 1997 team, both winning the NJCAA baseball national championship. The teams included two players – Brad Block and Joe Trigg – who were named All-Americans. A number of players from those teams are planning to attend and will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Admission: Admission is free for GRCC students and employees with their RaiderCard. General admission is $10, and $5 for Calvin students and employees with their ID card. Parking: Parking at LMCU Ballpark will be free. GRCC baseball history: GRCC’s baseball team has a storied tradition, with five national championships, 19 regional championships and 30 conference championships. GRCC coach Hofmann led his team to nearly 700 wins, served as an assistant coach on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team and was inducted into the Community College Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1988 and into the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. GRCC at LMCU Ballpark: It’s the second year that GRCC has played at LMCU Ballpark. Last year’s doubleheader against Kellogg Community College, was the first game at the stadium since the start of the pandemic, and the first with the park’s new name.

April 16, 2022, BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – A nine-run, fifth-inning explosion by Kellogg Community College doomed the Grand Rapids Community College baseball team on Saturday, which lost a doubleheader on the road. GRCC in the first game saw the game slip away early and couldn't recover in a 4-2 loss. Caleb Engelsman took the loss for GRCC, pitching six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits, striking out four and walking none. Jacob Gumieny, Engelsman, Zacarias Salinas, Dylan Chargo, Ryan Dykstra, Andres Rivera-Calderon, and Dominic Palamara each collected one hit. GRCC hoped to pull off a split after mounting a 6-1 lead in the nightcap. But Kellogg’s nine-run outburst put the team out in front to win 10-6. GRCC put up three runs in the second inning, led by Gumieny, Engelsman, and Dykstra, who each had RBIs in the inning. Caden VanDeBurg took the loss, with the righthander lasting two-thirds of an inning, allowing four hits and four runs while walking none. Brad Dunn started the game for GRCC, allowing five hits and five runs over four innings, striking out three and walking one Gumieny, Chargo, Xander Reisbig, Dykstra, and Andres Rivera-Calderon each managed one hit. GRCC has lost three in a row, with the season dropping to 14-21. The team’s next games are against Calvin University at LMCU Ballpark, home of the West Michigan Whitecaps. Powered by Narrative Science and GameChanger Media. Copyright 2022. All rights reserved.

April 15, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.  – The Grand Rapids Community College golf team returned to action after more than a month away, winning the Glen Oaks Community College Invitational Tournament on Friday. The baseball team recovered from a 3-2 loss in the first game of a doubleheader against Kellogg Community College to win 9-6 in the nightcap. In its first MCCAA conference match of the season, the golf team defeated the field of six opponents with a score of 302, 14 strokes better than second-place Muskegon Community College. Sophomore Matt Denhartigh earned medalist honors with a career-best four-under par performance. Arie Jackman, 75 and Connor Oman, 77 also earned All-Tournament Team honors. Sam Foss finished with an 82 and Brad Vandenhout an 84 on the cold and windy course down in Centreville, Mich. The baseball team managed a split against first place Kellogg Community College. GRCC ace Jared Berkenpas pitched a complete game and gave up two earned runs in the 3-2 loss. Dylan Chargo led GRCC, with two hits in three at-bats with an RBI double. In the nightcap, GRCC trailed 6-2, but scored seven unanswered runs in the fifth and sixth innings to win 9-6. GRCC out-hit Kellogg 15-10, led by Chargo and Zacarias Salinas who each had three hits. GRCC had three extra base hits; one by Salinas and the others by Andres Rivera-Calderon and Ryan Dykstra. With the score tied at six, Camden Keatley scored the go-ahead run on a line drive to center field in the fifth inning. Drew Murphy, Caden VanDeBurg and Eliott Traver pitched for GRCC, with VanDeBurg picking up the victory. The Raiders, now 14-18 on the season, will travel to Battle Creek on April 16 to complete the four-game series.    

April 14, 2022, 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 Julia Moore. Julia connects with students in two different ways at GRCC. She is an adjunct instructor of Mathematics and a navigator for GEAR UP Wyoming. In her navigator position, Julia is a math mentor, coach and tutor to 10th grade students attending Wyoming, Godfrey-Lee, Godwin Heights, and Kelloggsville school districts. As part of Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, she assists them in class and after school. "It's my goal to help my students learn how to become successful in their math studies, and to hopefully learn enough math now so they won't have to retake any math courses when they get to college," she said.  Julia introduces students to different career options and college pathways through job site visits, college campus visits, and summer learning academies. She also teaches students positive mental health habits. "It's my goal to help students learn how to have a growth mindset when it comes to their educational endeavors - to recognize patterns of negative self-talk and begin to replace them with better patterns of positive affirmations," she said. Preparing students to overcome personal and academic challenges is important to Julia because she knows barriers can get in the way of college. “I'm a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and I was once myself a GRCC student," Julia said. "I finished college while being a single mother and working multiple part-time jobs. My experiences during this time have helped me to understand the barriers that a student can have to completing their educational goals, and how to surpass those barriers utilizing available college resources." Julia's commitment to making higher education accessible to students is evidenced in her excelling at two jobs at GRCC. But what really gets her excited about working here is seeing the "ah-ha" moment happen for her students. "That moment when a student has a concept click for them, it's absolutely enthralling," Julia said. Julia attended GRCC because it was affordable and she knew she'd be able to transfer her two-year degree to a four-year college or university. After graduation, she found an opportunity at GRCC to give back to her community. Julia earned her associate degree in science from GRCC and then her bachelor's degree in science at Aquinas College. "When I graduated from GRCC, I was offered a professional tutoring position in the mathematics lab," she said. "When I graduated from Aquinas, I was offered an adjunct instructor assignment. After working at GRCC for 17 years, I started working with the academic outreach department as well. As a Navigator, I get to intercede on the student's behalf to help them gain access to resources that will help them perform better in school and plan for their futures. This is incredibly fulfilling to me as a human being!"

April 14, 2022 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter received international awards and recognition during the organization’s national conference this month. GRCC’s chapter, Alpha Upsilon Kappa, was recognized as a Top 100 Chapter and a Most Distinguished Chapter out of nearly 1,300 chapters during the four-day conference in Denver. Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society for two-year colleges. GRCC students attended educational forums, reviewed a five-year strategic plan and held officer elections during the Catalyst 22 event .  A survey organized by Alpha Upsilon Kappa members was named a Top 45 College Project. “Our PTK members worked with President Bill Pink last summer on a survey of GRCC student’s feelings about returning to campus after the pandemic,” said associate professor Lynnae Selberg, Alpha Upsilon Kappa’s advisor. “After developing the survey, they studied the findings and made recommendations on how to make students feel safe and secure in returning to in-person learning at GRCC.” Chapter President Aya Ghlaim won Distinguished Chapter Officer, and GRCC alumna Morgan Brown received the Paragon Advisor Award – both out of hundreds of entries. Phi Theta Kappa is made up of more than 3.5 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 11 nations.

April 13, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Student veterans at Grand Rapids Community College can gain career-building skills such as writing resumes and cover letters at a workshop planned for Friday, April 15. The in-person, two-hour session will provide individualized assistance and coaching. The event is planned for 2:30 to 4:30 in the GRCC Veterans Center, located in Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall, Level G2. Students will learn how to create a polished resume and cover letter that reflects their unique skills, education, and experience, potentially leading to good jobs. Students can register through Raider Connect or by calling (616) 234-2578. The program is free for GRCC student veterans and is limited to 20 students. “The is an opportunity to help our veterans present their education and skills to potential employers in a way that will get them noticed,” said Patrick Coleman, GRCC’s veterans success coordinator. “Our veterans have skills they acquired through their service, and others through their education here at GRCC. A professional resume and cover letter will help our students get their foot in the door.” The session is led by Blue Bridge Leadership and goals include: Learning what kind of resumes pass applicant tracking systems. Tailoring a resume to a particular job. Identifying “wow” factors that get resumes noticed and increase the likelihood of an interview. GRCC’s Veterans Center provides a variety of resources to students who have served in the armed forces, including one-on-one advising, tutoring and academic support, assistance in completing the VA education and benefits process and peer support, outreach and resources through Peer Advisors for Veteran Education. Students can connect with the Veterans Center by phone at (616) 234-2578, and by email at veterans@grcc.edu. Additional information is available online at grcc.edu/veterans