September 27, 2024 When you’re 4,200 miles from home, it’s nice to see some friendly faces. Two new student athletes from Finland say they’ve been welcomed with open arms since starting this fall at Grand Rapids Community College. “I really like my teammates and everybody on campus is so open and kind and willing to help,” said Eevi Eskola, a defender in her first season on GRCC’s women’s soccer team.  Eskola is from Veikkola, a village near Helsinki in southern Finland. The 20-year-old is no stranger to Grand Rapids, though. She spent the 2021-22 school year as an exchange student at Northview High School. While she’d traveled extensively with her family as a young girl, she’d never visited Michigan until her placement here as an 11th-grader.  Eskola played soccer most of her life, including time on Northview’s girls team. She enjoyed her year in Grand Rapids and, after returning home to complete high school, realized she wasn’t ready to give up on soccer — or Michigan. She and her father created a soccer highlight reel and started sending it to U.S. college coaches. Her soccer skills caught the eye of GRCC Women’s Soccer Head Coach Jason Hill.  She enjoys playing for the  Raiders and pursuing a  business degree  at GRCC. Ideally, she’d like to earn an associate degree and move on to a four-year university to continue playing while earning a bachelor’s degree. Or she may eventually return to Finland to become a dentist. “I'm not really sure yet,” Eskola said. “If soccer goes really good, I may stay in the U.S. for the whole four years.” Fellow Finn Nicolas Knuutila is also thrilled with the chance to attend GRCC and play men’s college basketball. He, too, discovered GRCC after sharing his own highlight video with U.S. coaches in hopes of getting recruited. “One of the junior colleges that reached out to me was GRCC and I was immediately interested in playing for them,” said Knuutila, 20. “I wanted to learn more about the school and watched a few of their games on YouTube and liked what I saw. “Once I looked into the academic possibilities for me here, it seemed like the perfect fit.” He and his father arrived in Grand Rapids in August so he could begin practicing with the men’s basketball team. He hopes to play basketball as long as possible for a college team while pursuing a degree in sports management. He’s studying  business at GRCC. Knuutila said he likes his teammates and looks forward to a great  basketball season  beginning Nov. 1 with a game at College of Lake County in Grayslake, Ill. Both Finnish students say they are exploring Grand Rapids and the region as their sports and class schedules allow. They both appreciate the time and attention from GRCC academic advisors and professors to get them started in the right direction. “At GRCC, there are so many resources and support to make sure you succeed in your classes, which is really nice,” Eskola said. “In colleges in Finland, I think students are more on their own to figure things out. “I know coming to GRCC was the right move for me and I’m so excited to be here.” This story was reported by Beth McKenna.

September 26, 2024 A great smile can change a person’s life. A dental assistant is someone who works alongside a dentist to provide those smiles. If you chose this career, you could make smiles every day!  Dental assistants are in high demand and short supply, especially after the pandemic. “This is a career that people tend to stay in,” said Jamie Klap, program director. “After the COVID-19 pandemic, many people retired or decided to stay home with their children. That has left a lot of openings in dental offices and clinics, and a shortage of people to fill them.”  A dental assistant serves as the second set of hands for a dentist. An assistant helps with fillings, extractions, braces, root canals and more. Although people with on-the-job training can do very simple tasks, a license is required in Michigan for dental assistants who want to perform more advanced functions.  Becoming a Registered Dental Assistant requires three steps. First, you need to earn a  dental assisting certificate or  associate degree from an accredited program. GRCC has both. Second, you need to pass your licensure exam. And third, you apply to become registered as a dental assistant through the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). While that might sound complicated, the whole process does not take very long. “A student can complete the dental assisting certificate at GRCC in about 10 months,” Klap said. “Our program involves basic classwork, but students spend the majority of their time practicing in dental offices. Our students complete 300 total externship hours at two or three dental offices, and have extensive real life experience working with patients.” Here is the best news.  “We work with a variety of dental offices,” Klap said. “Many offices are looking to hire trained dental assistants. That’s why they choose to bring our students in for externship rotations. Students often receive a job offer after completing their externship rotations.”  Dental assisting is an excellent option for people who have empathy, initiative, good memorization skills, are proactive and have an ability to think ahead. Those skills, along with GRCC’s program, are a winning combination. “GRCC has the only accredited dental assisting program in West Michigan,” Klap said. “The next closest accredited programs are about two and half hours away. Our dental assisting program does not have any pre-program requirements, meaning a student can start right after graduating high school. We have excellent, experienced faculty and longstanding partnerships with many local dental offices and clinics. Our students finish the program with skills that are in high demand.” From a financial perspective, dental assisting can be a highly affordable path to a career with lifelong potential. There are scholarship opportunities through GRCC as well as through dental organizations and foundations. For students 21 or older, the  Michigan Reconnect Scholarship could cover the cost of tuition for this training. GRCC is also a perfect choice for people who have extensive on-the-job training. GRCC is one of only two programs in the state that will credit work experience as part of the dental assisting program requirements. A certified dental assistant simply needs to attend GRCC for one semester to learn the more advanced procedures and then sit for the licensing boards exam to become a Registered Dental Assistant. Klap shared that the dental assisting program is great for students who are recent high school graduates, those waiting to start the dental hygiene program, or those who are eager to work with the public in a health care setting.  “Dental assisting is a wonderful career opportunity that you can start quite quickly,” Klap said. “It offers flexibility, variety, and the choice of full- or part-time employment, depending on what fits your lifestyle.”  Learn more about GRCC’s dental assisting program.    This story was reported by Julie Hordyk.

For over five decades, GRCC’s Early Childhood Learning Laboratory (ECLL) has set the standard for early childhood learning in West Michigan. The ECLL’s innovative approach and tailored developmental learning have significantly impacted the entire community, benefiting children, students, parents and staff alike.  To honor this special occasion, we want to highlight the history of the ECLL, its approach to training future educators and how it fosters a community where people are passionate about creating supportive education environments. Growing capabilities and footprint   The ECLL welcomed its first students in 1974. Located in the First United Methodist Church at the corner of Fulton St. and Barclay Ave., the ECLL had the capacity to care for about 80 children ages 2 ½ years to six years. In the 1980s, infant and toddler care was added, and by 1985, around 80 college students participated in practical labs as part of their coursework.      By 2017, it was time to expand the ECLL’s physical footprint and capabilities. The new state-of-the-art facility includes seven early childhood classrooms, observation areas for students and staff and adult classrooms to host child development and education courses. The expanded facility has become a hub for early childhood education. The ECLL is licensed to care for 110 children and provides practical training for over 375 students enrolled in GRCC’s  Education programs and degree transfer programs. Training future educators   The ECLL fosters a truly unique educational environment for college students enrolled in the Education Program. GRCC students have the opportunity to close the textbook and put their classroom knowledge into practice. The lab components involve observing qualified educators working with infants, toddlers and preschoolers. They also write lesson plans, practice creating age-appropriate play experiences, handle conflict resolution and much more. The combination of knowledge and practical experience has helped many students build their confidence and decide to pursue careers in early childhood education. “I’ve worked with students who have gone on to be center directors and public school teachers,” said Penny Folsom, who worked at the ECLL for 26 years before retiring in 2018. “I’m so proud of each of them. It’s wonderful to think about the impact we had on them and to see the passion they bring to their own careers.”  “We’re sending highly trained educators into the field every year,” said Melissa Boman, director of the ECLL. “They can take what they’ve learned into the programs they serve after graduation and become leaders in this field.”  Giving children and parents safe spaces to grow   Training future educators is only a part of the ECLL’s mission. It also provides highly interactive early childhood education for families attending GRCC. Children benefit from quality programming, and parents can focus on their education, knowing that their child has the best possible care. The infant and toddler programs are based on supportive relationships and emphasize child-directed learning. Qualified teachers plan the curriculum, and children are free to move among the learning center activities in their classroom. Weekly schedules offer everything from fun language arts and music activities to challenging science and math games. With every interaction, staff seek to engage each child’s interests and personal gifts. “The way we did things was so hands-on and involved,” remembers Folsom. “I don’t think we should underestimate the importance of giving children a healthy start and bringing them into an environment where they can learn and grow.”  “I enjoyed building relationships with the infants and then also with the families,” said Cheryl Botham, who worked at the ECLL for 39 years. “We prioritized one-on-one care, and having the chance to create a relationship with the rest of the family was really special.”  Building community — in and out of the classroom Spend enough time at GRCC, and you might start to notice a common theme: community. It’s the community’s college, a place where students have the support they need to further their education and where staff are excited about their work and the difference they make every day.  The ECLL is no different. It’s a community bound together by a shared passion for providing the best early childhood care and equipping future educators with the foundational tools they need for a successful career.  “The camaraderie amongst the staff was something special,” said Folsom. “We built connections with each other, with the children and with the families. Raising children is a community project, and I don’t regret a minute of my career. I hope the 50th anniversary will help bring even more recognition to the outstanding childcare and celebrate the great work being done.”  GRCC is celebrating with an open house on September 30, 2024, from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm.  Learn more and RSVP for the event Pictures courtesy of Rockford Construction