Jan. 22, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Nikole Hannah-Jones, the Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of the 1619 Project and a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine, will offer a keynote discussion for the 27 th Annual Diversity Lecture Series at Grand Rapids Community College. The event is planned for 6 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 31, 2022 and will be conducted virtually and will not be recorded. Registration is available at tinyurl.com/GRCCequity Hannah-Jones has spent her career investigating racial inequality and injustice. Her reporting has earned the MacArthur Fellowship, known as the Genius grant, a Peabody Award, two George Polk Awards, and the National Magazine Award three times. Hannah-Jones also received the John Chancellor Award for Distinguished Journalism and was named Journalist of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalists and the Newswomen's Club of New York. Hannah-Jones in 2020 was inducted into the Society of American Historians, and in 2021 she was named a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. She was honored with the NAACP Social Justice Award this year. Professor Hannah-Jones is the Knight Chair of Race and Journalism at Howard University, where she is founding the Center for Journalism & Democracy. Hannah-Jones in 2016 co-founded the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting, which seeks to increase the number of reporters and editors of color. She recently launched the Freedom School in her hometown of Waterloo, Iowa. Hannah-Jones holds a Master of Arts in Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina and earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and African-American studies from the University of Notre Dame.     

Jan. 20, 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 Amanda Kruzona. Amanda is one of the problem solvers in the GRCC Student Records Office. She helps students navigate how to access and retrieve their transcripts and other records. She can also help you understand how GRCC systems and processes work together to keep track of your student information. "At the end of the day, our goal is to help students navigate GRCC processes and the complexity of higher education," she said. "We want students to reach out, make connections, receive support, and feel safe asking questions. There are cheerleaders in every department on campus, and we are all here, waiting to cheer you on!" The most rewarding part of Amanda's work is also what she finds most exciting -- showing students how GRCC offers learning experiences beyond the classroom. "I get excited when students are empowered to own their experiences and get comfortable asking questions," she said. "It also allows me to discover connections between the work of everyone on campus which provides more information to help students." Amanda studied pre-pharmacy at Muskegon Community College. After graduating she worked as a pharmacy tech while earning her Bachelor of Science, Applied Mathematics from Ferris State University. While Amanda was at Ferris she saw that MCC had prepared her to do very well at a four-year university. "I saw the value in getting a college education, as well as experience, at a more affordable price," she said. "That drives me to support the work that GRCC faculty and staff do to give students the best education in this community," she said. Amanda continued her education at Western Michigan University, teaching engineering statistics while she earned her Master of Science in Industrial Engineering. Then she began working as a data analyst in the insurance field. "The time I spent in grad school gave me the teaching bug and love for higher education," she said. "I left higher education to try an occupation in the corporate world, but I found my niche at GRCC in the Student Records Office. I am overjoyed knowing that I work in a building that has been a part of enriching this community for over 100 years." You can connect with the Student Records team at studentrecords@grcc.edu , by calling (616) 234-4121 and online at grcc.edu/studentrecords .  

Jan. 19, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.  – Grace Lodes nearly posted a triple-double helping the Grand Rapids Community College's women's basketball team to a 49-47 victory over Muskegon Community College on Wednesday. GRCC was in front for much of the game, leading by as many as 12 points. Muskegon, with a 9-3 overall record, battled to keep the score close. Down 46-41, Muskegon’s Mariah Pringle made a lay-up with 21 seconds left. Following a GRCC turnover, she connected a three-pointer to tie the game at 46 with just 11 seconds remaining.  Pringle would finish with a game-high 16 points to go with seven rebounds and six blocks. GRCC’s Marlene Bussler, of Harper Creek, was fouled with eight seconds remaining and connected on both free throws giving her team the lead back. Muskegon’s Julia Tierman had a chance to tie it up with two free throw chances of her own, but made just one. Bussler finished the GRCC scoring by making one more free throw with under two seconds to go. Lodes, who hadn't played in 16 days, was two blocks away from a triple-double, but still finished with the fourth double-double of her Raider career with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Bussler also scored 12 points while Karissa Ferry, of Chesaning, added six points and 10 rebounds. The victory improved GRCC’s record to 7-7 and moved the team to second place in the conference in the latest MCCAA standings. In the men’s game, Ryel Daye had a career day for the Raiders. But the team fell to the Jayhawks 103-94.  Daye scored 34 points and 19 rebounds on 11 of 20 from the field. GRCC rushed out to an 11-point lead, but Muskegon outscored the Raiders by 10 in the final four minutes of the half to lead by eight points. The Raiders, playing from behind the entire second half, tied the game once, but couldn't match the big runs Muskegon went on the rest of the way. Andrew Moore, of Grand Rapids, scored 19 points on 7 of 14 from the field, but no other Raider reached double-digits in the scoring column.  Nyuon Nhial, of Grand Rapids, nearly had his first career double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds. Both teams will be back on the road Jan. 22 in a doubleheader against Kalamazoo Valley Community College. The women's game is set for a 1 p.m. tip-off.    

Jan. 19, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- GRCC Workforce Training programs provide in-demand skills leading to rewarding careers. Each Wednesday we’ll meet students who are heading down an educational pathway and changing their lives by earning occupational certificates. Nick Turpen had been working as a production lead in a local manufacturing company for nearly 12 years when he saw a story on the news about Michigan Reconnect. That got him to thinking - again. In 2009, Nick thought about going back to school but there was no way financially that he could swing it. “I couldn’t take two years off from work to get an associate’s degree while having a mortgage, and life expenses,” he said. “I saw a story about Michigan Reconnect on the news so I looked into it. Once I found out that I qualified, I started thinking about programs. I figured a certificate program would be good for me and a great way to get my foot in the door with a company. I chose the Construction Electrical Job Training Program because electrical work is not going away and seems like a lucrative career path.” Michigan Reconnect is a state financial aid program for Michiganders 25 or older without a college degree. This program provides eligible students with free in-district tuition access to pursue an associate degree or occupational certificate at their local community college. Nick had no experience with electrical work other than getting zapped while attempting home repairs. “My thought was kind of like, if it turns out that I don’t really like working in this field, at least I will have learned enough to work on my own repairs,” he said. The GRCC Construction Electrical Job Training program provides the basic knowledge and skills required to become an electrician and be placed in an Electrical Apprenticeship program in just 18 weeks of training. 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. “I’m pretty good with hands-on learning and I’m mechanically inclined so the teaching style really works great for me. Classes are set up like a job so the transition to the schedule was easy,” he said. “One of the challenging parts is just overcoming the fear of asking for help. I’m over that fear. Now I just ask the questions. That is how we learn. It’s much better to ask here rather than on the jobsite. It’s a safe environment to ask the question, make the mistakes and practice.” In the next year, Nick hopes to be employed by a great electrical company, be enrolled in an apprenticeship program and working toward gaining his Journeyman’s card. “Our instructor, Doug Wiersma, knows so many people in this field. To be able to have him as a resource to open those doors is incredibly valuable. He has already set me up with some of his connections so that I can work part-time until I complete the program. I just interviewed last week so we’ll see! It’s great to be able to ask Doug about companies that are hiring and if he thinks I am a good fit for that company. It really is about not just getting a job but getting the right job,” he said. “Reconnect and GRCC came at just the right time for me. I feel like all the chips fell into place. This is going to make my life much more fulfilling.” 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. Additional information about the Michigan Reconnect program is available at grcc.edu/reconnect , by emailing reconnect@grcc.edu or by calling (616) 234-3366.

Jan. 18, 2022, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The book Culture Matters: Anglo-American Relations and the Intangibles of ‘Specialness’ , co-edited by Dr. Robert Hendershot of Grand Rapids Community College and Dr. Steve Marsh of Cardiff University, has earned a prestigious honor from a national academic organization. Their book was selected by Choice, published by the Association of College & Research Libraries, as one of the Outstanding Academic Titles reviewed during the previous year. Choice is a major reviewing tool used widely by academic librarians, and its celebrated annual list is designed to recognize outstanding works for their excellence in presentation and scholarship, the significance of their contribution to the field, their originality and value as an essential treatment of their subject, and significance in building undergraduate collections. Choice reviewed more than 3,600 titles during the past year, but only 440 books and digital resources were chosen by their editorial staff for this year’s list of Outstanding Academic Titles. Culture Matters was published in late 2020 by England-based Manchester University Press. Collectively, the book’s various contributors explore how literature, movies, Beatlemania, “Downton Abbey,” political values, historical commemoration, collective memory, and other aspects of culture have impacted the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom. The book may be accessed via the GRCC Library here . Hendershot in 2020 said he and Marsh began designing the project in 2016 during a Transatlantic Studies Association conference in Plymouth, England. “We both felt a book like this was necessary because interest-based and neorealist analyses have long dominated the study of the Anglo-American special relationship, and the power of culture to impact important aspects of the relationship was comparatively understudied,” he said. “The resulting book helps to open up a variety of new analytical spaces, features the work of both world-leading and emergent scholars, and breaks new ground by applying the theories and methodologies of the ‘cultural turn’ in diplomatic history to the study of Anglo-American relations.” In addition to co-authoring the introduction and conclusion with Marsh, Hendershot contributed a chapter based on his own research. He noted that a GRCC sabbatical award he received in 2019 was of material assistance to his participation in this project. Hendershot, who has been a professor in GRCC’s Department of Social Sciences since 2007, specializes in the historical influence of culture, identity, memory, and public opinion upon Anglo-American relations. In addition to teaching a variety of classes on world history each semester, he also offers classes on Latin American history (HS230) and the history of U.S. foreign policy (HS285).

Jan. 17, 2022, CENTREVILLE, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College men's basketball team used a big second half to pull off a come-from-behind victory against Glen Oaks Community College, 78-70 on Monday. “A great bounce back win on the road tonight,” coach Joe Fox said. “After a tough shooting first half, we really buckled down defensively and did a better job creating shots for others in the second half. We had important contributions from a lot of guys, and Danyel Bibbs did a great job putting the game away late at the free throw line.” Glen Oaks led wire-to-wire in the first half, and had a 50-36 lead with 16 minutes to play, but the GRCC clawed back, with Bibbs giving the Raiders their first lead with 4:33 to go. GRCC would not relinquish the lead, snapping a two-game losing streak to improve to 7-8 overall and 2-2 in the conference. The Vikings fell to 6-8 overall and 0-3 in conference play. The deep Raider squad had nine players in the scoring column, scoring an impressive 48 points off the bench. Ryel Daye, of Kentwood, led the Raiders with 15 points and 10 rebounds. It was his second double-double in four games this season. Bibbs, a Grand Rapids Union High graduate, was clutch in the second half, scoring 15 of his game-high 18 points.  He was 10 of 13 from the free throw line. Eight Raiders picked up at least one steal, including three from Jovante Jones.  Jones, of Saginaw, also added 13 points on 5 of 10 from the field. GRCC will have just one day off before it takes on Muskegon Community College at home on Jan. 19. Spectators can be admitted free with three food items to support the GRCC Food Pantry.