April 20, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The Grand Rapids Community College golf team powered through challenging weather conditions to post a dramatic 55-stroke win over six rivals in an event on home turf. The Raiders won their own invitational Monday with a score of 307 on a windy, cold and wet Egypt Valley Country Club course. "This win was impressive because the margin of victory was 55 strokes," Coach John Forton said . "I would say that is a record." Tyler Hausserman was the leader with a 74-stroke game. Logan Templeton shot a 76, with Dominic Luciani following with a 78, Arie Jackman with 79, Matt Denhartigh with 82, and Davis Courtright with 84. The team has won all three of its events this season. The team is back in action on Friday at the Jackson College Invite at Ella Sharp Golf Course in Jackson. 

April 19, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – 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. We’re sharing some of those stories, and want to hear yours! Edwin Collazo has returned, in a way, to his GRCC roots. When he was a freshman, he lived in the Belknap Lookout area, and now it’s the location for his City Built Brewing Co. “I enjoyed GRCC because it was close to home,” he said. “It allowed me an opportunity to start my college journey in an environment that was nurturing. It was a great place to learn lessons about life and how to pick yourself up if you fall.” Collazo, who attended GRCC from 1992 to 1995, has added -- and shared -- his knowledge and experiences through many careers.  He received a bachelor’s degree in education and child development from Cornerstone University and taught for five years in alternative education before returning to Michigan to teach in the Deerfield Correctional Center in Ionia. He then worked as a manufacturers rep for James Hardie Building Products before moving to a career in financial services. But after seven years as a financial advisor, Collazo was feeling dissatisfied. “A mentor encouraged me to write a mission statement that touched on the idea that I was created to be better, do better and make an impact,” he said. “I was encouraged by a different mentor to find my passion, and in that, I decided to create City Built as a place to effect a culture of service by developing people while serving our community.” The years of planning and learning he spent are paying off for City Built, 820 Monroe Ave. NW: In March, USA Today named it the best beer label in the nation, and the newspaper’s readers voted it the third-best brew pub.   Collazo says his GRCC roots are part of his current success. “I learned many lessons while at GRCC,” he said. “It allowed me to move through a core group of classes that helped prepare me for my next learning environment. I met an eclectic group of people from a variety of backgrounds, which paved the road for an appreciation of different cultures -- appreciation that has blossomed in what is now a part of our business mission: to connect people to our culture. It is why we say City Built is ‘where cultures collide.’” Let GRCC help you start your story. The first chapter starts at grcc.edu/apply . And tell us your story here: grcc.edu/communications/shareyourgrccstory  

April 17, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College golf team notched its second win of the season with an 18-stroke win over Muskegon Community College on Thursday. The weather was windy, cold and wet, but Coach John Forton said the Raiders were up to the challenge. Arie Jackman and Dominic Luciani led the way with 77, Davis Courtright and Tyler Hausserman each shot 79, Logan Templeton shot 82 and Matt Denhartigh finished with 85 The Raider Invitational is Monday, April 19 at Egypt Valley Country Club, starting at 10 a.m. The team is now 2-0 to start the season after winning the Ancilla College Invitational on April 9. The GRCC softball team had a tough day. The team lost 15-1,18-2 and 17-1 to Muskegon Community College at home at Belknap Park. The day included a doubleheader and the completion of a rain-shortened game from April 8.

April 16, 2021, COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College baseball team proved it could hang with the best teams in the country, losing two close games to nationally ranked Kellogg Community College. The teams took the field at Lake Michigan Credit Union Ballpark – home of the West Michigan Whitecaps. It was the first games played at the ballpark since 2019, and the first with the stadium’s new name. The event was a celebration of Community College Month, and included performances by GRCC Music students and recognition of alumni and student-athletes. The afternoon started with GRCC alum Dino Paganelli, an NFL Super Bowl referee and Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame member, throwing the ceremonial first pitch to his son Jake, the Raiders’ catcher. GRCC Music students Megan Meadows and Anastasia Fiorenzo performed the National Anthem at the baseball game. Music students Matthew Ghanasekharan, Christian Blanchard, Jalen Finn and Elijah Mikel greeted spectators and performed again between and after the games. The first game was pitchers duel, with GRCC’s Collin Bradley taking a shutout into the final inning. Kellogg, ranked No. 6 in the nation, scored three runs in the top of the seventh, winning 3-1. Jayden Dentler got the win for the Bruins, going seven innings, allowing one run on two hits and striking out 10. Bradley took the hard-luck loss, allowing just three hits and three runs over seven innings, striking out 10 and walking none. Aaron West and Sam Schmitt had GRCC’s two hits, with Schmitt being the first player to score a run in the newly christened LMCU Ballpark. The Raiders fell behind 5-0 in the second game, but nearly came all the way back, eventually losing 6-5. GRCC scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning on singles by Caleb Englesman and Payton Young. The Raiders added three runs in the sixth inning, led by singles by Ryan Dykstra and Englesman. Ashton Potts earned the win for Kellogg CC and Ryan Vought recorded the last four outs to earn the save. Drew Murphy took the loss for the Raiders. GRCC collected 10 hits, led by Dykstra, who went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Englesman drove in three runs on two hits. The Raiders are now 14-9 on the season, and are back in action on Tuesday, April 20 with a doubleheader against Davenport University’s JV team at Belknap Park. The GRCC softball team lost the first game of its doubleheader against Jackson College 15-0 in Jackson, but powered to a win in the nightcap, 9-8. Taylor Cross hit a home run to put the Raiders in the lead. Kate Stearns had a huge day at the plate and in the field and Mariah Redding pitched the team to victory.

A School news Network feature --  English professor Mursalata Muhammad is building a collection of documents and artifacts from the life of her grandfather, working to honor his legacy and recognize the contributions he made as a Black inventor. While Muhammad’s project, which she’s named The Claude Harvard Project, is personal, she plans to use it in her English classes to show the value of doing primary research. “I can say, ‘I did this work,’” she said of how she plans to create personal connections to research with her students. “Now I have such a rich appreciation for it.” Muhammad’s grandfather,  Claude Harvard , invented more than 25 items at  Ford Motor Company  in Detroit, but he’s still not credited for all of his work. She’s working to change that by building awareness and finding as many resources as she can to link Harvard to his work.  “The biggest part (of the project) is to trace and figure out which inventions should have his name on them,” said Muhammad, who has taught at GRCC for 20 years.  One of Harvard’s first inventions was the automated piston pin measuring machine, which used radio waves to check, shape and sort piston pins by size. As an example of the prejudice he faced, an advertisement for the machine first featured Harvard but later was changed to replace him with a white man. Muhammad has worked with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and is looking into the time period when Harvard worked at Ford in the 1930s. She explores archives for clues to his inventions, including documents with his handwriting on them.  She also has created presentations on Harvard with historian David L. Head, including a three-part virtual series with the Detroit Public Library. The second in the series,  Discovering Claude Harvard: In His Own Words , will air on Saturday, April 17, with  registration available online .  Muhammad has also started a  Change.org  petition, encouraging Ford Motor Company to recognize Harvard’s work. “His contributions have been overlooked for decades and are an example of the many unnecessary gaps in American history,” the petition states. Curiosity and Perseverance Muhammad learned much of her paternal grandfather’s history from stories he and family members shared. Though she didn’t meet Harvard until she was 9 or 10 years old, he was influential in Muhammad’s life from that time on. A dedicated student, he helped support her throughout her education and until his death in 1999. Harvard was born to tenant farmers in 1911 in Dublin, Georgia, bearing the surname of former plantation slave owners. His innovative mind was at work from an early age and he was always persistent when working toward a goal.  As a teenager, Harvard talked his way into attending  Henry Ford Trade School  in Dearborn, though Muhammad said he faced discrimination for being Black and had to promise school leaders he would not cause trouble. The school trained boys in a variety of skilled, industrial trade work, including machining, metallurgy, drafting and engine design. (A video of Harvard talking about becoming president of the school’s Radio Club, which led to him meeting Henry Ford, is  available on YouTube .) After playing catch-up to meet the academic level of his peers, Harvard excelled. He began taking night classes at Cass Tech in Detroit, and was the first student to pass a test to receive radio call letters from the Federal Radio Commission for the school.  Harvard graduated at the top of his class in 1932, but was the only student who didn’t receive a journeyman’s tool-and-die maker’s card to signify his status as a skilled tradesman. Although he applied for it several times, his card never came, Muhammad said.  Despite this, Harvard was hired by Ford Motor Company. Along with his many inventions, his time at the company included facilitating a meeting between Henry Ford and George Washington Carver. He also represented his piston pin inspection machine at the 1934 World’s Fair, despite racial practices that initially kept him from attending. Crafting Curriculum Muhammad plans to use her personal research work to craft curriculum for English 102 and GRCC’s writing pre-major, which prepares student to transfer into a bachelor’s degree program in writing.  Research can be tedious, she said, and she hopes to show the importance of having a genuine interest in subjects. “I teach research from a personal perspective,” she said. “If you have to do research, the best way I know to get through it is to have some sort of hook that you are interested in.” Muhammad also plans to use her research to create curriculum that could be used in all grade levels. It would include a traveling exhibit, virtual presentations and a book collaboration.  Former GRCC student Azizi Jasper, now a social worker in Detroit, said Muhammad was one of his favorite professors at GRCC. He remembers watching one of Muhammad’s presentations on Harvard during a class and said her project is a great resource for students. “Whenever you are instructing a class and teaching a subject, it’s beneficial to have a personal connection and feel inspired about it,” he said. “What better place to start than with family?” Muhammad’s ability to make personal connections is present in all aspects of her teaching, Jasper said.  “She adjusts to student learning styles in a way that is beneficial to everyone,” he said. “She met the students where they were and built up from there.” Jasper, a spoken word poet and co-founder of  The Diatribe , will be a guest presenter during a Zoom class for her creative writing class. He is one of several authors to  present in Muhammad’s class this year .  “She is an amazing professor and has maintained a relationship with me, even after her tenure as my professor. I can call her about anything,” he said. Muhammad and her husband, Will Smith, also started  The Bragg-Harvard-Muhammad Smith Why We Can’t Wait Scholarship Fund , which provides $3,000 in partial scholarships annually, in 2009 in memory of Harvard and other family members. This story was reported by Erin Albanese of the School News Network.

APRIL 15, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Admission and parking will be free for Friday’s baseball game between Grand Rapids Community College and Kellogg Community College at LMCU Ballpark, home of the West Michigan Whitecaps. The doubleheader is a celebration of community colleges and their sports programs, and looks to be an enjoyable afternoon with two top teams competing in a doubleheader. Games are scheduled to start at 2 p.m. and 4:30. The games also will be live streamed on the Internet by Michigan Sports Radio at MichiganSportsRadio.com . The health and safety of spectators and participants is a top priority. GRCC is strictly following state and local health authority protocols at LMCU Ballpark, formerly known as Fifth Third Ballpark. Attendance will be limited to 2,500 spectators – far below the ballpark’s 9,000-person capacity. All attendees will be required to have their temperature checked, wear a face covering, and respect social distancing guidelines. Spectators are asked to park in the lot on the ballpark’s south side, near the main entrance, and enter through Gate A. April is Community College Month, and the game is intended to be a celebration of the role the colleges play, highlighting students and alumni. Fans arriving at the park will be greeted by GRCC Music students Matthew Ghanasekharan, Christian Blanchard, Jalen Finn and Elijah Mikel, who will be performing near the entrance. The National Anthem will be performed by students Megan Meadows and Anastasia Fiorenzo, who are voice majors completing their Associate of Music degree, studying under the direction of professor Emily Smith. The Raiders are 14-7 and coming off sweeping a Wednesday doubleheader against Aquinas College’s Junior Varsity. GRCC’s baseball team has a storied tradition, with five national championships, 19 regional championships and 30 conference championships, and is off to a strong start in 2021, with a 10-5 record. The Raiders are coached 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 Bruins, boasting a 16-4 record, are among the top teams in the nation, currently ranked sixth by the National Junior College Athletic Association in Division 2. The team finished seventh in the 2019 NJCAA D2 World Series, and won the Michigan Community College Athletic Association state and conference championships. GRCC appreciates the partnership with the West Michigan Whitecaps, a minor league baseball team affiliated with the Detroit Tigers, playing in the new High-A Central League.  

April 15, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Community College volleyball team finished No. 10 in the nation, with a player named to the All- Tournament Team at the NJCAA D2 National Tournament on Thursday. The Raiders fell to Terra State Community College of Ohio in four sets in the consolation round, but finished in the top 10 of the National Junior College Athletic Association D2 event in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Kylie Oberlin was named to the All-Tournament team for her outstanding performance. Oberlin, a sophomore from Fruitport, led the Raiders in kills with 44, and picked up 25 digs, 6 blocks and 4 aces. GRCC didn’t expect to participate in the tournament, getting the call a week after players were told their season ended. Muskegon Community College, undefeated during the season, withdrew because of illness and GRCC, as the conference runner up, took MCC’s place. The Raiders dropped the tournament’s opening match, then won twice on Wednesday, including a stunning comeback against Potomac State College of West Virginia. GRCC took an early lead in Wednesday’s game, taking the first match 26-16. But Terra State pulled out the second match 28-26 then cruised to 15-14 and 25-14 wins to take the set 3-1. Kara Hecht led the team with nine kills, followed by Gabi Kitley, Oberlin and Annie Holesinger with seven. The trip to the National Tournament was the 11 th in 15 years for Coach Chip Will.    

April 14, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – With its season on the brink, Grand Rapids Community College’s volleyball team mounted a remarkable comeback to win its second match of the day and advance to in the NJCAA D2 National Tournament. The Raiders will play again at 10 a.m. on Tuesday in an effort to finish in the top 10 of the tournament, played in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. After dropping its Tuesday match in straight sets, the Raiders rebounded against Potomac State in the consolation bracket, winning 25-20, 25-10, 25-11.  The Raiders were led offensively by sophomore Kylie Oberlin,   who recorded a team-high 12 kills, followed by freshman Kara Hecht with eight kills. Defensively, setter Kailey Carmean led the defense with nine digs, followed by Oberlin with eight. Kailey Carmean led the Raiders with 19 assists. Freshman Alena Visnovsky and Oberlin each recorded three blocks. Freshman Audrey Gower and Oberlin each recorded two aces. Strong play by the Raiders defensively held Potomac state to a .000 hitting percentage, as the Raiders hit .340.  The team then advanced to play Pima Community College, which won its first match of the day in five sets. Facing elimination, the Raiders were down by nine points in the fourth set, rallied to force a fifth set and ended up winning. The Raiders won the first set 28-26, dropped the second 25-23, won the third 25-19, lost the fourth 25-22 and finally one the fifth, 16-14. “One of the greatest comebacks I have had the pleasure to coach,” Coach Chip Will said. “The kids never stopped fighting and believing in each other.” Oberlin led the team in kills with 15, Kara Hecht had 18 points, Carmean had 43 assists, Gower had a career-high 27 digs and Visnovsky had a career-high five blocks. Grand Rapids advances to the semi-finals of the consolation bracket in hopes to finish in ninth place overall.

April 14, 2021, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College baseball players swept a doubleheader against Aquinas College’s JV team on Wednesday, powered by outstanding performances by Caleb Englesman at the plate and on the mound. The Raiders took the first game 16-5, snagging the lead late in the game then piling on the offense. The game was tied at four with GRCC batting in the top of the fifth when Englesman singled on a 2-2 count, scoring one run. Englesman was an offensive star, going 4-for-4 at the plate. He singled in the third, singled in the fifth, doubled in the seventh, and singled in the seventh. In the first inning, GRCC got the offense started.  Sam Schmitt singled on the first pitch of the at bat, scoring one run. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Aquinas tied things up at four when Cameron Greener singled on a 1-1 count, scoring one run. GRCC scored one run in the top of the sixth, and Aquinas answered with one of their own. The Raiders then scored when Schmitt singled on a 0-1 count, scoring one run. Aquinas again answered when Dalton Vander Ark induced Greener to hit into a fielder's choice, but one run scored. GRCC then exploded for 10 runs in the seventh inning.  The offensive onslaught was led by Jake Paganelli, Matt Williams, Schmitt, Aaron West, Ryan Dykstra, and Englesman, all knocking in runs in the inning. Vander Ark earned the victory on the pitcher's mound, surrendering one run on one hit over one inning, walking one.  Jerad Berkenpas and Caden Van De Burg entered the game out of the bullpen and helped to close out the game in relief. Berkenpas recorded the last six outs to earn the save. GRCC totaled 12 hits in the game. Englesman, Dykstra, Williams, and Schmitt all had multiple hits. Game two was closer, with the Raiders still finishing on top, 5-3. GRCC got their offense started in the first inning, when Dykstra doubled to bring in a run. Blake Waibel led GRCC to victory, with the lefthander allowed three hits and one run over four innings, striking out four and walking one. Englesman and Justin Kozlowski entered the game out of the bullpen and helped to close out the game in relief. Englesman recorded the last six outs to earn the save. Jake Ryan went 3-for-3 at the plate to lead GRCC in hits.