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Boosting Your Mental Wellness Series: All Are Invited!

The Pine Rest Telehealth Clinic is pleased to invite the community to a free virtual series focused on mental wellness and resilience, led by licensed clinicians. This ten-session series features 30-minute conversations offering practical tools and expert insights on topics including stress management, burnout, mindfulness, self-care, substance use, online safety for children and more. Sessions will take place online over a two-week period, from June 9 to June 18. Participants are welcome to attend any or all sessions based on their interests. This event is open to everyone—not just employees and their household members—and is completely free of charge. Feel free to share the link below with anyone who might be interested. Telehealth Clinic Hosts Free Virtual Mental Wellness Series

Retirement Bio of Jennifer Borrello

Jennifer Borrello began working at GRCC 30 years ago. Throughout her time at the college, she served as a professor in the Mathematics department. She has also served on hiring committees, IRB, AGC, portfolio reviews, peer reviews and authored an Instructor's Manual for Intermediate Algebra.  Along with those committees, she has also made a lasting impact on the curriculum offerings in the mathematics department. She shared, “When I came to GRCC in 1995, the math department did not offer a course in statistics. With the encouragement of our department head Dave Steinfort, I was able to join Paul Hess and Sang Lee in developing MA 215 Statistics. This year, we had 58 offerings of the course, and I’ve been fortunate to be able to focus on this subject during my career. I’m especially proud that three of my former statistics students (Curt Baragar, Brian Hadley and Wayne Hsieh) became my colleagues in the math department and math tutoring lab.”  A kind gesture can go a long way when creating a sense of belonging. Borrello’s memorable moment was about 9 years into her work here. “I had a personal situation arise that left me at a loss for how I would continue to care for my daughters while keeping my teaching schedule. The department head at the time, Nickie Alexander, said ‘I’ve got this – you go do what you need to do.’ Behind the scenes she arranged for a part-time family leave that allowed me to focus on my kids while keeping my job. A person and an institution that would care for me in that way made me feel valued and helped cement my lifelong commitment to this college”  While reflecting on her accomplishments, she shared, “My dad was an electrical engineering professor at Kettering University (formerly GMI) and I remember him saying, ‘I don’t know what I’d do if I had to work for a living.’ Even on Sunday nights, as he sat in his chair grading papers, he always loved what he did. My mother managed the household so that all five of their daughters were able to go to college and pursue professional careers. They were very proud of all of us. Mom would introduce me to people around town – ‘This is my daughter Jennifer – the math professor.’ If they were here now, I’d say, ‘Look Mom and Dad! I did it! Thirty years of a career that I loved while also providing for my daughters – just like you did.’” During retirement, Borrello plans to continue learning by taking classes in writing, flower arranging and art. She’ll travel with her sister on her work trips across the country, travel to major league ballparks with her husband and will visit her daughter in NYC! She says, “I’ll have more time to spend with my kids and grandchildren without having to say, ‘I just need to check on my online students.’” Jennifer, we’re so thankful for all you’ve done during your time here. We wish you the very best as you embrace all that retirement has to offer!   

GRCC IT Team Joins Kent County’s Styrofoam Recycling Effort

With summer deliveries bringing a wave of new computers and monitors, GRCC’s IT Desktop team is turning packing waste into a sustainability win. In partnership with Kent County’s  new Styrofoam recycling initiative , the team is collecting large foam packaging from tech shipments and delivering it to the county’s new compression system — keeping it out of the already overburdened landfill. The effort is being led by Antonio Aguillon and the Desktop Support team, including IT Media’s Shawn White (pictured), and supports the college’s broader sustainability goals. The team expects to completely fill the designated storage area by summer’s end. Small actions, big impact — great work, team!

Metallica Scholar Juané Lancaster Sets an Example for the Next Generation

June 10, 2025 Juané Lancaster, a Chicago native, moved to Grand Rapids to help raise her younger sister — a choice driven by love and commitment. While Chicago offered plenty of opportunities, Lancaster’s heart was with her family.  “I wanted to be closer to my sister,” she said. “I wanted to be present in her life in a personal way.” Once she moved to Grand Rapids, Lancaster worked a series of temporary jobs through a staffing agency. But once those assignments ended, Lancaster found herself searching for a new direction.  “I went to Urban League and they asked me if I was interested in furthering my education,” said Lancaster. “I said, ‘If the opportunity is available, then yes!’” Her time at the temp agency gave her a front row seat into a variety of industries. It sparked a desire to build a career with lasting value.  “When the pandemic hit, it made me refocus and make some changes,” said Lancaster. “I also knew I needed to find a job that was essential. Everything needs welding. I didn’t have the knowledge or skills to enter into the welding industry, but I do now after taking the bootcamp. With these new skills, I know I can find a stable and essential job.”  Lancaster had been exposed to welding through one of the companies she previously worked with. That exposure stayed with her, and eventually led Lancaster to Grand Rapids Community College’s Metallica Scholars Welding Bootcamp — a workforce training program funded by the legendary rock band Metallica through their nonprofit foundation, All Within My Hands.  The three-month program offers focused, hands-on training in all aspects of welding. Upon completion of the program, students earn a welding certificate that opens doors to careers in the skilled trades. “I had a slight interest in welding from the temp agency I worked with prior to coming to Urban League,” said Lancaster. “The class was amazing in how quickly you felt proficient. It was very hands-on. From day one, you can ask questions about anything and you immediately start learning how to weld, even if you’ve never held a welding gun before.”  Founded in 2017, the All Within My Hands Foundation supports career and technical education programs like the one Lancaster completed. For her, the opportunity was life-changing.    “This is a blessing from God,” she said. “Life can be hard and stressful. I want to thank Metallica. They are so amazing for giving us this opportunity to succeed and try something new at the same time. I changed a lot through this program. I started knowing very little about welding and finished with my certificate. This is how you know Metallica has a good heart. They are choosing to help and give us all an opportunity. It’s a huge blessing.”  No prior experience is required to enroll in the welding bootcamp. Students gain both the tools and knowledge needed to succeed in the industry.  “The program set me up to be competitive in the industry,” said Lancaster. “I had someone tell me they don’t usually see women as welders. That lit a spark in my head because we need more women in an industry that is seen as male-dominated. I want to show my sister that hard work and dedication pays off no matter what gender you are.”  Lancaster graduated from the boot camp in April 2025 and is now focused on finding a stable position where she can become a part of the team and grow with the company. This opportunity gave her the confidence and skillset to build a future for herself and her sister. Learn more about the Metallica Scholars Bootcamp . This story was reported by Anjula Caldwell  

HR Notification: Payroll Welcomes Shemika Valentine

Human Resources and Talent Development is excited to announce the newest addition to our staff, Shemika Valentine. She joins HR as the payroll specialist. Valentine is a dedicated payroll professional with a strong foundation in business administration and experience managing full-cycle payroll processes. With a career focused on public service, she has provided payroll expertise across higher education, local government and nonprofit healthcare systems. Known for her understanding of bargaining unit compliance and unionized environments, Valentine ensures payroll accuracy, timeliness and adherence to policy in complex organizational settings. Supporting the people behind the payroll, she blends technical payroll expertise with a commitment to employee service and compliance.  Outside of the office, she enjoys spending time with her husband and their two adult daughters, whose accomplishments continually make her proud. Valentine has a passion for travel and a deep respect for equity, values that shape both her personal outlook and professional approach.

Payroll Notification: Post Memorial Day Timesheet Reminder

We hope you had a reflective and restful Memorial Day holiday. This reminder is for the 6/20/25 pay date timesheet (for the pay period of 5/26-6/8/25). The first day of the pay period was Monday, 5/26/25, which was the Memorial Day holiday. As a reminder, employees who are eligible for holiday pay (both hourly and salary) will use the HOL column on the timesheet to report regularly scheduled hours for that day. Generally, contingent (part time, non-benefited) and student employees are not eligible for holiday pay and should not work and not report time, either in in/out times or the HOL column. Contingent employees can use the NP column (for No Pay) for hours that day to add up to the regular weekly hours if the timesheet gives an error message when trying to submit. Supervisors, please pay close attention to hours on 5/26/25 to ensure people who are eligible for holiday pay are using HOL and those who are not eligible don't have any HOL hours reported or are using the NP column (or PTO for limited benefit employees who'd like to use some of their leave bank towards that day). Don't forget you can always send us an email at  hrpayroll@grcc.edu  if you have questions.
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