Oct. 27, 2023 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – You can play a part in adding to Grand Rapids Community College’s 40-year celebration of the achievements of West Michigan African Americans. Nominations for the GIANT Awards are being accepted until 5 p.m. Oct. 31. A new nomination form is available online , so consider re-nominating a candidate that may have previously been considered but not selected. Dr. Patricia Pulliam and Cedric Ward created the GIANT Awards in 1983 to recognize African American leaders and organizations for their exceptional contributions in shaping the history and quality of life in Grand Rapids and West Michigan.  “This is an important event that celebrates the best in the African American community,” said Tempy Mann, chair of the awards committee. The awards, named for local “giants,” recognize people and organizations in 12 categories : Floyd Skinner Justice Award. Walter Coe Public Service Award. Eugene Browning Medical Service Award. W.W. Plummer Humanitarian Award. Ethel Coe Humanities Award. Milo Brown Business Award. Phyllis Scott Activist Award William Glenn Trailblazer Award. Raymond Tardy Community Service Award. H.C. Toliver Religious Life Award. Hattie Beverly Education Award. Martha Reynolds Labor Award.  An overall GIANT Among Giants recipient is announced during the awards ceremony.  The 41st GIANT Awards banquet is scheduled for 6 p.m. Feb. 3 at the DeVos Place exhibit hall, 303 Monroe Ave. NW. Sponsorship and ticket information can be found online . Event proceeds go to the Junior GIANT and Milo M. Brown scholarships.

Oct. 25, 2023 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Jeffrey Carter always figured he’d be dead or in prison by now. Instead, the 38-year-old Grand Rapids Community College alumnus has dedicated his life to helping people like him suffering with substance abuse, mental health issues and legal trouble. “Somehow, I managed to survive even after six overdoses and being in jail more times than I can count,” Carter said. “Thankfully, I’ve been clean and sober for seven years now and a big part of my sobriety is the joy I get from helping others … I know their pain.” Carter is now a state-certified peer recovery coach and support specialist. He’s worked in that role for three years at Kent County’s 17th Circuit Court’s Treatment and Support Court. The program aims to help people who have been involved in the court system because they are dealing with a serious mental illness and unhealthy substance use. “I speak their language and that really helps,” he said. Carter graduated from GRCC in April 2023 with an associate degree in pre-social work. He’s enrolled this term at Grand Valley State University where he’s seeking a bachelor’s degree. It hasn’t been easy. “It was a 20-year journey from high school to an associate degree, but I made it this far,” Carter said. Born and raised in Las Vegas, Carter was 12 years old when he began experimenting with drugs and alcohol. By late high school, his addiction was spiraling out of control. “I did manage to graduate from high school and then it was just all bad from there,” he said. Cocaine, methamphetamines and, eventually, heroin and bipolar disorder fueled his criminal activities. He spent much of his 20’s in jail or homeless. In 2011, Carter followed his mother to Port Huron, Mich., where he attempted community college, hoping the drugs and criminal activity would stop. “Have you ever heard the term: ‘Wherever you go, there you are?’” he said. “The drugs and crime started again, and I ended up in jail and a few different rehab places.”  He made his way in 2016 to Guiding Light addiction recovery in Grand Rapids and has since stayed clean and sober. A friend helped him get a job working at Network 180 and Arbor Circle mental health and addiction counseling centers in Grand Rapids, which he found extremely fulfilling. Carter promised himself if he could stay clean for a year and hold down a job, he’d try community college again. In 2018, he enrolled part-time at GRCC. “Many years ago, when I first started school, I thought I wanted to go into accounting,” he said. “But I realized that I'm more of an asset in social work, with people who need help and guidance … who need a mentor.” Carter works full-time at the Treatment and Support Court helping people traveling the same road he once traveled. But now he’s on a different path: He owns a home in Grand Rapids, his own car, and attends GVSU full-time in hopes of earning his bachelor’s degree in two years. It’s been a long road. “I just never saw my life turning out this well,” Carter said. “I just need to keep living one day at a time.” This story was reported by Beth McKenna

Oct. 23, 2023 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - If you’re looking for a unique way to explore Grand Rapids this fall, let your child be your guide. That’s the idea behind “Grand Rapids Walking Tours Kids Can Lead,” an interactive guidebook for children written by Grand Rapids Community College Adjunct English Professor Tom Mulder. “There are so many hidden gems in Grand Rapids, and I wanted to give kids a chance to discover them with their families,” said Mulder, who’s taught at GRCC for 14 years. Geared toward ages 8-12, the travel guide encourages kids to learn about and lead downtown explorations. Each of its eight themed walking tours includes step-by-step directions with interesting talking points, historical tidbits, illustrations, maps and kid-friendly restaurants. There are even tips on where to find bathrooms, benches, photo spots and picnic tables. As a former volunteer docent and tour guide at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, Mulder said he was motivated to write the book to help preserve the city’s rich history — and draw attention to all there is to see and do. “Unfortunately, many things that are very kid-accessible often just get walked by,” he said. The 152-page book is divided into guided tours of the Grand River, museums, outdoor art, parks, venues, mansions and churches, as well as a historical marker scavenger hunt. Every tour begins downtown at Rosa Parks Circle. “Grand Rapids Walking Tours Kids Can Lead” is available at local bookstores, online and several downtown museums. Mulder, a lifelong teacher, returned in 2005 to his native Grand Rapids so he and his wife, Cathy, could be closer to family. “When our kids moved here, especially our only granddaughter, that clinched the deal and we knew we wanted to come back to Grand Rapids,” he said. Busy teaching English at GRCC and occasionally Grand Valley State University, Mulder rarely had the extra time to spend writing. When COVID-19 forced college classes online, he found himself with more time on his hands. “I wasn't commuting anywhere; I was just sitting at home, teaching from home and I really started writing a lot more,” he said. He was able to complete the walking tour book and “Writing the Pandemic: An Instructor’s Reflections on a New Era in Education,” both of which were published this summer. “Writing the Pandemic” gives an inside look into what education looked like during the pandemic and its impact on teaching and learning. Much of the information in the book came from students in Mulder’s GRCC classes during the height of the pandemic. It’s his second book on writing and teaching. “English Composition Teacher’s Guidebook: How to Survive (and Even Thrive) as a Part-time or Adjunct Instructor” published in 2020. This fall, Mulder is teaching an English course for GRCC at Jenison Innovation Academy and a couple of writing classes at GVSU. “What’s next with writing? Maybe I’ll get back to dabbling in a couple of narrative fiction projects I started a while ago to see if I can’t pull together one or both of them,” he said. This story was reported by Beth McKenna.

Oct. 19, 2023 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A team of assessors from the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (MLEAC) will arrive on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, to examine all aspects of the Grand Rapids Community College Police Department policies and procedures, management, operations, and support services Chief Rebecca Whitman announced today. “Verification by the team that the GRCC Police Department meets the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission’s ‘best practice’ standards is part of a voluntary process to achieve accreditation, a highly prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence”, Chief Whitman said. As part of this final On-Site Assessment, employees and members of the general public are invited to provide comments to the Assessment Team. They may do so by telephone or email. The public may call (616) 234-2208 on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Email comments can be sent to grccpolice@grcc.edu . Telephone comments are limited to five minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with the Commission’s standards. A copy of the standards is available for inspection at the Grand Rapids Community College Police Department, 25 Lyon St. NE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503. Please contact Officer Tony Myers at (616) 234-3742 to obtain a copy of the standards. Anyone wishing to offer written comments about the Grand Rapids Community College Police Department’s ability to comply with the standards for accreditation is requested to email the Accreditation Program manager at rwiles@michiganpolicechiefs.org or write the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission at 3474 Alaiedon Pkwy, Suite 600, Okemos, MI 48864. The Grand Rapids Community College Police Department must comply with 108 standards in order to achieve accredited status. Chief Whitman indicated, “Accreditation results in greater accountability within the agency, reduced risk and liability exposure, stronger defense against civil lawsuits, increased community advocacy, and more confidence in the agency’s ability to operate efficiently and respond to community needs.” The Accreditation Program Manager for the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police is Ret.Chief Ron Wiles. “The assessment team is composed of law enforcement practitioners fromsimilar Michigan law enforcement agencies. The assessors will review written materials, interview agency members, and visit offices and other places where compliance with the standards can be observed. Once the assessors complete their review of the agency, they will report to the full Commission, which will then decide if the agency is to be granted accreditation status”, Wiles stated. Accreditation is valid for a three-year period during which time the agency must submit annual reports attesting to their continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited. The MACP, through its Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission, is the legitimate authority and accreditation agency in the state of Michigan. For more information regarding the Michigan Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission, please write the Commission at: MACP, Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission at 3474 Alaiedon Pkwy, Suite 600, Okemos, MI 48864 or email at rwiles@michiganpolicechiefs.org .

Oct. 18, 2023 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Just talking about climbing 80 feet up a pole, the usually very chill Jack Aalderink gets excited. At 20 years old, Aalderink never thought about linework as a career. After graduating from Zeeland West High School in 2022, Aalderink was considering either heading to Grand Valley State University for business or becoming a residential electrician. “I hadn’t really heard about what a lineworker even is or does until a friend of mine told me he was doing it and what it involves.” Aalderink said. The first step for Aalderink was making sure that he isn’t afraid of heights. “I signed up for a two-day climb class through Lansing Community College, which was good because we started out climbing 10 feet, then 15 feet and eventually got up to 40 feet. That is when I knew I would enjoy this work. I was pretty happy when I came upon GRCC’s program because it is closer, cheaper and faster.” Grand Rapids Community College, in partnership with the Michigan Energy Workforce Development Consortium, began offering a Pre-Lineworker Training Program in 2021. The Program includes: OSHA10 certification/safety, linework physical fitness, basic electricity, and energy industry fundamentals, followed by climbing clinics, orientation and an 11-week climb school in Marshall, Mich. The GRCC Pre-Lineworker program is very popular, due in part to the high wages associated with linework. An entry level, Step 1 lineworker typically starts at more than $40 per hour. After only seven months, Aalderink is already at a Step 2 level. With each step, lineworkers receive a wage increase, and more training to learn new skills. “It’s a lot of fun. Each day is different and there is a great sense of accomplishment when you complete a job,” said Aalderink, who started at Consumers Energy last May and has experienced working outside in the Michigan winter. “Working in the winter isn’t bad. You warm up pretty quick once you start moving around and working.” Last winter, Aalderink worked 16-hour days for nine or 10 days, but that is not typical. A major component to linework is the physical aspect.  “When I came into the program, I thought I was in pretty good shape. The physical fitness portion of the GRCC program definitely prepares you well. The job is very physical and the training is somewhat similar to boot camp. It’s all on the student to take the initiative to do the work outside of class,” Aalderink said. “The class only meets once a week so you have to be disciplined and do the workouts outside of class time. I was working out an additional five days a week.” The 11-week climbing school in Marshall is offered by Consumers Energy to its five educational partners: Grand Rapids Community College, Lansing Community College, Jackson College, Alpena Community College, and Mott Community College.  “When you take the climbing school, you still aren’t hired. In my climb school cohort, we started with fifteen and nine of us were hired,” Aalderink said. “Those other six didn’t finish the program and left within the first couple weeks. The climb school really pushes you just enough. You want to be prepared.”  Linework isn’t the only career that focuses on the energy industry. There are a variety of positions that most people never hear about. Due to the need for workers in the energy field, employers partnered with GRCC to build a new one-year Energy Technician Certificate program. The Energy Technician Certificate Program combines both credit classes as well as non-credit classes from GRCC. This stackable credential program allows a student the flexibility to take core courses before determining which pathway they would like to pursue. “These are the types of careers that are not often talked about known to high schoolers,” said Aalderink. “I wouldn’t have really known about this as a career choice if I didn’t know someone who was already doing it.” A successful student who completes the GRCC Energy Technician program will earn certifications from the American Red Cross and an Energy Industry Fundamentals Certificate. Students will also receive training in test preparation for apprentice opportunities, basic electricity, blueprint reading, hand and power tools, project management and health/endurance training. This certificate can be a great pathway to a career as a lineworker or any of the other positions open in the energy sector. GRCC and its employer partners are offering an information session about the Energy Technician program at 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, at the GRCC Tassell MTEC, 622 Godfrey Ave. SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. Parking is free and easy. Please register at grcc.edu/energytrades . This story was reported by Elly Bainbridge