July 21, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Libor Ondras grew up surrounded by music. Now he is able to share his passion with his students.  While growing up in Czechoslovakia, Ondras’s parents were amateur musicians. Ondras took up the viola at a young age, and quickly decided it was the career path for him to pursue.  His academic journey began studying in the Moscow Conservatory and the Academy of Music Arts in Prague, before eventually coming to the United States. He received his doctoral and master’s degrees from the University of Houston and began to teach.  Ondras is currently the director of orchestras and string specialist at Grand Rapids Community College. He is frequently found playing alongside his students while directing. He is also the director of the Kent Philharmonic Orchestra, a community and college symphony.   “It has been such a gift to participate as a member of the Kent Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Libor Ondras who is an incredible international performer in his own right and inspiring conductor that connects and guides us and makes it an absolute joy to be there.” said Patty O’Haire Mogor, KPO’s executive board president. Ondras has always been passionate about learning, and is always looking for the next person that he can learn from. Ondras says supporting the growth of his students is just as rewarding as his own accomplishments. “I don’t believe that education stops with graduation,” Ondras said. “That’s what I teach my children and my students, and that’s what I live by.” Ondras encourages his students to always ask for advice and assistance. He is proud of the student-focused curriculum at GRCC, and his courses focus on creating a culture of inclusion for all students.  GRCC’s music program is National Association of School Music accredited and is designed to prepare students for successful completion and transfer to the college of their choice.  More information about the music program can be found here.

July 17, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Grand Rapids Community College capped off a fantastic year in competition with a total of 43 student-athletes earning All-Academic honors from the Michigan Community College Athletic Association this week. This is a huge jump from 33 student-athletes a year ago.  Earlier this year, GRCC's athletic department was awarded its 16th All-Sports Trophy - the MCCAA's most prestigious honor - after all eight of the department's programs had successful seasons. The baseball and golf teams finished highest among all eight programs, earning MCCAA All-Academic team honors with cumulative grade point averages over 3.0. "I'm proud of what our student-athletes accomplished," Athletic Director Lauren Ferullo said. "Our coaches and staff make academic success a priority and our students work hard. That is reflected in these honors. We're preparing them for long-term success, beyond their playing days." The MCCAA honors student-athletes by naming them with Academic All-Conference and Academic All-MCCAA awards, in addition to MCCAA All-Academic Team awards. To earn Academic All-Conference honors, student-athletes must earn at least 24 credits with a 3.0 GPA or higher. For Academic All-MCCAA, a student-athlete must earn at least 24 credits with a 3.2 GPA. For a team to be recognized as an MCCAA All-Academic Team, teams must earn a cumulative 3.0 GPA. All of the GRCC teams competing this past year had at least one student-athlete recognized on the MCCAA Academic All-Conference team, with a total of 43 student-athletes. There were 37 student-athletes recognized by earning Academic All-MCCAA honors. Earning MCCAA Academic All-Conference Academic awards are: Aaron Bess, Andres Rivera-Calderon, Austyn Adams, Caleb Kuiper, Colton Leatherman, Dylan Chargo, Fernando Rivera-Calderon, Luke Huerta, Melvin Rodriguez, Ryan Hether, Tommy Reid, Trevin Laming, and Zacarias Salinas of the baseball team. Also earning the honor are Bradley Vandenhout, Conner Oman, Drew Harrington, McCoy DenHartigh, Ty Marchlewski and Zach Basiaga of the golf team; Brockton Kohler, Myron Brewer and Rico Wade of the men's basketball team; Craig Fuller, Dan Kehoe and Lucas Schneider of the men's cross country team. Also named to the Academic All-Conference team are Alena Visnovsky, Audrey Gower, Audrey Torres, Braelyn Berry, Charlie Baker, Kara Hecht, Rylee VanPatten and Shannon Russell of the volleyball team; Karissa Ferry, who played both volleyball and basketball, Alyssa Wierenga, who played both volleyball and softball; Marlene Bussler and Sally Merrill of the women's basketball team; Autumn Scott, Izabella Regner and Madison Lemke of the softball team; Audrey Meyering, Rose Meyer and Zoe Zawacki of the women's cross country team. Earning MCCAA All-Academic awards are Bess, Adams, Kuiper, Leatherman, Chargo, F. Rivera-Calderon, Huerta, Rodriguez, Hether, Reid, Laming, Salinas, Wade, Fuller, Kehoe, Schneider, Oman, Harrington, DenHartigh, Scott, Regner, Lemke, Bussler, Merrill, Ferry, Meyering, Meyer, Zawacki, Visnovsky, Gower, Torres, Berry, Baker, Hecht, VanPatten, Russell, and Wierenga.  This story was reported by Ben Brown

July 14, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – When Lyndsay Martin started college she wanted to be a physician. But after “bombing” her first chemistry class, she quickly discovered her passion for social work.  Martin wanted her work to help others and have an impact on her community. She worked as a social work clinician and leader for 12 years with the Hope Network.  In 2020, she began working with her family's real estate business, but still wanted to be giving back to the community. When she got the opportunity to teach at GRCC, it felt like a natural fit. Now she gets to help prepare the next generation of social workers to enter the field. “I love the opportunity to meet all of the students, learn what their career goals are and share in their experience of learning throughout the semester,” Martin said, “I love that GRCC has so many supports available to students and extracurricular activities students can choose to engage in as well.” Martin teaches the Introduction Social Welfare and Social Work course. In this course students gain a lot of foundational knowledge about social welfare policies, their impact, the barriers facing people in our country, and how social work can be of service to them.  Martin emphasizes to her students the importance of self-care. Knowing that they can only care for their community and patients if they take care of themselves first.  Martin received her bachelor's degree in Social Work from Michigan State University, and her master’s degree in Social Work from Grand Valley State University. More information about the Social Work program can be found here.

July 12, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – People aged 25 and older can get help starting or restarting their education tuition-free at Grand Rapids Community College’s special Michigan Reconnect Night. The event, planned for 3 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 19, will include presentations and specialists ready to answer questions about applying, registering for classes, completing financial aid forms and other aspects of attending college. The event will be located in GRCC’s Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall, 143 Bostwick Ave. NE, on the Main Campus in Grand Rapids. Michigan Reconnect is the State of Michigan scholarship program that covers the cost of in-district tuition for residents age 25 and older who do not have a college degree. Students can earn credits for degrees or to transfer, or can take career-focused certificate classes. “Michigan Reconnect can help so many people gain a quality education to advance in their careers,” said Lori Cook, GRCC’s associate dean of Access and First-Year Success. “Reconnect Night is a perfect opportunity for people to ask questions, and let our specialists walk them through the process. Potential students at the event can get assistance completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as FAFSA, which is required to apply for the scholarship. Details about eligibility are at grcc.edu/reconnect . Students can also learn how they can schedule classes around their home and work responsibilities, and take classes in-person and online. Michigan Reconnect is part of Gov. Whitmer’s Sixty by 30 goal, hoping to have at least 60 percent of the state’s adults have a college degree or career certificate by 2030. GRCC has been one of the state’s leaders in students using the scholarship program. In the Winter 2023 semester, 2,584 students were accepted to GRCC through Reconnect, and 1,141 were enrolled for the winter semester. Others can start in the fall. Those students include Morgan Brink, who said she struggled in high school but used the scholarship to return to school at 32. Now she’s an honor student taking classes while raising two children and preparing to own her own business. Stories about Brink and other Reconnect students are at grcc.edu/reconnect .

July 10, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. –  Ruben Watson is thankful for the good advice he’s received at key times in his life. “I didn’t want to go to GRCC after graduation, but my grandmother convinced me to go,” he said. “It was a more affordable option for me, and, in retrospect, it was the foundation to my college career.” Start at Grand Rapids Community College and go anywhere. Every former student has a story to tell about how GRCC gave them the education and opportunity to be successful.  After withdrawing from a freshman math class because of low grades, Watson talked to his advisor in the TRIO program, which provides academic advising, tutoring, mentoring, financial guidance, counseling and other supports to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Fátima Nieves told him he just needed some extra help and found him a tutor. “I re-enrolled in the class the next semester and attended every tutoring session,” Watson said. “I ended up passing that class with a B – which is a grade I would not have received without the right supportive services.” Watson has built his post-college career around improving access to higher education, currently as assistant director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He credits GRCC with giving him the key skills he needs in his job. “Communication and public speaking are two vital skills that I acquired by attending GRCC classes,” he said. “I passed those classes because I had great teachers who challenged me to step outside my comfort zone and learn and fail until I mastered professional communication strategies.” After graduating with an associate degree in 2004, Watson earned a bachelor’s in communications from Western Michigan University and a master’s in K-12 education administration from Michigan State University. In addition to his work at UNC, he volunteers as a mentor and development committee co-chair with 100 Black Men’s Triangle East chapter and serves on the national board for Learning Heroes. In between his career and volunteering, he also found time to establish a publishing company, Watson Family Literacy, and write two children’s books: “Where Is My Grandpa?” and “Friendly Skies and Sunny Days.” A self-described  “proud Raider,” Watson credits GRCC for a good start on higher education: “GRCC is a launchpad into the ‘real world’ and a supportive place where focused students can succeed!” Start your story at GRCC by applying here .

July 7, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Rose Sickrey is a proud Grand Rapids Community College alumna and staff member.  Sickrey came to GRCC as a first-generation college student being raised by a single parent. She was impressed by the support she received from professors, staff and fellow students.  “I remember turning in an exam one day and leaving the classroom. My professor quickly came into the hallway; I thought I had forgotten a portion of the exam. He surprised me by sharing his excitement and support for my educational career as I was transferring to the University of Michigan. I will always hold the memory, and his kind words dear to my heart,” Sickrey said.  Sickrey is a Customer Service Specialist in the Student Financial Services. The department assists students across all financial brackets to make education accessible.  Sickrey encourages students to be unashamed in asking for help.  “There are so many resources available at GRCC, whether it be for mental health, finances, research opportunities, or extracurricular activities,” Sickrey said.  The faculty and staff at GRCC are always willing to help students. Sickrey loves helping the next generation of students figure out how to make their educational dreams achievable.  Sickrey continued her education with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Arts from The University of Chicago.  More information about Student Financial Services can be found here.

July 7, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Zeke Grandy carefully sanded the leg of a table, designed to hold the concrete top he poured earlier in the week. With other students in Grand Rapids Community College’s summer camp series, he’s thinking about his future and exploring a variety of potential careers.   Students in grades six through nine are learning through hands-on activities and employer tours through the camps, offered by the Grand Rapids Community College Workforce Training team with support from partners including the City of Grand Rapids. Students are learning about careers in water sustainability, construction, manufacturing, and wood working in four-day sessions. There is a limited number of spots available in the manufacturing and water careers camps. The camps are an opportunity for students to explore careers and meet people who are experts in their fields. They also are seeing some of the real-world applications for math, science and other subjects. Zeke attends Wyoming High School and would someday like to be a contractor. Alex Winowiecki said he enjoyed learning about electricity, and working with his friend Brendan Snider. There are some spots available for the Manufacturing camp at the GRCC Lakeshore Campus from July 18-21. The manufacturing camp costs $119 to attend. There are three sections of the Water Career Camp which is open to students in grade six through nine and costs $25. Sessions are planned for July 25 to July 27, Aug. 1 to Aug. 3, and Aug. 8 to Aug. 10. The Water Career Camp explores the urban water cycle and various careers. Campers will follow the lifecycle of our water, including where our water comes from, how it is treated and how to measure water quality. They will see how waste water is treated and returned to the environment. Campers will participate in hands-on experiments, activities and tour worksites in West Michigan to see all of the careers that make up a public works system and the vital role they play in our communities. This camp requires permission to travel to tour the drinking water plant on the Lakeshore and to the wastewater treatment plant in Grand Rapids. Students will experience what happens when a water main breaks and how it gets fixed. "Behind every drop of water you use, there is a huge team of professionals dedicated to ensuring your water is safe and reliable,” Hillary Caron, a chemist for Lake Michigan Filtration Plant, said recently. “The Public Works camp will be an exclusive, behind-the-scenes experience showing each step of the water and wastewater treatment processes and the available careers in an extremely rewarding industry!" Details are available at grcc.edu/camps.

July 6, 2023 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College students can finish up those last few enrollment steps for fall with help from GRCC’s Academic Advising and Transfer Center at events in Grand Rapids and on the Lakeshore. The center is hosting its first Advising Day, from 9 a.m. to noon July 13 at both GRCC’s Main and the Lakeshore campuses. “Everything needed to complete enrollment will be on-site so you’re ready to start the fall semester,” said Kristie Kozub, an academic advisor at the GRCC Lakeshore Campus. The event is targeted to students who attended GRCC during the 2022-2023 academic year but haven’t enrolled in Fall 2023 semester classes. Incoming students who have gone through orientation but haven’t signed up for their fall classes are also welcome. Students will be able to get help from academic advisors, success coaches and enrollment specialists. “We’ll help you review your career and college plan and then assist you in choosing the classes you need,” Kozub said. “We are here to support you.” On the Main Campus, Advising Day will be held on the first floor of Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall, 143 Bostwick Ave. NE. Parking passes will be provided to students who see an advisor at the event; parking at the Lakeshore Campus is free. RSVPs are encouraged, but not mandatory. Students can RSVP here .    

July 5, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Zach Adsit had always regretted not pursuing welding any further than high school. "Returning to welding has been a remarkable journey for me,” he said. “I had some previous experience my high school's automotive program and I grew up welding with my dad. Then an unexpected opportunity came my way when my mom received an email notification from GRCC about the Metallica Scholars Welding program. I signed up right away.” From the moment Adsit filled out the paperwork through the interview process, he felt a sense of excitement and anticipation. “Now, I find myself immersed in the class, grateful for the chance to rekindle my passion for welding,” said Adsit, who currently works as the maintenance person at a trailer park. “I've been actively applying for jobs, and this class has opened up the possibility of joining a union in the future.” The GRCC Metallica Scholars Welding Bootcamp offers students the opportunity to gain skills for entry level welding positions.  It is a short-term program to get welders work in West Michigan, with the goal of helping these students grow into apprenticeships or other learning opportunities within the welding field.  “What I love most about the class is the ever-changing nature of each day,” Adsit said. “The projects and tasks assigned to us ensure that every day brings something new and intriguing. Unlike spending long hours in a traditional classroom, I thrive as a hands-on learner, and the lab environment is a perfect fit for me.” The techniques taught through this program are different from what Adsit learned in high school, broadening his understanding and skillset. “Initially, I was quite nervous about stepping into this class, unsure of my abilities,” he said. “However, after just a couple of weeks, the feedback I received from the instructors was immensely encouraging. Hearing them say, 'You're doing really good,' was music to my ears and boosted my confidence.” In moments when Adsit faced challenges, he appreciated having both the instructor Nick Pinckney and his assistant, Brianna Lampe, always ready to assist and guide him. “Throughout the initial weeks, Nick guided us through the setup process, teaching us the slight differences involved in different welds and ensuring we understood the equipment and procedures,” Adsit said. “Overall, my experience in this welding class has been rewarding beyond measure. It has reignited my passion, provided invaluable hands-on learning, and allowed me to grow as a welder. I am grateful for this opportunity and eagerly look forward to further honing my skills in the captivating world of welding." To qualify for the program, participants must be 18 years of age, have a high school diploma or GED, and be able to work in the United States. For more information go to grcc.edu/metallica .