June 13, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College celebrated the career and legacy of President Emeritus Juan R. Olivarez by dedicating a mural and a student plaza in his honor. Olivarez is a lifelong educator who has served generations of families across West Michigan, including serving twice as GRCC’s president. “When we look back at the long and rich history of Grand Rapids Community College, there are leaders who shaped the institution into what we celebrate today,” GRCC President Charles Lepper said. “We can say they were, undoubtedly, the right people at the right time. Dr. Olivarez is without question one of those leaders, and I’m proud to dedicate this plaza and mural so his story will continue to inspire students for decades to come. The plaza, which stretches from Lyon Street to Fountain Street, was once a very busy Bostwick Avenue. It was closed to become Bostwick Commons in 1999. The space was renamed the Juan R. Olivarez Student Plaza at the urging of Lupe Ramos-Montigny, a Grand Rapids educator and community leader. “I accepted this because it really isn’t about me,” Olivarez said. “It’s about having a Latino name on a landmark to inspire other students of color to reach high in their endeavors and to be proud of who they are.” The mural was painted in a spot along the plaza near the GRCC Student Center by alumnus Raymond Trujillo, celebrating Olivarez’s ancestry and role as a trailblazer. He is the first Hispanic person to serve as a college or university president in the state of Michigan. Trujillo called the mural, which depicts a Mexican courtyard, a labor of love, sharing his appreciation for GRCC, its students and caring employees. “The butterflies represent the students here on campus,” he said. “I was one of those monarch butterflies.” Olivarez worked in the Grand Rapids Public Schools for more than 20 years before becoming GRCC’s Dean of Institutional Research in 1991. He was appointed the college’s eighth president, serving from 1999 to 2008, and as interim president from June 2022 to January 2023. He worked to increase access to a quality college education and cultivated student-serving partnerships with local businesses, public entities, and nonprofit organizations. Olivarez continues to support GRCC and its students. He and his wife, Mary, were honored by the GRCC Foundation at Scholarfest for their years of service.      

June 13, 2023 - GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College baseball ace Jerad Berkenpas’ was named Division II First Team All-American by the National Junior College Athletic Association after an outstanding season.    Berkenpas, who was also named All-American last season, joins Mike Pojeski, Doug Wabeke and Tyler Hall as the only other two-time NJCAA baseball All-Americans at GRCC.  He's also the first player to earn first-team honors since Hall in 2010. Berkenpas was one of 36 players selected by the NJCAA, and one of nine pitchers chosen. He joins three other players from Region XII; Hunter Lay, Hunter Shaw and Shane Juday, all from Lansing Community College. A sophomore from Byron Center, Berkenpas earlier was named Northern Conference Player of the Year, and to the All-Region and All-MCCAA team. The 6-foot, 5-inch righty from South Christian High School was GRCC's top pitcher in the rotation and led the team with an 8-2 record, 1.44 ERA, 71 strikeouts, .194 opponents' batting average, and had seven complete games. His ERA was second best of all NJCAA Division II players. Berkenpas finished his historic career at GRCC with a 17-4 record and 1.68 ERA.  He appeared in 31 games, started in 22, had 11 complete games and pitched five shutouts.  In 145 innings, he totaled 151 strikeouts against just 22 walks, and opponents batted just .207 against him. Berkenpas is the 32nd All-American in GRCC baseball history, and will be playing at Davenport University next season. He is the fifth GRCC student-athlete to earn All-American honors this year. Cross country runners Kaylee Scott and Audrey Meyering were selected after their performances in the NJCAA DII National Championships in November; Audrey Torres earned the honor after helping the volleyball team to a fifth-place finish at the NJCAA DII National Tournament; and Izzy Regner led the softball team to a conference championship and runner-up finish in regionals. GRCC's baseball team finished the 2023 campaign as the Northern Conference champions with a 23-2 record and the MCCAA champions with a 35-14 record.  The season included a 17-game win streak.  This story was reported by Ben Brown.  

June 8, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Elaine Yeiter has grown from student, to professor, to tutorial center coordinator at Grand Rapids Community College.  Yeiter graduated from GRCC with her associate degree in nursing in 2013. She entered the workforce and was a bedside nurse for about ten years. In her time as a nurse she was able to mentor and encourage many student nurses, new nurses, and staff.  “The precepting and orienting of new nurses made me realize that I really enjoy educating nurses at all levels,” Yeiter said. “I feel that nurse education is where my passion truly lies.” She began taking classes at Ferris State University to earn her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing. When the opportunity to teach came, it was an exciting next step. Yeiter began teaching nursing clinicals and enjoyed getting to pour into the next generation of nurses.  Recently, Yeiter stepped into the role of Health Sciences Resource and Tutorial Center coordinator. This role allows her to spend time working closely with students, giving them undivided attention outside of the classroom environment.  The Health Sciences Resource Tutorial Center provides support for students in all School of Health Sciences programs, which includes nursing, dental, exercise science, occupational therapy, and radiologic students.  “I think working one-on-one with students makes the center special,” Yeiter said. “We get to celebrate student successes after they work with a tutor and improve their test scores.” She encourages every student who comes into the center to keep doing their best. Yeiter knows first-hand that nursing is physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding. But encourages students to persist.  In her first year as center coordinator, Yeiter planned a grand re-opening event for the center. She invited all health sciences students to check out the center, eat some food, and play some games. The event was a success and lots of students came to learn more about the resources available to them.  More information about the Health Sciences Resource and Tutorial Center can be found here .

June 8, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. –  Students can gain hands-on experience in the in-demand field of municipal water through an internship program developed in partnership with with Grand Rapids Community College, Bay College and the City of Grand Rapids. Applications are now being accepted for the yearlong Water to Work internship program, which is scheduled to begin Aug. 14, 2023. Interns work with the City of Grand Rapids Water Department and Environmental Services Department, and are based at the Water Resource Recovery Facility in Grand Rapid or the Lake Michigan Filtration Plant located in West Olive on the Lakeshore. Interns will make $17.71 per hour, while taking online courses through Bay College and Grand Rapids Community College. As part of the program, participants are mentored by current and retired City of Grand Rapids employees. Completing the program may lead to Michigan Drinking Water and Municipal Wastewater certifications. “We recognize the value of a strong, diverse workforce, and are dedicated to connecting West Michigan residents to in-demand careers,” said John VanElst, Interim Executive Director, Workforce Training and the Leslie Tassell MTEC. “This model of learning while working is a great example of how GRCC is willing to work not only with employers like the City of Grand Rapids, but also partnering with other institutions like Bay College to provide our community the education and skills needed for rewarding careers.”  The curriculum focuses on water and wastewater operations and management as well as utility management, business, and water career preparation. Additional non-credit professional development workshops are also required. The program is free for Grand Rapids residents. This project is supported by a national $3.8 million U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant. Participants must be 18 years old or older and have a high school diploma or GED.  Applicants are required to pass a background check and take a GRCC math placement test. “Behind every drop of water, there are hundreds of rewarding careers to explore,” said Hillary Caron, Water Education and Programs coordinator for the City of Grand Rapids. “This program allows you to find a career that aligns with your values and makes a positive impact on our generation and beyond.” Five interns successfully completed the pilot program. One intern accepted a position with the City of Wyoming, two others are working for the City of Grand Rapids while two others are currently applying for positions with the City of Grand Rapids. Additional information is available at  grcc.edu/watertowork .  

June 6, 2023 - GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College softball ace Izzy Regner was one of the best pitchers in the nation this season, and was honored by being named Division II Third Team All-American by the National Junior College Athletic Association.   Regner was one of 39 players selected by the NJCAA, and one of nine pitchers chosen. She joins three other players from Region XII; Emily Breslin of Jackson College, Sammy Michael of Oakland Community College and Elizabeth Townsend of Macomb Community College. A freshman from Elkhorn, Wis., Regner earlier was named All-Region, All-MCCAA and First Team All-Conference and also named to the All-Tournament team at the NJCAA Region XII Regional Tournament.  Regner finished the season with a sparkling 1.36 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 20-5 record. But even more impressive she was second in the nation in strikeouts and strikeouts per game, finishing with 292 punch outs in 174.2 innings; an average of 11.7 per seven innings. She also was second on the team in several categories including a .436 batting average, 56 hits, 16 doubles, five home runs, 89 total bases, .690 slugging percentage, 18 walks and a .510 on base percentage. Regner is the 14th All-American in GRCC softball history and the first since Megan Gregory and Krysten Bandstra in 2007. She will be playing at Ferris State University next season. She is the fourth GRCC student-athlete to earn All-American honors this year. Cross country runners Kaylee Scott and Audrey Meyering were selected after their performances in the NJCAA DII National Championships in November, and Audrey Torres earned the honor after helping the volleyball team to a fifth-place finish at the NJCAA DII National Tournament.   The softball team, under the direction of first-year head coach Chuck White, won its first conference championship since 1999 and was runners-up at the NJCAA Region XII Tournament. This story was reported by Ben Brown. 

June 6, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College’s Craft Brewing program is changing to best prepare students for careers in the popular, evolving field, with a series of in-person and virtual open houses to share information about classes.   “The craft brewing industry continues to evolve,” said Allison Hoekstra, an assistant professor in GRCC’s Secchia Institute for Culinary Education. “The industry has grown as a whole since the program was first launched. Our revisions are designed to meet the changing needs of the industry.” Planned open houses include virtual sessions from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 10 and noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 14. An in-person event is planned for 5:30- 7 p.m. on Monday, June 12 at the Fountain Hill Brewery in GRCC’s Wisner-Bottrall Applied Technology Center. Registration for the sessions is available here. Hoekstra said the Secchia team has researched program changes for about two years, talking to students, alumni, and industry leaders, and worked with the program’s advisory board. “We sought their input about the skills they think graduates need to be successful in the industry and got their feedback on proposed program changes,” she said. “We used this information to determine what our program needed to add to stay current with the demands of the industry.” The program created five new courses and revised expected outcomes in all other brewing courses. The new courses focus on the science and quality control aspects of brewing as well as expanding on topics like regulation and packaging. New courses are: Fermentation Biology; Draft Systems and Packaging; Quality Control; Developing a Sensory Program; and Brewing Operations and Regulatory Affairs. Details are available on the program’s website here . The new classes will also be open to program alumni who have graduated & want to expand their knowledge.  

June 5, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. –  The Grand Rapids Community College Athletic Department earned the Michigan Community College Athletic Association’s most prestigious honor after all eight of the department’s programs had successful seasons. The Charlie Chanter All-Sports Trophy, named after the former GRCC coach and professor, is presented annually to the college with the most successful programs. GRCC's athletic programs had a banner year with five teams - men's and women's cross country, volleyball, women's basketball, and golf -- making national tournament appearances. "I'm so proud of all our student-athletes and coaches for their tremendous year," Athletic Director Lauren Ferullo said. "I'm honored to lead such an amazing group of coaches and look forward to many more great years to come." The trophy is awarded to one of the 23 MCCAA colleges based on where each team finishes within the association. Points are awarded to each member college based on each team's rank in an MCCAA sponsored sport with bonus points added for teams who finish as an MCCAA champion or runner-up. GRCC has won the award 16 times, second only to Lansing Community College, which has claimed the award 19 total wins since it was first presented in 1958. Both cross country teams finished runner-up in the MCCAA and NJCAA Region XII championships and the women's team finished in seventh in nationals and the men finished in 12th.  Kaylee Scott, Audrey Meyering and Rose Meyer all were named to All-Region and All-MCCAA teams.  Scott also earned All-American honors for the second time and Meyering became GRCC's first-ever three-time All-American.  Three men received postseason honors including Coleman Clark and Mason Kolhoff who earned All-Region and All-MCCAA honors. The volleyball team won its 11th conference title, ninth MCCAA title, and 11th district title.  The team tied for its second-best finish ever in the national tournament, finishing fifth.  Eight players earned postseason honors, led by Audrey Torres and Eliza Thelen who were named to All-Region, All-MCCAA and First Team All-Conference teams.   The women's basketball team finished third in the conference, won the district title and participated in the national tournament for the second time in three years.  Six players received postseason honors including sophomores Sally Merrill and Grace Lodes, who were named All-Region, All-MCCAA and First Team All-Conference. The golf team earned its 14th straight conference championship and won the NJCAA Region XII championship for the ninth time and third time in its past four seasons.  The team placed 19th in the national tournament and was led by Drew Harrington who was the team’s most consistent golfer of the year earning All-Conference, All-Region and was named the Conference Freshman of the Year.  Three other golfers earned postseason honors. The men's basketball team, the softball team and the baseball team didn't make it to the national tournament, but all had successful years. The men's basketball team won its first 11 games of the season and finished in third place in the conference with a 21-8 overall record. Five players earned postseason honors including point guard Danyel Bibbs who earned Second Team All-Conference. The baseball and softball teams each won the first ever Northern Conference Championship and the baseball team won the MCCAA title with a 35-14 overall record. The softball team finished runner-up in the regional tournament – its best finish since advancing to the national tournament in 1998. Eight players earned postseason honors for the baseball team, including Jerad Berkenpas, the Conference Player of the Year. Berkenpas, Fernando Rivera-Calderon and Xander Reisbig were the top three vote getters for All-Conference honors. They also all were named to All-Region and All-MCCAA teams. Seven players from the softball team earned honors, led by Izzy Regner and Jaye Guichelaar who were also named All-Region, All-MCCAA and First Team All-Conference. Chanter was the MCCAA executive secretary for 42 years, and served in the MCCAA from the 1950s until 2008. Chanter began teaching at what was then Grand Rapids Junior College in 1954 and retired from full-time work in 1994. He taught in the Business Department and was its chair at one point. He continued teaching as an adjunct and remained golf coach until 2007. This story was reported by Ben Brown. 

June 5, 2023 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The  Grand Rapids Community College Foundation board of directors is recognizing the hard work and determination of two incoming freshmen with full-ride scholarships. Abigail Vink, from Covenant Christian High School, and Anastasia Murphy, from Coopersville High School, will receive GRCC Foundation Board of Directors Excellence Scholarships. The scholarships, started in 2022, cover tuition and all fees associated with registered classes for a full academic year. High school counselors nominate the students, with one student each from Kent and Ottawa counties receiving the scholarships. Counselors were asked to consider academics and other factors, including barriers and obstacles the student has faced, community service, and leadership activities or qualities. Vink, who plans to study Accounting at GRCC, stepped in this past year to care for her four younger siblings and run the household while her mom underwent a kidney transplant. She continues to shoulder all the additional responsibilities – including part-time jobs at Hi-Tone Cleaners and Rainbow Grill – so her dad can return to work while her mother recovers. “This means that responsibility for the housework, grocery shopping and food prep, as well as ‘taxi service’ for the three younger siblings continues to fall on Abigail, all while she worked to maintain her own schoolwork, college applications and decisions, as well as part-time jobs to help with expenses,” said Mindy Bergman, Covenant guidance counselor. Murphy is excited to start classes in GRCC’s Visual Arts Department. “Immediately after touring GRCC, I knew that it was the place I wanted to call home for the next two years,” she said. “The energy and culture in Grand Rapids are unbeatable, and GRCC’s flexibility and good reputation are exactly what I’m looking for.” She has worked hard to overcome a past that included abuse and self-doubt. At Coopersville, she was first chair in band, choreographer for the show choir, and president of Student Council and the National Honor Society. She also volunteered with Kids’ Food Basket and Versiti Blood Center of Michigan while working at Arby’s. Celebrating – and rewarding – achievements like Murphy’s and Vink’s is why the board of directors created the scholarship, said foundation Executive Director Erin Van Egmond. “Our board knows the struggles so many of our students face,” she said. “They also know the important role a scholarship can play in helping students overcome those obstacles and reach their goals. Creating the Excellence Scholarship is just one of many ways our directors support our students and their dreams.” The GRCC Foundation plans to distribute more than $1 million in more than 400 scholarships this year to over 1,500 students. More information about the foundation – including ways to contribute to a life-changing GRCC education – can be found online .

June 2, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids Community College music professor Jonathan Marshall will be performing at the Festival of the Arts on Saturday with the professor who once mentored him as a student. Marshall and Brian Morris will be performing as the Grand Rapids Guitar Duo at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday at Festival’s Classical Stage on the Grand Rapids Art Museum, 101 Monroe Center St. NW. The duo will perform classical guitar works by Alfanso Montes, Manuel de Falla, Ida Presti, Radames Gnattali, Johann Kaspar Mertz, Enrique Granados and a piece written by Marshall. Festival of the Arts, which runs from Friday, June 2 to Sunday, June 4, is the city’s annual celebration of culture. The event features more than 150 performers spread out over five stages. The event is in its 54th year, but the first under the direction of GRCC alumna Missy Summers. Marshall is GRCC’s director of Guitar Studies and is director of the GRCC International Guitar Series. He studied under Morris, a classical guitarist and vocalist, at GRCC before earning his bachelor’s degree at Grand Valley State University and a master’s degree at the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati. Morris has been a GRCC faculty member for more than 20 years, and maintains an active performing schedule as an associate of the Michigan Arts and Humanities Touring Program. He has performed with the West Shore Symphony, the Grand Rapids Symphony; at the College Music Society’s Regional Conference in Madison, Wis. the Kennedy Center and has twice been featured as a presenter of Latin American Music at the Kellogg Institute for International Studies on the campus of Notre Dame University. He earned Music degrees from Florida State University and Montana State University.