GRCC In the News, 6-28-19

Mason County Garden Club receives awards, recognizes scholarship winners

June 27, 2019; Ludington Daily News

The Mason County Garden Club has received national recognition from the Michigan Garden Clubs for its 2018 Garden Walk, its website and its social media presence.

… (Kelsey) Kosiboski plans to transfer from WSCC to Michigan State University to complete a degree in crop and soil science and (Breanne) Mallison plans to attend Grand Rapids Community College and transfer to a 4-year university to earn a degree in natural resources and conservation.

Meet the ambassadors: Jackie Araiza-Nunez

Jackie Nunez

Jackie Nunez

Let’s meet this summer’s orientation ambassadors:

Jackie Araiza-Nunez is majoring in social work and plans to transfer to Grand Valley State University. She enjoys working out and spending time with family.

Dream country to live in: Mexico

Cereal in the bowl before milk or milk before cereal? Cereal before milk

Master all musical instruments or fluent in every language? Fluent in every language.

Celebrate today with Jan Ensing!

Please join us in celebrating the career of Jan Ensing with a reception from 3-5 p.m. Thursday, June 27, at the Raider Grille patio!

Jan is retiring after being a graphic artist at GRCC for nearly 20 years, sharing her artistic talents and attention to detail on projects large and small — all aimed at serving GRCC students, faculty and staff. She will be missed!

Meet the ambassadors: Stephen Na

Stephen Na

Stephen Na

Let’s meet this summer’s orientation ambassadors:

Stephen Na is majoring in medical social work and plans to transfer to Grand Valley State or Western Michigan University. He enjoys watching and playing sports, socializing with friends, and playing games!

Dream superpower: Teleporting or being invisible.

If you were an animal, what would you be? Lion — king of the jungle.

Favorite ice cream flavor: Mint chocolate chip

GRCC In the News, 6-26-19

Economic Club names board members

June 25, 2019; Grand Rapids Business Journal

The Economic Club of Grand Rapids has a new board chair and group of board members.

… Newest Economic Club board members

… Bill Pink, president, Grand Rapids Community College

Students speak, district listens

June 25, 2019; schoolnewsnetwork.org (Kent Intermediate School District)

A strategic plan that will guide the district into the future is expected to be brought to the Board of Education this year.

… Students also see value in the middle college program, which allows students to attend high school for five years and finish with both a diploma from Cedar Springs and an associate degree from Grand Rapids Community College.

Polish Heritage Society Brings Lenny Gomulka & Chicago Push to Grand Rapids to Celebrate 40th Anniversary of Dozynki Polish Festival

June 24, 2019; therapidian.org

In honor of the 40th anniversary of its annual Dozynki Polish Festival, the Polish Heritage Society of Grand Rapids is bringing the internationally known Lenny Gomulka & Chicago Push band to play two nights of the three-day event in August.

… The Dozynki Polish Festival is the major fundraiser for the Polish Heritage Society of Grand Rapids, a non-profit organization founded in 1963 to perpetuate and advance the Polish culture that has been so integral to metro Grand Rapids. Among a number of its activities, the society awards scholarships annually to students of Polish descent who attend Aquinas College, Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids Community College, and Davenport University.

Seminar explores workplace bullies

Workplace Bullies

July 11, 2019

1:00PM to 4:30PM

Room 224 ATC

The Employers Association

Description: Workplace Bullies

This seminar explores the behaviors of bullying and the impacts of this negative behavior on the bully’s victims and others. This course defines bullying and presents strategies for dealing effectively with bullying behavior.

Course Goal: Provide participants with a clear understanding of bullying and its impacts as well as presenting strategies for dealing effectively with bullying behavior. Course Objectives, after completing this course, participants will be able to: Describe what motivates a bully at work, Identify how bullying behavior affects employees, Recognize and address bullying behavior, Know what not to do with the bully, and Communicate the importance of having an anti-bullying policy and what it might include.

If you are interested please register at our Learning Opportunities webpage.

Meet the ambassadors: Zach White

Zach White

Zach White

Let’s meet this summer’s orientation ambassadors:

Zach White is completing his Associate of Business with a special interest in marketing. He enjoys playing basketball and hockey, and loves to hang out with his friends!

Favorite movie: “Talladega Nights”

Favorite color: Black, because it contains all colors

Best piece of advice he’s ever heard: “If you ain’t first, you’re last.” — Ricky Bobby (“Talladega Nights”)

GRCC In the News, 6-25-19

Man arrested after struggle with GRCC police

June 24, 2019; WOOD TV

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Grand Rapids Community College says a man was arrested after causing a disturbance on campus Monday.

GRCC launching new welding program to help meet market demand

June 24, 2019; MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – When industries or construction are booming as they are in West Michigan, the need for welders increases greatly.

Grand Rapids Community College is launching a new Welding Skills Certificate program fall semester designed to help students gain the necessary skills quickly, so they can enter the workforce and help meet demand.

Men’s Cross County Adds Five For This Fall

June 22, 2019; wsuathletics.com (Wayne State University)

DETROIT — Wayne State University men’s cross country head coach Grant Lofdahl will enter his third year at the helm this fall with the biggest and deepest roster in his tenure.

Lofdahl and his staff have added five newcomers who will join the squad this August.  Two of the five are junior college transfers from Grand Rapids Community College in Sam Borisch (Comstock Park, Mich.) and Trystan Thayer (Grand Rapids, Mich. / Forest Hills Central).  Joining via an NLI are Ransom Allen (Ithaca, Mich.) and Donald O’Keefe (Troy, Mich.), while Jeremy Cavallo (Davisburg, Mich. / Clarkston) will be attending WSU via a Letter of Commitment.

Entrepreneurial effort plants focus on workforce development

June 21, 2019; Grand Rapids Business Journal

The Zeeland-based economic development agency is taking what it has learned from participating in Michigan’s Talent Pipeline Management Academy, launched by Consumers Energy in 2017, and applying it to workforce advancement initiatives along the lakeshore.

… Lakeshore Advantage also is collaborating with educators at Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids Community College, Thompson M-TEC and the Careerline Tech Center, and all of that contact is involving manufacturing.

Small Business Opportunities with the City of Grand Rapids

June 22, 2019; Grand Rapids Business Journal

The City of Grand Rapids Micro Local Business Enterprise, or MLBE, Program is a certification designation for local, small and minority businesses created in 2009 to provide incentives for smaller companies when bidding with the city.

The program is for construction, goods and services and professional services companies seeking to bid competitively with the City of Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Community College and Grand Rapids Public Schools.

‘A light that cannot and will not be put out’

June 21, 2019; schoolnewsnetwork.org

In her own words, Gloria Bliss-Ramos has had a “lot gone on” during her high school years. But that didn’t stop her from finishing high school and planning her future.

… Gloria said she is concentrating on becoming the best mother she can be, and has set her sights on a four-month tech program offered at Grand Rapids Community College.

Meet MLive’s 2019 softball and baseball Dream Teams from Muskegon

June 24, 2019; MLive

MUSKEGON – After a bit of a breather, the high school softball and baseball Dream Teams have returned for the Muskegon area.

… Nick Stever, Montague | Senior infielder/pitcher

Stever was the Wildcats’ top player, batting .410 with 25 RBIs and 18 runs scored. On the mound, the Grand Rapids Community College-bound right-hander went 4-1 with a 1.86 ERA in 10 appearances with one save. He was a four-year starter, who earned all-conference, all-district and all-region honors multiple times.

String orchestra welcomes new conductor

June 23, 2019; Guelph Today (Ontario, Canada)

The Guelph Youth Music Centre (GYMC) is pleased to present its new Youth String Orchestras (Junior and Intermediate) conductor, Joy Schuster, who will take up her duties in the fall.

… Upon graduation, Joy was elected a member of the Society of Pi Kappa Lambda. She moved back to her home town of Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1996 where she taught with the Grand Rapids Community College Suzuki program and directed a Music Together program.

Retirement reception on June 27 for Jan Ensing

Please join us in celebrating the career of Jan Ensing with a reception from 3-5 p.m. Thursday, June 27, at the Raider Grille patio!

Jan is retiring after being a graphic artist at GRCC for nearly 20 years, sharing her artistic talents and attention to detail on projects large and small — all aimed at serving GRCC students, faculty and staff. She will be missed!

GRCC alumnus Eric Schuemann does geology field work in New Mexico, Colorado

This summer, GRCC alumnus Eric Schuemann is New Mexico and Colorado exploring the terrain and rocks around Santa Fe, Taos and the Sangre de Christos Mountains, all in the name of science! As a geology major at Grand Valley State University (GVSU), Eric is completing a required element of all geology degrees, a summer field course. The 5-week field camp is run by the Missouri State Tectonics Team, part of the geological sciences program at Missouri State University. Team members are teaching Eric and his classmates field methods that are helping them unravel the geologic history of this spectacular terrain in Colorado and New Mexico. Eric just graduated from GVSU this year and we are excited to see where he goes next. Where will your GRCC degree take you?

Eric Schuemann and six other students hold up a GVSU T-shirt as they on a pile of rocks.

GRCC Retiree Biography: Margaret Sesselmann

Margaret Sesselmann has been at GRCC since 1994 (25 years). She started in Business and Technical training and moved to Manufacturing in 1998. When asked about her favorite story about GRCC she said there  too many to list but she enjoyed learning about RC cars, sailor’s knot strength and many other materials and items that students tested and reported to class. “I’ve always been proud of being a member of faculty at GRCC. I firmly believe in the mission of the school and I know that many students, myself included, benefit greatly from the small class sizes, the directed teaching, the hands-on labs, etc. It’s been wonderful. Outside of classes, I participated in Career Quest, representing GRCC. I loved showing middle and high school students some experiments with plastics. Seeing their excitement was precious.”

In retirement Margaret is planning to move to Newaygo where her small cottage was replaced with a lake house.  Margaret expressed her appreciation for the faculty association and what it has done for the employees at GRCC.  “I have been so blessed to have a job that I truly looked forward to going in, working with students one-on–one and as a whole class. I always told my students that I wish for them that they can find a career that they love and make a living doing that.”