As we did with Winter semester, please complete this registration form and you will be sent the Zoom links in a calendar appointment.
Please note for the in person/outdoor class (Raider Strong on Wednesdays 12 -12:45 p.m.) masks are required in the Fieldhouse and locker rooms; however, they are not necessary outside as long as social distance is maintained.
Five members of the undefeated Grand Rapids Community College golf team posted the top five scores in the conference for the season, and were named to the All-Conference team by the Michigan Community College Athletic Association.
The GRCC team clinched the MCCAA Western Conference crown, easily topping Muskegon Community College, and now looks to postseason action.
“This was an historic season,” Interim Athletic Director David Selmon said. “GRCC student-athletes worked hard, were prepared and dominated this season. They earned these honors. My congratulations to them as well as coach John Forton and our Athletic Department staff on a job well done.”
Arie Jackman of Caledonia led all golfers in the conference with a season score of 379 strokes, followed by Dominic Luciani of East Grand Rapids, with 384, Tyler Hausserman from Ionia with 389, Logan Templeton of Portage with 397, and Davis Courtright from Zeeland with 401.
Muskegon’s Zach Petroski followed Courtright by 10 strokes and was the only non-Raider to earn conference honors.
Every member of the team is a freshman.
The golfers are in action next in a non-conference Kirtland Community College Invitational in Grayling on Friday. The team then will prepare for the National Junior College Athletic Association Region XII Championship tournament starting on May 11 at Bedford Valley Golf Club in Battle Creek.
This week, we welcomed warmer temperatures and sunshine! With summer just around the corner, it is a perfect time to focus on one simple act that has immense power: walking. The modern fitness world has spent billions of dollars developing machines and programs in order to keep you fit and healthy, but it doesn’t actually have to be that complicated.
Walking may be the single most beneficial thing you can do for yourself after going to bed earlier and eating better. For instance, a 2007 study out of Japan found that walking in nature led to a decrease in stress response and emotions. They measured heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure, pulse, and cortisol as well as subjective measurements of comfort, calm, and relaxation. They found a significant shift in HRV towards the relaxing (parasympathetic) side of the nervous system. Said simply: walking calmed the nervous system. In a world filled with stress, social media, and lack of sleep, walking definitively calmed the body down.
Try going for a walk at least once this week and notice what it does for your mind. Consider taking the whole family!
To get your walk on this summer, join the GRCC employee Walking & Wellness Challenge. We’ll begin May 10 and stroll through the summer until August 27.
Sign up now! Complete the registration form and we’ll be in touch with more details…
Complete the online nomination form and upload your narrative document.
For full time faculty and staff nominations, send the signature of support form link via email to at least twelve or more colleagues to endorse your nomination. For adjunct nominations, email the respective Department or Program Director (or Assistant Dean if the nominator is the Department Head or Program Director) and request them to endorse the nominee via the Adjunct Nomination Endorser Form.
Confirm number of signatures submitted – contact angelasalinas@grcc.edu (for the Staff award) or provost@grcc.edu (for the FT Faculty and adjunct awards).
Kurt has served GRCC for over twenty years in various roles in the Information Technology Department. He began working in Media as an A/V engineer, transitioned to IT Tech Supervisor then Customer Support Manager, and ended his career as Customer Support Director.
His favorite memory from his time at GRCC is the great camaraderie and having the opportunity to work with great people.
Following his retirement, Kurt plans to take on some part time work and focus on renting out his Pony Bar Trailers (see photo) and enjoy serving beverages!
Don’t forget to pick up your box lunch on Thursday, April 29, between 1:30- 4:30 p.m. in the ATC parking garage — it’s a drive-through — to enjoy at the All Employee Appreciation Virtual Event on Friday, April 30th.
Did you know GRCC has a place where you can buy, sell, or trade with your fellow GRCC employees?
The GRCC Post-It Board is an online marketplace where you can also share information about events or ask for recommendations for services from the campus community.
Once you join the GRCC Post-It Board you’ll receive an email notification whenever a new post is made.
To locate and join the GRCC Post-It Board, follow these steps.
From your GRCC Email click the “waffle” (located in the top right corner) then select “Currents”.
Navigate to “All Posts” located in the middle left then click the green text reading GRCC Post-It Board.
Lastly, click the “Join” button located in the middle left.
MyGRCC accounts can seem straightforward but we don’t always know what we don’t know. Do you work with students and wish you could assist them first hand without transferring them to IT? Would you like to learn more about services available to you that will make your day easier? Then register for GRCC Accounts Explained. We will take a dive into the MyGRCC accounts and more, plus have an engaging and fun experience seeing each other virtually!
Sign up via the Professional Development tile in your Online Center account.
Grand Rapids Community College alumnus Sekou Smith’s life was cut short by COVID-19, but family members say they want graduates to be inspired by his passion for helping others succeed.
GRCC commencement ceremonies on Friday and Saturday will include a tribute to the sports journalist and community leader. Smith, who attended Grand Rapids Junior and Grand Rapids Community colleges between 1990 and 1992, is being honored as this year’s Distinguished Alumnus.
Sekou Smith
After leaving GRCC, he attended Jackson State University in Mississippi, where he became interested in journalism. His sports writing career started at The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson; he then covered the Indianapolis Pacers for the Indianapolis Star and then the Atlanta Hawks for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Smith connected with the NBA’s media teams in 2009. In recent years, he served as an analyst for NBA TV and a writer for NBA.com. He penned the “MVP Weekly” column and hosted the popular “Hang Time” podcast.
His death in January at the age of 48 brought tributes from NBA stars, his writing colleagues and the many young professionals he had mentored over the years through such organizations as the National Association of Black Journalists, Athletes for Computer Science, and Mercantile Bank leadership camps.
His father, Walter Smith, said GRCC has been “a foundation” for his family, noting that his wife and children attended the college. He is touched by the Distinguished Alumnus honor, as well as the other tributes from the sporting world.
“We knew who he was as a son and a brother, but I did not really know the reach he had around the world,” Walter Smith said. “It took me a little time to be able to read them, but there have been some really nice tributes. The ones I treasure the most are primarily the ones from Grand Rapids. It’s where we have our roots. And wherever Sekou went in the world, he never forgot where we came from.”
Sekou Smith will be recognized during this year’s commencement, with a tribute that includes a video from the Atlanta Hawks basketball team. The Hawks created a Sekou Smith Award to annually honor the player on the team’s roster who best represents themselves and the franchise with professionalism and integrity in their interactions with the media.
Smith’s sister Misti Stanton, also a GRCC alum, said he always had a passion for helping others — especially people from Grand Rapids.
As he became well known for his work in the media, he looked for ways to use his influence to help people grow and thrive, from high school students to fellow journalists starting out, Stanton said, adding that he strongly believed in the impact positive role models have on young people
Stanton is a vice president and diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Mercantile Bank. She said Smith was planning to speak to Grand Rapids high school students at a Mercantile Bank leadership camp in 2015 when he was suddenly assigned to interview basketball star LeBron James in Boston.
Stanton said her brother insisted he be able to keep his commitment and addressed the students and took questions via video.
“Don’t have your guard up all the time,” he told the students. “Put yourself out there and ask for help if you need it. Make sure you find mentors and role models and be proactive in asking them for any help you might need.”
Smith said she hopes students are inspired by her brother’s life.
GRCC plans four indoor, in-person ceremonies, spreading them out over two days to adhere to pandemic safety protocols. The School of Arts and Sciences ceremonies are planned for 4 and 7 p.m. April 30, with the School of Workforce Development ceremonies at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. May 1.
The coronavirus has transformed life as we know it, but that doesn’t mean we still can’t have fun!
The GRCC Foundation is happy to once again offer the Van & Marinus Travel award for 2021 – with a twist. Employees may submit essays telling us how they intend to travel or relax, and still have fun during the pandemic this summer!
Don’t forget to pick up your box lunch on Thursday, April 29, between 1:30- 4:30 p.m. in the ATC parking garage — it’s a drive-through — to enjoy at the All Employee Appreciation Virtual Event on Friday, April 30th.
Do you ever wonder what happens to your recycling after you drop it in your bin? Do you want to learn about sustainable recycling practices at home and in the office? Are you wondering what you can actually recycle? If you answered yes to any of those questions or are just interested in recycling, consider registering for Recycling U!
In Recycling U (University) learn about Kent County’s recycling processes, bust common recycling myths, and discover sustainable practices that you can use. Recycling U is a seminar facilitated by a knowledgeable representative from Kent County’s Public Works in collaboration with a member of the 2019 Leadership Institute cohort.
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