Visitation and services for Sandi Glennemeier, a longtime member of the Financial Aid team, are planned for Sunday and Monday.
Visitation is planned for 4-7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 30 at the Reyers North Valley Chapel, 2815 Fuller Ave NE, in Grand Rapids, and from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 31 at St. Alphonsus Parish, 224 Carrier St NE, in Grand Rapids, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial.
Sandi passed away on Oct. 21 after a short illness.
Sandi, as a student loan specialist, helped thousands of students find the financial resources to attend college and change their lives. But what she really loved was helping other employees grow and thrive in their roles, and, in turn, seeing them help thousands more students – a tremendous impact on our college and greater community.
Sandi started at GRCC as a student employee in the Financial Aid department, and stayed for nearly 33 years.
Additional information is available on her memorial page.
The GRCC Financial Aid office will be closed on Monday so colleagues can attend the service.
The Grand Rapids Community College Foundation is honoring Dr. Juan Olivarez and Mary Olivarez for their service to the college and community in this year’s Scholarfest.
Scholarfest is an annual event celebrating GRCC’s philanthropic leaders and highlighting achievements of faculty, staff and students. Proceeds support GRCC scholarships.
The event is planned for 6-8 p.m. on Nov. 1. It will be the first event in the Secchia Piazza, located in the Wisner-Bottrall Applied Technology Center, 151 Fountain St. NE in Grand Rapids.
The GRCC Foundation awarded more than $1.4 million in scholarships last year and supported students in other ways as the community was affected by the pandemic.
“Juan and Mary are such an important part of our campus community, and their service extends throughout West Michigan,” said Dr. Kathryn Mullins, executive director of the GRCC Foundation and vice president for College Advancement. “Honoring them allows us to salute their service, and also inspire the next generations of GRCC students and those who help them be successful.”
As GRCC’s eighth president, Juan Olivarez forged community partnerships and increased educational opportunities for underserved populations.
The son of migrant workers from Benavides, Texas, he was the first Hispanic president of any Michigan college or university.
Dr. Olivarez was an educator in the Grand Rapids Public Schools for more than 20 years before becoming GRCC’s Dean of Institutional Research in 1991.
After retiring from GRCC in 2008, Olivarez became president and CEO of the Kalamazoo Community Foundation. He was named Aquinas College’s seventh president in 2011, retiring in 2017. He was a distinguished scholar in residence for diversity, equity, and inclusion at Grand Valley State University’s Dorothy Johnson Center for Philanthropy between 2018 and 2021.
Dr. Olivarez continues to be an important part of GRCC, serving as interim president while the college searches for a new president.
Mary Olivarez is equally committed to education, spending 24 years with Grand Rapids Public Schools, teaching kindergarten and early childhood education, and working with students with multiple impairments.
The Secchia Piazza is the newest addition to the GRCC Main Campus and connected to the renovated Heritage restaurant. Supported by donations by former Ambassador Peter Secchia and his family, the Secchia Piazza provides opportunities for students in the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education and tells the story of the program’s global reach.
If you’ve heard of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) – or even if you haven’t, you may have wondered what it entails.
If you’re curious who is eligible for this type of leave and what your next steps would be if you think you need it, come learn more at this session. It will help, ahem, unpack information related to FMLA leave, including what qualifies and the steps for approval.
Register for this upcoming learning opportunity via your Online Center account.
The GRCC School of Health Sciences is hosting a Great American Smokeout event in collaboration with the Urban League of West Michigan. The focus of these interactive sessions is to bring awareness to our students and the community on the tactics used by the tobacco and vaping industries targeting minority youth.
This event is for our GRCC students but is also open to the public. It will take place on Thursday, November 17 from 4 – 5:30 pm in the Calkins Science Center Auditorium.
Please share broadly and encourage instructors to share the attached flyer in their classes and post it on Blackboard.
Thank you for promoting this event within your respective departments.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A new exhibit at Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) takes guests on a tour through the natural world as told by art and writing.
NORTON SHORES – There are varying modes of motivation that coaches revert to in an effort to get the most out of their teams.
… He (Mick Homan) fell in love with the competition in the water, which stretched from his days at Mona Shores High School (he’s a 1986 graduate), and two years at Grand Rapids junior college to his last two years collegiately at Grand Valley State.
Save on our latest laptops like the XPS 15 and the Inspiron 16 — crafted from premium materials & designed for on-the-go style. Deals are live through 11/13.
11/10 – 11/13: Black Friday Early Access for Members (Available ONLY through your dedicated MPP store)
Deals last through 11/26. Additional Limited Quantity Deals go live 11/24-26. These will be limited in quantity and first come first serve. Shop early as these deals will sell out quickly!
Time to clean out your closets. GRCC’s CAP 3.4 is working with community partners for “Wear the Rainbow: A Trans And Genderqueer Free Clothing Event,” in November. This event creates access for Trans and Genderqueer community members to safely find gender-affirming clothing and to explore gender expression in a safe and celebratory environment.
There is a drop-off box outside ODEI’s front door in the Library & Learning Commons. Donation cutoff is Friday, November 4, at 5 PM.
Potential students of all ages can learn more about how Grand Rapids Community College can help change their lives during open houses at both the main and Lakeshore campuses.
The main campus event is planned for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29, in the Gerald R. Ford Fieldhouse, 111 Lyon St. NE in Grand Rapids. The Lakeshore event is planned for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12, at GRCC’s Lakeshore Campus, 12335 James St. in Holland.
“Open houses are great opportunities for people interested in learning more about how a GRCC education can get them the skills, credits or degrees they need to transform their lives,” said Lori Cook, associate dean of Access and First Year Success. “We encourage everyone to come on down, meet with our experts, and get all their questions answered. It’s perfect for people who are planning to attend GRCC, or just learn a little more about the college and what it offers.”
GRCC specialists and faculty can help open house participants navigate through admissions and financial aid processes and discuss eligibility for cost-saving programs such as Michigan Reconnect and the Grand Rapids Promise Zone. Campus tours also will be available.
Those attending the event and enrolling at GRCC can win one $500 scholarship.
“Open houses are great opportunities to learn more about GRCC, get all your questions answered, and meet the people who will be here to help you,” said Kristi Welling, GRCC’s associate director of Enrollment Center services.
“There are local, state and federal programs that can remove cost as an obstacle, and GRCC offers classes in a variety of formats and schedules so students can plan around home and work responsibilities. Come visit to find out what might work best for you.”
Open house topics include:
How to explore GRCC’s 12 Academic Pathways and more than 150 degrees.
Options to pay for college.
How to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as FAFSA.
The steps to apply to GRCC.
The benefits of earning an associate degree at GRCC and seamlessly transferring to a four-year college or university.
Academic programs and student services offered in Holland at the GRCC Lakeshore Campus.
Determining eligibility for the Grand Rapids Promise Zone Scholarship and Michigan Reconnect.
Connecting with campus resources – and finding lots of fun swag!
While walk-ins are welcome, students can reserve a spot by registering at grcc.edu/openhouse.
The Grand Rapids Community College Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is a finalist for the Ally to Accomplice Award at the inaugural Prism Awards from the Grand Rapids Pride Center.
ODEI has worked to amplify the LGBTQ+ community through initiatives such as the LGBTQ+ Think Tank, Being Queer at GRCC, a digital montage of student narratives, and PRIDE Outside the Box; a series of programs that critically examine socio-political, economic, and identity issues from an intersectional framework.
Since 1988, the Grand Rapids Pride Center has empowered LGBTQ+ individuals through supportive services and awareness.
The Prism Awards are an opportunity to celebrate and showcase the community’s collective impact. The new event also will help support the center’s programs and services. The center is offering three individual awards and two for groups.
The Ally to Accomplice Award acknowledges a group or organization that has done the work and made progress on its journey to support the 2-SLGBTQ+ community.
The Prism Awards will be presented at a Nov. 10 event at New Vintage Place, 889 Broadway Ave NW in Grand Rapids. The event is sold out.
Mental Health First Aid is an 8-hour learning opportunity session that teaches you how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders in adults (ages 18 and older). The training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or is experiencing a crisis.
Participants in the previous MHFA trainings at GRCC had this to say about their experience:
“This training required the participants to step out of their comfort zone and have somewhat uncomfortable but necessary conversations regarding mental health. Conversation and sharing helped me realize that my own experiences were not that different than those of others in the group.”
“I took this workshop to be sure I was using the correct verbage and steps necessary to assist a student appropriately in a crisis situation. I had always wondered if I was saying the right things to them and was I taking the right steps to assist a student in a crisis. I was glad to find out that I was saying the right things and taking correct actions and I was also able to practice a discussion with a pretend student in a suicide crisis. Which I found it was not easy for me, but now I know what I must say and take action.”
“The Mental Health First Aid training is a valuable opportunity for all employees at GRCC. The training is beneficial for the work we do at the College as well as within our personal lives.”
“I’m glad to see training provided on another facet of first aid. If training exists for first responders to physical crisis, it makes sense that we are trained for those in mental/psychological crisis.” Lunch will be provided.
Presented by staff from Pine Rest.
Register for this session via your Online Center account.
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