January 2018 SSPD Awardees

Congratulations to our January 2018 SSPD Awardees!

• Lydia Cruz ($2,500): PHR/SPHR exam preparation workshop
• Victoria Vicencio ($2,025): PlanSource Eclipse 2018 Conference
• Jody Graves ($1,800): 2018 HEUG/Alliance Conference
• Susan Hansen ($1,800): 2018 HEUG/Alliance Conference
• Benjamin Thompson ($700): ScrumMaster® Certification Training
• Amanda Kruzona ($1,800): 2018 HEUG/Alliance Conference
• Brandan McBride ($1,590): College Board – A Dream Deferred Conference
• Kevin Perrin ($1,700): 2018 HEUG/Alliance Conference
• Rebecca Rahn ($1,800): 2018 HEUG/Alliance Conference
• Deb Stout ($1,750): Associated Builders and Contractors Annual Conference
• Bruce Morrison ($2,340): Effectively Leveraging Data in Enrollment Management Workshop
• Kayla Leonard ($1,800): NASPA Foundation Conference
• Azusena Nevares ($1,800): NASPA Foundation Conference
• Kathy Schoen ($1,938): OCLC Resource Sharing Conference 2018
• Toni Harrison ($2,133): American Library Association Annual Conference 2018

Point five percent of your Amazon purchase can benefit the GRCC Foundation

The Grand Rapids Community College Foundation is a registered AmazonSmile charity and will receive 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchase when you select the Foundation as your charity of choice. Let’s go shopping!

ScholarFest! 2017 – Payroll Deduction Available

The GRCC Foundation is happy to announce that payroll deduction my be utilized to purchase tickets to this year’s SCHOLARfest! event honoring Steve and Karen Ender on March 23, 2017.

If you are interested in taking advantage of this purchasing option, please email foundation@grcc.edu for the form that needs to be completed to authorize the payroll deduction for the ticket purchase.

Once you complete form, scan it and send the PDF back to the foundation via email at foundation@grcc.edu as soon as possible.

We look forward to seeing you at SCHOLARfest! and we thank you for supporting GRCC student scholarships!

 

 

Vegetarian Wine Dinner Fundraiser

Join the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education for a six-course extravaganza with Master Sommelier Madeline Triffon, a  life-long vegetarian. Madeline will design and explain her pairings to demonstrate the versatility of vegetarian food.

Held Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 6 – 8 p.m.in the Heritage.

Tickets cost $100 per person. Proceeds will benefit the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education student scholarship fund.

The Deadline to RSVP is, Feb. 14.

 

Holiday gift idea

Running out of shopping time? Can’t think of what to get your boss or co-workers for the holidays? Make it easy and MEANINGFUL by making a donation to the GRCC Foundation in their name. You can do this online or with a check. You can also select any one of our scholarship funds to donate to. Give the gift that truly keeps on giving!

Sponsor a grad!

As part of the 100^th anniversary, we have set a goal of seeing 800 students walk across the stage during Commencement (this is double our normal participation). We need your help to accomplish this goal.

In the past, students have told us the cost of the cap and gown kept them from walking. We would like to remove this barrier for our students by kicking off a new gown recycling program. To get started and keep in theme with our 100-year Anniversary, we are hoping to collect 100 caps and gowns.  The cost per set is $31 and we are asking you to consider sponsoring a graduate (or 2 or 10) by contacting the Foundation Office today at 234-3939. This can easily be handled by sending in a check or calling with a credit card number.

The gowns that are purchased through the recycling program will be collected after commencement to be used again by students for years to come. Please help us reward our students who have to sacrifice so much to attend college. It would be a shame for them not to celebrate this great accomplishment.

Thank you in advance for your support. If you have any questions about this program or how to make your donation, please contact Stacey Bush at x3739 or Sara Dorer at x3924.

The latest from GRCC TV on YouTube: Psychology Speaker Series, exercise science, Creating Connections event

Sponsor a grad!

As part of the 100^th anniversary, we have set a goal of seeing 800 students walk across the stage during Commencement (this is double our normal participation). We need your help to accomplish this goal.

In the past, students have told us the cost of the cap and gown kept them from walking. We would like to remove this barrier for our students by kicking off a new gown recycling program. To get started and keep in theme with our 100-year Anniversary, we are hoping to collect 100 caps and gowns.  The cost per set is $31 and we are asking you to consider sponsoring a graduate (or 2 or 10) by contacting the Foundation Office today at 234-3939. This can easily be handled by sending in a check or calling with a credit card number.

The gowns that are purchased through the recycling program will be collected after commencement to be used again by students for years to come. Please help us reward our students who have to sacrifice so much to attend college. It would be a shame for them not to celebrate this great accomplishment.

Thank you in advance for your support. If you have any questions about this program or how to make your donation, please contact Stacey Bush at x3739 or Sara Dorer at x3924.

GRCC scholarship fundraiser this Friday

Last night WZZM’s evening news at 5 p.m.featured GRCC faculty member Mursalata Muhammad in an interview with Jennifer Pascua.  Muhammad discussed the Bragg/Harvard/Muhammad/Smith: Why We Can’t Wait scholarship fund, and the Selma movie scholarship fundraiser this Friday.

The fundraiser will be held at Celebration Cinema South, January 9 at 7:10 p.m. Cost is $20 for movie ticket to see Selma, popcorn and drink. Tickets are in advance online or on the day of the event at Celebration Cinema South.

Proceeds go to the newly renamed Bragg/Harvard/Muhammad/Smith: Why We Can’t Wait fund which awards scholarships to develop a civic spirit for GRCC students in areas of study that lead to public service careers in law enforcement, healthcare & education. The fund will offer 3 kinds of annual scholarships:

• Equity & Inclusion scholarships at $100-$200 each. The January 2015 goal is to award 13 scholarships.

• Public Service Internships at $325-$600 each. The January 2016 goal is to award between three and seven scholarships.

• Full tuition scholarships to GRCC’s Police Academy for students from diverse backgrounds at approx. $7,280 each. The endowment goal is to award two full-time scholarships.

Donations to this scholarship can also be made online.

Selma Movie Poster

Photos from Cook Hall rededication

President Ender and Custer Inc. owner Dave Custer, a GRCC alumnus and chairman of the Grand Rapids Community College Foundation board, spoke during the rededication ceremony last week for the newly renovated Peter C. and Pat Cook Academic Hall.

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GRCC In the News, 10-29-14

Restaurant Week 2014 brings culinary institute fund within striking distance of six figures

Oct. 28, 2014; MLive

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — The final act of the 2014 Restaurant Week promotion from Experience Grand Rapids resembled how it began, with a great meal and a perfect pairing.

While both diners and restaurants benefit from the annual celebration of local cuisine featuring meals paired with everything from wine and beer to ciders, coffees, and teas, it is the duet of Restaurant Week and the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education at Grand Rapids Community College that couples great meals with a great cause.

Mott Community College volleyball team seeks first regional title in program history

Oct. 28, 2014; MLive

FLINT — The storied run continues for the Mott Community College volleyball team, and this time they’re looking to make history.

… After back-to-back wins to reach the finals, including a four-set victory over No. 12 Grand Rapids Community College in the semis, Mott lost in five sets to No. 17 Oakland.

The latest from GRCC TV on YouTube: gala, Math Seminar, Carter Town Hall

GRCC celebration raises $1.3 million for scholarships

As GRCC celebrates 100 years of meeting the educational needs of West Michigan during the 2014-15 academic year, the Grand Rapids Community College Foundation is celebrating 50 years of supporting GRCC students through scholarships. These milestones were celebrated at GRCC’s 100th Anniversary Gala on October 14.

The evening began as guests strolled through a living timeline depicting the people, images and events that defined each decade of the college’s history.

The program began with GRCC alumnus and spoken-word artist Azizi Jasper, whose performance of “Tomorrow, Today” welcomed guests to celebrate what GRCC will be for the next 100 years. Judge Sara Smolenski, another alumna, hosted the event and welcomed to the stage John Kennedy, Gov. Rick Snyder, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, and GRCC Foundation Board Chairman Dave Custer. Each shared his or her perspective of the powerful impact the college has on West Michigan.

Mayor George Heartwell lead an invocation before dinner, which was prepared and served with the assistance of GRCC’s Secchia Institute for Culinary Education students and faculty. Throughout the evening, guests were entertained by GRCC Music Department students from the Madrigal Singers, Wind Ensemble and Concert Choir.

During his keynote speech, President Dr. Steven C. Ender emphasized the role the college plays in allowing students from all walks of life access to a high-quality education — whether they earn credentials and begin a career, or transfer to a four-year college or university. Dr. Ender went on to say that sometimes a scholarship means the difference between a student attending college or not, and announced that $1.3 million had been raised over the past 18 months for the newly established “Promise for the Future” scholarship fund in honor of GRCC’s 100th anniversary. This total includes contributions from 84 gala sponsors, who when combined with individual ticket sales, were represented by more than 960 guests at the gala.

The GRCC Foundation awards approximately 800 student scholarships annually, which equates to more than $600,000 in scholarship awards each year. The “Promise for the Future” scholarship will allow the foundation to grant more scholarships each year.

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Raider Salute from former trustee Jan Maggini

Former Board of Trustee member Jan Maggini, who graduated from Grand Rapids Junior College in 1956,  served on the centennial committee and is a member of the Foundation board:

I would personally like to thank all the students, volunteers, staff, faculty and committee members who have worked so diligently this centennial year to give meaning to the word “community” in Grand Rapids Community College. Every event this year exemplifies your passion and dedication. The thrill of being at the Gala and walking along the timeline is only matched by the evening the voters of Kent County voted to redistrict GRJC to GRCC in 1991. It was an honor to be associated with the college then as it still is in 2014. When I left the Board of Trustees three years ago, I expressed my feeling, ” You may leave the college, but the college will never leave you!” That surely was evident at the Gala.

Sto Lat! (May the college live another hundred years).

GRCC In the News, 10-17-14

Fundación GRCC realiza gala por el 100 aniversario de colegio

Oct. 17, 2014; El Vocero

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN (EVH) — El pasado martes 14 de octubre el Grand Rapids Community College celebró su 100th aniversario con una Gala que contó con la presencia del gobernador de Michigan Rick Snyder y diversas personalidades del área de Grand Rapids.

Forty Under 40

Grand Rapids Business Journal special section

… Success is often bred from failure, and that is the case with Justin Swan.

… Chris Sain is an accomplished author and founder of a faith-based nonprofit supporting at-risk youth through sports and education, yet he feels his biggest break occurred when receiving a call in 2011 to become the coordinator of retention for Grand Rapids Community College.

(Article doesn’t mention it, but Justin Swan is a GRCC alumnus.)