By Emily Armstrong Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan
Oral health is an integral component of overall wellness. Yet access to dental services can be a serious barrier for older adults to maintain their oral health. Each year the Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan (AAAWM) partners with Grand Rapids Community College to host Senior Dental Day; an event that helps older adults in Kent County engage their oral health and find a new dental provider.
Last year, the event served 18 individuals, providing dental cleanings, x-rays, and exams conducted by GRCC dental program students. To qualify, seniors must be over 60 years of age and have not been to the dentist within the last 12 months. Held at Cook Academic Hall at GRCC’s downtown campus, the event will take place this year on Monday, March 20.
“We’re so thrilled to again offer the Senior Dental Day initiative. This is an event we look forward to each year and the partnership with Grand Rapids Community College gives us the chance to connect with high-risk seniors and connect them with services to support their health and independence,” shared Brandon Beck, Contract Administrator with the Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan.
Locally, AAAWM supports oral health in a variety of ways. In Kent County, the Kent County Senior Millage (KCSM) network provides low-cost dental services to Kent County residents 60 years or older in partnership with Cherry Health and Exalta Health. AAAWM is also a member of the Kent County Oral Health Coalition, a group focused on advocacy and outreach in the West Michigan.
If you have any questions about this year’s event, you can reach out to Brandon at BrandonB@aaawm.org. If you’re an older adult in Kent County seeking dental services, you can contact the Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan at 616-456-5664 to be connected to resources.
Anyone who meets Dave Custer will probably eventually hear the story of faced with his father’s story closing, he was able to support the tuition at the then Grand Rapids Junior College.
“Grand Rapids Junior College had lower tuition and allowed me to stay at home and helped me get a start on a college degree,” he said in article from the Grand Rapids Community College. “And having that degree allowed for better opportunities of employment, which molded by career.”
Because of the difference that GRCC had made in the CEO and founder of Custer Inc., Custer and his wife, Karen, have dedicated their time and abilities to ensure current GRCC students get the same opportunities that he had.
This month, the couple is being recognized for their service to the the Greater Grand Rapids community as this year’s Frederik Meijer Service Above Self Award presented by the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids.
“We are pleased and excited to honor the Custers as the 2022 Frederik Meijer Service Above Self Award winners for their contributions to our community,” said Meijer, Inc. Executive Chairman Hank Meijer, who is the son of Fred Meijer. “Dave and Karen’s generous and gracious spirts embodies the true meaning of this award.”
The Custers have been involved in a number of organizations such as the WMU Foundation, Chairman of GRCC Foundation, Hope on the Hill Foundation, Clark Retirement Community Capital Campaign Chair and Board Trustee. Dave Custer is a member and past president of the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids, member and past chairman of the Grand Rapids Economic Club, member and past president of Cascade Hills Country Club and director at Irwin Seating.
“We are honored to receive an award that bears the name of Fred Meijer and believe that you should do all you can for others when you can and while you can,” Dave Custer said. “We are humbled by this recognition which is truly an honor to us.”
The Custers join City of Wyoming’s Marge Wilson, owner of Marge’s Donut Den, along with several others who have received the Frederik Meijer Service Above Self Award.
The Rotary Club of Grand Rapids will honor the Custers at the Frederik Meijer Service Above Self Award Celebration May 10 at 6 p.m. at The Cultural Center, 2250 E. Paris Ave. SE. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids Charities Foundation. Tickets are on sale at grrotary.org or by calling 616-429-5640.
On this latest episode of WKTV Journal Sports Connection, we talk with new Grand Rapids Community College head mens basketball coach Joe Fox — a coach with experience assisting on local college teams, a family where coaching basketball runs deep, and a passion for helping student athletes succeed on and off the court.
This summer, Fox was appointed GRCC head coach after serving as an assistant coach — twice — at the downtown Grand Rapids school, as well as at Calvin University and Lansing Community College. He also has been involved with the popular Gus Macker basketball tournament.
And, while it might be cliche, but coaching runs in Fox’s family as his father, Gary Fox, and grandfather, George Fox, both coached high school basketball in Michigan for 25 years. George Fox, in fact, won a state championship with Magic Johnson at Lansing’s Everett high in 1977.
It is Joe Fox’s goals for student-athlete success — in the classroom, on the court, and in life — where Fox says will be a focus of his Raiders program.
Success “on and off the field is a huge thing, not just at the community college level but all colleges,” Fox said to WKTV. “Student athletes, in general, tend to think of themselves through an athletic lens, first and foremost. It’s a big part of their identity, as students. It’s big part of their time. So we are really intentional about making sure they have the academic support they need as well.”
In the WKTV Sports Connection interview, Coach Fox also talked in detail about his experience, his coaching family, and not only what his 2021-22 team will look like but where his program recruiting focus will be.
WKTV Journal Sports Connection is a WKTV produced program dedicated to bringing you interviews and stories focused on local Wyoming and Kentwood area high schools sports. You can catch up on all our local sports coverage by visiting WKTVJournal.org/sports. But we also have a volunteer sports crew, both in studio and with our coverage truck. For more information email ken@WKTV.org.
This WKTV Journal sports coverage of high school athletic events and other sports is available at WKTVlive.org. It also airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule). Individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal Sports Connection are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
Grand Rapids Community College athletic director Lauren Ferullo, the first female AD in these schools history, visits the set of WKTV Journal Sports Connection to catch us up on her history and the school’s athletic programs. (WKTV)
On this latest episode of WKTV Journal Sports Connection, we talk junior college sports conferences, preparing students for success both in athletics and in life, and the impact on female athletics of Title lX. With us is Grand Rapids Community College athletic director Lauren Ferullo, the first female AD in these schools history.
As part of a wide ranging discussion on GRCC sports with WKTV sports volunteer Greg Yoder, AD Ferullo points out that female athletic directors are more and more common these days — if still a small minority — but she still take great pride in being a role modern for young women on the playing field in the field of athletic leadership.
“It definitely matters to me because I am one of few. I actually looked up the statistics today and about 15 percent of (of college athletic directors) … are female. And then it is about 13 percent at the community college level,” Ferullo said to WKTV. “So I am one of very few and I take that very seriously.
“I think I can be a role model for female athletes, I am a product of Title lX. I had those opportunities. I was able to play sports growing up. I was afforded those opportunities and now I am an athletic director.”
The federal act, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, in brief, prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. One result was a vast expansion of college athletic scholarships being given to females.
WKTV Journal Sports Connection is a WKTV produced program dedicated to bringing you interviews and stories focused on local Wyoming and Kentwood area high schools sports. You can catch up on all our local sports coverage by visiting WKTVJournal.org/sports. But we also have a volunteer sports crew, both in studio and with our coverage truck. For more information email ken@WKTV.org.
This WKTV Journal Sports Connection is available on-demand, along with WKTV coverage of high school athletic events and other sports, at WKTVlive.org. It also airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule). Individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal Sports Connection are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
Nursing student Mustafa Ajanovic assisted his best friend, Bayle Delalic, through a prenatal visit, weighing in, checking vital signs, and listening for the baby’s heart tones.
He and other students in the Licensed Practical Nursing program went through the steps of a doctor’s appointment with Delalic, who is due May 21, and several other pregnant women who volunteered.
While the session was informative for expectant moms, Ajanovic said it was extremely valuable for his own experience. It’s one of many simulation activities he’s taking part in while training to be a nurse.
“I like the sim labs they provide here because they throw you into a situation and make you critically think and try to organize your time and priorities,” said Ajanovic.
Shelly Richter, nursing programs director at GRCC, credits interactive experiences — part of a new curriculum — as one reason for a jump in scores on license exams in both the Practical Nursing and Associate Degree programs. In 2019, all nursing students passed those exams — 104 associate degree nurses and 42 LPN students. It was also the largest number of students taking the exams ever in one year.
“Simulation, active learning and more engaged activities have seemed to really have an impact,” she said.
While the practice prenatal clinic involved real people, many simulation sessions use manikins that respond and talk. “We have six bed labs and an amazing simulation lab with high-fidelity manikins, so they blink and talk. We can start IVs on them, we have a (manikin) mother that can deliver a baby and an actual baby we can do Apgar scores on,” Richter said, referring to the initial assessment of a newborn’s health.
LPN student Elyssa Systema takes a pulse oximeter reading from expectant mother Kelly Hunter, due Feb. 24. (School Network)
Milestones in Nursing
It’s an apropos time to reach that level of success. GRCC is celebrating seven decades of training nurses this year, with its Practical Nursing certificate program turning 70 and it associate degree program turning 50. The anniversaries coincide with the World Health Organization’s designation of 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, in honor of the 200th birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.
According to the WHO, the world needs 9 million more nurses and midwives if it is to achieve universal health coverage by 2030.
With classrooms located on the fourth floor of Cook Hall, GRCC’s nursing program is situated perfectly amid downtown Grand Rapids’ hub of hospitals and medical institutions, where new nurses are working in many settings and with all ages and populations.
“We continue to see a big demand for nurses. Our grads get hired 100 percent,” Richter said. “There are definitely jobs available.”
Professor of Nursing Sherry Knoppers said much of the demand for nurses is due to the aging baby boomer generation. “With a huge segment of the population reaching the age range when they need more health care, we need more nurses across the spectrum,” she said.
GRCC’s associate’s program trains three cohorts of 36 to 40 students a year, for a total of about 110 per year who are fully licensed registered nurses.
“They can apply for any RN position. Our students work in the major hospitals around here, long-term care, sub acute, community health, with inmates, with refugee populations. They work in positions including staff nurses, directors of nursing,” Richter said.
Bayle Delalic gets her eyes examined by nursing student Deanna Darrell. (School News Network)
LPNs Still in Demand
While there is a waiting list for the associate’s program, Richter said students shouldn’t feel deterred. They can take prerequisite classes while waiting, and high school students upon completion of their junior year can even apply for the program to get on the waiting list, which is approximately 2 ½ years.
Practical nursing offers two cohorts of 30 to 32 students in a yearlong program, graduating 56 to 60 each year. Licensed practical nurses typically work in long-term care, physician’s offices, clinics and community centers. There is no waiting list for the LPN program.
“There is a misconception in the community that LPNs are not used anymore,” Richter said. “That is also wrong. We have so many facilities constantly calling. There’s a huge demand for practical nursing.”
The cost for the Associate Degree program is significantly less at GRCC than at four-year universities: $19,300 for residents and $38,600 for residents. The cost of the LPN program is $11,000 for residents and $22,000 for non-residents.
Nursing pays about $28 an hour for RNs and around $20 for LPNs. Many hospitals and institutions offer tuition reimbursement for students who go on to pursue their bachelor’s degree.
Expectant mother Bayle Delalic, due May 21, stands on the scale while GRCC nursing student Turkesha Hankins takes her weight. (School News Network)
Hands-on and in the Moment
One of the biggest changes in nursing training in recent years has been simulation experiences, she said.
“One of our goals was to put 25 percent simulation in each course, as a minimum. That way students have the opportunity to practice hands-on in a safe setting. Students love it. They are intimidated at first, but then they realize this is a great opportunity to learn.”
During the prenatal lab, nursing student Turkesha Hankins worked with patients by taking blood pressure and adjusting beds. She’s pursuing her LPN because she already works in health care and will make $5.50 more per hour with her license.
“It’s just knowledge,” she said. “We learn a lot. Pediatrics is something very new to me because I’ve never worked in this field before, so I’m soaking in everything I can.”
LPN student Kaley Tosic takes the blood pressure of expectant mother Kelly Hunter (School News Network)
Diversity of Nurses Needed
Another big change in the profession, Richter said, is the diversity of students. “This used to be a women’s profession. We are always trying to recruit males. It’s really fun. All people bring something different to the table.”
Also, the age of nursing students spans just out of high school to retirees from other careers.
“One of the best things about working here at GRCC is having a diverse group of people that we work with, diverse in race, age, socioeconomic status, background,” Richter said. “It doesn’t matter if you haven’t worked in health care.”
The programs do not use selective admissions in enrollment. That makes the 100 percent pass rate even more impressive, Richter said. Requirements are explained here.
“As a philosophy, this is an open door college,” Richter said. “As long as they have the foundation, we want to carry them through the program.”
For more information about area schools, visit the School News Network website, schoolnewsnetwork.org.
In Act II of “The Nutcracker Ballet,” the Prince whisks the slumbering Clara away to the Land of Sweets, where the Sugar Plum Fairy holds court in a magical land of make believe.
Guests at the Grand Rapids Symphony and Grand Rapids Ballet holiday programs in December will discover a Land of Sweets as soon as the walk through the doors of DeVos Performance hall.
To celebrate the season, culinary students at Grand Rapids Community College’sSecchia Institute for Culinary Education are creating a sugary wonderland filled with ballerinas in stained-glass sugar and bells made from blown sugar in DeVos Performance Hall in December.
The Land of Sweets created by baking and pastry students at GRCC will be on unveiled on Thursday, Dec. 5 for the opening of the Wolverine Worldwide Holiday Pops. It will remain on view through the final performance of “The Nutcracker” on Sunday, Dec. 22.
Led by their professor Chef Gilles Renusson, a certified master pastry chef and renowned sugar artist, students already are at work building the elaborate display that will be installed in the outer lobby.
A student builds her design. The Land of Sweets will be on display Dec. 5 – 22. (Supplied)
Passersby will be able to see portions of it through the window, but only concert goers will be able to see the entire display up close from every angle.
Such elements as sugar ribbons, royal icing and marzipan will be used to create figures including the Sugar Plum Fairy, Nutcracker and a symphony orchestra conductor as well as musical motifs and depictions of dancers in the display that will include a 6-foot-tall croquembouche.
Some 14 students enrolled in the Pastry Centerpiece and Wedding Cake class, a capstone course in the Secchia Institute, are working on the project. The class teaches the major aspects of artistic decorations in pastry arts such as creating wedding cakes and centerpieces for tables and buffet presentations.
The class has been working on this project since the start of the semester, brainstorming, designing and then creating all the components. Soon they’ll begin the painstaking process of transporting the delicate confectionary artwork from the GRCC bakeshop to DeVos Performance Hall.
The project is a practical application of the skills the students are learning in class, with the added bonus of having their work on display for thousands of people to see and add to the excitement of the holiday.
A GRCC student puts the final touches on her piece for the Land of Sweets. (Supplied)
Chef Gilles Renusson, who recently was awarded the Chevalier du Merite Agricole – The Order of Agricultural Merit – from the French Minister of Agriculture for his decades of outstanding service in the culinary arts, is directing the project.
“For the students, this is a wonderful opportunity for them to gain practical skills and really master them and also to have their work be seen and appreciated,” Renusson said. “And we get to work with our partners in the city and tell people about the programs we have and work we do at the college.”
For tickets for the Fox Motors Pops and the Old National Bank Cirque de Noel, contact the Grand Rapids Symphony office, (616) 454-9451 ext. 4 or go online toGRSymphony.org. For tickets for “The Nutcracker” call the Grand Rapids Ballet at (616) 454-4771 or go online toGRBallet.com
Even though he’s got four years of high school ahead of him, Alan Ramos, an eighth-grader at Wyoming Junior High School, says college is already part of his plan for the future.
“I definitely want to go,” says Ramos, who is not sure about his career path. Those plans could include joining his father’s heating and cooling business or branching out in medicine, he said.
Ramos was among several hundred eighth-graders who braved slippery roads and blustery winds recently to attend the 20th Annual Latino Youth Conference at the Gerald R. Ford Fieldhouse at Grand Rapids Community College.
Speaker Gabe Salazar said he escaped poverty and gang activity thanks to a caring mentor. (Supplied)
Alan Bedolla-Diaz, also a Wyoming eighth-grader who enjoys playing alto saxophone, says he hopes to incorporate his love of music into his college studies. “I’m pretty good at it and I get pretty good grades,” he said.
Aimed at first generation college students, the theme of the March 5 conference was “El Poder De Sonar,” or “The Power of Dreams.”
The day began with a keynote speech by Gabe Salazar, a 42-year-old Dallas motivational speaker who told students he came from a fatherless home in which homelessness, gang activity and hunger were realities.
“Great things can happen to kids when they don’t give up,” said Salazar, who encouraged the students to go beyond wishing and start dreaming about their future.
The high-energy speaker joked his family was so poor, they were forced to wear sneakers that bore the label “Adios” instead of “Adidas.”
Salazar, who estimates he has challenged more than 2 million teenagers to attend college, stressed the importance of finding a mentor to guide the students through the process of enrolling in college and finding scholarships to help them pay for college.
Alan Bedolla-Diaz was among several hundred eighth-graders who braved slippery roads and blustery winds recently to attend the 20th Annual Latino Youth Conference at the Gerald R. Ford Fieldhouse at Grand Rapids Community College. (Supplied)
Mentors also can help students tough it out when faced with challenges, said Salazar, who credits his high school principal with guiding him through high school and college. “What I learned is that mentors can make a big difference in your life,” he said.
The conference also included a series of breakout sessions in which volunteers coached the students in college preparation activities, navigating the college application process, and exploring careers.
“The 2019 Latino Youth Conference will commemorate 20 years of providing young students an affirming space to be who they are: young, Hispanic/Latino, and full of hope and optimism,” said B. Afeni McNeely Cobham, GRCC’s chief equity and inclusion officer.
“Encouraging these students to reflect on the ‘power of their dreams’ is particularly important to resisting socio-political rhetoric that besieges Latino communities domestically and abroad. Historically, the Latino Youth Conference, founded by GRCC alumni, empowers young people. This year’s event will continue that legacy.”
For more articles on area schools, visit School News Network’s website, schoolnewsnetwork.org.
It wasn’t long ago that Gybran Vazquez decided he needed a change. He was applying stripes to parking lots for an asphalt company, but dreamed of what else he could be doing with his career.
“I thought this ain’t the life I want,” said Vazquez.
He’s closer to the life he wants, now that he has graduated from Grand Rapids Community College Job Training after devoting 34 hours a week for 18 weeks to learning about residential construction.
The Wyoming resident is now ready to continue working toward his goal of getting his associate degree from GRCC and eventually start his own property management company.
“I always had the vision where I want to be my own boss someday,” he said. “I am taking the steps to get there.”
After more than 600 hours spent learning to build houses, fix cars, take blood pressure and complete other skills needed for jobs available in West Michigan, 52 students graduated in December from the GRCC Job Training programs.
Nick Paddock graduates from the GRCC Job Training automotive technician program
A Path Toward Success
They will land jobs as automotive technicians, computer support technicians, machinists, medical assistants, electricians and in other occupations that require certifications and specialized training. Each year, more than 300 people graduate from the fast-paced, full-time programs, which aim to produce highly skilled new employees with appropriate credentials for jobs.
“We often get students in the program that haven’t had great success in traditional education,” said Julie Parks, GRCC executive director of workforce training. “Eighty percent of classes are hands-on; they earn national certifications and they see what they can do.”
That’s true for Vazquez, who dropped out of Lee High School as a freshman in 2010. Several years later he returned to adult education courses in Grand Rapids to earn his GED. From there, he was connected to GRCC’s Job Training Residential Construction Program.
He helped build houses, learning about blueprint reading, site layout, concrete, carpentry, door and window installation, roofing, siding, and interior finishing. He is now working full-time in carpentry, earning more than $20 an hour, compared to the $14.50 per hour he earned before.
Vazquez said he feels more confident about pursuing opportunities. “I feel way better now. I can actually speak up and say something now that I have my education.”
While working is most students’ goal, they earn 12 to 16 articulated credits through Job Training programs toward an associate degree, which many come back for after working a while. Many students are motivated to continue with skills training in some way to improve their income potential. They also build a network of people in their industries.
Nick Paddock shares the moment with his children
Hands-On Experience
Nick Paddock graduated from the automotive technician program, which focuses on diagnosing and repairing vehicles, from brakes to steering. He enrolled in GRCC Job Training after losing his job in January from a car dealership.
“I decided, ‘I’m off. I need to do this to better myself,’” said Paddock, who has two children, ages 8 and 10, with his wife, Lynne.
He is now working for DeNooyer Ford, in Kalamazoo, as an auto technician, a job he was hired to before even graduating from the GRCC program. He is making $17 per hour, compared to the $10 per hour he made at his former job.
‘I CAN ACTUALLY SPEAK UP AND SAY SOMETHING NOW THAT I HAVE MY EDUCATION.’ — GYBRAN VAZQUEZ, GRADUATE OF GRCC JOB TRAINING PROGRAM
His family is more financially comfortable, he said. His wife works as a patient care assistant at Bronson Hospital.
“I have been recommending the program quite a bit to people,” he said. “You get the hands-on experience. … I personally learn better by getting my hands on things.”
Programs cost between $5,000 and $7,000, but most students receive scholarships, financial aid or support through the U.S. Department of Labor Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. Many are able to complete the program without going into debt.
Going to GRCC was a great choice, Vazquez said.
“I definitely recommend it for anyone who wants to pursue their goals. Once you’re in the groove it goes by quick. … It’s fun to learn different stuff you don’t know.”
Senior Amber Ching has two folders filled with drawings of colorful, expressive, Anime-style people and animals. They could make perfect characters in a graphic novel.
But Amber likes the idea of creating graphics specifically for a story, complementing the plot and theme, as she’s noticed graphic novelists do that as they combine artwork and the written word.
Senior Josh Ypma reads ‘Maus’
“People tend to change their art style because of how they want to have the story written,” she said.
Students in Wyoming High School English teacher Kevin Mulvihill’s Graphic Novels class – many who read “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” books and superhero comics as youngsters – are eagerly turning the pages of books that cover many different topics and genres through narratives and drawings. Like Amber, they are learning the different techniques and thoughts behind words and images.
The semester course was introduced last year, along with Mythology and Science Fiction classes, as a way to bring more English elective options to students and expand their reading horizons. Worth half a credit, Graphic Novels appeals to artsy students and superhero fans as well as English-language learners, who study language through pictures and words, and those who need to catch up on credits.
Senior Amber Ching draws characters that could be used in graphic novels
Sketchy Selections
Students are required to read 10 books, seven of their choice and three as a class: “American Born Chinese,” by Gene Luen Yang; “Maus,” by Art Spiegelman, the first graphic novel awarded a Pulitzer Prize; and “My Friend Dahmer,” by John “Derf” Backderf. Choice books must come from the categories of superheroes, nonfiction, coming of age, retelling a classic, and science fiction/fantasy/horror. Students create their own mini-graphic novel for their final exam.
Graphic books are not necessarily easy reads, said Mulvihill, who also teaches English 101 at Grand Rapids Community College. Many of them, like the required reads, present heavy themes. Many include lots of text. Plus, superheroes and their adversaries are advanced in all ways. “These villains have a big vocabulary,” Mulvihill said.
Mulvihill was interested in teaching the course because he knew of the popularity of graphic novels among students — and he loves them too.
“I learned how to read by reading comic books when I was a little kid,” he said. “In the summer, my brother and I would ride our bikes to Argos Book Shop in Eastown and get the 5-cent comics out of the 5-cent comic bin and just read. I kind of just never stopped.”
Some students in the course hope to pursue careers in art, graphics or 3-D and animation.
“I’ve always liked to draw comics,” said senior Stephanie Bricero, who is planning to attend Kendall College of Art and Design next year for graphic design. She said she especially likes reading superhero and horror graphic novels. “English and art are my two favorite subjects. By putting my two favorite things together, I can learn about both.”
Kaitlyn Bernatowicz, who graduated last spring, created a graphic novel last school year
Electives Add Choice
Principal Nate Robrahn said adding new English electives provides students with more choice, gives staff more freedom in instruction, and exposes students to the type of specialized courses they may take in college. Plus teachers love sharing their passion for books.
“I have some staff that are ravenous readers and it’s fun to see that carrying over to the kids,” Robrahn said.
Students are eager to have courses that lead them to books and topics they might seek out on their own.
“The kids have responded well,” said Robrahn, who has made it a priority to stock classrooms with books. “I see them engaging more with books and then having more discussion around them. That’s been pretty exciting.”
The high school has also added Reader’s Workshop, a course for which students read books from various genres, have discussions and post on Goodreads.
“You see more kids carrying books and more and more kids reading,” Robrahn said.
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
Grand Rapids Community College is the recipient of a $2.1 million, six-year grant from the U.S. Education Department to boost chances for all students to succeed in college and beyond.
The competitive federal program provides resources to promote college awareness; improve performance in math and writing; increase high school graduation rates; and improve students’ transitions from middle school to high school, and from high school to college – particularly for at-risk, low-income and first-generation students.
GRCC is the only Michigan college to receive the federal grant this year.
The funds will serve a cohort of seventh-graders, following them from middle school to high school and off to college or career training. GEAR UP funds also can provide college scholarships to low-income students.
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
Outside Grand Rapids Community College’s Sneden Hall before her morning “Principles of Economics” class, Lauren Kramer reflected on ways she’s benefiting from being both a Wyoming High School and GRCC student through the Wyoming Middle College.
They include a transcript already stacked with 30 GRCC credits; free tuition, books and materials; experience with college courses and expectations; and the discovery of a program she’s highly interested in: culinary arts.
The accomplished student, who started the Middle College as a Wyoming High School sophomore, said she’s making a smooth transition from high school classroom to college lecture hall. Though she’s now attending classes full-time at GRCC, Lauren is considered a fifth-year high school student. Still, she’s halfway through requirements for an associate degree.
She’s enjoying the bustle of city life as she spends her days on campus.
“It’s really great being downtown and the classes are fantastic,” she said.
Exploring downtown and the GRCC campus is part of the fun for Lauren Kramer
‘The Best Thing Going’
Wyoming Middle College, which started in 2012, was the first partnership for GRCC of its kind. It works like this: Students start in 10th grade taking college courses taught by GRCC faculty members at Wyoming High School. They take on a fifth year (also referred to as a 13th year in K-12) as a Wyoming student, but it’s spent entirely at GRCC. The cost is paid for through the per-pupil foundation allowance from the state.
Upon completion, students graduate with a high school diploma and a GRCC associate degree.
“It’s the best thing going,” said high school Principal Nate Robrahn, who this year expanded the cohort of sophomores starting Middle College from 50 to 65. About 150 students have graduated the program since it started.
“Students continue to be successful at the next level too,” Robrahn said. “A lot of those kids are going on to four-year universities, doing well and even graduating early from them.”
Students take one college class along with high school classes each semester sophomore year; two classes per semester junior year; and three per semester senior year. It’s a full schedule of college classes for the fifth year at GRCC.
Because of that experience, Lauren’s already used to the expectations, rigor and freedom of college. She knows what a syllabus is and how to follow it.
“(Wyoming Middle College) really helped with knowing the setup,” she said. “Here in college, most professors are very focused on the syllabus and they really stick to it, so if you need to know what’s due, when it’s due, the expectations, you just go through the syllabus.”
She plans to tackle 15 credits each semester, which means she will be a junior at the end of the school year, a full year ahead of many of her peers. Many of her general education classes are finished, and she has mostly electives left that align with her interests.
Lauren Kramer, who is a fifth-year Wyoming High School student, will have 60 college credits at the end of this school year
Programs Continue to Grow
GRCC has also established middle colleges at Cedar Springs and Ottawa Hills, and East Kentwood High School launched one this fall. Also through GRCC, Ottawa Area ISD offers a certification program at Careerline Tech Center and Kent ISD offers Launch U, where students earn an associate degree in mechanical design.
Dan Clark, GRCC dean of Academic Outreach, said about 500 students are involved in the middle college opportunities and interest is growing statewide.
“When we first started with Wyoming we were the 25th middle college in the state,” Clark said. “Now, in fall of 2018, there are over 150 middle college programs in the state.”
“We have more and more families that continue to say, ‘We want to do it,’” added Robrahn. Along with getting associate degrees before moving on to four-year institutions, he sees his students are earning certifications and discovering what’s possible on the GRCC campus.
“They have all kinds of options for kids, connections to culinary arts and to tech programs,” Robrahn said. “It’s not just an associate’s degree. You can get all those trainings and certifications. There are big jobs right now, $50,000-a-year jobs, and kids can walk out of (GRCC) and get them.”
Clark said GRCC offers extensive student support all the way through programs. Students regularly meet with college advisers and success coaches.
“The important thing we are hearing from these students is they have been able to learn and navigate the college process while they were in high school,” he said. “Now they have tools and maturity in understanding what college is all about.”
According to a study by National Center for Restructuring Education, School and Teaching, of 20 pilot schools with middle college programs followed over six years in Michigan, 997 students in 2016-2017 finished their 13th year with an average GPA of 2.94 and earned an average of 52 college credits. More than 11,000 Michigan students are in middle college programs.
Saving on Costs, Big Time
The most obvious benefit is cost savings, Clark said. At a minimum, students are saving the $114 per credit hour in 2018-2019 basic tuition rates at GRCC, plus the cost of books, fees and other materials.
Lauren said it would have cost at least $40,000, including room and board, had she enrolled directly into a four-year university and paid full tuition to tally up the number of credits she has earned from GRCC. All she has to pay for through the end of this school year is parking and food.
“We don’t have to pay for tuition, or books. I got a kit for my cake decorating class that would be $60, but with Middle College it’s completely taken care of. I get my own chef’s coat for my class and don’t have to pay for it.”
Icing on the Cake
Lauren excitedly talks about her “fantastic” Culinary Art and Design class, where she’s learning from renowned chefs and instructors to decorate and design pastries. She said enrolling in GRCC’s Secchia Institute for Culinary Education might be her next step.
She said wouldn’t have pursued that idea had she enrolled directly into a four-year university, adding, “It is definitely helping me figure out what I want to do.”
Lauren was unsure if she wanted to join Wyoming Middle College when she was a 10th-grader. It meant giving up her freshman year living in a dorm, marching in a university band and having “the basic college experience.” She also didn’t have many classes in high school with friends who aren’t in the program and missed out on some great high school teachers.
But she’s found other ways to branch out and enjoy her passions, like traveling and performing all summer as a color guard member with the Legends Drum and Bugle Corps.
Now, when she thinks about savings, the path she’s on and what she’s learned, she puts it succinctly:
“This is the greatest program.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
(Courtesy photo) Women in Project Accelerate, pictured with an engineer, visit a worksite
Camille Reed is a business owner who wants to learn more about the construction industry. Brenna Mosley is a 2018 East Kentwood High School graduate with a dream to run an architecture and construction firm. Serena Small is a stay-at-home mother pursuing a degree in construction management. Elma Balic is an architectural drafter who wants to get away from from her desk and into the field.
The women, all with different backgrounds and goals, are exploring careers in construction, engineering, design and skilled trades by visiting businesses, seeing fieldwork up close and getting into the driver’s seats of big machines. They are completing Project Accelerate, a seven-week, once-weekly course offered through The Build Initiative, a Pontiac-based program that works to build knowledge for women interested in construction and related fields.
“My goal is to get as much information about the industry as possible,” Mosley said. Grand Rapids Community College is hosting the 10-woman cohort, the first for Grand Rapids, in space at the GRCC Leslie E.Tassell M-TEC. GRCC instructors lead sessions on carpentry and safety. Another cohort is planned for next fall.
“Our participants are entry level to CEO,” said Program Director Rita Brown, as participants attended a Friday session on construction law in a GRCC classroom. “What they have in common is they’re women and they want more knowledge. You can lead better with more knowledge, (and) you can learn better when you know where to get that knowledge.”
Women are networking, aligning talents and learning the scope of jobs available in the traditionally male-dominated fields, she said. They drove Caterpillar construction machines with help from Michigan CATand Operating Engineers 324 representatives, read blueprints with an engineer from Soils and Structures and listened to speakers in the industry.
“This program is about gearing up; it’s about exposing strengths we didn’t even know we had, reinforcing areas that need to be reinforced,” said Brown, who relies on volunteers to run the program. “Not a single bit of this is about lack at all. This as about the fact that we can do it for ourselves. It’s about accelerating our careers.”
Julie Parks, GRCC executive director of workplace training, said GRCC is excited about the partnership and to bring women into the building who are involved in construction and related fields. “We have women in our skilled trade programs and this is a way to connect them with people in the industry,” she said.
GRCC is exploring ways to provide articulated credits for Project Accelerate experiences in the future. “What we are really trying to do is help find pathways,” Parks said.
Brenna Mosley, a 2018 East Kentwood High School graduate, is exploring careers in construction
Showing the Way for Women
Brown knows how to navigate the industry. She owns a steel detailing company and is the north central regional director for National Association of Women in Construction. She started Project Accelerate about six years ago after realizing the need. It also has cohorts in Detroit and Flint.
During the economic downturn, Brown had to downsize her staff. Her female employees were unsure of their next move.“The men seemed to be at least a little bit more sure of what they could possibly do, but the women were not as sure,” she said.
Project Accelerate can help launch women into those jobs. “We are not trying to populate one single area of the industry. We are trying to make sure that women have the knowledge and opportunity to decide what their next best steps are,” Brown said. “From this program they will move to actual training programs, certification programs, degrees, jobs or will become better at the work they are already doing,” she said.
Participant Camille Reed, who co-owns a multi-service company that specializes in painting, carpentry and facilities management, said she wants to meet other professional women through Project Accelerate.
“For me, it’s the empowerment they are giving ladies to enter the construction field,” she said. She also was part of a Detroit cohort of Project Accelerate in June and July, and has learned everything from bricklaying, engineering, work-site development and road construction. “This is just giving me another insight of the construction field, and it gives me the change to network,” she said.
Serena Small, of Lansing, never considered a career in construction until she met Brown at a program called Women In Skilled Trades. She is currently enrolled at Lansing Community College majoring in construction management, which she knows will connect her to many different opportunities. She said Project Accelerate is another way to build her construction savvy.
“It’s opening my eyes to the construction industry as far as it’s not just manual labor. There are a lot of different careers in the construction industry,” Small said.
“This is definitely what I needed. I needed more information on the possibilities and the different careers that there are.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
West Michigan is home to high-caliber chefs, bakers and other culinary experts and the level of skill is evident in the cuisine and flavors served at ethnic restaurants, fine dining establishments, casual diners, pastry shops and bistros.
Kent Career Tech Center senior Joslynn Skutt, who wants to operate her own bakery someday, described the area as a place for many palates. “It’s very diverse and you can get so much culture from every bakery you go to.”
Now there’s an easy way for Joslynn to transition smoothly from high school student to pastry aficionado with the goal of adding her own style and flavor to the scene. Thanks to a new partnership between the Tech Center and Grand Rapids Community College’s Secchia Institute for Culinary Education, she is among 40 students earning 20-25 free GRCC credits, about a third of the 67-credit associates degree.
Culinary students attend GRCC classes taught at the Tech Center their junior and senior years and during a fifth high school year. They then graduate with a high school diploma, industry certifications and earn their certified fundamental cook designation from the American Culinary Federation.
Werner Absenger, Secchia Institute for Culinary Education program director, said the partnership is a way to fast-track students through school and save them a third of the cost.
“We are shortening the period of time to start the program and finish it,” he said. When students finish KCTC, they will usually only have a year left full time at GRCC. “We are able to take a two-and-a-half year program and compress into one year.”
Senior Joslynn Skutt said the Grand Rapids culinary scene is diverse and filled with culture
Connecting the Dots
“It’s such a clear pathway,” said Sara Waller, Tech Center culinary instructor. “Students are going into college a step ahead of the other kids because they see so much here…We are sending so many students to GRCC already, a partnership was a no-brainer. It’s what the kids were asking for.”
The Tech Center often gives culinary students another boost as well, Waller said. “If they do three years with us and they do a good job, we also like to send them out the door with a nice scholarship to get them going.”
Senior Anthony Hall plans to become a baker, making all sorts of pastries in the Grand Rapids area. He said he likes the idea of earning his culinary degree and working in the area. He nibbled on a cookie during the GRCC “Principles of Food Science” class with Adjunct Professor Bill Gayle, held at the Tech Center.
“I think it’s an amazing opportunity because it can really help us in the future,” said Hall about the GRCC program.
Senior Arianna Kruizenga said the partnership supports her goal to become a dietitian and nutritionist, or owner of a catering company. “I can spring right into it with a head start.”
Tech Center senior Arianna Kruizenga is planning on continuing her education at GRCC
Jobs are in Demand
Jobs are waiting and demand for workers in the industry is expected to continue.
“Everyone is hurting for manpower, employees and talent. A year quicker (to their degree) puts them in the workforce a year sooner,” Absenger said.
In the U.S., based on 2018 data U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics demand for cooks in schools, hospitals and cafeterias, will grow by 6 percent from 2016 to 2026. The restaurant industry will need to employ 1.377 million cooks in 2026 compared to 1.22 million in 2016.
Because of the need for workers, Absenger said young people often get jobs instead of pursuing a degree. However, a culinary degree can help in the long run.
“What we see happening is students not in program or never enrolled, will come to us and say, ‘How long does it take to finish an associates?’ because they have been passed over for promotions,” he said.
Total savings for someone who would otherwise attend GRCC as a full-tuition college student is about $5,500, bringing the cost of a culinary arts degree for a resident student from about $16,500 to about $11,000. Staying in Grand Rapids also eliminates the room and board costs of attending a four-year university.
It’s also a great industry to work in, said Absenger, a chef from Austria. “I was literally able to get a job anywhere on the planet and I think that’s the coolest part of the industry. You can make money everywhere you go.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
Shannon Wilson, executive director of GRAAHI, speaks during a news conference about the Pathways to Careers in Health Care initiative June 28 at the Kent ISD Conference Center.
Grand Valley State University and six other area higher education institutions will work to increase the number of students of color who choose health care fields while in college, then succeed in the workforce.
The Grand Rapids African American Health Institute (GRAAHI) announced a “Pathways to Careers in Health Care” initiative to engage with area colleges and universities through a $400,000 planning grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek. Shannon Wilson, executive director of GRAAHI, said the grant allows for college-specific plans of action to engage students of color and help reduce barriers to choosing to study in health care professions.
“This is by far the most influential grant we have received,” Wilson said during a news conference held June 28 at the Kent ISD Conference Center. “It has the potential to change how medical care is delivered in Grand Rapids, and by whom. We can reduce disparities in health care when our health care workforce mirrors the diversity of our community.”
President Thomas J. Haas said the Pathways initiative supports Grand Valley’s strategic plan to increase the diversity of its campus community to reflect that of West Michigan’s population. Hear more in this video.
“This work fits with the university’s other initiatives to prepare students of color for success in college and the workforce; and this project is aligned with Grand Valley’s commitment to the state of Michigan to fill the health care talent pipeline with qualified and diverse health care employees,” Haas said.
Pictured are leaders from area colleges and universities, plus staff members from Grand Rapids African American Health Institute.
Other institutions participating in the Pathways initiative are Aquinas College, Calvin College, Davenport University, Ferris State University, Grand Rapids Community College and Hope College. GRAAHI will engage with each institution in addition to connecting with parents and high school counselors.
Wilson said white health care workers represent more than 50 percent of employees in almost every occupation category. She cited a 2004 report from the Institute of Medicine and the Sullivan Commission that identified the lack of people of color in health care fields as a contributing factor in overall quality of care.
The Pathways project has overall goals of mirroring diversity in the community by 2040, establishing early exposure to advance health care practice careers throughout the K-12 experience, and developing a cohort of African American and Latino/a health care leaders.
On the latest episode of WKTV Journal: In Focus is Keith St. Clair, who has been teaching national and international political science at Grand Rapids Community College since 2002 and is frequently asked to discuss Middle East issues.
He has travelled extensively throughout the Middle East including a recent trip to Qatar — a small county strategically located between feuding regional powers Saudi Arabia and Iran. He talks with In Focus host Ken Norris about Qatar’s importance to U.S. foreign policy and current military presence in that often-troubled region.
Also on the episode, is Steve Prince, the director of Warriors Set Free, which is a veterans support program of Set Free Ministries, a Christian-based ministry run by veterans for veterans.
The entire episode of “WKTV Journal: In Focus” airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel.
The episode debuted on WKTV cable channels on Tuesday, April 10, and will again air on Thursday, April 12, also at 6:30 p.m., and will continue on the same days and times the week of April 16. But all interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal: In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
A goal at the high school is for every student to receive college credit from at least one class before they graduate, said Evan Hordyk, the district’s executive director for secondary education. Well-established Advanced Placement (AP) opportunities, plus a middle college launching next fall, will make that possible.
East Kentwood students are already tallying up college credits by choosing from a slate of 21 AP classes. Soon they will be able to earn a free associate degree from Grand Rapids Community College by completing a fifth year of high school while dually enrolled as a college student.
It’s a way to give students a head start, in a setting where they feel comfortable. “We offer a very supportive family environment here, so taking a college class where they have those supports can help them be more successful,” Hordyk said.
From left, East Kentwood High School students Nisa Brooks and Adilene Garcia are earning credit in AP art
Adding a Fifth Year = Associate’s Degree
The district will begin the Middle College with its first cohort of 10th graders next fall. Students will take college courses at East Kentwood along with high school courses, and then finish a fifth year on the GRCC campus. Successfully completing the program will earn them a general associate degree with credits transferable to most four-year colleges and universities. Other Middle College programs established through GRCC partnerships include Wyoming High School, Cedar Springs High School and Ottawa Hills High School. Kenowa Hills High School has a partnership with Davenport University.
“The most obvious and biggest benefit for students and parents is that the tuition is covered,” Hordyk said. Considering a student entering a four-year university right after senior year pays an average of more than $20,000 including room and board, the savings is potentially huge and places students a year ahead of schedule.
“We have an opportunity for students, whether they have an economic need or not to walk out of here with an associate’s degree,” said Principal Omar Bakri.
For several years, East Kentwood students have pursued dual-enrollment opportunities with GRCC, Kendall and Davenport, with more than 100 students participating last school year.
Dan Clark, dean of academic outreach for Grand Rapids Community College, said this partnership is their sixth middle college partnership. Programs are filling a need, especially for economically disadvantaged students and those who are the first in their families to attend college.
“It definitely allows and provides greater opportunity for access and success for particular students who, it was probably a foregone conclusion, weren’t going to go to college,” he said.
Programs have also led to increased collaboration between high schools and GRCC. “If institutions can partner in a way to benefit students, families and the community, it’s a win-win-win all around,” Clark said.
A Reputable AP Program
East Kentwood has also built one of the most comprehensive AP programs possible, with 21 classes including AP courses in science, English, math, economics government and art. The high school last year earned a silver medal from U.S. News and World Report for achievements including having 35 percent of students take AP tests and, of those, 73 percent pass them.
These courses give students college-level opportunities they otherwise might not have. They aren’t just for the highest achieving students, Hordyk said.
“One of the things we are quite proud of is that in 2017, 1,000 AP exams were taken. If you go back five years, just under 600 were taken, so we’ve almost doubled that number.” The success rate of a passing score, a 3, 4 or 5 on the AP exam, has remained high. “We’ve added a lot of kids and they are still very successful.”
East Kentwood is the most diverse school in the state (as ranked by Niche, a data organization) with students from more than 60 countries represented. Much of the increase in AP enrollment is from students of various ethnicities, “groups that haven’t traditionally been part of AP,” Hordyk said.
Graduate Justin Lai, a University of Michigan freshman pursuing a degree in computer science engineering, recently stopped in to visit his AP physics teacher Laura Sloma. He took nine AP classes before graduating last spring and said he was glad to have the head start. “As far as preparation goes, it was nice to have a harder workload to prepare me for college.”
Student Scholarship Winners Amanda Barnett, Rachel Baas, Edward Johnson Jr., Ashlie Herrmann, Jarrod Bemjamin, Kristina Kercher, and Jesse Aronoff.
Experience Grand Rapids hosted a presentation and lunch celebration this week to announce the Restaurant Week Grand Rapids (RWGR) 2017 donation to the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education (SICE) Student Scholarship Fund at GRCC.
In 2017, there were more than 70 participating restaurants that donated $1 for every Restaurant Week meal sold. Since 2010, Restaurant Week participating restaurants and sponsors have contributed more than $126,906 to the scholarship fund. This year, a check totaling $16,200 was presented to the GRCC Foundation, growing the RWGR donation to $143,106.
Accepting the check on behalf of the Grand Rapids Community College Foundation were GRCC President Bill Pink and GRCC Foundation Executive Director Kathy Mullins. Dr. Pink also presented scholarships to seven students. Each scholarship winner received $1,000 to help support his/her continuing studies in GRCC’s SICE program. This is the seventh year that students have been awarded scholarship money from the fund established by Restaurant Week GR.
SICE Students who received 2017 RWGR scholarship awards include:
Amanda Barnett receives her scholarship check.
Amanda Barnett:Amanda was an English teacher before pursuing a culinary career. Six years ago, she started an after-school cooking program for her students because many of them didn’t have anything to eat in the evening. She loved the experience and last year, she finally made the leap to leave her full-time job and attend school. She says this scholarship will help her focus on her studies rather than how to pay for them. Amanda is now working at Brewery Vivant and her dream is to run an after-school cooking program and bake shop for youth.
Rachel Baas:Rachel works in the bakeshop of six.one.six at the JW Marriott. She has fond memories of baking with her grandmother as a child, and making no-bake cookies with her dad, but it wasn’t until her senior year of high school that she decided to pursue a culinary career. She plans to go on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Ferris State University after she graduates from the Secchia Institute and she’s grateful for scholarships like this that have helped her steer clear of student loans. She would love to open, manage and potentially run the foodservice portion of a bed-and-breakfast one day.
Edward Johnson Jr.:Edward has wanted a culinary career since 2nd grade, when he began renting out cookbooks and begging his mom to help him make recipes. He currently works at CityFlatsHotel and dreams of traveling the world to learn different cooking styles. In the meantime, he says, the Restaurant Week scholarship will help him graduate more quickly.
Ashlie Herrmann:Ashlie is working at Grove while she continues her schooling at the Secchia Institute. She says she may not have been able to go to school and accomplish her career goals without the generosity of others, including this scholarship. Her dream is to own a catering company with her mom and her best friend.
Jarrod Benjamin:Jarrod has wanted to work in the culinary field since he was five years old and his ultimate goal is to become a personal chef. He currently works at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse while attending the Secchia institute. He says the school has afforded him many great opportunities and he’s grateful for scholarships like this as he’d be unable to attend the school without them.
Kristina Kercher:Kristina works at The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck and also at Flo’s Sports Bar in Belmont while she continues her education. She knew she wanted to work in the culinary field when she realized that you can make it if you work hard enough – something she learned from Chef James Powell, who she says didn’t give up on her as she worked to get better. She appreciates this scholarship as a sign that people believe in her enough to help her reach her goals. Her dream is to become a chef with the creative freedom to make the foods she wants and get paid for it.
Jesse Aronoff:Jesse says this scholarship is meaningful to him not just because it will help him further his education, but also because this year’s Restaurant Week was “crazy.” Jesse didn’t have any ambition for a culinary career until he got his first job in the field at age 16. He currently works at Licari’s Sicilian Pizza Kitchen and he can’t narrow down his dreams for the future – he wants to do everything.
Restaurant Week GR took place from Aug. 9 – 20. More than 70 restaurants participated in the event this year. This was the eighth year for Restaurant Week GR which began in Greater Grand Rapids in 2010. Scholarships have been awarded each year since 2011.
South Haven will be seeing blue —as in blueberries — next week as the community marks the 54th Annual Blueberry Festival Aug. 10 -13.
In honor of that, WKTV will be airing several specials on blueberries leading up to the big event. The shows are South Haven Blueberry Festival airing at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 7; 6:30 p.m. Aug. 8; and 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Aug. 11. This special highlights some of the activities at the annual event which includes a craft show, mud run, 5K/10K race, parade, and lots of blueberry fun.
The popular “Cooking with Angus” show on cooking with blueberries will air at 7:30 p.. Aug. 7; 5:30 p.m. Aug. 8; and noon and 6:30 p.m. Aug. 11. Chef Angus Campbell is a retired professor from Grand Rapids Community College Secchia Institute for Culinary Education. “Cooking with Angus” is a series that follows the chef and two GRCC students as they learn about food preparation first-hand in Italy and Scotland.
Finally, “Celebrating Life & Food” with local chef Donna Sawyer will air at 6 p.m. Aug. 8 and 12:30 p.m. Aug. 11. Sawyer is a TV cooking show host, blogger and event coordinator with her own website, celebratinglifeandfood.com.
Senior D’Nyszha Brand was accepted into six colleges: Baker College, Ferris State University, Wayne State University, Grand Rapids Community College, Aquinas College and Western Michigan University.
She’s decided to attend GRCC for her associate degree before transferring to a university, maybe Ferris, to major in business and minor in psychology. “It’s the cheapest way to go and I will save more money,” she said.
D’Nyszha said she probably wouldn’t have applied to so many colleges, or realized how to meet her postsecondary goals, if it weren’t for the Michigan College Access Network representative who helped her. Jeremy Bissett had an office at Godwin Heights for 20 hours a week until mid-spring, helping students apply, submit and complete all the other paperwork to get into college.
“It was very helpful because I would go to my mom and ask her what to do and she would say, ‘I don’t know. I don’t know,'” said D’Nyszha, who will be the first person in her family to go to college.
Bissett reminded her often about deadlines and what was required. “He helped me in so many ways. Not only did he help me with my (college) stuff, he taught me different life skills,” she said. Without him, she added, “I probably would have only applied to GRCC, honestly.”
From left, seniors Josiah Lozada and Maurie Vinson, MCAN adviser Jeremy Bissett, and seniors Mya Jordan and Mamie Hai celebrate college acceptance.
Accepted, Again and Again
At Godwin Heights, students recently gathered in the hallway wearing #accepted T-shirts to celebrate their “yes” notifications. A total of 111 of the 137 seniors, or 81 percent, were accepted at 27 colleges.
That’s a great start for students at Godwin Heights, where more than 80 percent come from financially disadvantaged families and 59 percent of seniors this year could be first-generation college-goers.
Godwin Heights received an Innovative Program Grant from MCAN to fund a dedicated college adviser, Bissett. It’s just one way the network supports Michigan schools in helping students access college.
“We are super proud of Godwin’s results,” said Sarah Anthony, MCAN deputy director for partnerships and advocacy. “We knew being in that community would be serving low-income, first-generation college students and students of color.”
The goal of Lansing-based MCAN is to increase the percentage of Michigan residents with degrees or postsecondary certificates to 60 percent by the year 2025. According to 2014 Census figures, 39.3 percent of Michigan’s 5.2 million working-age adults (ages 25-64) hold a two- or four-year college degree, an increase from the previous year’s rate of 38.4 percent. This is the sixth year in a row that Michigan’s degree attainment rate has increased.
College acceptance letters hang in the hallway of Godwin Heights High School.
But there’s work to be done. According to data from MCAN, out of every 100 ninth-graders in Michigan, 73 graduate from high school on time; 45 enroll into postsecondary education within 12 months of graduation; 32 persist from their first to their second year; and 18 graduate with a degree within six years.
According to Mischooldata.org, within six months of graduation, 55.8 percent of 2016 Godwin Heights grads were enrolled in a two- or four-year college or university.
Building a College-Prep Culture
Bissett spent much of his time meeting with students, ensuring they were on track with the application process and walking them through applications for financial aid.
“The biggest benefit I see with the MCAN partnership has been the one-on-one time,” said counselor Tish Stevenson. “An adult sitting down one-on-one is immensely important.”
Bissett said he was just a piece of the puzzle. At Godwin Heights, there’s a multi-pronged effort to prepare students. It includes college visits; work to improve literacy across all content areas; and preparing students for the workforce or college by developing communication and collaboration skills. Staff provides many opportunities to meet college representatives right at school.
“It’s putting that option in their purview,” said counselor Kristi Bonilla. “We get them in tangible contact with people and places.”
“I think they are establishing a culture there that is college prep, and are getting more students wanting to be engaged in that,” Bissett said. “They are doing great work.”
After being added to the state’s Priority Schools list in 2012, Godwin Heights also put many measures in place to boost achievement. In 2016, the high school received a five-year School Improvement Grant, approved by the Michigan Department of Education, that will include allocations of $750,000 a year for the first three years and $500,000 a year for the final two.
The work is paying off. The school was removed this year from the state’s Priority Schools list, and has climbed from a 0 percentile rank in 2012-2013 to a 27th percentile rank in 2015-2016.
Said high school data coach Kristin Haga, “We are moving in the right direction.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
GRCC’s and GVSU’s French programs both received a grant to put together the Tournées Film Festival which begins next week and will take place on both campuses — at GVSU’s Loosemore Auditorium and GRCC’s Wisner-Bottrall Applied Technology Center Auditorium, Room 168, ATC. Films may contain adult content.
Admission for all films is FREE.
Here’s the lineup:
Valley of Love (2015) Wed., Oct. 26, 6:15 pm, GVSU Loosemore Auditorium
Phantom Boy (2015) Thurs., Oct. 27, 7 pm, GVSU Loosemore Auditorium — Meet the director!
Le Grand Homme (2014), Fri., Nov. 4, 7 pm, GRCC ATC Auditorium
Tournées Film Festival is made possible with the support of the Cultural Services of the
French Embassy in the U.S., the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée (CNC), the French American Cultural Fund, Florence Gould Foundation and Highbrow Entertainment.
All participants are welcome. Those in need of accommodations for films showing at GRCC, please contact Language and Thought at 616.234.3544; for films showing at GVSU call Modern Languages and Literatures at 616.331.3203.
