By Nikki Herrmann – Collegiate Staff
Each March, Grand Rapids Community College holds its annual Salute to Women banquet, in honor of Women’s History Month. These women are honored by President Steven Ender, professionally photographed on picture boards throughout the campus and publicized in GRCC Today.
This year’s banquet will be held at 1:30 p.m., March 29 in the Wisner-Bottrall Applied Technology Center Banquet Rooms. Four women who are part of the Grand Rapids Community College community will be honored for being outstanding mentors to other women.
The four women being honored all either teach, attend, or work for GRCC. Patti Trepkowski, associate dean and provost of instructional support and interdisciplinary studies at GRCC, Nikki Banks, the criminal justice department head, Mary Brown, inclusion and diversity consultant, and Sarah VanSolkema, social work major, are the 2016 women of honor.
“I feel pleased and honored to be recognized with this award,” Trepkowski said. “I am grateful that I was nominated and that people took the time and did the work to craft a nomination.”
A written narrative, list of the nominee’s accomplishments, letters of support or any supporting articles are submitted to a board of directors for review. The more supporting information on the nominee, the higher the chances of the nominee being chosen. The award is presented by President Ender and the four women who qualify can be either; aluma, student, employee, or former employee. Selections are made according to a review process by the Salute to Women’s planning committee. After the committee makes their recommendation, the president reviews this and then makes a selection of the candidates who will receive this award.
“I have attended the Salute to Women awards for many years and have been part of nominating other women for the award,” Trepkowski said. “It has always been an inspiring event.”
