College is a pivotal turning point for many students looking to further their education for a better future, and with a little over 12,000 people enrolled at Grand Rapids Community College, every individual on campus has a story to share.
Johnny Zamudio chases his passion for cooking
Choosing a major is never easy especially when looking into a future career. Some students are fortunate to study their passion in hopes of making a living off of it. This would be the case of 20-year-old Johnny Zamudio.
Zamudio had originally attended Muskegon Community College to pursue pre-law in hopes of becoming a lawyer but quickly decided that he wanted to pursue his passion for cooking.
“Growing up I always loved to watch people cook. I was watching them make food when I was eating at home but I didn’t want to chase that. I graduated in 2021 and I was gonna become a lawyer. So I studied pre-law at Muskegon Community College, but the classes were boring and I hated it,” Zamudio said. “I was like, ‘I can’t do this for the rest of my life’ so let’s do something I want to pursue.”
Zamudio said he loves Japanese culture, even having a couple of tattoos from some of his favorite animes and he hopes that he can travel to Japan in the near future.
“Right now I am working at Mura Sushi on Bridge Street, so my final goal is Japan. After I graduate from culinary school, I’m going to study Japanese and hopefully, by the time I’m 25, I’ll be heading over to Japan. And from there I’ll come back, open my own Japanese eatery here in Michigan hopefully.”
Mackenzie Oberlin builds a career to help others
Mackenzie Oberlin, 26, of Lakeview, is a sophomore here at GRCC and is currently studying occupational therapy. Oberlin, who is currently bartending, wanted something more fulfilling and decided she wanted to pursue a career after going to occupational therapy due to a car accident.
“I’ve always been interested in healthcare. I was in a car accident in high school and I spent a lot of time in occupational and physical therapy,” Oberlin said. “I really didn’t want to go the nursing route and I kinda read up on occupational therapy a little and I just went for it.”
While she didn’t expect the workload going into this major, Oberlin is glad she chose this program.
“We’ve learned about being hands-on with patients and that’s just heightened my passion for working with people a lot.”
Lukes Greimsman explains why science rocks!
Luke Griemsman, 49, of Grand Rapids, is a lab assistant here at GRCC and has a master’s degree in education.
He sets up labs across the entire fifth floor and handles all the chemicals needed for GRCC lab students to complete their work. Griemsman explained that he’s always had an interest in science which he pursued as a career.
“I taught science at the secondary level and I taught chemistry and really fell in love with it,” Griemsman said. “I taught for only a couple of years and now I’m deciding to work in a lab…with chemistry I really enjoyed working with Stoichiometry, using math and conversion factors to figure out the molar volume of things. So how many atoms of a particular chemical are inside a particular volume you’re looking for…”
Griemsman stated that science is important because it is vital to understanding the workings of the world and how everything is created. He never thought he would be fascinated by science when he was younger but years of teaching persuaded him to pursue science
“I believe it is so important to everything we touch and have nowadays… It’s a critical piece of education and technology. When I was (college)age I didn’t really think I wanted to go into science at all. I never took classes, I thought I was more of the writing mind and the speaking mind and then I was a teacher for some time and said, ‘I’d really like to know more about science’ and started getting educated.”
Joe Roy dreams about the life of a rockstar
Joe Roy, 40, of Wyoming, came to GRCC in pursuit of his passion for music. As a kid and even as an adult, Roy idolizes the life of rock stars.
“When I was younger, I thought the idea of being a rockstar was the only thing I could see myself wanting to do in life. I thought rockstars were cooler than actors,” said Roy. “They both could potentially could make a lot of money but rockstars never seem to have to apologize for things. Like they would destroy hotel rooms and stuff and they don’t have to come out with any apologies, but actors always have to apologize to people… rockstars were always like, ‘They’re rockstars and that’s what they do.’”
Roy explained that he is captivated by musicians, instruments and music in general.
“I like to just listen to anybody who plays drums, or guitar, or bass guitar. It’s super impressive to me and always made me feel. Music makes me feel. It puts things in motion and I like it. I’ve always wanted to do that, but my life didn’t really go that way. So I’m trying to pursue it now.”
Nate Smith is sculpting a life as an artist
Nate Smith, 22, of Grand Rapids, is a recent graduate of GRCC. She received their fine arts degree just this past spring and is currently the lab monitor for the pottery studio on campus.
Smith has been called a jack of all trades by her friends but particularly enjoys pottery the most.
“Taking sculpture here has been my total favorite. We did a project where we did tiles and we got to do some rubber casting, which was my favorite because I sculpted four faces,” Smith said.
Smith was drawn to art back in middle school, sketching pages full of eyes and other drawings. This passion for creativity made them want to explore different types of art.
“I had pages full of just drawings of eyes because I like faces and people, so that’s how it started, and then lots of art classes. The fine arts department seemed like the best bet for me here…”
Professor Benchich helps create opportunities for trade students
GRCC opens many opportunities for students with several courses to help them get licenses and certifications in various fields. Professor Jon Benchich works in the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning/Refrigeration (HVACR) department. He teaches HVACR theory and how to become proficient in the skills necessary to work as an HVAC mechanic.
Benchich has around 30 years of experience in this field and is even a GRCC alumnus.
“Many, many, many years ago, I graduated from CC with an electronics degree…I spent 11 years working for a company that does high-performance refrigeration and for the last 20 years, I’ve worked for a wholesale distributor of heating and air conditioning commercial parts. I’ve got like 30 years in the industry,” Benchich said.
Benchich explains how many of the trades do a great job in training but further education is required to move up in their job. He says that he enjoys helping these students move further in a field he has many years of experience in.
“A lot of kids who don’t go to four-year colleges end up getting a job in the trades, electrician, mechanical, refrigeration, welding, you name it…Quite frankly, a lot of employers, contractors and mechanical contractors types, they do a great job at training. They have apprenticeship programs. A lot of the contractors are union shops, and the unions do a greWat job at training guys… A matter of fact, a lot of contractors send their people here to GRCC for school and more training. Most of them end up getting an associate’s (degree) out of it.”
Benchich says that he enjoys helping these students move further in a field he has many years of experience in.
“I think it is important to give back. I enjoy helping the younger people, the people just getting started. Now I say younger, I got a couple of guys who are like 21, 22 years old but I always have guys who are in their 30s, maybe 40s, who are taking this to get promotions and get better jobs and move ahead…I like helping people.”
Elena Mealing shares her hobby of making jewelry
Elena Mealing, 22, of Grand Rapids, is undecided on her major but enjoys making jewelry in her spare time.
Currently working as a hall monitor in the Jewelry Room on G1, she uses the space to create rings, necklaces, and other accessories.
“I’ve been doing it at home for a handful of years. I have a whole bunch of beads. I never tried metalworking before this class,” Mealing said. “That was really cool to add to my arsenal…I just like to make things. I like to draw. I originally thought I was going to be an animator when I was in high school but then I realized they get way overworked and way underpaid.”
While she enjoys making jewelry, Mealing doesn’t want to make a career out of her craft.
“I think this class was more just for me. I feel like I couldn’t work fast enough to make it a sustainable career… I mostly just make stuff for myself, things that I like to wear…I wouldn’t say it’s my passion but making stuff is my passion. It’s something I do for myself. I would consider it a hobby. I get very invested in creative hobbies.”
Mikeece McIntosh’s journey from the classroom to the court
Student-athletes not only have the hardships that come with being a college student but they also have to dedicate a lot of time to practices and games. Mikeece McIntosh, 19, of Grand Rapids, is currently studying marketing but is also a redshirt for the GRCC men’s basketball team.
Starting in the fifth grade, McIntosh played throughout middle and high school and wants to continue throughout his college career. He originally played football but quickly fell in love with basketball.
“I used to be tough at football and I don’t know what changed my passion but I found my way towards basketball,” McIntosh said. “I remember in fifth grade, everyone stopped playing football and just went to playing basketball. I just adapted to that environment and started trying new things and I ended up liking it.”
Being a student-athlete all his life, McIntosh is used to the pressure.
“I’ve been practicing this my entire life. I’ve been a student-athlete for a long time, so I’ve really adapted to the feeling of work and basketball.”
