Brooks College Student Gives Speech at Mayors State of the City Address

Hannah Fernando, a major in liberal studies with a minor in environmental studies and a Grand Rapids native, was chosen to speak at Mayor George Heartwell’s State of the City address on January 17, 2015. The title of her speech was Attracting College Students to Grand Rapids.

During the fall semester, Fernando took a public administration course that entailed researching cities across the country and hearing from Grand Rapids neighborhood and community groups. Fernando gave a presentation on the 10 class recommendations that will help Grand Rapids attract and retain college-age students. Heartwell plans to start with three of the student
recommendations, said Fernando.

“Grand Rapids is in a unique place where millennials can come in, and if they want to start a business, they can start a business,” Fernando said. “You can really see it happen.”

Fernando said she is passionate about authentic, sustainable community development — a focus she can explore within the flexible liberal studies major and her environmental studies minor. She said her interests fit neatly with the class project, as food sustainability is key to Grand Rapids’ development and growth.

“There is a huge demand for green structure and green space,” Fernando said. “There is also a desire in young people for local food, urban farming, community gardens, and the culture surrounding that.”

Fernando spoke before 1,000 people at the State of City address. “The response was overwhelming,” she said.

Student and Alumni Successes

Michelle Alderink, a former Latin American studies (LAS) minor and a current graduate student in the Master of Social Work program, received an LAS mini-grant to study abroad in El Salvador and Guatemala.

Leslie Boker, a liberal studies major, received the Winter 2015 Wendy J. Wenner Outstanding Liberal Studies Thesis Award. Boker’s thesis was titled Treatment of Trans Characters in Japanese Sequential Art and Animation.

Mallory Caillaud-Jones, a women, gender, and sexuality studies minor, and Alexandra Mitchell, a women, gender, and sexuality studies major, received the Jean Enright Scholarship.

Richard Campbell, a liberal studies leadership program cohort student, participated in a stewardship project with Disability Network-Lakeshore as part of a liberal studies class during the Winter 2015 semester. Through this project, Campbell has been selected as the recipient of the 2015 Ability Scholarship from the Disability Network.

Kevin Chau, a Chinese studies major, received the Outstanding Office Award at the 2015 GVSU Student Life Awards for his work in the Chinese Language and Culture Club.

Anthony Clemons, a women, gender, and sexuality studies major and LGBTQ minor; Margarita Munoz, a women, gender, and sexuality studies major; and Veronica Beltran, a double major in political science and in Spanish and a Latin American studies minor, were recognized as the recipients of the Thomas M. Seykora Award for their outstanding contributions to the campus community.

Natalie DePyper, a liberal studies major received the Fall 2014 Wendy J. Wenner Outstanding Liberal Studies Thesis Award. DePyper’s thesis, which was about storytelling, was titled Talk Isn’t Cheap; It’s Powerful.

Graduating liberal studies major and environmental studies minor, Casey DuPuie, presented her senior thesis, Sustainable Urban Development: Living Tiny in Big America, at the Student Association of Planning Conference, held at the University of Michigan. In December 2014, she appeared on WGVU to discuss her research.

Elizabeth Nienhouse, a religious studies major, received the Religious Studies Outstanding Senior Thesis award. Nienhouse’s thesis was titled Religion and Public Policy: Inclusion or Separation?

Chris Schertenlieb, a Spanish and Latin American studies (LAS) minor, received the LAS mini-grant to study abroad in Chile.

Meghan Vance, a Chinese studies major, was selected to participate in the highly selective Wooden Fish program at Mount Wutai, Shanxi Province, China. This program gives students first-hand experience with Chinese Buddhist Monasticism.

Liberal studies alumnus Mark Wilson was selected as one of the 40 most influential individuals in the Traverse City region under the age of 40 by Traverse City Business News. Mark is the youngest elected member of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Tribal Council. He completed his liberal studies major with a concentration in Creativity in Tribal Leadership at GVSU’s Traverse City Campus.

The Frederik Meijer Honors College presented students with a number of senior project awards:

• Gail Berkompas, Outstanding Senior Award
• Erin Erickson, Outstanding Leadership and Service
• Paul Francoeur, Outstanding Senior Thesis
• Alexzanda Johnson and Megan Nowak, Outstanding Senior Project
• Alyssa Kulesza and Adam Rosenberg, Excellence in Collaborative Research
• Alice Munday, Excellence in Creative Achievement

Four students received the Nichols Sustainability Scholarship through the Office of Sustainability Practices:

• Brenna Christopoulos, French and education major
• Hannah Fernando, liberal studies major and environmental studies minor
• Emily Johnson, natural resources management major
• Sarah Waraniak, exercise science major

Since our last annual report, the Frederik Meijer Office for Fellowships, housed in the Frederik Meijer Honors College, has played a key role in helping a number of Meijer Honors College students earn prestigious awards for graduate and international study:

• Leah Beaulac, a biology major, was awarded a prestigious Boren Scholarship to study Arabic in Jordan during the 2015-2016 academic year.
• Irada Choudhuri, Kyle Meppelink, and Meagan Roche received Critical Language Scholarships, giving them the opportunity to participate in a cultural immersion, intensive language education program.
• Four students received the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for graduate study or internships abroad: Brody Cragg (Norway); Lindsey Dopheide (Ghana); Christian Knighten (Ghana); and Mason Villanueva (Ghana).
• Two students received Fulbright U.S. Student Scholarships: Seth Price to complete research in Jordan and Irma Ramirez to teach English in Guatemala. Additionally, Honors College student Thomas Walters received a spot in the Fulbright Summer Institute Program to study at Durham University in the United Kingdom.

At the April 6 Student Awards Convocation, the following students were celebrated for their outstanding achievement in their discipline:

• Ashley McFaden, Chinese studies
• Sorscha Jarman, liberal studies
• Kaley Bectel, Russian studies
• Mackenzie Kibbe, women, gender, and sexuality studies

Seven writing consultants from the Fred Meijer Center for Writing and Michigan Authors made presentations at the 20th Annual Michigan Writing Center’s Association Ideas Exchange on October 25, 2014, at Lansing Community College. The theme of the exchange was The Center of it All.

• Sarah Armand presented Playing to their Strengths: Games for Writing Groups.
• Nathan Holtrey and Jacqueline Vega presented Finding Our Center: Communication as Foundation for Collaborative Student Services.
• Anna White presented Cite This: Examining Citation Practices for Consultants and Students.
• Matt Whinnen presented The “Hurry Up” Writing Process and Other Tactics.
• Lindsey Wolpert and Katie Conigliaro presented Taste the Freakin Rainbow: Queering the Writing Center.