GVSU Education Programs News
Education student commencement story
December 02, 2025
Breezy Rusher decided to attend Grand Valley because it offered affordability, a beautiful campus, a good education program, and, being from Grand Rapids, it was close to home for him.
Rusher is graduating in December as a double-major in group social studies and secondary education. During his time at Grand Valley, he has taken advantage of every opportunity to pursue his passions beyond the classroom.
“I want to say I was in a total of 16 organizations at one time, during my first year,” said Rusher.
A handful of his past involvements include the Asian Student Union, Black Student Union, Latino Student Union, National Science Teacher Association and African Student Council.
“My favorite involvement, which will probably remain my favorite for a long time to come, is my experience founding, being president of and then shifting to the alumni chair of the Educators of Color Network. That was something really magical,” said Rusher.
The Educators of Color Network (ECN) provides community, networking, scholarship, support and professional development opportunities, as well as financial resources, alumni advocacy, and inspiration to future educators of color.
Rusher has found great value in having the support of a community with shared interests and concerns. This community, he said, stretches beyond graduation for its members.
“I still am in contact with the people who graduated the year I came in. It’s really meaningful, having that kind of long-term connection," he said.
Besides his extensive involvement on campus, Rusher has also been involved in faculty-led research projects, something he says he has always loved.
“Even though my major is social studies, I started off as a biology kid. So I was always very familiar with the concept of lab experiments and research and scientific methods,” he said. “I think one of the things about research that I’ve always loved is the way it inspires curiosity.”
Rusher explained how research is a way for him to dig deeper, questioning concepts widely accepted as fact. “You also get to see how messy the world really is," he said. "I think there's a lot of times that, as much as I love the classroom, it can be a little sanitized.”
As a McNair Scholar, Rusher conducted and presented his own research project at Student Scholars Day in April. That project focused on the experiences of Black educators from the 1970-1990s, a period in which he found a disturbing gap, which lacked evidence of those voices. By promoting his research, Rusher was an example of exactly what he hoped to promote, sharing his voice as a person of color in the world of academia.
Rusher also served as a Cook Leadership Academy lead fellow. Through that experience, he was able to mentor others, something he said allowed him to explore a side of teaching he can apply in his professional future.
“One thing I’m finding through my experiences in the classroom is, yes, I get to teach kids, but I also have an opportunity to mentor children, as well," he said. "I really hope and aim to try to help people become better people. I think, if I have to put it in simplest terms, I want to help make good citizens.”
The article photo by Kendra Stanley-Mills shows Breezy Rusher in the Mary Idema Pew reading garden.
This story was originally posted on GVNext. For more information on this story, contact University Communications - (616) 331-2221.
– Sofia Ellis is a student writer for University Communications.