Commencement stories: Graduates reflect on their time as Lakers

Fall Commencement is December 6 at Van Andel Arena.

Jennie Golaszewski said her emotions will be strong when she walks across the stage at Grand Valley’s Commencement Ceremony to receive her degree. 

After enrolling at GVSU in 2020, she found herself on a track filled with challenges that threatened to derail her. But she persevered, and she is proud to be the first person in her immediate family to earn a college degree.

“I feel very overwhelmed with ‘I did it.’ I feel very honored and blessed,” she said. “I am a part of the [first] generation of women in my family who is getting their degree.”

Golaszewski was inspired by her cousins to commit to earning a college degree. She saw them earning bachelor’s degrees and continuing on to pursue graduate degrees. If they could do it, she could too.

She chose Grand Valley because she had visited the campus while her brother was enrolled as a student. Her studies focused on her environment and sustainability major, a passion she credits to her hometown of Scottville’s proximity to Lake Michigan beaches near Ludington. 

Along with her major, Golaszewski has earned a minor in geospatial technology and three certificates in geographic information systems, environmental remote sensing and applied geographic information systems in natural resource management.

Partway through her collegiate career, Golaszewski’s pursuit of a degree almost came to an end when her biggest supporter in her family was unable to continue being part of her life. The loss left her listless, and she contemplated dropping out of GVSU.

“I felt very secluded,” she said. “I’m not someone who gives up, and having those feelings in my soul went against who I was.”

A friend suggested she go to Grand Valley’s Counseling Center for help, and it was there that she received advice that helped her recommit to her education. Golaszewski said her counselor recommended she reach out and build connections with her professors. So she did. Among those professors was Kin Ma, associate professor of geography and sustainable planning.

“I connected with [Ma], and he really changed my perspective of the skills that I have and what I can do,” Golaszewski said.

Golaszewski became more active, joining the Association of Student Geographers and Planners, where she has since become the vice president. She interned with the MiSTEM Network, where she works closely with Ma.

She said she is seeing the fruits of her hard work come through, including placing first for an undergraduate research poster competition at the American Association of Geographers East Lakes Regional this fall.

“Now that I’m to this point, I’m finally reaping the benefits of college,” she said. “In a sense, I turned my life around. I’m so much more confident stepping out into the world. I want to thank Alexandria Locher, Brian Trager, Paige Vermaat, Griffin Thompson, and Isak Davis for their support that guided me to success.”

As she prepares to walk across the ceremony stage, Golaszewski is already looking toward what is next for her. She said she hopes to work toward a graduate degree focused on environmental sustainability. But she is going to take the time to appreciate the moment.

“I’m excited to see Dr. Ma in the crowd, and all my friends and my parents and have this degree,” she said. “It’s going to be really meaningful.”

-- By Thomas Chavez

Late November marks the anniversary of Jericho Marcos’ first time seeing snow. He was 6 years old when he moved to Michigan from his home in Manila, Philippines.

“From that young an age, your memories feel more like a slideshow of pictures,” he reflected. “In the Philippines, it was always warm. My first time here it was cold. It was my first time wearing a jacket, and my first time seeing snow. I liked it, actually.” 

Seventeen years later, Marcos will soon graduate from Grand Valley with his bachelor's degree in occupational safety and health management.

The first-generation graduate hadn’t heard of the major when he transferred to GVSU from Grand Rapids Community College, but describes himself as “happily blessed” to have found it. “I just wish I had joined the program sooner,” he said.

Some of his favorite memories as a student center around his program, made up of a small but tight-knit group of students. 

“The program did a really great job with introducing us to companies in Grand Rapids,” he says. “We’d take tours around companies like Bissell, Sherwin-Williams and Perrigo. They did a really great job of getting us exposed to the industry.” 

Through his program, he has also had the opportunity to work as an environmental, health and safety (EHS) intern with Cytiva, a biopharmaceutical company located in Muskegon. 

A profession he is passionate about wasn’t the only thing Marcos found at GVSU. During his first semester at GVSU, he joined the Filipino American Student Association (FASA). He said he was able to build a deeper connection to his culture. 

“I was able to say, ‘Oh, there are other Filipinos like me.’ I got to tap more into my culture that I didn't know about. I joined FASA’s dance team, and we connected with other schools,” he said, recounting events and performances hosted alongside FASA clubs at the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Wayne State University and more. “It was incredible.” 

As for his advice for future Lakers, Marcos recalled what he told his sister, Antonette Paterno, when she started at GVSU – and he emphasized trying to find your identity, especially that first year.

“Find a program that you actually want to do for potentially the rest of your life," he said. "You’re not here for anyone else but yourself. Take it all at your own pace.”

– By Sarah Dudinetz

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.”

– Sofia Ellis is a student writer for University Communications.