Battle Creek center teams with nonprofits to host unique college fair

The GVSU Battle Creek Regional Outreach Center teamed with community partners in Battle Creek to host a unique college fair open to the public but geared toward special populations in the area.

The February 16 fair was supported by the Burma Center, Voces and the Southwestern Michigan Urban League. Those nonprofit organizations support, respectively, the Burmese, Latino and Black/African American populations.

Al Shifflett, director of community engagement for the regional outreach center, said more than 100 people participated and engaged with admissions representatives from Grand Valley and 11 other colleges or universities, plus staff from three military branches and the host community organizations.

Translation services were available in Burmese and Spanish, and some parents or guardians used headphones to listen to presentations.

"The event really exceeded our expectations," Shifflett said. "Grand Valley is really the educational partner of choice in the area and we were so pleased to team up with these organizations that have such a rich history and tremendous impact in Battle Creek."

Shifflett added students, and their parents and guardians, were pleased to learn more about the Grand Valley Pledge, the program that offers free tuition to new, first-year students who have family incomes of less than $50,000.

Matthew Bozzo, career navigator in Battle Creek, works closely with students and administrators at Battle Creek Central High School. Bozzo partnered with Noah Hollander, executive principal, to secure transportation to take students to the fair. Nearly 30 ninth-12th grade students participated. 

"They said it was so rewarding and they learned a lot," Bozzo said. "It was great to have bus transportation, which eliminated any barriers of getting to the fair at the Burma Center."

Two T4 Scholars, Logan Goins and Monica Mawi, attended. The T4 Scholarship program will assist students who participated in REP4 sessions and who would be the first in their family to go to college.