Permanent link for When Life Doesn't Stop, Invest In Yourself on January 28, 2021

Nicole Proctor is an awe-inspiring adult student at Grand Valley State University Traverse City Regional Center working towards a December graduation with her Bachelors of Integrative Studies with a concentration in social work.

In Nicole’s words she is a “non-traditional student”. After hearing her story, you cannot help but be in awe of her courage, drive, and ability to lead by example for her family and friends while lending a loving and grace giving hand to others.

It is not easy to explain the test of resilience to your child, but actions speak when you do not have the words. 

Nicole did just that, she took action to better herself and her family during the most difficult time she has ever faced in her life, the loss of her wonderfully talented and caring son due to illness.

Nicole recalled, “two years after obtaining my Associates Degree I was returning to undergraduate school. Attending courses in a classroom setting was unnerving.”

Nevertheless, Nicole made a commitment to herself and her daughter to go back to school in 2018 not only to invest in her future but also to inspire her daughter to keep pushing through and finish high school in the face of immense sorrow and devastation. It certainly wasn’t easy to keep moving forward with what felt like a hole in her heart but she chose to rise up in the face of adversity and take each day one at a time for two years!  

Nicole shared, “I got tired of being held under a thumb by not having a certain degree. I wanted to open up possibilities in jobs and I had to do something. I want to better things for myself and my family to have better opportunities.”

Like many, Nicole went to college right after high school but landed a great job causing her to leave college, focus on her career, and start a family with her husband. They became proud parents to their son and daughter in 2000 and 2002. 

During the last couple years of Nicole’s nine year career as an Administrative Assistant at the Cheboygan-Otsego-Presque Isle Educational Service District, she found that she took interest in talking with the social workers within their working circle to better understand their roles. 

Nicole met two social workers who became friends of hers. During such a difficult time they offered great counsel, guidance, and advice while Nicole worked through her son’s illness, loss, and grieving process. 

During this time, she encouraged Nicole to go towards her goal to get into the Master of Social Work program at GVSU. She invigorated and reminded Nicole that she had all the qualities of a great social worker along with a deeply personal perspective on what it was like to have people help and guide during such arduous times.  

Nicole confirmed, “ Social work appeals to me because I like working with people in various capacities, providing resources to learn something new or make something easier for someone. Especially when it’s hard to understand what is going on through certain situations in life and the decisions you have to make… Our journey through MAYO clinic was gratefully influenced by the social worker assigned to us. She gave insight, and information that helped us through our stay, providing important resources about the area, that we wouldn't have known about if it wasn't for her knowledge. This appealed to me as it was such valuable and resourceful information that helped bring some calm, and control in one area of our turbulent situation. I hope to accomplish this one day for someone else, to be part of a valuable resource for someone to bring that calm and control to one part of their storm even if it's something small.” 

Nicole wasn’t able to go back to college as a traditional on campus student. GVSU’s Traverse City Regional Center  was exactly what Nicole was looking for to accomplish her dreams and show her daughter that no matter what life throws at you, invest in yourself, keep going, and you will accomplish your goals. 

GVSU LEADS program was the flexible path she needed to fit around her lifestyle as a wife, daughter, mother, and employee. Nicole commuted from Cheboygan to Traverse City. She shared, “ The two hour drive was something I looked forward to. It was beautiful, especially in the fall, and allowed me to relax and clear my head.”

Nicole’s local GVSU advisor helped map out the path to her new future as a social worker and she is so thankful to be completing her Integrative Studies Bachelor’s Degree in December 2020 through the LEAD accelerated program.

Nicole’s husband is extremely proud of her drive. Nicole’s daughter is happy to see her graduate as well. She looks forward to spending more time with her mom versus study time at the table. 

Nicole’s daughter graduated high school and is now going to college thanks to the inspiration of her mom and the encouragement from both her parents.

Nicole was accepted to the GVSU School of Social work Masters program and started her next educational chapter on January 19th! 

Nicole's final thoughts, “I guess if I've made it this far, I can keep going to the finish line!!!”  

If you are wondering what next steps you can take to move through life with purpose and compassion, reach out to the friendly and helpful staff at GVSU’s Traverse City Regional Center to learn more and start the conversation of your future possibilities.

Posted on Permanent link for When Life Doesn't Stop, Invest In Yourself on January 28, 2021.

Permanent link for A Non-Linear Path & Practice In Vulnerability on January 26, 2021

What started out as a final thesis for graduation; transitioned into a practice of vulnerability to allow one’s self to reflect for internal growth.

Ivy Baillie is a Grand Valley State University 2020 Integrative studies graduate. Her collegiate journey has been self-proclaimed as “unconventional” with taking her time to find herself and rediscover her passion for writing. Six years of twists and turns to ultimately return to creative writing and complete her degree. In Ivy’s words, “For me, school in general was never a linear path- school has been a foil to where I am at in my life.”

Ivy’s journey started like many after high school. She went to college right away and chose a creative studies program in Detroit for her freshman year. Things changed for her with a decision to return to Traverse City to finish an associate at Northwestern Michigan College in freshwater studies. Still not aligning with her true passion, Ivy took time off from school.

Many of her friends were finishing college and graduating. Ivy enjoyed high school and was a dedicated student but found herself in a difficult and unknown time in her life. Feeling defeated and not knowing what life path to take next, she decided to explore educational options.

Somewhere along the way she was introduced to the GVSU Integrative Studies Program available through the GVSU Traverse City Regional Center.

At that time Ivy met her now faculty advisor and future professor, Kate Fairman. Ivy had an honest conversation about where she was at and felt an immediate connection with Kate.

Three years ago, Ivy made the big decision to re-start school at GVSU part-time. She was able to have her feet in both worlds, school, and work life. Fall of 2019 Ivy committed a full-time year and summer to finish her last classes and gain her Integrative Studies Degree. She reflected, “I am really excited and didn’t think I was going to be able to finish. I had written my degree off and was so glad to get back to school through the support of GVSU.”

Not only did Ivy complete her Integrative Studies Degree but she graduated with an award-winning final project thesis.

Ivy received the highly esteemed 3^rd annual Stanley Krohmer Award, which is a selected final senior project that embodies all that Stan is, especially his creative spirit. Her final project was selected by her professors as the strongest project, amongst her colleagues in Traverse City and Grand Rapids. 

Typically, the winner provides an in-person presentation during the award ceremony to discuss their final senior project, however this year was a virtual event. Please enjoy the short overview video of Ivy’s presentation below and we encourage you to watch the full presentation here.

Ivy’s final project was meant to be fully engrained in what she loves, creative writing. Through this process she came across two pieces of literature that became the inspiration around her final thesis. Ivy found her old journals from high school along with a chapbook collection of poems written by Brady Bell. While on campus in Detroit her freshman year, Brady’s friend gifted Brady’s Chapbook to her. Brady had passed away and his friends wanted to showcase his writing to honor who he was.  Although Ivy never had the opportunity to meet Brady in person, she dedicated her thesis to Brady Bell and what he taught her through his writing.

Ivy found a lot of comfort in his writing as he laid himself out on paper for all to see. His writings invigorated Ivy’s joy and directed a path for her thesis, understanding more about identity. Ivy had been struggling with her own identity for many years and this was the breakthrough she needed to further extend herself and honor Brady’s literature.

Through the reflection of Brady’s writings and her own journals, Ivy took a deeper dive not only into identity but vulnerability in her own writings with a scholarly view of identity and amateur literature. She focused on self-branding, authenticity, relationship with the author, poetry, and ultimately creating her own Chapbook.

When Ivy found she was the Stanley Krohmer Award winner she felt she was being hypocritical of her own work by omitting some uncomfortable vulnerability of her own struggle with substance abuse and other identity questions. Ivy wrote her own chapbook that consisted of a piece of writing from each of her journal entries to retrace each year since high school, which she has not only courageously shared with her friends and family, but also made available on her website at Ivybaillie.com. Her website also took shape as she wants to transition to a freelance writer now that she has graduated.

Ivy wanted to extend a big thanks to Kate Fairman as her most influential GVSU faculty member. Without her guidance and encouragement, she would not have found the program nearly as enriching. In Ivy’s words, “Kate is a very gentle soul and never tough love but just loving and makes you feel seen. I totally cherish her, her spark, and her hands-off approach to feel like you were standing beside her and not behind her. Kate is a Wonder Woman I was lucky enough to have as a faculty advisor and a professor of 5 classes- the most one on one person for me at GVSU.”

Ivy’s final piece of advice, “I would have wanted to do away with the expectation of what you think extended education should be and accept it for what it is. Embrace the journey. The pressure that you might put on yourself to get through school is unnecessary.”

If you’d like to discover options for continued adult education that fits with your passion and current lifestyle, take a look at our online accelerated bachelors degree for adults and speak with our advisors. 

Posted on Permanent link for A Non-Linear Path & Practice In Vulnerability on January 26, 2021.

Permanent link for Align Your Values. Find Your Passion & Purpose. Navigate Life on October 12, 2020

Brendan O’Donnel has followed his passions to work on tallships, lead wilderness adventure trips, and serve as a high school teacher in the AmeriCorps.  “I never imagined I would go back to school,” Brendan said. Yet, he recently graduated with a Master’s of Social Work from Grand Valley State University’s Traverse City Regional Center campus.

Align Your Values

After earning his Bachelor’s degree in 2007, Brendan didn’t believe that additional university education was essential to the life he was living. That is until he found himself burnt out and lacking in true satisfaction at work while living in Traverse City. Historically whenever this feeling of restlessness crept up on him, Brendan moved to a new tallship, a new city. But this time he wanted to invest in the community he now called home.

“I had honestly never even considered social work as an interest.” Brendan started exploring the field after his own therapist mentioned that he might consider it as a career option. He quickly learned that the profession of social work is founded upon the values of care, service, and equity – three values that Brendan himself holds most dear.

During his research phase, Brendan spoke with several advisors from various university partners at the NMC University Center, including multiple staff at the GVSU Traverse City Regional Center. “The fact that I could stay in Traverse City and go to graduate school was the icing on the cake,” he said. Brendan decided to enroll in the GVSU MSW program for the fall of 2016.

Find Your Passion & Purpose

Each social work class reinforced his hunch that social work would be a fulfilling profession. The small class sizes and personal connections with professors both in Traverse City and downstate on main campus let students make the most of their class time and deeply explore the topics being taught.

“No one’s academic education can completely prepare you for work, but you learn how to think and with rigor,” recalls Brendan. “I was happy to find an institution that focused more on how a person could think about how to approach challenges.”

Asked what advice Brendan would give to anyone thinking about pursuing social work, he stated, “Figure out what you are curious and passionate about. I have generally found the most fulfillment and success by feeding my curiosity. Go out and learn more. That is time never wasted.”

Navigate Life

Brendan puts these critical thinking skills to the test each day at work in both his work roles. He works full-time as a Social Work Supports Coordinator at Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Michigan. In addition, he has a part-time clinical therapy practice at Mental Wellness Counseling. “I spend lots of time working in systems that people don't want to think about. On any given day I could find myself talking to client’s children as they confront the complexity, grief, and uncertainty of how and when to activate a Medical Power of Attorney or petition for Guardian during their parent’s dementia progression. When exactly are mom’s choices so risky that her ability to make her own decisions should be legally curtailed?

Another day I will spend hours calling companies who provide in-home care in an attempt to find a caregiver to help a physically disabled elder take a safe shower in rural northern Michigan, in February. Or work to piece together transportation for medical appointments in communities with little to no public transportation and the medical service provider they need is an hour or more away.

Later that same day I might be holding space as a married couple explain how their social security income or pension are $20 dollars over the income criteria to qualify for Medicaid and instead they have to shop for an affordable Medicare Advantage or supplemental plan, while Parkinson’s slowly strips away their physical function.

“If this first year as a social worker has done one thing it has deepened my resolve that the systems of health care and insurance, Social Security, affordable housing, and accessible mental health care, need to be stripped to the studs and rebuilt to center human dignity and wellbeing.”

Brendan continues to benefit from the folks who supported him throughout his educational journey and he is grateful for his partner, Betsy, their dog, Pax, as well as the community of friends in the Traverse City region, and the community at the University Center. “Everyone gave so much support and reassurance. We don’t really accomplish anything alone.”

If you are looking to fuel your curiosity, reach out to Jackie Abeyta at Grand Valley State University Traverse City Regional Center to get started. It only takes an email [email protected] or a phone call 231-995-1785 to take the next step in your life fulfilling journey.

Posted on Permanent link for Align Your Values. Find Your Passion & Purpose. Navigate Life on October 12, 2020.

Permanent link for It's Never Too Late To Reinvent Yourself on August 18, 2020

Cari Bellicini is an Allied Health Science Pre-PA emphasis adult student at Grand Valley State University Traverse City Regional Center and currently finishing her practicum at the Heart Clinic as the Heart Failure Clinical Coordinator/Medical Assistant. 

Cari is no stranger to perseverance and drive when life sends you curve balls. She decided to go back to school to reinvent herself and her career after some much-needed acts of kindness and encouragement.

2013 presented an extremely tough year as the economy started a downturn and her ten-year career as a registered polysomnographic sleep technologist was, all in 1 day no longer; she received the news of being laid off in February of 2013.

The same night Cari was laid off the most serendipitous moment happened that changed the course of her future.  In tears and uncertainty, she got into the elevator to leave work for the last time. One of the cardiologists, on the floor below, had intended on taking the elevated down to the parking lot, instead he accidentally walked into the elevator ascending to where Cari stood to leave work for the last time. When Cari boarded the elevator, he noticed she was crying so inquired as to what was wrong. Cari explained that she had just been laid off. 

The very next morning, Cari received a call from Human Resources,  Dr. Miranda had reached out to them to ask that she apply for his medical assistant (MA) position. As his current MA had just put in her 1 month resignation. She applied for the position, and was working within a week of being laid off. Being someone that goes above and beyond, led Cari to consider going back to school. As an MA she had reached the most advanced availability to an MA and wanted to branch out to be able to help patients more directly. 

With Dr. Miranda’s encouragement, Cari made the decision to go back to school for her Allied Health Science Degree with a Pre-Physicians Assistant Studies emphasis through GVSU’s Traverse City Regional Center.  GVSU was an easy choice with it being close to home for Cari and allowing her to continue to work full-time. 

Cari is currently finishing a practicum through the Heart Failure Clinic. Even with the drastic changes made by COVID-19, Cari was able to stay on course for graduating this August! The practicum experience allowed her to work with the Heart Failure Clinic team to improve a process to effectively communicate with patients 7-10 days after discharge.

Cari’s new process involves building a team and timeline around these patients to communicate with all home health nurses and telehealth nurses checking vitals as well as educating the patient for lifestyle changes. This includes information to better understand food labels for more healthy options during this major change in their lives. This process has already been implemented and has been successful thus far

During the conversation, Cari stated, “I owe a lot of where I am today to Dr. Miranda. He put a lot of faith in me and I am very thankful for that. It hasn’t been easy, but perseverance allows you to get through it all. The sweet doesn’t taste as sweet until you taste the bitter. Don’t ever give up on what you are passionate about”

Cari also wanted to thank the many others that encouraged her to keep going through all the ups and downs. A special thanks to Jackie Abeyta, GVSU Traverse City Regional Advisor. She has not only been my advisor, but also my semi-counselor and cheerleader through this all. I also want to give a special thanks to Management at Michigan Heart and Vascular Specialists management, I would like to specifically name Sarah Petrowski: Operations Manager at Michigan Heart and Vascular Specialists, and Marla Clark , DNP, RN: Senior Director, Heart & Vascular Services, McLaren Northern Michigan. I was able to continue my education and drive to Traverse City 3 days a week from Petoskey while continuing to work full time.”

She is looking forward to completing her practicum and graduating with her bachelors degree this August. Her next goal is to pass the GRE and get into the Physicians Assistant Studies program next summer. 

Learn how you too can reinvent your career path. Schedule a no meeting with advisor, Jackie Abeyta to explore your passion and options.  

Posted on Permanent link for It's Never Too Late To Reinvent Yourself on August 18, 2020.

Permanent link for Librarian Designs Her Degree For The Ultimate Dream Job on July 31, 2020

Autumn Anderson is a soon to be Integrative Studies Graduate at Grand Valley State University’s Traverse City Regional Center. Autumn discovered her passion while in High school and was able to design a bachelor’s degree around her dream of becoming a librarian.

Autumn enrolled in early college programs at Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) while still in high school homeschooling. She began working at the NMC library with an interest in what the life of a librarian might be like. The more she gained experience the more she fell in love with the idea of becoming a librarian as her dream career. Autumn Explained, “It was totally what I wanted to do, and the librarians were my kind of people.” 

Pressing forward, she completed her Associates of Science and Art Basic at NMC. Autumn wanted to continue her education to receive a bachelor’s degree. She met with Jackie Abeyta, Student advisor at Grand Valley State University’s Traverse City Regional Center. Jackie was able to direct Autumn towards the Integrative Studies program. Autumn recalled, “Integrative Studies was interesting as it gives you the ability to tailor your degree to what you wanted.”

From there she worked with GVSU Traverse City Regional Center Advisor, Kate Fairman. Kate was a key leader in Autumn's choice of classes to help reach her goals. Autumn recounted, “it was hard to figure out at first. Even though it’s great to have the ability to create your own focus in your degree, there wasn’t always an easy clear pathway like most typical degrees. Kate Fairman really helped me figure out and decide what classes were right for me. We had a lot of meetings and emails. She really guided me through.”  

All her hard work has paid off. She will be completing her Bachelors of Integrative Studies with a library Studies focus this August after completing her practicum.

Autumn started her practicum at the Traverse Area District Library in May. The week before Michigan shut down, due to Covid-19, she had a meeting with her manager to outline what her duties would be, not realizing Michigan would go into lock down so soon. Unfortunately, Autumn's role changed drastically with the shutdown as most of her projects were outlined to be at the library and her new role suddenly became remote.

She adapted quickly and spent most of her initial time researching how other “class 6” Michigan libraries adapted to Covid-19 with a virtual presence online and in social media. When asked how she felt things have changed over the years with electronic vs. paperback books, Autumn said, “ We have a lot of capability for eBooks and audiobooks but there is still a lot of demand for hard copy and paperback books. It has been great to have the electronic ability to adapt to covid-19 so there wasn’t a lot of change there, but I prefer hard books and physical books myself. It just isn’t the same experience with electronic books.”

She looks forward to graduating in August and is very thankful to everyone that has been a part of her journey of success.

Autumn was able to carve out a path to her dream job as a Librarian and you can too! Call or email Jackie Abeyta to discover options that fit your goal and lifestyle.

Posted by Jacquelyn Abeyta on Permanent link for Librarian Designs Her Degree For The Ultimate Dream Job on July 31, 2020.

Permanent link for Moving Forward Amidst Uncertainty on June 22, 2020

During this unprecedented time, all Grand Valley State University Traverse City Regional Center students had to quickly adapt to the changing education environment of partial online classes to full-time remote online classes. During this transition many have taken the time to reassess their plans, dreams, and future.  For Chris Cox, he is still moving forward full steam ahead to pursue his dreams and aspirations.  

Chris just graduated with his Bachelors in Allied Health Sciences from Grand Valley State University’s Traverse City Regional Center and is applying for the Master of Physician Assistant Studies (PAS) . Chris is also a tutor at NMC for anatomy, physiology and chemistry. His road to success has taken many turns over the years as he learned and discovered what he wanted to pursue in his collegiate and professional life.

Chris started his collegiate career in nursing school at Eastern Michigan University several years ago but decided to leave the nursing program to become a paramedic for the next six years. Chris spent the first two years in Flint and the last four years in southeast Michigan. During this time, he joined a group of PAS students from Eastern as the only paramedic to go to Haiti through the Foundation for Peace program. This experience changed his life as it made him realize his passion for serving and aiding underserved and rural populations as well as how important education and sustainability is.

After three years, Chris was finally able to go back to Haiti this past February. It was certainly a challenge as the border had been shut down for the past year due to unrest and this was the  only medical trip scheduled for the year. However, he was able to work with his Advisors from GVSU Traverse City Center to create a flexible schedule to travel and complete his studies simultaneously. After Chris returned it wasn’t long before everything at school changed rapidly due to Covid-19.

Despite this time of uncertainty and change, Chris is very certain in his next steps for success. Chris has submitted his application for the Master of Physicians Assistant Studies program with an aim to combine his paramedic experience with a PA position.

Chris described his dream job as leading a community paramedic program. Ultimately a PA who works under a medical director that handles the protocols for paramedics in community paramedicine.

Chris further explained that the community paramedicine goal is to keep people out of the hospital by allowing paramedics the training and the use of resources such as; administering certain tests out in the field that would normally be done within the hospital- examples are blood and urine tests. The goal is to meet the needs of the community and the system to fill the gaps on what people need without being hospitalized.

Chris further explained a hypothetical scenario of paramedics being dispatched to see a patient that had disabilities or mobility restrictions, who had UTI’s frequently.  It is difficult to get these types of patients to and from the hospital as it causes a lot of stress on the body and then having to sit in the ER when in this type of situation, wasn’t an emergency. This also presents an opportunity to lower the risk of nosocomial infections and lower exposure chances to things such as Covid-19. 

His dream role as a PA heading up the Community Paramedicine Program is to provide a remote assessment to give the OK to have the onsite paramedic teamwork on the situation rather than going into the ER.

Although Traverse City does not have a program like this currently, Washtenaw and Monroe County Michigan and Georgia have adopted this technique. During uncertain times like this, change is necessary and new leaders like Chris Cox have the skill sets, drive, and creativity to help bring new ideas to the forefront.

Chris wanted to give a special shout out to both Jackie Abeyta, GVSU Traverse City Regional Center Academic Advisor and Shannon Owen, Director of Northern Michigan Programs to say, “thank you both for being amazing people and super supportive. You two are one of the reasons I fell in love with GVSU.”

Take charge of your future and move forward by scheduling an appointment with Jackie Abeyta to start the conversation about your next steps to success. 

Posted by Jacquelyn Abeyta on Permanent link for Moving Forward Amidst Uncertainty on June 22, 2020.

Permanent link for Connecting Community to the Classroom on June 16, 2020

Head west of Traverse City and, if you know where to look, you might find a unique community of families sharing a co-owned property of nearly 90 acres with sustainability in mind. Grand Valley State University faculty advisor Kate Fairman is one of those residents, and her commitment to community and sustainability is reflected in her life and her work on campus.

 Kate is a co-creator of Telford Farm, an intentional community in Cedar, Michigan which is devoted to ongoing practices of consensus decision-making and environmental best-practices. This includes implementing a conservation easement, bird sanctuary, and invasive species management as well as several “small experiments” in raising pigs, cows, chickens, maintaining a vineyard, fruits, vegetables, and forest edibles. Kate’s work as a sustainable home designer and builder (straw/clay construction and reused material) has been featured in Reuse Building Material tours and the Grand Rapids Press.  It seems that the Telford Farm community provides an excellent life-long learning opportunity for her to practice and fulfill her passion for sustainability and reverence for the environment.

Kate’s educational journey started with a BS in “Creative Process in Education” with specialization in Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont and also includes a MS in Natural Resource Planning, Management, and Behavior from University of Michigan (1996). “When I first moved to Traverse City, my husband and I started an environmental education consulting business and helped develop curricula for several area organizations including the watershed center, the regional math, science and technology center and New Designs for Growth. Notably, “we implemented a “Water Watch” program with 20 to 25 area schools, getting teachers and students involved in water-quality monitoring, understanding watersheds, and presenting their data and results to the community at a “student congress” of over 500 students and community members.” 

At GVSU, Kate currently teaches a number of courses that relate to sustainability.  A favorite course is a Wicked Problems in Sustainability class, focusing on the “wicked” complexity of energy issues. Kate involves students in community problem solving, and encourages students to experiment with their own project of sustainability efforts.  Fairman says “We examine various sources of energy, address the pros and cons of each, but more importantly, student groups experiment with implementing a small project helping our community to move towards positive solutions.  Students have worked on solar projects, brought awareness to single-use plastics or pipeline issues by organizing film screenings, and met with governmental representatives,” to name a few of the many action-oriented student projects.

Kate has been the primary faculty advisor for the Traverse City Regional Center since 2013, and she has taught for GVSU since 2007.  

GVSU’s Traverse City Regional Center is well-suited to help students in the Integrative Studies Program make their scholastic ambitions a reality, helping students create a unique course of study that can associate with immediate needs in the local community—and the nation.  “Integrative Studies is, in part, learning to be an active member or an active citizen within your community,” she said. 

For more information about the Integrative Studies Program or to connect with Kate Fairman the Faculty Advisor at the GVSU Traverse City Regional Center, contact Shannon Owen, Director of Northern Michigan Programs for Grand Valley State University at 231.995.1785 or gvsu.edu/traverse.
 

Posted by Jacquelyn Abeyta on Permanent link for Connecting Community to the Classroom on June 16, 2020.

Permanent link for Leading In Uncertain Times on June 5, 2020

Leading In Uncertain Times

Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) Teachers and faculty have no doubt risen to the challenge of leading during this uncertain time. Biz Ruskowski and Katie Bonne are leaders within TCAPS as well as adult students continuing their education at Grand Valley State University Traverse City Regional Center. Biz Ruskowski is a TCAPS Elementary Principle while Katie is a TCAPS Interventionist.

When Governor Whitmer announced Thursday evening March 12^th that K-12 schools across Michigan were to close for 3 weeks; neither Biz nor Katie would have predicted how the rest of the school year was going to unfold. Both recount that they really thought school would be shut down for the original three weeks with one of the weeks being spring break.

Biz recalls a powerful think tank of TCAPS leaders beginning the conversation, in early March, about what an extended closure might look like. “At that point we didn’t know the severity but were planning and thinking about a two to three-week closure. One of the big things we were worried about was the meals program for students and what that would look like along with how to deliver curriculum to kids three to ten years old that may not have a computer.” Next week things changed extremely fast and suddenly schools were announced Thursday at 11:00 p.m. by the governor to be closed by the following Monday and with already waining attendance during the week, TCAPS chose to close face to face school Friday at the end of school day with less than a 24-hour notice. 

Biz explained, “I think my biggest role on that day was being a cheerleader for staff.” She pulled together a quick meeting with her staff and said, “I know you are hearing lots of rumors and I don’t have all the answers. I had us all take three deep breaths and said to just allow yourself to breath and have fun with kids today. We are going to figure this out but today we are going to just have fun with the kids.”

The mindset of a three-week closure pushed forward the first-round attempt to keep students on track by sending home printed packets with enough activities to last one to two weeks along with electronic format information as well.

As a TCAPS Interventionist, Katie Bonne was a big part of getting the packets prepared for students and assisting teachers in uploading necessary activities and information online. Katie recalls her team being deployed on the Wednesday before schools closed and the abrupt change and sense of urgency to get packets completed once schools were officially announced to close that Friday.

Big wins took place with meal plans figured out, students set up with their at home learning packets, and online learning; things seemed to be going smoothly.

However, during the week of spring break (third week) Governor Whitmer made the announcement that schools would be closed for the remainder of the year. The TCAPS administrative team including Biz and other principles sprang into action. Tasked with first writing a district plan of curriculum to be submitted to the state. Without this plan submitted and approved, remote learning could not take place.

After the remote learning plan was approved by the state, Katie was on the front lines of executing the plan. Her main priorities were to navigate the new technology that was going to be used to connect teachers with their students and parents. Katie passionately stated, “We needed to keep that connection with our students and also the connection to meet kids and family needs.” Hot spots and devices became available for families to pick up so their children could continue at home learning remotely.

As TCAPS is rounding it’s sixth week of remote learning, both Katie and Biz shared their personal challenges with the transition as well as how thankful and impressed they have been with their staff and colleagues to rise and exceed the challenges of Covid-19 school closures.

Biz explained, “the most powerful thing for me and my building is the level at where the teachers were at the beginning and where they are now with technical communication skills. All my staff are very skilled communicators and maintain good relationships with students and family. Where it became scary for them was the traditional way of defining a relationship was now being taken away from them and they now had to rapidly learn new technology skills to stay connected with their students and families.” 

Katie said, “ Everyone is progressing and I think our teachers have done an amazing job with being open minded and rising to the challenge. My team constantly checks in on each other's mental health. We are all trying hard to go above and beyond to provide emotional support.”

Both Biz and Katie talked about the positive changes and perspective that have come out of this difficult time of leading.

Katie shared that everyone has been able to get to know their students in a different way and this has helped bring the teaching community together even though they are far apart. But she emphasized they certainly miss each other very much.

Biz shared that she has been so impressed with how staff have adapted, risen to the everyday challenges, and really become creative to maintain a fun learning environment. “At this point I only have 1 family out of 400 that I haven’t connected with at least once. Generally, it’s just a case of not being able to connect or understand the platform so we continue to send paper packets to those families. Support staff has also rolled up their sleeves to be available to assist with technical questions that families might have.”

Biz shared another creative change has been hosting their morning announcements on Facebook live. She started them out  then allowed other teachers to host and get creative with them. One of her teachers shot a rocket off in his backyard and another had a Star Wars theme. It has been a fun way to keep in touch with students.

No one could have predicted this unprecedented time. One thing is for certain, the TCAPS leadership has evolved and reached far beyond expectations. Both Katie and Biz wanted to extend a personal thanks to their teams.

Katie expressed gratitude to her principals and curriculum leaders at TCAPS; Kirk Ranney, Britany Kay, Kirsten Morgan, and Kate Burwinkle.

Biz shared a heartfelt thank you to her husband and sons along with a huge shout out to her Administrative Assistants Jill and Missy, who have been on this journey with her every step of the way.  She also credits her TCAPS Principal colleagues and Executive team, as well as her whole staff, and the kids and families at Eastern Elementary. 

If you would like to learn more about extended learning educational programs offered at Grand Valley’s Traverse City Regional Center, reach out to schedule a remote conversation with Jackie Abeyta, GVSU Traverse City Regional Center advisor.

Posted by Jacquelyn Abeyta on Permanent link for Leading In Uncertain Times on June 5, 2020.

Permanent link for On The Front Lines Of COVID-19 on May 22, 2020

Rachel Zemanek and Mikayla Thorman are Northern Michigan Paramedics and students pursuing a Bachelor in Allied Health Sciences at Grand Valley State University’s Traverse City Regional Center. They have graciously taken time out of their busy schedules for a phone interview to get a glimpse of their life as front liners during the covid-19 pandemic. 

While they both have similar jobs, how their paramedic journey started and how it has changed during covid-19 is uniquely different. One thing they agree on; emergencies do not just stop during a pandemic.

Rachel is a full-time paramedic at East Bay Ambulance along with being a full-time student. Rachel's journey towards this admirable occupation came when she started her collegiate career in journalism. As she interviewed and wrote about others making a difference, she realized she wanted to be a part of something bigger and make more of an impact herself. She started an EMT program in Colorado and when she decided to move back to Michigan to be closer to her family she chose to finish her degree at GVSU’s Traverse City Regional Center and continue working in the emergency medicine side of healthcare.

Mikayla’s path was paved through the loving influence of her family. Her father is the Fire Chief in East Jordan and wanted to get back into EMS. Mikayla helped her dad study for the tests, but her future sights were set on science and math at downstate colleges until her dad suggested looking into EMS while in high school. She dual enrolled at North Central Michigan College and took EMT courses. This was a great opportunity as she was able to get a job right out of high school at East Jordan EMS (Now known as Jordan Valley Emergency Medical Services Authority). Mikayla continued as a paid volunteer in Charlevoix, East Jordan, and Boyne City. When given scholarship opportunities for MSU and CMU she decided her love for EMT was greater and pursued her Paramedic License in 2015 and became full-time at Emmet County EMS. To go further, Mikayla reached out to Jackie Abeyta, Advisor/Student Service Coordinator to transition to Grand Valley State University Traverse City Center.

When asking about the changes, risks, and challenges since the onset of Covid-19; each could relate to the fast-paced protocol changes.

Middle of March is when things really started to evolve for Rachel. Her team started thinking about what they were going to do if the region saw an influx of cases, along with the best way to take care of each other and the community. It was an immediate upswing in purchasing and planning along with new sanitary protocols for equipment. Rachel is also the public information officer responsible for getting the daily covid-19 updates out to the public along with taking over the East Bay Ambulance Facebook page to help communicate with their community members more regularly.  

Mikayla also reported immediate protocol changes. More time is taken to disinfect and decontaminate the ambulance and equipment while adopting new methods such as the use of disinfecting UV lights inside the ambulance. Personal protection equipment (PPE) drastically changed as well with a full gown, longer gloves, and full-face respirators to keep the community safe and her team safe will they still make calls requiring entry to people’s homes. On site protocols also changed with only allowing 1 of the 2 paramedics inside the home, when typically, both would go in to help care and lift the patient onto the stretcher if needed.  

Both Mikayla and Rachel said one of the biggest challenges with everything is the decline and timeliness of 911 calls. Both stated they were receiving more last-minute calls to 911 with increased hesitation to allow the team to come into the home along with reluctancy and/or fear of going to the hospital.

Mikayla shared a difficult experience with a patient that was terrified of her coming into the home because of all the hazmat looking PPE gear along with difficulty being heard and understood through the respirator.  She had to talk the patient down and explain her PPE gear was just precaution. It was difficult to see the fear on the patient's face because of what she must wear. It was even harder to get the patient to go to the hospital due to fear of Covid-19 patients being there.

Rachel has also experienced a shift in behavior not only with delayed calls for 911 but also changes in mental and emotional health. During this pandemic there has been an increase in suicide patients with a lot more anxiety and depression. It has been taking a huge toll. “One thing that is so important, is that emergencies don’t stop because of a pandemic and people still need to call 911 when things happen and know it’s always open. We take every precaution we can.”

Rachel adds that it has been especially hard with taking people out of their homes and their family can’t come with them knowing they may never see them again. Paramedics are trained to act fast and remain vigilant but Rachel states that during this uncertain time it is about finding a balance of letting their family be with them for what could be their last moment. “At the end of the day, what’s really important is human connection and love for each other.”

Both Rachel and Mikayla remain positive with their team and focused on serving their community and the community has certainly shown their support in giving back.

Mikayla has been thankful for the community support through local donations of food and treats along with local distillery’s donating hand sanitizer. Seeing all the signs thanking essential workers has been heartwarming as well.

Rachel has also experienced amazing donations for food, homemade masks, and headbands. “Donations from the community have been really cool and just awesome to see people reciprocating and appreciating what we do.”

Both outstanding women have had a lot on their plate with just finishing up the semester of classes, which all shifted to remote learning as well as balancing their demanding professional lives. Somehow they find time and energy to keep themselves and their team in good spirits.

Rachel talked about the care between her EMS team- “we are so much more aware of our partners mental and physical health and talk with each other daily. We have really become close nit more than before.”

Mikayla perks up her EMS team’s spirits with homemade baked goods every Sunday- “I bake on Saturday nights and Sunday mornings to bring to work and everyone looks forward to it!” Baking also helps her relax, so it’s a win win for everyone.

Rachel and Mikayla wanted to give special thanks and appreciation to those that have really been there for them and their community during this time.

Rachel: “My boss Nick Lemcool- he is the ambassador for all the EMS agencies, working 7 days a week, and constantly putting out fires. He has been an amazing force of nature through this. All our local police- they have been through the ringer and may be overlooked. Special thanks to Officer Matt McKinley and Officer Preston Taylor, they are both really awesome!”

Mikayla: “My partner Erik, my parents, and my co-workers at ECEMS have been great and supportive. I’ve been very fortunate to have an amazing support system.  I’m really thankful to have such amazing mentors and friends. My mentors have instilled in me a drive to continually better myself and always do what’s best for the patients. I have also really appreciated the community and their support too.”

If you would like to discover what your story can be, Jackie Abeyta, GVSU Traverse City Regional Center advisoris here for you from start to finish and wants to see you succeed. All you have to do is start the conversation. That path is there, you just need to take it. Jackie can help you get started. Contact her today to set up your appointment. 

Posted by Jacquelyn Abeyta on Permanent link for On The Front Lines Of COVID-19 on May 22, 2020.

Permanent link for We Are In This Together on April 22, 2020

There is no doubt that Covid-19 has changed the way we all conduct our day to day lives. 

During these unprecedented and uncertain times Grand Valley State University’s Traverse City Regional Center is certain about the dedication to our students. We are in this together and still committed to our students, faculty and community. As soon as classes were no longer in person, Grand Valley State University Traverse City   Allied Health and Physician Assistant Studies program took deliberate and meaningful action to donate all protective equipment to Munson Medical Center. This included masks, gloves, hats, gowns, booties, and other personal protection equipment (PPE) used for class and clinical work. 

When Nicholus Kopacki, PAS Site Director-Traverse City, Assistant Program Director, and Affiliate Faculty Traverse City Campus, talked to his students, faculty and staff about donating all protective wear; it was no surprise that all were on board to help the local community workers at Munson Medical Center. Several have asked if there is more that can be done.

To show their gratitude the PAS students came together to create the below video for the staff as a token of their appreciation. Enjoy the below video of the PAS students to the GVSU Faculty. 

If you’d like to learn more about the Physician Assistant Studies program, RSVP and join us for a free virtual information session on May 1st, 2020 at 10am. This webinar will cover GVSU's MPAS program and criteria for application (as well as COVID-19 impact on application process), will introduce viewers to Traverse City Campus and will answer most commonly asked questions. You will also have an opportunity to ask questions. RSVP today. 

(Please note the video was created prior to mandate on social distancing)

Posted by Jacquelyn Abeyta on Permanent link for We Are In This Together on April 22, 2020.