Cynthia Martinez was looking for a way to give back to her hometown. She found that outlet by creating a documentary about Upward Bound’s virtual summer session. The program is designed to enable low-income, first-generation students to thrive and prepare for college.
Christina Fecher’s heart for the hungry in her community inspired her to get involved with the annual Dancing with the Local Stars fundraiser.
Zeeland resident Heather Winia is dancing through life — and around the world — literally. She leads Groove classes regularly along the Lakeshore, providing a way for people to come together to have fun while getting fit.
The instrument was donated by the widow of a religion professor. Hope College sophomore Houston Patton plans to express his gratitude by playing his very best on the horn.
Emiliah Tanya Jo Odinsdottir reflects on the added burden of the COVID-19 pandemic on the poor.
Holland resident Anna Babinec cares for patients battling COVID-19 at Mercy Health in Muskegon. She shares what it's like to work among the "warrior angels" as the second wave of the pandemic continues to rage.
As an enumerator, Rick Martinez reached out in person, by phone, and through email to West Michigan residents who had not completed their 2020 Census. According to the Census Bureau, his follow-up work — and that of thousands of others — ensured responses from nearly all of those households nationwide.
Michael Sandoval was surprised when he received a Holland/Zeeland Promise Scholarship, which meant he could attend MSU without accumulating student debt. He credits summers spent in Upward Bound classes at Hope College with keeping him focused on what he wanted to achieve, academically and in life.
Growing up in a single-parent home taught this 2020 Holland High School graduate independence and resilience. Nelson Figueroa believes those attributes will serve him well at U-M, where he plans to study environmental engineering.
GVSU student Ciana Witherell explains why it’s time to stop seeing gender as black and white — or pink and blue. The lines of gender continue to blur, making it increasingly important to avoid assuming others’ gender and stop invalidating the identity of gender non-binary individuals, they say.
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