This weekend I joined the City of Portage volunteer group to help clean up debris from the tornadoes that hit last week. I was astounded and overwhelmed by the amount of damage I saw as I walked through neighborhoods to move brush and trash to the curbs. I found myself wondering how we will ever clean up the mess - the giant piles of enormous uprooted and snapped off trees seem like they will take years to remove. I felt that my small efforts to help were just a drop in the bucket and probably weren't worth much. However, I reminded myself that great things happen through small steps: cleaning up after a disaster, raising a family, changing lives through education - they all are enormous projects that are only achieved by small bites, day after day. I hope, at the very least, that my clean-up efforts sent the message that our community cares for those who were impacted by the tornadoes. In the end, I might not be able to do much alone, but when I unite with a whole community, we can achieve great things. Thank you to all of you for the small and large things you do to make our community a better place. Together, we can make an impact.
If you would like to contribute funds to help with the tornado recovery efforts, the Kalamazoo Community Foundation and our local United Way are collecting donations which they will forward to the nonprofits that are helping displaced families. To donate to the relief fund, visit kalfound.org
Alisha Siebers
Associate Vice President for College Advancement
and Executive Director for the KVCC Foundation asiebers@kvcc.edu
269.488.4821
Scholarship Recipient Spotlight - Anthony Willmore
Anthony Willmore became a double amputee at the age of two due to a birth defect. Throughout his life, the 30-year-old Kalamazoo native has tackled many tasks with drive and determination. But a tight budget almost derailed his college education. That's why he's so thankful to have received the Maxey Family Industrial Trades Scholarship. The $1,000.00 scholarship assisted in covering the cost of books and tuition.
Willmore took general education courses and studied multi-media design after graduation from Kalamazoo Central High School in 2011. He returned to Kalamazoo Valley in 2019 to study automotive technology. "I've always had an interest in cars," Willmore said. A relative who said, "If you love cars so much you should enroll in the automotive program," prompted his return to college.
"I was almost at a point of dropping out," said Willmore, explaining that the expense of books, tuition, gas and class supplies was a burden for him and his low-income family. "The scholarship gave me breathing room. It gave me relief and allowed me to continue."
In addition to being determined, Willmore has learned to be creative. "I know I'm different from other students. They use brute strength. I've had to adapt and find my way of doing things. Instead of accepting how things are, I adapt to find my way of doing it." Outside of the classroom and auto lab, he's had plenty of car maintenance experience tinkering with his project car, a 2000 BMW 3 Series. "I've enjoyed using that car to learn," he said. "It's been disassembled a dozen times."
His parents had doubts about his ability to work on cars, but Willmore has consistently demonstrated that where there's a will, there's a way. "Now they see that I'm turning a hobby into a career," he said. He considers obstacles a learning opportunity. "I like to absorb information. You never know when it will come back to you and be useful later in life," he said. "Everything is an investment. Whether it's time or money, it's going to pay off in the long run."
It took some time for him to discover his passion, but Willmore is certain about his path now. His goal is to work in an independent auto shop or in a performance shop. "Don't give up just because you had a bad experience. Continue to experiment and find out where you fit," is his advice to others.
Willmore said his automotive instructors have all been encouraging. He's grateful to everyone who believes in him. "I'm profoundly thankful for the scholarship," he said. "It gave me hope to finish what I started. I don't forget what people have done for me. I will always be grateful for that."
2024 Valley Giving Week Update The KVCC Foundation would like to express our sincere appreciation to all of you for your contributions to the 2024 Valley Giving Week appeal -- it was a great success! During this time, the Foundation was able to raise over $5,000 in new gifts and payroll deduction pledges. This coupled with $6,600 of existing payroll deduction gifts brings the combined gifts and pledges from donors, faculty and staff to over $11,600 for unrestricted financial assistance to students.
Valley donors, faculty and staff overwhelmingly continue to support students with your time, talent and treasure. We appreciate you and everything you do to make a difference in the life of a student!
Kalamazoo Valley Community College Hosts Open House for its New Cosmetology and Barbering School
The public is invited to tour Kalamazoo Valley Community College's new School of Cosmetology and Barbering Thursday, May 23 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The nearly 10,000 square-foot lab space is located in a renovated building on the college's Texas Township Campus and includes the cosmetology school's salon and spa and the barbering school's barbershop. Staff will be available to answer questions about the new school and its program offerings. Kalamazoo Valley will provide noncredit, employer-recognized credentials which will prepare students to take state cosmetology and barbering licensing exams with the possibility to build upon these certifications. Learn more about this exciting new program here.
New Interactive Exhibit Illuminates the Wonders of Skin Explore the shape-shifting, color-changing and adaptable nature of skin and the technological innovations it inspires in the interactive, traveling exhibit "Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity," available from Feb. 10, 2024 through June 2, 2024 at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. The free exhibit aims to inspire wonder and curiosity about this uniquely complex organ, illustrate the incredibly adaptive properties of skin across all organisms, and spark dialogue and reflection about skin's role in shaping human culture and identity.
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