FACES OF GRCC

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with my mom, so then I listened to her more, and my life changed a lot … My dad was very school oriented and my mom supported me more in basketball, so there was some tension sometimes.” Rogers made the most of her situation, as she would use her athletic abilities to put herself through college. “My parents don’t have the money to put me through college, and God gave me the gift of basketball, so I figured I should use that to go to school for free,” Rogers said. Originally Rogers was set to go to Wayne State University on a fullride scholarship, but the coach that recruited her was fired before their basketball season started. “I had to start over with a new coach,” Rogers said, noting that when it didn’t work out her transcripts were held by the college which delayed her ability to transfer and forced her to take time off school. “They’re actually trying to recruit me back to Wayne State, but I’m not (going back) because that messed up my life, just the way that everything played out.” And it didn’t help that there were other issues Rogers was facing outside of basketball. “My mom and dad were sick, so I was just worried about other things, not so much focused on basketball at the time.” Rogers proceeded to work after she was through with Wayne State, trying to figure where to go next. “That year after Wayne, I was working at a factory that worked with carbon fiber, so it was really bad for my skin,” Rogers said. “And there were so many people there that were so negative and bitter about life and I was like ‘I’ve got to get out of here.’ And then people there at the factory that knew me, that knew I played basketball, were like ‘Why don’t you play again? Why would you let it stop?’ And I thought to myself like ‘yeah ... you’re right.’ Rogers and a friend at the factory, who also played basketball with Rogers at Union high school, decided they were going to try and play together at GRCC. “Me and Erica Harris planned to go to GRCC and play basketball together because we played in high school together,” Rogers said. Harris would eventually leave the team, but Rogers stayed and became a leader and key contributor to the success of GRCC women’s basketball team. Rogers finished the season leading the team with an average of 5.7 assists per game, 3.5 steals per game and 8.4 rebounds per game. “Creating for other people to Rogers score comes easiest to me,” Rogers said. “A lot of the time teams are focused on stopping me from scoring which opens it up for other people to score. A couple of games (during) the season, when I got the National (Junior College Athletic Association Division II) player of the week (award) I was averaging 9 assists [per game], so I’m sure it’s helped my team and helped me win that award.” Even with Rogers’ small demeanor, at 5 feet 2 inches, her quickness and quick thinking has helped her succeed this past season, especially in the rebounding area. Rogers said that “being shorter than other people” has been her biggest challenge as a basketball player because she has “to be more in shape than other people,” so she can out run them. “But being quicker and having a high basketball IQ has helped me stay out of foul trouble,” Rogers said. “Because a lot of fouls come from rebounding, and I’m pretty good at rebounding, even with my height, so I go after the ball rather than box (out) people because I’m quicker than them.” Last season, Rogers helped her team sustain a seven game winning streak and finish the season with a winning record of 18-11. “I liked playing basketball here (GRCC) because I met a lot of people playing on the basketball team,” Rogers said. “And even in class, people would see my duffel bag and ask me if I played a sport, so I made friends that way and my professors paid more attention to me because I was on the team. They would ask me about the games and come to the games, so that was cool.” 2 | TheCollegiateLive.com
FACES OF GRCC Jenanna Greeno Age 26, Muskegon “I am going to school for physical therapy ... I already have a degree and I am a dental hygienist ... I am not happy with my career so I decided to come back and try something different.” Reporting and photo by Arielle Jackson Pamela Santana Age 19, Dominican Republic “I was born in Dominican Republic. I came here to Michigan two years ago because my mom met someone here and then they got married, so we ended up moving here. The change has been huge, from the language to basically everything. All my friends are there, you know I made friends here, but it's not the same. Reporting and photo by Jasiel Ochoa-Mendoza TheCollegiateLive.com | 3
Page 1 and 2: Winter Semester 2016 thecollegiatel
Page 3: BACK IN THE GAME: How Deiona Rogers
Page 7 and 8: Tim Harrisson Age 28, Grand Rapids
Page 9 and 10: ‘The Old Man in the Back Row’ S
Page 11 and 12: Detroit,” Kennedy said. “I have
Page 13 and 14: Emma Stewart Age 22, Grand Rapids,
Page 15 and 16: Kevin Curiel-Vazquez is the Externa
Page 17 and 18: Jim Blue Age 60, Ada “I play the
Page 19 and 20: I can remember the first time I stu
Page 21 and 22: Natalie Vice Age 18, Dorr “Well I
Page 23 and 24: Samuel Casares Age 24, Grand Rapids
Page 25 and 26: left and right in five on five. I w
Page 27 and 28: wasn’t productive at all. I didn
Page 29 and 30: Dan Bui Age 20, Grand Rapids Vy Bui
Page 31 and 32: Grand Rapids Community College Poli
Page 33 and 34: “When I was that troubled kid, I
Page 35 and 36: Sophia Vanmeeteren Age 19, Kentwood
Page 37 and 38: Grand Rapids Community College Secc
Page 39 and 40: Jesse Ballard Age 21, Holland “My
Page 41 and 42: Osbaldo Gonzalez Age 24, Holland
Page 43 and 44: Julio Gomez Age 32, Grand Rapids
Page 45 and 46: ArtPrize entry named “Unveiling.
Page 47 and 48: Luis Demas Age 24, Grand Rapids, bo
Page 49 and 50: Mikah Townsend Age 20, Hudsonville
Page 51 and 52: train. “I would stay everyday, at
Page 53 and 54: Melissa Lucas Age 19, Grand Rapids
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Mansehaj Singh Age 21, Big Rapids
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LIFE BEYOND THE CHAIR by Jennifer L
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somebody that doesn’t have an imp
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FACES OF GRCC

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