GVSU DOWNTOWN TOASTMASTER’S CLUB

The Grand Valley State University Toastmaster’s Club invites anyone interested to attend their weekly meetings every Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in room 107C of the DeVos Center. Toastmasters International is designed to improve communication and leadership abilities. It is a large and growing network that encompasses 116 countries, 13,500 individual clubs and over 280,000 members.

A membership to the Toastmaster’s Club costs $36 a month. The ability to lead and speak in front of a large group of people is one of the greatest assets a person can carry, and Toastmaster’s promises the investment will be well worth it in the long run.

For more information, go to www.8177.toastmastersclubs.org/.

SCHOOLS OF HOPE FULFILLING FOR EDUCATION MAJOR

Grand Valley State University education major Shannon Blood said her time working with Schools of Hope, a program that aims to raise literacy rates in children and adults, has shown her she has a true passion for teaching.

Blood was trained at Dickinson Elementary School to work with students on their reading and writing skills.

“We read with the students, work on vocabulary and play games,” Blood said. “It has structure to it but we’re allowed to teach in our own way.”

In addition to working with elementary students, Blood helped train other GVSU students who wanted to volunteer.

Blood said working with Schools of Hope made her realize how much more outside help the program needed. For more information on how to sign up, go to www.hwmuw.org/soh

SEIDMAN INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO ORGANIZATION

The Seidman Investment Portfolio Organization of Grand Valley State University has experienced a double in the value of their portfolio in the past three years.

Four years ago, the club had a portfolio of $30,000 and has recently recorded the portfolio value at $68,000. Made up of 30-60 students who meet on a weekly basis, the club partakes in about six trades each semester to gain investment value.

Investing in companies such as Delta Airlines and the Chinese market, the club has outperformed the S&P 500.

COLLEGE OF NURSING AIDS THE HOMELESS

Students from the Grand Valley State University Kirkhof College of Nursing worked with the Grand Rapids’ Heartside neighborhood to provide aid to the homeless.

Students in Professor Nancy Schoofs’ Professional Nursing course were working to complete their community health clinical experience. Students created a resource board for the Mel Trotter Day Center where Heartside residents can receive meals, a shower and counseling services, among other things. Students presented their research on Dec. 4 at Mel Trotter Ministries.

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PARTNER WITH PADNOS COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Over 150 students from more than 10 high schools in West Michigan came to Grand Valley State University on Dec. 4 to experience the career opportunities GVSU offers in engineering and computing.

As part of the Padnos College of Engineering and Computing’s Project Day, GVSU students presented their semester-long projects in Kennedy Hall of Engineering. The projects included a creative spin on TicTacToe, the Hugging Chair and the Comfortable Catch.

GVSU MOURNS TOM WISNER

Grand Valley State University long-time supporter Tom Wisner died on Dec. 31 at the age of 77.

Wisner was president of Leslie E. Tassell, Inc. and was very involved in the surrounding community. He and his wife, Joyce Wisner, created several scholarships at GVSU related to medical and manufacturing areas.

In 2003, the Wisners created a scholarship for doctoral physical therapy students, recognizing the importance of physical therapy in the rehabilitation process, and another in 2007 for a student engineering scholarship that helps first-generation and non-traditional students, particularly students who focus on product design. In 2009, the Wisners received the Enrichment Award for their philanthropic work.