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In this Issue
In Other News Save the Date August 23: Throughout the summer: Every Sunday throughout the summer: Every Wednesday throughout July:
Links We Love The GVSU Housing website features checklists, survival guides, and roommate agreements for move-in. The Off Campus Housing page features a list of nearby off-campus apartment complexes catering to students. As your student heads to school, check your driving route as construction has shut down portions of I-196 until September 2010. Learn about the newest dining, living and academic center being constructed for fall 2010; special slide show included. Pass it on Know anyone who might be interested in our newsletter? Click here to forward this email to up to 5 friends at once. |
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Once your child enters college, should they get a job to assist in paying for their education? Does a job help or hurt? Studies have shown that employers often complain that many student job candidates lack essential “going-to-work” skills such as showing up on time, dressing appropriately, acting professionally, and taking responsibility for day-to-day tasks. Candidates who show a sense of these “going-to-work” skills are likely to have an edge. "Working as a student employee creates a bridge from the classroom into the workplace," said Carrie Smith, recent graduate and former Pew Grand Rapids Campus student employee. "I learned how to work with real professionals in an office setting, all while forming future job connections." Grand Valley currently employs over 2,500 student employees in hopes of helping them to gain these skills. By enabling students to log into an active student employment job board, the university makes finding a student job easier. The job board's resource library gives tips and qualifications for success in the part-time and full-time jobs listed. Employers from the Grand Rapids area also post student-oriented jobs on the board. For internships, upperclassmen students and those seeking specific experience can utilize Laker Jobs. These internships may be paid or unpaid and offer students the chance to become fully immersed in a particular field. Whether your student is looking for their first job or is already a seasoned job hunter, an online student employee handbook gives advice on everything from filling out electronic time cards to how to dress. Eventually, when your student is seeking a permanent job, employment resources are provided by the Career Services department. Put together, all these resources will help students determine their own best career futures. The Gilsons: Longtime Neighbors, Proud Parents 
Mark and Bonnie Gilson, parents of twin daughters attending Grand Valley, first made Allendale their home over twenty years ago. Back then it was a quiet community just a short drive from Grand Rapids. “I rode my bike to Allendale one day and found out there was only one pay phone in town and it was in the bowling alley, which wasn’t open on Sundays. Allendale was a small town then,” said Mark. Flash forward to 2010 and both Allendale and the Grand Valley community have changed dramatically. The roads and buildings have multiplied and Grand Valley is an even greater part of the Allendale community. Since 1985, enrollment has grown from 7,000 to now over 24,000. New restaurants, a hotel, and other businesses have sprouted up to serve this growing student population. The Gilson’s have also seen another kind of the growth, as their daughters Emily and Melinda have matured through their Grand Valley experience. “Going to Grand Valley has helped them shape their identities… to find their niche in the community,” said Bonnie. Mark and Bonnie know that Grand Valley’s ability to foster a culture of growth and learning doesn’t happen without public support. They have given to Grand Valley over the years because they recognize the overall need for students. “As parents of Grand Valley students, we want to help the university grow,” says Bonnie. “I know a lot of students who have benefited from Grand Valley's programs and I want to help build that.” Their memories of a one pay phone town and a small college will become even more poignant as Grand Valley celebrates its 50th anniversary, which begins in August. Mark, Bonnie, Emily, and Melinda all look forward to the changes that will no doubt come in Grand Valley's years ahead. Family Association Flickr Page 
We are excited to introduce the Family Association Flickr page! We encourage you to visit our current photos about Laker parents and Family Association activities. You can also submit your own Grand Valley family memories and tag them "gvsufamilyassociation" to be included on the GVSU Family Association page. It's a great way to get a glimpse of campus from the perspective of students and our Laker families.
Enjoy the summer! Our next issue will come to you in August, just in time for back to school. |
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