Shown here is President Bill Pink (third from left) and his wife Lori (far left) at
the 2022 Growing Opportunity event in Grand Rapids. This year’s event is Wednesday,
May 10 at Secchia Piazza in Grand Rapids.
Ferris State University will celebrate partnerships with Grand Rapids as its annual Growing Opportunity event features a fresh format highlighting a specific successful Ferris area that has positively affected students and communities throughout West Michigan.
Wednesday, May 10 at Secchia Piazza in Grand Rapids beginning at 6 p.m., Growing Opportunity highlights Ferris athletics success and its effect on students. This year’s featured speaker is Tony Annese, head coach of the two-time (2021 and 2022) and reigning NCAA Division II National Champion Ferris football team. Prior to Ferris, Annese had three successful seasons as head football coach at Grand Rapids Community College. At the prep level, before his stint at GRCC, Annese led West Michigan-based Muskegon High School to a 92-15 record in nine seasons and won three state championships during his last five campaigns.
Beyond football, to date, Ferris Athletics Department teams have achieved championship success during the 2022-23 academic year in women’s volleyball, which won the 2022 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships; women’s soccer, which won a 2022 NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Championship; and women’s golf, which won the GLIAC championship in April 2023 for the first time since 2007.
The two-hour Growing Opportunity event starts with a reception that includes appetizers and beverages followed by remarks at 7 p.m. Attire is casual and sporty with an opportunity for attendees to meet coaches and students while networking with local and regional supporters. Event proceeds are matched 1:1 benefitting Ferris’ West Michigan Opportunity Scholarship Fund, which supports West Michigan students enrolled at Ferris in Big Rapids, Grand Rapids or Kendall College of Art and Design.
Visit the Growing Opportunity website for more information about the event, including sponsorship opportunities, supporting the West Michigan Opportunity Scholarship Fund and more.