Spark Fall 2021 - Calvin University Magazine

SPARK T H E C A LV I N U N I V E R S I T Y M A G A Z I N E

A historic send off p. 22

FALL 2021

“The great privilege of being co-workers with God in his vineyard inspired each to seriousness of work and earnestness of life.”

— Calvin College Prism, 1921

FALL 2021 VOL. 67, NO. 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Calvin University equips students to think deeply, to act justly, and to live wholeheartedly as Christ’s agents of renewal in the world.

Calvin University is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA).

To learn more about the CRC’s work in North America and around the world, visit crcna.org.

14 Calvin University is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). For more information, visit cccu.org.

Spark is published three times a year by the Calvin Alumni Association, office of alumni relations, Calvin University, 3201 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546. ©2021 by the Calvin Alumni Association.

Telephone: 616-526-6142.

Email: spark@calvin.edu.

Spark on the web: calvin.edu/spark.

POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to Spark, Office of Alumni, Calvin University, 3201 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546.

CANADIAN POSTMASTER: Publication Mail Agreement No. 40063614. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: CRCNACalvin University, 3475 Mainway, P.O. Box 5070, Burlington, ON L7R 3Y8.

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Read a Q&A with recently-appointed Provost Noah Toly to learn about what attracted him to the job and what he’s working on in his own scholarship.

FEATURES

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MEET THE NEW PROVOST

LAYERS OF LEARNING

COMMENCEMENT CELEBRATION

In July, Noah Toly became the highest academic administrator. Learn what attracted him to Calvin and what he hopes to accomplish.

What does a liberal arts education mean? Why is it necessary? And how is Calvin staying true to its commitment to be a Reformed liberal arts university?

It was unusual, that’s for sure. On May 22, 2021, we celebrated the 2020 and 2021 graduates at LMCU Ballpark.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE CALVIN SPARK Editor: Jeff Haverdink ’97 Managing Editor: Sarah Potter Johnson ’00 Art Director: Amanda Impens Designers: Erin Barents Elders ’16 Kelsey Smith ’22 Contributing Writers: Jeff Febus ’92 Matt Kucinski HON Contributing Photographers: Amanda Impens Stephen Herppich Adrian Van Stee ’23

CALVIN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD President: Gene Miyamoto ’77 (Holland, Mich.)

Vice President: Jori Brink Hannah ’04 (Chicago, Ill.) Secretary: Karen Zwart Hielema ’94 (Toronto, Ont.) Treasurer: Jim Valk ’87 (Paw Paw, Mich.)

Executive Director: Jeff Haverdink ’97

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Her job isn’t easy, but Meredith Wiggers Heintz finds joy and purpose every day.

Sungjin Yoo is building bridges between South Korea and Grand Rapids.

DEPARTMENTS

ONLINE EXTRAS

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Editor’s Desk

Read Spark online

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Campus News

calvin.edu/spark

10 Sports 12 Scholarship 26 Alumni Profiles 36 Events 38 Legacy 40 Class Notes 48 In Memoriam

Follow us on Instagram @calvinuniversityalumni

Connect with alumni

Members: Tyler Amidon ’93 (Centennial, Colo.)

Jerry Cooper ex’66 (Holland, Mich.)

Minwoo Heo ’09 (Chicago, Ill.) Dale Kaemingk ’77 (Brier, Wash.)

Casey Kuperus ’97 (Grand Rapids, Mich.)

Maxine Asante Mosley-Totoe ’06 (Minneapolis, Minn.)

Christine Jacobs Mouw ’88 (N. Little Rock, Ark.) Debra Perry ’91 (Grand Rapids, Mich.)

Levi Stoep ’13 (New York, N.Y.) Stephanie Vogelzang ’07 (Alexandria, Va.) Eliezer Yeong ‘18 (Grand Rapids, Mich.)

Johanna Chambery Zandstra ’91 (Schererville, Ind.)

ONLINE SUBSCRIPTION Are you interested in receiving Spark via email instead of print? If so, please email alumni@calvin.edu to let us know. Include your email address and let us know if this selection is for you only, or if it includes your spouse/household. Remember to include any additional email addresses if applicable.

facebook.com/calvinalumni

Leave a legacy for future alum legacygift.calvin.edu

View the Calvin calendar calvin.edu/calendar

COVID-19 information calvin.edu/go/coronavirus 3

EDITOR’S DESK

Meet the director Do you ever wonder what you would tell yourself if you could travel back in time?

A few months after I graduated in 1997, I was getting to know Calvin alumni director Mike Van Denend. I was serving on the Calvin Spring Classic 5K race committee, and Mike’s deep knowledge of Calvin and the fact he seemed to know almost everyone on the planet impressed me. I always read Mike’s columns in Spark and admired his passion for Calvin and its alumni.

team at Calvin in 2012, and in that role, I formed meaningful relationships with cherished supporters of Calvin.

Would I have believed back in 1997 that one day I would be here writing this column? Who, me?

As I begin this new adventure, I sincerely look forward to connecting with you. We each have a story that makes us unique, just as God intended. Yet we all share a common thread that connects us in ways that ordinary life might not—this place called Calvin University.

Yet here I am, grateful and blessed for the opportunity to serve as Calvin’s director of alumni engagement. It’s remarkable to see how God crafted and prepared me for this moment in time.

As I recall my career goals after graduating, writing articles like this was never on the list. Now I find myself using yet another one of the invaluable skills I learned as a Calvin student. I think of my speech class with Debra Buursma, or English 100 with Susan Felch. Those courses weren’t a part of my business major, yet I marvel again at how Calvin prepared me.

One common element of my career is connecting with people. When I worked in banking, I thrived making connections with clients. I joined the planned giving

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My enjoyment of connecting with people isn’t limited to my professional career.

More often than not, our family is the last to leave events. “Dad’s still talking to someone” is the phrase accompanied by an eye roll that only two teenage daughters can provide.

I look forward to hearing from you how Calvin impacted your life. Even in these first few months, I’m delightfully surprised to learn of the amazing things our alumni are doing all over the world. Calvin has been affecting lives for generations. I’m honored to now help share and tell your stories so that all of us can see God’s handiwork in action.

BY JEFF HAVERDINK DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT

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“American Women Writers.”

It was an interim class and it opened my eyes to gender issues and how to respond as a Christian woman in a modern world.

– Maxine Mosley Totoe ’06 Eden Prairie, Minn.

I think it was “Christ in Culture” with Gordon Spykman. He was such a nice man and a good prof. Everything he taught me in that class, funnily, was stuff that I already knew and had been taught to me all of my life, but that class just pulled it all together and helped me give understanding and organization to my thoughts.

– Christine Jacobs Mouw ’88 Little Rock, Ark. I loved my children’s literature class with Charlotte Otten. I was not an education major and took the class to fulfill a core requirement. She instilled a love for children’s literature in me that lasts until this day. My husband always knows where to look for me in a bookstore; without fail I end up

QUESTION FOR YOU

OUTSIDE OF YOUR MAJOR, WHAT WAS ONE CLASS THAT MADE A LASTING IMPRESSION ON YOU? QUESTION FOR YOU Calvin students and alumni like you have great stories, ideas, and memories. In each issue of Spark, we’ll ask you a question and then print some of the responses. For this issue, we asked a question to some members of the Calvin Alumni Association board.

in the children’s section paging through picture books and looking at the latest YA selections.

– Johanna Chambery Zandstra ’91 Schererville, Ind. I would say that Larry Louters’ chemistry class was one of my favorites—probably because he blew things up in class. Also, “Outdoor Activities” for one of my PE credits was memorable as it involved camping in below-freezing temperatures.

– Casey Kuperus ’97 Grand Rapids, Mich.

English 101 taught by Dale Brown had the biggest impact, because he left one really memorable sentence for me. Since I was an international student whose English was not very good, I often asked professors if they would deduct any grade off because of my poor English.

Virtually all professors told me that they would be merciful with me. But only Dale Brown told me something to the effect

that meaning only comes with a structure. He probably meant that the grammatical structure of my sentence and paragraph would determine the meaning.

Therefore, he contradicted my naive thought that I could present a good meaning in the paper without the proper structure.

Since then I never asked other professors to show mercy to me, because Dale Brown told me the truth about English writing. I just finished my master’s and started a doctoral degree at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and if I have to pinpoint to one greatest teaching, it would be from Dale Brown.

– Minwoo Heo ’09 Deerfield, Ill. Beyond my philosophy major, two classes made wonderful contributions to my striving throughout life to think deeply, act justly, and live wholeheartedly as one of Christ’s agents of renewal in the world: Professor Henry Holstege’s

“Marriage and Family” and Professor Del Nykamp’s “Small Group Communications.” Nona and I have been married for over four wonderful decades and small group dynamics have been a constant part of family, church, and professional life.

–G ene Miyamoto ’77 Holland, Mich.

One course that had a major impact outside my major was the course entitled “Reformed Doctrine” taught by none other than Lewis Smedes. This course more than anything else laid the foundation for me regarding Calvin’s world-life view. This course was so instrumental in my career as I approached decisions, and further understanding of a Christian’s responsibility in the world. Dr. Smedes had the unique ability of conveying his thoughts clearly and in a most interesting and challenging manner. He became my inspiration and mentor.

– Jerry Cooper ’67 Holland, Mich.

IT’S YOUR TURN! We’re curious: How did God use your time at Calvin to draw you closer to him?

How were you discipled or encouraged in your faith? Let us know your story in a few sentences by emailing spark@calvin.edu.

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CAMPUS NEWS

Michael Le Roy will serve as Calvin’s president through the 2021-2022 academic year.

PRESIDENT LE ROY ANNOUNCES HIS FINAL SEASON AT CALVIN Michael Le Roy announced that the 2021–2022 academic year, his 10th at Calvin, will be he and his wife Andrea’s last.

He cited a pull to return to the Northwest to be closer to their young adult children and aging parents.

“The center of gravity for our family is now firmly rooted more than 2,000 miles away,” wrote Le Roy, Calvin’s 10th president. “During the pandemic, this distance only seemed greater to us.

Having now emerged from this long crisis, we long to give greater emphasis to the family commitments in our lives.”

Le Roy led the transition from a college to a university and expanded the populations the university serves, including adding to the university’s graduate-level programming.

During his tenure, Calvin also began offering bachelor’s degrees to inmates at the Handlon Correctional Facility through the Calvin Prison Initiative, a first of its kind program in the state and one of very few nationwide.

Le Roy will fulfill his role as president through the 2021–2022 academic year.

A national search for Le Roy’s successor is underway and the search committee is led

by Mary Tuuk Kuras ’86, vice chair of the board of trustees.

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Professor Kumar Sinniah’s students said that he goes above and beyond.

KUMAR SINNIAH RECEIVES HIGHEST TEACHING HONOR Professor of chemistry Kumar Sinniah is the 2021 recipient of the Presidential Award for Exemplary Teaching, the highest teaching honor at Calvin University.

Sinniah joined Calvin’s chemistry faculty in 1995—and his courses and research projects have been raved about by students ever since.

Sinniah’s department co-chairs, professors Carolyn Anderson and Doug Vander Griend, describe him as the “total package” when it comes to being a faculty member at Calvin. Sinniah received the university’s Student-Faculty Research Award in 2012 and Advising and Mentoring Award in 2016, and he has published 30 peer-reviewed papers since starting at Calvin, often co-authored with stu-

dents. His work has brought a number of National Science Foundation grants for Calvin, funding his research projects and scientific instruments for the university.

Anderson and Vander Griend also note Sinniah’s wide-ranging contributions to the university at large including his annual medical interim course in Nepal, multiple stints on the Professional Status Committee, and involvement in the university’s academic program review and prioritization processes.

Sinniah also serves regularly as a reviewer for proposals submitted to the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, the National Science Foundation, and the Fulbright Scholar Program.

Alex Raycroft pursues philosophy degree as a Lilly Graduate Fellow.

CALVIN GRAD SELECTED AS LILLY FELLOW 2021 graduates Maggie Backus (left) and Ravyn DeWitt (center) received English Teaching Assistantships through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, and Juliana Knot (right) was selected as an alternate.

FULBRIGHT RECOGNIZES CALVIN TRIO Maggie Backus ’21 and Ravyn DeWitt ’21 received an English Teaching Assistantship through the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Juliana Knot ’21 was selected as an alternate. Fulbright reported a record number of applicants for the U.S. Student Program this year.

“The Fulbright awards are merit-based and incredibly competitive, but more importantly, multiple selection committees have deemed the student a worthy candidate with an outstanding proposal who is well suited to represent the United States abroad,” said Dwight TenHuisen, Calvin’s Fulbright Program

Advisor and professor of world languages.

The fact that three Calvin students were named finalists or alternates from among 11,700+ applicants is a considerable accomplishment.”

Backus, a double major in linguistics and Spanish, will teach English abroad in South Korea for a year. She will live in a less populated city in the country with the goal of reaching a more underserved population. DeWitt, a special education K-12, Spanish education K-12, and elementary education major, will be assisting in an elementary English class in the Canary Islands. Knot, a German, mathematics, and philosophy major, is an alternate for teaching English in Germany.

Alex Raycroft ’21 was selected as one of 10 Lilly Graduate Fellows. The double major in philosophy and political science will begin a fully-funded doctoral program in philosophy at Georgetown University this fall.

The Lilly Graduate Fellows Program is part of the Lilly Fellows Program in Humanities and the Arts that supports outstanding students who want to explore the connections among Christianity, higher education, and the vocation of the teacher-scholar as they pursue graduate degrees in humanities and the arts.

“She has accomplished a lot already and has a very promising future. I like to picture the whole world applauding her right now!” said philosophy professor Rebecca DeYoung.

Raycroft will pursue her PhD in hopes of becoming a philosophy professor herself.

“The Calvin philosophy professors have had such a huge impact on my life, my faith, and me as a person and a student.

I would love to be that for other students someday,” said Raycroft.

STAY CONNECTED Find more campus news daily at calvin.edu/news.

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CAMPUS NEWS

After decades serving as a leader in academia and business, Jim Ludema returns to Calvin as the inaugural dean of the School of Business.

CALVIN SELECTS DEAN FOR SCHOOL OF BUSINESS This spring, Calvin appointed Jim Ludema ’82 as dean of its School of Business.

Ludema returns to his alma mater as an experienced educator, researcher, and administrator. He also comes with an extensive network in the business world and consulting experience for Fortune 500 companies, including McDonald’s, John Deere, Allstate, and Merck.

Since 1998, Ludema has served as professor in the Daniel L. Goodwin College of Business at Benedictine University, and in 2008, he launched the university’s Center for Values-Driven Leadership.

He’s looking forward to adding his gifts and experiences to the various strengths of the business faculty.

“I’m excited to join the faculty in the School of Business—faculty who are academically excellent, dedicated to students, and have extensive experience in business, consulting, and working globally for companies like Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Merrill Lynch, Grant Thorton, Deloitte & Touche, Steelcase, Zondervan, and D&W Foods. They are bright, committed, caring, knowledgeable about business, and they are innovators. That’s impressive.”

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Pictured above are just a few of the students from the first LifeWork cohort after they completed an escape room for the team building module.

CALVIN LIFEWORK GRADUATES FIRST COHORT The 2021 graduating class represents the first cohort of students to complete Calvin LifeWork, a four-year developmental life and career readiness program.

The co-curricular program helps students develop the necessary life skills to thrive right out of college and throughout their career and life.

The program is perhaps best illustrated by a map that resembles the children’s board game Candy Land. Each stage of the journey has a different theme (discover, equip, experience, launch), but maintains four consistent tracks (vocation, career readiness, financial literacy, leadership) or “colored spaces.”

Each space on the map represents a learning module.

These modules cover topics like career planning, conflict resolution, elevator pitches, interview techniques, and time management.

The only investment for students is a few hours a month of their time. And while the skills learned help students become more marketable for their first job, they also prepare graduates holistically with the skills they need for both their long-term career and life—wherever God calls them.

“There are so many skills that I feel are necessary for emerging adults to have that LifeWork prepares us well for,” said Charles, a 2021 grad who completed the program.

GRADUATE-LEVEL OFFERINGS EXPANDING

This fall Calvin launched online master’s programs in business administration, exercise science, geographic information science, and public health.

The expansion in graduate-level programming aligns with the university’s Vision 2030, which aims to meet the demands of a changing environment and find new ways to invite more learners into Calvin University.

In 2020, Kevin den Dulk stepped into the newly created position of associate provost of Calvin’s Global Campus, the working name for the office that is tasked with extending Calvin’s mission to reach new populations. He’s impressed with how faculty, staff, and administration are working together to make progress on this vision.

Nathanael Kazmierczak’s research experience at Calvin led to publications, presentations, and fellowships. Now, he’s been named a Hertz Fellow.

CALVIN GRAD RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS HERTZ FELLOWSHIP The Hertz Fellowship is awarded to 12 promising innovators in science and technology. These graduate students learned how to research at places like Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, MIT—and Calvin.

“It’s hard to imagine I would have been better prepared in any other environment,” said Nathanael Kazmierczak ’20.

“The research front at Calvin is fantastic.”

Kazmierczak started doing research with Doug Vander Griend, chair of the biochemistry and chemistry department, during his first year.

He continued working on research projects throughout his time at Calvin, which led to three peer-reviewed journal publications, with two additional ones in the works. Kazmierczak, now a graduate student at California Institute of Technology, was also a Beckman Scholar and presented his research at a pair of national conferences.

The Hertz Fellowship is one of the most generous awards of its kind, providing support for five years of graduate research and the freedom to pursue innovative ideas wherever they may lead.

The fellowship empowers extraordinary innovators at a pivotal point in their careers, helping to shape their scientific pursuits and accelerate real-world impact.

“Expanding our graduate programs and offering courses online is a dual culture shift for Calvin, but the campus community has quickly embraced these changes as part of our world-formative mission,” said den Dulk.

The university is set to offer an online option for another two of its existing graduate programs beginning this spring (media and strategic communication, speech pathology and audiology) and will launch two new graduate programs online in fall 2022 (data science, public administration).

Information about the graduate programs can be found at calvin.edu/academics/ graduate-programs/.

STAY CONNECTED Find more campus news daily at calvin.edu/news.

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CALVIN SPORTS

A SEASON UNLIKE ANY OTHER

BY JEFF FEBUS ’92

From the first week of March to the end of May, the Calvin athletics season was a nonstop sprint. Twenty of Calvin’s 22 varsity sports teams as well as its two American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) hockey teams competed.

Why the compressed schedule? COVID-19 restrictions in fall and winter moved competition into spring.

“What our athletics department achieved was historic. Credit should go to everyone involved, from support staff to coaches and student-athletes,” said Jim Timmer, Calvin’s director of athletics.

Student-athletes underwent COVID-19 rapid testing three times a week to meet NCAA, state, and local COVID-19 protocols. Coaches and administrators underwent rapid-testing training and rotated throughout the season as test administrators.

“I can’t say enough about the coaches and administrators who volunteered as on-campus testing officials,” said Timmer. “Their hard work allowed hundreds of student-athletes the opportunity to compete and have meaningful seasons.”

And the seasons were indeed meaningful.

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In early March, the men’s and women’s basketball teams advanced to the MIAA Tournament semifinals. Calvin hosted the MIAA Indoor Women’s Track and Field Championships sandwiched between two days of hosting the league women’s swimming and diving championships. The following week, Calvin hosted the league men’s swimming and diving championships with the Knights capturing their fifth league title in dominating fashion.

Calvin’s ACHA Division III hockey team upset top-ranked Hope in a thrilling game in Holland. The following month, Calvin’s ACHA Division I hockey team advanced to the National Tournament in St. Louis and nearly upset No. 6 seed Minot State before falling 2-1.

Meanwhile, the men’s soccer team captured its 14th straight MIAA regular-season title. Women’s volleyball claimed its 11th straight MIAA regular-season crown. The women’s soccer team captured its first regular-season and MIAA Tournament title since 2015.

It finished ranked No. 4 in the final Division III Top 25 rankings.

The women’s lacrosse team claimed a share of its fourth regularseason title. The men’s team played for a share of its first regularseason crown on the final day of the conference season.

The men’s and women’s golf teams both finished in the top three of the MIAA with both teams landing multiple individuals on the All-MIAA First Team. The baseball team took second in the MIAA and won 22 games for its highest win total since 2015. The softball team captured its second MIAA Tournament title in three years.

Softball claimed a berth in the NCAA III Tournament for the third time in four years. The men’s and women’s outdoor track and field teams qualified five athletes for the NCAA III Championships and had three individuals claim All-American honors.

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CALVIN SCHOLARSHIP

RARE FORM HOW STORIES CHANGED SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

PHOTO CREDIT: LINDSAY LAURIE ’21

BY RACHAEL BAKER AND AMY WILSTERMANN

As a collaborative team, Baker (left) and Wilstermann (right) use their individual areas of expertise to address complex problems from different angles. On a given day, they might be building computational models, pulling clinical data to better understand patient symptoms, or working with zebrafish to understand how changes to mitochondrial proteins lead to hearing loss.

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What is a rare disease?

Rare diseases are rare. Each disease affects less than 100,000 people in the United States and most lack FDA-approved treatment or therapy. But cumulatively, rare diseases are quite common. There are thousands of these diseases, and one in 10 people in the U.S. are affected by one.

There is a plaque outside our lab dedicating our research efforts to the memory of a girl named Harper.

We were introduced to Harper by a medical geneticist at Spectrum Health when we had recently started collaborating on rare disease research. Our research focuses on rare diseases that are caused by the dysfunction of mitochondria, subcellular structures that play a critical role in energy production in cells.

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO. Harper had a mutation in the mitochondrial protein that we study, BCS1L. This mutation had not been observed in any other patients, and the medical geneticist had a very common but deceptively challenging question: Is the mutation in BCS1L responsible for Harper’s symptoms?

Using structural modeling, we determined that the BCS1L mutation was indeed the likely cause of Harper’s symptoms. While useful for diagnostic purposes, this information provided little help. There are no treatments for Harper’s rare disease. Sadly, Harper passed away, but important questions about diagnosing and treating rare diseases like hers remain.

We are still studying Harper’s mutation in our yeast model system to learn more about its role in cell function. We hope this knowledge may eventually lead to a treatment.

WE’RE DIFFERENT NOW. When we began our project, we hoped that our work would impact patients in the rare disease community. What we did not anticipate was the impact that rare disease community members would have on us.

Stories from patients like Harper and their families changed us. Their resilience is inspiring. Our interactions have shaped the way we think about our work as scientists, research mentors, and teachers.

We have begun to incorporate patient stories into our teaching in the lab and classroom.

For example, students learn about Harper through a reflection her mother wrote. We encourage students to be attentive to the unique challenges faced by the people they serve through their work in a research setting, a health care setting, or in their community.

While each rare disease has a different underlying molecular cause and a different set of resulting symptoms, the experience of being “rare” has many common elements. We are passionate about investigating a particular set of mitochondrial rare diseases, and we are also passionate about building community and support around the common experiences of rare disease patients and family members.

YOU HAVE A ROLE TOO. The Rare Calvin website, calvin.edu/research/ rare-disease, contains information about our scientific endeavors and educational resources

for students, patients, families—and you.

Research students conduct important experiments in the lab and they partner with us on educational and outreach projects that support the rare disease community.

In addition, Elle Hazlett ’21 served on the leadership team with us that established the Rare Disease Network, a collaborative effort between Calvin, Spectrum Health, MSU, and GVSU that aims to connect rare disease researchers and care providers in west Michigan. The goal is providing excellent care and support to those affected by rare diseases.

When we started our collaboration, we might have considered raising student awareness of rare disease challenges and support of the rare disease community tangential to our research goals, but now these are essential, missional, and fulfilling components of our work.

Rachael Baker ’08 is an associate professor in the chemistry and biochemistry department.

Amy Wilstermann is a professor of biology and is a director of the Honors Scholars Program.

READ MORE To learn more about this research project and read a story written by Harper’s mother, visit calvin.edu/spark.

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FEATURE STORY

INTRODUCING OUR NEW PROVOST

While the title provost didn’t emerge at Calvin until the early 1980s, the role of provost or chief academic officer has been present at Calvin for more than a century.

The provost is second in command and acts for the president when absent. Noah Toly is the ninth person to hold this position at Calvin.

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In July, Noah Toly began his tenure as provost of Calvin University. He was appointed to the position vacated by Cheryl Brandsen, who retired this summer. Toly comes to Calvin from Wheaton College, where he served for the past 15 years as executive director of the Center for Urban Engagement, chair of urban studies, and professor of urban studies and politics and international relations.

WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO CALVIN UNIVERSITY?

Even from a distance, Calvin seemed to me like an institution that isn’t turned in on itself, that doesn’t exist for its own sake, but rather knows it exists for the sake of something else, that it exists for the sake of the church and the world. You can see this in the vision of trusted partnership articulated in the strategic plan, and you can see it embodied in programs and centers like the Calvin Prison Initiative and the Clean Water Institute.

I have always admired Calvin. It is a university that has made room for a flourishing of life and mind across the disciplines. It is known for deep commitments to excellent teaching, outstanding scholarship, and fidelity to Reformed Christianity.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT CALVIN’S MISSION?

Calvin’s entire mission statement is a beautiful articulation not only of what Christian educators should be doing, but also what we should aspire to as Christians, what the church should aspire to. And, especially that last part of the mission statement: “live wholeheartedly as Christ’s agents of renewal in the world.” It seems appropriately ambitious, and I think it requires faith, hope, and love—we need all three of the theological virtues to do this work. Faith in God who works through creation and redemption, hope in his transformative work

of new creation, and love for God and for our neighbors are all required if we are to live as Christ’s agents of renewal in the world.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON IN YOUR OWN SCHOLARSHIP?

I’m currently writing a biography of Jacques Ellul, the French theologian and social theorist, for the Eerdmans Library of Religious Biography. While the pace of my work on that project will change, I plan to continue my work on that book. Beyond that project, I can imagine opportunities to collaborate with others, including Calvin faculty, on projects related to urban or environmental politics.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE KNOWN FOR?

One thing I hope I’m known for is as a gentle and faithful leader who empowers others on campus.

And one of the things that’s close to my heart is continuing the good work of diversifying the faculty and pursuing diversity, equity, and inclusion: partly for the sake of an improved subjective sense of belonging on the part of everyone in the community, partly for the sake of a great education—because it’s missional—and partly for the sake of witnessing to the truth of what God’s doing in the world. I look forward to working with Michelle Loyd-Paige [executive associate to the president for diversity and inclusion], Michael Le Roy [president], Pennylyn Dykstra-Pruim [associate dean for diversity and inclusion], and others to continue the good work already happening here.

HONORING OUTGOING PROVOST Cheryl Brandsen ’79 served at Calvin for 32 years. She spent the first half of her career teaching in Calvin’s sociology and social work department, a department she also chaired. Brandsen spent the latter half of her tenure at Calvin in administrative leadership roles, serving as an academic dean from 2008–2014 and since 2014 as the university’s provost.

During her time as provost, Brandsen led the university through significant changes, such as restructuring the academic division to align with a university model and a revision of the university’s core curriculum. In this work, Brandsen’s colleagues praised her strong commitment to Calvin’s mission, her clear-eyed vision for enacting the mission in new ways, and her tenacity to bring those plans to life.

As provost, Brandsen encouraged Calvin to take seriously its commitment to promote the welfare of the city and the healing of the world—a central tenet of the university’s Vision 2030. A couple of major steps taken during her tenure that support this commitment include the establishment of the Calvin Prison Initiative, which serves students at Handlon Correctional Facility, and the significant expansion of both Calvin’s in-person and online graduatelevel offerings.

WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES?

I’ve got a long list of things I enjoy even though I’m not very good at them. Golf is at the top of that list. To say there’s a lot of room for improvement would be an understatement, but it is fun and challenging. But if we’re talking about something I enjoy and do well, it’s definitely cooking.

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FEATURE STORY

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LAYERS

OF LEARNING LIBERAL ARTS: WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT MATTERS

BY SARAH POTTER JOHNSON ’00 ILLUSTRATED BY GABRIELLE EISMA ’22

Gabrielle Eisma wanted to go to art school and be surrounded by other artists only studying art. For her, a liberal arts education wasn’t a selling point for Calvin—it was a strike against it. But because she wanted to study writing as well as art, she ended up at Calvin where she could major in both.

“I was wrong about liberal arts,” said Eisma, who provided the art for this piece. “It’s opened my eyes to so many connections. It’s the whole liberal arts aspect of Calvin that has shaped my creative process.”

Eisma is not alone with crediting a liberal arts education with influencing her work. When reflecting on their Calvin education, Calvin graduates will inevitably remark on the merits of liberal arts and how it’s changed them.

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FEATURE STORY

“I was wrong about liberal arts. It’s opened my eyes to so many connections.”

— GABRIELLE EISMA ’22 BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS STUDENT

Liberal arts is not a simple term to define.

The word “liberal” might suggest some political ideology, and “arts” might suggest a neglect of the sciences. Sometimes it’s used to describe interdisciplinary work.

Other times it seems like liberal arts is synonymous with the humanities.

In other words, a liberal arts education is marked by learning opportunities that don’t have direct ties to the student’s professional aspirations. It’s a future history teacher taking a mathematics course or someone who wants to become a chemist studying communication. It’s a broad education, with students taking courses from different disciplines simultaneously.

Back in 1965, the Calvin Curriculum Study Committee considered not even using the term because it means different things to different people. Ultimately, that faculty group wrote a 108-page document called the Christian Liberal Arts Education (CLAE), which has been a foundational document in curriculum decisions since then.

At Calvin, liberal arts is animated for every student through the core curriculum. The CLAE document established the first core curriculum, and there have been a few iterations since then, including a new version that students began this fall.

LIBERAL ARTS TO OUR CORE

Professor emeritus Kenneth Pomykala served on the University Core Task Force in 2019– 2020 and helped the task force to understand how foundational documentation like the CLAE should shape Calvin’s current decisions. He explained that the authors of CLAE retained the term “liberal arts” to express one aspect that everyone agreed on: “that a liberal arts education is one which is not aimed at equipping the student to hold down some specific occupation—meaning non-vocational and non-professional education.”

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The term core is intentional. Most higher education institutions recognize a need for general education requirements, but Calvin’s commitment is deeper.

“The gen ed label suggests that these courses are less important than the courses in a student’s major,” said English professor Chad Engbers, who served on the Core Transition Team. “Core suggests that these courses are at the vital center of everything we do. If you cut out the core of a reactor, you no longer have a reaction.”

THE CORE REACTION “When students take courses in different disciplines, they begin to draw connections that change how they see the world,” said Carolyn Anderson, professor of chemistry and biochemistry and the newly appointed director of core. “Complexities are revealed that we might have otherwise missed because our disciplinary perspective was too narrow.”

“Our tendency as humans is to make things simple,” said psychology professor Julie Yonker. “We want things to fit neatly into boxes. But the world isn’t like that—people are complicated. Society is complicated.”

Liberal arts education exposes students to disciplines and modes of learning that they might not gravitate toward. “It keeps you humble,” said Yonker. “Humility allows us to say that we don’t have all the answers within our field of study.”

Anderson agrees. “I don’t think a broad, liberal arts education is going to enable someone single-handedly to solve the complex problems of the world. Rather, it allows us to understand why different perspectives are necessary. Liberal arts gives us the eyes to see that we need more people at the table.”

ELEMENTS OF THE NEW CORE

LIBERAL ARTS FOR VOCATION By definition, liberal arts classes are distinct from professional training. But time and time again, it’s precisely the liberal arts education that propels Calvin graduates in their careers.

“If an employer hires a Calvin grad, they will always come back and hire another one,” said TaRita Johnson, director of Calvin’s Career Center. “It’s that combination of the entire core and the major. Calvin students have a moral compass, intellectual horsepower, and drive for results. They aren’t the typical employees, and it’s the liberal arts that gives them the ability to critically think, problem solve, and be flexible.”

Cal Jen, business professor emeritus, couldn’t agree more. “Breadth [of learning] allows students to adapt more quickly and easily to all areas—including business—of our rapidly changing world.”

“If an employer hires a Calvin grad, they will always come back and hire another one.”

— TARITA JOHNSON DIRECTOR OF THE CALVIN CAREER CENTER

Reformed: Students will begin Calvin with the course “Community and Commitments,” which will introduce Calvin’s Reformed Christian theological heritage. In their last year, they’ll take “Contemporary Challenges and Enduring Questions,” which invites students to live out their vocation in Christian witness to the world.

Lean: The updated core requires fewer credit hours, comprising about 30–40% of a student’s total credits. The credit requirement for graduation remains the same, so students will have the ability to take more electives, add a major or minor, or even change majors and still graduate in four years.

Flexible: Students have more choices than previous iterations. For example, instead of requiring a specific introductory philosophy course, students can choose a philosophy course that interests them to satisfy a number of different categories.

Broad: As with other core curriculums, students will have the opportunity to take classes across campus, in disciplines like world languages, religion, art, music, philosophy, history, natural sciences, social sciences, mathematics, health and movement, rhetoric, and literature.

Relevant: Students come to Calvin with questions, hopes, and aspirations.

Through the lens of Reformed faith, students will learn about diversity and difference, global cultural competency, and environmental sustainability. These topics are layered throughout the curriculum, intended to prepare students for lives of Christian service.

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FEATURE STORY

A REFRESH The core hadn’t undergone a significant revision since 2001. A general sense from the faculty was that it needed an update to fit the new university structure and student needs.

One reason is that some programs need a higher number of credits to confer a degree as part of their accreditation. These higher credit loads meant that students wouldn’t be able to complete the core and their major requirement in four years, so a patchwork of exceptions were granted, making the core disjointed and inconsistent.

Now, core has been reimagined as flexible and coherent for all academic programs. It is also designed to be attractive to prospective students looking at colleges, relevant to them throughout their lives and careers, and true to Calvin’s long-standing commitments.

“We were finding that students considered core classes as less essential than their major courses,” said Anderson. “We want to change that.”

The University Core Task Force was chaired

by Joel Westra, professor of political science, and included faculty from across the university. “Provost Cheryl Brandsen pushed us to think creatively, and our faculty colleagues encouraged us to balance coherence, flexibility, and disciplinary breadth. In some sense, we all had to compromise, but what we ended up with is something we ultimately were really satisfied with,” said Westra.

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The core is already a bright spot for faculty, said Engbers, who now serves as one of several faculty core fellows. “For the past two years, faculty have continually had to face reductions. The pandemic is forcing everyone to progressively get used to less and less,” said Engbers. “The new Calvin core, on the contrary, gives faculty more.”

How does the new core give more? One example is the new course called “Community and Commitments,” which students take their first semester on campus. Unlike the course all students took in the previous core, “Community and Commitments” seeks to provide all students with a common foundation for their time at Calvin. Students will read the same book, City of God by Augustine, and establish a broad basis of Reformed thinking.

Knowing that all students have a shared understanding and vocabulary will allow professors to start discussions in future classes at a deeper level.

“The ‘Community and Commitments’ course already is bringing together faculty from across the university to reflect upon and to discuss the meaning and significance of a Reformed Christian approach to learning,” said Westra. “Just as we want our students not to limit themselves to narrow disciplinary perspectives, the new core encourages us as faculty to continually broaden our perspectives as well.”

“The problems the world faces today are not problems that can be addressed by one discipline alone.”

— DAVID KOETJE PROFESSOR, BIOLOGY

WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW: LIBERAL ARTS

By David Koetje, biology

Headlines in recent years haven’t always been positive about the future of liberal arts.

But it’s far too soon to write the tombstone for the liberal arts. In fact, with the complex challenges of the 21st century, I believe that liberal arts are in for a resurgence.

Why? The problems the world faces today are not problems that can be addressed by one discipline alone.

Let’s take the issue of food security. How can we ensure good food for everyone and also be good stewards of the environment?

This is a complex, global problem. As a biologist, I can’t pretend that I have all the answers to solve the problem. We need to engage perspectives from the social and behavioral sciences. We need to understand how food is intertwined with culture and language. Insights from political science, communication, history, agriculture, and geography are also crucial.

A complex challenge like this calls for concerted action based on interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary problem-solving.

Liberal arts education prepares people for this type of work. When students take classes outside of their major, they’re not only learning the skills and facts of that discipline, they’re learning the importance of thinking in different domains. They’re learning how to ask questions that matter to biologists, politicians, farmers, and sociologists. These questions take us outside the boxes of each discipline in ways that recognize the multi-dimensional nature of the challenge and promote creative, sustainable, and just solutions.

What the world needs right now is more liberal arts graduates with the skills and the motivation to meet these complex challenges.

And we need to be talking about how a Calvin education achieves this through the interplay between our major programs and our new core.

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GRADUATION DOUBLEHEADER UNIQUE COMMENCEMENT

On Saturday, May 22, 2021, history was made at LMCU Ballpark in Grand Rapids.

After a 364-day delay, Calvin University’s Class of 2020 returned for its formal Commencement ceremony. It marked the first time degrees with the name Calvin “University” on them were conferred, it was the 100th conferring of baccalaureate degrees in Calvin’s 145-year history, and it also marked the first time students in the Calvin Prison Initiative were awarded bachelor’s degrees. The Class of 2021, which also finished its final year of college during a pandemic, celebrated as the second half of this unique double header. In total, more than 1,600 graduates participated either in-person or online between the two ceremonies.

“When we were courageous, God was able to create something more beautiful than we could have even imagined.”

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— EMERSON SILVERNAIL student body president Class of 2020

CLAIRE MURASHIMA

student body president, Class of 2021

“Whether you got to this point in your life by attending college in a country where you knew nobody, taking classes at the Handlon Correctional Facility, or by following two generations to Calvin, I hope that you can look back and see the unmistakable pattern of God’s faithfulness during your time at Calvin.”

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“I think your generation is going to make breathtaking contributions. But you are going to need to be intentional about looking for the goodness. ... Be that Christian who sees the goodness and light and opportunity, even in the dark places. Even in the troubled times.”

— WILLIAM P. ROBINSON Commencement speaker

MICHAEL DUTHLER

Calvin Prison Initiative graduate Class of 2020 “What began for me with an acceptance letter to [Calvin Prison Initiative] has formed me into the man who I am today and is inextricably bound with how I see myself in the future—someone who desires to break in God’s Kingdom, be that agent of renewal, to restore shalom, by sharing my education with others, by living out my vocation in a way that glorifies and magnifies God and allows his presence to be known in whatever sphere I touch.”

Scan to watch the Commencement video.

Or go to our YouTube channel and see more memories from May 22, 2021.

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ALUMNI PROFILES

Alumni Profiles CalvinCalvin seeks seeks to equip to equip students students Grand Sungjin Rapids’Yoo Aperitivo was born manager in South Korea to think to deeply, think deeply, act justly, act justly, and live and live Evanbut Talen spent has much taken of hishis passion childhood wholeheartedly wholeheartedly as Christ’s as Christ’s agentsagents to a whole in Michigan. new level He now by winning seeks to build of renewal of renewal in the in world. the world.

These These the Cheesemonger bridges between Invitational, those twoaplaces storiesstories demonstrate demonstrate how our how alumni our alumninational as he competition helps Grand that Rapids pitted develop him are living are out living that outmission. that mission. against a sister manycity of the relationship top cheese with connoisseurs Gangnam-gu from around in Seoul. the country.

JaylynGod Gough doesn’t is themake founder mistakes, of Native said Women’s Meredith Wilderness, Wiggers which Heintz. strivesIt’s her Tim and As aAndrew Calvin student, Harris are Claire the Vande to create faith a platform in God that for native has compelled women herfounders Polder of ColorHub, developedan a passion innovative for to use to their work voices withtochildren speak out with extreme digital journalism printing company and storytelling. specializing She’s againstlearning injustices, differences. to bring awareness She’s now the in high-end spent her graphics careerpackaging working as and a to indigenous head ofpeople schooland at Promise land rights, Christianretailnonfiction displays. television producer and toAcademy serve as adventure-seeking in St. Louis, Mo. role and writer. models for native girls.

Summer visitors to Yellowstone Janet National Staal andPark Katelyn will meet Egnatuk Harlan launched Kredit. one He’s of West been Michigan’s a park ranger first nature-based there for preschools, nearly 50 a years, movement pointing that isvisitors rapidly to gaining the beauty momentum in the details acrossof the the country. park.

Read more Read profiles moreonline profiles online calvin.edu/spark calvin.edu/spark

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Janet Lenger StaalHeintz ’98 ’93 Meredith Wiggers

Harlan Kredit ’61

Katelyn Ver Woert Egnatuk ’13

Sungjin Yoo’06 ’13 Evan Talen

Claire Vande Polder ’85

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PHOTO CREDIT: MARY BETH DENNEY

ALUMNI PROFILES

Overcoming adversity, one student at a time 28

Humans are created in God’s image—every one of us. That’s what Meredith Wiggers Heintz ’93 wants you to know. “As people who claim Christ as our Lord and Savior, we have to be willing to give to the least of these. We have to be willing to look at them—to really see them. They have so much to offer,” she said, her voice breaking with emotion.

Heintz doesn’t come across as an emotional kind of person. She was a swimmer at Calvin and credits that experience with instilling discipline. She’s a self-proclaimed workaholic—working late into the night, fielding phone calls, and making sure things are done just right.

Meredith Wiggers Heintz ’93 Recreation therapy Head of school Promise Christian Academy St. Louis, Missouri

She channels that energy, discipline, and passion into her current role as the head of school at Promise Christian Academy in St. Louis, Missouri. Students at the school come with a diagnosis of some kind, many with autism or Down syndrome. In other words, Heintz’s life’s work is serving and learning from the least of these.

“God doesn’t make a mistake. Why should we hide what society views as a mistake? To see the joy and the love that these students can give to society … it’s worth every sweat and perspiration,” she said.

SEED PLANTED Heintz was born in west Michigan and moved to St. Louis in sixth grade. As a senior at Westminster Christian Academy in St. Louis, she was affected by a volunteer project at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

“I saw the worst of the worst—gunshot wounds, brain tumors, traumatic brain injuries,” she said. She also saw a recreation therapy department at the hospital that completely intrigued her.

The seed for recreation therapy was planted in high school, and it was watered at Calvin.

Two days into her first year, Heintz discovered there was a recreation therapy major.

“I went straight to Glen Van Andel’s office, declared a rec therapy major, and never looked back,” she said.

“It brings me immense joy to work with children with extreme learning differences.”

EYEING ABILITIES Heintz uses the knowledge she gained from her Calvin degree in her job. “At Promise, we have a therapeutic approach to education.

We don’t just look at the child’s disabilities, but their abilities,” she said.

The work is challenging and rewarding. “It brings me immense joy to work with children with extreme learning differences. I love learning how their brain works, how they interact with the world around them,” she said.

LEARNING TO STRETCH

The K-12 school offers 10 hours per week of intensive occupational therapy and speech therapy, and one-on-one help with reading and math for younger kids. “Because we’re able to give that kind of support, the students make progress in leaps and bounds,” Heintz said.

Even though her passion is working with the children, Heintz wears many hats. In January 2020, the school moved into a new $5 million building that gives it 16,000 square feet of learning space. Fundraising for that facility was a recent experience that stretched Heintz.

The quality of education at Promise Christian Academy draws families from many faith backgrounds, including non-Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu families. “We are a missional school,” Heintz said. “They all understand we are teaching from the Bible.”

“I’m thankful for the well-rounded education I received at Calvin,” she said. “When we started the fundraising project, it felt like a mountain that we had to climb. I think about the classes I had to take that weren’t in my major, like communication and English, and how I used those skills in fundraising. I never would have taken those classes on my own, but they helped me get to where I am today.”

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ALUMNI PROFILES

Well-rounded education leads to well-rounded life 30

PHOTO CREDIT: JUSTIN RAZMUS/616 MEDIA

Sungjin Yoo ’13 Classics, German, and international relations In-house counsel Ottawa Avenue Private Capital Grand Rapids, Michigan

Sungjin Yoo ’13 has always been intellectually curious. So the broad education he received at Calvin was a great fit.

“My Calvin experience was enriched because of the well-rounded education that I had,” he said. “And I continue to grow and learn something every day, both in and out of the office,” said Yoo, who works as in-house counsel for Ottawa Avenue Private Capital.

Because of the impact he’s made in his career as an attorney as well as his volunteer work, Yoo was named to the Grand Rapids Business Journal list of “40 Under 40” in 2020. Yoo serves as a board member for both World Affairs Council of Western Michigan and Metro Health Hospital Foundation impACT Board. He also mentors students at The Potter’s House High School.

HOW IT STARTED Yoo was born in Seoul, South Korea, but spent much of his childhood in Grand Rapids when his father attended Calvin Theological Seminary. “Our whole family was embraced by the Calvin community and the church we attended, LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church,” Yoo said.

When Yoo was in high school, his family moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, but ended up back in South Korea his senior year.

Why? The family’s immigration attorney inadvertently made a paperwork mistake.

Yoo was always interested in studying law, and that experience solidified his goal of becoming an attorney.

“Calvin was appealing to me because it draws students from all over the world. I also knew the academics would prepare me well,” said Yoo, whose older brother was studying at Calvin at that time.

But the cost of the liberal arts education he wanted seemed daunting. Calvin and Yoo’s community stepped up to help. “I received a great scholarship and financial aid package from Calvin,” Yoo said. Family friends, including Herbert ’60 and Sharon ’64 Lantinga, also supported Yoo’s Calvin education.

Through his time at Calvin, Yoo continued to plan for a future as an attorney. “My pre-law adviser was Joel Westra. He is an awesome mentor, professor, and well-known scholar in international relations. We still keep in contact,” Yoo said.

BUILDING BRIDGES “I’m so grateful,” Yoo said. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them. It sounds cliché, but in this case, it’s totally true.”

LANGUAGES SHARPEN SKILLS Yoo loved his Latin courses in high school and was also interested in German. He ended up with three majors: classics, German, and international relations.

Yoo spent a semester abroad in Vienna, Austria, while at Calvin, and his German came in handy when he studied in Hamburg, Germany, during law school. He keeps up his skills by speaking the language with his German sister-in-law and friends, as well as listening to German podcasts.

The language and humanities courses he took at Calvin developed critical thinking skills and sharpened his writing. “I’m living proof that you don’t have to major in business to work at a private equity firm,” said Yoo.

In fact, Westra attended the Chuseok event hosted by Korean Connection that Yoo co-moderated in fall 2019. The sold-out celebration of Korean thanksgiving featured Calvin students performing K-pop, as well as Korean food and time honoring Korean veterans. Proceeds from this event went toward supporting an orphanage in Korea.

Now, Yoo is helping Grand Rapids develop a sister city relationship with Gangnam-gu in Seoul, most recently serving as the interpreter for Grand Rapids at a meeting between the mayors.

“Our country and world have become polarized—there is so much animosity.

Relationship-building opportunities like the ones that a sister city relationship provides are critical to a functioning and welcoming society,” Yoo said.

“Relationship-building opportunities like the ones that a sister city relationship provides are critical to a functioning and welcoming society.”

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ALUMNI PROFILES

Our God is in the details

Harlan Kredit ’61 Biology Park ranger Yellowstone National Park

A CALLING TO TEACH

Harlan Kredit ’61 is the kind of man who notices details.

He remembers specific details from when he was a Calvin student 60 years ago. Like the time when he was feeling homesick for Lynden, Washington, and he heard the sound of migrating geese overhead. He recognized their call as the same kind of geese he knew from the mountains of Washington. That sound reminded him that he was part of a big, interconnected world—and that the same God that ruled that world cared for him.

A YELLOWSTONE FAMILY If you’ve ever visited Yellowstone National Park in the summer, Kredit might have encouraged you to look for the details. This year was Kredit’s 49th summer at Yellowstone, where he serves as a park ranger when he’s not teaching at Lynden Christian.

He has met lots of Calvin alumni at the park and taken countless hikes along the lakes, rivers, canyons, and mountain ranges.

“We’re a Yellowstone family,” he said, mentioning that he now enjoys the same hikes with his grandchildren as he did with his own children when they were growing up.

Kredit talks with visitors about the intricate beauty in the park and encourages them to look more closely. “I’ll ask visitors to be really quiet to see if they can find evidence that an animal has been in the 32

area. It’s hard at first—but then they start seeing tracks, nests, and holes dug by animals.

“I might be the only ranger they’re going to encounter at Yellowstone. I might only have five minutes to convince them to visit more national parks and appreciate these places more deeply,” he said.

Kredit hopes to impress upon visitors the interconnectedness of nature and our responsibility to it. “It all fits together. You mess up one part, you mess up others,” he said.

A LIFELONG KNIGHT Kredit has always loved nature, and his time studying biology at Calvin deepened that love.

“My professors believed that everything belongs to God, and we have to take care of it. My professors took us out to study plants.

They’d get so excited looking at flowers. To me, that was contagious. It was never dull.”

The dedication that Calvin professors had to their students made an impression on Kredit. “I’d see them teaching biology during the day and then at Calvin basketball games at night,” he said. “Their job wasn’t just in the classroom. That’s a legacy I really appreciate and one I’ve tried to live out.”

Calvin had a lifelong influence on his personal life as well. He met his wife Linda at Calvin and his three children attended.

Kredit has taught nearly 60 years, most of them at Lynden Christian, and continues at age 81 to lead field trips and substitute teach. He’s received many awards over the years, including being inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame in 2006. In 1997, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award at Calvin for his work as a teacher and park ranger.

“I just think this is what God’s calling me to do. If you are where you’re supposed to be, you’ll work very hard at it.”

Kredit uses every opportunity he can to get his students out experiencing nature. He’s led hundreds of field trips. And he’s involved his students in projects such as raising Coho salmon and planting trees.

“God made such an unbelievable universe,” he said. “We appreciate the things that we see and participate in.”

Kredit also takes inspiration from his Calvin professors and gets to know students outside of class. “I want my students to know from my actions that I really do care about them,” said Kredit, who often talks with students over Dairy Queen ice cream. “I can’t keep up with all 7,000 students I’ve taught, but I keep up with many.”

He’s been a strong advocate for Calvin over the years, recommending students continue their education at his beloved alma mater.

“I’ve been so blessed by Calvin,” he said.

“I just think this is what God’s calling me to do. If you are where you’re supposed to be, you’ll work very hard at it.”

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ALUMNI PROFILES

Adventure abounds in career telling stories Claire Vande Polder ’85 took a career possibilities test in her final year at Calvin, and it told her she should look for a job with adventure.

And it was absolutely right. As a nonfiction television producer, Vande Polder has explored the world, from the waters of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to inside the pyramids in Egypt and to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. For her latest project, she embarked on a quest of a different sort— to understand happy marriages.

Her Calvin experience was formative to who she became. “Calvin was where lightbulbs started to turn on,” said Vande Polder. She majored in English and discovered a lifelong passion for journalism and storytelling.

“Working on Chimes changed the trajectory of my life. I found people with similar interests. It gave me experience and a sense of community I hadn’t had before,” she said.

After a master’s in literature at King’s College, University of London, Vande Polder and a friend from Calvin moved to Washington, D.C. She found an administrative job at National Geographic Television and worked her way into producing, directing, and writing.

“The work was hard. I missed holidays and important events because I was on the road. But I loved what I was doing. I was constantly learning, and that was the great motivator,” she said.

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After 12 years with National Geographic Television, she worked for the Discovery Networks and is now an independent writer, executive producer, and development executive working with clients like Smithsonian Channel, Investigation Discovery, and Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Studios.

Most recently, Vande Polder’s natural curiosity led to writing about another kind of adventure: marriage. In her new book, Making Marriage Happy: Hard-Won Wisdom from Real Couples, she interviewed 26 happy couples who had been married for a collective 1,000 years.

“The book offers a collection of wisdom, advice, stories, and confessions from happy couples, told in their own words,” she said.

“I know from my own marriage that every relationship is unique. I wanted to discover what happily married couples do in day-to-day life, and what these couples had in common.”

The book goes in depth on how couples fight, handle money, have conversations, navigate hard times, and more.

“There are a lot of funny stories in the book, and some are poignant and heartbreaking— just like marriage,” she said. “I learned a lot, but it’s most gratifying to hear from readers who’ve learned something from the book, too.”

Meanwhile, Vande Polder continues her work in television and is currently finishing a three-hour series called “Age of Humans” for Smithsonian Channel. The series focuses on the environmental impact humanity has had on earth, sea, and sky. She’s also in development on both a reality/competition series and a true crime series, and she’s consulting and writing for a podcast as well.

“In my work, it’s good to keep a lot of irons in the fire,” she said. “No project is ever a sure thing, so you learn to multitask, pivot if an idea doesn’t fly, and then move on.

Once you learn that rejection is a natural part of the process, the variety is definitely part of the fun.”

“I know from my own marriage that every relationship is unique.”

Claire Vande Polder ’85 English Independent writer and executive producer Boca Raton, Florida

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t n e s e t m u e b i r it tr e R

CALVIN LEGACY

Deb Bakker Kinesiology Colleagues and students have been blessed by Deb Bakker ’82. They emphasize her joyfulness, creativity, humor, energy, determination, and the ways that she has served the people around her. After graduating from Calvin, Deb returned in 1994 as a kinesiology professor and coach. Deb coached women’s soccer and softball in the 1990s and early 2000s, served on countless committees, and found time to run the clock for men’s basketball at Calvin.

Larry Herzberg

Deb Bakker

Paul Fields Meeter Center/Hekman Library Over his 30 years at Calvin as a theological librarian and curator of the Meeter Center collection, Paul Fields’ pastoral approach and sense of fun has blessed many. The tables outside Paul’s office have been home to many conversations with students and colleagues about their challenges, hopes, and joys. Calm, patient, and ever-helpful, he has modeled service to students, staff, and faculty alike.

Doug Howard

Paul Fields

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To see a video tribute and read longer profiles, visit calvin.edu/go/tributes

Nancy Meyer

Karen Saupe

Kenneth Pomykala

Larry Herzberg Chinese, Asian Studies For over three decades, Larry Herzberg ’81 brought a performer’s flare to whatever he did as he invested in his colleagues and students. He joyfully and playfully engaged his students, putting them at ease and giving them confidence. Colleagues and students alike will miss Larry’s enthusiastic advocacy for language learning and Asian cultures, his eternal optimism, and his kindness.

Doug Howard History In his 33 years at Calvin, Doug Howard’s vast knowledge, kindness, and approachability have earned him a reputation as one of the history department’s best teachers, admired for his passion, humor, and insistence on asking hard questions. He was also a superb department chair, fair-minded, thorough, and attentive to detail and to each colleague’s particular needs and concerns. He is a kind and generous Christian soul.

Nancy Meyer Kinesiology Nancy Meyer ’78 has been a coach, teacher, and mentor at Calvin since 1979. She not only excelled in specific roles, she also did whatever the team needed. She served as head for women’s and men’s swimming, women’s tennis, and women’s cross country, and as an assistant coach in various sports. She was director of women’s athletics, co-director of athletics, and athletics compliance director. Colleagues describe Nancy as a mentor for them, not just for students.

Kenneth Pomykala Religion Kenneth Pomykala ’76 MDiv ’81 returned to Calvin in 1988 to teach in the religion department and has been department chair for 16 of the last 18 years. He made his duties look almost effortless and brought intelligence and curiosity to all his teaching. Whenever there’s been a question about some department or Calvin matter, it’s been assumed that Ken would be able to sort it out—and he always could.

Karen Saupe English In 1994, Karen Saupe joined Calvin’s English department, and 27 years later, she retires after four years of chairing the department and several years as director of the Rhetoric Center. Karen dearly loves a laugh, and her colleagues have always appreciated her energy, wit, and irrepressible knack for making work fun. Although she takes her work very seriously, she also always takes it with a smile.

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EVENTS

CALVIN CLASSIC: IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL OPTIONS You’re invited to join us Oct. 2 for the Calvin Classic 5K during Homecoming & Family Weekend. With our virtual race option, you can run from wherever you are, whenever it works for you. Grab friends, family, or coworkers to do a group race or run on your own. We’ll send you a T-shirt, race bib, finisher button, and Calvin swag for participating. You can also join in some of the other virtual fun planned for alumni and families throughout the weekend.

If you’re going to be in Grand Rapids that weekend, we’d love to have you join us for the in-person race.

There are options for the whole family, including a run, walk, handcycle, and youth fun run. Then stick around for the other Homecoming & Family Weekend events happening on campus—from athletic competitions and concerts to open hours at the pool and climbing wall, there will be something for everyone.

REUNION IN A BOX Your presence on campus means a lot to the Calvin community, and we love when you can join us for big events like Homecoming & Family Weekend. But since that can’t always happen, we created a way for you and your friends to connect with the university— no matter where you are!

The next time you get together with four or more Calvin roommates, teammates, or friends, let us know. The alumni association will send you a “Reunion in a Box” filled with fun swag to help you celebrate! Each box has one-of-a-kind T-shirts and some of our favorite Calvin goodies. Visit calvin. edu/go/reunion-box to let us know the date and location of your event as well as the name, email address, and T-shirt size of each of the alumni participants. Then, share pictures on social media using #CalvinUniversityAlumni, #CalvinReunions, and #Knights4Life.

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CALVIN ACADEMY FOR LIFELONG LEARNING

SAVE THE DATE!

The Calvin Academy for Lifelong Learning (CALL) is a member-based lifelong learning community. CALL is now open to all ages. Explore a wide variety of courses, bonus lectures, events, social groups, and travel opportunities during three terms each academic year. CALL has a combination of online, hybrid, and in-person courses and lectures that you won’t want to miss.

Visit calvin.edu/call for more information.

Homecoming & Family Weekend Oct. 1–2, 2021

ONLINE BOOK CLUB

REGIONAL SCAVENGER HUNTS From Washington, D.C., to Lynden, Washington, groups of alumni gathered to participate in outdoor scavenger hunts throughout the summer. Staff from the Calvin Alumni Association were present to hand out giveaways, listen to stories, and share news and updates about the university. Interested in having a regional event in your area? Let us know. It’s one of the many ways we work to network with you throughout the year.

Join Calvin alumni from around the world in a free online book club. Books cover a range of topics and genres, and every two months participants get to vote on what to read next.

The online forum makes it easy to connect with other readers through engaging discussions. You can sign up at any time, so visit calvin.edu/alumni for more details.

RECEIVE SPARK VIA EMAIL If you’re interested in receiving a digital copy of Spark delivered right to your inbox, let us know.

You can read each issue quickly and easily on your digital device, and Calvin can continue to be better stewards by reducing printing and mailing costs.

Email alumni@calvin.edu to make the switch.

Include your email address and let us know if this selection is for you only, or if it includes your spouse/household. Remember to include any additional email addresses if applicable.

Association Bylaws: At their spring 2021 meeting, the Calvin Alumni Association Board approved an update to the association’s bylaws. The change allows an elected member of the board to serve as treasurer instead of a member of the university’s financial services office serving in that role. The treasurer will offer guidance to the executive director in ensuring good fiscal planning, decision making, and governance oversight.

The full text of the bylaws can be found here: calvin.edu/go/bylaws

Follow Calvin Alumni

Mark your calendar for these events

Calvin Classic 5K Oct. 2, 2021 January Series Jan. 10–28, 2022 Calvin Symposium on Worship Feb. 2–5, 2022 Festival of Faith and Writing March 24–26, 2022

TRAVEL WITH CALVIN

Join alumni and friends for one of Calvin’s unique travel opportunities.

Hawaii Explore volcanoes, waterfalls, and more on the Big Island and Kauai Host: Gerry Van Kooten Feb. 8–20, 2022 Netherlands Explore geological wonders and experience Dutch life Hosts: Henk Aay and Robert Hoeksema April 3–15, 2022 Danube River Cruise Visit the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary Hosts: Ellen and George Monsma May 7–18, 2022 Florence See the wonders of Michelangelo, Leonardo, Fra Angelico, Botticelli Host: Jennifer Holberg May 24–June 6, 2022 Ireland Walk through a variety of museums, ruins, and castles Host: Debra Freeberg June 16–25, 2022 See calvin.edu/go/travel for details.

Email alumni@calvin.edu to request tour brochures for specific trips.

More on these events and others calvin.edu/calendar

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CLASS NOTES Spark readers: This section emphasizes Calvin graduates’ service, vocational, and reunion stories, along with “In Memoriam” notices. Send us news of your promotions, achievements, recognitions, and other announcements at spark@calvin.edu. Photos must be 300 dpi or approximately 1MB or greater in size.

The alumni association is also interested in knowing about important family milestones such as marriages and newcomers. Please send that news to alumni@calvin.edu.

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CLASS NOTES

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HERITAGE (graduated more than 50 years ago)

Sidney Rooy ’50 was named the 2020 LeadingAge Florida Resident/Volunteer of the Year by LeadingAge Florida.

He coordinates volunteers who make hand-cranked mobility carts for people in developing countries who have lost the use of their limbs, grows orchids for residents and shut-ins, raises and feeds the duck population, and maintains his own garden plots.

To honor his 50 years of service as professor of biology and professor of environmental studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, Orin Gelderloos ’61 gave his legacy lecture in conjunction with the 20th anniversary celebration of the Environmental Interpretive Center and the Environmental Study Area which he directed for 40 years.

1980s Karen Baker Stevenson ’80 has recently joined the staff of Trinity School for Ministry as director of curacy and adjunct faculty in the pastoral theology department.

01 Lyn Boot VanTol ’84 is the new executive director of Noorthoek Academy in Grand Rapids. The school provides access to a college experience for adults with learning challenges and other intellectual disabilities. Noorthoek Academy was the first program in the

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nation to offer lifelong learning for individuals with special needs and has been recognized for its excellence by the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. and W.K. Kellogg Foundations. Lyn has served as a member of the Noorthoek board of trustees since 2013 and as the director of family ministries at Covenant Life Church for the past 13 years.

At the end of June, Kevin Daane ’87 transitioned from his 16-year career as an associate pastor at New Life Presbyterian Church in Escondido, California, to the director of ministry engagement for Engaging Disability With The Gospel, a ministry under the umbrella of Mission to North America, a mission arm of the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA). His passion for reaching those whose lives have been touched by disability comes in part out of his and his wife Kathy Kros Daane’s ’88 raising of their son with cerebral palsy. Kevin will help equip leaders to start disability ministries in their churches and will work with a team of specialists to develop resources.

SoundOff Signal, a global leader in vehicle LED lighting, controls systems, and electronic warning solutions for the law enforcement, amber, and government markets, has announced Bryan Nyeholt ’87 as its next president. He has been with SoundOff Signal for two years and held the position of senior vice president of operations.

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02 Christopher Holstege ’88 was the recipient of the 2021 Raven Award.

The Raven Society, the oldest and most prestigious honorary society at the University of Virginia (UVA), confers an award each year to recognize excellence in service and contribution to the university. Christopher is a professor within the School of Medicine, one of 12 schools at UVA. He has served as an educator, researcher, clinician, and administrator for over 20 years in numerous areas, including toxicology, emergency medicine, pediatrics, faculty governance, and student affairs.

1990s 03 Mayer Brown LLP elected longtime partner Jon Van Gorp ’91 as chair.

Jon has spent nearly his entire career at Mayer Brown. A partner in the New York and Chicago offices, he is widely recognized as a leading structured finance practitioner and has earned a reputation for innovation by playing an integral role in many first-of-their-kind transactions.

Dan Poortenga ’92 joined the west Michigan office of the National Christian Foundation as vice president.

He helps givers mobilize their resources by inspiring biblical generosity and leverages his training in business and law along with his background in mergers and acquisitions to help donors discover more tax-efficient giving strategies to support their favorite charities.

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CLASS NOTES

Lakehead University has announced Mike den Haan ’93 as the university’s new vice president of external relations, located at their Orillia, Ont. campus. Mike will be responsible for providing an integrated, comprehensive approach to communications, alumni engagement, marketing and web development, and advancement and philanthropy and will be in close collaboration with government relations.

Jessica Bossenbroek Ronne is the associate producer for Unseen, a documentary that explores the mental health crisis among special needs caregivers.

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Kevin Dykema ’95 was recently named president-elect of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) for a four-year term. NCTM is the world’s largest mathematics education organization and advocates for a high-quality mathematics education for every single student.

Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) chemistry professor Tami Weemhoff Sivy ’97 is one of only three professors to receive the Michigan Distinguished Professor of the Year award from the Michigan Association of State Universities this year. And due to her and her students’ work using rapid DNA testing to detect fecal contamination and its sources at freshwater sites, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy requested Tami’s assistance in adapting testing for the COVID-19 virus in wastewater.

Freelance photographer Steve Carlson ’99 has put together an exhibit of his concert photography titled “Tell Me All Your Thoughts on God… .” It’s an exploration of the intersection of faith and popular music where the images are paired with a lyric from one of the artist’s songs. Artists featured include Twenty One Pilots, Coldplay, NEEDTOBREATHE, Julien Baker, Johnnyswim, Jars of Clay, Bon Iver, Lecrae, Switchfoot, and many more. To learn more, visit stevencarlsonphotography.com.

2000s Jessica Bossenbroek Ronne ’00 is the associate producer for Unseen, a documentary project that her nonprofit The Lucas Project is helping create and market. The documentary will explore the mental health crisis among special needs caregivers, with the goal being that sharing their stories will create 42

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awareness that will lead to more resources and support for millions of caregivers and their families. To view the trailer and learn more, visit caregiverdoc.com or thelucasproject.org.

Safe Haven Ministries has selected Rachel Knibbe VerWys ’00 as the organization’s next executive director. Safe Haven Ministries is a Christian nonprofit based in Grand Rapids that is dedicated to empowering all survivors of domestic violence to find freedom. Rachel will work closely with the staff and board to ensure the organization continues to carry out its mission to prevent and end relationship abuse.

Dwelling Place, a nonprofit housing developer, has selected Jeremy DeRoo ’01 as its next CEO. Jeremy will work with the staff and board to continue to support and revitalize neighborhoods across west Michigan, continuing the work he started as part of his personal mission. He has also served as executive director of LINC UP, a Grand Rapids nonprofit that works to increase community power and expand affordable housing, for over a decade.

After getting his PhD at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2006, Eric Hansen ’01 began working at Pfizer Inc. in Connecticut as a senior research scientist. And after two promotions in 2012 and 2015, he became director in October of 2019.

04 Megan Feenstra Wall ’02 is a newly named principal at the architecture firm Mathison | Mathison Architects. She was

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also elected as the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Grand Rapids Chapter president this year, the first woman in that role. Megan states, “Women are quite underrepresented in leadership in our profession (minorities even more so), so while I don’t relish being a first, I take seriously this role of raising the visibility of women in the field.”

05 (201) Magazine honored Tanganyika “Tang” Barnes ’04 as one of 14 COVID-19 Heroes for her leadership as director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Englewood Health, one of New Jersey’s leading hospitals and health care networks.

The Michigan Department of Education has named Shantel Harms VanderGalien ’04 this year’s Regional Teacher of the Year for Region 3. Shantel is an eighthgrade teacher at Wyoming Junior High and has been teaching English for Wyoming Public Schools for the last 17 years.

In an effort to change how health care is delivered, Nathan Baar ’09 developed a concierge-style health care delivery system that offers highly personalized care while remaining cost-effective for both businesses and schools. In May 2020, Nathan launched his company HealthBar under this model. HealthBar, and the licensed clinicians it employs, fulfilled the need for continuous support that many business owners had during the pandemic and is now focused on changing the landscape of health care delivery postpandemic. Learn more at healthbar.com.

A new business is a family project for Emmanuel Legbeti ’04, his wife, Amanda, and their children.

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT

Alum invention prevents common nursery injury What started as a typical night for Emmanuel Legbeti ’04 turned into a painful accident—and a new business that is helping parents and churches.

Legbeti was reading a book to his young son in one of his family’s three glider rocking chairs at their home in North Carolina. Inexpensive glider chairs had become a staple in the Legbeti home. But when he tried to shift his chair to a new position, his finger was caught in the mechanism underneath the chair, and he was injured.

“That Calvin engineering degree kicked in,” Legbeti said. “It seemed like there had to be a way to make these chairs safer.”

Legbeti and his wife, Amanda, conducted research revealing thousands of families each year experience finger pinching accidents in their glider chairs. They designed a product, filed for patent and trademark, and launched their company Glider Skirt.

“When parents or their curious little ones get hurt like I did, they might write a negative review online or file a lawsuit. But we wanted to bring a positive solution to help others,” said Legbeti.

The Legbetis invented a fabric skirt with protective pinch-guard panels that tuck nicely out of sight underneath. One unexpected benefit: the fabric skirts, which come in five styles, upgraded the look of the chairs.

“The engineering challenge was to design something that could universally fit every chair and was easy to install,” Legbeti said. His engineering expertise helped him overcome that problem. He also has experience in business. After Calvin, Legbeti received a master’s in business from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. He is the founder and managing partner of acretivPartners, a consulting firm that advises business enterprises and invests in entrepreneurs.

“We created something brand new that didn’t exist,” added Amanda.

“Nobody is searching for it by name yet because it didn’t exist. But people are searching for the problem, and once they see our solution, they can’t unsee it.”

After word started spreading about Glider Skirt, the Legbetis received orders from a customer they didn’t expect—churches. “It turns out, a lot of church nurseries have these glider chairs, and they’ve been concerned about the safety of the little ones and volunteers,” Legbeti said. In addition, “Some church insurance providers have also been seeking a solution to this issue as part of their annual risk mitigation assessments in churches, and so there are active discussions there, too.”

“That Calvin engineering degree kicked in,” Legbeti said. “It seemed like there had to be a way to make these chairs safer.”

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CLASS NOTES

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06 On March 20, Elizabeth Ross Wake ’09 gave a TED Talk at the University of Illinois in Springfield at their TEDx event.

Titled “Are You Paying To Perpetuate Poverty?” Elizabeth’s TED Talk challenges people to change how they fundraise to solve poverty, to promote progress rather than exploit the poor. Watch her talk for yourself on the TEDx Talks YouTube channel at youtube.com/user/ tedxtalks.

Ryan Martinie is joining the faculty of Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, as an assistant professor of chemistry.

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2010s In January, Eric DeKorne ’10 joined the economic development arm of the Greater Green Bay Chamber as their business retention and expansion manager. The Greater Green Bay Chamber helps the Green Bay, Wisconsin, community thrive and prosper by helping businesses succeed. Eric has also received a 2021 Bob Ady Scholarship through the Mid-America Economic Development Council.

Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer appointed Mike Troupos ’12 to serve as one of five members on the Utility Consumer Participation Board for a term that commenced February 10, 2021, and will expire January 12, 2023. The board provides grants to qualified applicants that represent the interests of Michigan’s residential energy utility customers.

This fall, Ryan Martinie ’13 is joining the faculty of Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, as an assistant

professor of chemistry. He will teach biochemistry and conduct research with students. Ryan received his PhD in 2018 from Pennsylvania State University, and since then, he has been a postdoctoral scholar at Princeton University. His research interests concern how microbes utilize the chemical power of metal atoms to build complex molecules.

Bryan Powell ’13 has joined the Red Arrows as Lowell High School’s new boys varsity basketball coach. He is also director of basketball for the Michigan Basketball Academy, where he coaches a national-level travel team while also leading both coaches and student-athletes in basketball development and organizing consistent programs of camps, clinics, tryouts, and tournaments.

In 2020, Josh Nelson ’14 graduated with an MBA from Harvard Business School. And Josh has been the school’s associate director of regional outreach for MBA admissions since July of 2020.

07 Prein&Newhof engineer Julie

Swierenga Feria ’15 recently became a certified geographic information systems professional (GISP). At Prein&Newhof, Julie has used her background in engineering and GIS to build and analyze hydraulic models of storm, sanitary, and drinking water systems for communities throughout Michigan.

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As special assistant at the Senate of Canada, Benedicta Arthur ’16 provides legislative, administrative, research, and strategic support to Sen. Colin Deacon, an Independent senator from Nova Scotia. This job allows Benedicta to use the skills she’s gained to work on important issues of public policy that affect lives every day.

Katelyn Bosch VerMerris ’16 has been hired as the Zeeland Historical Society’s first full-time executive director. She oversees the society’s marketing, new initiatives, and fundraising and manages rentals and the growing programming at the New Groningen Schoolhouse, a restored 140-year-old schoolhouse in Holland Township, Michigan.

08 Daniel Wartella ’19 is currently in training to become a naval aviator. After recently completing fixed-wing aircraft instruction, Daniel is now training as a helicopter pilot with a long-term goal of becoming a naval test pilot.

2020s Chelsea Bayles ’20 co-founded a startup called guudguuds with her family. Through her time at Calvin, she became passionate about entrepreneurship and using business for good.

Her company’s website, guudguuds. com, is a place where people can shop and interact.

BOOKS BY CALVIN ALUMNI AND PROFESSORS

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Thriving with Stone Age Minds Justin Barrett ’93 with Pamela Ebstyne King IVP Academic, InterVarsity Press Good News from Afar: A Memoir of a Young Missionary Widow Suzanne Averill Bell ’83 Independently Published A Court Without Justice: Administrative Law, the Constitution, and Me Brook Chambery ’72 Independently Published 50 Years of Failure: American Healthcare Policy at a Crossroads Brook Chambery ’72 Independently Published Spring Flower: Book 1: 1931-1951: A Tale of Two Rivers Jean Tren-Hwa Perkins; edited by Richard Hsung ’88 Earnshaw Books Means of Grace: A Year of Weekly Devotions Fleming Rutledge; edited by Laura Bardolf Hubers ’10 Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

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Duty Is Ours, Results Are God’s Randall Jansen ex’61 Christian Faith Publishing Inspired Words: Devotions for Readers Nancy Koning Knol ’72 and Brian Karsten ’03 Resource Publications, Wipf and Stock Publishers The Quiet Zone: Unraveling the Mystery of a Town Suspended in Silence Stephen Kurczy ’05 Dey Street Books, HarperCollins Publishers

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Wilderness Survival: Sustained for 40 Days in Faith, Hope, and Love James Molenbeek ’71 Credo House Publishers Business Ethics: The Search for an Elusive Idea Todd Pheifer ’94 Cognella Academic Publishing Morning and Evening Prayers Cornelius Plantinga Jr. ’67 Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

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Blended with Grit and Grace: Just Keep Livin’ When Life Is Unexpected Jessica Bossenbroek Ronne ’00 Leafwood Publishers, Abilene Christian University Press Talking with the Trinity: Personally and Publically Carol Slager ’71 MCE ’79 WestBow Press, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Women in the Mission of the Church: Their Opportunities and Obstacles throughout Christian History Leanne M. Dzubinski and Anneke H. Spee Stasson ’03 Baker Academic, Baker Publishing Group The Registered Church in China: Flourishing in a Challenging Environment Wayne Ten Harmsel ’74 Pickwick Publications, Wipf and Stock Publishers Happenstances: A Stony Lake Mystery George Van Denend ’72 Independently Published Making Marriage Happy: Hard-Won Wisdom from Real Couples Claire Vande Polder ’85 Story Nest Media

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Jean Alberda Brower ’58 April 11, 2021, Hudsonville, Mich.

Charles Feddema ’51 March 18, 2020, Allendale, Mich.

Margaret te Velde Houtsma ex’58 April 19, 2021, Syracuse, Kan.

Ralph Bruxvoort ’55 March 23, 2021, Bloomer, Wis.

Tena Draayer Feddema ’61 May 15, 2021, Allendale, Mich.

Arnold Hoving ’58 April 7, 2021, Westmont, Ill.

William Buiten ex’50 July 15, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Earl Feringa ’53 March 1, 2019, Seattle, Wash.

Martina Van Staalduinen Ipema ’61 June 2, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Betty Vander Werp Bultman ex’49 July 2, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Stephanie Rooks Fryer ’58 March 19, 2021, Wyoming, Mich.

Donald Jackson ’69 Feb. 20, 2021, Rockford, Mich.

Arlene Walcott Buurma ex’47 Feb. 22, 2020, Gregory, Mich.

Richard Geldof ’51 Feb. 28, 2021, Banning, Calif.

Carol Ringling Kahl ex’58 Jan. 10, 2021, Whiting, Iowa

Sally Snider Clark ’58 May 4, 2021, Tempe, Ariz.

Cornelia “Connie” Schryvers Gezon ’52 July 6, 2021, Wilmette, Ill.

Ann Van’t Slot Karnemaat ex’53 June 17, 2021, Fremont, Mich.

Donald Clelland ’58 April 22, 2021, Knoxville, Tenn.

Harold Clousing ’66 April 6, 2021, Santa Clarita, Calif.

David Cooke Sr. ex’56 March 23, 2021, Columbus, Ohio

Deaths HERITAGE Shirley Baas ex’56 June 21, 2021, Holland, Mich.

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Maurice Couwenhoven ’50 Feb. 24, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Anne DeBoer Deckard ’45 May 9, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Robert Decker ’62 May 5, 2021, Jenison, Mich.

Dale De Haan ’55 March 1, 2021, Holmes Beach, Fla.

Allen Baker ex’59 May 13, 2021, Whitinsville, Mass.

Cornelia “Connie” De Hoog ex’53 Aug. 31, 2019, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Verna Vreugdenhil Baker ex’47 Feb. 6, 2021, Jenison, Mich.

Phyllis Hollender De Jong ’49 April 4, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

John Beenen ex’59 Oct. 1, 2020, North Fort Myers, Fla.

Merle Den Bleyker ’69 March 23, 2021, Mesa, Ariz.

Vernon Boersma ex’41 June 19, 2021, Holland, Mich.

Bert de Vries ’60 March 28, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Lois Eggebeen Boonstra ex’53 Jan. 31, 2021, Palos Heights, Ill.

Marjorie Broersma De Young ex’55 Feb. 14, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Nancy Van Regenmorter Bos ’61 Feb. 25, 2021, Hudsonville, Mich.

Donald Distelberg ’68 April 23, 2021, Hemet, Calif.

Peter Bosman ’59 Sept. 25, 2019, Lynden, Wash.

Rick Duistermars ex’67 Jan. 22, 2021, Portland, Ore.

Arthur Bouwers ’68 July 4, 2021, Youngstown, Ohio

Calvin Dyk ex’64 May 25, 2021, Hudsonville, Mich.

JoAnne Waanders Brasser ’58 June 4, 2021, Brookffield, Wis.

Helen Dyk ’57 June 14, 2021, Jenison, Mich.

Donald Bratt Sr. ex’52 Nov. 14, 2020, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Dorothy Stob Dykstra ex’44 Jan. 18, 2021, Evansville, Ind.

Wallace Bratt ’55 April 4, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Frank Einfeld ’43 March 28, 2021, Jenison, Mich.

Alton Greenfield ’65 June 8, 2021, Spring Lake Park, Minn.

Paul Grevengoed ’48 March 10, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Robert Greydanus ’63 April 25, 2021, Bloomffield, N.J. Frank Grimm ex’59 June 18, 2021, Cedar Springs, Mich.

Theresa Wiersma Grond ’68 March 19, 2020, Meridian, Idaho Mariann Hoekman Haak ex’59 Dec. 17, 2020, Sioux Center, Iowa Wesley Haan ’57 June 23, 2021, Baldwin, Mich.

James Hale ex’68 Dec. 7, 2020, Noble, Okla.

Seymour Harkema ex’50 March 22, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Cornelius Hegewald ’62 Feb. 15, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Daniel Hendriksen ’51 April 22, 2021, Portage, Mich.

Alfred Herfst ’64 July 1, 2019, Burnaby, B.C. Robert Heyboer ex’48 April 28, 2021, Holland, Mich.

Walter Hoeksema ’64 March 15, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

John Hoffman ex’50 May 3, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Faith Brouwers Hollander ’54 Feb. 8, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Donald Holtrop ’58 March 9, 2021, Tucson, Ariz.

Robert Holwerda ’59 April 30, 2021, Grandville, Mich.

Evelyn Petroelje Karsten ’52 June 21, 2021, Visalia, Calif.

Henry Karsten ’54 April 26, 2021, Visalia, Calif.

David Kass ’57 April 5, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Henry Katerberg ’66 April 4, 2021, Hamilton, Ont. Alex Klooster Jr. ’60 May 19, 2021, Ann Arbor, Mich.

John Kloosterman Jr. ex’58 March 23, 2021, Kalamazoo, Mich.

Gordon Klouw ’51 Dec. 8, 2020, Holland, Mich.

Doris Knol ’47 Feb. 9, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Sharon Petersen Kraft ex’63 March 14, 2021, Spring Lake, Mich.

Mae Van Zwol Kruis ex’44 March 4, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Calvin Kuipers ’50 March 24, 2019, Albuquerque, N.M. Nancy Zeeff Kuipers ’61 Sept. 10, 2020, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Jacob Leegwater ’64 Oct. 24, 2019, Lincoln, Calif.

Wayne Lemmen ex’44 March 23, 2021, Coopersville, Mich.

Wayne Leys ’66 Jan. 30, 2021, Zeeland, Mich.

Hazel Ruis Marthinsen ex’50 Feb. 21, 2021, Zelienople, Pa. Willa Vander Stoep Mast ’64 June 17, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Wubbina “Ann” Mennega ’60 Feb. 5, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Jacob Meyer ex’63 June 16, 2021, Kalamazoo, Mich.

Karen Pastoor Mulder ex’63 July 20, 2019, Spokane, Wash.

Glenn Terborg ’66 May 5, 2021, Portage, Mich.

Barbara Ekema Wymore ex’53 Jan. 14, 2021, Saint Paul, Minn.

Gerrit Veeneman ’76 April 25, 2021, Abbotsford, B.C.

Robert Niemeyer ex’49 July 5, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Edward Timmer HON July 4, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Richard Zeeff ex’49 March 15, 2021, Bradenton, Fla.

Kathryn Elzinga Wolff ’75 March 4, 2021, Chicago, Ill.

Thelma De Boer Nienhuis ’53 March 6, 2021, Jenison, Mich.

Leona De Bruin Tjoelker ex’49 Jan. 18, 2021, Lynden, Wash.

Myra Lambers Zwiep ex’48 April 7, 2021, Holland, Mich.

Garneth Oostenink ’61 June 4, 2020, Sioux City, Iowa

Dorothy Anema Triemstra ’49 April 2, 2021, Denver, Colo.

Julia De Vries Zylstra ’64 June 9, 2021, Everson, Wash.

Gerard Oosterhouse ’50 June 4, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

LaVerne Pruim Triezenberg ex’52 Jan. 26, 2021, Kalamazoo, Mich.

Greta Duifhuis Overvoorde ’63 Feb. 4, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Kelly Tucker ex’50 Sept. 16, 2019, Grandville, Mich.

Jerry Palma ex’50 Aug. 30, 2019, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Thomas Vanden Heuvel ’58 July 7, 2021, Holland, Mich.

Jeanne Gerritsen Paluzzi ex’53 March 1, 2020, Chicago, Ill.

Eloise Kuipers Vander Bilt ’51 Feb. 25, 2021, Glendale, Ariz.

William Postma ex’49 April 27, 2021, Artesia, Calif.

Robert Vander Ploeg ex’59 July 7, 2021, Caledonia, Mich.

Alvin Ritsema ex’60 Feb. 28, 2021, Jenison, Mich.

Barbara De Vries Vander Wal ’65 May 8, 2019, Wyoming, Mich.

Donald Rozema ex’55 July 17, 2020, Phoenix, Ariz.

Eugene Vander Wall ’52 March 2, 2021, Citrus Heights, Calif.

Marcia Hertel Schaap ’60 May 15, 2021, Munster, Ind.

John Van Dyke ’49 June 14, 2021, Charlevoix, Mich.

Orville Schipper ’66 May 20, 2021, Middleville, Mich.

Robert Van Noord ’65 March 17, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Dean Schmidt ex’55 Feb. 20, 2021, Rock Valley, Iowa

Allen Van Putten ex’63 June 26, 2021, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Cornelius Schoon ’67 Dec. 27, 2020, Scottsdale, Ariz.

James Van Weelden HON April 18, 2021, Grimsby, Ont.

Nancy Lubbers Schut ’67 April 14, 2021, Holland, Mich.

Annette Blauwkamp Van Wyk ex’69 Nov. 29, 2020, Oskaloosa, Iowa

P. John Shooks ex’48 Feb. 9, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Robert Sikkenga ex’58 May 30, 2021, Middlebury, Ind. Bruce Snapper ’69 Jan. 8, 2021, La Canada Flintridge, Calif.

Shirley Wiersma Veen ’50 May 21, 2021, Ada, Mich.

Dirk Velthuizen ’66 April 14, 2021, Brampton, Ont. John Versfelt ’64 Feb. 28, 2019, Surrey, B.C.

Louise Heeres Sonderfan ’62 March 20, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Curtis Vrieland ’59 Feb. 6, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Henry Stavinga ex’64 Dec. 1, 2020, Palm Harbor, Fla.

Kayrene Dykstra Walburg ex’55 April 24, 2021, Holland, Mich.

Gloria Goris Stronks ’58 April 28, 2021, Spokane, Wash.

Richard Williams ’60 June 22, 2021, Sheboygan, Wis.

Hermina Ten Harmsel Sytsma ex’49 July 5, 2021, Elmhurst, Ill.

Marilyn Heersink Witt ex’54 Oct. 29, 2020, Alamosa, Colo.

Leverne Tanis ’55 Jan. 10, 2021, Oakdale, Calif.

Kathleen Kuipers Wolters ’59 March 7, 2021, Fremont, Mich.

1980s Gregory Buurma ’80 Jan. 21, 2020, Gregory, Mich.

1970s

Fred Hanko ’83 Dec. 28, 2019, Jenison, Mich.

Jay Adams ’70 June 7, 2021, Wyoming, Mich.

Thomas Howing ’83 April 7, 2021, Ada, Mich.

George Algera ’73 March 19, 2020, Mahwah, N.J.

Jodi Gruppen Kraai ’87 March 23, 2021, Zeeland, Mich.

Michael Blanksma ’76 Jan. 15, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Timothy Lewis ex’85 April 4, 2020, Belmont, Mich.

Peggy Ribbens Dekker ’73 March 21, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Charles Schantz ’86 July 2, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Richard Donker ’72 March 15, 2021, Modesto, Calif.

Calvin Van Dyke ’86 Feb. 15, 2021, Jenison, Mich.

Lorraine Key Feenstra ’75 April 29, 2021, Spring Lake, Mich.

David Wieringa ex’84 April 15, 2021, Lombard, Ill.

Dorothy Ettema Gunn ex’79 March 28, 2021, Capac, Mich.

Richard Hamstra ex’76 May 15, 2021, Norton Shores, Mich.

Elly Weeda Hilt ex’70 Feb. 28, 2020, Wendell, Idaho David Hoekzema ex’71 March 23, 2021, Newaygo, Mich.

Haig Kassouni ex’77 April 18, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Joan Visser Knoppers ex’70 Feb. 3, 2021, Oak Brook, Ill. Cheri Meulendyk ’71 Jan. 29, 2021, Alexandria, Va. Darlene Kortenhoeven Meyering ’71 March 23, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Kenneth Offringa ’78 July 10, 2021, Webster, N.Y. Jane Zylstra Ophoff ’70 July 4, 2021, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Martin Ozinga III ’79 April 26, 2021, Mokena, Ill.

1990s Gwen Erffmeyer Inglis ’96 May 16, 2021, Lakewood, Colo.

Mark Jansen ex’90 March 23, 2021, Lansing, Mich.

Marcus Windham Sr. ’98 Feb. 16, 2021, Mesa, Ariz.

2000s Stephen Gresham ’01 Feb. 17, 2021, Jenkintown, Pa. Leah Haan Koldenhoven ’06 Feb. 8, 2021, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Andrew Smith ’03 May 23, 2021, Carol Stream, Ill.

2010s Theodore Voss ’12 April 11, 2021, Ferndale, Mich.

Thomas Page ex’77 Oct. 24, 2019, Totowa, N.J. David Rozema ex’73 Sept. 10, 2020, Pearl River, N.Y.

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WALLY BRATT, 1933–2021 Wallace “Wally” Bratt ’55 taught in the German department for more than 35 years.

And he had high expectations for himself and his students.

Herm De Vries, a student and later a colleague of Wally’s in the German department, said, “Wally took learning dead seriously; and as his student, you had better take your work seriously, too. Learning mattered. Studies mattered.”

He received Calvin’s most prestigious teaching award in 1994, the Presidential Award for Exemplary Teaching.

And Wally never really retired from teaching or learning.

After his official retirement, he continued on as one of the founding members and curriculum director of the now thriving Calvin Academy for Lifelong Learning (CALL) program.

“Wally was supportive, always helpful, eager to listen, and happy to celebrate the successes of his departmental colleagues,” said Barbara Carvill who taught with Bratt for 21 years in the German department.

To sum up Wally’s legacy at Calvin: It’s the investment he made in people.

“There are some people whose gift it is to touch other people in their lives—to make a mark on others, to guide others, to have a lasting influence on others. There are quite a few of such people around Calvin, but Wally stands out,” said De Vries.

Wally, 87, died April 5 and was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Marianne. He is survived by his children, Doug (Diane) Bratt, Sue (Ron) Bratt Cok, and David (Margaret) Bratt; his 10 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and his siblings and siblings-in-law.

BERT DE VRIES, 1939–2021 While archaeology and the Umm el-Jimal Archaeological Project (UJAP) were the focus of the majority of history emeritus Bert de Vries’ ’60 career at Calvin, his real passion was the Jordanian people.

His enthusiastic zeal for his project and his people infused his teaching for over 50 years.

“For Bert, the whole point of his scholarship was to serve other people, especially the voiceless and powerless,” said Andy Rau ’97, a former student who worked at Umm el-Jimal. “As a champion and voice for the refugees, he never let us forget that the pursuit of justice was at the heart of what he did—and that it should be at the heart of what we did, no matter where our careers and interests took us.”

Bert’s involvement in UJAP would lead him to become an advocate and ambassador of Middle Eastern culture.

IN MEMORIAM 48

In 2009, concerned about refugee children, Bert and his wife, Sally, helped found Healing Children of Conflict, which works to bring injured children to the U.S. for treatment.

Colleague Will Katerberg said: “His greatest legacy lies in this aspect of Bert’s work and life: integration of faith, work, and life is not just about ideas but about how following God’s calling for us leads us to love our neighbors.”

Bert, 82, died March 28 and is survived by Sally; children Tara (Rob) Cahill, Tanya (Paul) Bulthuis (of Calvin’s audio visual department), Jenna (Michael) Morton, Guy (Ann) de Vries, and Muaffaq and Fatima Hazza (honorarily); and many grandchildren.

DARLENE MEYERING, 1946–2021 Darlene Meyering ’68 served at Calvin for 32 years. While Darlene’s roles and offices at Calvin changed a few times—working in the music department, alumni relations office, and then in the office of the president—she remained consistent. Her colleagues describe her as being extremely welcoming, overflowing with joy, and gifted yet humble.

“Dar was genuine, full of life, and always grateful to her savior who was the source of the joy found in her,” said Mike Van Denend, who worked alongside Darlene in the alumni relations office for many years.

“I’ve never met a person who was better able to channel that joy and gratitude into such creative service for the Lord and to others.”

She was extremely gifted.

Sometimes those gifts were seen on stage, through performing in Calvin’s Theatre

Company, singing in the Alumni Choir, or interviewing authors at the Festival of Faith and Writing. But, more often than not, you’d find Darlene in a backstage role, using her gifts to help others shine.

“I have said to several people that I am very sure she is singing in the choir in heaven,” said Louise Schreur, who worked with Darlene for almost a decade in the president’s office.

Darlene, 74, died March 23 following a brief battle with myeloid leukemia. She is survived by her husband of 52 years, Bob Meyering, who also was a longtime staff member at Calvin. She is also survived by their three children, Jeremy Meyering, Jason (Meredith Rooze) Meyering, Rachel (Louis) Najar; five grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

GLORIA GORIS STRONKS, 1936–2021 While an accomplished teacher in her own right, Gloria Goris Stronks ’57 was not content with that achievement. It was her passion to be a teacher of teachers, a goal she pursued vigorously as both an education professor and prolific scholar and speaker for over four decades.

Gloria dedicated 16 years of her career to the education department at Calvin. Specializing in elementary and secondary education, her focus was on helping educators think about their craft through the lens of faith.

“Gloria was a respected scholar and member of the education department,” said Yvonne Van Ee, Calvin education professor emerita. “She was committed to excellence in teaching reading and guided her students in thoughtful theory and practice.”

Gloria also felt strongly about the needs of middle schoolers, an age group she spent considerable time researching and mentoring. An innovator

in middle school curriculum analysis, Gloria believed in helping adolescents seek out their gifts. She was a much sought-after speaker, traveling around the world to work with teachers and schools.

Former philosophy department colleague Nicholas Wolterstorff said: “[Gloria] would cheer me on, offer suggestions for lines of thought to explore, suggest readings, etc. ... Not only was Gloria helpful in this way, she was always a delight to be with and to work with. She was energetic and winsome.

She had ideas.”

Gloria, 84, died April 28 and is survived by her husband, William Stronks, Calvin director of off-campus programs emeritus; children Julia Stronks (Charles Zandbergen) and Bill Stronks (Amy Wilson-Stronks); and grandson Matt Zandbergen (Jasmine Emiko Spencer Zandbergen).

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Homecoming Ad From Erin Elders OCTOBER 1-2, 2021 COME HOME TO CALVIN Join us for Homecoming & Family Weekend!

We have plenty of in-person and virtual activities planned for students, alumni, family, and friends. Sign up for the 5K, compete in a trivia night, cheer on our teams at an athletic competition, and so much more.

Can’t make it back to campus? Plan a gathering with four or more roommates, teammates, or friends any time of year, and we’ll send you a Reunion in a Box.

calvin.edu/homecoming