Editor’s Desk

Farewell to an inspiring Spark storyteller

After 27 years of writing and editing Spark, Lynn Bolt Rosendale ’85 is retiring from her dream job. Before coming to Calvin she worked as a sports reporter for The Grand Rapids Press and used to consider that her dream job. She loved covering sports except for the evening and weekend hours.

After earning a master’s in journalism from the University of Illinois and a short stint in Colorado, she returned to Michigan. She stopped in then Alumni Director Mike Van Denend’s office to see if he needed freelance help. Van Denend gave Rosendale her first job at Calvin, a news story about CAMP, the Calvin Alumni Meat and Potatoes program. The initiative matched Calvin students with alumni for dinners in their home.

After a few years of freelancing, she started writing feature stories for Spark. In 1993 an alumni communications position was created, and Van Denend hired Rosendale full time. He recalls what a great hire she was for Calvin: “She could have left Calvin a number of times and taken a job in corporate communications. She could have left, but she didn’t because she loved Calvin and caught its mission. Lynn’s journalistic instincts were perfect for Spark.”

Rosendale’s tenure at Spark allowed her to meet impressive alumni and tell fascinating stories. “What’s been amazing to me is the talent and where we have alumni redeeming their square inch,” she said. “They are everywhere and they do amazing and inspiring work. A lot of times I felt very humbled by the work that they do. The small part I can do is to tell their story and try to inspire other alumni through it.”

Her reporting has taken her around the country. She visited with an organic rancher in Idaho, went behind the scenes with the stage director for the Barnum & Bailey Circus, interviewed the president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, and spent a day with the cast of the Blue Man Group.

“Our alumni are amazing; we have alumni who use their businesses to give back, who work with the poorest of the poor, the people who don’t have voices,” Rosendale said.

As a journalist, Rosendale was always learning. She approached subjects with humility to learn what she’d be reporting on and also share complex topics in a way that alumni readers could understand.

In retirement she is looking forward to continued learning, spending time with family, and traveling and taking biking trips with her husband. Her parents had a philosophy of investing in people and experiences, and she wants to embrace that philosophy even more in retirement.

We’re grateful for the time Rosendale took investing in the lives of alumni, getting to know them, telling their stories, and inspiring us all.

RICK TREUR

DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS

LETTERS Send us your letters.

Write us at spark@calvin.edu.

“What’s been amazing to me is the talent and where we have alumni redeeming their square inch.”

—LYNN BOLT ROSENDALE ’85 FORMER MANAGING EDITOR

PHOTO CREDIT: LARRY ROSENDALE ’84

TRAVEL WITH CALVIN

History and Beauty of Quebec

From Quebec City to Montreal Host: Karin Maag June 7-14, 2021

Dive into the history of Quebec with lectures by popular CALL professor Karin Maag while spending four days in Quebec City and three days in Montreal. Highlights of the itinerary include Île d’Orléans, Montmorency Falls, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, Trois-Rivières, Pointe-à-Callière Historical Museum, and the Notre-Dame Basilica.

Netherlands: Off the Beaten Path

Explore and discover how the Dutch made the Netherlands Hosts: Henk Aay, Robert Hoeksema Sept. 24–Oct. 6, 2021

With visits to new and old engineering feats such as ancient occupation mounds (terpen), water storage schemes at Kinderdijk, and the Deltaworks, tour participants will learn how much of this productive, low-lying country exists due to its water management strategies.

Hawaii: Volcanoes in the Sun

Hiking and geological exploration on the Big Island and Kauai Host: Gerry Van Kooten Nov. 9-21, 2021

Examine the geology and volcanic development of Hawaii while enjoying the historical, cultural, and scenic sights of the Big Island and Kauai. Along with spending two days in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, including 3-5 miles of hiking each day, participants will visit Lili’uokalani Park and Gardens, Akaka Falls, Waipio Canyon, a coffee plantation, and Kilauea Point Wildlife Refuge.

See calvin.edu/go/travel for details. Email alumni@ calvin.edu to request tour brochures for specific trips.