“It wasn’t easy for all of us at the beginning, but now we came all the way, this far. Congrats to the Class of 2024! I could not have done this without all of you.”
Calvin University equips students to think deeply, to act justly, and to live wholeheartedly as Christ’s agents of renewal in the world.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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
Calvin University is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). For more information, visit cccu.org
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A Year for the Books: Calvin men’s swimming and diving shines with third MIAA title in four years and a historic seventh-place finish at the NCAA III Championships, setting new records and earning 13 All-America honors.
FEATURES
10 COME HOME TO CALVIN
Discover the revitalized and expanded campus at Calvin, where vibrant spaces for athletics, theater, academics, and student life promise enhanced experiences for all.
14
CYCLING FOR COMMUNITY
Alumni are helping biking communities flourish: Scott Nydam ’99 expands Navajo Nation cycling, Steve Frieswick ex’73 fosters community in Toronto, and Jenny Los White ’03 empowers kids in Holland, Mich.
18 REINVIGORATING THE PERFORMING ARTS
Calvin revitalizes the arts with a theater minor and a music education major—igniting creativity and community engagement, and fostering empathy through performance and education.
Meet interim president Greg Elzinga ’90, who reflects on his journey and leadership at Calvin.
DEPARTMENTS
Yenupini Joyce Tonlaar Adams ’12 advances maternal health in Sub-Saharan Africa and the United States.
Linda Den Hartigh Vermeulen ’78 (West Bloomfield, Mich.)
Wei Wang ’14 (Portage, Mich.)
Eliezer Yeong ’18 (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
Eric Yulianto ’02 (Mason, Ohio)
Johanna Chambery Zandstra ’91 (Schererville, Ind.)
Karen Zwart Hielema ’94 (Toronto, Ont.)
NEWS & STORIES
Stay up to date on the latest stories at calvin.edu/news
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MARKING TIME
Given the nature of our alumni work at Calvin, we’re often thinking about milestones and marking significant events. There are the normal rhythms of campus life, of course: Commencement, move-in day, reunions, and the like. But sometimes, milestones hit me differently for various reasons.
In just a couple of short weeks, my wife, Erin Barnaby Haverdink ’97, and I will mark an entirely new and surreal personal milestone: we will be the parents of a Calvin student. How can this already be possible?
Erin and I are certainly not unique. Thousands of you are or have been Calvin parents who likely went through the same emotions we are about to experience. Excitement and new adventures lie ahead, yet cherished memories of days-gone-by tug at the heart. Tempus fugit, and my, how it does.
In May, the Calvin Class of 1974 marked 50 years since graduating; as it happens, I will also mark my own 50th birthday this year—different but noteworthy 50-year milestones for us both!
I love the 50-year-reunion weekend. While each year brings different faces to the event, inevitably, it’s the same wonderful experience for all. To hear howls of laughter as alums retell stories of their Calvin days is medicinal—I never tire of it. And yet there are tears and hugs, too, for those who are
no longer with us or for those too frail to join classmates on campus.
The marking of another significant milestone is afoot. March 15, 2026, will mark Calvin’s 150th anniversary. It is remarkable to consider God’s faithfulness to Calvin over a century and a half! I think of the generations of alumni who have impacted the world as followers of Christ over that stretch of time. Planning for the anniversary celebration is well underway, and we look forward to the summer of 2025, when formal festivities begin. We hope we will see many of you at these events.
Even though doing so can leave us fraught with mixed emotions, it’s healthy to take a minute to mark time in order to see God’s hand at work both now and in the past. Doing so renews our “strength for today” and teaches us to hold “bright hope for tomorrow.”
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto us.
JEFF HAVERDINK ’97 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ALUMNI & FAMILY ENGAGEMENT
SHARING OUR CALVIN STORIES
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“I BELIEVE OUR STUDENTS ARE WIRED TO BE AMBASSADORS OF RECONCILIATION, AND OUR WORLD NEEDS BOTH RECONCILIATION AND RENEWAL.”
FINDING A WAY FORWARD
THE INTERIM UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT REFLECTS ON CALVIN’S PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE
Interim President Greg Elzinga was among the first generation of his family to graduate from college. When he donned his cap and gown in 1990, he hadn’t yet formed a clear sense of vocational calling, something many of his peers seemed to easily name. What he did possess, however, was a deep love of connecting with people. That love has shaped each chapter of Elzinga’s career in corporate sales, nonprofit leadership, and higher education.
The vice president of advancement says stepping in as interim university president after President Wiebe Boer’s February resignation felt like an act of faith. But over the years, he and his wife, Jacqui, have both made career decisions that required their family of five to boldly embrace the unknown, and God has been faithful.
Elzinga’s leadership style is often described as pastoral, a particular strength while guiding the university through its current period of transition. When community members wonder about Calvin’s future, he reminds them that “Calvin has always been more than whoever is serving the office of president.”
“We have always educated and equipped young men and women to go out into an ever-changing world to live, work, and serve as Christ’s agents of renewal,” Elzinga says. He believes “you can judge a tree by the fruit that it bears,” and looks to students, faculty, staff, and alumni as evidence of this fruit.
Elzinga especially appreciates Calvin’s “diverse and gifted student body.” As interim president, he has interacted with more students in the last six months than in his previous six years at Calvin. “I see them
challenge and encourage each other to wrestle with what it practically looks like to be a follower of Christ in today’s culture. I believe our students are wired to be ambassadors of reconciliation, and our world needs both reconciliation and renewal.”
In Elzinga’s view, the 65,000 Calvin alumni working and serving worldwide also represent a tangible indicator of “the fruit Calvin has been part of bearing, developing, and nurturing for the last 148 years.” When alumni share stories, Elzinga hears them speak of the friendships they formed and the professors who mentored them through challenging life decisions. An alumnus himself, he too has a story to share about the “powerful ways” Calvin prepared him to step into his current position, a role he is committed to fulfilling for however long God calls him to it.
Highlights and top finishes for Calvin athletics during the 2023–24 seasons gave many teams something to celebrate.
BY JEFF FEBUS ’92
MEN’S BASKETBALL ADVANCES TO THE ELITE EIGHT
Led by head coach Bill Sall, the Calvin men’s basketball team reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA III Tournament for the first time since 2005. The Knights finished with a record of 25-5 and ranked sixth in the final D3hoops.com Top 25 poll.
Calvin achieved its lofty standing despite playing the final four weekends of its season on the road. The trip began with a 73-66 overtime win at seventh-ranked Trine, allowing the Knights to gain a share of the MIAA regular season title with the Thunder. The following weekend, the Knights traveled back to Trine for the MIAA Tournament semifinals where Calvin bowed out of the conference tournament to rival Hope. But they still received an NCAA III Tournament bid, defeating number 17 Elmhurst in the first round to advance to the second round for a matchup with number 2 John Carroll in Cleveland. In front of a raucous John Carroll crowd, Calvin upset the Blue Streaks 71-66 for a berth in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA III Tournament.
The Sweet 16 was held in Hartford, Connecticut. Calvin’s opponent was number 4 Randolph-Macon. Calvin put the defensive clamps on the Yellow Jackets to secure a 72-59 victory. The following night, the tournament trail ended with a 69-62 defeat in the Elite Eight against number 3 Trinity College.
“It was a great run with a special group of young men,” Sall said. “This was a very joyful team to coach. We achieved a lot this year and making a run as deep as we did, while playing away from home for nearly a month, was one of those achievements. For our seniors, it was their third consecutive 20-win season and their second trip to the Sweet 16 round in the NCAA III Tournament. They have much to be proud of.”
Senior Uchenna Egekeze and sophomore Jalen Overway both received post-season Division III All-America honors.
MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING DELIVERS STANDOUT PERFORMANCES
Meanwhile, Calvin men’s swimming and diving, led by head coach Dan Gelderloos, made national waves in the pool, capturing its third MIAA title in four years and posting a program-best seventh-place national finish at the NCAA III Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina.
At the national meet, Calvin piled up 13 All-America swims and 188 total points to post its second straight top-10 national team finish including the highest in program history. Senior David Bajwa was the biggest point producer, placing seventh in the 50-meter freestyle, sixth in the 100-meter backstroke, and fourth in the 200-meter backstroke, becoming the first individual in Calvin men’s swim history to record three top-eight individual swims at one national meet.
Senior Julien Camy earned national runnersup honors in the 100-meter butterfly and AllAmerica honors in the 200-meter butterfly. Calvin had four additional individual All-America swims and claimed All-America honors in four of five relay events.
Over the course of the season, the men’s swimming and diving team broke nine school records.
“We walked away from this season with many big moments and high-water marks for the future,” said Gelderloos. “I thought our senior leadership was outstanding and the buy-in from this team was terrific. We kept building positive momentum as the year continued. To finish the season the way we did at the national meet was very gratifying for our athletes and the coaching staff.”
ADDITIONAL HONORS
Calvin women’s swimming and diving finished 14th at the NCAA III Championships, where the team produced six All-America swims. Senior Maggie Farrell was the lone individual All-American as she placed fifth in the 100-meter butterfly. The Knights also achieved All-America distinction in all five relays, doing so at the national meet for the first time since 2009.
Both Calvin hockey teams earned berths in the ACHA National Tournament. The ACHA D1 team advanced to the national tournament for the third time in four years. The ACHA D3 team won its tournament pool, including a 4-3 upset win over rival Hope, which allowed the Knights to move on to the national semifinals where they dropped a heart-breaking 3-2 decision to Grand Valley State in the closing minutes of the contest.
With deep tournament runs in fall 2023, the Calvin men’s and women’s soccer teams both reached the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA III Tournament, while the men’s and women’s cross country teams posted top-25 finishes at the NCAA III Championships. In addition, the Calvin women’s volleyball team reached the NCAA III Tournament for the 19th consecutive season.
This spring, the Calvin softball team reached the regional finals of the NCAA III Tournament to round out the collection of notable team finishes for the 2023-24 athletic year.
COME HOME TO CALVIN
When you return to campus, you’ll notice we’ve been busy creating vibrant spaces for both connection and learning.
BY MATT KUCINSKI
THE RIVALRY
The Calvin community’s favorite rivalry is taking on a new look this year! On Saturday, November 9, 2024, Calvin and Hope will meet for the first time on the gridiron. The Knights, under the leadership of Coach Trent Figg, will play their first full varsity schedule this fall, with home games on September 7 (vs. Oberlin), October 5 (vs. Alma), November 9 (vs. Hope) and November 16 (vs. Albion).
SCAN TO SEE THE FULL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
From athletic to theatrical performances, from academics to student life, the experience for students and spectators has never been better.
Find out for yourself during your next visit.
FOOTBALL BUILDING
Check out the new football building, which includes a football locker room, athletic training facilities, and laundry and equipment storage spaces.
SOCCER STADIUM
ECOSYSTEM PRESERVE
Take a walk around the new soccer stadium, designed to mimic venues found in Europe. Included are a turf pitch and men’s and women’s locker rooms.
HEKMAN LIBRARY
Stroll through the reimagined Hekman Library. The new layout features more study and gathering spaces and a beautiful open staircase that connects the first three floors.
Interpretive Center
SCHOOL OF HEALTH
Stop by North Hall to see new upgrades to the School of Health, from the recently completed cadaver and simulation labs to the new digs for the Calvin Speech & Hearing Clinic.
GEZON AUDITORIUM & LAB THEATER
Reserve your seat for one of Calvin Theatre Company’s performances this year. New house lighting, draperies, and controls have significantly enhanced the experience for both performers and spectators in these venues.
Gezon Auditorium in the Spoelhof University Center
New Calvin gear at the Campus Store
DeWit Manor
Seminary Pond
Peet’s Co ee and new spaces at the Hekman Library
Covenant Fine Arts Center
Spoelhof Fieldhouse Complex
Museum in North Hall
There are lights, cameras, and a lot of action on the east side of campus. Take Calvin’s Crossing and make a connection to new and reimagined spaces.
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Venture over to one of Calvin’s most impressive newer spaces. The building features a beautiful two-story lobby, which includes a large TV screen, scrolling stock exchange ticker, and state-of-the-art classroom spaces.
PRINCE CONFERENCE CENTER
(PCC)
Stop by the PCC to see how major renovations to the Board Room and Great Hall, including new lighting and upgraded technology capabilities, make it a premier space to host a professional gathering.
BIOSWALE
Step outside the PCC and enjoy the newest green infrastructure, a bioswale, installed by Plaster Creek Stewards, on the south side of the parking lot. The space features a diversity of native plants and pollinators and is an extension of the many natural spaces on campus.
ECOSYSTEM PRESERVE
Trek deep into nearly 100 acres of forest without leaving campus. From composting workshops to summer camps, native plant sales to forest therapy, the team at the Ecosystem Preserve & Native Gardens is always innovating.
VIDEO PRODUCTION CONTROL ROOM
Check out how the January Series lectures, rivalry games, chapels, and hundreds of other events each year get streamed around the world. The video production control room’s new home and expanded capabilities allow four broadcasts to be produced at any one time from multiple locations across campus.
Bunker Interpretive Center
Softball
Gainey Athletic Complex Track
School of Business DeVos Communication Center
Bioswale
Prince Conference Center
ECOSYSTEM PRESERVE
DEVOS COMMUNICATION MICRO STUDIO
One of the recent investments in production technology includes the Micro Studio. Students can film smaller projects in a controlled environment and work alongside award-winning professors and industry professionals.
Access to new spaces like the Micro Studio has helped students like Allen Rodriguez have firsthand experience and envision his future. “This is what I could do as a job. This year has kind of changed my world.”
GAINEY ATHLETIC COMPLEX
Take a drive to the farthest point east on campus to discover a beautiful eight-lane track with space for all field events. It’s the first time in Calvin’s history that there’s been an independent track and field complex, upgrading the spectator experience significantly.
A couple of features to highlight include having finish line capabilities on either side of the track, which means races can be run in either direction depending on wind conditions.
Another exciting element is the design of the discus and hammer throw cage, which features a large hoop that can be raised and lowered quickly in the event of high winds or to retrieve a hammer caught in the cage.
CYCLING FOR COMMUNITY
BY SARA KORBER-DEWEERD ’00
Few sports enjoy as much popularity or tout as many health benefits as cycling. Requiring only human power and an open road, the bicycle can be used for transportation, exercise, and recreation at any age. Three Calvin alumni have also discovered the surprising power of the bike to build community, to promote land stewardship, and to share a love of Christ with those around them.
EXPANDING BIKE CULTURE IN THE NAVAJO NATION
Scott Nydam ’99
Silver Stallion Bicycle and Coffee Works
Gallup, New Mexico
When former professional cyclist Scott Nydam moved with his family from California to New Mexico in 2012, he discovered there were no bike shops in the area and set out to change that, not realizing how it would spark community-wide change. Cycling is now the fastest-growing sport in the Navajo Nation.
Nydam had discovered his passion for biking in his early 20s. Graduating from Calvin with a degree in sociology, he went on to intern as a school social worker in Rehoboth and Zuni, New Mexico. There he encountered what he calls the “postcolonial dilemma,” or the legacy of historic trauma against Native Americans that is “cross-generational and communally experienced.” The emotionally intense work of school counseling led him to take up cycling as a restorative pastime.
Nydam, who has attention deficit disorder, felt at home on his bike. “After a ride, I’d
Left: Silver Stallion is the subject of the new documentary film In the Dirt, directed by T.C. Johnstone and produced by Gratis7 Films. Find out more at silverstallion.org
Below left: Scott Nydam ’99 works on a bike at a Silver Stallion and Indian Health Services “Repair-and-Keep” event in Low Mountain, Arizona.
think, I feel amazing. The static cleared. I could focus. I think what I tapped into was the exceptional benefits of cycling.”
Nydam began entering races, joined the then-amateur racing team BMC, and by 2007, turned pro. But the career was short-lived.
After sustaining a serious brain injury from a cycling accident in 2009, his dream abruptly ended. “Being a cyclist gave me an identity I was excited about,” Nydam says, “and I really had to strip my identity from that. Walking away, not being able to even get on a bike anymore was a daily challenge.”
He continued to work for BMC in an administrative capacity, but it wasn’t the same. Nydam realized he wanted the bike in the center of his life again, so in 2018, he started a nonprofit organization called Silver Stallion Coffee and Bike Works.
“I started the coffee shop, and we merged it with a bike shop and started putting
Below right: Middle school students navigate challenging terrain at an afterschool mountain bike club developed in partnership with the Gallup McKinley School District in New Mexico.
together nonprofit programs within a small business setting,” says Nydam, who partnered with a group of passionate riders from the Navajo reservation with the goal of connecting youth to all facets of mountain biking.
Nydam realized the only effective approach to this work was to involve the whole community, from businesses, schools, and parents to the kids themselves.
The group built partnerships with school social workers and physical education teachers to create the first middle school mountain biking programs for P.E. classes in the state of New Mexico.
Alongside community leaders, Silver Stallion and its local partners have also established riding clubs, racing teams, and bike mechanic programs for high school students. During the pandemic, they took their programs on the road with “Big Blue,” a van they used as a mobile ride center, bringing free bicycles and bike repair to remote areas of the Navajo Nation.
Nydam is also a founding chair of New Mexico Interscholastic Cycling League, which offers a variety of mountain bike programs around the state, including racing teams and clubs for youth.
“Getting kids on bikes starts them on their own hero’s journey,” says Nydam. “They’re steering their own ships.” Riders learn how to negotiate difficult terrain, repair their own gear, build their own trails, and grow community with peers and mentors around a shared passion.
Inspired by the many dedicated mountain bikers he met when he moved to Gallup, Nydam knew he could meet a felt need with his bike shop, but he never imagined the unique path it would lead him down or the larger “ecosystem of healing and restoration” he would become a part of.
BUILDING CROSS-CULTURAL BRIDGES
Steve Frieswick ex’73
Baobab Bike Program
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Steve Frieswick lives with his wife, Sandy, in a tightly knit, conservative neighborhood just outside Toronto, Ontario, the kind of neighborhood he himself grew up in, with one exception: most of his neighbors follow faiths other than Christianity.
In the early aughts, Frieswick and his family relocated from the Midwest to Toronto on a temporary basis to train for outreach work in East Africa. But temporary became permanent, and Frieswick has been serving this diverse urban community ever since.
Typical of the Toronto area, Frieswick’s neighborhood contains mixed housing, everything from large single-family homes to multiple high-rise apartment buildings that are home to many first-generation immigrants and refugees, many from East Africa.
Frieswick calls the neighborhood bike repair shop he runs from his front yard Baobab Bike Program, which stands for “being about our Brother’s awesome business.” Church and community members come alongside the Frieswicks to lend a hand, donate bikes, or volunteer to help repair them. “Sometimes the bike bunny comes by at night, and I wake up and there are three more bikes in the yard than there used to be,” he smiles.
Over the years, Frieswick has connected with countless neighbors he wouldn’t otherwise have met. In the last two years alone, he has given away close to 600 bikes and repaired hundreds more.
“We’re working hard to teach and model just and loving relationships in connection with our neighbors.”
—STEVE FRIESWICK
A former teacher and an ordained pastor, Frieswick first began tutoring at an afterschool program in his neighborhood with students from 70 different language groups. In the mornings, he taught English as a second language classes to adults. As he got to know his neighbors, Frieswick witnessed first-hand the daily challenges they faced: cultural and language barriers, gang-related violence, and financial hardship due to low wages and high housing costs.
Frieswick, on the look-out for ways to share the love of Christ with his neighbors, says he had always enjoyed cycling and fixing things with his hands. The two passions merged when he saw an elderly pastor fixing bikes at the high-rises near his home. “After a year or two I didn’t see him anymore and decided it was something I could do.” That was 18 years ago.
Still, because they are seen as outsiders, the Frieswicks’ neighbors have sometimes regarded them with suspicion. Frieswick realized his welcome depended on more than a service he could provide; it also depended on the relationships he would build and nurture for over two decades. “We’re accepted far more widely and with a whole lot less suspicion than when we arrived,” he says. “I think most of the community still regards us as infidels, but mostly as good infidels,” he muses.
Frieswick dreams of the day when families in his neighborhood will enjoy a healthier, safer living environment. More importantly, he hopes “the community will see enough and hear enough of the love of Jesus in and through us that they’ll be hungry for the same.”
Frieswick says he experienced that capacious love at Calvin, where he says he “majored in mischief and mayhem” and where he also experienced “grace and encouragement” from the Calvin community.
“Without that demonstration of the love and grace of Jesus, particularly from Dean of Men Don Boender, I doubt that I would be where I am today.” Frieswick has made it his life’s mission to mirror that love. “We’re just working hard to teach and model just and loving relationships in our connections with our neighbors.”
RIDES FOR ALL
Jenny Los White ’03
Velo Kids
Holland, Michigan
Jenny Los White and her husband, Brad ’05, packed more than a suitcase for their Calvin semester in Spain. They brought their road bikes along, too.
“We were able to see the countryside and experience the people and culture in such a different way by bike,” White says. “You’re not just passing through a town by car, you’re actively participating in the community, talking to people in their own language, becoming part of things.”
At the time, Brad was a senior and White, who had graduated, accompanied the group as an assistant to Professor Alisa Tigchelaar. Together they participated in weekly group rides with locals—a highlight of the trip.
In 2005, the couple relocated to Colorado for work and began racing for fun. Brad, a teacher, quickly climbed the ranks within amateur cycling, leading to a nine-year career on the professional circuit that took the couple around the world.
The Whites eventually settled in Jenny’s hometown of Holland, Michigan, to raise their young family. There they purchased Velo City Cycles, a local bike shop they still run.
“We have always wanted to be an exceptional neighborhood bike shop, but we also knew selling bikes wasn’t the be-all and end-all. We knew what the bike could do and had done for us, and we wanted to share that.”
White says Velo Kids began as an offshoot of the shop, a way of connecting with other young families “out in nature on the trails.”
“It very quickly grew from 20 kids to 100 to 200 and beyond,” White says. In 2022, a group of sponsors and friends encouraged the Whites to register Velo Kids as an official nonprofit organization.
White’s mission to “get more kids on bikes, promoting and cultivating healthy, active, outdoor lifestyles” has inspired programs that teach skills, safety, and land stewardship.
Today, Velo Kids hosts summer urban and mountain bike camps, organizes community rides, and partners with local organizations such as Escape Ministries and the Boys and Girls Club of Holland to give young cyclists access to the benefits of the great outdoors.
During the summer of 2023, 50 coaches rode with over 1100 kids. White organized rides for kids navigating the Ottawa County juvenile court system—a particularly rewarding experience for both riders and coaches. “There are kids who come who are in really
tough situations,” White says. “Getting on a bike and getting out in nature is a way to build confidence and healthy habits.”
Like Silver Stallion, Velo Kids recently extended its programming to partner with schools. In April 2024, Los brought her balance bike program, Little Rippers, to a primary school where 100 students learned how to ride two-wheelers for the first time. Velo Kids also hosts a “shred shed”—a kind of equipment lending library—near local Holland trails so children who want to participate in Velo Kids programs can, regardless of whether they have their own bikes and helmets.
“It’s been a wild ride,” White says. “We learn as we go. And we have an amazing staff and just incredible community support.”
She adds, “A bike is such a simple tool, but what we’ve seen is if you can get a kid out in nature on a trail, hands on the handlebars, it’s such a thrill for them—setting goals, navigating features, experiencing a little risky play. They can go out in the world and chart their own course.”
Left: Jenny Los White ’03 leads a Velo Kids community bike event, teaching bike skills, safety, and trail stewardship. Right: The White family enjoys a mountain bike trip in Bentonville, Arkansas.
REINVIGORATING THE PERFORMING ARTS “
BY SARA KORBER-DEWEERD ’00
“
” We are created to create; it is part of who we are as human beings.
NAVIGATING A DECLINE
Starting in 2018, citing decreased demand, lower overall university enrollment, and budgetary concerns, Calvin scaled back some programs including theater and music. By 2020, the theater major and the music education major had both been eliminated.
Though many students remain passionate about the arts, a decline in demand for undergraduate degrees in these fields tracks with nationwide trends, overall. “What I hear from students and parents is that there’s a lot of nervousness about spending four years and a lot of money on an arts major, but that they can’t imagine their lives without having the arts in it,” says Benita Wolters-Fredlund, Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.
The good news? The cuts, while disappointing, did not stop students from participating in the arts at Calvin. “We are created to create; it is part of who we are as human beings. Culture has not changed our students’ artistic DNA. They’re still making music, they’re still telling stories, they’re still making art. And that will never change,” Wolters-Fredlund says.
In 2021, the university organized the music and theater departments under the umbrella of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. This, along with an overall increase in enrollment and the university’s long-standing belief that “you can’t have liberal arts without the arts,” helped pave the way to reinstate a theater minor and music education major this fall.
—BENITA WOLTERS-FREDLUND
There’s a place for everyone who wants to study music.
—TIFFANY ENGLE
“ ”
SPOTLIGHT ON RENEWAL
The Calvin Theatre Company dates to the 1930s, when it was a student-run club.
“Even after the decline of the theater major, theater at Calvin never went away,” says performing arts managing director and Calvin Theatre Company managing director Kristen Pearson-Eno. After 2020, the university retained four staff members and continued to offer Theater 120, a core class that helped sustain student engagement in theater productions.
As soon as the theater minor’s return was officially announced, 10 current students declared theater minors. “It’s exciting it’s happening so fast. The students have said it’s like prayers have been answered,” Pearson-Eno says.
New faculty members, new courses, and a complete lighting upgrade in the Gezon Auditorium along with a renovation of the Lab Theater have infused Calvin theater with new energy.
Pearson-Eno also sees an uptick in community engagement as audiences continue to grow, post-Covid. The Theatre Company’s spring production of Little Women sold out a performance, which “hasn’t happened in a long time,” she says.
Theater minors will take 22 credits, mixing foundational theater classes with curated electives. Theater students will have access to courses across multiple departments, including film in the communication department, Shakespeare in the English department, and period fashion design in the art department.
Pearson-Eno says she is also excited to bring musical productions back to Calvin, expanding collaboration with the music department, which also got a boost this year.
Scan to view the Performing Arts events calendar or visit: calvin.edu/arts/events.html
COMMITMENT AND PASSION
Co-chair of the department of visual and performing arts and director of instrumental studies Tiffany Engle says a series of unrelated changes converged to create the right environment for reinstating the music education major at Calvin, which was cut in 2018.
Last year, the anticipated retirement of two full-time faculty members and interest in developing a new marching band generated “visioning conversations that led to the proposal for music education, something we once had,” Engle says.
Engle believes it would be difficult to overstate the positive, far-reaching impact of offering a professional degree program. Many current music majors are double majors who may pursue careers in fields
outside of music. “But having a professional program back in addition to the bachelor of arts degree attracts students completely dedicated to the study of music,” Engle says. “And at the same time, there’s still a place for everybody who wants to study music in our department. That’s incredibly exciting.”
Engle says she is eager to help rebuild a more intentional music outreach on campus and beyond, whether that’s through developing a marching band, connecting with alumni on tours, or creating student teaching partnerships with area schools. She says the current and incoming faculty and staff also bring energy to this vision, including the new director of choral activities, Mark Stover.
Engle, who began her career at Calvin 19 years ago, knows well the hills and valleys Calvin’s music department has traveled over the last two decades. “To see the university making active investments in the arts energizes us to get back to being creative and deliver on that investment, keeping a
hand in the past, preserving those traditions at Calvin we all love, but with an eye toward the future. It’s a new day. We’re all looking forward to what can be.”
ARTFUL COMEBACK
The theater minor and music education major share unique qualities in common. Cross-disciplinary in their reach and cross-departmental in their functioning, theater and music education offer opportunities for students to use their talents to serve the wider community. It’s a mission-centered approach to returning valuable programs to campus.
Pearson-Eno says the aim of the performing arts at Calvin has always been education for students and the public. The arts, she says, “inform us a little bit more about the human journey and how we can have empathy not only for our brothers and sisters in Christ, but for our community as a whole.” She adds, “We also really want to have some fun, too.”
Alumni Profiles
BY SARA KORBER-DEWEERD ’00
Calvin seeks to equip students to think deeply, act justly, and live wholeheartedly as Christ’s agents of renewal in the world. These stories demonstrate how our alumni are living out that mission.
Yenupini Tonlaar Adams ’12 created a research-based, data-driven model of postpartum care that improves access to care and decreases maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa and the U.S.
Michigan State Police Sergeant Dale Lynema ’93 serves on the Marine Services Team, providing diving expertise in underwater body recovery and evidence collection.
Patrick Avila ’17 and Paige Van Drunen Avila ’17 are the couple behind Popnotch Goods, a gourmet popcorn and snack company elevating the local business scene in Grand Rapids.
A lawyer, DaeKeun Chung ’03, finds meaning and purpose in his role as senior legal counsel for Agilent, a global life sciences company.
Yenupini Tonlaar Adams ’12
Dale Lynema ’93
DaeKeun Chung ’03
Patrick Avila ’17 and Paige Van Drunen Avila ’17
Advancing Global Maternal Healthcare
Yenupini Joyce Tonlaar Adams ’12 Nursing Assistant professor of the practice & Global maternal research lead Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame
Growing up in Tamale, Ghana, Yenupini Joyce Tonlaar Adams ’12 knew a pharmacist in her community whose work in healthcare and social justice she admired. Inspired, she dreamed of following a similar path and came to Calvin as a biochemistry major with a pre-pharmacy focus.
At the time, her eldest brother, Obed, lived and worked in Michigan, and her brother Nathan was a recent Calvin graduate and medical student at the University of Chicago.
Studying biochemistry, however, was not all Adams hoped it would be, and some of the classes she took did not match her strengths, so Obed suggested she study nursing instead. At the time, she resisted the suggestion, but “nursing kept coming across my path. God had a different plan for me that I didn’t want to pursue, and he needed to get me there,” she says.
Adams is an assistant professor of the practice and the global maternal research lead for the Eck Institute for Global Health at the University of Notre Dame. She conducts research to improve access to and quality of postpartum care services.
Based on her research findings in Malawi, Ghana, and the United States, Adams developed a new model of postpartum care called Focused Postpartum Care (FocusedPPC). To address the global problem of maternal mortality, Focused-PPC provides mothers more frequent contact with healthcare providers for clinical assessments and standardized education for up to 12 months after birth, going well beyond the six weeks women typically receive. Women in the program also have access to peer support in a group setting.
Adams’ commitment to maternal health work solidified during a Calvin study abroad program in India with Professor Cheryl Feenstra. There, Adams learned about and became involved in the Comprehensive Rural Health Project, a program that provided village health workers with vital medical training in prenatal and maternal healthcare.
“ The global medical community has caught up with the fact that we need to be doing more during the postpartum period.”
The program directly impacted the women it served, significantly decreasing neonatal and maternal mortality.
“I thought, this is what I want my future to look like,” Adams says.
As a PhD candidate in nursing science at Michigan State University, Adams discovered a gap in maternal health research. “Most research focused on prenatal care and skilled birth attendants at delivery,” she says, “but there was evidence that a lot more women die after delivery as opposed to during pregnancy and labor and delivery.”
Initially, her research focus was not wellreceived. “I was years ahead of what was happening, and so I had people try to convince me to explore other topics, topics I was not passionate about.”
Yet, reception of Adams’ research went from lukewarm to welcome in a short span of time. “This has become a big deal now because the global medical community has caught up with the fact that we need to be doing more during the postpartum period.”
That realization led to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which provided states the option to extend Medicaid postpartum coverage from 60 days to 12 months. Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, that option has now been made permanent in 47 states.
Expanding care has been vital because data show women often do not receive consistent, standardized education about post-birth recovery. Adams says both the content and
timing of the education matter. “Some women may get education at discharge, but they can’t remember it. Education is going on at a time when they have decreased ability to absorb it. That is why there’s a need for that follow-up contact, when they’ve settled in at home, and now they have questions.”
A survey among non-Hispanic Black women in St. Joseph County, Indiana, for example, revealed “many women’s postpartum educational needs were unmet.” When Adams asked about warning signs of complications, on average, women surveyed were able to name only two of nine warning signs.
Other studies revealed similar data, so Adams’ current research focuses on testing and evaluating her integrated group postpartum care, education, and support model to improve outcomes for women after birth. So far, results are positive.
As an undergraduate, discerning God’s vocational call was Adams’ greatest challenge. “Yet when I got on the right path, it worked out somehow,” Adams says of the way God intervened through people who loved her, listened to her ideas, and believed she had something valuable to offer women’s maternal healthcare.
Mentors like her advisor Adejoke Ayoola, now dean of the School of Health, helped her realize that nursing was a way to do what she had dreamed of as a young woman in Ghana: making a direct, tangible, and meaningful impact in the lives of mothers and infants.
Dale Lynema ’93 is a Sergeant on the Marine Services Team for the Michigan State Police. One of 15 divers in the state, Lynema spends his days on Michigan waters conducting body and evidence recoveries.
Lynema has been on the dive team since 2005. Back then, he divided his time between his state trooper duties and recovery missions. Now a full-time diver, Lynema spends most days on the job working with sonar and supervising the divers under him. He describes a typical day on the job as unpredictable, often “chaotic,” especially in the spring and summer when seasonal activity on the water increases.
On the day we talk, Lynema, who thought he would be leading a body recovery mission in St. Joseph, Michigan, finds himself on his way to Lansing to pick up his autonomous underwater vehicle for a trip up to Little Bay de Noc to recover a lost kayaker.
Lynema’s team employs a variety of technology to conduct body and evidence recoveries, but they primarily rely on sonar. He says murky conditions can often make
Faith in the Deep
it difficult for a diver to locate a body that may be trapped in debris. Using echolocation gives divers like Lynema a precise reading on a search area. “Our most tried and true technology is our side scan where you have a sonar unit with a cable attached and you’re towing it in the water with a boat. You’re able to see in real time.”
Other tools of his trade include a batterypowered autonomous underwater vehicle and a diver-mounted display that allows a team member at the surface to see what a diver cannot see with the naked eye. Last summer, he conducted a recovery of a body trapped in debris. “Visibility was less than a foot by eye, but with the sonar I was able to locate the individual, work my way over, and make the recovery.”
Dealing with deceased individuals has always been a necessary aspect of Lynema’s job as a state trooper, whether responding to a traffic accident, a homicide, or a drowning. He acknowledges his career choice is not for everyone, and yet, at a relatively young age, he knew he wanted to go into law enforcement.
Lynema studied criminal justice for one year at Michigan State before transferring to Calvin at the beginning of his sophomore year to study history. “After the first semester I thought, ‘Who am I kidding? I want to be in law enforcement.’” He stayed at Calvin and graduated with a degree in criminal justice.
“A liberal arts education was spot on. Even just to have dabbled in disciplines like philosophy and psychology, to understand, for example, mental disorders like schizophrenia, I think it helped me to be a much more well-rounded trooper when I got out on the road.”
A member of the National Guard, Lynema has also served two tours of active duty. He was still a Calvin student when he went to Iraq as a trained medic in 1991. He served again as a Medical Service Corps officer in 2006 during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
As a Christian, Lynema “tries to lay his faith on his sleeve as much as possible” and says he enjoys interacting with various kinds of people from all walks of life—whether working with colleagues who don’t know the Lord, encountering people who have made poor decisions, or offering closure to those who have lost loved ones to tragic accidents.
Though despair may seem like a natural response to the situations he regularly encounters, Lynema’s nearly three decades with the state police have affirmed people do change. “Sometimes what I do can be that catalyst for people to take a step back and say, ‘Okay, this isn’t how I want to live my life, or this really didn’t end well.’ ”
For those who don’t get that second chance, Lynema’s work offers families, friends, and communities closure in their pain. “You see how fragile life is when somebody’s life is cut short, sometimes through no fault of their own—that’s always rough. But doing a recovery allows families and even communities to continue in the grieving process.”
“God has control, and I truly believe that,” says Lynema, whose faith not only guides him while on duty but in his day-to-day family life as well. He names the sacrifices: missed milestones and long hours on the job, but he also names the graces: a supportive wife, gracious kids, and a large extended family who has, for generations, passed down that faith he holds dear.
“A liberal arts education was spot on. I think it helped me to be a much more well-rounded trooper.”
A Recipe for Success
Patrick Avila ’17 and Paige Van Drunen Avila ’17 represent the creative team behind Popnotch Goods, a small batch popcorn company in East Grand Rapids, Michigan. Tucked among the unique, artisanal businesses that populate Wealthy Street, Popnotch Goods sells gourmet, flavored popcorn, roasted pepita seeds, and ice cream.
The thoughtfully curated store with its handmade, gourmet goods germinated from idea to business during the pandemic, when Patrick was furloughed from his job. A graduate of the School of Business, Patrick turned difficulty into opportunity and pursued his dream of launching a start-up. Paige, a graduate of the graphic design program, had the expertise to build branding around whatever idea he developed. Patrick says though the initial idea wasn’t his own, once he realized its potential, he didn’t look back.
“My father-in-law suggested the popcorn business. I knew nothing about popcorn, but no other ideas were really sticking with me. So I thought, you know what? I’ll just give this a shot.”
Patrick spent a long weekend in Illinois learning the business alongside family friend Chris Doud, owner of Cranky Mike’s Popcorn. “She’s been popping popcorn for over 20 years. I learned everything I could, helping her make, bag, and sell popcorn. And I asked a ton of questions—all the nittygritty details,” Patrick says. He returned home confident that he and Paige could create a unique product and brand.
Today, the Avilas sell their snacks online, at farmers markets, and at shops throughout Grand Rapids, including the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel gift shop and the Gerald R. Ford International Airport. They also offer pop-up locations for special events, such as weddings, showers, and conferences. As they continue to expand, their Wealthy Street store remains the heart and hub of the business.
“We really wanted a spot that shined in the Grand Rapids area and had a lot of foot traffic,” says Patrick of their location in a historic part of the city. Paige, who is also the director of brand marketing at the nationally recognized interior design firm Jean Stoffer Design, describes the store design as “clean and modern, a new kind of classic.”
“There’s even popcorn wallpaper in the bathroom,” smiles Paige, who envisioned a light-hearted and welcoming space.
Not every couple could harmoniously run a business together, but Paige says in addition to their business, she and Patrick share a deep respect for one another’s gifts and time. Patrick runs the day-to-day operations at Popnotch Goods, while Paige manages branding. Though they keep their roles separate, success lies in their ability to communicate well and maintain a healthy work-life balance. “I care so much about Popnotch and what Patrick is doing,” Paige says of her husband. “Working together doesn’t really feel like work.”
The couple, who met at Calvin, say their college experience helped prepare them for the unique partnership they have built together. Paige, a member of the first class of Calvin graphic design majors, appreciated a liberal arts approach that allowed her to mix her major with courses in marketing and business. “All the Calvin grads I’ve ever worked with are really hard-working. Because the education is so broad, they can anticipate different kinds of situations and know what needs to be done.”
As a college student, Patrick embraced opportunities to try new activities, play sports, and study hard. He says he learned to prioritize his time and focus on what matters most, especially his faith. “My faith became my own at Calvin. I began to trust God’s plan for me. I knew if I worked hard, stayed faithful, and made good and wise decisions, God would guide me. I still believe that and try to continue to live by this kind of faith.”
As they look to the future, the Avilas know God’s faithfulness abides both in business and life. Though Patrick loves dreaming of what could be, he emphasizes, “As a new business, you really just have to think about the next day. How are we going to continue to grow this brand and make a great product? Hopefully as we grow, opportunities come alive. So, we’ll just walk the road and let God lead, and keep doing what we do.”
Patrick Avila ’17 and Paige Van Drunen Avila ’17
Business and Graphic design
Co-founders and owners, Popnotch Goods Grand Rapids, Michigan
“ Hopefully as we grow, opportunities come alive. So, we’ll just walk the road and let God lead, and keep doing what we do.”
The Road to Purpose
DaeKeun (Sam) Chung ’03 Political science Senior legal counsel, Agilent Santa Clara, California
DaeKeun (Sam) Chung ’03 believes God chose him at an early age to be an agent of renewal in his own family, though he did not know it at the time. At 13, he moved from South Korea to Hong Kong to study as an international student. Chung had grown up an atheist but attended church every week with his host father, a church elder.
Many years later, Chung sat at his mother’s death bed at a Buddhist university hospital in Korea. Distraught and needing to seek reconciliation with his parents, he stepped into a small, neighboring church to pray. After he returned home to Melbourne, Australia, the church members he had met continued visiting the ICU to pray over his mom, even though she was not conscious. Right after Christmas, Chung’s mom woke and accepted Christ with a nod of her head. His father had the words “It is well” engraved on his wife’s headstone and began attending that same church.
“I have often felt like Moses in the wilderness, especially the wilderness part of it,” Chung says. “But I have also seen the waters parted in my life.”
PHOTO CREDIT: MICHAEL BAUTISTA
Chung, a lawyer, recently relocated from Singapore to his company’s headquarters in California. He serves as senior legal counsel for Agilent, a global leader in life sciences, diagnostics, and applied markets that serves customers in over 100 countries.
Chung is responsible for structuring, drafting, and negotiating commercial transactions in the areas involving strategic collaborations, complex supply agreements, and marketing arrangements in a business savvy and compliant manner.
In 2023, his Singapore in-house legal team was named one of Southeast Asia’s top in-house legal teams by The Legal 500, a research group that assesses the capabilities of law firms around the world. In May, just before his relocation to California, his team was also named a finalist for the ALB SE Asia Law Award 2024, in the category of Healthcare and Pharmaceutical In-House Team of the Year.
Success, however, has not always come easily; Chung’s vocational path felt anything but certain in his teens and twenties. He
“ Things have not always turned out the way I wanted. I have learned to sit down and listen for God in quiet whispers.”
worked hard in school, but, at 18, he felt uncertain about where to attend college and applied to Calvin University on a friend’s dare.
“We were going through the best U.S. colleges guide, you know the big, thick book, and we found Calvin. My friend dared me to write an application to a place named after him. We were just joking.”
Chung found a home within the international student community at Calvin and majored in political science. College highlights included worshiping on the Mosaic Floor, participating in Rangeela, and serving as secretary of the International Student Association Committee. He also enjoyed a semester abroad in Beijing, a month at the United Nations headquarters, and an externship in Washington, D.C. His favorite class at Calvin, however, was Children’s Literature.
Chung hoped to become a journalist, but his father suggested law, a career path with more financial security. From the beginning, Chung felt uncertain about the pursuit, but at every turn, he says, God directed him.
Chung’s education and career have taken him around the world—over the last 12 years, he and his family have lived at 10 addresses. With every move, God placed mentors in his life that shaped his career and formed his faith. He now finds opportunities to do the same for others.
“Things have not always turned out the way I wanted. I have learned to sit down and listen for God in quiet whispers. Not because God is distant, but because to hear a whisper, you have to be very close to the one speaking.”
Chung says although uncertainty has been a part of his life, choosing a career in law was a byproduct of some of those challenging moments. “Sometimes we just have to take a deep breath and push through each day, appreciating God’s goodness reflected in the people and the nature around us.”
CLASS OF 1974 REUNITES
Nearly 100 classmates and spouses gathered on campus to celebrate the Class of 1974’s 50-year class reunion. Highlights from the event included John Booy’s vintage leisure suits, Bruce Cooke’s photo slideshow featuring music performed by the Calvin Stage Band in 1974, and Marvin Hofman’s worship service reflection on “From Groaning to Glory.”
Front row (left to right): Verna Lubben, Laurie Hofman Harkema, Barb Rosema Phillips, Janet Admiraal van der Jagt, Dianne Rooy Zandstra, Jenny Visser Hutton, Sally Van Hemert, Judy Van Regenmorter Hartwell, Nancy Van Noord, Ellen Swagman Bruinsma, Thea Kalsbeek Hare, Barb Fredricks Johnson
Row two: Becky Arnold Furlong, Joe Eggebeen, Melanie Van Dragt VanderWal, Wynanda Van Dyk Polman, Diane Haveman Stehouwer, Pamela Kuyper Lemar, Pam Gebben Breuker, Donna Siegers Tuls, Vonnie Hekman Pratt, Joanne Flikweert Van Eyk, Ken Vande Vrede, Joan Malda Stob, Barb Dozeman Dannenberg, Merri Bylsma Francis, Jane Voss Outslay
Row three: Connie Rietman Brink, Wayne Ten Harmsel, Bruce Cooke, Ronald Plaisier, Dan Brink, John Booy, Teresa Riepma Renkema, Cheryl Visbeen LaFleur, Micky Bouma Jelsema, Nancy Leesman Eardley, Randall VanderMey, Bill Paxton, Ted Vogel, Dianne Kiekover DeVries, Marvin Hofman, Barb Hollebeek Engbers
Back row: Sam Wanner, Roy Heerema, Tom Tuls, Marc Beversluis, Gerrit DeVries, Steven Hoekman, Michael Stob, Ralph Hutton, Randy Vogelzang, Ken Visser, Ellie Vander Beek Van Keulen, Claudia DeVries Beversluis, Ron Draayer, Mark Campbell
ALUMNI BOARD ACTIVITIES
During its spring meeting, the Calvin Alumni Association Board brainstormed ideas for Calvin’s 150th anniversary celebration, provided feedback on Calvin Annual Fund messaging, and networked with Student Senators and the Class of 2024.
They also toured Calvin’s greenhouses, where they witnessed the work of the Plaster Creek Stewards, and learned about new programs and facilities in the communication department.
In official business, the board refined how membership in the Calvin Alumni Association (CAA) is defined to better represent the variety of programs now offered by the university. Following procedures for changing the CAA constitution, the board’s recommendation is being published in this edition of Spark and will be voted on at the Alumni Association’s annual meeting on October 3, 2024. See calvin.edu/alumni for the current constitution and bylaws. For questions or comments about this change, please reach out to executive director Jeff Haverdink via alumni@calvin.edu.
Recommended change to Alumni Association constitution
MEMBERSHIP
The Association is comprised of the following:
a. With the exception of b, c, and d below, a student who has completed the equivalent of one year’s study (approximately 24 credit hours) in good academic standing toward a bachelor’s degree.
b. A student who has completed a master’s degree.
c. A student who has completed a Calvin Prison Initiative bachelor’s degree.
d. A student who has completed the Life and Career Studies program.
Over 150 members of the Heritage Class turned out for a spring 2024 lecture by history professor emeritus Robert Schoone -Jongen ’71, who shared the stories of three Dutch immigrants who crossed the Atlantic Ocean on the Holland America Line.
Calvin’s Gospel Choir toured southern California during spring break 2024, leading concerts for alumni and friends in Lake View Terrace, Bellflower, San Marcos, and Redlands.
EVENT CALENDAR
Homecoming & Family Weekend
Oct. 4–5, 2024 calvin.edu/homecoming
Calvin Classic 5k & Youth Fun Run
Oct. 5, 2024
On campus or virtual—run where you are! calvin.edu/classic
For a full list of Calvin events, see calvin.edu/calendar
TRAVEL WITH CALVIN IN SPRING 2025
Scotland May 1–10, 2025
Host: Karin Maag
Germany May 5–17, 2025
Hosts: James Bratt, Suzanne Bratt
Registration for these tours is now open! Learn more about these travel opportunities at calvin.edu/go/travel
Calvin Alumni Board members hand out 150th anniversary stickers and cookies to students.
Calvin celebrates its 150th anniversary during the 2025–2026 school year, and our travel program is joining the celebration by exploring 11 countries across six continents. Join the Calvin Alumni Association and Calvin Academy for Lifelong Learning (CALL) as we commemorate Calvin’s global reach with this exciting line-up of tours.
AROUND THE WORLD WITH CALVIN UNIVERSITY
WHY TRAVEL WITH CALVIN?
Over 1,200 travelers have toured with Calvin in the past decade. Participants regularly enjoy knowledgeable guides and friendly travel companions. In their own words:
“I love these trips because they have both a faith and an educational component; they are led by well-informed, Calvin-connected leaders who live out their faith in their life and in their travels.” –1971 alumna
“Our host was a good storyteller, with a good sense of humor and knowledgeable about what we were seeing.” –CALL member
“It was easy to make connections with fellow travelers and there was a nice sense of camaraderie on the trip.” –1980 alumna
PLAN YOUR ADVENTURE
Visit calvin.edu/go/travel to view itinerary highlights and to join the interest list for each tour. Registration opens about 10 months before departure, with all registrations accepted on a first-come basis. All tours are open to friends of Calvin, too, so be sure to invite a travel partner!
A. Oregon & California September 2025
B. Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario September 2025
C. Egypt Fall 2025
D. South Korea & Japan Fall 2025
E. Peru April 2026
F. American Southwest Spring 2026
G. Israel May 2026
H. Italy & Austria May 2026
I. Netherlands June 2026
J. Australia January 2027
LEAVING A LEGACY 2024 RETIREES
These retiring faculty spent their careers equipping students to think deeply, act justly, and live wholeheartedly as Christ’s agents of renewal in the world.
Pennylyn Dykstra-Pruim
19 years
German Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion
Linda Naranjo-Huebl
22 years
English
“The greatest thing a teacher can do is to help students see the world fresh and to understand things in a new way.”
years
years Music
SCAN TO WATCH THE RETIRING FACULTY TRIBUTE VIDEO
—DON HETTINGA, ENGLISH
Don Hettinga 40
Pearl Shangkuan 26
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 to 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
HERITAGE
(graduated more than 50 years ago)
Jan “John” Boer ’62 has published two translations of Abraham Kuyper on the spirit world—From the Realms of Glory: Contours of the Angelic World and For Still Our Ancient Foe: Contours of Satan’s World. The e-books are available free of charge on the Kuyperiana page at Boer’s website www.SocialTheology.com.
01 The Veltkamps are continuing a multi-generational family and Calvin tradition. These former and current track and field athletes posed for a picture to commemorate the newest Knight among them. Left to right: Jack Veltkamp ’66, Tammelyn Veltkamp Boersma ’91, Alina Veltkamp ’28, Trent Veltkamp ’98, and Aidan Veltkamp ’25.
1970s
Less than a year after its establishment, Mary C. Schutten ’76 was named the founding dean of Lawrence Technological University’s College of Health Sciences. Dr. Schutten is very excited about the great potential of the use of technology within healthcare and is focused on meeting the health needs of each person.
1990s
Tim “T.J.” Cumings ’95 was named general counsel for Nederveld Inc. in Grand Rapids this past October.
Holland Christian High School is a Unified Champion School, thanks to special education teacher Ann Zylstra Pawloski ’96. The school offers soccer,
basketball, and bocce ball unified sports teams, where athletes with and without disabilities compete on the same teams together. In November 2023, Special Olympics Michigan awarded Pawloski the 2022–23 Special Olympics Michigan Unified Champion School Leadership Award.
The Rev. Kurt Unangst ’99 was installed as the sixth rector of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Cypress, Texas, on February 21, 2024. Rev. Unangst previously served as curate for St. Isidore Episcopal Church in Spring, Texas.
2000s
Perseverance of the Saints, an original play written by Kat Evans ’01, premiered May 5, 2024, at First United Methodist Church at Chicago Temple. The play tells the story of a heresy trial in the years following the Great Chicago Fire and explores debates still impacting churches today. Evans is a Chicago-based writer, singer, and actor, and an adjunct professor of playwriting for the Department of Humanities at Illinois Tech.
02 Anita Talsma Gaul ’00 recently received the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) Medallion Award, bestowed by Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon. Simon recognized Dr. Gaul’s outstanding service to the state and to the people of Minnesota as vice-chair of the State Emblems Redesign Commission, which was charged by the Minnesota Legislature to redesign the Minnesota state seal and flag. The new flag and seal became official on May 11, 2024, Minnesota Statehood Day.
In November 2023, Special Olympics Michigan awarded Ann Zylstra Pawloski the 2022–23 Special Olympics Michigan Unified Champion School Leadership Award. ’96
Nathan Jérémie-Brink was awarded a competitive Digital Justice Seed Grant from the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS). ’05
Nathan Jérémie-Brink ’05, a historian and an assistant professor at New Brunswick Theological Seminary in New Jersey, was awarded a competitive Digital Justice Seed Grant from the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS). His project, “Mapping Black Freedom, Enslavement, and Activism in the Early Nineteenth Century,” will use geographic information systems (GIS) and digital storytelling tools to visualize racial demographics and the geographies of slavery and freedom in the early United States.
Sara Baas Knippa ’03 is serving a threeyear term on the board of directors of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. In her day job, she practices as a clinical nurse specialist for critical care at UCHealth, Aurora, Colorado.
CapinCrouse, a CPA and consulting firm serving nonprofit organizations, appointed Jeremy Landon ’08 as a partner on June 1, 2024. He joined the firm in 2009 and is a member of the quality control, church and denomination industry, and international industry teams.
03 University of Michigan Health−West named Kate Veenstra ’05 as its chief nursing officer (CNO) in March. Veenstra holds a doctor of nursing practice from the University of Michigan, Flint and has over 18 years of experience in nursing leadership.
04 Jon Zirkle ’05 recently graduated from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana. He now holds a master of arts in Christian formation. He is excited about pursuing work that leads him to connect with the denominational organization Mennonite Men.
2010s
Erik De Vries ’10 received the Illinois CPA Society Distinguished Service Award for his commitment to volunteer service. De Vries is an audit senior manager at CohnReznick LLP in Chicago.
In 2019, educator Karis Roper Welsh ’14 and author Lauren Hubers ’14 reconnected to start a collaborative with parents, kids, and other field professionals called BERTS, which stands for Building Emotional Regulation Through Stories. The group develops picture books and accompanying teaching materials that support educators in helping students to develop social-emotional skills and understanding. The collaborative’s first book is Kurmit’s Dilemma.
2020s
05 Samuel Bockheim Steen ’24 is the fourth generation of the Steen family to graduate from Calvin. Pictured in the center, he
celebrated the occasion with (left to right) maternal grandmother, Julie Prince Bockheim ’66; mother, Sharri Bockheim Steen ’93; father, Robert Samuel Steen ’93; and paternal grandfather, Robert D. Steen ’68
Hunter Pham ’20 recently celebrated his graduation from the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and began an emergency medicine residency at Corewell Health Grand Rapids.
After taking a hiatus from Calvin in 2006, David Wunderink ’22 completed his bachelor of arts in history, made possible through Governor Whitmer’s “Future for Frontliners” program for essential workers of the pandemic. Wunderink, who has two decades of experience in framing and finishing work, is now excited to focus on his woodworking business Hawk & Handsaw, based in Grand Rapids. He uses local trees to handcraft products for the home.
Justus Young ’24 started a job as the field and community engagement coordinator for State Representative John Fitzgerald’s reelection campaign in Michigan’s 83rd State House District. Through this job, he has aided Representative Fitzgerald by meeting with constituents and members of party leadership, and by assembling a strong core group of interns. Outside of work, Young has enjoyed reconnecting with family and exploring how to maintain friendships post-college.
Sisters René Van Zee Baatenburg ’77 (Jenison, Mich.), Cassie Van Zee Swierenga ’79 (Chicago, Ill.), and Wendy Van Zee Vos ’82 (Grand Rapids, Mich.) met Dan Zuidema ’99 (Lookout Mountain, Ga.) when watching the eclipse in Indianapolis.
ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT
A Chance Encounter
Sisters René Van Zee Baatenburg ’77, Cassie Van Zee Swierenga ’79, and Wendy Van Zee Vos ’82 traveled to Indianapolis this April to watch the solar eclipse from the path of totality.
Excited to experience the full eclipse, they weren’t anticipating they’d meet fellow Calvin alum Dan Zuidema ’99
As René, Cassie, and Wendy started to set up for their viewing in the back of a hotel parking lot, Dan struck up a conversation with them and invited the three women to join his family in watching the eclipse.
It wasn’t until Dan noticed the Calvin ring on one of the sisters’ hands that the group of alumni realized they all shared the same alma mater.
“Meeting and getting to know Dan and his family blessed and enhanced our eclipse experience,” René shared. “We parted ways after Dan led us in a beautiful prayer and we sang the doxology, “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow.”
Feeding Thy Neighbor
Beth Vander Heide De Vries has had a couple of career changes since she graduated from Calvin with a bachelor of science degree in 2002.
After earning a master’s degree from the University of Michigan, she worked as a family nurse practitioner, where she found many of her patients shared a common struggle.
“I’d talk a lot about healthy eating and lifestyle modifications, but a lot of patients would say to me, ‘I understand what you’re saying, but I can’t afford that food on my family’s budget,’” De Vries said.
Having grown up on a dairy farm where fresh food was plentiful, De Vries was surprised by the reality so many people faced in her own community.
So, with a vision to show God’s love to her neighbors, in 2018 she started Phoenix Community Farm on just one-third of an acre. Beth refers to the first year as a “proofof-concept year” because the local wildlife helped themselves to the crops. But in 2019, the Phoenix Community Farm flourished and donated 1,426 pounds of fresh food to those in need.
Just two years later, the farm faced a potential setback: De Vries had to relocate—no easy task. Tied to the land, she and her volunteers even had to dig out and reinstall their irrigation system.
“What I thought was a setback was really part of God’s plan to bless the organization and the community by making it grow,” De Vries reflected. The new location is in town at Windover High School, so more people can be involved. The sun and soil are better, which yields bigger crops.
The best part of the change is that students at Windover High School, an alternative education site, not only have immediate access to the fruits of the farm but are also a part of the process of producing them. Culinary classes get to have a farm-to-table experience, cooking with food they helped grow.
“It’s really cool when students get involved in the process and get excited,” De Vries said. “That is what we are about. Growing and
donating food is something measurable we track. But when we get people to actually eat it, that’s where the magic happens.”
Summer months are busy for De Vries and the other volunteers at Phoenix Community Farm as they plant, tend, and harvest more than 50 varieties of food. By the end of the
season, they’re hoping to surpass the nearly 30,000 pounds of food they donated last year through produce stands, local organizations, food pantries, and family centers.
— Meghan Huizenga
Beth Vander Heide De Vries ’02 welcomes community engagement at her Midland, Michigan nonprofit, Phoenix Community Farm. Find out more at phoenixcommunityfarm.com
Natalie Dykstra ’86 HarperCollins
Sígueme: Cómo Seguir a Jesús Hace Libre a Nuestra Generación Enredada en Influencias Ideológicas
Carlos Erazo ’14 Vida
The Guardians of Kawts Weston Fields ’25
A Family Guide to Parenting Musically Lisa Huisman Koops ’99 Oxford University Press
Christina Lux ’99
FlowerSong Press 07 Word Made Fresh: An Invitation to Poetry for the Church
Abram Van Engen ’03 Eerdmans 08 Reconciliation in a Michigan Watershed: Restoring Ken-O-Sha
David Warners ’85, Gail Gunst
Heffner HON
Michigan State University Press
Uprise: Building Resilience in Ourselves & Others
Kevin Washburn ’88
Morgan James Publishing
When Children Come Out Mark Yarhouse ’90 and Olya Zaporozhets
InterVarsity Press Academic 11 Talking to Kids about Gender Identity
Mark Yarhouse ’90
BethanyHouse
12 Sherm the Worm
Jon VerLee ’07
Self-published
13 How to Be a Speech Sleuth
Abby Brower ’21
Illustrated by Libby Brower ’22
Self-published
REUNION IN A BOX
While we love welcoming alumni home to campus, we also know reunions happen around the globe. Let us help you celebrate alumni friendships wherever you gather. Plan a meet-up with four or more Calvin alumni and request a Reunion in a Box kit from calvin.edu/go/reunion-box
In February, a group of Calvin graduates gathered for a reunion event at a cottage in Cassopolis, Michigan.
Left to right: Cindy Bryce Kuipers ’01, Chris Kuipers ’99, Tom DeBlecourt ’00, Heidi Bouwma DeBlecourt ’99, Becky DeJager Vos ’01, Brian Vos ’99, Emily VerHeul Herder ’00, Bryan Herder, Laura Klamer Penzotti ’00, Jeff Penzotti ’99
Rin Dekker
Middle
Deb
This dedicated group of Calvin alums met for lunch at Railside Golf Course in April. They have been getting together about three times a year ever since they graduated from Calvin.
Front: Ruth Klingenberg Haak ex’52.
Standing left to right: Marge Beninga Bergsma ex’51, Harriet Ledeboer Hasper ex’52, Marge De Nooyer Kool ’54, Elsa Zwiep Prince Broekhuizen ’54, Lois Brinkman Groenenboom ’55, and Crystal De Weerd Unema ’54.
A wonderful reunion of Calvin roommates gathered in Saugatuck on Lake Michigan for a week in May.
Front row, left to right: Patti Wiersma Bode ex’77, Dena Phaff Haas ’79, Ruth Byma DeHoop ex’77
These seven women all lived on 3rd Heyns during 1985–86. They met in February 2024 at the Commons Dining Hall on Calvin’s campus for a reunion luncheon.
Left to right: Amy Vander Hart Heeringa ’88, Martha De Vries Couturier ’89, Dawn De Jong Brouwers ’89, Molly Vander Vennen Van Der Laan ex’86, Mary Meulenberg Gabrielse ’90, Sheila Menninga Vander Woude ’88 (RA), Heidi Dykstra ’89
This group of Calvin alums celebrated 22 years of friendship in Cancun, Mexico in February 2024.
Left to right: Megan Huizinga Mulder ’06, Laura Miersma Campbell ’06, Heidi Biedermann Vanderwerff ’06, and Lindsey Nienhuis Lutjens ’06
A group of former 3rd Heyns residents and friends gathered for a weekend reunion in Traverse City, Michigan.
Left to right: Amy Tiejema ’09, Jessica Bootsma Tiefenbach ’10, Rachel Schrik ’09, Kristen Daniels ’09
We regret we misprinted Randy Van Wingerden’s graduation year in the spring 2024 issue of Spark. He did, in fact, graduate from Calvin in 1977. Our sincere apologies, Randy!
Scan to view more classmate photos on Facebook. And don’t forget to order your Reunion in a Box!
Friends from Ann Arbor and Cincinnati have vacationed together on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, every April for over 30 years. This year was no exception.
Left to right: Roy Glover ’63, Marilyn De Jong Glover ’62, Beverly Kremers Klooster ’64, Joan Bode Broersma ’62, and Dave Vander Yacht ’64
Marvin Monsma served his alma mater for 33 years, the latter 28 as the director of Hekman Library. On October 13, 2023, Monsma died. He was 90 years old.
Monsma started his career at Calvin in 1965 as an assistant librarian after having taught high school English for eight years. At that time, library automation had never been discussed and typing card catalog cards was a time-consuming effort. He later became the library director and dedicated himself to making sure Hekman Library moved into the future and served the Calvin community well.
During Monsma’s tenure, photocopiers replaced hand-cranked mimeograph machines; the total volume equivalent of the library grew by nearly 400 percent; the staffing of the library increased; and major renovations and additions occurred, including adding the library’s fifth floor.
Monsma’s career at the Hekman Library spanned more than three decades and, over the years, yielded many favorable comments from students. The standard of excellence he set will continue as the library serves students both now and in the future.
BETTE DEBRUYN BOSMA
1927 – 2024
Bette Bosma always loved reading and spent nearly a half century of her life in formal roles helping students of all ages grow in their appreciation of the skill.
Bosma, who died on May 5, 2024, at the age of 96, graduated from Calvin with an education degree in 1948. For a greater part of the next three decades, she split her time between teaching in Christian and public schools. And, in 1976, upon completing a master’s degree from Michigan State University, she began a new venture.
For 16 years until her retirement in 1992, Bosma taught in the education department at her alma mater. Bosma estimated that, during that time, she directly taught thousands of current teachers.
“Her impact on her students and the local education community will be long-felt and remembered,” said Arden Ruth Post, a former colleague of Bosma’s at Calvin. “She shaped future teachers who imparted their own love of literacy and learning to their students.”
Bosma was so beloved by her students that, ten years after her retirement, her former students successfully nominated her for the Calvin Alumni Association’s Faith and Learning Award, which honors excellence in teaching, spiritual impact, concern for students, and lasting influence.
Highlights from Bosma’s teaching career include helping to launch the Young Authors Festival at Calvin in the 1970s and playing a key role in supporting the start of The Potter’s House Christian School in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in the 1990s.
MARY VANDEN BOSCH ZWAANSTRA
1936 – 2024
Kind and compassionate, welcoming and approachable, justice-seeking yet witty—these are some of the words and phrases colleagues used to describe their former professor and colleague, Mary Zwaanstra, who died on February 9, 2024, at the age of 87.
Zwaanstra attended Calvin in the 1950s and became a nurse and social worker. She spent the last decade of her career teaching at her alma mater in the social work department.
“Mary developed throughout Calvin’s social work curriculum this thread of social welfare, social justice, and advocacy for the vulnerable. This theme continues to be a strong emphasis in social work education and a strength of Calvin’s bachelor of social work program,” said Cheryl Brandsen, who taught in the department with Zwaanstra during her tenure.
Stacia Hoeksema, who was a student of Zwaanstra’s, is now the director of the program. She remembers Zwaanstra as “a woman of strong faith—as someone who lived what she believed.”
Zwaanstra cared deeply for her students. “She loved the students. She often had a line of students outside her door waiting to talk with her about their work and their lives,” Brandsen said. Zwaanstra’s legacy at Calvin also continues through a named scholarship at Calvin in geriatric social work.
In retirement, Zwaanstra continued to serve those around her, completing the requisite work to become a spiritual director. “Her Christian faith motivated her work,” Brandsen said.
Plan your weekend: calvin.edu/homecoming
OCTOBER 4–5, 2024
Come home to Calvin for a festive fall weekend, including Calvin’s first Homecoming football game!
Grand Prix Bed Races
Friday Cookout
Hekman Library Open House
Cornhole Tournament
Calvin Music Festival
Calvin Classic 5k Run & Walk
Calvin Classic Youth Fun Run (ages 3−9)
Calvin Classic Pancake Breakfast
Football vs. Alma
Women’s Soccer vs. St. Mary’s
Men’s Soccer vs. Kuyper
River City Improv with Calvin Improv
Run the Calvin Classic in person or virtually wherever you are! calvin.edu/classic
