“We live and learn in a community that sees difference as a catalyst for adding another seat to the table.”
TYLER VERMERRIS Student body president
Class of 2025
WATCH THE 2025 COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY AND VIEW MORE PHOTOS.
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
Telephone: 616-526-6142. Email: spark@calvin.edu Spark on the web: calvin.edu/spark
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FEATURES
10
EMBRACING OUR LEGACY
President Greg Elzinga illuminates how Calvin’s roots in the Reformed faith anchor its present and chart its future.
14 FROM THE INSIDE OUT
Alumni of the Calvin Prison Initiative offer mentorship and hope to a new generation of students.
16
CELEBRATING 75 YEARS OF COMING HOME TO CALVIN
Walk down memory lane and relive the traditions that capture the spirit of Homecoming.
Embracing our Legacy: Members of the campus community gather on Wednesday evenings for LOFT (Living Our Faith Together), a service of praise, prayer, and reflection on God’s word.
Daniel Hartman ’84 is the director of integrated development at the Gates Foundation, leading the way to improve global health.
NEWS & STORIES
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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.)
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BeAnka Mushenkye Masefiade ’19 founded Osofomaame to improve care and support for Black youth impacted by the Michigan foster care system.
CELEBRATION WEEKS CALVIN ON THE ROAD
Campus events for every season
Fall: September 18–27, 2025
Winter: February 12–21, 2026
Spring: April 30–May 9, 2026
Visit calvin.edu/150 for event venues, ongoing updates, and additional anniversary information.
Oct. 8: Milwaukee, Wis.
Oct. 9: Chicago, Ill.
Oct. 14: Plymouth, Mich.
Oct. 16: Holland, Mich.
Oct. 20: Kalamazoo, Mich.
Oct. 30: Grand Rapids, Mich.
Nov. 10: Indianapolis, Ind.
Nov. 12: Pella, Iowa
Nov. 13: Minneapolis, Minn.
Nov. 20: Denver, Colo.
Dec. 2: Dallas, Texas
Dec. 4: Atlanta, Ga.
Feb. 2: Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Feb. 4: Bonita Bay, Fla.
Feb. 6: Bradenton, Fla.
Feb. 24: Rehoboth, N.M.
Feb. 26: Phoenix, Ariz.
March 3: San Francisco, Calif.
March 5: Long Beach, Calif.
March 8: New York, N.Y.
March 10: North Haledon, N.J.
March 11: Philadelphia, Pa.
March 12: Washington, D.C.
March 24: Toronto, Ontario
March 25: Hamilton, Ontario
April 14: Whitinsville, Mass.
April 15: Boston, Mass.
April 21: Seattle, Wash.
April 22: Lynden, Wash.
April 23: Surrey, British Columbia
Invitation to Join
I’ve always been a history buff. I can’t say for sure when or how that interest was “sparked,” but I suspect, in part, I know why. I was blessed to grow up attending East Saugatuck CRC with much of my extended family. After church, we often gathered at my grandparents’ house for coffee. I loved listening to the adults talk about current happenings and hearing tales of the past. History, for me, is not so much about longing for “days of old”—those days were not always simple, and our ancestors faced tough challenges.
One element of the past I find so intriguing is understanding how big and sometimes little decisions shaped the world we inherited. More importantly, what can we learn from the past to help guide us into the future?
While sitting in the parsonage of Graafschap CRC in 1865, did Rev. Douwe Vander Werp ever dream his pastoral training of Harm Lucas would lead to the creation of a world-renowned Christian university? As he walked up the stairs of the Williams Street school in Grand Rapids in 1876, did Rev. Geert Boer imagine his small group of students would blossom into nearly 66,000 living alumni 150 years later?
This spring I picked up John J. Timmerman’s Calvin Centennial tome, Promises to Keep. Once I began, I could not put it down. I was intrigued with similarities between the past and present. From its beginning, Calvin wrestled with how to train students to serve the world yet not get caught up in worldliness. The college
navigated tensions and blessings within the church and engaged vigorous debates regarding appropriate curriculum and positive learning outcomes. Through it all, God’s faithful hand guided and blessed Calvin.
So here we are, at the beginning of a celebration year—the sesquicentennial year. This is a time to reflect on and celebrate 150 years of God’s faithfulness to Calvin University. It’s also a moment to dream and prayerfully ask for God’s continued guidance for Calvin’s future.
What a year it will be! Much thought and planning has gone into providing opportunities for alumni and friends to celebrate this milestone anniversary. We invite you to come back to campus during any of our three Celebration Weeks packed with special events, concerts, and athletic competitions.
We’ll also be taking the party to you with Calvin on the Road. Follow us on social media and visit our exclusive 150th Anniversary website for details on how you can participate at one of our 30 stops.
Thinking back again to my childhood, I recall my grandparents regularly welcoming church visitors to their home after Sunday morning service in an act of hospitality and friendship. In that same spirit, I invite you to come “home” to celebrate God’s faithfulness to Calvin for the past 150 years and to pray for his blessings for 150 more.
Soli Deo Gloria,
JEFF HAVERDINK ’97 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT
NEW PROFESSORSHIP IN THE SCIENCES ESTABLISHED
Calvin University has named David Benson as its inaugural recipient of the Wayne and Susan Cady Professorship in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. This professorship emphasizes excellence in teaching, research, and student mentorship in the sciences.
Established through the generosity of Susan and Wayne Cady ’66, the professorship provides course release time and funding to support faculty research and scholarship, with a particular focus on student mentorship. By equipping faculty with both resources and time, the endowment strengthens Calvin’s commitment to fostering innovation and preparing students for impactful careers in science and engineering.
The Cadys have invested significantly in this endowment to establish a legacy that honors their faith, family, and dedication to higher education. “We are deeply honored to support Calvin University’s commitment to high-quality Christian education in chemistry and chemical engineering,” they said. “We hope that this endowment will encourage faculty members like Dr. Benson to inspire and equip students to pursue advanced degrees and meaningful careers in these fields.”
Two Top Teaching Awards Given to Calvin Philosophy Professor
This past spring, Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung received the Presidential Award for Exemplary Teaching, the highest teaching honor the university bestows on a faculty member. Five days later, she was also surprised with the Professor of the Year Award, granted by the Student Alumni Association on behalf of the senior class. This is the first time that a professor has won both awards in the same academic year.
DeYoung joined Calvin’s faculty in 1998, becoming one of the pioneering full-time female faculty members in the philosophy department. Over the years, she has also developed into a prolific scholar and a leading voice in both the academy and the church on such topics as Christian ethics and virtues and the seven deadly sins.
Her work is driven by her commitment to human flourishing, including that of her students. “Professor DeYoung has not only taught me how to think; she has taught me how to live,” wrote one student.
Another reflected, “She is very invested in our academics and definitely academic rigor, but she also cares for us as people outside of the classroom … investing in who we are and who we want to be.”
STAY CONNECTED
Read the full-length stories and more campus news at calvin.edu/news
Members of the Student Alumni Association surprise Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung with the Calvin University Professor of the Year Award.
Composing a First-rate Music Program
Mark Stover, who previously served on the faculty at St. Olaf College and the University of Michigan, began his tenure as Calvin’s director of choral activities in fall 2024. Stover said he’s long held Calvin in high regard.
“My mentor, one of the closest people in my life, is Dr. Anton Armstrong, now a conductor of the St. Olaf Choir,” said Stover. “The 10 years he spent at Calvin were absolutely formative to his life and his career.”
Just a few months after joining Calvin, Stover saw unexpected and unprecedented student interest in Campus Choir. In spring 2024, nine
students sang in the Campus Choir; by spring 2025, the choir included 86 students across numerous majors.
Recent institutional investments in the music department also emphasize a renewed commitment to strengthening Calvin’s music offerings. The university reinstated the music education program in fall 2024, and it already has 11 declared majors.
“The choral family at Calvin is a thriving community with capacity to grow from here,” said Stover. “It’s very exciting.”
EXPANDING DEGREE COMPLETION PROGRAMS
Nearly two million Michiganders alone have college credits but have not yet completed their undergraduate degrees. Understanding this reality, Calvin recently introduced a pair of interdisciplinary, career-focused programs aimed at helping students complete their degrees: Applied Leadership and Human Services.
“I’ve seen how earning a bachelor’s degree can impact the lives of adult learners,” shared Abbie Lipsker, director of continuing studies at Calvin. “From enhanced career opportunities to personal dream fulfillment and a more expansive view of the world, earning a bachelor’s degree can set whole families on a better trajectory.”
These new programs are part of the university’s strategic expansion to address the needs of non-traditional students who are seeking an accessible, high-quality education that will advance their careers and their community impact.
Adult learners in these programs meet on campus with their cohort one evening per week. Recognizing that adult learners have busy schedules, the program designers also made some coursework available online for flexible, self-paced learning.
“While much of the coursework can be done on a student’s own time during the week, having a place-based aspect will deepen the experience and facilitate interpersonal connections,” said Lipsker.
Campus Choir performs at the 2024 Calvin Music Festival with Director of Choral Activities Mark Stover.
Since the summer of 2020, Calvin professor and Certified Wildlife Biologist® Will Miller has conducted research on the spread of tick populations across west Michigan. Seniors Jocelyn Nieze and Myles Radersma completed their second summer on his research team.
Spark: What research interests or experiences generated the idea for a long-term project focused on tick ecology in west Michigan?
Will Miller: I conducted PhD research with white-tailed deer and wildlife diseases, which got me interested in the connections between wildlife and human health.
The project itself started with a former professor of mine who was building a surveillance network for emerging tick and mosquito-borne diseases in the Great Lakes Region. Basically, she needed somebody to tackle a bunch of deer and pull some ticks off them. I love the idea of wrestling deer, but there’s a far easier way to get ticks than that.
That first summer, student researchers and I discovered there was strong interest in what we were doing, and that eventually led to a collaboration with Michigan State University and Dr. Jean Tsao, who had already been conducting research in this area.
The philosophy that really shapes the project is called the One Health approach, which focuses on understanding the interconnectedness of people, animals, and the environment.
Spark: What is the goal of the project?
Myles Radersma: The original aim of tick surveillance projects like ours was to track the expansion of ticks as they spread up the lakeshore and inland toward Grand Rapids and to understand why that’s happening. That spread is also coinciding geographically with increases in tick-borne diseases.
Will: Surveillance work builds long-term data sets that become a useful frame of reference for other types of scientific questions. Now we’re making deeper investments in community health outreach and education. Ultimately, we want to provide some benefit to the public to help them understand their risk and make educated decisions when they’re outside enjoying the beauty of Michigan’s landscape.
Unraveling the Tick
Spark: Have there been any breakthroughs in better understanding population growth or disease spread?
Will: Ticks are common along the lakeshore, but we’ve seen some anomalous trends. For example, many high-density sites are in natural areas along the lake, but we’ve also seen some in urbanized areas. There is growing evidence from our study and others that ticks may be an increasing or previously overlooked concern in more urbanized areas.
More recently, Myles and Jocelyn have started to look at the types of pathogens these ticks are carrying. And it’s not just Lyme disease—the blacklegged tick is also associated with other pathogens of public health interest. Identifying areas where these pathogens may occur and the environmental patterns that lead to their emergence are important aims of their research.
We also do a form of passive surveillance that student researchers introduced a couple of years ago. We call them mice hotels, but the official name is dual-walled insulated nestboxes. When nesting mice preen themselves, ticks fall through the grated floor into a collection tube.
Spark: What roles have students played in the research?
Will: Fourteen students have participated in summer research, with others contributing during the school year. They’ve come from a variety of disciplines: environmental health and conservation, pre-veterinary, pre-med, and public health. The crossdisciplinary nature of what we’re doing gives students opportunities to pursue their own research interests and take the project in new directions.
vet school now with the hope of working in that space, and that was definitely inspired by my work the last two summers.
Spark: What are some highlights from summer 2025?
Will: The most significant discovery happened in June when Myles, Jocelyn, and fellow student researcher Telo Onyango collected three longhorned tick nymphs during routine surveillance work—the first detection of the invasive species in Michigan. Longhorned ticks pose a specific risk to livestock, so once we shared our discovery, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development moved quickly to inform the public and develop educational outreach.
Spark: What methods do you use to collect data?
Jocelyn Nieze: The most common way is called drag sampling, which is essentially dragging a white cloth along the side of a trail and checking it every 20 meters or so. It’s a simple, efficient way to calculate tick population density.
Puzzle
Myles: You’re not just showing up, doing the work, and leaving, which can happen sometimes in student research. We’re very involved in the scientific process—it’s a perk of being at a small school.
Spark: How does participating in undergraduate student research shape learning?
Will: Research opportunities like this one are really helpful in giving students that competitive edge in their fields. They hone their professional interests and that opens new doors of opportunity for them.
Myles: Originally, I was set on being a doctor, but during my first year at Calvin I realized I wanted to focus more on molecular biology and infectious diseases. Doing this research has really affirmed my choice to follow that path.
Jocelyn: Since working with Professor Miller, I have developed more of an interest in how zoonotic diseases specifically interact with wildlife and animals. I’m applying to
Myles: We continued to conduct surveillance of the blacklegged tick populations and diseases associated with this species, like Lyme disease. We worked with experts at several research universities to determine the types of pathogens these ticks carry and how common they are in the population.
Jocelyn: We also built partnerships with veterinarians, agricultural groups, and wildlife professionals to expand surveillance to pets and livestock. Knowing where animals encounter blacklegged ticks helps us track new populations. It was a new idea for the study, so we had to go through the necessary approval processes, and that was a really unique experience, especially learning how to write grant proposals.
Myles: Talking to public health and parks and recreation agencies about public messaging to identify areas of risk for blacklegged ticks as well as being involved in the media outreach for the longhorned tick discovery has been a shift from pure data collection to a push toward community science.
Will: It’s been great for getting the students out there and understanding what applied ecological research looks like.
Embracing our legacy
Upholding Calvin ideals for future generations
BY GREG ELZINGA ’90 UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT
Christian unity: In Calvin’s chapel, students from diverse Christian backgrounds and faith stories pause weekday mornings to gather in worship.
In 1926, to mark the 50th anniversary of Calvin, the SemiCentennial Volume: Theological School and Calvin College was published. Nearly 100 years later, as we approached this year’s sesquicentennial, I began reading—and re-reading—this treatise.
In a particularly prophetic chapter, then-seminary president Dr. Samuel Volbeda laid out ideals for the joint school. It strikes me how this section demonstrates the consistency of the spirit of Calvin from its beginnings. It also serves as an encouragement for us to take up these ideals as the Calvin community and ensure they continue to thrive in new and innovative ways.
These are the ideals I’ve carried with me, quite literally in this book, as I’ve visited members of the global Calvin family, together imagining how Calvin will live out these ideals in the coming years. This year will bring more travels and conversations, and I’m grateful for this foundation Calvin leaders gave us a century ago.
LOYALTY TO THE REFORMED FAITH
According to Volbeda, the first Calvin ideal, that of being loyal to the Reformed faith, precedes all others because of its expressed commitment to the holy word of God. Volbeda saw a rooted and active Reformed faith as paramount to a Calvin education, a sentiment that has continued throughout our history.
Calvin’s “Expanded Statement of Mission,” another treasure trove in itself, reminds us that “at Calvin, the Reformed tradition of Christian faith has been and continues to be our guide to hear God’s voice and to respond obediently to God’s call.”
This faith has guided us to clean up the Plaster Creek Watershed, to foster literary connections through the Festival of Faith and Writing, and to invite scholars and artists from all fields and experiences onto this campus for years through the January Series and Student Activities Office. This faith has prompted us to create a global launchpad for Christian healthcare professionals, sending out in-demand alumni who are highly equipped for their medical professions in heart and mind. This faith has helped us foster deep connections with industry leaders in fields like engineering and business that allow students to interview with employers and secure jobs they once only dreamed of, even before they walk across the stage at Commencement.
All of this is fueled by a desire to seek Christ’s renewal in the world, in every field and sector. Without embracing this Reformed worldview, we would lose our footing, because this is the foundation Calvin is built upon. And, thanks to our Reformed principles, we are compelled to look more widely to our Christian neighbors and together accomplish Christ’s work of renewal in God’s world.
Responsive faith: Cherith Pickett ’26 works with Plaster Creek Stewards on a campus sustainability project.
LOYALTY TO GOD’S WORD
Volbeda’s next ideal, loyalty to God’s word, is both a declaration of scriptural authority and a call to ecumenical partnership. It broadens the Calvin narrative from the specific, rich, and rooted Reformed faith to the various traditions of Christ-centered worship. In Volbeda’s words,
If an inventory be made of the beliefs which Christians of all ecclesiastical and confessional shades have in common, it will appear that there is a surprisingly wide consensus, and that this consensus embraces many of the most pivotal and fundamental doctrines of truth.
When I think of the many Christian backgrounds and denominations from which Calvin students come, I am encouraged by this notion. Christ followers, as Volbeda argues, have more in common with each other than not. We have more to unite us than to divide us.
In 2025, we continue this Calvin legacy of engaging with the broader church based on our core unity in Christ. We live out our connections to the global body of Christ through our multi-denominational church fair, through partnering with pastors who serve local churches while serving our students, and through the various praise teams and worship styles that guide our chapel services.
We also pursue joint opportunities for fellowship and scholarship through centers and institutes such as the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and the Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity, and our memberships in collaboratives such as the International Network for Christian Higher Education, just to name a few.
Within the Calvin community, we also hold diverse perspectives. This university has proven to be a place where iron sharpens iron (Prov. 27:17), where people of different ideas and passions in the body of Christ live, serve, learn, and grow together. As I have talked with university community members, I have learned that sometimes we grow not despite differences in opinion but because of them—if we are willing to listen.
This university has proven to be a place where iron sharpens iron (Prov. 27:17), where people of different ideas and passions in the body of Christ live, serve, learn, and grow together.
LOYALTY TO WHOLE-PERSON LEARNING
Another ideal Calvin re-committed to in 1926 was the “intellectual and spiritual training of men and women.” Though Volbeda does not explicitly name this ideal as a “loyalty,” I believe it is proper to name it as a loyalty to whole-person learning. This principle often translates into the modern concept of the integration of faith and learning, and relies on the Christ-centered spiritual and intellectual aspects of education being inextricably linked.
William Katerberg, professor of history and curator of Heritage Hall, also harkened back to Volbeda’s chapter in “Ideals for the School,” an article he wrote for the archives’ Origins blog upon Calvin becoming a university in 2019. In his reflections on Volbeda’s training concept, Katerberg writes:
[Volbeda] rejected the idea of separating the soul and faith from knowledge, erudition, and work. Graduates would contribute to “the upbuilding and extension of God’s blessed Kingdom in our land” in many areas of life. To accomplish this goal as fully as possible, Calvin should aspire to expand “into a full-fledged university.”
Volbeda saw Calvin’s evolution into a university as a way to advance the cause of holistic Christian education. That’s because students at every level, in every field, benefit from training, shaping, thinking, and dialogue from Christfollowing teachers and mentors. Calvin fulfilled Volbeda’s vision in name and official reorganization upon becoming a university, but the propensity he writes of is one that has always been present in Calvin’s liberal arts DNA.
Today we see the evidence of this in graduate programs, high school dual enrollment, the Calvin Prison Initiative, the Wayfinder program for adults facing barriers to higher education, and all the ways that Calvin’s strategic expansion displays how such educational blooming is only possible through strong roots and years of cultivation.
AUTHENTICITY IN THE JOURNEY
No matter how many times I read this chapter, I see Volbeda’s words come alive in new ways through the Calvin of today. I believe our contemporary Calvin would make those who founded it in the 1870s, and those who celebrated it in the 1920s, grateful for how it exemplifies our founding ideals. This is what we, of all Calvin generations, celebrate during the 150th anniversary.
But perhaps what makes me most grateful is not only that Calvin lives up to these loyalties, but that we do so with authenticity. The next generation of Christians, as well as our neighbors who are not Christ followers, are looking for us to be the people we claim we are. Calvin is committed to authentically living out our enduring ideals. The everyday workings of this place are not divorced from these concepts, but driven by them.
With humility before God, we continuously aim for these unchanging standards. Through the contributions of Calvin faculty, staff, students, and alumni worldwide, we get closer to our university ideals every day—together. And that’s worth pursuing wholeheartedly for the next 150 years.
Whole-person learning: The Wayfinder Class of 2025 celebrates with program professors and administrators at a graduation ceremony on May 21.
To date, 87 inmates have graduated from the Calvin Prison Initiative. Alumni of the program use their degrees in a variety of ways. Unique among them are the alumni serving life sentences who have made it their goal to serve their community from the inside. As spiritual mentors, academic tutors, and substance abuse counselors, they offer fellow inmates a sense of purpose and hope.
BY MATT KUCINSKI
from the inside out
RECOGNIZING POTENTIAL
A couple of years ago Alec Piper had seemingly lost all hope.
At the time, Piper, who is serving a lengthy sentence at the Handlon Correctional Facility in Ionia, Michigan, was a member of the Adaptive Skills Residential Program (ASRP)—a program for prisoners who have significant limitations in adaptive functioning due to a developmental disability or a chronic brain disorder.
“It was a period of my life where I was in a dark space.” This is the state Piper found himself in a short time ago when Bob Horton ’22, a man wearing prison blues just like him, spoke into his life.
Horton, an alum of the Calvin Prison Initiative (CPI), worked as a mentor within the ASRP. Calvin mentors, along with other ASRP supports like training in life skills, self-care, and community responsibility, help bridge gaps needed for program participants to be successful in prison.
“He told me I was more than just a convict, that I could achieve things,” says Piper of Horton. “I responded, ‘That’s crazy, you’re silly.’”
Piper’s initial response to Horton’s encouragement is typical.
“Prison is every man for himself,” explains Piper. Horton’s words to Piper felt countercultural, outside his imagination.
“Bob felt called to prove me wrong—to show me that there was something I could do with my life,” Piper says.
Alec Piper (front row, second from left) sings in the Handlon Tabernacle Choir during the 2025 CPI Commencement ceremony.
On May 22, 2025, the Class of 2025 received their bachelor’s degrees inside Handlon Correctional Facility.
FINDING PURPOSE
Piper’s experience illustrates how Calvin mentors have been able to connect to ASRP participants in ways that others cannot. Their compassion and care help to round out a full team of support from psychologists, social workers, therapists, medical staff, and others.
Heather Woodin, a licensed psychologist in the Michigan Department of Corrections, has spent nearly 20 years helping inmates like Piper, including for the past two years at Handlon Correctional Facility. Though she serves an important role, she is keenly aware of her limitations within this environment. “I think a lot of times the people I work with see me as the person who can’t relate to them,” Woodin says. “One of my fears coming to prison as a therapist was figuring out how to give hope to someone who is serving life. So, I think one of the things we’ve found is the importance of giving people who are serving so much time a purpose.”
And that’s at the heart of the Calvin Prison Initiative’s mission—to help inmates see themselves as image bearers of God and to equip them to be agents of renewal wherever they are.
SHARING KNOWLEDGE
With new knowledge and the sense of purpose their bachelor of arts degrees in faith and community leadership confer, “We discovered that these guys are eager to go out and do really good work and emerge as leaders,” says Todd Cioffi, CPI’s senior adviser. In addition to supporting existing programming, graduates are also co-creating new pathways to help inmates who are returning to society. One example is the Breaking the Chains curriculum, which was developed by CPI students, Calvin faculty, and Michigan Department of Corrections officers. This curriculum is not only being used at Handlon but also being exported elsewhere.
“We started to see real success with program graduates helping guys parole successfully without the burden of substance abuse. Alumni trained in our program at Handlon are now being sent to other prisons and reproducing it, but in such a way that it makes sense for each particular prison,” Cioffi says. In fact, grads have been transferred in teams to serve in the palliative care unit in Jackson, the veterans unit in Saginaw, and to support other institutions of higher education as they launch new prison education programs—13 universities now offer college courses inside Michigan’s prisons.
RESTORING HOPE
While the impact can be seen on a statewide level, it all comes back to individual stories. “The research is clear that education is transformational to incarcerated individuals,” says Heidi Washington, director of the Michigan Department of Corrections. “We are proud of our students who choose to take the next step in their education.”
Cioffi agrees. “What if you found yourself incarcerated with a serious mental health challenge doing years separated from your community, and all of a sudden your life opens up and becomes alive again?”
Lisa Schra, executive director of CPI, says the restorative power of finding personal purpose through access to education extends beyond prison walls, too. “I think one of the unexpected outcomes of the work is that guys are actually rebuilding relationships with family members.”
“We see it time and time again where they understand in new ways what happened, maybe some of the influences of why it happened, but now they’re also motivated from Christian love to say that I want to do something different now.”
IMAGINING A BETTER FUTURE
Piper remembers the way Horton and two other CPI alumni invested in him, assuring him of his potential, encouraging him to apply to the Calvin program, and then helping him get ready. He recently completed his first year and is finding the journey more fulfilling than even he could have anticipated.
“It feels good to do something that you know makes your parents proud.”
— ALEC PIPER
“I talked to my stepdad on the phone ... and this time he told me he was proud of me. I think that was the first time he ever said that to me,” wrote Piper in his end-of-year reflection. “I imagine my parents seeing me doing the work at Calvin with smiles on their faces. It feels good to do something that you know makes your parents proud.”
Piper also regards the men in the ASRP unit as family and is committed to inspiring his peers to dream bigger, just as alumni of the CPI program did for him. “I hope to give them hope, to show they can do it, too,” Piper says. “I remember Bob saying to me, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to be mentored and then become a mentor and continue this cycle?’ That was a dream. Now, that’s my plan.”
TOP: CPI graduates and their families share joyful moments at the Commencement celebration.
BOTTOM: Alec Piper, a participant in the Calvin Prison Initiative, is finding purpose and hope through education and mentorship.
CELEBRATING 75 YEARS OF COMING HOME TO CALVIN
For more than seven decades, Calvin’s Homecoming has been a dynamic, ever-evolving gathering of students, alumni, and friends, with each generation leaving their unique mark on this collegiate tradition. Year after year, planning committees thoughtfully shape and reimagine the festivities to reflect the current heartbeat of the Calvin community. And yet, through all its transformations, one thing remains steadfast: Homecoming is, and always will be, about the powerful bonds of community.
The first Homecoming at Calvin was organized by the Varsity Club and Prism student leaders and held in February 1952. That year featured a Calvin-Hope basketball game at the Civic Auditorium in downtown Grand Rapids. In 2009, Homecoming festivities moved to the fall, aligning with Family Weekend.
While some traditions stand strong, others have faded into history. In 1952, the student body voted to select five Homecoming hostesses who would officially welcome returning alumni. By 1956, the title changed, with organizers favoring a glamorous touch because, as they remarked, “committees are impersonal.” That year, a student motorcade escorted the Homecoming Queen and her attendants downtown to the Civic Center, where the president of the alumni association crowned the Queen. The last Calvin Homecoming Queen held court in 1970.
“
HOMECOMING SEEMS TO BE THE TIME FOR POKING AMONG THE ASHES OF MEMORY AND TRADITION TO DISCOVER THE CALVIN SPARK AND BREATHE IT INTO AN EASILY VISIBLE FLAME.”
PRISM, 1964
1969
The performing arts became a part of Calvin’s Homecoming traditions in the mid-50s. The “Pageant of Memories,” Alumni Players productions of Gilbert & Sullivan musicals, Calvin College Radio Program, Calvin Music Festival, and River City Improv are among the many celebrations of the arts that have entertained audiences over the years.
Athletic competitions have held a place of honor at Homecoming since its inception. Over the years, men’s basketball often took center stage, while women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, and men’s hockey also had opportunities to shine. In 2023, Calvin students and alumni embraced a new tradition, gathering for the first Homecoming football game. This year, the football team will host its Homecoming game on campus for the first time.
1974 2014
“Koffee Kletz,” a coffee social for alumni and friends, remained a post-basketball game tradition until the early aughts.
Though some traditions fade, student activities have always energized Homecoming with laughter, fun, and plenty of school spirit. From 1984 to 2015, Airband competitors danced and lip synched onstage in the fieldhouse, followed by the annual Homecoming Dance. In 1999, the boldest members of the Calvin community took the icy plunge into the Sem Pond at the first annual Cold Knight Club jump. Since 2018, the wild and wacky have gone on display at the Grand Prix Bed Races.
Alumni Profiles
BY SARA KORBER-DEWEERD ’00
Calvin seeks to equip students to think deeply, act justly, and live wholeheartedly as Christi’s agents of renewal in the world. These stories demonstrate how our alumni are living out that mission.
Director of integrated development at the Gates Foundation Dr. Daniel Hartman ’84 focuses his time, attention, and leadership on improving global health, with a specific focus on low-income countries.
BeAnka Mushenkye Masefiade ’19 leads the Grand Rapids-based nonprofit organization Osofomaame, where her heart for and leadership within the foster care community positively impact children and families in west Michigan.
Entrepreneur Rama Suparta ’05 originally co-founded Saturdays in 2016 as an online store selling affordable eyewear. Saturdays is now one of the leading eyewear brands in Indonesia and continues to expand its reach in Southeast Asia.
Director of Mammals at the San Antonio Zoo Rachel Van Elderen Malstaff ’02 nurtured a childhood love of animals into a lifelong career of animal rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation.
Daniel Hartman ’84
BeAnka Mushenkye Masefiade ’19
Rachel Van Elderen Malstaff ’02
Rama Suparta ’05
Biology Director of Integrated Development, Gates Foundation Seattle, Washington
Turning Science into Impact
PHOTO CREDIT: JOHANN VAN TASSEL ’28
Daniel Hartman ’84
Dr. Daniel Hartman ’84 is the director of integrated development at the Gates Foundation, an organization committed to improving global health, “guided by the belief that everyone has equal value.”
Hartman leads a team that provides technical expertise in product development to advance a large portfolio of drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics, with a focus on low-income settings.
It’s a high intensity career that demands a certain level of comfort with risk. A new product could impact millions of lives, but it might also prove too unsafe or costly to pursue. “Most pharmaceuticals never make it to market. There’s a huge attrition rate, and it’s an expensive process, so you want to make confident decisions early. I spend a lot of time looking at data and making these ‘go, no-go’ decisions and generating innovative ways to accomplish those decisions as quickly as possible.”
BUILDING THE FUTURE
Hartman, who is passionate about “turning science into impact,” feels his team’s greatest legacy has been improving regulatory procedures in low-income countries. A current project in this area harnesses artificial intelligence to augment people-powered work. “We’re creating an AI tool that can scan the applications drug companies submit to a regulator to quickly identify missing pieces or deficiencies, something that would save resource-strapped agencies in less developed countries an immense amount of time.”
In addition to strengthening drug regulatory systems, Hartman’s team also designs clinical trials, sets the correct dosing for new products, and applies novel chemistry to lower manufacturing costs.
A SURPRISING CAREER
As a Calvin student following a premed track, Hartman never dreamed he would devote so much of his career to pharmaceutical development, but he sees
“I’ve always liked problem solving— connecting the dots to think about the different pieces that will build a clinical strategy that answers the next question.”
the ways the Lord used his strengths and interests to guide him down a unique path. “I’ve always liked problem solving—connecting the dots to think about the different pieces that will build a clinical strategy that answers the next question.”
Though he began his career as a medical doctor, he was soon recruited to work at the American pharmaceutical company Lilly, conducting drug research and development.
Now he appreciates working for an organization where profit is not the goal.
“Twenty-five years ago, when the Gates Foundation started, nobody was investing in disease research and vaccine development in low-income countries, because there’s very little financial gain there,” explains Hartman, who is thrilled about Bill Gates’ recent commitment of $200 billion to the foundation. “Every day I wake with tremendous resources available to me, and every day I get to use them to improve lives, to do good.”
DAILY TRUSTING GOD
The weight of his task is never lost on him; to carry it, Hartman regularly leans on the wisdom of Psalm 23. Sitting in his home office, he points to a shelf that holds the Bible he received as a middle schooler in 1976.
“I highlighted Psalm 23 back then and wrote ‘complete trust in God’ in the margins.”
He continued to rely on Psalm 23 as a Calvin student playing varsity basketball, holding down a job, and taking a heavy class load. Now he finds himself working harder than ever before, traveling about 150,000 miles a year worldwide while navigating diverse and often challenging environments.
“I have the energy to do it,” Hartman says, “and I’ve always believed that God had a plan for my life, and that has helped guide my path and give me the strength and courage to get through difficult times.”
PRACTICING ENDURANCE
Hartman hopes to retire in two years. For some, approaching a career’s conclusion inspires dreams of a slower pace of life. Not so for Hartman, who plans to keep chasing at least two of his personal hobbies for as long as possible—endurance hiking and tower running. Whether summiting challenging mountains, crossing the Grand Canyon in a single day, or racing up the stairs of skyscrapers, he continues to push himself.
Hartman’s personal hobbies illustrate his philosophy toward all his life’s pursuits: seize every opportunity, take calculated risks, and use your time to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. “I want to sprint to my retirement in about two years having as much impact as I possibly can,” he says.
We Are the Village
A 2021 study by The Michigan Child Welfare Task Force reports that Black children in Michigan comprise 29% of the state’s foster care population but make up only 16% of the general population. The overrepresentation of Black youth in foster care has always felt personal to BeAnka Mushenkye Masefiade ’19, founder and executive director of Osofomaame, a nonprofit organization that serves Black children, youth, and families impacted by foster care.
As a child, Masefiade experienced the foster care system through a kinship placement with her grandparents. As a teenager, she worked as a youth mentor and camp counselor. She often speaks of the “village of aunties and uncles” who came around her through her own coming up in her community, church, and schools. It’s no surprise that community development and social equity stand at the center of Masefiade’s work.
NETWORKS OF SUPPORT
Osofomaame leads three initiatives that increase awareness and offer wraparound services for children and families: We Are the Village, Caring for Children of Color, and Abundant Life Academy. Each program targets specific groups and areas of support.
We Are the Village supports families impacted by the child welfare system, offering free resources such as “Know Your Rights” seminars, and educates the general public about foster care through community partnerships and events.
At Caring for Children of Color workshops, local licensed barbers and beauticians train foster families in black hair and
skin care. “They talk about the history of hair within the black community, so families understand the importance of it,” Masefiade explains. The events also teach advocacy and cultural competency—foster families return home with resources and knowledge that help them do the important work of “affirming their children’s racial identity.”
Abundant Life Academy is a youth empowerment program for young adults about to age out of the foster care system. Life skills workshops offer training in topics like financial literacy, mental health and wellness, and college and career readiness.
Masefiade and her husband, Pastor Emmanuel Masefiade, who she met during her Calvin study abroad semester in Ghana, also invest in education for Ghanaian youth. The Aya Scholars program provides tuition, uniforms, and supplies to school-aged youth in need.
FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENT
As an Entrada Scholar, Masefiade appreciated the welcome she experienced at Calvin, but there were also times during her first year when she didn’t feel at home. “There were so many nuances and little things that I just didn’t know as a first gen student of color trying to navigate a sense of belonging at a predominately white institution,” she says.
She ended up pushing pause on her education. Within that pause, she returned to youth and community development across a variety of sectors. That time gained her the perspective and experience
to align her passions with her calling. She returned to Calvin in 2018 to complete her degree in sociology and African Diaspora Studies.
She remembers how Calvin friends, faculty, and mentors like Jacque Rowe Fields and the late Rhae-Ann Richardson Booker ’91 “created a safe space where I could develop a sense of my own belonging.” The smaller, liberal arts experience also meant she “didn’t get lost and just become a number.”
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR
Community development is demanding, sometimes slow work. When she feels overwhelmed, Masefiade reminds herself of something Mother Theresa said: “We can do small things with great love.”
“When I think about the role of my faith, I think about being an agent of renewal. That means I first recognize the dignity and value of all people. Our sameness and our differences make us this beautiful, diverse body of Christ,” says Masefiade, who believes everyone deserves access to basic needs that ensure safety and human flourishing.
“Sometimes I think people want the cross without the crucifixion—we want the good news of redemption in Christ. But what does that mean in the context of the crucifixion? It means to be able to sit in others’ humanity. To be humble and realize we don’t know it all. It means to use our human agency to love our neighbors as ourselves. To ask ourselves, how am I serving my black, brown, and white neighbor? My immigrant or poor neighbor? How am I showing up and serving?”
“Our sameness and our differences make us this beautiful, diverse body of Christ.”
BeAnka Mushenkye Masefiade ’19
Social work and African Diaspora Studies Founder and executive director of Osofomaame Grand Rapids, Michigan
Every Day is Saturday
It’s 7:30 p.m. in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Rama Suparta ’05 is still at work. He pans his phone across a storefront in an urban, upscale mall, taking me on a virtual tour of one of his eyewear locations. At Saturdays, you can grab a cup of coffee and a fresh cookie before browsing displays of fashionable, affordable frames or sink yourself into a comfortable booth in the small seating area within the store.
“Saturday is the best day of the week,” Suparta says of his lifestyle company’s namesake. “It’s the day to be yourself, do your hobby, hang out with friends, get married. It conveys a good feeling everyone relates to.”
AN IDEA IS BORN
Suparta, who graduated from Calvin, earned an MBA, and launched his career working for startups in Silicon Valley, says he felt called to return to Indonesia in 2009, but leaving a secure job in California that he enjoyed felt like a huge leap of faith. So, too, was starting Saturdays.
Suparta and his American co-founder Andrew Kandolha met at the company in Indonesia where they both worked. They found they shared a lot in common, including having both worn glasses most of their lives. Kandolha had also attended university with the founders of American eyewear brand Warby Parker.
“Eyewear has become more mainstream, where something that is medically necessary to improve your quality of life also crosses
into the area of personal expression and fashion,” Suparta comments.
“When I was growing up, no one thought of glasses as fashionable, and quality glasses were too expensive for most. Andrew and I wanted to change that, to give customers a positive experience with eyewear.”
CHALLENGED TO GROW
Suparta attended Calvin at the urging of his parents, who wanted him and his two sisters to attend an academically rigorous, faith-focused university. Suparta remembers experiencing many firsts at Calvin: the first time he “practiced his faith,” the first time he earned a paycheck, and the first time he took classes in his second language.
“You know, when my parents sent me, it was a one-way ticket to Grand Rapids. But I think, thankfully, I found good support from my roommates and professors. Economics professor Evert Van Der Heide had worked and done research in Indonesia, and he was so kind. I would come to his office and study with him, and he would help me with getting used to American culture.” The years he spent learning and working in the U.S. were both challenging and transformational.
Suparta still believes there is purpose behind every struggle, even suffering. “God answers prayers in ways we can’t imagine. A lot of what has happened in my life I could not have imagined, but it’s for the better.” Embracing this helps him boldly lead his company alongside a business partner he also considers one of his best friends.
“We knew each other for three years before we started Saturdays. The most important thing for our partnership to work is there is no ego between us.” That dynamic empowers the duo to take risks that have helped them grow a long-term, sustainable brand that serves the larger community.
LEADERSHIP WITH AN IMPACT
Whether donating glasses to orphanages, sourcing environmentally-friendly materials for product lines, or expanding to countries in Southeast Asia where access to affordable, high-quality eyewear is still limited, Suparta sees himself as a “servant leader,” someone who “leads not from the top of a pyramid but from the bottom of it.”
Suparta is also a visible presence among his brand’s 500 employees across its 70 locations, where he’s always innovating to improve customer service, to offer employees opportunities for professional growth, and to foster a work culture built on honesty and integrity.
“It’s not all about money at the end of the day, it’s about impact.”
“It’s not all about money at the end of the day, it’s about impact.”
Rama Suparta ’05
Business and civil engineering Co-founder of Saturdays Jakarta, Indonesia
Creation Care Expert
Rachel Van Elderen Malstaff ’02 Biology Director of mammals, San Antonio Zoo San Antonio, Texas
Two experiences at Calvin cemented Rachel Van Elderen Malstaff’s ’02 decision to become a zoologist. The first was a monthlong trip to Guatemala, Belize, and Costa Rica. “In the rainforest, we studied howler monkeys and capuchins. We were looking at bird species and went birding at 6 in the morning—that experience really opened my eyes to a wide variety of wildlife,” Malstaff says.
The second was a visit to Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek, Michigan, where Malstaff and her classmates had the opportunity to interact with zoo staff and learn more about animal husbandry. “That definitely guided me toward my career.”
Malstaff serves as the director of mammals at the San Antonio Zoo in Texas. On a typical weekday, she communicates with managers of the two departments she leads, attends planning and construction meetings for a new gorilla habitat, or oversees a medical procedure for one of the zoo’s more than 1,300 resident mammals.
SCIENCE MEETS ACTIVISM
Malstaff, who grew up in the small town of Martin, Michigan, loved animals from a young age, and witnessing guests interact with them, sometimes for the first time,
continues to delight her. She also values how visitors carry what they learn at the zoo back to their local neighborhoods.
“A big part of our message at the zoo is to show visitors the small steps they can take in nature, even in their own neighborhoods, to preserve wild habitats and secure a future for wildlife. Sharing that kind of backyard community activism is at the heart of why zoos exist.”
GLOBAL REACH
She also explains how zoos around the globe collaborate to conserve natural habitats and grow populations of threatened and endangered species. “In some cases, zoos are the only reason a species may be thriving today,” Malstaff says. Breeding and protection programs Malstaff directs in San Antonio may support conservation efforts in other parts of the world, too, such as on continental Africa, where efforts to restore natural habitats pave the way for reintroducing endangered species to the wild.
Member zoos of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) work in close partnership on these kinds of projects. “There’s a lot more that goes on behind the scenes than what you might see when you visit an exhibit. There is a lot of science to it,” she shares.
“A big part of our message is to show visitors the small steps they can take in nature, even in their own neighborhoods, to preserve wild habitats.”
NEVER THE SAME DAY TWICE
Zoologists like Malstaff wear many hats. “There’s the everyday feeding, watering, cleaning, and designing of enrichment activities that guests might see when they visit. But then there are other things like training our lions for voluntary blood draws or vaccine injections—you might not know that a little whipped cream goes a long way with a lion,” she smiles.
In the ever-changing environment of the zoo, Malstaff keeps her faith at the center of all she does. “It’s how you interact with people, treating them respectfully, and in how you make decisions that impact both people and animals.”
She is currently leading a project to bring gorillas back to the zoo. “One of the things that is interesting to me is how different the conversations around our breeding and transfer plan have been. Gorillas are highly intelligent mammals, so we’re not just discussing the genetics of pairing certain males and females, we’re also weighing their personalities. You know, which females will get along together, and which male would make a good silverback?”
Malstaff says serving in a management role focused on sustaining the well-being of living creatures makes her days hard to plan. “Anything can happen, and it’s a very fastpaced job,” she says. Yet, “all the moments— like conversations with kids or even adults as they interact with a certain animal for the first time or ask questions about conservation—it’s amazing. Hopefully, that inspires them to go out and do something bigger in the future.”
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Calvin Academy for Lifelong Learning Fall Courses 30 topics, 1–4 sessions each In person and online Various fall dates calvin.edu/call
Student Activities Office presents Over the Rhine in concert Sept. 19, 2025
Symposium on Worship Feb. 4−6, 2026 calvin.edu/worship
Festival of Faith & Writing April 16–18, 2026 calvin.edu/festival
Featuring alumni writers
Christine Byl ’95
Daniel José Camacho ’13
Kyle Meyaard-Schaap ’12
Kathryn Post ’18
Jacob Schepers ’12
Larissa Theule ’02
Abram Van Engen ’03
Find all Calvin events at calvin.edu/calendar.
CLASS OF 1975 50-YEAR REUNION
With lunch in Commons, tours of new campus buildings, 1970s trivia at dinner, and a Commencement reenactment with medallion presentation, the Class of 1975 celebrated Calvin then and Calvin now.
Front row: Timothy Schaafsma, Krista Vermeulen Schaafsma, Dorothy Van Andel Frisch, Kathleen Hoekstra Drooger, Mary Lagerwey, Diane Dood Ryckbost, Suzanne Gritter, Deborah De Vries Plaisier, Lisa Reid Cooke, Mary Van Someren Cok, Susan Frens Crosser
Second row: Joyce Olson Zaagman, Meribeth Batema Ter Horst, Karen De Mey Huizinga, Dirk Buursma, David Cok, David Bishop
Third row: Sally Kikkert, Sheryl Essenburg, Theda Vander Meulen Williams, Ruth Hoogland DeHoog, Judy Fanberg Hiemenga-Hopper, Barry Meyer, Steven Hollemans, Henry DeVries, Anne VanderMale Tuuk, Stephen Tuuk, William Ryckbost
Back row: Clark van Halsema, James Buist, James Katerberg, Mark Boer, Bruce Engbers, Stanley Winters, Timothy Hibma, Ronald Baker, John Chapin, Keith Bruxvoort, Russell Bloem
INTERNATIONAL ALUMNI REUNITE AT RANGEELA
Prior to Rangeela 2025, international alumni and families gathered for a dessert reception with President Elzinga and the Alumni Board. Many alums were excited to introduce their kids to the Rangeela performance, too.
THE RIVALRY WATCH PARTIES
Knights fans gathered on February 1, 2025, at nine locations around the United States plus Quito, Ecuador, to chat with alumni in their region and to watch the Calvin Knights defeat the Hope College Flying Dutch 68-60. Save February 21, 2026, for next year’s game and reach out to alumni@calvin.edu if you’d like to host a watch party.
WIND ENSEMBLE TOURS FLORIDA
Under conductor Tiffany Engle, Calvin’s Wind Ensemble connected with high schools and churches in Florida over spring break, including a joint performance with Bradenton Christian School’s band.
WASHINGTON, D.C. ALUMNI NETWORK
Alumni in Washington, D.C., have been long-time supporters of the Semester in D.C. program. In January, local alums connected with students in the spring 2025 class and President Elzinga at Busboys & Poets.
TRAVEL WITH CALVIN
AROUND THE WORLD WITH CALVIN 150th Anniversary Year: 2025–2026
South Korea and Japan
October 15–28, 2025
Hosts: Don and Kathy DeGraaf
Highlights: Seoul and Busan, South Korea; Hiroshima and Kyoto, Japan
Red Rocks and Canyons in the American Southwest
April 7−18, 2026
Hosts: Gerry and Jan Van Kooten
Highlights: Sedona, Bryce Canyon
National Park, Antelope Canyon, Rehoboth, and Zuni
Norway & Denmark
August 2026
Host: Debra Freeberg
Highlights: Canal boat tour and Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Bygdøy museums in Oslo, railway ride and fjord cruise in Flam, city tour and Hardangerfjord cruise in Bergen
View full itineraries and register online at calvin.edu/go/travel
LEAVING A LEGACY 2025 RETIRING FACULTY
Tim Steele passed away on June 15, following a brief and unexpected illness, just weeks before his anticipated retirement. His passing is a profound loss to the Calvin community.
Tim’s colleagues in the music department remember him not only for his gifts as a teacher, scholar, and musician but also for his thoughtful and dedicated leadership as department chair. His steady presence helped the department navigate challenges and embrace new opportunities.
Tim Steele 18 years Visual and Performing Arts: Music
Jim Jadrich
33 years Physics, Science Education
David Dornbos
21 years Biology
Paul Moes
25 years Psychology
Marj Terpstra
17 years Education
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.
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
HERITAGE
(graduated more than 50 years ago)
Glenn Geelhoed ’64 and George Franklin reunited on StoryCorp, a program of the American Folklife Center at the United States Library of Congress, to reflect on the 50 years since Dr. Geelhoed performed Franklin’s kidney transplant surgery when he was just 18 years old. Dr. Geelhoed founded Mission to Heal, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing surgical and medical care to remote areas around the globe, while Franklin became a diligent advocate for kidney donation awareness. Both remain active—Dr. Geelhoed recently participated in his 50th Marine Corps Marathon, while Franklin continues swimming and is actively training for the 2026 Transplant Games of America. Their story can be heard at archive.storycorps. org/interviews/50-years-of-hopeand-thriving-dr-glenn-geelhoed-andgeorge-franklin.
Duncan Mahangilu, who visited the United States from Kenya last fall, surprised his long-time friend Ken Van Dellen ’58 at the November 9 Calvin-Hope football game. Van Dellen and Mahangilu first met at Daystar University in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2000,
where Mahangilu worked as a campus groundskeeper and Van Dellen volunteered as a visiting lecturer in biology and environmental science. They had not seen each other in over 20 years.
1980s
Randall Engle ’87, director of Christian studies at Oakland University in Auburn Hills, Michigan, received the Excellence in Teaching Award in recognition for his passion in the classroom and his innovative courses. Dr. Engle is also the pastor of North Hills Christian Reformed Church in Troy, Michigan, and the author of two books.
Professor of biology and the Frank R. Seaver Chair of Natural Science at Pepperdine University Lee Kats ’84 accepted a new position as the dean of Seaver College.
01 In May, Edwin Kornoelje ’89 received the 2025 Bill Barkley Pinnacle of Achievement Award, a prestigious award that marks the highest level of accomplishment among physicians in the University of Michigan Health System. Kornoelje was recognized for outstanding contributions in research, innovation, safety, and legacy.
On January 1, 2025, David LaGrand ’88 was sworn in as the mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan; he is the first Calvin graduate elected to this role. LaGrand believes deeply in the importance of fostering community engagement with local government. Housing, justice, infrastructure, and neighborhood development are some of his key priorities.
Mika Meyers’ attorney Ross Leisman ’84 was selected as one of Crain’s Grand Rapids Business Notable Litigators and Trial Attorneys, recognized for his litigation skill and experience, involvement in the community, and high level of respect in the legal community. Leisman specializes in commercial litigation, bank disputes, land use, and municipal law.
02 Leslie Vander Griend ’85, Seattle attorney with Stokes Lawrence P.S., represents clients in high-stakes trademark and copyright litigation in federal courts nationwide and in contested Trademark Trial and Appeal Board matters. Vander Griend has been honored as a Leading Trademark Professional by World Trademark Review 1000 and recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for trademark and copyright law. Her intellectual property team received top rankings from the Chambers USA Guide.
David Porter was named special agent in charge of the FBI’s Honolulu field office.
’97
03 During a November 2024 trip, Jon Vandervelde ’89 and Mimi Bartleson ’92 enjoyed reconnecting with Eduardo Romero ’89 in Lima, Peru, where they spent time together touring the Colonial City Center.
04 Visual artist Julie Christensen Quinn ’80 exhibited a retrospective of her work over the last 35 years at J. Petter Galleries in Saugatuck, Michigan, in May. Her deeply spiritual art centers on the language of prayer and has been exhibited internationally at locations such as the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris and has also appeared on numerous book covers.
1990s
Trial lawyer Charles Ash ’95 of Warner Norcross + Judd LLP was selected as one of Crain’s Grand Rapids Business Notable Litigators and Trial Attorneys. Recipients of this recognition are chosen based on litigation skill and experience, involvement in the community, and holding a high level of respect in the legal community.
05 Five Calvin friends met for a February reunion in Winter Park, Colorado, one of their favorite collegiate spring break haunts. From left to right: Todd Vander Weit ’92, Brett Bolt ’92, Brian Kastelein ’91, Julie Hall Kastelein ’91 (Also present on the trip but not pictured: Rick Medema ’91.)
David Porter ’97 was named special agent in charge of the FBI’s Honolulu field office. Prior to the appointment, Porter, who has been with the agency since 2006, served as the chief of staff for the deputy director at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Washington State University professor Mark VanDam ’99 was appointed to the position of full professor in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences at the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. Van Dam lives in Spokane, Washington, with his wife, Tricia, and their three children.
Rear Admiral Dean Vander Ley ’91 was elected to the Academy of Fellows of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME).
2000s
Paul Derks ’06 and Layne Thomasma Derks ’05 celebrated the grand opening of their Playa Bowls franchise at Knapp’s Corner in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in May. The restaurant serves açaí, pitaya, coconut bowls, and smoothies, in addition to freshly squeezed juice and cold brew coffee drinks.
Stewardship and the Sublime
Hours of library research and long days under a west Michigan summer sun led to the expansive murals that now line the boulevard leading in and out of Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids. Despite the challenges, artist Dania Grevengoed ’14 says the project has been her favorite to date; she recently expanded the public art installation to 14 murals.
“I see my work as a garden. It can always grow,” Grevengoed says of her large-scale paintings that depict delicate plant life native to the various biomes of west Michigan.
As a Calvin student, Grevengoed didn’t plan a future as a public artist. The Florida native double-majored in visual art and art history, was a leading member of the Art History Society and the Visual Arts Guild, and served as a juror and contributor to Dialogue, Calvin’s student literary and arts magazine. As a senior, she says she focused on finishing school well and held her plans for “future Dania” a bit loosely.
When, at 23, she found herself in a dead-end job she didn’t love, she decided to open an online shop to sell prints of her botanical-themed art and gradually built a social media following. One day, a local business owner approached her to ask if she could reproduce her delicate paintings on a much larger scale. “It was just that wonderful, quintessential moment when somebody gives you a chance on something that you weren’t even anticipating.”
Grevengoed has never feared a blank canvas of any size or material, so she immediately agreed to try. Today her murals can be found nationwide, in places like west Michigan, Detroit, Chicago, and Florida. She says the art she creates now is different than what she made in college, but a common thread in all her work is an interest in the sublime, “something beautiful and great that almost creates a fear response, that creates awe.”
She encounters the sublime most often in ordinary places: at the park near her home during golden hour just before sunset, or in the Michigan woods, for example. “I’ve always found myself drawn to nature and most at peace with myself in nature, so it makes sense to try and replicate that.”
Communicating her love of nature in highly visible spaces is also Grevengoed’s unique way of stewarding creation. “Christians are meant to see creation as something we are supposed to share and protect,” she says. “In my art, I create these little moments of tiny growing things that are often overlooked, and it’s my way of stewarding them, of creating shrines to these beautiful, growing things that are so important to our daily lives.”
You can view more of Dania Grevengoed’s work on Instagram (@interpersonaldesign) and on her website, daniagrevengoed.com.
Artist Dania Grevengoed’s murals celebrate the tenacity and beauty of native species.
2010s
Paul
Ryckbost
was elected to the Academy of Fellows of the Society of American Military Engineers.
’03
06 Professor of practice of social work Derek Plantenga ’02 has been named the founding director of the University of Texas at San Antonio’s bachelor of social work program, where he helps students learn how to effectively address challenges at the individual, family, community, and policy levels, opening doors to careers that will make positive impacts in their communities and world.
In February and March, the awardwinning documentary Unseen: How We’re Failing Parent Caregivers and Why it Matters aired on ABC stations nationwide. Unseen follows Jessica Bossenbroek Ronne ’01 and her family to show how the mental, physical, and financial strains of family caregiving for a loved one with a disability impact everyone. Ronne, who is the founder and CEO of the Lucas Project, a nonprofit that funds respite days for caregivers, also served as the associate producer of the film.
Paul Ryckbost ’03 was elected to the Academy of Fellows of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME). He was recognized with fellow Calvin alumnus Rear Admiral Dean Vander Ley ’91 at a ceremony held on May 15 at the Joint Engineer Training Conference and Expo in Louisville, Kentucky.
07 A ski weekend in Breckenridge, Colorado, led to a chance meeting on the slopes. Therese Mualla Oram ’16 bumped into fellow alumna Carla Knot Zastrow ’89 during a group ski lesson, where Oram and Zastrow discovered that not only do they both hail from the mitten state, but they also share Calvin as their alma mater. Pictured from left to right: Carla, their ski instructor Doug, and Therese
08 Chi Soo Park ’16 (pictured far right) is an executive assistant for the sports agency and management firm DJ Sports Group in Seoul, South Korea, where he contributes to overall company management, strategic planning, and execution of global initiatives. He recently led the operations and finance for the Seoul EOU Cup U19 international tournament and was also selected by both the ASEAN Football Federation and the Vietnam Football Federation to serve as the team interpreter for a highly anticipated match between the ASEAN All-Stars and Manchester United FC in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on May 28.
Andrew Pruim ’16 MA’23 accepted a position as a digital marketing specialist at Green Shield Deck Builders in Kentwood, Michigan.
Then and Now
TWO DECADES AGO, PHILIP IBRAHIM ’94 WAS FEATURED IN SPARK AS AN UP-AND-COMING ENTREPRENEUR. BUT THEN DISASTER STRUCK, AND HIS BUSINESS FAILED. HE REBUILT WITH ONLY A BACKPACK, 20 GRAND, AND HIS TWO DAUGHTERS IN TOW.
On any given day, Philip Ibrahim ’94 might be found in the air or on the road. The Calvin economics major turned entrepreneur has spent the last 25 years building an innovative business model for used car sales.
After graduating from Calvin, Ibrahim worked at his uncle’s Boston-based car dealership. Witnessing the way overhead costs drove up the price of cars, he leaned on emerging technologies to develop a first-of-its-kind business model that put customers behind the wheel of the car-buying process with more cost transparency and savings.
But in 2007, Ibrahim was forced to fold the business. Out of a job and supporting a young family, he relied on his faith to steer him through what he calls “one of the darkest times of my life.” That experience ultimately taught Ibrahim to trust God and fail forward.
In 2008, he founded Imotobank Dealership, improving on the concepts of his first company: team members act as consultants and rely on screensharing and simulcast auctions to fill highly specific customer orders. In March 2025, Imotobank became the first publicly traded dealership of its kind in the U.S. Part of Ibrahim’s motivation for growth is a desire to give back by providing new dealerships built on the same business model with the tools, resources, and know-how to succeed.
Ibrahim, who grew up in a tightly knit Egyptian community, has a reputation for treating everyone he meets like family. “I have families, customers, investors that rely on me every day, and my prayer is, ‘Help me, Lord, to do what you need me to do in my earthly capacity, with wisdom and humility.’”
In his spare time, Ibrahim enjoys flying. He and wife Deborah Goodreau Ibrahim ’96 often fly with their two daughters, Bella and Ava ’28, who are both studying mechanical engineering and working toward their own pilot licenses. Ava, who took her first solo flight in December 2024, will be among the first students to graduate from Calvin’s new aerospace engineering concentration.
“I was an interloper,” Ibrahim says of his own time at Calvin, “an Egyptian kid from New England. But the Dutch Reformed culture at Calvin was the culture within which I learned to extend my own. And I think that’s a great thing.”
Entrepreneur Phil Ibrahim ’94 and his family know how to travel in style in their 1996 Maule MXT7-180.
09 Physical therapist Hope Gaffner Van Dyke ’17 opened Renewed Physical Therapy, a private practice in Hudsonville, Michigan, that specializes in women’s health, runners, and patients with scoliosis. Whether a client is training for an elite sporting event or regaining strength and balance to walk more confidently, Dr. Van Dyke is passionate about helping individuals reach their goals.
Lukas Woltjer ’14 is leveraging his engineering degree to do humanitarian work. He currently serves as director of corporate services and development at Nazarene Mission Station in Papua, New Guinea.
2020s
10 Grove City College assistant men’s soccer coach Eli Ribbe ’22 is serving as the interim athletic department recruiting coordinator at a time when the college’s athletic program is rapidly growing and improving. He looks forward to fulfilling both roles during this exciting time.
Lukas Woltjer currently serves as director of corporate services and developement at
Nazarene Mission Station.
Saint with a Peacock Voice Lew Klatt, professor of English Parlor Press
“Since coming to Calvin, one of the things I’ve tried to suggest in my teaching and in my poetic practice is that our new life in Christ should lead to new creation—not only in our character but also in our artistic expression.
Inspired by Henry David Thoreau’s statement that “decayed literature makes the richest of soils,” I began to dream up a project that would give me room to explore what re-creation might look like if I gathered my source materials for poems from a particular writer’s prose. This collection, which features the words of Catholic writer Flannery O'Connor, is the result.
Each poem harvests language exclusively from a specific O’Connor story, essay, or letter and recasts a subset of those words (unaltered for tense or number or grammar) into lyric expression. Genuinely engaging O’Connor’s work, these poems explore what else her diction, in the mouth of another, might want to say.”
—Lew Klatt
Douglas
REUNION IN A BOX
This group of Calvin friends reunited in Arizona.
Can’t come home to Calvin for Homecoming?
Plan your own gathering of four or more alumni and request a Reunion in a Box at calvin.edu/go/reunion-box.
From left to right: Al VanDenBosch ’73, Jane Veldkamp VanDenBosch ’72, Pat Dams VanderLaan ’74, Tom VanderLaan ’74, Judy Tamminga Ponstine ex’73, Jim Ponstine ’73, Ardy Kiekover Klaasen ’70, Larry Klaasen ’69
Scan to view more great alumni photos on Facebook.
These Class of 2014 friends reunited in west Michigan. (Missing from the photo but sporting her alumni t-shirt from afar was Bethany Schuitema.)
Back row from left to right: Jessamyn Libolt, Kristen Frelier Buthker, Brittany Hieftje VanByssum, Aleah Gattone Kuiper
Middle row: Devon Vanostveen, Amanda Bykerk Last, Hannah Palmari Yoo, Elizabeth VanRyn
Front row: Madde Boven, Kaylee Bazany VanderBaan, Katelyn Tucker Droppers, Emily Bruins Pollack, Anna DeBoer Evans
For the last three decades, the Scotts and Mannings have rung in the new year together; this year they met in Dearborn, Michigan.
From left to right: Steve Scott ’86, Michelle Welker Scott ’86, Anne Frank Manning ’87, Brett Manning ’87
These Calvin friends enjoyed their 16th annual ski trip in Park City, Utah. From left to right: Brian Yeazel ’07, Tyler DeGraaf ’07, Arlen Eldridge ’08, Gerrit Benthem ’07, Ryan Miller ’05, David Deschamps ’06, Dan Hase ’06, Joel Kamstra ’07, and Steve Vander Pol ’07
2)
Bib (Birth–Age
Lunch Bag (Age 5)
Locker Decoration (Age 11)
Keychain (Age 16)
Deaths
1940s
Maxine Dornbush Dykstra ex’48
March 4, 2025, Belmont, Mich.
Leonard Hofman ’48
April 11, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Outstanding Service Award recipient
Betty Bouma Jonker ex’47
Jan. 30, 2025, Saint Paul, Minn.
Willard Kingma ex’49 Feb. 19, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Sidney Cooper ’51 Nov. 13, 2024, Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
Eleanor Ridderhoff De Blecourt ex’54 March 30, 2025, Homer Glen, Ill.
John De Graaf ’51
Feb. 10, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
John Dekkinga ex’53
April 7, 2025, Jenison, Mich.
Roland DeYoung ’57
April 9, 2025, Kewadin, Mich.
Marilyn Knoll Dykstra ex’52
Feb. 22, 2025, Denver, Colo.
Henry Eshuis ’59
Dec. 5, 2024, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
Bertel Froysland ex’53
May 1, 2025, Rockford, Mich.
Winabelle Gritter ’55
April 30, 2025, Wyoming, Mich.
Mary Kannegieter Handlogten ex’55
March 20, 2025, Rockford, Ill.
James Hanenburg ex’53
Jan. 12, 2025, Cicero, Ind.
Sidney Harkema ex’58
March 18, 2025, Hudsonville, Mich.
Robert Hasper ’52
April 24, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
John Hoekstra ’51
April 13, 2025, Norton Shores, Mich.
Marie Greenfield Holtrop ex’58
Jan. 17, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Shirley Hoogeboom ’58
Feb. 25, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Harris Hubers ex’58
Feb. 28, 2025, Minneapolis, Minn.
Melvin Hugen ’53
March 28, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Cornelia “Connie” Kolb Huschilt ’50
Oct. 13, 2024, Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada
Charles Jansen ’59
March 4, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Carl Kaiser HON
April 23, 2025, Port Angeles, Wash.
Carolyn Nieboer Kennedy ex’57
Feb. 17, 2025, Jenison, Mich.
Elizabeth Hager Kiel ’53
Sept. 19, 2024, Carlsbad, Calif.
Marilyn Knapp ex’52
Jan. 30, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Kenneth Kobes ex’51
Jan. 22, 2025, Battle Creek, Mich.
Peter Kranenburg ’54
Jan. 7, 2025, Georgetown, Ontario, Canada
Adriana “Jenny” Verburg Laurence ex’56
April 3, 2025, Ripon, Calif.
Julia Keen Medema ’53
Jan. 16, 2025, Brandon, Wis.
Glenn Meeter ’55
March 20, 2025, Dekalb, Ill.
Judith Meyer ’55
April 12, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Marilyn Bergmans Mohr ’59
Jan. 5, 2025, Jenison, Mich.
Dick Palsrok ex’58
Feb. 13, 2025, Jenison, Mich.
Audrey Diephouse Prince ’55
Feb. 22, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
David Roodvoets ex’59
Feb. 2, 2025, Montague, Mich.
Arthur Rooze ’59
Oct. 25, 2024, Broomfield, Colo.
Bertha Feenstra Runia ex’51
Jan. 23, 2025, Ocheyedan, Iowa
Jane Bajema Scholten ex’57
April 26, 2025, Lynden, Wash.
Donna Wyngarden Snoek ex’51
Jan. 4, 2025, Holland, Mich.
Sharon La Grand Start ’59
April 3, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Alice Visser Steen ex’57
Oct. 4, 2024, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Walter Swets ’56
March 27, 2025, Alto, Mich.
Joan Alderink Tanis ex’57
Jan. 16, 2025, Hudsonville, Mich.
Bernard Te Bos ex’59
April 25, 2025, Hudsonville, Mich.
Marcia Van Dyke Timmer ex’54
Feb. 17, 2025, Hudsonville, Mich.
Hans Uittenbosch ’54
Nov. 23, 2024, Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Peter VandeGuchte ex’56
April 21, 2025, Grandville, Mich.
Charles Vanden Berg Jr. ex’57
March 19, 2025, Byron Center, Mich.
Roy Vander Klok ’54
April 5, 2025, Bradenton, Fla.
Chester Vander Zee ’59
Feb. 14, 2025, Volga, S.D.
Stanley Van Dokkumburg ’55
Feb. 4, 2025, Hudsonville, Mich.
Mary Wierda Van Dyk ex’55
Oct. 24, 2024, Buena Park, Calif.
James Van Heyningen ’52
March 19, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Leon Van Rees ’55
May 11, 2025, Holland, Mich.
Sherman Van Solkema Jr. ’51
Jan. 9, 2025, New York, N.Y.
Wayne Van Wylen ’51
April 20, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Barbara Moore Versluis ex’54
March 31, 2025, Holland, Mich.
Gertrude De Vries Visser ex’53
Feb. 1, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Leo Weddle ex’56
Feb. 9, 2023, Somerset, Ky.
Anne Pousma Willbanks ’54
May 17, 2024, Long Beach, Calif.
Josephine Mesman Windemuller ex’56
April 28, 2025, Jenison, Mich.
Barbara Vanderbilt Zydowicz ’55
March 13, 2025, Brookfield, Wis.
1960s
Elizabeth Vander Ploeg Bengelink ’65
May 17, 2025, Grandville, Mich.
Robert Bielema ’67
April 10, 2025, Le Mars, Iowa
Edward Bolt ex’67
March 23, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Jeanne Holwerda Borst ’60
Jan. 15, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Rita Heasty Chee ex’69
March 9, 2025, Portland, Ore.
Janice Boss Dryfhout ex’68
March 27, 2025, Frankfort, Ill.
Marilyn Apol Essenburg ex’63
May 14, 2025, Troy, Mich.
John Grimberg ’62
May 3, 2025, Byron Center, Mich.
Peter Hart ’66
Dec. 26, 2024, Holland, Mich.
Louis Heys ’62
Nov. 5, 2023, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Evelyn De Vries Hoekstra ’60
Feb. 12, 2025, Katy, Texas
Gary Hutt ’63
Feb. 22, 2025, Spokane, Wash.
Margaret “Peg” Huizinga Kok ’64
Feb. 22, 2025, Columbus, Ohio
Frederick Kolk ex’61
Feb. 12, 2025, Lakewood Ranch, Fla.
Paul Kramer ’69
March 19, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Maxine Sjaarda Kuipers ’64
Feb. 13, 2025, Byron Center, Mich.
Abraham Nauta ’60
Oct. 5, 2022, Veenwouden, Netherlands
Judy Posthumus ’62
March 4, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Charles Prince ex’64
Feb. 24, 2025, Seattle, Wash.
James Prins ex’60
Sept. 21, 2024, Thousand Oaks, Calif.
David Radius ’63
Feb. 8, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Robert Ritsema ’66
Oct. 29, 2024, Cedar Lake, Ind.
Irene Oppenhuizen Rooks ’60
March 13, 2025, Riverside, Calif.
Howard “Bill” Ryskamp ’61
Sept. 10, 2023, Bradenton, Fla.
Winifred Ettesvold Schumi ’67
Feb. 11, 2025, Saint Paul, Minn.
Arvilla Sipma ’69
June 2, 2024, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Joann Steenstra ’69
March 26, 2025, Hudsonville, Mich.
Marilyn Brasser Stremler ’60
April 20, 2025, Kalamazoo, Mich.
Henry Toering ’60
Jan. 24, 2024, New Baltimore, Mich.
Paul Treick ’67
March 7, 2025, Modesto, Calif.
Charlotte Reitsma Uken ’65
April 1, 2025, Wyoming, Mich.
Bernardus “Ben” Vanden Brink ’66
Dec. 20, 2022, Rimbey, Alberta, Canada
Dolores “Laurie” Van Putten
Vanden Heuvel ’60
April 6, 2025, Holland, Mich.
Terry VanDerAa ex’66
Jan. 17, 2025, Downers Grove, Ill.
Daniel Vander Ark ’63
Jan. 11, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Verona Belan Vander Ven ’66
Feb. 1, 2025, El Paso, Texas
Gladys Buckley Van Der Woude ’64
April 14, 2025, Silver Spring, Md.
Mary Van Heuvelen ex’61
Jan. 30, 2025, Holland, Mich.
Marla Langejans Van Iddekinge ’65
April 25, 2025, Holland, Mich.
Jerry Van Kuiken ’68
April 15, 2025, East Jordan, Mich.
Marvin Van Wyck ’68
April 19, 2025, Palos Heights, Ill.
Nancy Heronimus VerMerris ex’67
April 14, 2025, Fruitport, Mich.
Sherry Behnke Westra ’64
Feb. 6, 2025, Los Alamitos, Calif.
Ruth Wierenga ’66
Feb. 12, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Wesley Willink ’66
March 15, 2025, Grand Haven, Mich.
1970s
Barend Biesheuvel ’79
Jan. 28, 2024, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
Judith Vander Sloot Bosscher ex’75
July 13, 2023, Hudsonville, Mich.
Katherine Siebenga Bruxvoort ex’75
Oct. 31, 2024, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Sharon De Vries Burd ’71
April 12, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Gordon Den Ouden ’76
Jan. 16, 2025, DeMotte, Ind.
Anna Mae Lenderink Holwerda ’79
April 20, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Elly Kramer Hulst ’71
Nov. 21, 2024, Nashville, Tenn.
Bonnie Kamp ’70
March 17, 2025, Bokeelia, Fla.
Evelyn Bosman Kloostra ex’75
Feb. 7, 2025, Byron Center, Mich.
Patricia Sneller Knoester ’72
Feb. 7, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Joyce Veltman Koets ’71
Jan. 9, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Randall Kraker ’73
April 17, 2025, Grandville, Mich.
Ronald Lavery ’71
March 23, 2025, Orland Park, Ill.
Jerald Lion ’73
April 1, 2025, The Villages, Fla.
Janet Scherphorn Luxa ’70
Feb. 3, 2025, Farmington, Minn.
Mary Jackson Matyas ’74
March 23, 2024, Rochester Hills, Mich.
David Mensink ’72
Feb. 28, 2025, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Naomi Nonnekes Mensink ’73
Jan. 8, 2025, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
James Mensonides ex’72
Jan. 20, 2025, Enumclaw, Wash.
Leon Oostendorp ’72
May 1, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Nola Opperwall Galluch ex’71
May 10, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Thomas Oppewal ’77
March 21, 2025, Durham, N.C.
Charles Ridder ’74
March 28, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Adrienne De Mooy Sremba ’71
Jan. 26, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
James Tuuk ex’74
March 18, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Carol Lappinga Vander Baan ’72
Jan. 27, 2025, Waxhaw, N.C.
Harvey Vander Baan ’72
March 13, 2025, Waxhaw, N.C.
William Van Wyke ’72
Aug. 14, 2022, Rockville, Md.
Judith Oostenink Zylstra ’75
Oct. 9, 2024, San Francisco, Calif.
1980s
Dean Bremmer ’80
March 7, 2025, Cedar Springs, Mich.
Shirley Wildey De Boer ’82
April 10, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Carol Tinsman Elenius ’84
Sept. 23, 2024, Port Saint Lucie, Fla.
William Van Eck ’80
Feb. 16, 2025, Hersey, Mich.
1990s
William Dreise ’95
Jan. 14, 2025, Sioux Center, Iowa
Duane “Smitty” Smith ’95 Feb. 2, 2023, Twin Lake, Mich.
Glen Vander Kooi ’92
March 27, 2025, Byron Center, Mich.
2010s
Victoria Reese ex’12
Jan. 30, 2025, Farmington Hills, Mich.
2020s
Kyle DeWeerd ’20
Feb. 6, 2025, Colorado Springs, Colo.
CARL KAISER
1933–2025
For nearly 20 years, Carl Kaiser was a soloist, spending four years in the United States Army Chorus and then another 15 as principal lyric tenor at State Opera theaters throughout Germany.
In 1977, he traded in the public opera stages of Germany for a private teaching studio at Calvin. On April 23, 2025, Kaiser, who served for 22 years on Calvin’s music faculty, died of age-related causes.
Kaiser was a much sought-after vocal coach with his studio seeing a steady stream of both college students and other singers from both near and far.
“He celebrated with a memorable twinkle in his eye every time we took a musical risk, transcended good technique, and made a soulful connection with the music he assigned us,” said John Witvliet, who was Kaiser’s private voice student and later a colleague of Kaiser’s.
While Kaiser’s focus at Calvin was helping his students find their voices, he certainly didn’t lose his. His former colleagues recall with fondness his performances as a soloist with the Calvin Oratorio Society, especially in Handel’s Messiah, and what may have been his last recital in the CFAC auditorium—a performance of Schubert’s incomparable song cycle Winterreisse
BILL ROUSE 1979–2025
Bill Rouse only spent a few weeks as a part of the Calvin community, but he made the most of his time on campus.
“Even though I had only known Bill for such a short period of time, it felt like I had known him for years, and many others have expressed the same feeling,” said Gary Mundt, who was Rouse’s direct supervisor and hired him in February 2025 to work in the heating and cooling division.
Rouse, 45, died on Thursday, March 27, 2025, as the result of a car accident on his way home from work.
During his brief time at Calvin, Rouse diligently worked on the refrigeration equipment on campus, leaving it better than he found it. He also made the Calvin community better.
“His tenure at Calvin was brief, but impactful,” said Luis Aljona, who oversees the Calvin Dining Services team and who benefitted greatly from Rouse’s work. “His expertise and character certainly left a lasting impression on our team.”
PETER VANDEGUCHTE 1934–2025
On April 21, 2025, Peter VandeGuchte ex’56, who served for 34 years at Calvin across multiple divisions, passed away. He was 90 years old.
VandeGuchte studied at Calvin in the 1950s before heading to the University of Michigan to complete bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration. After a two-year stint in management for Michigan Bell Telephone, he came back to Calvin to work as assistant to the registrar.
Over the next three decades, VandeGuchte wore many different hats, including as registrar, vice president for student personnel services, and vice president for college advancement. He spent the last decade of his career in the classroom, teaching in the department of economics and business. He also found time to earn his doctorate from Western Michigan University.
Under VandeGuchte’s leadership, Calvin successfully fundraised for several campus buildings, grew its endowment more than tenfold over 15 years, developed an internship program in economics and business, and introduced innovative enrollment strategies. He is also remembered by his colleagues and students as a team-builder and a coach who empowered others to help in decision-making.
SEPTEMBER 26–27, 2025
Calvin University’s 150th Anniversary Fall Celebration Week
FRIDAY
Grand Prix Bed Races
Cornhole Tournament
150th Anniversary Extravaganza
– Celebration Cookout
– Party on the Lawn
– Concert featuring The Worldly Amusements Band
SATURDAY
Calvin Classic 5k
Calvin Classic Youth Fun Run
Men’s Soccer vs. DePauw University
Women’s Soccer vs. Ohio Northern University
Calvin Music Festival Matinee
Football Tailgating
Football vs. Kalamazoo College
This is one weekend you won’t want to miss! Be sure to check our website for more events and updates. calvin.edu/homecoming
A LEGACY HONORED.
Join the 150th Legacy Challenge and shape Calvin University’s future—while making a difference today.
When you commit to including Calvin in your will or estate plans, you will unlock matching funds today that support current students and strengthen Calvin’s mission. Your legacy gift can ignite the next 150 years of Calvin’s future.
Learn more about how to get started. Visit us on the web at giftplanning.calvin.edu or call (616) 526-6790.
