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

Fall 2026

ALYSSA POKHAREL ’26 Student body president

“We may not be able to cure the world of its chronic pain, but we are called to assist God in his work of healing in this world.”

CONGRATULATIONS, CLASS OF 2026!

A FATHER AND DAUGHTER. ONE UNFORGETTABLE GRADUATION STORY. SCAN TO WATCH.

FALL 2026 VOL. 72, NO. 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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

Calvin University is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA). To learn more about the CRC’s work in North America and around the world, visit crcna.org.

8 Calvin University is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). For more information, visit cccu.org. Spark is published two times a year by the Calvin Alumni Association, office of alumni & family engagement, Calvin University, 3201 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546. ©2026 by the Calvin Alumni Association. Telephone: 616-526-6142 Email: spark@calvin.edu Spark on the web: calvin.edu/spark POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to Spark, Office of Alumni & Family Engagement, Calvin University, 3201 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546. CANADIAN POSTMASTER: Publication Mail Agreement No. 40063614. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: CRCNACalvin University, 3475 Mainway, P.O. Box 5070, Burlington, ON L7R 3Y8.

Twenty-one wins, a national ranking, and a brotherhood built to last—get a glimpse inside the rise of Calvin men’s volleyball.

FEATURES

Calvin researchers reveal the hidden weight of caregiving and how healthcare systems and communities can respond.

Calvin alumni bring faith, creativity, and truth-telling to comedy’s biggest stages.

From changing majors to finding unexpected career paths, recent graduates share turning points that shaped them.

INVISIBLE HEALTHCARE

REDEEMING LAUGHTER

HOW IT STARTED, HOW IT’S GOING

THE CALVIN SPARK Editor-in-Chief: Becky Weima Bagnall ’07 Editor: Sara Korber-DeWeerd ’00 Editorial Assistant: Susan Buist ’98 Creative Director: Amanda Impens Designers: Colton Credelle ’14 Vicki Dolsen Julienne Strydom ’26 Contributing Writers: Niala Boodhoo ’96 Jeff Febus ’92 Sara Korber-DeWeerd ’00 Matt Kucinski HON Contributing Photographers: Dan Cooke ’81 Lisa Hunter Min Seon ex’26 Johann Van Tassel ’27

CALVIN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD

Denny Tawas ’22 is shaping Bali’s music scene, leading his family’s business with a commitment to faith, community, and impact.

Ari deJonge ’02 shares the transformative power of running with youth across Africa.

DEPARTMENTS

ONLINE EXTRAS

Director’s Desk

Read Spark online

Sports

calvin.edu/spark

Features

Alumni Profiles

Events

Class Notes

Connect with alumni facebook.com/calvinalumni

Leave a legacy for future alumni calvin.edu/gift-planning

NEWS & STORIES

View the Calvin calendar calvin.edu/calendar

President: Tyler Amidon ’93 (Centennial, Colo.) Vice President: Stephanie Vogelzang ’07 (Alexandria, Va.) Secretary: Joe Allen ’13 (Grand Rapids, Mich.) Treasurer: Adam Kinder ’06 (Ada, Mich.) Executive Director: Becky Weima Bagnall ’07 Members: Janice Stouwie Bode ’72 (Phoenix, Ariz.) Kimberly Brower ’93 (Zeeland, Mich.) Glory Emmanuel ’19 (Oakland, Calif.) Carla de Jong Hiemstra ’94 (Visalia, Calif.) Diane Esquivel Holton ’10 (Grand Haven, Mich.) Amy Waanders Jeninga ’88 (Brookfield, Wis.) Kathleen Smit Klaasen ’70 (Caledonia, Mich.) Jonathan Marcus ’82 (Holland, Mich.) Jeffrey Meitler ’16 (Chicago, Ill.) Janorisè Evans Robinson ’92 (Caledonia, Mich.) Jasper Schouten ’01 (St. Davids, Ont.) Linda Den Hartigh Vermeulen ’78 (West Bloomfield, Mich.) Wei Wang ’14 (Portage, Mich.) Eliezer Yeong ’18 (Grand Rapids, Mich.)

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

Stay up to date on the latest stories at calvin.edu/news.

DIRECTOR’S DESK

Consider This Your Invitation Invitations are powerful. They open doors we never expected and draw us deeper into community, shaping who we become and how we engage with the world. As I begin serving as the new director of alumni and family engagement, I find myself reflecting on the invitations that have led me to this moment. My connection to Calvin began with an invitation to “check out this local school”—one I had perhaps overlooked due to its proximity to my upbringing. That visit revealed that while Calvin was close to home, it was rich in a community that would prepare me to expand into God’s global kingdom. My years at Calvin were marked by many unexpected invitations, each opening doors for learning, service, and growth. Yet one stands out, and it involves pizza! As a member of the Calvin swim team, I was invited each year to a retired professor’s home for a pizza and pop dinner. After grueling hours in the pool with my teammates, the walk to Doc Wilson’s home was always welcome. Around the table, Doc shared stories of his travels, asked thoughtful questions, and reminded us that our stories mattered. He concluded with the same challenge each year: “When you graduate from Calvin, invite a college student into your home for pizza.” Doc Wilson understood the power of invitations. He was not simply asking us to buy a meal for a college student someday; he was inviting us to sit, listen, and notice God at work in others’ lives. He challenged us to move beyond our own plans and schedules and to serve

others by giving what we ourselves had received. His vision shaped my understanding that generosity is, at its heart, an invitation into relationship and gratitude. When meeting with my predecessor, Jeff Haverdink, he affirmed that serving in this role is a tremendous gift. It offers the privilege of gathering with alumni around the world to listen, learn, and celebrate what God has done through their lives and vocations. Jeff has accepted God’s invitation to serve as head of schools at Holland Christian Schools in Holland, Michigan. While he will be deeply missed, I am grateful for his leadership and legacy. And I am equally grateful that God has invited me into this role. I look forward to doing what Doc modeled so well: inviting you to the table, hearing your stories, and learning how you have extended invitations within your “square inch” as you live lives of impact and generosity. So, consider this your invitation to read on, to enter the stories of fellow alumni who are using business, the arts, medicine, community outreach, and scientific research to create change and build connection. May these stories inspire you to open your table, extend your welcome, and discover the ways God is already working through the invitations you offer others. Blessings,

BECKY WEIMA BAGNALL ’07 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

“May these stories inspire you to open your table, extend your welcome, and discover the ways God is already working through the invitations you offer others.”

From small acts of hospitality to transformative change, Calvin’s new executive director of alumni and family engagement invites each of us to live lives of impact and generosity.

CAMPUS NEWS

CALVIN // NEWS BY THE NUMBERS

104 grads The seventh cohort of the Calvin Prison Initiative graduated this past spring. To date, more than 100 incarcerated individuals have now received their bachelor’s degrees.

EXEMPLARY TEACHING

President Awards Highest Honor Elizabeth Oommen, professor of speech pathology and audiology, was awarded the Presidential Award for Exemplary Teaching. The honor recognizes faculty for outstanding teaching, scholarship, and service to students as Christian mentors.

$3 million A generous $3 million gift from Mary Schrovenwever Workman ’61 and her late husband, Jim Workman ex’60, has led to the naming of the track and field facility as Workman Track and Field.

1,044 panels With the addition of 978 new panels on the Spoelhof Fieldhouse Complex, Calvin’s campus solar network will surpass 1,000 panels—providing roughly 3.4% of total energy needs and generating an additional estimated $65,000– $75,000 in annual savings.

8 tons The Great Lakes Rock Garden installed at the East Beltline entrance of the Calvin Ecosystem Preserve & Native Gardens features 8 tons of native puddingstone, creating a striking centerpiece and a fun space to climb.

#1 in gifts Supporters of Calvin gave $58 million in gifts, breaking the school record for total money received in a single fiscal year.

“Students consistently speak of Professor Elizabeth Oommen’s teaching as challenging in the best possible way. They describe courses that sharpen critical thinking, integrate theory with real-world cases, and invite them to see their studies as part of a larger calling.” — GREG ELZINGA, PRESIDENT

Class of 2026 Names Top Teacher Julie Wildschut, assistant professor of engineering, was named the 2026 Professor of the Year, which is selected by the Class of 2026. The award recognizes excellence in teaching, spiritual impact, and concern for students— qualities many students say Wildschut embodies every day.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

Simply the Best Powered by Sydney Radigan ’26 (100-meter and 200-meter dash) and Sophie Bull’s ’26 (steeplechase) individual national championship finishes, the women’s track and field team finished fourth overall at the 2026 NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. This marks the program’s best finish since 2007. Both the men’s and women’s programs swept the league this year, claiming MIAA championships in both indoor and outdoor track and field.

Leading the Academic Division

Composing New Tunes

In May, Kevin den Dulk stepped into the role of interim provost. In his previous role as associate provost, den Dulk guided strategic growth, community partnerships, and innovative collaborations that expanded access to higher education at Calvin, strengthened programs, and enhanced the university’s regional impact and mission. He’ll remain in the interim provost role through the 2026–2027 academic year as the search for the next provost gets underway.

During “New Music Week” in April, Calvin University showcased four concerts featuring world premieres by students, faculty, and renowned composers. From Wind Ensemble to Calvin Orchestra to a full studentcomposed program, Calvin musicians gained rare, hands-on experience as they brought new works to life.

Calvin University recently announced the launch of its new School of Engineering and Computer Science, bringing together its long-established engineering and computer science programs under a unified vision for the future. STAY CONNECTED Read the full-length stories and more campus news at calvin.edu/news.

CALVIN SPORTS

PURPOSE AND MOMENTUM

DRIVE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL BY MIKE GIBBONS

In its third season as a varsity program, its first under head coach Aaron Sagraves, the Calvin men’s volleyball team saw its focus on faith development and team chemistry spill onto the court in a record-breaking 21-5 campaign. The Knights won 14 games combined in the first two years of the program but built toward—and delivered—a standout third season. They entered the Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League (MCVL) Tournament as the number 3 seed, reflecting a third-place regular season finish. They ended their season in the tournament final, losing 3–2 to Wittenberg University, who advanced to the NCAA III Final Four. Out of 130 NCAA III men’s volleyball programs across the country, Calvin finished the 2026 season ranked 31st after ranking 98th in 2025.

BUILT ON FAITH AND ACADEMICS Sagraves took over the program in September 2025 and put in motion a program philosophy that prioritized faith development and academics to prepare student-athletes for life after college. That philosophy included pre-practice devotions, player-run Bible studies, and service projects that helped build team chemistry.

Along with team success, Gabriel Laughlin

’25, who began a master’s degree in exercise science at Calvin, became the first Calvin men’s volleyball player to earn All-MCVL First Team honors. Juniors Nick Bultje, Brady Gudauskas, and Daniel Rua were each named All-MCVL Second Team.

“We want to find young men who want that same philosophy as well as coming into a community where they will immediately have a brotherhood that will last for years,” Sagraves said.

Laughlin is a founding team member who helped lead the club-to-program transition and finished his career as the men’s volleyball all-time kills leader (605). He expects that bond to follow him well beyond his final match. “The volleyball team has brought me a brotherhood that is going to be with me for the rest of my life,” Laughlin said. “I have a hard time coming up with real, proper words that explain what this team means to me. I don’t think I could ever ask for a better group of guys to spend my life with and my time with here at Calvin.”

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL ON THE RISE Over the last three seasons, the Calvin program has seen the rise of men’s volleyball as a sport across the country, especially in west Michigan. Once a regional game with top talent hailing primarily from California and the Chicago, Illinois, area, the sport has experienced a Midwest expansion in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Wisconsin at the high school and collegiate levels, granting new opportunities to young players.

Arena] in April and, based on the skills of both players and coaches, it was evident that the game is growing. More than 20 teams showed out that day, which was cool to see because it wouldn’t have been possible several years ago. We’re blessed that Calvin volleyball has had a part in making the game known.”

Gudauskas, a native of Naperville, Illinois, has seen that rise over his three seasons with the Knights after growing up around the sport in a region that produces a significant number of NCAA Division I players.

“The sky is the limit,” said Sagraves. “We have a compelling program to pitch to prospective student-athletes. We have great facilities, dedicated fans, and a world-class Christian education. I get excited every day to work with this program and university because, at the end of the day, sport brings people together, but faith gives direction to everything we do.”

“Over the last few years, it’s been fun to watch the sport grow,” Gudauskas said. “We hosted a high school tournament [at Van Noord

So what role will Calvin play in the growth of men’s volleyball going forward?

GABRIEL LAUGHLIN ’25

FEATURE STORY

INVISIBLE HEALTHCARE BY SARA KORBER-DEWEERD ’00

One in four Americans in the United States is currently an informal caregiver—someone who routinely cares for a loved one without getting paid. Yet although caregiving is everywhere, it remains largely unseen. Through new and continuing research, a team of Calvin professors and students has set out to change that.

Calvin psychology professor Julie Vos Yonker ’82 is no stranger to caregiving. At 39, her husband Jeff Yonker ’82 sustained a spinal cord injury that altered both their lives.

house to play a round of golf, for example, takes careful preparation. “Judy has to increase her risk or inconvenience levels so I can get away for a couple of hours,” Nydam says.

“Whenever Jeff comes home from the hospital, he says, ‘Okay, Julie, now you have to do the job of five people at the hospital.’ He’s not saying that in a mean way. He’s just acknowledging that this is what I do.” Yonker says that although the intensity of giving care fluctuates, the responsibility is ever present.

The pair have grown accustomed to planning ahead and frequently relying on family members so that, in Judy’s words, “Ken doesn’t have to worry about me. He can just go out and relax.”

Ken Nydam ’71 and his wife, Judy Tjapkes Nydam ’74, who has fibromyalgia and a host of related health challenges, agree caregiving is a 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week role. Leaving the

Yonker and Nydam say many caregivers feel overwhelmed and unseen by both the healthcare system and their own communities, and better support is needed.

FEATURE STORY

RESEARCH THAT RESPONDS TO REAL NEED

BARRIERS TO CARE

Yonker distinguishes informal caregiving from other types of caregiving relationships, such as caring for children with disabilities and memory care. That’s partly because the nature of those relationships can be very different. It’s also because there is significantly less research available about informal caregiving, a gap Yonker and her team hope to close.

Dr. Toluwani Adekunle, assistant professor of public health in the social work department, draws on her personal and professional expertise for her research. She notes that, as the U.S. population ages and the rate of chronic illnesses rises, society increasingly relies on unpaid, informal caregivers, who save the healthcare system billions of dollars a year.

For the last three years, she and Professors Toluwani Adekunle and Dawn Frambes have co-led a research group spanning three academic departments and involving undergraduate students to investigate the unmet needs of informal caregivers.

In a 2026 study published in the medical journal Nursing Outlook, Yonker, Adekunle, Frambes and two additional collaborators summarize nurse to caregiver engagement as “relational labor that health systems often fail to recognize.” That resonates with Yonker and Nydam’s personal experiences.

Conducting both quantitative and qualitative research, the team collects data on three primary groups connected to informal caregiving: acute care nurses, faith leaders, and informal caregivers themselves.

In all, the team’s findings point to three critical needs for reform: integrating caregivers into the care team, ensuring continuity beyond discharge, and providing relational training for nurses.

THE WEIGHT OF CAREGIVING Informal caregivers routinely experience emotional, physical, and financial burdens associated with care. Yonker says the well-being of informal caregivers is a public health concern, since “if we’re not in good health, our care recipient won’t be in good health either.” Themes of grief, isolation, loneliness, physical strain, anxiety, and stress were woven through informal caregivers’ interview responses.

“In many cases, informal caregivers are expected to step into complex medical roles without being meaningfully included in the full spectrum of care,” says Adekunle, who, at one time, served in a caregiving role for a relative needing an organ transplant. “Without a clinical background, informal caregivers may not have the necessary information to care for a loved one when they leave the hospital.”

Nydam, who is a pastor and a licensed mental health counselor, says there are two sides to caregiving: the visible and the invisible. “You can always work around the physical barriers. But the personal feeling of loss, the ability to be angry at the person who is sick, and the space to process those feelings—that’s where the deeper suffering is. You know, I didn’t sign up for this kind of retirement,” he says, with Judy by his side. “It’s the work of the Holy Spirit empowering me to walk Judy to the grave and to do it well.”

Adekunle says systemic change is essential. “It goes beyond individual interactions. It’s really the system allowing for these types of relationships to thrive, recognizing that interaction with informal caregivers is critical to patient success.”

Yonker identifies another aspect of feeling invisible. “In some of the posters and presentations we have given, we have called the informal caregiver the invisible healthcare provider.” She describes that feeling of invisibility during appointments with Jeff that include care decisions or instructions. “Oftentimes, when they address my husband’s needs, they only look at him and not me.” Yonker emphasizes the importance of small gestures: “The first two minutes matter.” Eye contact, tone, and attentive listening help caregivers who are exhausted, overwhelmed, or unsure what to ask to feel both seen and heard. Left to right: Meral Moawad ‘26, Mesa Tsurho ‘26, and Elizabeth Yuniwo ‘27 presented research findings at the Conference on Medicine and Religion in Houston, Texas, in April.

In many cases, informal caregivers are expected to step into complex medical roles without being meaningfully included in the full spectrum of care.

—PROFESSOR TOLUWANI ADEKUNLE

Student researcher Mesa Tsurho ’26, who helped transcribe the interviews with acute care nurses, observed a need for greater trust between healthcare providers and informal caregivers. But building trust requires time—something many acute care nurses said they don’t have enough of. The team also found that medical providers’ ability to empathize with patients and caregivers, as well as their religiosity, impacted the quality of their interactions with informal caregivers. Tsurho, now a clinical research coordinator at Mass General Brigham Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, plans to devote her career to improving healthcare at this structural level. Her undergraduate research experience gave her a new perspective about the need to integrate informal caregivers into the continuum of care. Although she grew up well-acquainted with the medical field (both her parents are doctors in India), she says, “This is a side of healthcare I had never seen.”

FAITH COMMUNITIES CAN DO BETTER The work of supporting caregivers requires knowledge, empathy, and support beyond the hospital setting. Informal caregivers desire visibility within their own communities, too. Eighty percent of caregivers surveyed said a small gesture like sending a card goes a long way. “It’s a glimmer of hope,” says Yonker, “when it’s oftentimes hard to think of hope for the future.” Faith communities are well-positioned to help, but it’s essential to understand the kinds of help needed. Aside from making church buildings physically accessible, Nydam says it’s also important to create intentional spaces where informal caregivers can safely express vulnerability and lament. For many years, he led a small support group at the church he pastored in Cadillac, Michigan, and wrote a curriculum that can be replicated in other faith communities. “Whatever you do, when caregivers leave the group, they need to know they’re not alone.”

Yonker says it’s sometimes hard for faith leaders to move beyond talking about the recipients of care. She conducted interviews with leaders of multiple faiths and frequently found herself redirecting the conversation from a focus on care recipients to a focus on caregivers. Yonker, who retired from teaching in May, plans to spend some of her time in retirement writing a research-based guidebook to help faith communities better support informal caregivers.

‘SOWING SEEDS, TRUSTING GOD FOR THE INCREASE’ A career highlight for Yonker has been taking students to the national Medicine and Religion Conference. At this year’s event in Houston, four students, including Tsurho, presented poster research. The attendee feedback was consistent. “So many people approached me, saying, ‘These are the most outstanding undergraduate students I’ve ever met.’ And I would say, ‘We have a lot of them here at Calvin.’ It just gave me so much pride.” The experience also gives her hope that real, research-based change is possible. Adekunle admits it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the many problems in healthcare that need solving, but when she begins feeling that way she reminds herself and her students of the Pauline metaphor, “Sow the seeds; trust God for the increase. Not everyone can change everything, but we can do some things.” Caregiving is a universal human experience; all people either give or receive care. Yonker, Adekunle, and their research team hope to make informal caregivers more visible within the systems and communities best positioned to support them. The long-term impact? Fostering a healthcare system and a culture that see caregivers as essential partners.

FEATURE STORY

REDEEMING LAUGHTER The funny story of how Calvin grads keep coming back to comedy BY AMANDA ARMOUR GREENHOE ’11

Whether your streaming queue includes The Good Place series, your movie night features The Croods: Family Tree, or your latest scroll on TikTok finds a comedian with over 65 million likes, your laughs could be courtesy of Calvin grads.* Calvin University, a community of rigorous learning and Reformed faith, has become an incubator for innovation, research, the arts ... and, since the 1990s, comedy.

THE STAND-UP

THE IMPROVISER

Perhaps some could have seen it coming. The 1950s brought epic student pranks like assembling a whole car in the administration building. In 1970, a group of students infamously wrote The Bananer to spoof the Christian Reformed Church’s denominational magazine. And some say the school’s namesake, John Calvin himself, even had a sense of humor. Despite a perception of stoicism, the theologian famously conceded, “We are nowhere forbidden to laugh.” The university’s commitment to be “always reforming” lends itself to the thought-provoking sphere of humor. Comedy at its best is an attempt at truth-telling, which is arguably the root of Reformed thought. And comedy easily falls within Abraham Kuyper’s proclamation of Christ’s sovereignty over “every square inch” of creation, which makes it ripe for Christian engagement— with a lot of fun along the way. The path to comedy for three of Calvin’s funniest alumni isn’t rooted in a single event, mentor, or doctrine. It’s woven through every part of their Calvin experience: their stories, relationships, faith, and learning—as familiar as their countless treks across Commons Lawn.

*From Marc Evan Jackson ’92’s comedic timing to Kiff VandenHeuvel ’92’s spot-on voice acting to Jessica Jackson ’19’s off-the-cuff commentary on everyday life and pop culture, Calvin alumni are reaching the highest levels of recognition in their fields.

THE STORYTELLER 15

FEATURE STORY

THE STAND-UP

“It’s been eight years since my first stand-up performance, and I’m comedy-ing about once or twice every week,” Brian Atkinson ex’00 says. Atkinson came to Calvin to study history and education after spending time at three other universities—including Yale— and gaining plenty of life experience. By the time the Downers Grove, Illinois, student landed in Grand Rapids, he was already a good ten years older than the typical first-year student. And while Atkinson grew up going to church, he had never attended a Christian school. A Calvin education, he notes, was not about fitting in but about seeing and understanding each other. Atkinson remembers the moment Professor Doug Koopman asked his political science class for a show of hands if they considered themselves conservative or liberal. “He explained he wasn’t there to teach anyone what to think or which side to take,” Atkinson says. “But at the end of the semester, we’d have the lens to know what those terms mean and how to think through them.

“That’s always been my favorite part of Calvin. The purpose of education is not to tell you what to think but to give you the tools for how to think. I hope my comedy is viewed through that lens.” Atkinson, now a Michigander, travels around the country adding punchlines to everyday life and uniting his audience through experiences of joy. His own unique story, including his reunion with his birth family post-adoption, is a thread that carries through his stand-up. Whether at Gilda’s LaughFest in Grand Rapids, the Laugh Factory in Chicago, or the World Series of Comedy, Atkinson is set on creating change and telling his story—his way.

“Lots of comedians focus their work on changing minds about what’s going on in the world. I might say something that helps you see something from a different perspective. You might not change your mind in the moment, but maybe over time you will. Likewise, when I’ve been wrong about something, I’ve learned how to reconsider, change my mind, and change my life going forward. My time at Calvin definitely contributed to that.”

THE IMPROVISER Michele Boonstra Dykstra ’92 was introduced to improv during her junior year at Calvin when she attended a show to support a friend. Though she had grown up on comedy (sitcoms, comics, entertainers, and a father with a “contagious, loud, and distinctive” laugh), it took a show full of improv games to picture herself on stage. “I think I was hooked from the first game,” Dykstra recalls. “I specifically remember thinking I could do that! and I want to do that! The love of improv was immediate for me.” Her curiosity and excitement couldn’t be pushed down. She loved the fun that performers and audience members mutually experienced and “the absolute spontaneousness, collaboration, and unpredictability of it all.” “I wanted to be part of it, and not just as an audience member,” Dykstra says. During her senior year, Dykstra tried out for Oratorio Society and the improv team. She made both—wrapping up her Calvin education with a communication major, choral training, and a whole lot of improv experience. Monday nights were spent rehearsing techniques in the Spoelhof Center basement, just outside the Lab Theater. Performances were often in “The Cave” in the lower portion of Johnny’s Café.

“By the end of the year, I felt like I had another family,” Dykstra says. “And, when I graduated, I remember anticipating how badly I was going to miss my friends and that addictive laughter.” When Dykstra moved from Grand Rapids to pursue her master’s degree, there didn’t seem to be a future for her improv. She did, however, fall in love with the science of speech-language pathology and audiology and brought her broad range of communication skills to her chosen field. When her former improv captain called and invited her to join River City Improv—a comedy group founded by Calvin grads— she knew God was leading her back to the stage (even if it meant commuting to and from rehearsals). One chance performance with the River City team led Dykstra to what she considers improv’s most significant impact in her life: meeting her husband, Brent. When he attended the show with a mutual friend, Dykstra introduced herself to “be polite.” “Well, that, and I thought he was cute,” she admits. “Anyway, we’ve been together almost 26 years, and I guess I still make him laugh.”

FEATURE STORY

THE STORYTELLER While some Calvin students work on campus or in greater Grand Rapids, Adam Mellema ’02 worked across Michigan, performing folktales, myths, legends, and stories from children’s books—made possible by rental vehicles delivered to campus. “I discovered I could make decent money traveling to elementary schools and libraries,” Mellema explains. “I’d book a rental car through Thrifty, pick it up at the Calvin Physical Plant, and then drive the car du jour to wherever I was performing that day. It was an eccentric college job, but I loved it.” Around this time, Mellema also began writing his own material, which, he says, “deepened [his] enjoyment of the art form.” As a communication major, he also honed his craft through coursework. “Taking Quentin Schultze’s Television Criticism class as a freshman was an ah, finally! moment. I could actually begin to take media seriously,” Mellema recalls. “Also, he bludgeoned me into a good writer. No one impacted my wordsmithing more.” Outside the classroom, Mellema founded the short-lived Calvin late-night show Scholar Follies. A student favorite, it was also allegedly enjoyed by then-President Gaylen Byker. Mellema planned a sketch featuring Byker (playing a college-aged version of himself) and former President Spoelhof in a jet-black wig. Though both leaders gave their blessing, Mellema says, “Sadly, we never got to film the bit.”

Today Mellema serves as head of content for Yippee TV, a Christian streaming service for kids and families. The role is an extension of both his faith and storytelling. “Comedy, at the very least, stands on the shoulders of the truth,” the Emmy Award winner says. “I find absurdism to be hilarious. Give me zany comedy any day! “It’s probably why I like creating content for kids so much. Having a fish that is also a telephone? Yes, please.” When asked why Calvin has become such a fertile ground for those involved in comedy, Mellema does not hesitate. “Easy. Because comedy requires keen intelligence. And—let me pat all of us on the back for a moment— we Calvin grads are a pretty smart bunch.” For Mellema, the rise of comedic alumni is inextricably linked to Calvin’s approach to learning, one that cultivates an active mind. “All of us were taught to think critically and be curious. I don’t think I’ve ever met a funny person who wasn’t also at least approaching brilliant.”

“All of us were taught to think critically and be curious. I don’t think I’ve ever met a funny person who wasn’t also at least approaching brilliant.”

FEATURE STORY

HOW IT STARTED,

HOW IT’S GOING BY SARA KORBER-DEWEERD ’00

FINDING IDENTITY, BUILDING CONFIDENCE “After high school, I was still trying to figure out what my values were,” says recent grad Noro Dung. “Calvin was a place where I could merge my vocation with my faith.” During her first year, she discovered how marketing fit her persuasive strengths and could be paired with her interest in technology. A senior capstone class offered new perspectives on computing and ethics, reinforcing her conviction that stewarding one’s talents matters— especially in a world increasingly shaped by emerging technologies, where powerful tools like artificial intelligence directly affect people and the environment. Noro Dung ’26 Computer science and marketing Operations associate, Northgate Resorts Grand Rapids, Michigan

At Calvin, the moments that shape us aren’t always the ones we expect: a class we took on a whim, a professor who named a strength we hadn’t yet claimed, a late‑night conversation that shifted our faith, the semester we changed majors, or the season we stopped trying to be the “ideal” Calvin student and found our own niche. These quiet turning points—sometimes barely noticeable at the time—have a way of steering our paths. In a world marked by economic uncertainty, shifting job markets, and rapidly changing public life, these alumni stories remind us how growth rarely arrives all at once. Instead, it begins with a single spark—of curiosity, resilience, discernment, or faith—that helps us walk wisely into the future. 20

“Sometimes we have to choose the harder option to make sure we’re living rightly, practicing our faith in a way that pleases God—even with the little details of our everyday work,” she says. At Calvin, Dung secured several internships; her favorite led to a full-time job offer at Northgate Resorts, a Grand Rapids-based company that operates camping resorts across the U.S. Dung, who grew up in Nigeria, had never camped before. “Sleeping outside is just not a thing we do in Nigeria,” she laughs. “At first, I felt, ‘I’m not sure I should be here.’” Access to professors who guided her through challenging projects gave her confidence and freed her to enjoy the experience—especially the travel opportunities. “Younger Noro was really worried about finding a family, finding a place where she could add value so far away from home,” she reflects. “I would tell her, ‘Don’t stress about it. Focus on your passions, and you will find people who will support you and ways to add value.’”

Braden DeWeerd ’25

Abigail Ham ’23

Noah Keene ’21

Biology Master’s student, herpetology Eastern New Mexico Univ. Portales, New Mexico

Writing, PPE Assistant news editor Keene Sentinel Keene, New Hampshire

English Academic interventionist Detroit Public Schools Detroit, Michigan

REIMAGINING WHAT’S POSSIBLE

THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS

FAITH, FRIENDSHIP, PURPOSE

“I was a frog kid,” Braden DeWeerd says, explaining the origins of his interest in herpetology. “But it wasn’t necessarily what I thought I would end up studying as a graduate student.”

As an undergraduate, Abigail Ham’s vision of career success demanded climbing to the top of one’s field.

For Noah Keene, choosing a college was as much about finding a safe place to navigate doubt as it was about earning a degree. “I was 17, a pastor’s kid experiencing a crisis of faith. I thought, ‘Let me go to Calvin and come back to faith.’ ”

Today, DeWeerd investigates three frog species classified as Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) at Eastern New Mexico University. In the field, he tracks species presence, evaluates threats to population stability, and tests alternative species detection methods. His path to research began at Calvin, where Professor Will Miller recognized his potential before he did. “I was interested in research, but I was on the fence about doing it the summer after freshman year.” When he skipped the application deadline, Miller tracked him down to ask why. Despite applying late, DeWeerd secured a spot on Miller’s tick team, an experience that opened new opportunities and shaped his career interests. But in 2025, federal cuts to scientific research derailed his acceptance to a fully funded PhD program. “God was working through that disappointment in a big way,” he says. Miller again stepped in, helping DeWeerd secure two technician roles through Michigan State University. Now the Michigan native is settling into life in the southwest, pursuing a longheld passion. Research, however, is rarely straightforward and never simple. Out in the field, sleeping in tents during the heat of day and searching for frog species that move at night is grueling work. From launch to landing, “It’s been a whirlwind that required a lot of trust.”

But when Calvin’s classics major was reduced to a minor, she either had to change majors or transfer. She stayed at Calvin, double‑ majored in writing and philosophy, politics, and economics (PPE) and joined Chimes (eventually serving as its editor‑in‑chief). Ham landed her first job in financial services at a small college in Massachusetts, but when the college closed in September 2024, she found herself job hunting for the second time in a year. That pivot took her to the small city of Keene, New Hampshire, where she now serves as assistant news editor at the Keene Sentinel. In her first months on the job, the New Hampshire Press Association recognized her with a distinguished journalism award for environmental reporting.

But it wasn’t that simple. Though he says he felt supported as an African American, he also experienced deep loneliness. “By October, I would wake up, go to class, go back to my room, repeat. Though my hobbies are solitary, I realized I’m not actually an introvert. Sometimes, you have to put yourself out there.” Keene started studying in the library instead of his room, talked to more classmates, and discovered it was easy to meet people on Calvin’s small campus. In time, he found his niche, especially as a member of Cultural Discerners. The group held events across campus focused on pop culture, and the group’s conversations through a Kuyperian lens resonated deeply. “We approached it with the idea of ‘every square inch,’ everything in culture belongs to God.”

Ham’s focus on community is rooted in an ethics class she took with Professor Rebecca De Young. “She taught us that the substance of daily life has ethical value: [to work in local news] you have to believe that the sort of day-to-day stuff of life really matters to God, and it should matter to us—that it’s worth our attention. Over time, that re-shaped my understanding of vocation, too,” says Ham, who now sees success as faithful commitment rather than a particular publication or job title.

After graduating, Keene joined AmeriCorps’ City Year program, serving for one year in his hometown of Detroit. He now works as an academic interventionist at Clippert Multicultural Honors Academy, helping students below grade level meet their learning targets.

To hear Ham talk about her adopted city is to understand exactly what she means. She doesn’t just show up to cover the news; she lives alongside the people whose stories she tells—bumping into them at the coffee shop, attending church with them. Keene is more than her beat; it’s also her home.

In his spare time, Keene pursues his passion for writing—sharing reflections on the post calvin blog and developing a novel and short stories. His years at Calvin not only renewed his faith; they helped him recognize an important truth: “I realized I had something to offer.”

ALUMNI PROFILES

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. Cara Ebbeling-Zabilansky ’85 is associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and co-director of the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at Boston Children’s Hospital. She is translating research into practice through the Boston Children’s fit kit, with special attention to underserved communities.

Read more profiles online calvin.edu/spark

Priya Ramchandran ’90 brings the same care to her accounting leadership as she does to the linework in her sketchbook, building community through both numbers and art. Her career and creativity share a single aim: helping people feel at home in the places they live.

Entrepreneur and CEO Denny Tawas ’22 turned his passion for music into progress, helping transform his family’s small business into a multi-location music ecosystem in Indonesia. His faith-centered, people-first approach to leadership fosters a culture of care and success. In the delivery room, Laura Rivera ’24 leads with patient‑centered care. Her nursing career—shaped by pivots and persistence—is defined by a passion for helping women from all walks of life welcome new life.

Cara Ebbeling-Zabilansky ’85

Priya Ramchandran ’90

Denny Tawas ’22

Laura Rivera ’24 23

ALUMNI PROFILES

PHOTO CREDIT: MICHAEL GODERRE

Dr. Cara Ebbeling-Zabilansky ’85 Associate professor of pediatrics, Harvard Medical School Co-director New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center, Boston Children’s Hospital Boston, Massachusetts

Translating Science into Community Health 24

From a young age, Dr. Cara EbbelingZabilansky ’85 loved science and sports. Growing up, her mom taught her and her two sisters the importance of pursuing lives of service. “Mom helped us think about our passions and God-given aptitudes. A career isn’t just work, but something we offer in service to others,” she says. For 26 years, the internationally recognized researcher, now an associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, has distinguished herself by leading randomized trials that examine how nutrition affects metabolism, energy balance, and body weight. She co-directs the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at Boston Children’s Hospital in Massachusetts and is committed to understanding, preventing, and treating childhood obesity.

SCIENCE THAT SERVES “Obesity particularly affects people from lower-income communities,” EbbelingZabilansky says. “If you don’t have a stable place to live or your neighborhood is unsafe, it’s hard to focus on being physically active or forming healthy eating patterns.” Her passion project over the last decade has been an integrated care model that connects health care, community resources, and families. “Health is shaped by more than individual choices. Biology, families, communities, and human-created environments all matter. Part of my work is helping build systems and supports that make it easier for children and families to live healthier lives.” Ebbeling-Zabilansky developed the Boston Children’s fit kit, a set of evidence-based resources for families, healthcare providers, and youth-serving organizations, such as Boys & Girls Clubs. The tools offer clear guidance on nutrition, fitness, sedentary time, sleep, and stress. She finds it gratifying to translate research into real-life practice. Using a “train-the-trainer” approach, Ebbeling-Zabilansky works with community

partners to help implement the fit kit. “We understand the science, and community partners understand their neighbors and the day-to-day realities that shape health behaviors,” she says.

to be meticulous,” she says. At the same time, specialization creates opportunities to develop better interventions in collaboration with people who have deep expertise in their fields.

She sees caring for one’s health as a form of stewardship, an expression of gratitude for the bodies God has entrusted to us. “Stewardship is reflected in the practical choices that we make—what we eat, how we stay active, how we get enough rest, and how we manage stress,” she says. She also recognizes that sickness and disability touch every life. “Illness is not a punishment from God but can be a source of deeper faith and dependence on him.”

HUMILITY OVER CERTAINTY In her church school classroom, where the snacks are healthy and hard questions are welcome, Ebbeling-Zabilansky is known simply as Mrs. Z. “I could be speaking to an audience of a thousand at a national convention, but is that any more important than those few kids in my classroom? Probably not,” she says. During a game of two truths and a lie,

“Health is shaped by more than individual choices. Biology, families, communities, and human-created environments all matter.” PREPARED FOR LEARNING AND LIFE At Calvin, Ebbeling-Zabilansky discovered how to combine her lifelong interests in science and sports. Conversations with physical education professor Jim Timmer, Sr., who introduced her to the field of kinesiology before it was a major, shaped her post-graduate studies. As she earned her master’s in exercise science and her doctorate in nutrition, her focus shifted from sport to health.

one student couldn’t believe she was on the faculty at Harvard Medical School— “and I thought, oh, good! He doesn’t see me through that lens. He sees me as a person.” She isn’t afraid to admit when she doesn’t have the answer to a difficult spiritual question, and she emphasizes humanity’s dependence on God. “Teaching church school keeps me grounded in the overarching story of grace in Scripture, and I’m reminded that God uses our imperfect efforts to his glory.”

English 100 with Patricia Tigchelaar built her confidence as a writer—an important skill for a scientist who regularly publishes and presents research. As Peter Tigchelaar’s anatomy laboratory assistant, she learned to model careful attention to detail for students. “Obesity research has become highly specialized and extremely competitive. It’s so important

ALUMNI PROFILES

“All work can be purposeful and world-building.” Every New Year, Priya Ramchandran ’90 chooses a guiding word for the next 12 months; this year’s is connection. As someone who grew up in India and Nigeria, studied in Michigan, launched her career in Chicago, and raised her family in California, she believes deeply in connecting to the places she lives. Now based in Sacramento, Ramchandran serves as vice president of the property management accounting team at USA Properties Fund, Inc., a company focused on building and managing affordable housing. The company’s philanthropic arm, which offers scholarships and support to USA Properties residents—from kids needing help with sports fees to seniors seeking new wheelchairs—initially drew her to the job. “People need stable and dignified places to live,” says Ramchandran, who appreciates how her company prioritizes the people living in its communities. She sees her role as an accountant as part of that larger picture. “Policies and procedures are my jam,” Ramchandran says. “They sound dry, but they’re actually how you take care of people at scale.”

A TRUE LIBERAL ARTS EXPERIENCE Yet Ramchandran never imagined she would grow up to become an accountant. She came to Calvin with several close friends from her high school in Jos, Nigeria, and pursued two seemingly different passions: art and business administration. “I loved my art classes, but, at the time, pre-internet, I couldn’t see a real career path.”

At Calvin, she had room to explore multiple areas of interest. A political science study abroad trip to eastern Europe in January 1989, just months before the Berlin Wall fell, made the most memorable impact on her as a student. Ramchandran landed her first job in Chicago through a Calvin classmate whose father co-owned a property management company. “It was great to work for someone who mentored me early on,” she says.

A BUSINESS IS BORN In Chicago, Ramchandran fell in love with architecture, a theme woven through the art she never stopped making. For years, she took on small commissions, but the pandemic gave her more time to create. With her 2020 travel plans canceled, Ramchandran began sketching the places she and her family would have visited, then turned to local Sacramento scenes. Now, in addition to commissions, she sells her illustrations on her website, Priya Originals Art. “The Internet has made art so egalitarian. Create a website, promote on social media, host drop-ins, and suddenly you’re fulfilling commissions, selling your work,” says Ramchandran, whose diverse projects include an ABC print of Sacramento and an illustrated event map for an Ironman competition.

THE FREEDOM OF IMPERFECTION As an art student, Ramchandran never believed she was “good enough” to be a professional artist. Teaching herself new

techniques, building a business, and discovering warm reception for her work motivated her to host workshops and join the Urban Sketchers movement. She co-founded an unofficial chapter in Sacramento in August 2025 and has started the application process to become an official chapter. “It’s been really fulfilling to build connections with other people who love art but aren’t career artists.” Urban sketching, says Ramchandran, embraces imperfection. “You’re drawing freehand, preserving something in your city or along your travels.” She prefers sketching memories to snapping photos. “When I return to my sketchbook, everything from that moment rushes back.”

FINDING COMMUNITY THROUGH ART Ramchandran approaches making art as a relational process. Her urban sketching group is free and open to anyone interested in learning the skill. “These are people I would never normally meet in my regular day-to-day life. And they’re wonderful.” In February 2026, Ramchandran, a selfdescribed introvert, pushed past her fear of public speaking to teach a class at a boutique homeware store. The class sold out. She has since taught at a local bookstore and published a downloadable six-module course on urban sketching. Ramchandran sees her accounting career and art as intertwined. “Feeding that creative part of me makes me a better person. All work can be purposeful and world-building,” she says, from making sure people can access a stable, dignified place to live to sharing an artistic vision that invites others to see and appreciate their surroundings.

PHOTO CREDIT: ALLISON ARMSTRONG

Priya Ramchandran ’90 Business and art Vice president of property management accounting, USA Properties Fund, Inc. Founder, Priya Originals Art Sacramento, California

Building Community with Ledgers and Linework 27

ALUMNI PROFILES

Denny Tawas ’22 Economics and finance CEO of DeBeat Music Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia

Harmonizing Faith and Business 28

Denny Tawas ’22 comes from a multigenerational family of entrepreneurs. His mother and father each run their own businesses; his maternal grandmother, 79, still works for the family building supply company. “We are a working family. That DNA is in us,” says Tawas, whose experiences at Calvin as a business major and worship apprentice fed both his entrepreneurial spirit and his passion for music. About a year before Tawas left for Calvin, his father and brother took over a music store they had helped family friends to establish in Bali, Indonesia. Tawas and his brother were regulars at DeBeat and envisioned its potential as a vibrant, urban ecosystem of music.

COMMUNITY, CALLING, CHALLENGE But first, university. On his very first flight to Chicago and then Grand Rapids, he met an Indonesian Calvin alumnus who shared his passion for music. “God onboarded me to Calvin even before orientation,” he says. Tawas invested his time well at Calvin, joining multiple campus organizations. “There was a certain amount of closeness,” he says of feeling seen and known by professors and a tightly knit international student community. Yet studying abroad wasn’t always easy. When the pandemic moved classes online, it limited social life but freed him to support the family business remotely. During senior year, he couldn’t secure an internship and graduated without a job lined up. He recalls feeling like a failure, yet the setback brought him home to Indonesia. “I was really struggling, but I thought, ‘Let’s not be so stubborn not to see this as a blessing from God.’ ”

NEW DIRECTIONS AND SMALL WORLD MOMENTS True to his family’s vision, DeBeat grew into a music ecosystem with two retail locations in Bali and opportunities to support the larger music community beyond. Strong sales through the pandemic were reinvested in new endeavors. Their music school started with 20 students and now serves more than 500 musicians enrolled in over 700 classes. They also added music rooms, a café, a recording studio, and an event music and videography division. “Whenever we feel stability, that’s our indicator to expand,” Tawas says. Recently, they opened a classical instrument showroom, The Klassic. To prepare the new location for its grand opening, Tawas invited concert pianist, composer, and former Steinway representative Airin Efferin ’09 to advise on instrument selection. But it wasn’t until they bumped into one another at Calvin event in Jakarta that they realized they were both Knights.

CENTERING PEOPLE OVER PROFIT At Calvin, professors encouraged Tawas to wrestle with the ethical paradox of working in finance. “There’s a difference between drive and greed,” he says. “Business practices that are normalized or even taught in a textbook might not be the right thing to do as a Christian.”

of whom are Muslim and Hindu. Before every meeting, he prays. “Maybe some would call it unprofessional, but I’ve never offended anyone,” says Tawas. “That’s God’s grace. Christ died for all, and so I say, ‘I’ll pray in my faith, and you’re welcome to pray in yours.’” Known for being an approachable leader, Tawas’ employees often share their personal struggles. “Most situations call not for apologetics but for a listening ear,” he says. “We do crack, we do fall. If you’re not where you hoped to be, trust God’s closed doors. He will open the ones that are perfect for you.”

FAITHFUL LIVING THROUGH EVERY SEASON Tawas describes himself as “messy, spontaneous, not much of a planner”; yet God continues to entrust him with opportunities for leadership. Because he’s young and doesn’t yet have a family, he pours energy and time into the business. “Once my brother and I have families,” he says, “we’re going to want to build a life with them.” That balanced perspective keeps Tawas grounded. Whether he’s dreaming of the company’s next venture, discerning his own future, or raising funds for charitable giving, he returns to the same question: “Is my heart in the right place?” He prays that his response to every open door “always leads back to God.”

Centering people over profit guides his relationships with his employees, many

“There’s a difference between drive and greed. Business practices that are normalized … might not be the right thing to do as a Christian.” 29

ALUMNI PROFILES

Navy Nurse Corps officer Laura Rivera ’24 remembers the first time she heard a baby’s heartbeat. Just 16 years old, she was serving as a translator for a women’s clinic in Atlanta, Georgia. “I started crying, because that moment hit me—I wasn’t just a translator. Many of the mothers were afraid or didn’t understand what was happening to their bodies. I understood for the first time that being bilingual not only opens doors, it bridges gaps.” Yet Rivera’s career path to becoming a registered nurse specializing in labor and delivery and maternal-newborn acute care wasn’t linear. After earning a bachelor’s degree in sport management and navigating unfulfilling jobs, she enlisted in the Navy, trained as a medic, and applied for the Nurse Candidate Program. After a year of unexpected setbacks, she secured her scholarship and enrolled at Calvin in 2022. Rivera felt at home with Calvin’s holistic approach to nurse training and appreciated how growing her faith shaped her sense of calling. “Nursing programs are designed to filter you out, but the first words I heard at Calvin were, ‘How can we best support you?’ ” She did more than gain technical skills. “I had always said I wanted to live life wholeheartedly. I heard that message so clearly from day one.”

A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE Rivera grew up internationally, and her mother—a Colombian-trained physician— played a defining role in shaping her view of care. Her mother’s medical license didn’t extend to every country, so she found other ways to serve. “She became a doula and helped local midwives and laboring mothers, but she also learned from them. She taught me that vocation lies at the point where personal passion and the world’s need meet.”

“Leadership is ... about taking responsibility of the environment you’re in and choosing to make it better.” When Rivera graduated from Calvin, she didn’t set out to become a labor and delivery nurse; she simply asked God to place her wherever the need was greatest. “But of course it was in the delivery room,” she says. “It has been a full circle experience. Women will always keep having babies, and, globally, there is a great need to improve maternal health care.”

IMPROVING PATIENT CARE Rivera is currently stationed at the Navy Medicine Readiness Training Command in Jacksonville, Florida. She believes improving patient care begins with nurse well-being. “When you have a good balance, you show up differently for patients. Being able to step into that delivery room, put it all behind and say, ‘Hey, I’m going to be your nurse tonight,’ and then create a once-in-a-lifetime experience can only happen when you’re feeling seen, recognized, and rested,” she says. In her short time at the Navy hospital, she has established a nurse recognition award, streamlined scheduling, and even designed and handmade “Born at Naval Hospital Jacksonville” keepsake onesies, a project that evolved into a fundraising partnership with the Nurses Association that supports staff programs throughout the year. These initiatives, and others like them, improve patient experiences.

FIX WHAT’S BROKEN There was a time when Rivera didn’t think she was smart enough to enter the medical profession. Looking back, she sees how the Lord led her, and that long view gives her the strength and drive to serve her patients well day after day. “Faith is not what I do. It’s who I am. It’s my foundation.” And though she never considered herself a natural leader, her experiences have reframed her understanding: “Leadership isn’t about the title; it’s about taking responsibility of the environment you’re in and choosing to make it better.” That conviction led her to establish a nursing scholarship at Calvin, an effort she hopes will bridge a critical gap in nursing care she recognized at 16 and continued research corroborates—the need for more bilingual nurses. Rivera hopes her scholarship will lower financial barriers for future nurses; the inaugural award was given last fall. “I’m not only helping one student become a nurse,” she says. “I’m helping every patient they will ever touch, because that’s the type of nurses Calvin builds—nurses who go out and see the patient as a whole.”

PHOTO CREDIT: LTJG KRISELLE ROSAL

Laura Rivera ’24 Nursing Navy Nurse Corps Officer Navy Medicine Readiness Training Command Jacksonville, Florida

A Full Circle Call to Care 31

ALUMNI EVENTS

SPRING CELEBRATIONS CALVIN’S SESQUICENTENNIAL YEAR-LONG CELEBRATION CARRIED MOMENTUM INTO SPRING, DRAWING STUDENTS AND ALUMNI INTO A FULL SEASON OF EVENTS. AS CALVIN MOVES INTO ITS 151ST YEAR, THESE CELEBRATIONS POINT TO A COMMUNITY STILL ENERGIZED BY ITS MISSION AND CONFIDENT IN GOD’S CONTINUED FAITHFULNESS.

Royal visit: Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands visited the Knollcrest Campus in March, where she joined community leaders in planting a scarlet oak tree in her honor. “I think it’s very humbling to realize that centuries ago people uprooted themselves and came to this spot, going into the unknown, making a living for themselves, and creating that community,” Princess Laurentien said. “Understanding the roots of something is always important to understanding where it is today.” The princess was the third member of the Netherlands’ royal family to visit Calvin, following visits by Queen Beatrix in 1982 and Queen Juliana in 1952.

Anniversary worship service: The university joined Calvin Theological Seminary for a 150th a nniversary Palm Sunday service, at which Larry Visser ’89, minister of music at L aGrave Avenue CRC, debuted h is contest-winning anniversary hymn, “O God Beyond All Knowing.”

Student activities: Throughout the year, students picked up more than 500 chocolate bars at sesquicentennial events. One hundred and fifty students found “golden tickets” in their bars, and 12 won $150 grand prizes. Students also received an official anniversary T-shirt c reated by graphic design major Faith Cooper ’26.

Calvin on the Road: Multimedia alumni events continued across North America, reaching communities from Toronto and North Haledon, New Jersey, to Long Beach, California, and Lynden, Washington. Over the year, more than 2,800 alumni and friends participated, reconnecting through their own Calvin stories and gaining a deeper sense of the university’s current momentum.

Arts events: Capella and Women’s Chorale performed a walk-through-thedecades “Calvin Eras” Concert with a live band on stage; Gospel Choir hosted a 38-year reunion, bringing over 130 alumni singers and past conductors back to campus; Capella sang at Carnegie Hall as part of their East Coast spring break tour; and C alvin Theatre Company performed Bye Bye Birdie, CTC’s first full musical theatre performance in a dozen years.

ALUMNI EVENTS

TRAVEL WITH CALVIN

Historical Footprints Across Southern France May 1–10, 2027 Host: Karin Maag Highlights include the walled city of Aigues-Mortes, Roman ruins in Arles and Nîmes, sites associated with Paul Cezanne and Vincent van Gogh, and the enchanting French Riviera.

RIVALRY WATCH PARTIES Alumni gathered in Seattle, Phoenix, Denver, Austin, Chicago, Milwaukee, Pella, Washington, D.C., New York City, Detroit, Bradenton, and Naples to witness the Knights defeat Hope in a high-scoring 96-88 game.

Religious and Literary Circles of New England May 14−21, 2027 Host: Gary Schmidt Highlights include Walden Pond, Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House, and Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, as well as stops in Plymouth and Boston, Massachusetts.

The Wilds of Alaska June 14−24, 2027 Hosts: Gerry and Jan Van Kooten Highlights include Denali, the Iditarod Visitor Center, a wildlife cruise in Kenai Fjords National Park, a river float trip, and other geological features of Interior Alaska.

DETROIT, MICHIGAN

Tours in development: • Morocco with Gary Burge • The Philippines with Don DeGraaf • Spain with Cynthia Slagter • South Korea: Capella and Alumni Choir companion tour

View full itineraries and request tour brochures at calvin.edu/go/travel.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

CLASS OF 1976 50-YEAR REUNION Front row, left to right: David Beelen, Ronald Hofman, Elmer Yazzie, Barbara Rycenga Van Heukelem, Rick Feenstra, Lori Hekman Feenstra, Daniel Sytsma, Mary Edema Sytsma, Randal Huizenga, David Baatenburg Middle row: Dean Childs, Daniel Kuiper, Steve DeKoster, Dirk Jasperse, John Possett, Mary Leenheer, Thea Hibma Hoekman, Cynthia Slager Vandenburg, David Versluis, Rodney Muller, Mary Bushouse Porter, Gary Veurink

PHOTO CREDIT: DANIEL J. COOKE PHOTOGRAPHY

Back row: Doug Frens, Robert Leunk, Thea Nyhoff Leunk, Kathy Brouwer Wells, Helena Dykstra Veurink, Robert Keeley, Tim Thomasma, Karen Bangma Boer, Nancy Lambers Flikkema, Kathy Rottschafer Ettema, Betsy Prose, Mary Dekker Katerberg, Linda Docter Wolthuis, Randall Wolthuis, Casey Jen

ALUMNI TRAVEL Geology professor Gerry Van Kooten and his wife, Jan, led alumni and friends on a tour exploring the red rocks and canyons of the American Southwest.

From Lima’s historic sites to a potato park high in the Andes Mountains to the legendary Machu Picchu, travelers delighted in exploring Peru with Cynthia Slagter, professor of Spanish and director of off-campus programs.

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.

CLASS NOTES

HERITAGE (graduated more than 50 years ago) Peter Kuiper ’71 has spent over 50 years working in the mental health field. He recently produced a video series of seven counseling workshops based on his ministry in Buena Vista, Colorado, that provides counseling for people and couples in crisis situations. The video series corresponds to his 2018 book, At the Crossroads. Missionaries can access the series free of charge. Learn more at atthecrossroadsworkshop.com.

1980s 01 Calvin alumni and teaching colleagues at Chattanooga Christian School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, gathered for a photo to celebrate their own alma mater at the annual May 1 Decision Day gathering for CCS’s graduating class of 2026. Left to right: Doug Jipping ’92, Joan Vander Molen Vos ’89, Dan Zuidema ’99, Justin Martin ’13, Tim Baldwin ’83.

02 Living Water International in Houston, Texas, recently named Mike Mantel ’83 as their new president. Living Water is a Christian nonprofit that partners with local churches and communities to implement sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) solutions around the world.

The Grand Rapids Symphony has welcomed Michelle DeYoung ex’88 as Artist in Residence for the 2026–27 season. DeYoung is a multi-Grammy Award-winning mezzo soprano who, during her residency, will perform in three concerts, teach two master classes, and mentor emerging artists in their musical development.

1990s Carmen de Haan Johns ’96 lives in Burnaby, British Columbia, where she works as an art teacher. She recently exhibited her paintings at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts. She also enjoyed teaching in Jiangsu Province, China, during summer 2025.

CLASS NOTES

To celebrate becoming empty nesters, Josh Wallish ’96 and Amy Doctor Wallish ’97 traded life in Washington, D.C., for the mountains of Southwest Virginia. They started Jireh Hills Ranch to raise North American yaks and poultry and to grow their own food. Their life on the farm is rooted in their values to “live justly, love deeply, and steward wisely.” Read their story at jirehhillsranch.com.

2000s Passionate about sharing God’s love with at risk youth, Beth Boven ’01 serves as a missionary in Cochabamba, Bolivia, with the Bolivian Hope Center, a Christ-centered home for children whose parents are incarcerated. Her work focuses on providing safety, stability, and the steady presence of family for kids coming from trauma backgrounds. She grows partnerships with U.S. churches and supporters; learn more at boliviabound.com.

On January 26, 2026, the Steelcase Foundation named Anissa Adkins Eddie ’05 its new director of foundation-led initiatives. In this role, Eddie leads partnerships that drive systems and policy change to advance family well-being. She primarily leads Investment in Families, a 10-year participatory research project that partners with 30 family leaders (all mothers) to learn how systems can better support children and families in Michigan and elevate that learning to inform larger-scale social change. Josh Ghena ’06 is the new president of Cinnaire Equity Partners in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he leads the company’s mission to generate “lasting change through capital investments and development solutions that support safe, quality, and affordable housing.” Civil engineer Andrew McBurney ’08 helped redesign Atlanta’s bus net-

work—the most extensive redesign since 1971. MARTA’s “NexGen” bus network launched in April, significantly increasing the number of corridors with frequent transit service and improving access for Atlanta’s residents overall. For the last year of the project, McBurney served as MARTA’s Manager of Service Development. 06 A group of Calvin alumni regularly enjoy traveling around the U.S. to attend Major League Baseball games together. This year’s trip to Petco Park in San Diego was a different experience, however, as the men felt the absence of longtime friend and fellow fan Mark Van Stee ’01, who passed away tragically in August 2025. In addition to being a devoted husband and father, Mark was a beloved teacher and coach at South Christian High School in Cutlerville, Michigan. The friends held a Calvin alumni t-shirt in Mark’s honor for this group photo. From left to right: Nick Vanderpol ’00, Mike DeJong ’00, Dan Triezenberg ’00, Brandon Lummen ’00, Phil VanderHeide ’00

CLASS NOTES

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT

Building Impact In Business and Life “I have had to deconstruct and reconstruct many things in my life,” says Lauren Dillon ’06. At Calvin, Dillon imagined becoming a foreign news correspondent, but she pivoted toward public service shortly after college. She quickly climbed the traditional public service ladder, fundraising for small nonprofit organizations in the heart of Chicago’s economically challenged south and westside communities. But by 28 years old, she burned out and imagined adding new rungs to the ladder.

“ How do we hold on to a dream—or rewrite it—when the unexpected happens?”

The idea to help nonprofits improve their fundraising outcomes emerged on a six-month career sabbatical, resulting in the company Triad Resource Group. Later, a career mentor joined her and, together, they developed a distinct blueprint for growing emergent organizations. The premise was simple: organizations do not need complex missions and visions; they need sharp, concise impact statements with a well-defined beginning and end point for reaching their impact goals. Dillon added specialized independent contractors to come alongside organizations with budgets ranging from $1–5 million. In tandem with organizations’ leaders, her team reverse engineered these client organizations from top to bottom to achieve their goals and increase their capacity. Donors also appreciated the plain and effective communication of the approach. Over six to 12 months, Dillon would see organizational capacity double and sometimes triple.

Lauren Dillon co-founded Triade Resource Group to help nonprofit organizations maximize their impact. As the company sunsets, she’s dreaming of what comes next.

But life dramatically shifted in 2021. Motherhood, Covid-19, divorce, and a newly diagnosed chronic illness prompted Dillon to reconsider her own capacity. “Triad is in its sunset,” she says. “But the concept isn’t.” Living with chronic illness has Dillon imagining how Triad’s model of helping companies reverse engineer themselves to achieve maximum impact could help individuals in her shoes navigate limitations with purpose. “Reverse engineer a company, reverse engineer a life. Why not?” she ponders. She believes the approach could empower people to find more meaning and direction in their lives. As she looks ahead, she is considering further education, perhaps a master’s degree in social work. “How do we hold on to a dream—or rewrite it—when the unexpected happens?” 39

CLASS NOTES

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT

Stronger Every Step HOW RUNNING CLUBS IN EAST AFRICA TRANSFORM KIDS’ LIVES

PHOTOS: MENTZ GERMISHUIS

Spark sat down to chat with Ari deJonge ’02, executive director of We Run, We Rise—a commu‑ nity of running clubs that empowers African youth—about the magic of running, the importance of reaching middle school kids, and deJonge’s growing partnerships with communities throughout Africa to nurture the wellbeing and holistic development of youth. Though she frequently travels to partner communities, deJonge lives in the Grand Rapids, Michigan, area with her family where she enjoys long runs and hanging out with her three daughters.

Q: What area of study did you pursue at Calvin? A: I earned my bachelor’s degree in political science and

government. One of the things I took away from my four years in the program was the importance of investing in women and girls as a mechanism for sustainable community development.

Q: How did you first get involved with running clubs in East Africa? A: The idea wasn’t mine. I spent about 15 years overseas working in international development—first in HIV and palliative care and later in philanthropy. During that time, I met Michael Mulder, a track and cross country coach at Holland Christian who had piloted a few small

running clubs in Rwanda. When I moved to Tanzania to serve as World Renew’s country director, Mike reached out and asked whether we could test the model there. Once we piloted the clubs, the impact blew me away. We were able to track shifts in knowledge, attitudes, and daily practices (KAP). We saw kids healing from emotional stress and traumatic experiences. Families reported seeing huge changes in their kids and communities. For example, we saw dramatic changes in girls’ confidence and in how communities viewed young women. It was more transformative than almost anything else we were doing.

“ Running itself is p owerful. What began with a couple of partners is now 19 partners, 1,500 clubs, and 50,000 kids. The demand is enormous.”

Q: What made the model so effective? A: Two things. First, the clubs hit the three developmen-

tal needs identified by the Harvard Institute for Human Development: a safe space, a stable adult, and practical life skills. Our coaches are trained to be trusted mentors, and the clubs combine running with lessons on topics like water and sanitation, road safety, and sexual health. We’ve seen significant reductions in early pregnancies simply because boys and girls now understand how pregnancy happens. Second, running itself is powerful. There’s strong science behind its mental health benefits, and it’s accessible—you don’t even need shoes. Some South Sudanese kids who joined our clubs with no running background are now competing internationally.

Q: Who do the clubs serve? A: We focus on middle schoolers —an age group often

overlooked but developmentally crucial. Unfortunately, kids eight to 14 are often ignored and underserved, but it’s a crucial time as they form beliefs about identity. We wanted to dive into that space to help kids build confidence and embrace their intrinsic value.

Q: How has the program grown? A: What began with a couple of partners is now 19

artners, 1,500 clubs, and 50,000 kids. The demand is p enormous. The clubs integrate easily into churches, schools, and community programs.

Ari deJonge's 150-mile trek across northern Tanzania marked the official launch of We Run, We Rise.

Q: What keeps you connected to the work now? A: Running has become part of my own life. I travel to

East Africa four or five times a year, and last summer I ran 150 miles across northern Tanzania to help launch the nonprofit. Though we’ve been doing the work since 2016, the organization officially established as its own 501c3 in September 2025, and we’re still growing—but the heart of the work remains the same: helping kids rise. Find out more at werunwerise.org.

CLASS NOTES

Jenny Los White ’03, founder and executive director of Velo Kids, received the Ralph Finneren Encouragement Award from The League of Michigan Bicyclists for improving youth access to bikes and helping more than 4,000 kids develop the skills and discover the joy of cycling. A licensed clinical social worker, Sierra Yazzie Asamoa-Tutu ’06 was sworn in to the Gallup city council in January 2026, becoming the first Diné (Navajo) elected to the position. Yazzie Asamoa-Tutu’s priorities include improving city infrastructure, housing, and quality of life for Gallup’s residents.

2010s Nichole Lally Konyndyk ’14 was appointed chief people officer of Natural Choice Foods, a leading company in the secondary food market helping to make sure that good food is not wasted. Konyndyk first joined the company in 2021. 07

Korea Fisheries Coordinator at Ocean Outcomes Segyo Oh ’17 works with major seafood suppliers to support their social and environmental actions. She analyzes fishing catch data, advises on electronic monitoring systems, and strengthens labor protections for migrant workers aboard fishing vessels, particularly those from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. In her free time, Oh is an avid free diver: “I love that my career coincides with my personal passion—my love for the ocean goes beyond work!”

2020s Kevin Moore ’25 teaches a therapeutic drumming class at Handlon Correctional Facility to support students with mental health struggles and brain injuries. Using a class motto of “destressing through drumming,” he teaches drumming techniques and how to read music as well as breathing exercises and teamwork. He also serves as the auditorium technician at Handlon.

Forest Time: Footnotes to an Outdoor Education Jeremy Lloyd ’94 University of Tennessee Press Jeremy Lloyd ’94 is an outdoor educator and writer whose new memoir reflects on the lessons nature can teach us about living well in an age of technology and disconnection. “The essence of [my] work has changed little over the years. Go outdoors. Move your body and open your senses. Let curiosity be your guide. Stoke its flames by looking and listening and following your nose. Don’t hurry.

Committed to sharing the love of Christ with teens, Jacob Parker ’25 is the director of Grand Ledge High School Campus Life in Grand Ledge, Michigan—a ministry of Youth for Christ of Greater Lansing.

“Welcome the rain falling on your skin and the winds drying it. Listen to the poetry in the river’s steady roll and the wind moving through the forest. Discover how much more you are capable of than you thought and how much less you need to be content.

Grand Rapids-based small business owner Euirim Joy Shin ’23 first opened Coucou Bakehouse as a pop-up bakery. The bakery drew long lines as her pastries sold out week after week. In response to growing demand, Shin opened her first brick and mortar location on the corner of Fuller and Fulton in summer 2026, where she enjoys sharing good food and community connection.

“Consider the farmers and laborers who grow the food on your plate, the farms where it is grown, and the plants and animals whose deaths sustain human life. Enter into moments set aside for reverence with gratitude. Feast on the gifts of Creation while fasting from civilization’s excesses. Know yourself as an ensouled creature with a hunger for something other than what the zeitgeist has to offer.”

Nadia Soler ’25 accepted a position as a marketing assistant at Baker Book Group. Beginning first as an intern, she has helped build Baker’s new Nonfiction Reviewer Program, contributed to influencer campaigns that connect authors to new readers, and joined the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Advisory Council.

(From the chapter “Nightwalking,” reprinted with permission)

BOOKS BY CALVIN ALUMNI AND PROFESSORS

01 Alters

Alex Bos (Van Milligen) ’13 Green Light Books

02 Live, Laugh, Love: The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made Kristen Kobes Du Mez, professor of history Liveright 03 Forest Legend:

The Tale of Ol’ Split Toe Dan Ellens ’80 Mission Point Press 04 When We Swung from Church

Bells: Stories that Shape Our Faith and Faith that Shapes Our Stories Callie Lewis Feyen ’98 Wipf and Stock 05 Leading Worship for Workers: How

to Design Liturgies for All of Life Matthew Kaemingk and Kathryn Ritsema Roelofs ’06 Baker Academic

06 Torn from the Root: A Memoir

of a Black Transracial Adoptee Rhonda Roorda ’92 Temple University Press

07 Our Family is Not a Tree: Stories of

God’s Faithfulness on Our Journey as Refugee Foster Parents Laura Klamer Boonstra ’07 Westbow Press

08 Empire of Skulls: Phrenology,

the Fowler Family, and a New Nation’s Quest to Unlock the Secrets of the Mind Paul Stob ’02 Counterpoint Press

09 Community and Critique: The

hetorical Activism of Black R American Women’s Memory Work Sara Vander Haagen ’02

10 Glass: Looking In, Looking Out

Larissa Theule ’02 Candlewick

The Sweater Larissa Theule ’02 Viking

12 Cultivating Learning Communities

of Belonging Edith van der Boom ’87 Cascade Books

13 The Paradox

Daniel Veen ’87 WestBow Press

14 Oddest & Oldest & Saddest & Best

Poems by Jane Knol Zwart ’00, professor of English Orison Books

15 STOP Leaving Life on the Table:

Design Your Path and Live Intentionally John Salzwedel ’90 Independently published

CLASS NOTES

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT

Keep Moving, Keep Serving

PHOTO CREDIT: NIALA BOODHOO

“ The greater enjoyment comes from knowing you’ve made a significant contribution in the lives of other people.”

At 100, Sid Rooy is still living out his Reformed conviction that faith requires action.

Sid Rooy ’50 has never been one to sit still. At 100, the Calvin University and Calvin Seminary alumnus still preaches occasionally at Penney Memorial Church on the campus of Penney Retirement Community in Florida, where he has lived for the past 25 years. Several days a week, he volunteers building personal transportation devices—lightweight carts called PETs—for landmine and polio victims around the world. It is a life shaped, he says, by a Reformed conviction that faith without works is incomplete. “There’s something about doing that is essential,” he says. Rooy should know. He has spent nearly a century proving it. Growing up on a farm five miles outside of Oskaloosa, Iowa, Rooy was the son of Dutch immigrants. Calvin’s Franklin campus was the first Christian school he attended, and 77 years later he still remembers professors like Henry Stob, who taught him in undergraduate philosophy and, years later, at Calvin Seminary. The Reformed worldview he encountered there became an anchor for all his subsequent studies—including liberation 44

theology at Union Theological Seminary and the Free University of Amsterdam. “The Heidelberg Catechism has always been a pivot point from which I have thought and carried out my work,” he said. His career took him from director of evangelism at Midland Park Christian Reformed Church in New Jersey to pastorates in the Netherlands and Argentina, before several decades teaching church history and missions at ISEDET, an ecumenical seminary in Buenos Aires. Now, it is the work of retirement—and the community around it—that brings him joy and delight. Named Florida Volunteer of the Year in 2020, he finds purpose alongside neighbors from 28 different Christian denominations. “We set ourselves to do something good,” he says. “The greater enjoyment comes from knowing you’ve made a significant contribution in the lives of other people, and together we grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ.” — Niala Boodhoo ’96

CLASS NOTES

REUNION IN A BOX

Request your party kit for a gathering of four or more alumni at c alvin.edu/ go/reunion-box.

This group of alumni met in Indonesia in April 2026. They posed for a photo to creatively show their love of their alma mater! Front row, left to right: Nisya Salim ’24, Yohana Wijaya ’15, Sarah Harefa ’16, David Widjaja ’19 Back row: Hanna Fiorentina ’24, Nikita Hutanto ’23, Kezia Tjahjanto ’22, Joey Budi ’16, Ivana Setiadi ’17, Nathania Wijaya ’16

In March, these former roommates celebrated 30 years of annual get-togethers at Gun Lake in Michigan. Left to right: Juliet Holleboom Poirier ’96, Sally Van Dokkenburg Cremer ’96, Marji Yonkman Voetberg ’96, Susan Medenblik Kooima ’96

The Muller family held a Christmas gathering at P rairie Edge CRC in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on J anuary 10, 2026. Front row, left to right: John Vander Kamp ’79, Lora Muller Vander Kamp ex’77, Rodney Muller ’76, Edward Muller ’56, Brenda Muller Neher ’77, David Neher ’77 Back row: Chase Hoekwater ’12, Hilary Muller H oekwater ’11, Chelsea Muller Westra ’08, Jared Scripture ’12, Chad Neher ’04, Shane Muller ’11, Kendra Kinzer Muller ’11, Emily Blacquiere Neher ’07, Kyle Neher ex’03

These Calvin alumni led a YoungLife spring break trip to Panama City Beach, Florida, with 27 current Calvin students. Left to right: Kaitlin Huissen Vermeer ’13, Grant Vermeer ’12, Jonathan Stremler ’24, Levi Price ’22, Joy Tweedie Zoodsma ’10, Eric Zoodsma ’10

Scan to view more great alumni photos on Facebook.

Deaths 1940s Vivian Van Beek DeKoning ex’49 March 23, 2026, Jenison, Mich. Esther Sterken De Vries ex’47 April 24, 2026, Jenison, Mich. Milton Ubbink ’49 Feb. 17, 2026, Grandville, Mich. John Wustman ex’49 April 16, 2026, Urbana, Ill.

1950s Ann Bos Anderson ’58 Jan. 30, 2026, Holland, Mich. Mary Scholten Bearden ’58 June 2, 2025, Richland, Mich. Harriet Kramer Beezhold ’51 Feb. 1, 2026, Munster, Ind. Benjamin Boersma ex’55 Jan. 14, 2026, Spring Lake, Mich. Peter Breedveld ’59 Feb. 2, 2026, Burlington, Ontario, Canada James Czanko HON Jan. 28, 2026, Caledonia, Mich. Janet Vander Zee De Waal ’59 Jan. 4, 2026, Laredo, Texas Vincent DeYoung ex’58 April 15, 2026, Lexington, Ky. James Doezema, Jr. ex’53 Feb. 2, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich. William Gras ’58 March 19, 2026, Zeeland, Mich. Ruth Klingenberg Haak ex’52 Jan. 21, 2026, Holland, Mich. Joyce De Ruiter Hammond ’57 Dec. 18, 2024, Port Charlotte, Fla. Joyce Buttery Hanstra ex’59 April 10, 2025, West Lafayette, Ind. Jacob Hielema ’57 March 10, 2026, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada Donald Hinz ex’51 Feb. 21, 2026, Vero Beach, Fla. Ione Lemke Hoekenga ’55 March 1, 2026, Spring Lake, Mich. Beverly Schrotenboer Jager-De Vries ex’51 Feb. 13, 2026, Spring Hill, Tenn. Jack Jansma ex’57 Dec. 21, 2025, Coopersville, Mich. Bernard Jeltema ex’55 Jan. 13, 2026, Santa Ana, Calif.

Janet Brill Kihnke ex’57 MAT’90 Feb. 2, 2026, Longboat Key, Fla.

Audrey Lotterman Van Vliet ’56 May 12, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich.

James Kok ’56 Feb. 17, 2026, Bellflower, Calif.

Joanne Huisenga Venhuizen ’57 Feb. 15, 2026, South Holland, Ill.

Yvonne Dirkse Kramer ’53 April 20, 2026, Spring Lake, Mich.

Janice Haveman Vermaat ex’55 Feb. 3, 2025, Greene, N.Y.

Rosalie Krikke Kreulen ex’57 Oct. 28, 2025, Fort Myers, Fla.

Donald Vermeer HON May 22, 2026, Medford, Ore.

Louise Schneider Leugs ’52 Feb. 19, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich.

John Vis ’57 Feb. 1, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Berdena Steigenga Looman HON March 5, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Cornelius Vriend ’59 Dec. 18, 2025, County of Barrhead, Alberta, Canada

Esther Datema Manni ’54 Feb. 26, 2026, Kalamazoo, Mich. Shirley Duininck Marcus ’52 May 22, 2026, Wilmar, Minn. Cecilia Holkeboer Mereness ’59 Feb. 28, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich. Joan Borgerding Nelson ’58 April 1, 2026, Munster, Ind. Lois Sharda Riemersma ’54 Jan. 24, 2024, Pittsburgh, Pa. Gerard Ringnalda HON Jan. 25, 2026, Brampton, Ontario, Canada Jean Homkes Rockett ex’56 April 24, 2025, Lowell, Mich. Barbara Meyering Roelofs ’52 Jan. 14, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Henrietta Wildeboer ex’55 Dec. 29, 2024, Mount Pleasant, S.C. Woon Yeo HON March 27, 2024, La Mirada, Calif.

1960s Harry Bakker ex’67 Dec. 9, 2025, Bradenton, Fla. Peter Berkhout, Jr. ’65 Oct. 1, 2024, Great Meadows, N.J. Robert Blok, Sr. ’65 Nov. 1, 2025, Hilton Head Island, S.C. Karen Ditmar Bogucki ’60 Feb. 19, 2026, Portland, Ore.

Edwin Roels ’55 Feb. 20, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Calvin Cremer ’67 Feb. 7, 2026, Jenison, Mich.

G. Jay Rottman ex’55 April 12, 2026, Ada, Mich.

Robert Daverman ’63 Feb. 9, 2026, Knoxville, Tenn. Distinguished Alumni Award recipient

Richard Schaap ’58 Jan. 25, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich. Mildred Bergmans Snyder ex’52 Jan. 28, 2026, Holland, Mich. Lawrence Stegink ’57 March 22, 2026, Lynden, Wash. Outstanding Service Award recipient Dick Stravers ’51 Jan. 12, 2026, Holland, Mich. Arlene De Heer Timmons ex’59 Dec. 25, 2023, Pinon Hills, Calif. Jennie “Kay” Bishop Vander Kleed ’57 Feb. 1, 2026, Lafayette, Ind. Melvina Venema Vander Linde ex’50 May 20, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich. Allan Vanderschoot ’57 Feb. 9, 2024, Goodyear, Ariz. Gladys Wierenga Vander Veer ex’55 Feb. 2, 2026, Hudsonville, Mich. Philip Van Heest ’58 April 27, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich. Marian Eggink Van Spronsen ex’52 March 22, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Norman Watt ’58 April 18, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Peter “Doug” De Vries ’67 Dec. 18, 2025, Houston, Texas Sara “Sally” Northouse de Vries ’62 March 9, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich. David Diephouse ex’61 March 21, 2026, Rockford, Mich. Agnes Boogerd Dillender ’60 Dec. 7, 2025, Ripon, Calif. Julie Nagelkirk Disselkoen ex’61 Feb. 23, 2026, Holland, Mich. Mary Schans Doezema ’68 April 25, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich. Gary Doppenberg ex’63 Dec. 5, 2025, Sheldon, Iowa Clarena Bakker Drye ’67 April 23, 2026, Downers Grove, Ill. Janice Hoekstra Ellens ’62 March 29, 2026, Kalamazoo, Mich. John Fikkert ’64 March 13, 2026, Wyoming, Mich. Marion Groenendyk ’63 March 11, 2026, Grandville, Mich.

Loren Hoekzema ’69 April 23, 2026, Arlington, Mass.

Jacob Van Mantgem ’62 Feb. 25, 2025, LaPorte, Texas

Jack Miedema ’72 Oct. 20, 2025, Grandville, Mich.

Alyce Swierenga Houskamp ’60 May 16, 2026, Byron Center, Mich.

Ellen Wiersma Van Raalte Frieswyk ’66 Feb. 13, 2026, Holland, Mich.

Lynda Van Kooten Neigh ’74 Jan. 23, 2026, Byron Center, Mich.

Sally Vos Huitema ’69 May 13, 2026, Grandville, Mich.

Kenneth Venhuizen ’66 Dec. 25, 2024, Johnston, Iowa

Mark Okkema ’76 Aug. 4, 2024, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Adriann Hoekstra Hulst ’69 Jan. 16, 2026, Caledonia, Mich.

Shirley Bruinsma Verspoor ’64 Feb. 5, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich.

John Kieft ’67 Dec. 3, 2025, Bradenton, Fla.

Douglas Warners ’63 March 19, 2026, Seal Beach, Calif.

Carol De Korne Lenger ’69 Jan. 23, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich.

James Wassenaar ’61 April 13, 2026, Rochester, N.Y.

Jim Meurs ’69 March 26, 2026, Caledonia, Mich.

Frederik Wisse ’62 Jan. 4, 2026, Vernon, British Columbia, Canada

Gary Meyer ’61 March 15, 2026, South Holland, Ill.

Gretchen Heerema Zuiderveen ’67 May 7, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich.

James Muller ex’60 Nov. 7, 2024, Grand Rapids, Mich.

1970s

Cynthia Kuiper Owens ex’69 May 6, 2026, Fitchburg, Wis.

Andrew Aardema ’77 Jan. 15, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Lois De Kruyter Poel ’67 May 7, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Mary Jane Aardema ex’78 March 24, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich.

John Postmus ex’60 May 5, 2026, Kentwood, Mich. Lois Ackerman Raap ’68 May 10, 2026, Morgan Hill, Calif. Distinguished Alumni Award recipient

Debra Abma Algera ’75 May 6, 2026, Paterson, N.J. Timothy Bosma ’78 May 6, 2026, Coopersville, Mich.

Richard Rienstra ’65 May 2, 2026, Hudsonville, Mich.

Philip Bossenbroek ’71 Dec. 11, 2024, Waupun, Wis.

Lois Hoitenga Roelofs ’62 Jan. 11, 2026, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Tila Betts Christians ’70 Feb. 9, 2026, Fort Irwin, Calif.

Carol Gebben Rooze ’61 Jan. 20, 2026, Broomfield, Colo.

Mary De Boer ’72 May 2, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Laura Schuring ’62 March 19, 2026, Kalamazoo, Mich. Raymond Simmelink ’64 Feb. 8, 2026, Saint Joseph, Mich. Peter Sonderfan ’65 Sept. 20, 2025, West End, N.C. John Stegink ’60 May 7, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich. Eileen Hoekema Sterk ex’63 May 1, 2026, Bellingham, Wash. Grethel Steigenga Ten Harmsel ’61 Dec. 18, 2024, Carmel, Ind. Thomas Vanden Bosch ’63 March 29, 2026, Holland, Mich. Thurston “Lee” Vanden Bosch ’60 June 29, 2025, Grandville, Mich. Epke Vander Berg ’64 Feb. 27, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich. Carl Vander Meulen ’66 Dec. 11, 2025, Menomonie, Wis.

Gerard Dykstra ’72 April 27, 2026, Sun City, Ariz. Samuel Dykstra ex’72 March 31, 2026, White Cloud, Mich. Mary Patterson Fitzgerald ’71 March 14, 2026, Hillman, Mich. Daniel Goris ex’77 April 12, 2026, Holland, Mich. Hendrieka Weeda Hoftyzer ex’76 Feb. 28, 2026, Rushmore, Minn. Lynne Saagman Hopkins ex’78 Jan. 15, 2026, Oshkosh, Wis. Helen Brightrall Keehner ’76 March 6, 2026, New York, N.Y. Melissa Speshock Kleinfeld ex’74 April 28, 2026, Sparta, Mich. Renee Baker Kloet ex’74 March 3, 2026, Salem, Wis.

Carolyn De Haan Vander Stouw ’60 Jan. 13, 2026, Columbus, Ohio

John Kloosterman ex’70 Feb. 11, 2026, Dewitt, Mich.

Marvin Vander Vliet ’67 May 20, 2025, Jenison, Mich.

Charlene Kuik Los ’74 Feb. 26, 2026, Byron Center, Mich.

Gloria Newhouse Rozema ex’74 March 29, 2026, Fair Lawn, N.J. Joseph Tong ’74 March 24, 2026, Alhambra, Calif. Joseph Van Andel ’78 Dec. 22, 2025, Boulder, Colo. Thys Van Hout ’70 Feb. 24, 2026, Lombard, Ill. Twila Clapp Van Spronsen ex’77 Jan. 9, 2026, Kalamazoo, Mich.

1980s Rick De Marr ex’80 April 7, 2024, Alpena, Mich. William den Hollander ’80 Jan. 17, 2026, Binbrook, Ontario, Canada Keith Dragt ’84 March 27, 2026, Atlanta, Ga. Barbara Fles ex’81 April 13, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich. Robert Postic ’82 April 26, 2026, Dearborn Heights, Mich. Joyce Heyboer Puls ’86 Jan. 31, 2026, Lantana, Fla. Annette Worst Siebelink ex’89 March 17, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich.

1990s Kendal Van Wambeke Barbee ’93 April 1, 2026, Havertown, Pa. Daniel Disselkoen ex’97 Feb. 14, 2026, Grant Park, Ill. Tamra Laninga Groothuis ’98 March 12, 2026, Grandville, Mich. Daniel Holtrop ex’97 May 9, 2026, Middleville, Mich. Dora Sallay ’92 April 14, 2026, Grand Rapids, Mich. Craig Spoelhof ’90 May 7, 2026, Holland, Mich. Anna Lisa Steinfort Stegink ’96 Dec. 7, 2025, Byron Center, Mich.

2010s Sara Evenhouse ’16 May 18, 2026, Westmont, Ill.

At Calvin, he will be remembered not only for his expertise, but also for his commitment to putting others first.

RON SJOERDSMA 1951–2026 A love of people and community sits at the center of Ron Sjoerdsma’s legacy. He died on March 18, 2026, at the age of 75. Sjoerdsma served for 30 years as a professor of education at Calvin. His colleagues describe him as a wise, experienced, and knowledgeable educator. He was also a trailblazer in the use of technology, both on campus and in the broader community. In the early 1990s, he helped the education department explore students’ use of computers for educational purposes. He also conducted research with the Van Andel Institute for Education, developing a number of technology projects for Grand Rapids Public Schools and for programs around the country.

“I would describe Ron as being deeply generous,” said Jane Genzink, a longtime colleague. “He was always available to students outside of class—whether to answer questions about the course or just check in on how they were doing. He extended this same generosity to his colleagues, making time for thoughtful professional and personal conversations.” “I remember his generosity as a department chair,” education professor Albert Boerema said. “He would take on a greater load rather than expect one of the department members to be burdened. When it was time to assign courses, he fulfilled everyone else’s desires, and he took what was left.” He was even known to scrap entire lesson plans, just minutes before class, because he had an idea that he believed would improve the learning experience for his students. Sjoerdsma’s faith was evident in the way he loved others as himself. “His humility and heart stood out. People could see Jesus in Ron,” Dean for the School of Education Brian Bolt said.

IN MEMORIAM The qualities his colleagues came to appreciate—civic hospitality, humility, and a spirit of collaboration—were also evident in his teaching. Stevenson helped prepare students to participate thoughtfully in the political arena.

BILL STEVENSON 1948–2026

Bill Stevenson, who taught in Calvin’s political science department for 22 years, died on May 8, 2026. He was 78 years old. Stevenson came to Calvin in 1989 after receiving a flyer in his mailbox advertising a teaching position at then “Calvin College.” He admits he had never heard of the school but felt compelled to explore the opportunity. It didn’t take long for Stevenson to sense that God had led him to Calvin, or for the Calvin community to realize the gift he would become. “Bill was a cooperative colleague who put departmental considerations and needs over his own personal interests and concerns,” Professor Emeritus Corwin Smidt said.

“He treated students, perhaps especially the difficult ones, with patience and grace,” Professor Emeritus Doug Koopman said. Beyond the classroom, Stevenson produced significant scholarship, authoring important books on the interplay between Christian faith and politics, particularly political thought. His most notable publication is Sovereign Grace: The Place and Significance of Christian Freedom in John Calvin’s Political Thought. “I think he well advanced the notion of Christian political thought and the defense of politics as a legitimate Christian arena—a vocation for those called to work within it, and a civic arena for all of us to be aware of and participate in,” Koopman said. Whether through teaching students, writing for the academy, or serving his colleagues, the qualities Stevenson embodied represented a deep and abiding faith. The lessons he taught—and the character he modeled—remain gifts that will continue to multiply.

HOMECOMING & FAMILY WEEKEND

2026–2027

Arts & Events Calendar

Come home to Calvin—or join us virtually—for arts events, lectures and learning opportunities, and special alumni gatherings. Your presence encourages our student artists and enhances the alumni network!

OCTOBER

FEBRUARY

Oct. 2–3, 9–10 Calvin Theatre Company: Tartuffe and the Hypocrites

Feb. 3–5

Oct. 8 An Evening with Author Sy Montgomery Oct. 8–10 Wisdom in the Age of AI Conference Oct. 12 Orchestra Concert with Grand Rapids Christian High School Oct. 24 Calvin Community Symphony Fall Concert Oct. 30

Capella Concert

Symposium on Worship

Feb. 13 Knights at Broadway Grand Rapids: Beauty and the Beast Feb. 19

Capella Showcase Concert

Feb. 20

Wind Ensemble Concert

Feb. 26–27

Rangeela

Feb. 27 International Alumni Rangeela Reception Feb. 26–27

Siblings Weekend

MARCH March 1–April 16 The Poem as a Graphic Art Exhibition

NOVEMBER Nov. 3 Women’s Chorale & Campus Choir Concert

March 1 Symphonic Band & Rockford Community Band Concert March 4 Orchestra Concerto Tour Concert

Nov. 7

Jazz Band Concert

Nov. 13

Symphonic Band Concert

Nov. 14

Wind Ensemble Concert

March 4 Calvin Community Symphony Spring Concert

Nov. 15

Gospel Choir Concert

March 5–13

Orchestra Spring Break Tour

Nov. 16–Feb. 19

Bolt & Vermeer Art Exhibit

March 19–20

Dance Guild

SEPT. 25

Nov. 20–21

Dance Guild

March 23 Campus Choir & Women’s Chorale Concert

Calvin Music Festival

DECEMBER

SEPT. 26

Dec. 4–5

Calvin Classic 5k Run/ Walk & Youth Fun Run Men’s Soccer vs. Aquinas Homecoming Football Game vs. Olivet

SEPT. 27 Hymnsing with Calvin Alumni Choir, LaGrave Avenue CRC

Oratorio Society: Messiah

APRIL

Dec. 4–5, 10–11 Calvin Theatre Company: The Miracle Worker

April 2–3, 9–10 Calvin Theatre Company: spring musical TBA

Dec. 6

Lessons & Carols

April 7

Jazz Band Concert

Dec. 10 Fall Film & Media Showcase

April 8

Spring Arts Festival

Dec. 11 Calvin Alumni Choir Christmas Concert

April 24–25 Capella Masterworks Concert with Hope College Chapel Choir

Dec. 12 Wind Ensemble Sleigh Ride Christmas Concert

MAY

JANUARY

May 2 Calvin Alumni Choir 50th Anniversary Concert May 7–8

Class of 1977 50-Year Reunion

Jan. 23 The Rivalry Watch Parties

May 8

Commencement

Jan. 30 Celebrate & Connect Women’s Event with Sissy Goff

JUNE

Jan. 18–29

The January Series

June 17–27 Capella and Alumni Choir South Korea Tour

Visit calvin.edu/calendar for times, locations, tickets, livestream links (for non-ticketed events) and schedule updates since publication. Visit calvinknights.com for athletic schedules. Go Knights! 49

CALVIN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 3201 BURTON ST. SE, GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49546

NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID BEAVER DAM, WI PERMIT NO 577

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The CALL program invites adults of all ages—alumni and spouses, Calvin parents and grandparents, and all community members—to explore great American speeches with Jim Bratt, AI for everyday life with Jon VerLee, the gospel of John with Gary Burge, British detective fiction with Jan Simonson, movies with Roy Anker, and much more.call@calvin.edu (616) 526-8777 CALL members also enjoy biking, writing, and knitting groups; special events; and group travel opportunities.

1,200 MEMBERS

34 FALL COURSES 90% OF COURSES AVAILABLE ONLINE

The best part? The annual membership fee is waived for new members for the first year! Annual membership fee (after first year): $40 Course fees: $10/session (Courses meet for 1–4 sessions) Explore CALL and request a curriculum guide: www.calvin.edu/call

call@calvin.edu (616) 526-8777

1,200 MEMBERS

34 FALL COURSES 90% OF COURSES AVAILABLE ONLINE

call@calvin.edu (616) 526-8777