Faithful to the maroon and gold, Calvin Knights Armor Up each day—pursuing excellence in competition and developing the leadership, discipline, and character that define champions on and off the field.
Calvin University equips students to think deeply, to act justly, and to live wholeheartedly as Christ’s agents of renewal in the world.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Calvin University is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA). To learn more about the CRC’s work in North America and around the world, visit crcna.org
Calvin University is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). For more information, visit cccu.org
Telephone: 616-526-6142. Email: spark@calvin.edu Spark on the web: calvin.edu/spark
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FEATURES
10
KEEPING LEARNING HUMAN
Calvin faculty discern AI’s promise—and its limits.
16
STRONGER TOGETHER
Beyond the diploma, Calvin alumni build a global network of community, friendship, support.
20
150 YEARS. ONE MISSION.
Think deeply. Act justly. Live wholeheartedly. Nine alumni lead with a mission that belongs to all of us.
Calvin faculty join the AI debate: “The fundamental technologies of AI are a gift of God that we must cultivate with his wisdom.” —Ken Arnold, associate professor of computer science
Linda Den Hartigh Vermeulen ’78 (West Bloomfield, Mich.)
Wei Wang ’14 (Portage, Mich.)
Eliezer Yeong ’18 (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
Eric Yulianto ’02 (Mason, Ohio)
Johanna Chambery Zandstra ’91 (Schererville, Ind.)
ONLINE SUBSCRIPTION
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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.
Kagenza Rumongi ’18 mentors Africa’s future leaders while strengthening education and family.
Reimagine. Reform. Renew.
MEETING HIGHER EDUCATION’S CROSSROADS WITH COURAGE AND PURPOSE
“At Calvin, we are not standing still. We are proactively transforming to prepare students for a workplace and world increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence, while maintaining our strong liberal arts foundation.”
— GREG ELZINGA ’90 UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT
Over the past seven months, I’ve visited 28 alumni communities to celebrate Calvin’s 150th anniversary with many of you. What a wonderful whirlwind of activity it has been. In all my travels, I have been blessed with stories about what it means to belong to the Calvin alumni network. As we wrap up the celebration year, I think it’s fitting to look toward Calvin’s future. This issue, I’ve invited President Greg Elzinga to the column to share some of his thoughts about the headwinds and opportunities on the road ahead. Despite challenges, I am certain of one thing: the mission and future of Calvin University belong to each one of us, and for that I am deeply grateful.
JEFF HAVERDINK ’97 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT
Higher education in the United States stands at a crossroads. National demographic shifts, declining birth rates, and changing perceptions about the value of a college degree have created unprecedented challenges. Between 2010 and 2021, undergraduate enrollment dropped by roughly 2.7 million, and the enrollment cliff is now a reality. Rising tuition, skepticism about return on investment, and the rapid integration of artificial intelligence into the workforce have intensified these pressures.
Yet, amid these headwinds, I am deeply optimistic about Calvin University’s future. Disruption often sparks innovation—and for Christian higher education, this is a defining moment to reimagine and reaffirm our mission: educating and sending students to live, work, and serve as Christ’s agents of renewal in the world.
Families today are asking hard questions: Is college worth it? What is the lifetime value of a degree? While skepticism persists, research shows that the longterm return on investment for a liberal arts education remains strong. Liberal arts graduates experience rapid wage growth later in their careers and demonstrate adaptability across professions.
But at Calvin, we believe the value of education extends far beyond earnings. The true worth lies in cultivating intellectual agility, ethical leadership, and resilience—qualities that matter more than ever in a world reshaped by technology and uncertainty. Christian universities,
with their holistic approach, are uniquely positioned to deliver this value.
At Calvin, we are not standing still. We are proactively transforming to prepare students for a workplace and world increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence, while maintaining our strong liberal arts foundation. Our academic programs align with workforce needs while preserving the distinctives that make a Calvin education transformative.
Our vision emphasizes whole-person formation—integrating Christian faith and learning to develop graduates with the ethical, moral, and professional framework for lives of leadership and service.
In a fragmented and uncertain culture, a Calvin education has always offered something rare: the formation of competent professionals and compassionate leaders, grounded in Christian faith and committed to service.
As alumni, we have an opportunity to tell a compelling story: a Calvin education is not just about earning a degree—it’s about discovering a calling, cultivating wisdom, and contributing to the common good in every industry, civil service, classroom, or home.
I hope that as you make your way through the pages of Spark and read stories of alumni transforming their square inch of God’s world, you’ll find cause to celebrate your own stories, too.
CALVIN // NEWS
BY
THE NUMBERS
A $3.2 million gift from the estate of Sharon Dykstra Whalen ’71 and Robert Whalen will provide multiple students each year with a $3,000 renewable scholarship. The funds are intended to reduce financial barriers and support students in pursuing a transformative Christian liberal arts education.
$900+B
A sizeable gift from Michael Van Woerkom ’95 and Wendi DeVries VanWoerkom ’96 will support the long-term growth of the university’s new aerospace engineering concentration and a $900+ billion global aerospace industry.
$3.2M 3,000 fans
Thanks to generous donors, this spring Calvin is breaking ground on phase two of its new on-campus football and lacrosse stadium, adding 3,000 permanent seats, a press box, enhanced game-day infrastructure, and other fan-forward amenities.
24/7, 365
John Wiesehan is an accomplished engineer, entrepreneur, founder of Protherm Corporation, and a parent of two Calvin grads. He designed, funded, and helped install custom-engineered components for Calvin’s boilers— systems that run 24/7, 365 days a year—making them more efficient and easier to maintain.
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Adding a Nutrition Lab
The School of Health recently opened the new Nutrition Lab—a dedicated teaching space designed to prepare students for careers in health fields that are increasingly focused on preventative medicine through nutrition. The space’s flexible design allows it to function as a kitchen, a 36-seat classroom, and a research lab.
“I love the mix of being able to learn more nutritional information from the teachings and then visualize what good nutrition actually looks like through the hands-on labs.”
A group of Calvin students attended what is considered the premiere Model United Nations conference in the Midwest, competing alongside more than 1,000 students from 67 colleges and universities. Representing Kenya, Calvin’s Model UN team earned the Overall Best Delegation Award—the highest honor given and a first in school history.
Training in cybersecurity
In fall 2026, Calvin will offer students an opportunity to earn a cybersecurity certificate, which will equip them with principles and practical skills for protecting information, end hosts, and networks from cyber threats. The addition is a response to interest from prospective students and industry demand.
Academic honors for athletes
Calvin’s history of student-athlete success continues with women’s volleyball athlete Aerin Baker ’26 and men’s soccer player Matt Torrell ’28 earning Academic All-America honors. To date, 168 Calvin students have received the prestigious national honor from the College Sports Communicators, placing the university within the Top 10 among all NCAA Division III schools.
Browse Calvin history in Chimes
With support from the alumni association, Heritage Hall has digitized another 50 years of Chimes, Calvin’s student newspaper. Find issues from the fall of 1959 to the present. Explore favorite Calvin memories at digitalcommons.calvin.edu
Opening a new art exhibition space
The former home of the Spoelhof Café has been transformed into a new exhibition space for student art. The Spoelhof Student Art Gallery features natural lighting from large windows and iconic Calvin architecture. It has already hosted a few student exhibits, including an April event organized to coincide with the Spring Arts Festival.
STAY CONNECTED
Read the full-length stories and more campus news at calvin.edu/news
RUNNING WITH SOPHIE
BY EVANGELINE ANGA ’28
With 800 meters to go in the national steeplechase final, Sophie Bull ’26 stopped dwelling on her nerves and locked in on the finish in the rain. Rain poured, barriers kept rising, and the runners behind her began to fade. By the bell lap, Bull had opened a gap that carried her to the line as the NCAA Division III champion in the 3,000 meter steeplechase.
The steeplechase pairs distance racing with fixed barriers and a water jump each lap. Bull finished in 10:11.73, a Calvin record and one of the fastest Division III times.
Bull began running in her junior year of high school at Denver Christian. She became the 2025 Great Lakes Regional women’s cross country athlete of the year and won the regional 6K in Louisville, Kentucky. Across cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track, she has earned five All America honors.
Off the results sheet, Bull introduces herself simply. She is from Denver, Colorado, majors in kinesiology, and values time outdoors and with family and friends. She has spent the last two seasons as a co-captain, helping plan team events and keeping teammates motivated.
After graduation, Bull plans to stay in Grand Rapids and work for a year before graduate school to become a physician assistant. She also hopes to keep running for the foreseeable future. This indoor season, she opened with a 5K at GVSU that should qualify her for the indoor national meet in Birmingham, Alabama in March.
CHAMPIONSHIP
WINTER
TRACK SWEEPS THE MIAA INDOOR TITLES. HOCKEY SKATES INTO CHAMPIONSHIPS AND NATIONAL TOURNAMENTS.
The Calvin men’s and women’s track and field teams captured MIAA Indoor Track and Field titles, marking the first time since 2017 that both Calvin teams took home the top spot. The teams were led by MIAA Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year Adam Haldorson.
The Calvin ACHA D3 hockey team captured the MCHC league title for the first time since 2006. Led by MCHC Coach of the Year Austin Huizenga, the Knights were ranked No. 1 in the country and earned a bid to the ACHA D3 National Tournament. Calvin’s ACHA D1 team, led by Coach Josh Petrusma, also secured a bid to the ACHA D1 National Tournament.
BY
JEFF FEBUS ’92
KEEPING LEARNING HUMAN
CALVIN FACULTY DISCERN AI’S PROMISE—AND ITS LIMITS
Across Calvin University, faculty and staff are confronting the rise of artificial intelligence with a mix of pragmatism and conviction, asking what this technology means for teaching and learning. These campus leaders describe a moment that demands discernment, clarity, and a renewed commitment to the practices that form thoughtful, ethical, and adaptable graduates.
STEWARDING AI THROUGH A REFORMED FRAMEWORK
Derek Schuurman, professor and department chair of computer science
The remarkable advances in AI have generated a range of predictions—from a coming Utopia to dire warnings of human extinction. As Reformed Christians, we recognize that AI represents part of the latent possibilities in God’s good creation, but a possibility that can be misdirected by sin. While many researchers focus on what AI can do, we need to begin to discern what we ought to do with AI. As Christians, we are called to exercise freedom and responsibility to direct AI in ways that answer God’s call to love our neighbor and to care for the earth and its creatures.
Calvin engineers and computer science students have been taught to use a set of design norms that are derived from Reformed Christian philosophy and can be used to guide responsible engineering and inform AI design decisions. These include considerations like justice, cultural appropriateness, social norms, aesthetics, care, trust, and stewardship. These norms help direct technology, like AI, in ways that can bring shalom nearer.
One of my dreams is to establish a Center for Faith and Technology at Calvin to enable the university to present a public, credible, and Christian voice on AI and other new emerging technology issues. Such a center could serve the church and Christian education but also speak into the shaping of public policy with a voice that is both biblical and relevant. I think Calvin has both the technical as well as the theological and philosophical depth to provide a clear, moral voice amid the ongoing disruptions as AI continues to unfold.
RECOVERING THE HUMAN DIMENSION OF LEARNING
Katie Day Good, associate professor of communication
AI has complicated college life, but it has also prompted faculty and students to reflect more deeply on the value of a college education. AI can churn out information and imagery in a sophisticated, humanlike manner, but it cannot think, feel, or empathize. Those capacities emerge in a human community and particularly a Christian, liberal arts community like Calvin.
This perspective comes not only from faculty but from students. In the past year, I’ve been heartened by the number of student-authored op-eds in the Chimes, blog posts, and AI guidance documents that urge a discerning, cautious, and faithful approach to AI. They suggest that students want more than practical skills in AI use; they also want the cultural, historical, theological, and domain knowledge to live and work wisely in a world of sophisticated technology.
Paradoxically, equipping students for wisdom in the AI age requires giving them some reprieve from the digital platforms and devices that have come to dominate daily life. While using AI remains essential in some classes and computers should always be available for students with accommodations, it is also important for students to have the space and time to think, speak, write, and relate to others without AI’s assistance.
For this reason, many of my classes are intentionally low-tech. I place greater importance on oral rhetoric, presentations, and discussions than I did in the past. Students complete most writing in-class, by hand, and sometimes over multiple sessions. Far from feeling like a step backward toward antiquated methods, this move has felt instead like a step forward toward reaffirming students’ authentic voices and the humanity of the teacherstudent relationship.
A ‘BRAIN-FIRST, AI-SECOND’ APPROACH
Philip Johnson, associate professor of business
Within the School of Business (CUSB), we’ve adopted a “brain-first, AI-second” approach to ensure that technology supports—not replaces—human learning. Like most people, students naturally gravitate toward efficient answers, so we hold honest conversations with them about when AI is helpful and when it undermines learning. Sometimes the guidance is as simple as, “Don’t use AI on this assignment because you need to learn XX and YY, and AI will prevent that.” Defining purpose is essential.
At the same time, we also create AI-powered agents in some courses to help students study, negotiate, or receive faster feedback. These tools are used heavily across CUSB and, when applied thoughtfully, enhance the learning process.
I believe the kind of learning we cultivate at Calvin— learning that embraces ambiguity, wrestles with uncertainty, and forms whole persons—is increasingly essential in an AI-saturated world. Our mission to equip graduates as Christ’s agents of renewal is not only relevant but urgently needed.
The ethical questions surrounding AI are real. AI can displace or dehumanize work, and we must resist that even as we acknowledge the need for efficiency. AI also consumes significant power and resources, raising environmental concerns that must be weighed alongside its benefits. These tensions require thoughtful, principled engagement.
The theological foundation that shapes my teaching—that we are image-bearers of God called to be like God in relation to others—remains unchanged. What has changed is the context in which we apply this. One of the best parts of my work is wrestling with questions alongside colleagues who bring deep expertise and good-faith engagement.
“THE GOAL SHOULD BE TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO HARNESS THE FUNCTIONS OF AI THAT MAKE LEARNING MORE EFFICIENT WITHOUT REPLACING IT.”
—Emily Bosscher
A SOPHISTICATED TOOL FOR LEARNING
Emily
Bosscher, peer support coordinator and academic counselor
Like so many other aspects of education, ethics plays a crucial role in the use of AI. The more we talk about AI as a tool and help students understand the value of using it appropriately, perhaps the better we can be about resisting the temptation to let it “do our work for us.”
For a generation that has mastered the life-hack (and in many good ways!), this is a place where a hack should not be about having AI give the answers, but figuring out how to use it to hack effective and efficient learning (and I believe this is possible).
In the tutoring center, we use AI to review concepts, simplify difficult ideas, or offer study skill support. For all its capabilities, ChatGPT is not going to be present with students during a test, so it is still crucial that students learn how to apply processes and formulas for themselves. The goal should be to understand how to harness the functions of AI that make learning more efficient without replacing it.
WRITING SHOULD BE HARD
Kristine Johnson, professor of English, university rhetoric director
When I became the Rhetoric Center director, my thenthird grader thought the center needed a motto. He wrote “writing is hard but fun” on the whiteboard, and we never erased it. The second part of the sentence may feel debatable, but the first part is true: writing is hard. Because writing is hard, it is a way of learning. Through the very act of writing, we discover new ideas, and we understand our ideas in new ways.
Generative AI allows writers to skip over the hard process straight to a final product. I argue that there is value in learning to write the hard way, and this value is at the heart of a liberal arts education. One goal of our core curriculum is that students will “communicate effectively using rhetorical strategies.”
Using rhetorical strategies means asking these kinds of questions: is my argument interesting? Are my ideas in the best order to make my point? Am I considering the culture of my audience? Another core goal is for students to “critically evaluate sources using current information literacy skills.” We want students to use information responsibly, and we want them to value truth.
In the liberal arts curriculum, it is appropriate and beneficial for students to learn without generative AI as a primary tool. Learning the hard way helps students develop a flexible approach to communication, to grow in curiosity, reflection, and empathy. These students will know how to adapt AI-generated text, how to fact-check, and, critically, they will know that they must do these things to be ethical, effective communicators.
PREPARING STUDENTS FOR CHRISTIAN VOCATION
Courtney Banks-Tatum, director of the Career Center
At the Career Center, we help students understand their work not merely as economic survival, but as participation in God’s redemptive work. This theological grounding equips graduates to approach their careers with humility, courage, and a commitment to the common good—qualities that matter deeply in workplaces facing ethical, social, and technological disruption.
When used well, AI can enhance the student experience as a tool for informed decision-making. It helps students navigate job uncertainty by providing timely labor-market insights and exploratory tools that connect academic interests with emerging opportunities. It can also assist with résumé feedback and interview preparation.
Yet AI cannot replace the human work of mentoring students as they discern calling, values, and direction. Its proper role is to complement—not substitute for— relationship and responsibility.
In a labor market where technical skills evolve rapidly and can quickly become outdated, liberal arts learning cultivates durable capacities: critical thinking, clear communication, ethical judgment, and the ability to engage complexity with wisdom. Employers consistently note these strengths in Calvin graduates.
The most employable graduates are not trained for a single role but equipped for lifelong learning—combining transferable skills with vocational discernment rooted in a Christian understanding of calling.
“THE FUNDAMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES OF AI ARE A GIFT OF GOD THAT WE MUST CULTIVATE WITH HIS WISDOM.”
—Ken Arnold Associate professor of computer science
THE REAL QUESTION IS NOT TECHNOLOGICAL BUT HUMAN
Craig Mattson, Arthur DeKruyter Chair in Faith and Communication
When ChatGPT burst on the scene back in the early 2020s, I kept hoping that somehow we would get beyond it. Maybe it’s all hype, I thought. Or maybe it’s going to be great, and we’ll all become massively productive.
But what I really wanted to know was, how do we get beyond this exhausting toggle of naïve optimism and deep anxiety?
You can’t put the question into a chatbot. Well, you can, but only if you want an infographic or a plastically perfect op-ed. Besides, I’ve come to think of “how do we get beyond this” as the wrong question. In an age when large language models manage to be uncannily personable and scarily efficient, the more important question is Wendell Berry’s: “What are humans for?”
Answering that question doesn’t enable us to escape our technological moment. But it does make us aware of what is larger than the moment.
I’m writing this in a coffee shop. Across from me, a couple is holding hands. At another table, a sixty-something man sits with a slant of sun falling across his face as he listens to his conversation partner. That handclasp and that listening presence are simple realities so much larger than any concept our most powerful language model could use to describe them.
For Christians, getting to what’s beyond our technological moment entails attention to the Incarnation. There, we find God’s determination to go beyond self-interestedness to share in suffering, grief, joy, and uncertainty. However AI enables or disables our species, I hope we can keep finding ways to move in that same way—beyond the self into generosity and care for one another.
YOU’RE INVITED!
Thursday, Oct. 8–Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026
Hosted by Calvin University and cosponsored by the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), this conference brings together leading voices at the intersection of technology and Christian thought.
The conference will include as keynotes Paolo Benanti (the “Pope’s AI guy”), Rosalind Picard (MIT Media Lab), author and speaker Andy Crouch (Praxis), and director of AI innovation at CNN Ryan Struyk ’14
The event also offers six focused tracks exploring the role of artificial intelligence in education, church, business, healthcare, the arts, and STEM.
Join top Christian thinkers, practitioners, and the broader public to explore how faith can shape the responsible development and use of AI, while advancing human flourishing and contributing to shalom
TOGETHER STRONGER
BY SARA KORBER-DEWEERD ’00
Knights for Life aren’t just a maroon and gold-wearing, Rivalry game-cheering, nostalgia-loving crowd scattered in far-flung places. They also comprise a global community of friends and mentors eager to support one another. From new friendships that open unexpected doors to alumni who mentor, hire, and champion the next generation, these connections shape careers and foster community well into the post-Calvin years.
FIND COMMUNITY—WHEREVER YOU LAND
As a student from Nigeria who followed his two sisters to Calvin, Glory Emmanuel ’19 appreciated how quickly he built friendships on campus with peers from around the world. As an alumnus, those connections endure.
When he decided to job search in the U.S., he leaned on the Career Center, then turned to the wider Calvin network, connecting with fellow Knight Investment Management teammate Jeff Meitler ’16, who lived in the San Francisco area at the time. Meitler helped Emmanuel navigate the local culture, understand the professional landscape, and even helped him secure housing.
On a recent trip to Asia, Emmanuel reunited with friends and acquaintances, meeting Calvin alumni in South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines.
In times of struggle, staying connected has continued to open new doors. This past year, Emmanuel received a gene therapy for sickle cell disease, a genetic condition most prevalent among people of color. The transformative treatment prompted him to start a nonprofit called Rare Hope for those dealing with similar diagnoses. Four Calvin alumni sit on the board of Emmanuel’s young foundation. “We’re currently partnering with the UCSF Sickle Cell Center of Excellence to create social media content to promote public awareness and improved access to treatment options for sickle cell warriors,” he says.
“Mike let us take the reins, which allowed us to showcase our skills as a group.”
JACK NIELSEN ’25
PAY IT FORWARD, KNIGHT STYLE
For Mike Wolf ’06, giving back means helping the next generation of Calvin alumni enter the workforce equipped with practical skills and industry experience. His own career path began with a Calvin Action Project (CAP) at The Stow Company in 2005. That experience— and the mentorship of marketing professor Bob Eames— helped him to build a career that has spanned 20 years with the same company. “I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Bob,” says Wolf, Stow’s vice president of brand management. “He opened a lot of doors in the early days of my career.”
Every year for the last 15 years, Wolf has returned to campus as a guest presenter to share his expertise in some of Calvin’s business classes. But Calvin students also come to him.
As part of his senior CAP, Jack Nielsen ’25 and his team partnered with Wolf, who asked Nielson and his classmates to research, evaluate, and propose brand partnerships that could open new revenue streams for one of Stow’s brands.
“Mike let us take the reins, which allowed us to showcase our skills as a group,” Nielsen says. The experience gave him newfound confidence that eased his transition into a marketing role at Detroit Continental.
KICK-START A CAREER, DISCOVER A FRIEND
Since 2020, Calvin’s master of accounting mentoring program has paired graduate students with alumni mentors who share insights and guide them into professional life. Assurance and audit manager Cameron Earnshaw ’17 was among the first cohort of mentors for the program. He worked closely with his mentee, Owen Brookhouse ’20, now a senior accounting analyst. As a mentor, Earnshaw offered Brookhouse practical advice on topics like workplace communication and exam preparation.
Brookhouse, who grew up in a small town on the East Coast, also appreciated connecting with Earnshaw when he relocated to Chicago for his first job. Their similarity in age and living in the same city made the friendship that followed natural and meaningful.
Six years later, the two young professionals talk regularly and belong to the same club volleyball team. “Owen and I have lots in common outside of accounting: shared interests in sports, comedy shows, golf, and good food, which makes it easy to stay connected,” Earnshaw says.
BUILD A DREAM TEAM
When Stephanie Vogelzang ’07 wanted to start a physical education and athletic department at the classical Christian school she helped found in Arlington, Virginia, she turned to the dean of Calvin’s School of Education, Brian Bolt.
Bolt, who is also the golf coach, introduced her to golfer and education major Jackson Glanzer ’25. Vogelzang was beyond thrilled when Glanzer said yes to the daunting task of becoming Tyndale’s first athletic director and building a program from the ground up. She says she knew Glanzer was the right hire when he took one look at the school parking lot and its proximity to a local park and told her, “I can work with that.”
In addition to teaching physical and outdoor education, Glanzer also launched a running club and introduced competitive track and field this spring. He says he is committed to building a “robust disciple-making program where students know the joy of sport.”
Vogelzang says, “Our kids and families adore him.”
BY MATT KUCINSKI
150 years, one mission
ALUMNI WHO LEAD AS AGENTS OF RENEWAL
Imagine tens of thousands of people spread out from Seattle to New York, Toronto to London, Cairo to Seoul. Picture them serving in every sector imaginable in hundreds of countries and thousands of cities. They’re not only working a job—they’re living out a calling that doesn’t clock out at the end of the workday.
They are ethical business leaders, truth-seeking journalists, and compassionate physicians; innovative engineers, empathetic educators, and bridge-building politicians; justice-seeking lawyers, faithful filmmakers, and passionate humanitarians—alumni who believe in Christ’s promise to make all things new.
In 1876, this would have seemed like a pipe dream. But this is what happens when an institution remains committed for 150 years to equipping generations of students to think deeply, act justly, and live wholeheartedly as Christ’s agents of renewal in the world.
TONY NORMAN ’84
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Tony Norman is an award-winning writer who, for more than three decades, used his column in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to speak difficult truths as a form of justice-seeking.
“Sometimes telling the truth requires upending uncomfortable cultural and political assumptions and looking under rocks. As long as you can do that without fear or favor, you are fulfilling your responsibilities. … You [can] be a Christian and a fiery critic of the status quo at the same time. … They aren’t in contradiction; they are, in fact, a vital part of the Christian witness and experience.”
LT. GENERAL
MICHAEL GROEN ’86
Washington, D.C.
Michael Groen is a recognized technology leadership expert who, for over 35 years, demonstrated good character and ethical leadership as the director of the Department of Defense’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center.
“I would recommend military service or civil service to any grad. It is enormously rewarding, and it demands persons of character. When you take a step back and look at how you approach your life, your job, you realize that character is built at places like Calvin. I knew I had a good foundation, an ethical baseline, and that is so important in this work.”
MEREDITH WIGGERS HEINTZ ’93
St. Louis, Missouri
For nearly two decades, Meredith Wiggers Heintz has discovered joy in her work as head of school at Promise Christian Academy, a school that integrates therapeutic activities with learning for students with disabilities.
“At Promise, we don’t just look at the child’s disabilities but their abilities. … It brings me immense joy to work with children with learning differences. I love learning how their brains work and how they interact with the world around them.”
KRISTEN STYF ROLLERSON ’98
Denver, Colorado
For more than 20 years, Kristen Styf Rollerson has been serving others in their full humanity as executive director of Sun Valley Youth Center, located in one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Denver.
“It’s not what I thought I would be doing when I graduated from Calvin. But God puts you in a place and time to serve and love people as he would. … We really try to think outside the box, creatively, about what we can offer that would be the most beneficial, the most relevant.”
ANNE ZAKI ’99
Cairo, Egypt
When approximately 100,000 Christians left Egypt in 2011 because of the Egyptian revolution, Anne Zaki, her husband, and their four sons faithfully followed a calling to return to their home country despite the dangers. Today, Zaki is an assistant professor of practical theology at a seminary in Cairo.
“We couldn’t just stand and watch. So, we prayed. We sensed that this is now our world’s greatest need, and nothing will bring us greater joy than to be with our own people and then to come into that gap to raise the next generation of Egyptian Christians.”
YAW BEDIAKO ’04
Accra, Ghana
In 2021, Yaw Bediako co-founded Yemaachi Biotech, a cutting-edge biotechnology research company based in Ghana, with fellow alum David Hutchful ’02. He is restoring justice and equity in healthcare through creating the world’s most diverse cancer bio-database to develop the next generation of cancer drugs that are effective in diverse populations.
“In healthcare there is so much disparity based on skin color, socioeconomic status, and where you live on the globe. You may not live as long simply based on where you find yourself. That is not just. What I’m trying to do with Yemaachi is to be part of that redemptive arc, so that children in Ghana, Nigeria, or Kenya don’t have to die [unnecessarily] of diseases like leukemia.”
NATE KNAPPER ’08
Washington, D.C.
In 2018, Nate Knapper, an attorney and FBI special agent, founded The Joseph Project, a nonprofit organization that works to provide justice for human trafficking survivors by meeting their legal needs. Inspired by the story of Joseph who was trafficked by his own brothers in the biblical book of Genesis, Knapper is empowering survivors to move forward with the dreams they hold for their lives, no longer encumbered by the collateral damage connected to their exploitation.
“Being an ‘agent of renewal’ means working to translate God’s idea of human flourishing into reality for someone else. In doing so, we can usher in a small measure of the Kingdom of God— right here, right now. In my case, this work involves leveraging the law to promote justice for the exploited.”
JORDAN BRINK ’15
New York, New York
Jordan Brink is an assistant coach for the New York Knicks, where his coaching philosophy goes well beyond helping players improve their performance on the court.
“I feel uniquely positioned by God to work in professional sports, specifically the NBA, to be a light in what is a highly competitive, pressure-packed industry. Connecting with players about their purpose and what motivates them helps me as a coach get the best out of them. Faith in the NBA is very active and alive, and I find meaning in trying to help others in our league grow in that area of their life … not just on the court.”
MYLA KAR ’24
Grand Rapids, Michigan
As an associate strategist at Grey Matter Group, an award-winning marketing and design agency, Myla Kar helps her clients strategize creative ways to achieve their marketing goals. A number of her clients are faith-based organizations, and she helps them tell their story in a way that allows them to have greater reach and impact.
“One client is working to translate the Bible to all people groups, and I get to help make social media content that engages people who may have otherwise never been interested in the Bible.”
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.
Co-founder of Concerto Biosciences, Cheri Ackerman Araromi is reshaping the future of biotechnology by harnessing the hidden power of microbes to improve human health.
Read more profiles online calvin.edu/spark
CHERI ACKERMAN ARAROMI ’11
JOSH LINS ’16
Josh Lins rose quickly to career heights at the Cleveland Cavaliers, bringing drive, loyalty, and leadership to his role as senior vice president of premium and ticket sales.
From the United Nations to African Leadership University, Kagenza Rumongi is mentoring the next generation of Africa’s leaders.
KAGENZA RUMONGI ’18
Josh Lins ’16 Marketing and sport management Senior vice president of premium and ticket sales, Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland, Ohio
Making Magic in the Stands
Josh Lins ’16 didn’t ease into his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers–he started on the day history was made. Day one on the job coincided with Game One of the NBA Finals, the season the Cavs rallied from a 3–1 deficit to capture the championship.
“Before I even finished onboarding, I was being handed a championship ring and walking in a parade,” Lins says. “It was surreal.”
Today, Lins is the team’s senior vice president of premium and ticket sales. Over the past decade, he has navigated the organization’s highs and lows while working to elevate the fan experience regardless of the scoreboard.
STAY THE COURSE
During the Cavaliers’ four straight NBA Finals appearances, “it didn’t take a good salesperson to make a sale,” Lins says. But when the team’s standing dropped, ticket sales followed. Then, in 2020, the pandemic halted sports altogether.
“My job was essentially irrelevant,” he recalls. “There was no playbook for success in a moment like this. Yet it was an opportunity to demonstrate that I was capable of being a good leader.”
In an industry that often experiences swings in demand, Lins has helped the Cavaliers build a streak of more than 180 consecutive sell-outs, sustained by marketing strategies he continues to refine. “We’re focused on a year-round membership with exclusive benefits that help create loyalty,” he explains.
Young professionals in his field often move from team to team to grow their careers, but Lins has stayed rooted in Cleveland. “I believe we have one of the strongest cultures in all of sports,” he says. “If you have credible leaders who care about you and who continually provide you new opportunities, there’s no reason to look elsewhere.”
As a senior vice president, he now works to provide that same support for his staff of 80. “Helping someone else get promoted is much more fulfilling than getting promoted myself at this point.”
KNIGHT FOR LIFE
Lins’ work ethic developed early. He got his first job at the age of eight, working on a blueberry farm—followed by a decade of summers at a greenhouse. A Christian school education also gave him a strong foundation and guided him toward Calvin. “I wanted to finish my education in a similar environment,” Lins says. “My high school mascot was a Knight, so I joke that I took ‘Knight for Life’ to a whole new level.”
“You don’t know the person on your left or your right, but by the end of the game, you’re high-fiving, you’re hugging. No matter your differences, for those few hours, you have one common goal. Seeing our fan community band together—that’s something that really fulfills me.”
A FAIR SHOT
As much as he loves his work, Lins keeps it in perspective, and his faith guides his relationships and priorities. “The ultimate leader in history is Christ. You can be confident and still have humility. I try to share the Gospel one-on-one, but sometimes it’s simply a matter of how I lead or where I give my time.” His career achievements and
“Adversity breeds opportunity. The hardship itself doesn’t define you.”
At Calvin, he first majored in education, considering a career in coaching or athletic administration, but campus opportunities nudged him toward marketing and sport management.
An internship with the Grand Rapids Drive, a part-time job at the fieldhouse, and coaching eighth grade basketball at Ada Christian Middle School proved formative. “Those opportunities wouldn’t have been available to me if it weren’t for Calvin,” says Lins, who also valued the close-knit community he found there.
MAGIC IN THE STANDS
For Lins, basketball is more than just a game; he values the way athletics brings fans together and generates camaraderie.
civic contributions earned him recognition in Cleveland’s 2025 “40 Under 40.”
Lins serves on the executive board for Pathway Caring for Children, a Cleveland nonprofit focused on foster care, adoption, and mental health services. “I really like aligning with organizations that give kids a fair shot at life. I think everyone deserves that at the early stages of their life.”
Reflecting on his path, he offers this takeaway: “Adversity breeds opportunity. The hardship itself doesn’t define you. Stay curious. Keep a growth mindset. Be consistently reliable instead of occasionally extraordinary—even when it’s hard to be the person who never gives up.”
While scientific research once centered on eradicating microbes, Cheri Ackerman Araromi ’11 harnesses their hidden powers. These invisible bacteria, fungi, and viruses are vital to the health and resilience of ecosystems everywhere—from human bodies to plants and animals.
“Microbial ecosystems are like cities of people,” Ackerman Araromi says. “Much like a community is greater than the sum of its individual members, the microbiome works this way, too.”
ENTREPRENEUR SCIENTISTS
Ackerman Araromi, Jared Kehe, and Bernardo Cervantes, who first collaborated as trainees at MIT, co-founded Concerto Biosciences in 2020, a company dedicated to improving human and environmental health. Today, the startup is building a scientific future with the potential to transform everything from beauty products and nutrition to crop yields and cancer treatments.
Kehe invented and patented the biotechnology enabling Concerto’s therapeutic and directto-consumer products. After launching their company, the entrepreneurs applied kChip to develop a novel treatment for eczema, a skin condition affecting up to 20% of children and 10% of adults globally (National Eczema Association) and costing the U.S. economy $5 billion annually. Concerto’s microbe-based eczema treatment has performed consistently well in clinical trials and is moving through further testing toward FDA approval.
BUILDING A HEALTHIER FUTURE THROUGH RESEARCH
KChip technology constructs and tests microbial communities, unprecedented scale and speed. The resulting data trains kAI, Concerto’s AI tool that predicts how new communities will behave. “This allows us to build the largest data sets in the world on how natural microbial ecosystems work,” Ackerman Araromi says. “And that makes
“I value holding faith and science as two revelations of God in the world.”
us the best company in the world to design products that have the beneficial properties of those communities.”
Concerto is now developing treatments for acne, body odor, dandruff, and chronic wounds. “What ties them all together is the microbes—the good bacteria and fungi—that grow on our bodies. They help protect us from other pathogenic microbes, train our immune systems, and aid digestion. We want to translate that into reliable products; it’s difficult and exciting.”
CLOSED DOORS UNLOCK NEW OPPORTUNITIES
Ackerman Araromi entered Calvin on a pre-med track but discovered a passion for research in her first-year biology class. Professor David Koetje helped her secure an internship at the Van Andel Institute the summer before her sophomore year. “I lost my mind from happiness,” Ackerman Araromi says of her first experience in a professional research lab.
A Beckman Fellow, she spent the next three years conducting funded research at Calvin. “Going to Calvin was really beautiful. I felt at home in the intellectual rigor there.”
Ackerman Araromi pursued her PhD in chemistry, an experience she describes as both formative and challenging. “Struggling
through failed research projects and tough interpersonal dynamics prompted me to explore options beyond academia,” she says. “I was pretty upset with God. But God made it clear, ‘This period of failure happened so you would know I created your next opportunity.’”
By the time she arrived at MIT, Ackerman Araromi felt a strong pull toward entrepreneurship. “Our team converged in 2019 at a time when kChip filled a clear technical gap in the market,” she says.
In early 2020, while pursuing funding and lab space, the pandemic shut down Boston. Funding still fell into place, and the team secured lab space at Harvard. “In a time of chaos and uncertainty, God supplied everything we needed,” Ackerman Araromi says.
FAITH, HOPE, AND SCIENCE
These days, Ackerman Araromi spends less time in the lab and more time meeting with investors to secure resources needed to advance Concerto’s mission. The task is complex: navigating changes in the federal regulatory landscape requires resilience— and hope. Decreased staffing at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has further slowed an already slow approval process.
“The longer the regulatory process takes, the more costs rise, so investors look at biotech and see that regulatory risk. It’s not good for the typical American patient. Patients don’t get the therapeutic treatments they need to be healthy.”
Behind her determination lies Ackerman Araromi’s commitment to pursuing scientific progress for human flourishing. “I value holding faith and science as two revelations of God in the world. My brain was made by God to be curious about the world, and that is a gift. Using that gift is a way of drawing closer to God.”
Biochemistry
Co-founder and CEO at Concerto Biosciences
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Creating Breakthroughs in Bio-Innovation
Cheri Ackerman Araromi ’11
Shaping Young Leaders for a Stronger Africa
Kagenza Rumongi ’18 International relations Governance mission curator at African Leadership University Kigali, Rwanda
“I was created an African for a reason. I want to make my contribution within the spheres where God has called me.”
When Kagenza Rumongi ’18 first glimpsed Calvin’s motto—“My heart I offer to you, Lord, promptly and sincerely”—something stirred within him. At the end of his campus tour, he submitted his application.
Originally from Rwanda, Rumongi carries deep gratitude for the named scholarships that made his Calvin education possible. Though the experience took him and his wife far from home, it also brought them closer to fulfilling a shared dream.
Rumongi’s Calvin experience is unique: his best college memories happened alongside his daughter, who, as a toddler, loved watching cars race along the beltline from the heights of Calvin’s Crossing. In his classes, he often felt like an “elder brother” who had the privilege of sharing his life experiences with younger classmates— something that influenced his career in youth leadership development.
MENTORING A NEW GENERATION OF LEADERS
Rumongi now serves as a governance mission curator at the African Leadership University’s Kigali campus, mentoring aspiring politicians and policymakers over a three-year period.
“Salvation was my greatest second chance at life,” says Rumongi, who committed his life to Christ as a young man. He calls his faith a “compass,” a guide as he works with students searching for their own futures.
ALU’s motto—“Do hard things”—captures its mission to equip the next generation to address what Rumongi calls “the wicked problems of Africa,” challenges rooted in a colonial era that left the continent struggling socially, politically, and economically. “Africa produced highly educated individuals, but we’re not seeing solutions coming out of this educated class,” he says.
LEARNING ON A MISSION
Rumongi and his colleagues are on a mission to make education more accessible to Africa’s youth. ALU students, many of whom receive scholarships, represent over 40 nationalities, including refugees from places like the Congo and Sudan.
At ALU, students choose both a major and a mission—a problem they believe they can meaningfully address with their education. “Young people are so optimistic, even those who come from difficult places,” Rumongi says. “They are ready to tackle the big problems, and I love their energy and zeal. What I try to do is help them narrow down their mission to something practical they can accomplish in their own communities.”
A YOUNG RWANDAN DIPLOMAT
Rumongi’s early career as a practitioner in government policy provided the experience he now draws on. After graduating from Calvin, he served as a communications officer at the Permanent Mission of Rwanda to the United Nations in New York City, where he covered the UN Third Committee on social, humanitarian, and cultural issues among other portfolios.
“Every country of the world was represented,” Rumongi recalls. “There were brilliant people everywhere I turned. It was a beautiful time to use what I had studied at Calvin.”
Although he loved the work, the pace of life was demanding. After three years, he resigned and returned to Rwanda. “My wife had stayed home with our two children for almost six years,” Rumongi says. “The time was right for her to do something else.”
FAMILY FIRST
Back home, Rumongi centers his life on four pillars: faith, family, leadership, and education. He measures success by his family’s well-being. “In contexts where governments and schools operate amid competing priorities and constrained resources, the family becomes the primary space for a child’s flourishing—the smallest unit through which God’s Kingdom is lived out,” Rumongi says.
In 2021, he and his wife, Lilian, founded an early learning center, Butterfly Academy, with the mission to create a joyful, nurturing environment where children can develop holistically. Originally founded to address a community need the couple recognized during the pandemic, the center continues to thrive.
To serve families well, Lilian is completing a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy at Wheaton College in Illinois. Together, they view their life’s work as a shared calling to leave their beloved Rwanda a better, stronger nation.
“I was created an African for a reason. I want to make my contribution within the spheres where God has called me,” Rumongi says. “I won’t fix everything, but through my unique calling I can leave a lasting impact.”
TRAVEL WITH CALVIN
Historical Footprints Across Southern France
May 1–10, 2027
Host: Karin Maag
Learn the stories of ancient Romans, early French Protestants, and renowned artists while discovering the beauty of Mediterranean France from Montpellier to Nice.
Hawaii: Volcanoes in the Sun
February 9–18, 2027
Host: Gerry Van Kooten
Explore Volcanoes National Park, hike to Mauna Ulu crater, walk through Thurston Lava Tube, enjoy the lush beauty of Akaka Falls and Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, and visit a Kona coffee plantation on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Israel: Journey to the Land of the Text
May 12–26, 2027
Host: Dan Kroeze
From the Sea of Galilee to Judean hills to the Old City of Jerusalem, follow the footsteps of Jesus and the disciples on this Holy Land tour.
“CALVIN ON THE ROAD” BRINGS 150TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY TO ALUMNI COMMUNITIES
To celebrate with alumni across Knight Nation, the alumni events team presented “Calvin on the Road” at venues such as the Ivy House in Saugatuck, Michigan, The Morton Arboretum in Chicago, Illinois, and the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Each gathering featured an appetizer reception, interactive polling about Calvin memories, a humorous, light-hearted campus news report anchored by Jordan VanderKamp ’25 and Ben Plantinga ’25, as well as remarks by President Greg Elzinga and Calvin Seminary President Jul Medenblik.
“The mingling is where the magic happens!” said Ashley Naghtin Mann ’16, associate director of alumni engagement. “In Indianapolis, most people did not know each other when they arrived, but as they left, they were exchanging phone numbers and making coffee plans. The alumni in Detroit and in Pella planned to meet up again for a Rivalry watch party in February.”
For many guests, the experience was a reminder that the Calvin they remember is still thriving. “That same lively collegiate atmosphere they loved is still happening with today’s students,” Mann said. “Their Calvin is still our Calvin—even 150 years later.”
View full itineraries and register online at calvin.edu/go/travel
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN
ACCRA, GHANA
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
FROM STUDENTS TO STEWARDS
GREG AND JACQUI ELZINGA’S VISION FOR CALVIN’S NEXT 150 YEARS
Including Calvin in your will is a simple yet meaningful way to leave a legacy. For Greg and Jacqui Elzinga, establishing a legacy gift ensures that future generations will continue to benefit from a Calvin education. In this 150th anniversary year, they are grateful to participate in Calvin’s Legacy Challenge, which provides matching funds for today’s students when donors make estate plan commitments. They’re delighted that their future gift is already at work on campus—impacting students now and for years to come.
When Jacqui and I arrived on Calvin’s campus as freshmen in 1986, we could not have imagined that our journey would one day lead us back to this place. At the time, Calvin was simply where our adult lives were beginning. In God’s providence, it was also where our faith, our thinking, and our sense of calling were deeply formed.
During our four years as students, Calvin prepared us to serve God and others with humility and purpose. Those years shaped how we approached the communities where we lived, the churches where we worshiped, and the vocations to which we were called. Calvin helped us see that following Christ means engaging the world thoughtfully and faithfully, wherever God places us.
As we have reflected on stewardship—on how God calls us to invest what has been entrusted to us for the good of others—the decision to include Calvin in our estate plan felt both natural and joyful. It is a tangible expression of gratitude for what Calvin has poured into our lives and a hopeful investment in what God continues to do through this institution.
That conviction has only grown as we’ve gotten to know today’s students. We are inspired daily by their passion, their love for Jesus, and their desire to make a difference in the world for God’s glory. We see the same commitment reflected in the stories shared by alumni across the globe—more than 66,000 graduates living out Calvin’s mission of thinking deeply, acting justly, and living wholeheartedly as Christ’s agents of renewal in the world.
For us, supporting Calvin through our estate plan is a privilege and a blessing. It is our way of helping ensure that this Christ-centered, world-impacting mission remains strong for generations to come.
We hope others will reflect on how their own time at Calvin shaped them for lives of faithful service and join us in helping extend Calvin’s mission so future students may be equipped to serve God and humanity, for God’s glory.
When you commit to including Calvin in your estate plans, you help unlock matching funds today that support current students and strengthen Calvin’s mission into the future. HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP UNLOCK MATCHING FUNDS TODAY:
1 Include Calvin in your will or estate.
2 Tell us about your gift. Complete Intention form or scan QR code.
3 Calvin receives 10% of your gift value TODAY!
NAME(S):
PREFERRED CONTACT METHOD: CALL EMAIL MAIL
Please confirm your number or address for your preferred contact method chosen above:
PHONE NUMBER OR EMAIL
ADDRESS
I/we have included Calvin in my/our estate plan. Estimated Amount: _ While we understand the value may change over time, sharing an approximate value today helps us plan responsibly and qualifies your gift for the Legacy Challenge 10% match.
I/we would like information about including Calvin as a charitable beneficiary in my/our estate.
PLEASE RETURN TO: Calvin University, Gift Planning Team, 3201 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546
CLASS NOTES
Spark readers: This section emphasizes Calvin graduates’ service, vocational, and reunion stories, along with “In Memoriam” notices. Send us news of your promotions, achievements, recognitions, and other announcements at spark@calvin.edu. Photos must be 300 dpi or approximately 1MB or greater in size.
The alumni association is also interested in knowing about important family milestones such as marriages and newcomers. Please send that news to alumni@calvin.edu
HERITAGE
(graduated more than 50 years ago)
01 Opthalmologist Dr. Chris “Grundy” DenOuden ’66 led 25 medical eye missions to Haiti to perform cataract and glaucoma surgery over the course of his career. He called this work “the highlight of his career.”
Attorney Henry Lane ’73 received a 2025 John H. Chafee Leadership Award for a lifetime of advocacy, legal expertise, and historical knowledge that have helped to preserve, protect, and enrich the Blackstone River Valley of Massachusetts for more than four decades. Lane also serves as the moderator (presiding officer of the legislative assembly) of the town of Northbridge and as the Classis Atlantic Northeast representative on the CRC’s Council of Delegates. He and his wife Faith Oppewal Lane ’73 are partners at the Whitinsville-based law firm Lane and Hamer.
02 The State of Alabama recognized Hilda Wabeke Ray ’56 with a resolution for becoming the first woman in Walker County to earn her private, instrument, and commercial pilot ratings. The resolution was presented
to Ray on her 90th birthday. Ray’s passion for flying began as a teenager on her family’s Michigan farm and has continued throughout her life. She is a member of the Ninety-Nines, an international organization of licensed women pilots founded in 1929.
In July 2025, The Living Church Podcast interviewed Grace Harris Sears ’64 about her term as president of the Order of the Daughters of the King® and her years as vice president of The Living Church Board. Over the years, she also served as magazine editor, National Council secretary, and archivist. In 2024 the Daughters of the King recognized Grace for her 20 years as archivist, naming their archives suite after her. The Episcopal Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky, also recognized her for years of lay leadership, and in 2025 the Episcopal Church of Our Saviour in Richmond, Kentucky, named their Children’s Room for her.
Ethelyn Taylor ’63 received an honorary degree in 2025 from Lincoln University, where she had pursued undergraduate studies before completing her bachelor’s degree at Calvin. The
honorary degree recognized Rev. Dr. Taylor for her distinguished career in education, ministry, and community service. Taylor taught for 30 years in the Philadelphia public school system, then earned a master of divinity and served as pastor of Oxford Presbyterian Church in Mt. Airy, Pennsylvania, for another 30 years; she retired at age 90.
1980s
Aart Boterenbrood ’85 was awarded Calvin’s Outstanding Business Partner Award in 2023. He currently serves on the MAcc Advisory Board and MAcc Mentoring Committee. Recently retired, Aart and his wife, Lori, split their year between Grand Haven, Michigan, and Alexandria, Virginia.
03 While searching for her daughter after completing their half marathon in Maine, Anne Osborne-Emaus ’88 bumped into Calvin alumnae Jollie Grieser ’24 and Kiya Benckhuysen ’24 At the time, Grieser and Benckhuysen were living in Portland, Maine, but planned to return to West Michigan. Osbourne-Emaus hails from Hudsonville.
Tom Penning ex’82 is the pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Kansas and a hobby filmmaker. Penning recently served as a producer, production manager, and actor in New Albany Film’s new release Sod and Stubble, about a late 19th century family pioneering on the Kansas plains.
04 Calvin friends Jennifer VanHuesen Kempster ’89, Chris Tahl Hoeksema ’89, and Pam Bruxvoort-Kulczyk Hyde ’89 shared a once-in-a-lifetime adventure in summer 2025. To celebrate 40 years of friendship, they embarked on a two-week trip to Morocco. A highlight was spending a night in Erg Chebbi, a desert oasis, after riding camels into the beautiful Sahara sunset.
1990s
05 Longtime friends from Colorado and New Jersey celebrated their 30th Calvin reunion in Sarasota, Florida, November 6–9, 2025. From left to right: Debi Berghuis-Kelley ’95, Todd “Opie”
Kelley ’95, Kevin Post ’95, Denise Ramaker Post ’95, Mark Reitsma ’95, and Pamela Smid Reitsma.
In November 2025, Brad Haverkamp ’95 and Caleb Dang set a new Guinness World Record by playing singles pickleball for 26 consecutive hours, surpassing the previous record of 24.
2000s
06 John Miller ’00 and Tim Bogertman ’00 met on a Noordewier-VanderWerp mission trip to Texas during their sophomore year; the two have been friends ever since. After Miller pointed out a Calvin flag in a recent issue of Spark, Bogertman gifted Miller his own flag for his birthday. With fond memories of how his years at Calvin grew his faith, Miller now proudly flies maroon and gold from the front porch of his shore home in Ocean City, New Jersey.
07 Director of the Baldwin Public Library in Birmingham, Michigan,
Rebekah Craft ’03 was named the Michigan Library Association’s 2025 Public Librarian of the Year. Craft was honored for fearless, principled leadership that has advanced inclusion, equity, and library governance. Craft’s advocacy for library autonomy and her empowerment of staff exemplify the association’s standards of excellence for public library leaders.
East Kentwood High School AP history teacher Matt Vriesman ’07 received the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s Casey Award in recognition of his work conducting a local history project with his students: “GR Stories: This is our Home Now, 50 Years of Building Community After Saigon.” Students interviewed family members and shared stories of how the Refugee Act of 1980 impacted their families’ lives, and, in turn, the history of Grand Rapids. They presented these family legacies through an exhibit and story-telling event at the museum.
2010s
Jessica Finkbeiner ’12, German teacher at Byron Center Public School District, received the Michigan World Language Association (MIWLA) High School Teacher of the Year Award on October 24 at MIWLA’s annual conference in Lansing. Finkbeiner founded the German program at Byron Center.
08 With a time of 2:34:27 in the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, Alyssa Penning McElheny ’13 (on left in photo) qualified for the 2028 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, a goal she has pursued for more than five years. When not running, McElheny, a professional photographer, shoots wedding and portrait photos for Alyssa McElheny Photography. She also coaches the Forest Hills Eastern High School track and field and cross country teams alongside her husband, Daniel McElheny ’13
Katie Behrens Prefontaine ’18 was recently promoted to chief operating officer of Classic Learning Test (CLT). CLT offers an alternative assessment to the SAT and ACT, two standardized tests traditionally used for college admissions. “It is an honor to serve the growing educational renewal movement in this new capacity,” Prefontaine said.
In May 2025, Leah Van Donselaar Stewart ’15 MA’16 moved with her family from Colorado to Budapest, Hungary, where her husband serves as a pastor for international university students at Danube International Church. A speech language pathologist (SLP), Stewart currently devotes her time to caring for her young children and serving as a volunteer evaluation specialist for a local Christian organization in Budapest, where she shares her expertise and experience as a former SLP team lead in the Denver Public Schools.
TJ Williams was awarded the 2025 Emerging Young Professional Award by The Muskegon Young Black Professionals organization.
09 Senior financial technology consultant for Deloitte Consulting David Widjaja ’19 is volunteering as president of the Fellowship of Indonesian Christians in America (FICA), an organization which equips Indonesian Christians in America to make an impact for Christ and reach others in America and Indonesia with the Gospel. He and his wife, Felita Setiadi ’17, live in the San Francisco Bay Area.
After supporting one another through almost 10 years of medical school and residency experiences, Brittany Hollemans Valk ’15 and Josiah Valk ’15 have both begun practicing in St. Joseph, Michigan. As a dermatologist, Brittany joined the local office of Southwest Michigan Dermatology, bringing fulltime coverage for medical, surgical, and aesthetic dermatology to that office. As an orthopedic surgeon, Josiah joined the Southwest Michigan Center for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, where he is expanding access to advanced sports medicine and treatment of shoulder, knee, and hip injuries.
2020s
After wrapping up her college lacrosse career, Meghan Chang ’25 is stepping up as girls variety lacrosse coach for the Zeeland East and Zeeland West High Schools’ co-op team. “I’m eager to share my passion and knowledge of the game with Zeeland’s athletes, assisting with the development of their lacrosse IQ and fostering a love for the sport within the community,” Chang said. “Coaching at this level will continue to push me to grow as a leader, communicator, and servant to a team.”
Calvin music program alumni Samuel Fynewever ’24 and Carter Hammond ’23 unexpectedly reunited at the joint annual meeting of the American Musicological Society and the Society for Music Theory in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, in November 2025. They reminisced about shared experiences, including classes they enjoyed with Professor Forrest Wakeman. Fynewever studies music theory at the University of Minnesota, where he is developing a model for explaining contemporary vocal harmonies. Hammond studies musicology at Indiana University, Bloomington; his research focuses on the social and cultural significance of classical music.
The Muskegon Young Black Professionals organization awarded TJ Williams ’22 as its 2025 Emerging Young Professional. Williams teaches grades 5 and 6 at Muskegon Christian in Muskegon, Michigan. He also recently made his debut in film, playing Brooks in the award-winning movie Old Heart, adapted from the Peter Ferry novel of the same title.
ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT
Turning Pages into Possibility
As a child, Jeni Grasman Stamas ’96 fell in love with reading during the nightly ritual she shared with her mom, Ann. Together, they paged through picture book classics such as Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham, stories that opened space for imagination. “Books gave me the ability to dream and wonder,” Stamas says.
CHASING A DREAM
By the time she reached Calvin, Stamas dreamed of becoming a mechanical engineer. Two years in, Professor Bob Hoeksema noticed something was wrong and asked if she was happy. “I wasn’t,” she says.
Hoeksema helped Stamas develop an interdisciplinary major blending engineering and marketing that launched her early career as a marketer for engineering firms in Atlanta, Georgia. Decades later, she bumped into Professor Hoeksema at an event they both attended and was reminded of the care he had taken to mentor her. “He still remembered me,” she marvels.
PAY IT FORWARD
As a mom, Stamas shared her childhood love of reading with her two children, but that passion soon extended beyond her home. A longtime volunteer, she was recently named a FOX 17 and Lake Michigan Credit Union Pay It Forward Person of the Month for upcycling gently used books and distributing them to nonprofits serving children and families.
The effort began eight years ago, when she saw a Facebook post claiming a local library planned to toss surplus books into the PaperGator. Curious—and unwilling to imagine good books discarded—she reached out. The rumor proved false, but the conversation sparked a partnership with the Friends of Cascade Library and children’s book curator MaryAnne Lane that continues today.
LITERACY MATTERS
For her first pickup, Stamas loaded a few hundred titles into the back of her minivan and brought them to In the
photo credit: FOX 17
“Books gave me the ability to dream and wonder.”
Image, a free store in Grand Rapids, Michigan, offering essential items to families in need. When the nonprofit began reaching capacity for her donations, Stamas built partnerships with other organizations, including schools. To date, she has distributed over 11,000 books in Kent and Newaygo Counties.
Stamas is committed to lowering barriers to literacy. “We know literacy plays a critical role in a child’s success, both in school and later in life. When access to books isn’t equal, especially for children living in poverty, even small efforts can make a meaningful difference.”
She explains how books teach kids important values, too. “A book can say what we adults don’t always have the opportunity to say to a child: it’s okay to make mistakes, it’s good to ask questions.”
ONE GOOD DEED
Stamas humbly compares her volunteerism to “one pebble in a pond,” believing that ordinary people like her can take small steps to create a broad impact for good.
Wherever she goes, she keeps a small bag of books in her van—sometimes sharing one with a young friend or stopping to refill a “Little Free Library” that catches her eye.
When she is not sharing her love of story with her community, Stamas works as the coordinator of events and experiences for the Just Between Friends franchise system, a national children’s consignment platform with a mission to support families and promote sustainability. She is also passionate about being a wife and mom, traveling, and, of course, reading.
Guided by her love of literature and volunteerism, Jeni Stamas Grasman has distributed over 11,000 books to kids across two Michigan counties.
Matins Otto Selles, professor of French Pandora Press
This book gathers poems, photographs by Professor Jennifer Steensma Hoag, and oil paintings by Geraldine Selles Ysselstein ’79 to reflect on mourning, memory, childhood, and parenting. The poems also examine the nature of creativity and the vocation of writers and artists. The title, meaning “mornings” in French and “morning prayer” in English, points to the spirit of reflection that prompts us to consider our place in the world.
Poem and photo reprinted with permission from the publisher.
PHOTO CREDIT: JENNIFER STEENSMA HOAG
01 Silent Sam and Other Stories
Alan Arkema ’51
Pearl City Press
02 It All Began with a Phone Call
Jamaal Lomunyak (Gerald Baker ’70)
Trilogy Christian Publishing
03 The Broken Weathervane
Laura DeNooyer ’80 Scrivenings Press
04 One Star, Three Kings:
The Journey of Epiphany
Rebecca Westra Grabill ’98 Paraclete Press 05 The Joy of Advent
Rebecca Westra Grabill ’98 Paraclete Press
Joyride
Linda Kingma Hanstra ’85 MiWoods Press
Jade DeMeester Havenaar ’19 Fig and Sparrow Press 08 Coach of the Decade
Rich Hofman ’66 and Richard Davis
Independently published
Civil Religion and the Renewal of
Amy E. Black and Douglas L. Koopman, professor emeritus of political science Cambridge University
10 Is the Bible the Word of God? An Essay on the Authority of the Bible
C. Stephen Layman ’77 Wipf and Stock
11 On the Brink
Sidney Niemeyer ’73
Quantum Publishing
12 Dordrecht Dimension
Jim Otte ex’70
Independently published
13 Trust the Wings
Barbara Hoekenga Schultze ’86
Edenridge Press
14 Make Your Home in This Luminous Dark: Mysticism, Art, and the Path of Unknowing
James K.A. Smith, professor of philosophy
Yale University Press
15 Become Your Own Shooting Coach: Consistency on the Court
Bob Topp ’78
Outskirts Press
16 The Revelation of Jude: On Parenting, Love, Loss, and the Mystery of the Divine
Trevor Veltkamp ’94 Pietá Press
REUNION IN A BOX
Request your party kit for a gathering of four or more alumni at calvin.edu/ go/reunion-box.
This past summer, host Deb Den Haan Dorn ’96 used one box to conquer two family reunions!
Left to right: Eric Doorn ’23, Emma Doorn (above), Sophia Doorn ’26, Ellen Wassenaar Doorn ’67, Sherwin Doorn ’64, Jon Doorn ’96, Deb Den Haan Doorn ’96
Front row, seated: Willene Hekman Den Haan ’65, Ed Den Haan ’64
Back row, left to right: Emma Doorn, Sophia Doorn ’26, Eric Doorn ’23, Deb Den Haan Doorn ’96, Jon Doorn ’96, Dave Den Haan ’90, Connie De Ronde Den Haan ’91; Rachel Den Haan Lenko ’17, Anya Lenko (baby), Matt Lenko ’17, Adam Den Haan ’22, Kaitlyn Westra Den Haan ’21, Darcy DeVries (baby), Nate DeVries ’17, Laura Den Haan De Vries ’19
Front row, left to right: Mary Bouwman Roedema ’67, Betsy Westra Retsema ’67
Back row: Eunice Snippe Kooiman ’67, Ginny Ysseldyke Steensma ’67, Carol Vanden Bosch Doezema ’68
Lifelong Calvin friends visited familiar places when some of the counselors from the “coops” (cooperative housing for female students), once located on Franklin Street, gathered for a reunion.
This group of friends from the Class of 2013 reunited in South Korea to celebrate the wedding of Seok Min Yoon.
Left to right: Dan Nederhoed, Mike Fennema, Seok Min Yoon, Trevor Bushhouse, Luis Flores
This group gathered at Sandy Pines in Hopkins, Michigan, to celebrate “New Year’s Eve in August.”
Front row, left to right: Kathy Holwerda Miedema ’70, Nancy Nagelkirk Gelderloos ’70, Suzanne Maring DeJonge ’70, Carol TenHarkel Christians ’70
Back row: John Miedema ’69, Ron Goudzwaard ’72, Dan Day ’69, Jim DeJonge ’67
Bob Christians ’70 celebrated from afar.
These alumni gathered in Aspen, Colorado, in September 2025.
Front: Graham Hays ’08
Front row (standing) left to right: Paul Miyamoto ’08, Bekah Sauers Hays ’09, Staci Kool DeVries ’08, Chelsea Muller Westra ’08, Rachel DenBoer Jager ’08
Back row: Jon Cooper ’08, Drew DeVries ’08, Ben Cook ’08, Mike Beerhorst ’08, Nate Jager ’09, Jared Scripture ’12
In December 2025, extended family gathered in Saugatuck, Michigan, to celebrate a 60th wedding anniversary.
Front row, left to right: Annika Pollack ’27, Alex White ’26, Carol Nanninga Blankespoor ’63, Ed Blankespoor ’63, Emma Blankespoor ’29, Lauren Pollack ’29.
Middle row: Matt Vander Wall ’27, Mark White ’86, Cindy Blankespoor White ’91.
Back row: Karl Pollack ’97, Karen Blankespoor Pollack ’94, Steve Blankespoor ’90, Elizabeth Vander Haagen ’97, Jay Blankespoor ’97.
Scan to view more great alumni photos on Facebook.
Two Calvin couples enjoyed a late summer 2025 trip to the Netherlands.
Left to right: Tim Abbring ’75, Deb Moes Abbring ’75, Mary Moes Bosman ’74, Jim Bosman ’74
Deaths
1940s
Sylvia Dennis Bordewyk ex’49
Aug. 15, 2024, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Donald DeGraaf ’48
Jan. 3, 2026, Flint, Mich.
Helen Putt De Groot ’49
March 13, 2025, Springdale, Ark.
Geneva Benthem Dykstra ex’46 Dec. 27, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
James Fennema ex’49
Dec. 30, 2025, Caledonia, Mich.
Alvina Sjaardema Huyser ex’48 Nov. 27, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Randall Vander Molen ’91 Nov. 17, 2025, Spring Lake, Mich.
2000s
Donald Fraits, Jr. ex’00
Nov. 19, 2025, Bodega Bay, Calif.
Jessica Yarch ’01
Sept. 15, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
2010s
Christa Veldkamp ’15 Nov. 14, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.
ANN JANSSEN NOTEBOOM
1923–2025
On December 30, 2025, Ann Noteboom died following a short illness. She was 102 years old.
Noteboom committed nearly half a century to formally serving in the field of education. It’s a journey that started at the age of 19 when, after completing a two-year teaching program at Central College in Pella, Iowa, she became the principal of a small school in Fulton, Illinois.
After earning degrees at Calvin and Northwestern and gaining experience in several Christian secondary schools, Noteboom returned to Calvin to teach English and speech. She later completed her doctorate and served on the communication department faculty for 35 years until retiring in 1988.
While her former students valued the way she taught clear, careful, and beautiful communication, they most appreciated the individual care she showed to each of them.
“She discovered that I was planning to go to seminary, and, after that, made a point to stop and see how I was doing,” said Laura Smit, a professor of religion at Calvin who had Noteboom for one class as an undergrad.
“Later, when I would sometimes preach at her church, she always sought me out after the service and had thoughtful, encouraging, helpful things to say. I also came to realize that there were a lot of people she treated the way she treated me.”
ROGER GRIFFIOEN
1934–2026
Roger Griffioen came to Calvin as a chemist but will be remembered for his contributions to building the physics and astronomy department as well as the Calvin observatory. He even has an asteroid named in his honor.
For nearly 40 years, Griffioen served as a faculty member, department chair, and academic dean at Calvin. On January 3, 2026, he died at the age of 91.
Roger Griffioen graduated from Calvin in 1956, obtained his PhD in nuclear chemistry from Purdue University in 1960, and then completed a yearlong post-doc at UC-Berkeley.
Griffioen returned to his alma mater to teach in 1961 but soon found himself in the middle of campus building projects. He served on the Science Building Planning Committee and was deeply involved in developing new programming for students.
“One of Roger’s legacies for Calvin will be building a strong physics and astronomy department—with a full range of upper-level theory and laboratory courses that fully prepare students for graduate school or physics careers, as well as opportunities for students to do research work with professors,” said Loren Haarsma, associate professor of physics.
Griffioen was also responsible for recruiting a talented team of faculty. “In his time in the physics department, Roger made it a place where physics was done well, and he staffed the department so that the generation of faculty that followed him would continue that record,” said Larry Molnar, professor of astronomy. “His is a legacy that should be remembered.”
RICHARD WEVERS
1933–2026
On January 21, 2026, Richard Wevers passed away peacefully. He was 92 years old.
For 35 years, Wevers equipped his students in classical languages to accurately interpret Greek texts. He also served as department chair for part of that time.
“Rich taught his students to respect the text and think carefully about its meaning for our lives,” said Ken Bratt, who had Wevers as a professor at Calvin in the 1960s and later served alongside him in the classics department.
Wevers thought deeply about the ancient world, but he was also an innovator who was instrumental in bringing Calvin into the digital age. Before coming to Calvin, after earning his doctorate degree in classical languages from the University of Wisconsin, Wevers began using computers to study Greek texts. He even taught the college’s first computer science class in the early 1970s.
He was also interested in how this newer technology could support students and scholars. “Rich created computer drills that helped students learn Greek and Latin and search programs that helped scholars analyze Greek and Latin texts,” Bratt said. “He equipped a generation of future pastors with skills for interpreting the Greek text of the New Testament. He also built a record of outstanding computerized reference works on John Calvin’s Latin Bible and two editions of Calvin’s Institutes.”
