Spark Magazine Winter 2025

HOMECOMING 2025

SEPTEMBER 25–26, 2026

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

Spark is published three times a year by the Calvin Alumni Association, office of alumni engagement, Calvin University, 3201 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546. ©2025 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, 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.

FEATURES

12 FORGING A NEW TRAJECTORY

Discover six trailblazers who shaped Calvin as we know it.

16 WHAT HOLDS TRUE

Celebrate 50 years of building leaders through Calvin’s graduate programs.

20 ROOTS & WINGS

Explore how residence life at Calvin shaped us.

ON THE COVER

Hailey Erickson ’27 represented Noordewier-VanderWerp at the 2023 Chaos Night dorm competition.

Edgar Boevé (seated left) poses with faculty members of the art department in October 1974.

THE CALVIN SPARK

Editor-in-Chief: Jeff Haverdink ’97

Editor: Sara Korber-DeWeerd ’00

Editorial Assistant: Susan Buist ’98

Art Director: Amanda Impens

Designers:

Larissa Bol ’27

Colton Credelle ’14

Vicki Dolsen

Lydia Sall ’27

Contributing Writers: Sara Korber-DeWeerd ’00

Jennifer Holberg

Matt Kucinski HON

Lynn Bolt Rosendale ’85

Madison Szczepanski ’22

Contributing Photographers:

Christian Frazier

Lisa Hunter

Min Seon ’29

Johann Van Tassel ’27

Honglei Yang ’25

CALVIN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD

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: Jeff Haverdink ’97

Members:

Janice Stouwie Bode ’72 (Phoenix, Ariz.)

Kimberly Brower ’93 (Zeeland, Mich.)

Glory Emmanuel ’19 (Oakland, Calif.)

Minwoo Heo ’09 (Arlington Heights, Ill.)

Carla de Jong Hiemstra ’94 (Visalia, Calif.)

NEWS & STORIES

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

Read Spark online calvin.edu/spark

Follow us on Instagram @calvinuniversityalumni

Connect with alumni facebook.com/calvinalumni

Leave a legacy for future alumni giftplanning.calvin.edu

View the Calvin calendar calvin.edu/calendar

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.)

Maxine Asante Mosley-Totoe ’06 (Minneapolis, Minn.)

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.)

Eric Yulianto ’02 (Mason, Ohio)

Johanna Chambery Zandstra ’91 (Schererville, Ind.)

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.

Alumni Award winner Kwabena Bediako ’08

Distinguished Alumni Award winner Margaret Spoelstra ’80 is an ambassador for autism, building awareness and acceptance in Ontario.

IN

As anyone who’s planned a big party can relate, sometimes last-minute tasks requiring an all-hands-on-deck moment arise. And so it was, as our team feverishly prepared for one element of the 150th Anniversary Celebration.

The assignment? Go to Heritage Hall and dig up old pictures of the Knollcrest Campus. It took me less than a second to volunteer—I love history.

After careful instruction from curator Will Katerberg, there I was fanning through folders of old photographs related to Calvin College and Seminary. Almost immediately, I had to call upon every ounce of willpower to stay focused on my assignment. It was a glorious combination of filling an urgent work-related need and pursuing my personal interests.

I became mesmerized by a series of color photos documenting the chapel construction in the late 1980s. I thumbed through fascinating images of the excavation and sitework for both the worship

HONORING 150 YEARS OF CALVIN UNIVERSITY

space and Gezon Auditorium. I discovered shots of the chapel building coming into form and even uncovered photos of the installation of the majestic organ pipes— the very same ones that would resound through the sanctuary over a decade later as my beautiful bride walked down the aisle.

Within many of these pictures I recognized familiar faces—from President Diekema and Chaplain Cooper looking over the chapel site to President Spoelhof at the groundbreaking of the original fieldhouse building in the mid-60s. They represented moments in the past that would forever shape Calvin’s future.

Those individuals and many others had poured countless hours of hard work into forming a future for the benefit of the tens of thousands of others who would come after them.

This issue of Spark features some of the dedicated individuals whose quiet and grand efforts built a lasting legacy. You’ll also read about our three 2025 alumni award winners who once walked these grounds as students themselves and then went on to make significant contributions in their fields.

Such is the beauty of taking time to celebrate a milestone anniversary, relishing these extra moments to remember the ones whose contributions helped shape a place where so many of us learned to follow God’s unique calling in our own lives. I am reminded how that important mission continues as the members of Calvin’s 150th class make their academic and spiritual homes here for the next four years.

As you celebrate the birth of our Savior this Christmas season, I hope you take joy in the familiar faces around you, celebrate the legacy of the cherished faces who have gone before you, and renew yourself to God’s calling to be his light to the countless faces among you.

Gloria in excelsis Deo.

JEFF HAVERDINK ’97 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

BY THE NUMBERS

Calvin ranked first in the Midwest for undergraduate teaching by U.S. News #1

Geography professor Johnanthan Bascom earned his fifth Fulbright award. 5

14

Calvin’s online master of geographic information science (GIS) program ranked 14th nationally and first in Michigan according to UniversityHQ

38

Calvin ranked 38th in U.S. News’ engineering category— our highest-ever placement.

300

Over 300 high school students from 10 different schools were on campus to participate in the first annual Calvin Choir Festival.

1,090

Over 1,000 new students—including veterans, transfers, and online learners—enrolled at Calvin in fall 2025, enriching the university with their diverse life experiences and global perspectives.

CALVIN // NEWS

Calvin

and John Ball Zoo Work to Protect Spotted Turtles NEW PARTNERSHIP

Calvin students are raising baby spotted turtles, giving this rare Michigan species a head start toward survival and inspiring the next generation of conservationists through hands-on learning.

“[The partnership] directly connects to my passion for wildlife veterinary medicine and caring for native Michigan species.”

— JOCELYN NIEZE ’26

Calvin’s

Financial Foundation Remains Strong

Backed by an A- rating with a stable outlook from S&P Global Ratings, Calvin demonstrates confidence in its financial health and future plans. This strength reflects the university’s commitment to making tough, fiscally responsible decisions today to ensure long-term stability. Calvin had a balanced budget this year and is projecting to do the same in 2026.

PHOTO CREDIT: JOHN BALL ZOO

Science + Communication = The Liberal Arts Advantage

“Calvin’s approach to education is preparing me well. My professors encourage me to step out of my comfort zone—because as a doctor, I’ll need to communicate with patients, not just present evidence.” — MIKE LIANG ’28, PRE-MED

Knights Extend Historic Soccer Title Streak

The Calvin women’s soccer team captured its sixth straight MIAA regular-season championship, finishing 12-4-0 overall and 8-0 in conference play. The Knights’ six-year title streak matches the longest in MIAA women’s soccer history, first set by Kalamazoo College (1989–1994). Head coach Emily Ottenhoff has now been part of 10 MIAA championship teams—four as a Calvin player (2006–09) and six as head coach. She also earned an MIAA title in 2007 as a Calvin women’s basketball player.

Wisdom in the Age of AI

Join us October 8–10, 2026, for Wisdom in the Age of AI Conference, exploring faithful and responsible use of artificial intelligence. Hear leading voices through keynotes, panels, and six focused tracks.

Learn more about the first AI conference at Calvin University and the lineup of keynote speakers.

$1.17 Million Grant Supports First-Generation Students

Calvin received a $1,167,000 grant from TRIO Student Support Services to fund programming which supports student retention and graduation outcomes, especially for first-generation college students, students from low-income families, and students with disabilities.

STAY CONNECTED

Read the full-length stories and more campus news at calvin.edu/news

HOW CALVIN’S FEMALE STUDENT-ATHLETES SET THE STANDARD FOR EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE

BY JEFF FEBUS ’92

In the 1920–21 season, coached by Bill Cornelisse, Calvin’s first women’s basketball team—the Rivalettes—took the court, won every game, and ushered in a new era of Calvin women’s athletics.

But seven seasons later, the team still struggled to build community support. A mid-season Chimes opinion piece about the 1927–28 team documented how the players were denied admission to a local Grand Rapids City League by the Calvin faculty and administration, struggled for practice time in the new on-campus gymnasium, and received little fan support from the student body.

Over the next 30 years, women’s basketball continued to be the primary offering for female student-athletes. Not until the 1950s did sports like tennis, team archery, and softball join the fray.

THE RISE OF A LEGACY

New Jersey native Doris Zuidema ’62 stood out as a star studentathlete during that era. Zuidema played four years of women’s basketball while also competing in team archery and tennis. Her athleticism and commitment to women’s athletics as an undergraduate set the stage for a notable coaching and administrative career.

Zuidema returned to Calvin in 1964 and served for the next 32 years as a professor, coach, and athletics administrator. For 13 years, she led women’s basketball while also coaching archery, tennis, field hockey, and golf.

“We had some wonderful athletes,” Zuidema said. “We didn’t always have prime access to facilities or the means of travel like the men’s teams did. We had to fight for everything we had, but we continued to grow and expand.”

Serving as Calvin’s first women’s athletic director, Zuidema broke barriers and opened new doors for female college athletes. She played a key role in the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (AIAW) and guided Calvin women’s athletics into the Women’s Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (WMIAA).

In 1978, the WMIAA merged with the MIAA to form a unified, singleleague structure. Zuidema proceeded to help open five more sports to Calvin’s female student-athletes: swimming and diving, track and field, cross country, golf, and soccer.

CHAMPIONS IN THE MAKING

By the early 1980s, women’s athletics teams began to make their mark on a regular basis. The softball team, led by pitching stalwarts such as Sharon Boeve DeKleine ’85 and Laura Vroon Knapp ’84, advanced to the AIAW Division III World Series, hosting the event at the nearby Christian Reformed Recreation Center. Led by head coach Karla Wolters, Calvin advanced to its first NCAA III World Series in 1984.

Wolters also coached the Calvin women’s volleyball team, which placed fourth in the nation in 1984. In 1986, a senior-laden team led by All-Americans Julie Scholten Dykstra ex’87, Leah Calsbeek Schipper ’87, and Roxane Helmus Steenhuysen ’87 advanced to the national semifinals. Playing in front of a standing-room only crowd of nearly 4,000 fans, the Knights took two of the first three sets only to lose the match in a five-set heartbreaker.

Current Calvin head women’s volleyball coach and associate director of athletics Amber Blankespoor Warners ’90 was a starting freshman setter on the team and remembers the community impact of the event, despite the heartbreak.

“The crowd was electric,” Warners recalled. “One of the things that I took with me after that weekend were the comments from people who were amazed at the excitement of a women’s collegiate athletic event. It rallied our community in a way that had not happened before. The community was accustomed to being rallied by its male athletes, so this was a first.”

A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM BREAKS AWAY

In 1993, Renea Bluekamp Walkotten ’95 led Calvin to its first women’s national championship, by winning the individual cross country title. It marked the start of a Calvin women’s cross country surge led by head coach Nancy Meyer ’78

Meyer flourished as a student-athlete in the 1970s, playing varsity volleyball and softball. She returned to Calvin as a professor and coach in 1979. She coached several sports over the years but left her strongest mark on women’s cross country.

In 1998, she led Calvin to its first women’s team national championship, marking a historic milestone. Meyer’s Knights repeated the feat in 1999.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL SERVES VICTORY

Meyer, who was appointed women’s athletic director in 1996, supported the Calvin women’s volleyball team on its run to its first national title in 2010. The Knights again claimed women’s volleyball national crowns in 2013 and 2016.

By that time, women’s volleyball had established a strong fan following. In 2012 and 2013, Calvin competed in the national finals at Hope’s DeVos Fieldhouse, losing in five sets in the final in 2012 and winning in five sets the following year. Both years featured sellout crowds of 3,600, filled with the Calvin faithful.

STILL SETTING THE STANDARD

Generations of Calvin’s female student-athletes have blazed new trails and redefined excellence. Calvin has produced multiple individual event national champions in track and field and swimming and diving. Multi-sport athletes Lisa Winkle Hammer ’07 and Carissa Verkaik Ratliff ’13 both earned the prestigious Josten’s Trophy in women’s basketball.

With Calvin in its sesquicentennial year as an institution, director of athletics, Jim Timmer, sums it up best. “Calvin University has been blessed by its women’s athletes, coaches, and teams. Their struggles, hard work, and achievements are woven into Calvin’s legacy.”

CARISSA VERKAIK RATLIFF ’13

2010 WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

BY JENNIFER L. HOLBERG PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH CHAIR OF THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR OF THE CALVIN CENTER FOR FAITH & WRITING

A FRONT PORCH TO THE WORLD

Calvin’s Invitation to Wonder, Worship, and Wisdom

Imagine running into Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anthony Doerr on Calvin’s Crossing, or worshipping in the chapel led by Proskuneo Ministries alongside hundreds of believers from over 30 countries worldwide, or engaging with Jeopardy champion Ken Jennings live in the Covenant Fine Arts Center Auditorium or from your living room in New Mexico or New Zealand.

None of these are hypothetical; all of these interactions—and hundreds more—have happened at one of Calvin’s long-running initiatives: the Festival of Faith & Writing, the Symposium on Worship, and the January Series. In fact, these events have served as a welcoming space—a “front porch,” if you

Top left: Dr. Natasha Sistrunk Robinson, Rabbi Elan Babchuck, and Dr. Craig Mattson, Arthur DeKruyter Chair in Faith and Communication, at Festival of Faith & Writing 2024

Bottom left: Lerone Martin speaking on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2024

will—for intellectual curiosity and warm connection. Each event invites the world in, offering hospitality not just to outstanding speakers and thousands of attendees from around the globe, but to rich ideas, engaging stories, and bold practices.

Beginning within years of each other, these events share a common approach while highlighting their individual missions.

The January Series began in 1988 as a speaker series during the January interim. Since then, it has evolved to feature talks by a range of world-class thought leaders and expanded into year-round programming, now reaching over 70,000 viewers globally. As Michael Wildschut, director of the January Series, observes, “This is a gift from Calvin to our community, allowing us to share a liberal arts education for all.”

1988 also marked the beginning of the Symposium on Worship, originally called the Calvin Symposium on Worship and the Arts, started with the help of the music department. This early gathering helped emphasize the full range of artistic expression in public worship—music, visual arts, preaching, dance, and more.

Since the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (CICW) began organizing the Symposium in 1997, it has continued to grow into an international, ecumenical gathering.

By 1990, the Calvin English department had envisioned a conference that would invite contemporary writers into conversation about the intersection of faith with their works. Through the efforts of many hands in the department and then at the Calvin Center for Faith & Writing (CCFW), the Festival of Faith & Writing has grown into one of the most important literary gatherings

in the country, hosting everyone from Nobel Prize winners to first time novelists—and importantly, readers of all kinds.

This “front porch,” then, is more than metaphor—it’s mission. The work undertaken by each team is a wonderful way to envision and explain the Christian liberal arts mission of the university, where faith and learning walk hand in hand. The university’s Vision 2030 declares the capacious goal towards which all three are striving: “We welcome all who are compelled by God’s work of renewal to join us in the formative pursuits of lifelong learning, teaching, scholarship, worship, and service.”

Though all of these events have evolved over the years to meet the needs of attendees, each has continued to draw a diverse crowd, many of whom first learn of Calvin through their participation. Kristen Verhulst, CICW associate director and program manager, notes that the Symposium on Worship “gathers a range of people in various roles in worship and church leadership from many denominations and traditions.

“These folks come from various settings— rural, urban, and suburban churches; large and small congregations; schools, including professors and students; hospitals and prisons—and include many curious learners and worshipers.”

At heart, these model what’s best about a Calvin liberal arts education: that it takes place inside the classroom and far beyond. Lauren Cooper, who worked on the Festival as a student volunteer and now serves as associate director of the CCFW, reflects, “My work on the Festival stayed with me long after my participation, and it’s a joy to continue to provide this opportunity to learners for a lifetime.”

And this year promises to be no exception.

The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship is taking an interlude from its beloved Symposium to introduce an innovative year focused on the Psalms, including Psalms 150: A Conference Experience, inviting us to rediscover the ancient songs that have shaped generations of faith. The January Series returns with a lineup of innovative speakers and expanded year-round programming, including exciting partnerships with cultural institutions like the Kent District Library. And the Festival of Faith & Writing continues to be a beacon for readers—those who, echoing English professor Henry Zylstra, believe that stories give us “more to be faithful with.” This belief is nurtured through the Festival itself, but also through its podcast, speaker series, and K–12 initiatives.

These gatherings have become more than events. They are encounters—with truth, beauty, and one another. And they are but one way Calvin continues to encourage learning that is rich and communal, lifelong and faithful.

Make plans to come and sit awhile with us.

The January Series

January 19–23, 26–30, and online year-round

Psalms 150: A Conference Experience

February 5–6, 2026

Festival of Faith & Writing

April 16–18, 2026

FORGING A NEW TRAJECTORY

SIX INDIVIDUALS WHO REFORMED THEIR ‘SQUARE INCH’ AND HELPED CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF CALVIN UNIVERSITY IN THE PROCESS

BY LYNN BOLT ROSENDALE ’85

Founded in 1876

as a modest school of ministry with only seven students, Calvin University has grown into a world-class Christian liberal arts institution—thanks to the many individuals who believed in its mission and envisioned a place where students think deeply, act justly, and live wholeheartedly as Christ’s agents of renewal in the world.

Representing the many who have embraced that mission and become catalysts for change are six individuals who each helped transform Calvin University—one square inch at a time.

JACOB NOORDEWIER (1839–1938) A NOTABLE SOLO SOLICITOR

In 1876, Calvin’s Theological School occupied two rooms on the second floor of the Christian school operated by First Grand Rapids Christian Reformed Church. By 1889, the burgeoning student body had outgrown the space.

After a parcel of land was identified, Rev. Jacob Noordewier, pastor of First Fremont Christian Reformed Church, was granted permission to fundraise for the purchase of the land and subsequent building project through the summer and fall of 1890.

When it became clear that such part-time efforts would not garner the necessary resources, Noordewier became Calvin’s first full-time fundraiser. His assignment was to visit families in each of the 99 Christian Reformed congregations stretching from New York to Nebraska—within a single year—to raise $15,000, on top of the $5,000 he had previously collected.

Although it took an additional year, Noordewier’s gallant efforts yielded the goal amount, which included a $500 donation of his own. (Noordewier’s annual salary was $900.) The new facility, which would be used for the next two decades, was completed in 1892.

BERNARD PEKELDER (1922–2012) AN APOSTLE OF FAITH FORMATION

As the university’s first chaplain, Bernard Pekelder was pivotal in concurrently forming the role of this position and the faith of thousands of Calvin alumni who were students during his tenure.

Pekelder began his foundational work in 1962, at a time when the newly created position was “yet ill-defined,” notes a Spark story written for Pekelder’s retirement in 1985. “The introduction of that new office was complicated by the ecclesiastical question of the place of student worship and pastoral services in a college-church setting.”

He quickly became integral to Calvin’s faith foundation, speaking at chapel every week and conducting hundreds of worship services.

“My heart swells with gratitude to God for how the Lord used this wise Christian gentleman to shape Calvin College and to guide so many within its ranks toward Christian growth and maturity,” said Dale Cooper in 1985, who followed Pekelder as Calvin’s chaplain.

“I belong to that multitude of persons whom he influenced,” Cooper said during the interview. “Both during my student days and also some years later, when I became his colleague— his pupil, really. He was my gentle and caring teacher, my wise friend. Whatever I knew about chaplaincy, I learned from Pek.”

KAY HAGER TIEMERSMA (1924–2018)

A CHAMPION OF WOMEN’S ATHLETICS

Though never an athlete herself, Kay Hager Tiemersma delighted in the prowess of others and was a driving force for women’s athletics to become a legitimate part of Calvin’s educational landscape.

A 1945 graduate and education major, Tiemersma returned to her alma mater in 1946 as an instructor of physical education. John Charles Bult, who represented the entire physical education department at that time, remembered Tiemersma fondly in a 1996 interview, “It was a battle to get her—the school didn’t believe much in phys ed in those days—but she did a good job. She changed some minds about the importance of physical education for women.”

In 1947, Tiemersma became Calvin’s first female coach, heading up the women’s basketball team, which was undefeated in her first year at the helm. She also founded the Women’s Athletic Association at Calvin, whose sole purpose was to promote athletic opportunities for all women on campus.

“She was the main force in getting women organized to participate in activities against other schools,” wrote Dave Tuuk in Maroon and Gold will Bind our Hearts: A History of Calvin Athletics 1915–1953. “She was a wonderful person for the cause of women’s athletics.”

EDGAR BOEVÉ (1929–2019) AND ERVINA VAN DYKE BOEVÉ (1924–2006) HEROES OF THE ARTS

When Edgar Boevé first came to teach at Calvin in 1958, he was on a mission to build an art program second to none among Christian liberal arts colleges. His mission would not be an easy one.

“It was a completely foreign idea to anyone,” said Boevé in a 1995 Spark interview. “How does one in Christian context be an artist?”

It’s a question that Boevé, known as the founder of the Calvin art department, focused on daily in his 33 years as a professor.

“Edgar challenged us to understand the significance of what images convey,” said Anna Greidanus, a former colleague of Boevé’s. “My artistry and teaching, along with many others, was meaningfully shaped by Edgar’s over many years” (Spark 1995).

Likewise, his wife, Ervina Van Dyke Boevé, faced similar obstacles in promoting theater at Calvin upon her arrival in 1954. “It was her life’s work,” said former Calvin theater professor Deb Freeberg. “Without her, there would be no theater at Calvin” (Spark 1995).

Ervina prevailed when the bookstore staff wanted to cover the text for her class to hide the word theater

Together the pair possessed a professional background combined with the vision and will to face these challenges, using their talents to shape the future of artistry at Calvin.

RHAE-ANN RICHARDSON BOOKER (1967–2024) A TRAILBLAZER FOR CROSS-CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT

As a 1991 graduate of Calvin University, Rhae-Ann Richardson Booker felt compelled to transform her alma mater into a welcoming place for all.

Returning to Calvin in various roles culminating in her position as assistant dean of multicultural affairs, she served for two decades heading up efforts to raise awareness about racial justice and reconciliation. The scope of her work focused on recruitment and retention of students of color.

Her signature program, the Entrada Scholars Program, has helped more than 2,000 students of color, as well as others who are committed to anti-racism and cross-cultural engagement, gain access to a college education over the past 30 years.

“Dr. Rhae-Ann Booker left a legacy of advocating for underrepresented students, creating welcoming spaces for students of color, and building relationships with the greater Grand Rapids community,” said Michelle Loyd-Paige, who served as Calvin’s executive associate to the president for diversity and inclusion.

In tribute, Booker was recognized by Calvin’s executive leadership in 2023: “Rhae-Ann is a champion and pioneer of excellence in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Calvin University is where we are today because of Rhae-Ann and the legacy she has forged.”

FIVE DECADES OF GRADUATE EDUCATION AT CALVIN

BY SARA KORBER-DEWEERD ’00

In the summer of 1976, Calvin launched its first graduate program, a master of arts in teaching, with a vision rooted in faith, servant leadership, and academic excellence. Linda Glerum Crouch ’74 MAT’77 and Jim Boonstra ’65 MAT’77 were among the first graduates of that program. Reflecting back, they say Calvin’s vision wasn’t just theoretical—it shaped their lives and careers.

RETURNING TO LEARN

Both Crouch and Boonstra entered the MAT program mid-career. Though they were drawn to Calvin’s strong academic reputation, they say the ultimate selling point was the ability to return to school without uprooting their lives.

After teaching fourth grade for two years, Crouch moved back home with her parents while completing the year-long program. Earning the degree gave her the credentials she needed to return to her childhood home of Nigeria, where she led a 37-year career as a missionary music educator.

For Boonstra, the degree was a practical step toward better pay and strengthening his pedagogy—especially for the middle school students he loved. When he enrolled, he was a decade into his career. “I didn’t want a master’s in mathematics. I was more interested in the teaching of math than math itself,” Boonstra says.

Focusing on the art of teaching during his graduate studies equipped him with strate-

gies to support a broad range of learners. He eventually became a principal, but he likes to joke that he never left seventh grade. “I never stopped learning how to reach students in that pivotal time of life.”

GROWING PAINS

Graduate education at Calvin has not been immune to various growing pains. Over the years, the university cut some programs and added others. The MAT was replaced by a master of education (MEd), then revived two years ago to better serve career changers simultaneously pursuing a graduate degree and teaching certificate.

Calvin has also experimented with various models of instructional delivery to make learning more accessible for adults with competing priorities. Today, many programs are offered online, while others remain available on campus.

Yet one thing remains the same.

EXPERIENCE-GUIDED LEADERSHIP

Dean of Graduate Studies Kyle Small says the 50th anniversary is a celebration of a long-standing commitment to adult and professional learners who “are already leading and want to lead better.”

Currently, Calvin has over 300 graduate students living around the globe. Whether on campus or online, all programs emphasize building leaders through community- and faith-centered learning.

“We’re forming leaders who are attentive to the Spirit—who lead not just with strategy, but with soul.”

—KYLE SMALL, DEAN OF GRADUATE STUDIES

Crouch says that was true even in the 70s. She was delighted when her professors encouraged her to engage with undergraduate education majors on campus, giving her opportunities to share her teaching experiences with them. She took that mentorship experience with her into retirement. Now living in Charlotte, North Carolina, she regularly meets with the next generation of young missionaries headed into the field.

EXPERTISE IN THE CLASSROOM

Small, too, values how graduate students bring extensive knowledge and experience to the table and often refers to the graduate classroom as a “transformative equalizer.”

“Graduate education allows us to bring people from different spheres into the same house. Everybody becomes a learner. Your salary, your title, your prestige, your background—they don’t go away, but they’re leveled by the process of becoming a learner. Even the faculty person is a learner in the community.”

Passing down the wisdom gained from experience also plays out in another important way: 40% of graduate courses are led by full-time Calvin faculty, but the other 60% are taught by experts in the field.

Leonard Van Drunen, director of the master of business administration program, is enthusiastic about that balance. Since the MBA is geared toward full-time professionals who want to strengthen their leadership and effect change in their organizations, offering graduate students direct access to experienced business leaders active in their fields holds great value. “Eight of the courses in the program focus on leadership and innovation, which is the main animating theme of the MBA,” Van Drunen says.

INTEGRATING FAITH AND LEARNING

Although Crouch doesn’t remember every graduate course she took, she easily recalls the classes that sparked creativity and spiritual reflection, giving her a sense of purpose in her chosen profession. Her final project focused on the emotional impact of missionary life on children; she says the research served as a bridge between personal experience and academic inquiry.

Both Crouch and Boonstra say they benefited from the quality of teaching. “The professors loved what they were doing, and they wanted to lead us and equip us to be godly ambassadors in whatever work we were doing,” Crouch says.

“The aim of Calvin’s graduate programs has never been just to hand out degrees,” Small adds. “Graduate education at Calvin is about

becoming more fully who God made you to be. We’re forming leaders who are attentive to the Spirit—who lead not just with strategy, but with soul.”

WORTH CELEBRATING

Crouch recalls how participating in the MAT program in its infancy was a little like “walking on holy ground. I felt like we were forging new territory, enabling others to come along behind us and complete their stories with the same quality of support and training.”

By way of illustration, on an ordinary weekday afternoon, Kyle Small opens an email from exercise science graduate student Natashia Green, who writes, “I have been officially offered the position as the new fitness center supervisor and events coordinator for Flathead Valley Community College as of yesterday evening! I’m about to do some magical things, I can feel it.”

If there’s something special to celebrate in five decades of graduate programs at Calvin, it’s these points of intersection: professional growth, leadership development, and Chrisitan faith. A master’s degree becomes more than a credential hung on an office wall but also an invitation to serve wholeheartedly wherever time, experience, and the Lord lead.

GRADUATE PROGRAMS AT CALVIN

UNIVERSITY

TEACHING (MAT) EDUCATION (MEd)

12 months to your classroom — earn your master’s and certification in one year.

20 months to your master’s — fully online or hybrid, designed to fit your life.

ACCOUNTING (MAcc)

MEDIA AND STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION (MMSC)

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (MBA)

EXERCISE SCIENCE (MES)

SOCIAL WORK (MSW)

SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE (GIS)

“Living on campus makes it easy to balance my fun social activities with quiet study time. Hekman Library is a great place to study or just hang out with friends during study breaks. Along with balancing my schoolwork, I love that the campus has a really good pool where I can practice my swimming and a ping pong table down in the basement where I can play with my friends.”

&roots wings

HOW RESIDENCE LIFE AT CALVIN HAS SHAPED GENERATIONS OF STUDENTS—THEN AND NOW

BY SARA KORBER-DEWEERD ’00

Stepping onto a college campus for the first time generates a kaleidoscope of emotions—equal parts hope and hesitation. Students may feel the ache of leaving home even as they yearn to plant new roots. They reach for independence yet face the uncertainty of charting their own course. While academic pursuits anchor the undergraduate experience, university life extends far beyond the classroom. Residence life lives in our collective memory as equally formative—an incubator for growth and belonging. On Calvin’s Knollcrest campus, dorm life plays a vital role in helping students spread their wings.

growth traditions

The ultimate living and learning experience, students living in the dorms explore faith, identity, relationships, and the joys and challenges of their newly gained autonomy.

“My time in the dorms was when I started figuring out the whole ‘adulting’ thing. You start to manage your time, do your own laundry, set your own curfew, and decide what your values are. I also figured out how to get along with people—or not—and then how to deal with differences in ideas or values.”

Kim Brower ’93

welcome

“As an international student, I really enjoy living on Calvin’s campus. I love how people are so welcoming and friendly here. I also love spending time with my roommate, Emelyn—we get along so well—and I value how close our relationship has become.” Esther Lan ’29, member of the 150th class

Throughout the year, there are plenty of reasons to spend weekends on campus, including the fun of participating in Calvin traditions. Fall introduces students to Chaos Night (formerly Day) full of competition between dorms and a healthy dose of the absurd.

Scenes from Chaos Night and Mud Bowl over the years

memories

relational ecosystem

To live in the dorms is to become part of a vibrant relational ecosystem, filled with all the highs and lows one might expect.

“I was surrounded by peers who were experiencing many of the same things I was— first time living away, hard classes, exploring faith. I felt seen, heard, and known.”

Jeff Meitler ’16

“Challenges that come to mind included telling a student that his father had committed suicide, helping a student get the mental health resources needed, attending funerals for student leaders that I had, but most of the challenges were just day-to-day operations and relationship development.”

Dave Rozeboom ’91, Beets Veenstra resident director ’94–’96

Each day presents the possibility of a memory-in-the-making—the impossible prank pulled off with finesse, the advent of a lasting relationship, an ordinary moment that becomes a core memory.

“Most of my core memories at Calvin revolve around life at KH. I met my wife at Calvin—she was on first Kalsbeek; I was on first Huizenga.”

Minwoo Heo ’09

“When I was a resident director, student leaders buried my car in the snow and later put it in the building lobby!” — DAVE ROZEBOOM ’91

home away from home

“Your floor is your first community on campus. It’s where your home is. Your stuff is there. It’s where you sleep. And it’s often where you make your first friends.” John Witte ’91, dean of students

“Over the first weeks, months, year, the dorm became home. It was our place.” Jan Stouwie Bode ’72

2025 Alumni Honorees

By Sara Korber-DeWeerd '00

THE CALVIN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION RECEIVES MANY NOMINATIONS FOR THESE ANNUAL AWARDS, AND THEY PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER EACH ONE. THESE THREE ALUMNI HAVE BEEN CHOSEN FOR THEIR CONSIDERABLE CONTRIBUTIONS IN THEIR FIELDS AND FOR THE WAYS THEIR LIVES REFLECT THE MISSION OF THE UNIVERSITY.

Watch profile videos for each honoree calvin.edu/go/alumni-awards

Nominate alumni

Email: alumni@calvin.edu

KWABENA BEDIAKO ’08

YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD

Taking an interdisciplinary approach to cutting-edge scientific research, Kwabena Bediako designs and studies atomically thin, two-dimensional materials—the building blocks of next-generation electrochemical systems for energy conversion and storage.

JOHN WITTE, JR. ’82 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD

John Witte, Jr. stands at the forefront of legal scholarship at Emory University. An acclaimed professor and award-winning legal historian, he’s advancing global conversations on law, religion, and family and exploring how legal frameworks uphold the common good.

MARGARET SPOELSTRA ’80 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD

Margaret Spoelstra is the chief executive officer of Autism Ontario, an organization serving 50,000 autistic individuals and their families across Ontario, Canada. She is a visionary champion of education, advocacy, policy change, and community belonging for people with autism.

Kwabena Bediako ’08 still recalls his first Michigan winter and the shock of walking to an 8 a.m. class in negative 2-degree weather. A native of Ghana, he described the experience to friends and family as something akin to being trapped inside a freezer, only colder.

Dr. Bediako’s life story began in Accra and brought him to Grand Rapids in 2004. At Calvin, he studied inorganic chemistry under Doug Vander Griend, a professor who became a trusted adviser and mentor. Today, Bediako is an associate professor of chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley.

JOURNEY TO THE TOP

Bediako spent the year after graduation working in industry before beginning a PhD program in electrochemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He shifted his doctoral work to Harvard when his research adviser, world-renowned chemist Daniel Nocera, took a position there.

When he launched his career at UC Berkeley, Bediako broadened his disciplinary focus to include physics. “What I’ve been pursuing is a fusion of two areas, bringing my chemical training from Calvin, MIT, and Harvard and applying it to problems at the interface of chemistry and physics,” he says.

THE FRONTIER OF ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

Bediako conducts his innovative research at the Bediako Lab, where he and his team develop and experiment with ultra-thin, two-dimensional materials that have the potential to make energy transfer and storage processes more efficient.

“When you take what we call a bulk crystal and you thin that crystal down so that it’s just a few layers thick into a single sheet or a few sheets of atoms, the way that material or crystal behaves can be radically different from the way it behaves when it’s many

layers thick,” Bediako explains. “We want to understand how new properties emerge from these atomic building blocks.”

BETTER DOESN’T MEAN MORE

Bediako hopes his team’s discoveries will support the development of new technologies that can lower energy consumption and minimize waste of natural resources.

Rapid technological advances, like artificial intelligence, have accelerated energy demand and consumption, but Bediako believes better does not just mean more. “We need new materials, new fundamental building blocks that will allow us to design the next generation of improved devices that can meet these rising demands.”

Bediako and his team also see the potential in their research to improve renewable energy storage. “Science has really advanced in harvesting renewable energy sources, such as solar energy, but efficient storage remains a challenge.”

A FORMATIVE TIME

At the Bediako Lab, student and postdoctoral researchers at all levels and across multiple disciplines—including chemistry, applied physics, and material science—work on designing these new, atomically thin, twodimensional materials.

First year research opportunities at Calvin shaped Bediako’s own passion for mentoring learners through hands-on experiences. He describes his time in Professor Vander Griend’s lab as “liberating,” “exciting,” and “absolutely formative.”

“I see how much of a difference these opportunities can make in a young scientist’s life. I carried that with me,” he says.

Studying in the U.S. far from home presented challenges, but Bediako says on campus, “there was a family feeling. I think that’s something extremely special, and it

“If humanity is to profoundly alter its environmental footprint in the twenty-first century, it is imperative to meet the challenge of escalating global energy demand.”

makes it equally difficult to put my finger on just one person who influenced me, but I think that’s the beauty of a place like Calvin.”

Fostering that culture in his own lab remains important to him.

‘ETHOS OF STEWARDSHIP’

Deep faith, nurtured throughout his life, plays a vital role in Bediako’s career. Stewarding his intellect, time, and resources means working on research questions that can solve the pressing challenges of the current age. He hopes more Calvin students will enter scientific fields and “bring this ethos of stewardship into their work.”

“If humanity is to profoundly alter its environmental footprint in the twentyfirst century, it is imperative to meet the challenge of escalating global energy demand with the innovation of unprecedentedly efficient renewable energy conversion and storage systems,” Bediako says.

As he mentors the next generation of young scientists in this field, he reminds himself that they, too, are image bearers of God. In a competitive, academic environment, those faith-guided principles matter.

Grounded in Science, Guided by Faith

Kwabena Bediako ’08 Young Alumni Award Winner

Always Reforming

John Witte, Jr. ’82

Distinguished Alumni Award Winner

“It has never been more important to explore the deep religious sources and dimensions of human rights and religious freedom.”

Legal historian Dr. John Witte, Jr. ’82 has conducted ground-breaking work in the study of law and religion, mentored the next generation of scholars in his field, and shaped academic discourse worldwide. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he holds three distinguished titles at Emory University, where he has taught since 1985: Woodruff University Professor of Law, McDonald Distinguished Professor of Religion, and Faculty Director of the Center for the Study of Law and Religion.

Legal historians study the development of legal ideas and institutions. Witte’s scholarship focuses on the fundamental questions of “faith, freedom, and family from antiquity until today.”

He believes religion and law are not just systems or institutions—they’re tools for navigating human complexity and enabling shared understanding. “Religion and law are among the universal solvents of human living. They’re fundamental to our existence as persons and peoples,” he says. “The need to study them responsibly is critical.”

MASTER SCHOLAR AND TEACHER

Witte views his vocation as a way of living out his faith. Over the last four decades, he has directed 20 major international projects involving 1600 scholars worldwide on the topics of law and Christianity; democracy, human rights, and religious liberty; and marriage, family, and children. He has been inducted into the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and the Royal Academy of Jurisprudence and Legislation in Spain.

Witte is also a prolific writer and accomplished editor. In addition to editing a

number of scholarly journals and book series, he has published 350 articles, 19 journal symposia, and 45 books.

His intellect and voice are far-reaching, yet he is also a master teacher. Among his many awards and prizes for teaching and research, Witte has been named 12 times by Emory law students as Most Outstanding Professor.

“I love teaching,” Witte says. “It’s an opportunity to shape the next generation of leadership in church, state, and society.”

As a Calvin undergraduate, he studied biology, history, and philosophy. He fondly recalls the mentorship he received and the way his professors helped shape his thinking through a Reformed lens.

INTERFAITH CONVERSATIONS

A self-described “old-fashioned Protestant,” Witte says his continued drive and curiosity come from a deep commitment to vocation, collegiality, and finding ways of “making common cause across religious, political, social, and cultural differences.”

Guided by the Reformed ethic ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda —“the church reformed, always reforming”—Witte believes that engaging other faith traditions illuminates one’s own.

“My deep Christian faith empowers me to appreciate those who have different faith claims, starting points, and premises for their work. Ideas like natural law, common grace, or general revelation force us to appreciate that everyone—Jew, Muslim, Christian—is wrestling with the most

fundamental questions. Finding ways of living together as people of different faiths and perspectives is one of the goals of the projects I’m involved in.”

Witte notes a dramatic shift in global discourse on human rights and religious liberty since the “grand idealism” of the postWWII era. Putting those ideals into practice has proved difficult, and, in today’s global political climate, they’re also increasingly fragile.

“When authoritarian regimes rise, human rights commitments become more present on paper than in practice,” he warns. “It has never been more important to explore the deep religious sources and dimensions of human rights and religious freedom.”

OPEN MIND, OPEN HEART

Lifting up dimensions of religion and the law at a secular university presents a unique challenge, however. “The lectern is not a pulpit, but in the privacy of my office or in conversations with students, I feel fully liberated to discuss what faith means to me,” Witte says.

He has advice for Calvin’s current undergraduates, too: “Study hard. Read voraciously. Don’t specialize too quickly. Find mentors who can guide you. Find conversation partners who will keep you honest and push you forward.”

“Be open to new understandings of the faith, inspired by new experiences, the Holy Spirit, and others of comparable faith.”

“Always be open to reform.”

Commanding Change, Compassionately

“When I think back on it, my career journey really started with softball,” says Margaret Spoelstra ’80. She remembers her two coaches—“who smoked, wore lipstick, and were not afraid to play good softball”—inviting the team to work at a summer camp for children with disabilities. “They were very civically minded. They said, ‘You have a responsibility to give back to your community.’ And that started my journey in autism.”

AUTISM ONTARIO

Spoelstra is the chief executive officer of Autism Ontario, an organization entering its 52nd year that serves over 50,000 autistic individuals and their families across the province both in person and online. With a staff of 250, the organization supports families, hosts community events, partners with government leaders to impact policy, and builds public awareness and acceptance through educational resources.

“Autism Ontario was founded by parents who said, ‘We need to make changes, and the status quo is unacceptable,’” Spoelstra says. She notes that parents of children with disabilities are often the first catalysts for reform but also need help supporting their loved ones.

“My role today is to make sure that across the province of Ontario, we have both staff and volunteers who represent all different

aspects of life—different faith communities, different cultural backgrounds, different lived experiences, different expressions of autism—so that those impacted by autism can find a place to call home where they are welcomed and included.”

DISABILITY RIGHTS

Spoelstra graduated from Calvin as the disability rights movement in North America was gaining momentum. She first worked as a special educator in residency programs where she met children and families who had experienced the harms of institutionalization. “This was something parents had been convinced to believe was the best choice they could make for their children,” she explains.

“I found myself moving folks from those institutions out into the community and advocating for community-based settings where inclusion was the model and the desired goal.” She realized people with disabilities did not need to change; society did.

Spoelstra went on to work in both community-based and research settings that allowed her to monitor the inclusion movement, to measure positive change, and to determine next steps. At present, she hopes to build better networks of support to help young people with autism transition to adulthood and find meaningful employment.

Spoelstra ’80 Distinguished Alumni Award Winner

TURNING RECOGNITION INTO IMPACT

Spoelstra firmly believes that “disability work is not charitable work.” Better networks of support build stronger communities overall. In 2011, she was awarded the Order of Canada, one of the highest civilian honors in Canada that recognizes individuals who “desire a better country.”

“I felt very much like an ambassador for autism,” she says. “It was the first time that autism got acknowledged in that way in Canada. We now have a national autism strategy that grew out of national recognition.”

More than accolades and policy wins, Spoelstra values her one-on-one interactions with people in the autism community.

“One of the things we failed to do for many years is to ask people themselves about their own stories, about what their experience is in being autistic.” She emphasizes the need to listen to others’ stories, especially in spaces where people have historically been marginalized. “Everybody is welcome at the table. Everybody deserves to be heard.”

THE STORIES THAT CHANGE US

From a young age, Spoelstra was exposed to strong role models who believed in “doing justice and loving mercy.” She says her first teacher was her mom, then her coaches. Her years at Calvin changed her, too, transforming how she thinks of herself as “a citizen in the world.”

A January interim class took her to Appalachia, where she witnessed both the negative impacts of poverty and the dignity and beauty of a unique regional culture. Student teaching in the Grand Rapids public schools exposed her to the different ways that students from diverse backgrounds experience disability. “Being in special education, we were well-acclimated to accept differences without fear.”

Spoelstra counts it a privilege to be part of the autism community. “Autism is not my story, but to walk alongside and empower people to effect change, that’s a powerful message about how we should be as a society.”

“Autism is not my story, but to walk alongside and empower people to effect change, that’s a powerful message about how we should be as a society.”

Margaret

TRAVEL WITH CALVIN

Red Rocks and Canyons in the American Southwest April 7−18, 2026

Hosts: Gerry and Jan Van Kooten

Highlights: Sedona, Bryce Canyon National Park, Antelope Canyon, Rehoboth, and Zuni

Discovering Denmark & Norway August 3–13, 2026

Host: Debra Freeberg

Highlights: Canal boat tour and Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Bygdøy museums in Oslo, railway ride and fjord cruise in Flam, city tour and Hardangerfjord cruise in Bergen

Charleston & Savannah Oct. 26–Nov. 2, 2026

Highlights: An all-women’s tour including Charleston City Market, International African American Museum, Savannah trolley tour, Forsyth Park, and Tybee Island

Australia & Tasmania

Jan. 29–Feb. 15, 2027

Host: Don DeGraaf

Highlights: Sydney Opera House, Blue Mountains, Melbourne, Great Ocean Road, and Hobart

View full itineraries and register online at calvin.edu/go/travel

ALUMNI BOARD REPRESENTS KNIGHT NATION

During its Homecoming meeting, the Calvin Alumni Association Board explored trends with young alumni engagement and discussed Spark with managing editor Sara Korber-DeWeerd.

To be equipped as Calvin’s ambassadors, they also learned about Calvin’s current strategic planning discussions, the simplified structure for new student financial aid packages, and the aerospace engineering program.

These 22 board members serve as your representatives.

Front row, left to right: Jan Stouwie Bode ’72; Eliezer Yeong ’18; Maxine Asante Mosley-Totoe ’06; Diane Esquivel Holton ’10; Janorisè Evans Robinson ’92; Amy Waanders Jeninga ’88

Second row: Kathy Smit Klaasen ’70; Linda Den Hartigh Vermeulen ’78; Carla de Jong Hiemstra ’94; Jasper Schouten ’01; Eric Yulianto ’02

Third row: Kim Brower ’93; Stephanie Vogelzang ’07; Glory Emmanuel ’19; Tyler Amidon ’93; Minwoo Heo ’09

Back row: Jeff Haverdink ’97, executive director; Adam Kinder ’06; Joe Allen ’13; Jon Marcus ’82; Jeff Meitler ’16

Missing: Wei Wang ’14; Johanna Chambery Zandstra ’91

LEGACY BIRTHDAY CLUB LAUNCHES

Since the Alumni Board launched its birthday club for children of alumni in summer 2025, over 400 kids have joined from 23 states and five countries. Those reaching milestone birthdays received a gift: a bib (birth to age 2), a lunch bag (age 5), a locker decoration (age 11), or a keychain (age 16). We celebrate these future Knights and invite additional families to join by registering at calvin.edu/ go/birthday.

Benny, son of Ben Naghtin ’19

Violet, daughter of Jason DeVries ’02 and Tiffany Huizenga DeVries ’04

Jeremy, son of Bill Cameron ex’94

DURING THE SESQUICENTENNIAL YEAR, OUR ALUMNI TRAVEL PROGRAM IS COMMEMORATING CALVIN’S GLOBAL REACH BY OFFERING “AROUND THE WORLD WITH CALVIN UNIVERSITY,” A SERIES OF TOURS REACHING SIX CONTINENTS IN 18 MONTHS.

Top: The program kicked off with Ralph Stearley, emeritus professor of geology, leading a tour to Oregon and northern California, including stops at Redwood National and State Parks.

Middle: Debra Freeberg, emerita professor of communication and director of theatre, and Gary Schmidt, emeritus professor of English, took theatre lovers to the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, where they discussed four plays and shared dinner with local alumni.

Bottom: The Calvin Alumni Association Korea Network hosted a photo scavenger hunt and luncheon with passengers on the South Korea and Japan tour led by Don DeGraaf, former 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

HERITAGE

(graduated more than 50 years ago)

01 In August 2025, Crystal Langejans Bowman ’73 received the 2025 AWSA Impact Award from the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. This award is presented to an AWSA member who has made a lifetime impact for Jesus. Over the last 30 years, Bowman has authored or co-authored more than 120 books for the Christian market and has sold over 3,000,000 copies worldwide.

02 Sandy Vander Zicht ’71 drove the tram at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park the last two summers as a volunteer. She had looked forward to driving the newly purchased electric trams in summer 2025; however, because of insurance requirements, only employees could become drivers. Undeterred, she decided to apply for the job. In June 2025, she became one of Frederik Meijer Gardens’ newest employees!

Four Calvin University alumni from the law firm of Foster Swift Collins & Smith, P.C. have been selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2026: Lynwood VandenBosch ’68, Steven Tjapkes ’85, Jennifer Siebers Van Regenmorter ’90, Mindi Jelsema Johnson ’01

1970s

03 In August 2024, Ruth Hollebeek Bylsma ’76 completed her 50th season as second flute with the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra. She and her husband Gordon Bylsma ’76 have since joined their church choir and become pastoral care assistants. They recently enjoyed a three-week train trip across the western United States. Bylsma continues to play at her church and with the Grand Rapids Symphony as a substitute flautist.

04

Fifty years after they first arrived at Calvin as young refugees from Vietnam, five alumni gathered on campus in August to celebrate the resilience,

faith, and friendship that carried them through. In 1975, these students fled their war-torn homes and resettled at Fort Chaffee in Arkansas, where they met Calvin student and alumni volunteers. That encounter sparked an opportunity to study at Calvin. From left to right: President Greg Elzinga ’90, Binh Le ex’79, Tien Vu ex’79, Hoang Nguyen ex’78, Tuong Nguyen ex’78, Wayne Nguyen Hung ex’76, and Lien Ha.

05 Seven siblings who graduated from Calvin gathered for a reunion in Holland, Michigan. It was the first time in 10 years all of them could be together in one place. They are among a unique demographic of large sibling groups in which all siblings both attended and graduated from Calvin. From left to right: Lois Hekman Vander Wel ’62, Janice Hekman Burghgraef Holwerda ’63, James Hekman ’66, Don Hekman ’68, Shirley Hekman Vander Wall ’69, Ed Hekman ’71, Ken Hekman ’75

1980s

Just before the fall Spark hit mailboxes, profile subject Dan Hartman ’84 and his wife, Kimberly, relocated from Portland, Oregon, to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to live closer to family. Hartman is excited to be re-establishing roots in the Grand Rapids area and especially enjoyed a chance meeting with former Michigan governor Jim Blanchard, who served as governor during Hartman’s student years at Calvin.

Nancy Prins Young ’87 is a regional director of quality for Bristol Hospice in Tucson. With locations around the U.S., Bristol Hospice is currently the fifth largest hospice in the nation. Over the course of her career, Young has worked in oncology, gastroenterology, and home health. As her career developed, she became increasingly passionate about end of life care.

1990s

06 Alumnae Christy Anderson ’92 and Cathy Guiles Starr ’03 unexpectedly met at an editors’ conference in Salt Lake City in April 2025. They both became editors in their post-Calvin careers—Christy is based in Austin, Texas, while Cathy is based in Washington, D.C.

Jason Andringa ’99, chief executive officer of industrial farm equipment manufacturer Vermeer, joined the Interlune advisory board. Interlune—a tech company focused on harvesting natural resources in space—has partnered with Vermeer to develop the Interlune excavator, a machine designed

to harvest Helium-3 from the moon. A full-size prototype of the excavator was unveiled in May 2025.

07 Dr. Trevor Nydam ’95 has been named chief of transplant surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and director of the transplant center at UCHealth. As one of the few surgeons in the U.S. performing robotic-assisted living donor hepatectomies, he has become a pioneer in transplant innovation.

08 This past summer, self-proclaimed sand fanatics Paul Speulstra ’92 and Brian Brunsting ’93 collaborated on a nine-hour sculpture project, which they titled “Back to School Knight.”

2000s

The West Michigan Conservation Network recognized Land Conservancy of West Michigan’s conservation director Justin Heslinga ’06 at their recent annual meeting. Heslinga received the Outstanding Conservation Educator Award for his conservation leadership and willingness to educate, guide, and inspire students.

2010s

09 Investment advisor Lauren DeHaan Brennan ’15 recently joined NFP Investment Advisors based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In the span of just 18 months the company welcomed five Calvin Knights to their team. Left to right: Lukas Lindhout ’25, Elly Zandee ’22, Tyler Bosgraaf ’13, Maria Kuiper ’19, Lauren DeHaan Brennan ’15, and Lynn Apotheker Bosscher ’04

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT

Steward of Stories

Former associate director for interpretation and education for the National Park Service Tom Medema ’87 sees all 433 parks and monuments as a living reflection of America’s identity—these places belong to every citizen, stitching together landscapes and stories that define the nation. “Each park is a thread in the fabric of our country,” Medema says.

But sharing that story is complex, he adds. It means not only acknowledging grandeur and heroism, but also trauma and injustice. Sites like Stonewall, Manzanar, and the Trail of Tears are part of the Park Service because they, too, represent chapters of shared history, even if those chapters are painful.

At 18, Medema didn’t set out to work in environmental education. But small moments nudged him toward a broader path, such as an Outward Bound presentation in Glen VanAndel’s recreation course that introduced him to that field for the first time.

During his master’s program in environmental interpretation at Michigan State, Medema came across a flyer for a $7-a-day internship at Rocky Mountain National Park. With family support, he spent a summer leading Junior Ranger programs—and was hooked. He also met and became engaged to his wife, Cindy, a fellow outdoor educator.

Medema landed his first job in Washington state, where he donned period clothing and baked bread for visitors at Fort Vancouver. Supervisory roles at Mount Rainier and Cuyahoga Valley in Ohio followed. Then he landed a dream job in Yosemite, where he served as chief naturalist for 15 years.

In 2016, Medema was recruited to Washington, D.C., and served eight years as associate director of the national parks. From an office two blocks from the White House, Medema helped shape national policy for the park system, overseeing everything from interpretation and education standards to volunteer training. He informally dubbed himself the “chief storytelling officer,” as a way of explaining his role curating the vast array of programs, exhibits, and resources that tell the story of America through its national parks.

Medema is also one of the founding members of a nonprofit organization called Rally for Rangers that delivers motorcycles and equipment to remote parts of the world so rangers can more effectively patrol and preserve protected lands in some of the world’s most ecologically significant places.

He describes his involvement as deeply personal and transformative. “It’s not just about the bikes,” he says. “It’s about the people, the stories, and the landscapes they protect.” He’s led rides in Mongolia, Argentina, Peru, Nepal, and tribal regions of the United States.

Though Medema retired from a 35-year career last December, he’s still actively involved in America 250, the nation’s semiquincentennial celebration. He’s currently leading the development of a national time capsule, helping to curate a public exhibit at the White House Visitor Center, and coordinating interactive projects like America’s Field Trip, a student competition.

As he puts it, this “retirement gig” is exactly what he would hope for: meaningful, flexible, and deeply connected to the work he loves.

Catch Tom Medema at the 2026 January Series, where he will give a talk titled “America at 250: How our National Parks Inspire a More Perfect Union.” See calvin.edu/january for details.

For decades, Tom Medema ’87 has helped shape the story of America’s national parks.

photo credit: Nationial Park Service

Building a Better Tomorrow

“My journey to Calvin College was really unexpected, but in the best way,” Entrada Scholar Marisha Addison ’18 says. Addison first learned about Entrada Scholars through a friend of a friend. As a participant, she enjoyed challenging academics and a close-knit community of peers.

Yet when it came time to select a college, Calvin was not her first choice. Then she changed her mind; a phone call to admissions secured her spot. “Looking back, I’m so glad I made that call,” she says.

Addison had dreamed of becoming a film director but spent the next four years pursuing an academic path that better aligned with her passion for history, geography, and untold stories. In January 2017, she traveled to Ethiopia

for a three-week course about the challenges of access to clean water.

“My first study abroad in Ethiopia was especially formative. It was led by Professor Johnathan Bascom—my advisor, mentor, and Calvin abba—who modeled what it meant to do research well. Our role is not to arrive as saviors or assume we know everything, but to listen, learn, and collaborate with local communities,” Addison says.

Now a doctoral candidate at the University of Maryland, Addison holds a deep commitment to understanding and partnering with the people her work impacts. Her dissertation research focuses on the journey to school, a universal activity for over a billion students worldwide.

“This journey is deeply unequal and is plagued with risks,” says Addison, who cites motor vehicle accidents as a leading cause of death for students aged 5 to 29 traveling between home and school. “Despite this, transportation and infrastructure have been largely overlooked in education and development research. By highlighting these intersections, my goal is to contribute to building not just better schools or policies, but better todays and tomorrows for young people.”

In May 2025, Addison was selected as a delegate for the World Bank Youth Summit’s Innovation Lab, an event that gathers thousands of young leaders from across the globe to address the most pressing issues of their generation.

Addison worked with a team to better understand food insecurity and its relationship to inadequate infrastructure and transportation in Ethiopia. The group was tasked with designing a “geospatial, data-driven strategy for food security and infrastructure planning.” They tapped into local resources and existing location-based data to guide recommendations about where and how investments should be made.

“It was a true full-circle moment—connecting my scholarly interests with a real-world challenge in a country that shaped my academic journey from the very beginning.”

Top: Marisha Addison ’18 (right) collaborates with a team member at the 2025 World Bank Youth Summit.

Bottom: Addison (right) and fellow Calvin students enjoy a study abroad experience in Ethiopia.

10

E.B. Clousing Sonheim ’13 is the director of marketing at Feyen Zylstra. She was recently selected for and completed Leadership Grand Rapids, a 10-month professional leadership training focused on systems thinking to address complex community problems. Sonheim was also a finalist for the 2024 ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award and enjoyed attending a celebration at the end of 2024 with her husband, Joe Sonheim ’11

11 The Woodfield Community Center located in Kentwood, Michigan, is a youth nonprofit started by executive director Mandy Johnson Vanderhill ’10 and her husband Aaron Vanderhill ’10. Intended to be a “bridge between communities where neighbors from all backgrounds find belonging in their own backyard,” the center welcomed 250 kids during summer 2025. WCC fosters local church partnerships to offer year-round activities and on-site play at Woodfield Apartments. Reflecting the diversity of the Kentwood area, WCC members represent about 20 countries and languages.

Employee benefits (ERISA) lawyer Michael Zahrt ’10 was listed among “Ones to Watch” in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

2020s

12 The spring 2025 Calvin Orchestra concert brought three generations of Calvin Orchestra violinists together when Geneva Boersema ’25 performed Saint-Saens’ Third Violin Concerto with the orchestra. Geneva, her mother Jana Sharpe Boersema ’93, and her grandmother Ellen Joy Schripsema Sharpe ’63 each played in the Calvin Orchestra as students and served as concertmaster or co-concertmaster for at least one year. All three women were Cayvan String Instrument Scholarship recipients and enjoyed opportunities to perform on instruments from the Cayvan Collection. They developed skills in the Calvin Orchestra for a lifetime of music—teaching, performing, serving in their churches, and making music together with friends and family. As a recent graduate, Geneva intends to continue playing violin while she works

toward a graduate degree in physics at Colorado State University.

13 Jeff Erickson ’22 and Kayla Louwsma Erickson ’23 are co-CEOs of Global Financial Impact (GFI). They are excited to build their company as a husband-wife team serving individuals and families in the areas of life insurance, investments, and retirement planning. Kayla’s background in nursing reflects her heart for people, while Jeff finds putting his finance degree to work in their new business deeply rewarding.

14 Lydia Carrion Flikkema ’21 is a certified nurse midwife living and working in northwest Arkansas. In August, she had the privilege of delivering Kaizen Asher Schott, the baby of Calvin alumni Jacob Schott ’18 and Makenna Long Schott ex’16. Though Flikkema and the Schotts never met at Calvin, their time there overlapped by one year. They are delighted that their lives unexpectedly crossed paths in Arkansas in this special way!

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHT

From Fandom to Influence

In 2005, the Calvin’s men’s basketball team reached the Final Four of the NCAA tournament, sparking excitement across campus. Among those captivated by the team’s success were students and brothers Matt Snyder ’08 and Zac Snyder ’06. Their enthusiasm soon extended beyond Calvin’s own fieldhouse and inspired a deeper dive into Division III (DIII) teams nationwide.

Beginning by simply contributing to a blog, Matt and Zac dove deeper into the logistical aspects of DIII basketball teams’ statistics and analytics. They have since grown their special interest into a podcast and YouTube channel focusing specifically on DIII basketball teams, the projected outlooks for the season, and recaps of the larger games. With the launch of this larger platform and the corresponding growth in their audience’s interest, D3 Datacast came to life.

But their channel doesn’t just reach fans; it has also reached DIII teams and coaches across the country, who started contacting the brothers to gain insight about how to schedule their seasons based on the data Matt and Zac compiled. This has grown especially with the insight the brothers have

gained into the NCAA Power Index (NPI), a tool introduced in 2024 that is designed to determine which DIII teams will qualify for the national tournament.

“I’ve been surprised by how many coaches and assistant coaches from other programs end up following [us],” Matt says. “Our reputation was that we were among the first to figure out how [NPI] would be calculated. We had a lot of interested parties of coaches and fans watching our episodes of how that would be calculated.”

Matt and Zac both received engineering degrees from Calvin, so the statistical mindset is second nature to them. They enjoy using D3 Datacast as a way to stay connected with each other and to have another venture outside of their full-time jobs as engineers.

“We think Division III basketball is a little bit of a hidden gem,” Zac says. “It’s fun to be out there doing our show on social media helping to highlight some of the great basketball that’s being played and help connect fans.”

—Madison Szczepanski ’22

CELEBRATING 150 YEARS

A Common Grace Sarah Turnage Bookhouse Group

This book commemorating Calvin’s sesquicentennial captures some of the essential rhythms of campus life past and present, from quiet moments of prayer and study to spirited traditions and public celebrations. These photographic pages invite you to step briefly into classrooms and chapels, dorm rooms and arenas, studios and labs, native gardens and tree-lined paths. Whether you are an alum remembering your time here, a current or prospective student, a parent with a son or daughter at Calvin, or a supporter learning about the university or seminary anew, we hope you’ll grasp something of the ethos of these institutions: their deep-rooted faith, their intellectual vigor, their warm-hearted community. And perhaps you will see something of yourself—your story, your faith, your hopes, your heritage—through the lens of Calvin.

—Sarah Turnage

A Common Grace is available at the Calvin Campus Store. Visit calvin.edu/store.

These brothers share more than a sibling connection—Matt and Zac Snyder use their engineering and technical know-how to shape the national conversation on DIII basketball.

photo credit: Bob Quillman

01 Children, Theology, and Bioethics: Beyond Autonomy

Jessica Bratt Carle ’02 Bloomsbury

02 Going on an Adventure

Jeff Evans ’85 Christian Faith Publishing

03 The Weather Belt

Weston Fields ’25 Randorian

04 When There Are Two Patients in One Body

Stephanie Price Flood ’89

Austin Macauley

05 The Fourteenth Day of the First Month

Bill Hagedorn ’70 Independently published

06 Hope in Hospice: Your Guide to Understanding Hospice and How it Helps

Gerald Harriman ’81

Credo House

07 Representing Products: Turn Physical Product Representations into Purchase Decisions

Rob Langejans ’89 Aloha

08 Diary of a Seattle Sports Fan: Lessons in Love, Losing, and Loyalty

Todd Pheifer ’94

Independently published

09 The Protector of the Portal

Melissa J. Roche (Melissa Haegert Dykhuis) ’10, Ressa Draco, and Gabriel M. James

Independently published

10 Orphan Children of Bethany: Fifty-Seven Years of Life in the West Bank

Marylène Schultz, translated by Mary Petter VanderGoot ’68 and Barbara Carvill HON, emerita professor of German Independently published

11 An Honest Search for Truth: Conversations with a Recovering Skeptic

Leonard Stob ’69

Stob Books

12 Tove Under the Tree

Larissa Theule ’02

Penguin Random House

13 Please Return to the Lands of Luxury

Jon Tilton ’11

Blueberry Finch

14 Welcome to the Lands of Luxury

Jon Tilton ’11

Blueberry Finch

15 The Sabbath Way: Making Room in Your Life for Rest, Connection, and Delight

Travis West ’02

Tyndale

16 The Wonder of Mushrooms: The Mysterious World of Fungi Maya Jewell Zeller, illustrated by Jenny DeFouw Geuder ’04 Adventure Publications

REUNION IN A BOX

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

The Blacquiere family from the east coast, west coast, and Michigan enjoyed a Tigers game on August 20.

Back row, left to right: Kate Blacquiere Wythe ’03, Bill Blacquiere ’74

Front row: Nathan Blacquiere ’98, Luke Blacquiere ’00, Mary Deur Blacquiere ex’73

These four friends from the Class of 1995 enjoyed a 30-year Calvin reunion in Ludington, Michigan, at the end of June. Left to right: Pam Admiraal Schumaker, Lisa Karelse DeVries, Marci Van Houten Boomsma, Julie De Jong Ball

These Class of 2011 roommates gathered in Melbourne, Florida, for a weekend reunion in June.

Left to right: Teresa Bailey Bowman, Katie Baker Keilman, Kristen VanZanten Parks, Holly Warren Corder, Elizabeth Feenstra, Cara Noordyke Molling, Jill Genzink Ramírez, Meredith Donnelly

from

This group of friends enjoyed a reunion in summer 2025. Left to right: Rob Boersma ’04, Sheri VandenAkker Boersma ’06, RaeAnne Porte, Jake Porte ’01, Marc Huisman ’01, Lori Bos Huisman ’03, Tim Koldenhoven ’02, Rachel Koldenhoven, Rene VanDommelen Sherman ’02, Mike Sherman ’03, Rachel Mast, Brian Mast ’01 (and holding the Calvin pennant, Rockton Porte)

Three Calvin couples, all longtime friends, enjoyed a week of biking through the old towns and villages of the southern Netherlands. Left to right: Sue Evenhuis Wiegers ’90, Bryan Wiegers ’90, John Casey ’90, Sheryl Lanser Casey ’90, Jodi Riemersma Koeman ’91, Kent Koeman ’91, Jenn Ryder ’89, Rocky VanTol ’89.

Scan to view more great alumni photos on Facebook.

Two Calvin couples

the Class of 2006 met up at Lake Tahoe for a day of fun on the water. Left to right: Lindsay Kroonenberg Rooney, Brian Rooney, Greg Cady, Briana Burns Cady

Deaths

1940s

Mae Van Dyk Rooy ’49

Sept. 1, 2025, Penney Farms, Fla.

Shirley Smith Sweetman ex’47

May 12, 2025, Denver, Colo.

Wesley Vryhof ’49

July 7, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

1950s

Marjorie Beninga Bergsma ex’51

June 29, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Gertrude “Jean” Geels Boer ex’54

June 9, 2025, Sioux Center, Iowa

Carolyn Kramer Bommelje ’56

June 10, 2025, Carol Stream, Ill.

Ronald Boss ’57

May 16, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Lawrence Bos Sr. ’59

June 25, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Benjamin Bouwman ’55

Feb. 9, 2023, Clinton Township, Mich.

Mary Jane De Weerd Byker ’59

May 13, 2025, Zeeland, Mich.

Janet Geenen Cok ex’52

July 21, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

William De Young ex’53

Aug. 1, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

B. Thomas Duthler ’59 Aug. 16, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Lavern Edewaard ’56 Sept. 9, 2025, Holland, Mich.

Neva Vander Zee Evenhouse ’54

June 9, 2025, Forest Hills, Mich.

Tracey Cnossen Gillen ex’53 Aug. 13, 2025, Crossville, Tenn.

Gordon Grevengoed ex’51

July 12, 2025, Zeeland, Mich.

Marie Wassenaar Haringa ’53 June 19, 2025, Whitinsville, Mass.

Phyllis Vanderberg Heerspink ex’50 Aug. 20, 2025, Holland, Mich.

Dorothy Hofman ’58 July 9, 2025, Zeeland, Mich.

LaVonne Dykstra Kloet ex’52 Aug. 26, 2025, Henderson, Ky.

Leslie Kolk ex’58

July 8, 2025, Fremont, Mich.

Annette Buurstra LaMaire ’51 Aug. 5, 2025, Bradenton, Fla.

Vernon Laninga ’57

July 17, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Lois Bos Lindhout ex’55

Aug. 16, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Carolyn Poel Lucasse ’51

Sept. 3, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Janice Sturing Markvluwer ex’53

May 25, 2025, Holland, Mich.

Nancy Postmus Naber ’56

Aug. 20, 2025, Athens, Ga.

Ellen Van Noord Nast ’61

Nov. 14, 2024, Byron Center, Mich.

Thomas Newhof Jr. ’58

June 24, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Greta Rey ’59

Aug. 19, 2025, Battle Creek, Mich.

Lenora La Botz Rus ’52

June 3, 2025, Jenison, Mich.

Calvin Seerveld ’52

Aug. 5, 2025, Willowdale, Ontario, Canada

Distinguished Alumni Award recipient

Anna Benson Sietsema HON

Jan. 11, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

J. William Smit ’57

Aug. 24, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Margaret “Midge” Oordt Timmer ex’51

Nov. 5, 2024, Lynden, Wash.

Saramae Witt Vander Ark ’51

Aug. 16, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Cornelius “Case” Vande Ree ’52

June 16, 2025, Pella, Iowa

Joan Van Veldhuizen Van Maanen ex’51

Aug. 15, 2025, Hull, Iowa

Shirley Vande Kieft Van Zanten ex’54

Aug. 7, 2025, Lynden, Wash.

Sandra Sprik Veldheer ex’57

Sept. 10, 2025, Lake City, Mich.

Aileen Kikkert Velthuis ’52

Aug. 5, 2025, Woodbridge, Va.

James Voetberg ’59

Aug. 15, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Retha Vande Haar Wells ex’56

April 6, 2025, Irvine, Calif.

Brandon Wiers ’57

May 30, 2025, Cincinnati, Ohio

John Ykema ’51

Jan. 11, 2025, Parkesburg, Pa.

David “Gordon” Zandee ’53

Aug. 10, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Jean Bushman Zuidema ’54

Aug. 29, 2025, North Haledon, N.J.

Henry Zuiderveen ’58

July 16, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

James Zylstra ex’57

April 22, 2025, Clearwater, Fla.

Marvin Zylstra ’55

June 6, 2025, Roswell, N.M.

1960s

George “Mike” Alsum ’63

May 15, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Betty Spee Anema ’63

May 13, 2025, Littleton, Colo.

Arlyn Achterhof Batts ’62

Nov. 19, 2023, Plainfield, Ill.

Harold Bontekoe ’62

July 15, 2025, Hawthorne, N.J.

Carol Yonkers Bos ’68

Aug. 5, 2025, Portage, Mich.

Distinguished Alumni Award recipient

Virginia Voskuil Bouma ’62

Sept. 23, 2024, Visalia, Calif.

Thomas Bouman ’66

Aug. 3, 2025, Manteca, Calif.

Ellen Hennink Broughton ’68

May 9, 2025, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Mary Wildeboer Buitendorp ’63

Aug. 4, 2025, Grand Haven, Mich.

Junella Hoksbergen Crake ’61

Aug. 19, 2025, Jenison, Mich.

Gerald De Vries ’63

May 30, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Willem Dirksen ex’65

Aug. 23, 2025, Lynden, Wash.

Aalt “Dirk” Evans ’63

June 10, 2025, Dearborn, Mich.

William Eyk ’67

June 6, 2024, Stayner, Ontario, Canada

David Frens ’66

July 24, 2025, Zeeland, Mich.

Donald Geels ’62

Oct. 29, 2023, Bloomington, Ind.

Mary Bartels Geertsema ’63

July 14, 2025, Jenison, Mich.

John Gritter ’61

Aug. 26, 2025, Kalamazoo, Mich.

Thomas Hoekstra ’68

May 28, 2025, Hudsonville, Mich.

Marjorie Hage Hoogeboom ex’63

Aug. 11, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Clyde Huizenga ’67

March 7, 2025, Seal Beach, Calif.

Esther Boerman Hutt ’63

May 22, 2025, Macedon, N.Y.

Gene Jentink ex’61

June 4, 2025, Cedar Grove, Wis.

Rose Besselsen Koning ’61

June 24, 2025, Wyoming, Mich.

Fred Kwant ’68

June 1, 2025, Helotes, Texas

Genevieve Lubbers ’69

Nov. 22, 2024, Jenison, Mich.

William Mesbergen ’69

Aug. 7, 2025, Daphne, Ala.

Pearl Vander Kooi Meyer-De Jong ’64

June 16, 2024, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Garry Moes ex’63

May 22, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Carol Dykema Muller ’63

Dec. 11, 2023, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Doris Dragt Nickels ’61

June 12, 2025, Longmont, Colo.

Dennis Pluimer ’68

Aug. 21, 2025, Pequot Lakes, Minn.

Annette Heerema Postma ex’65

June 24, 2025, Lynden, Wash.

Walter Pruiksma ’63

Nov. 2, 2024, Rochester, Vt.

Dale Ridderhoff ’65

May 27, 2025, Springfield, Va.

Douglas Scripps ’66

July 20, 2025, Northport, Mich.

Ronald Springvloed ’64

Nov. 14, 2024, Jenison, Mich.

Danford Stadt ’68

April 12, 2025, Grandville, Mich.

Marianne Mulder Stehouwer ex’62

Aug. 3, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

William Stoub ex’61

May 29, 2025, Shelbyville, Mich.

Arlys Assink Straayer ’69

July 13, 2025, Plano, Texas

Marvin Sytsma ’64

March 5, 2024, Jenison, Mich.

John Van Dyken ’63

Aug. 31, 2025, Chicago, Ill.

Marvin Van Heuvelen ex’61

Aug. 13, 2025, Grandville, Mich.

Helen Wood Van’t Hof ’66

May 17, 2025, Venice, Fla.

June Brummel Veenstra ex’60

July 27, 2025, Columbus, Ga.

James Verbridge ’63

Aug. 28, 2025, Copley, Ohio

Virginia Christian Young ’66

July 31, 2025, LaGrangeville, N.Y.

1970s

Melanie Koning Beelen ’76

June 11, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Jacqueline Kroes Capel ex’78

July 21, 2025, Hudsonville, Mich.

Harold “Bud” DeVos ’73

May 1, 2025, Madison, Wis.

Thomas Driesenga ’70

July 22, 2025, Byron Center, Mich.

Patricia Folkertsma-Garrett ’76

Sept. 2023, Plainfield Charter Township, Mich.

William Garvelink ’71

Aug. 23, 2025, Falls Church, Va.

Distinguished Alumni Award recipient

Linda Hanenburg Hoekstra ex’71

Jan. 9, 2024, Orland Park, Ill.

Dale Kellaway ’73

July 13, 2022, Oronoco, Minn.

Deborah Bandstra Lanenga ’72

June 28, 2025, Westmont, Ill.

Jacob Lanenga Jr. ’72

June 24, 2025, Westmont, Ill.

Karen Heyboer Lankhorst ex’71

June 9, 2025, Grand Haven, Mich.

Ronald Lynema ’73

June 3, 2025, Wyoming, Mich.

Thomas Schrotenboer ex’72

June 9, 2025, Zeeland, Mich.

Norman Steenstra ex’73

Jan. 16, 2024, Charleston, W.V.

Mark Steigenga ex’71

Aug. 3, 2025, Ludington, Mich.

Ben Tubergen ex’73

July 15, 2023, Holland, Mich.

Judith Boot Vander Meer ’71

Sept. 7, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Rita Northouse Vander Vliet ’71

Aug. 26, 2025, Holland, Mich.

David VandeVusse ’71

Nov. 27, 2024, Durham, N.C.

Shelley Hiemstra Van Dyke ’78

July 1, 2025, Ada, Mich.

James Van Eck Jr. ex’77

May 15, 2025, Au Train, Mich.

Mary Kuiper Wenger ’70

July 13, 2025, Belding, Mich.

Claudia Berends Zylstra ’71

Aug. 21, 2025, Sheboygan Falls, Wis.

1980s

John Baas ’82

July 21, 2025, Sioux Center, Iowa

Norman Brouwer ’80

Feb. 12, 2023, Ripon, Calif.

Susan Buist Sybesma ex’84

July 19, 2025, Platte, S.D.

Suzanne McVittie Wagner ’81

July 12, 2025, Vanderbilt, Mich.

1990s

Candace Honcoop Bennink ’99

May 27, 2025, Allendale, Mich.

Laura Eichhorn-Bosland ex’97

Aug. 7, 2025, Bloomfield, N.J.

Tracey Hopp Jarzombek ’92

May 20, 2023, Downers Grove, Ill.

Rebecca Mannes Karel ’93

July 31, 2025, Zeeland, Mich.

Daniel Keuning ’92

Dec. 18, 2024, Grandville, Mich.

Julie Sterk Meindertsma ’90

May 13, 2025, Caledonia, Mich.

Jeffrey Mulder ’93

May 25, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

John Timmer Jr. ’93

June 22, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Matthew Viel ’96

May 27, 2025, Holland, Mich.

2000s

Mark Van Stee ’01

Aug. 19, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Eric Weaver ’09

Aug. 5, 2025, Grand Rapids, Mich.

J. WILLIAM SMIT

1930–2025

Bill Smit ’57 passed away on August 24, 2025, at the age of 94. He served as a professor in Calvin’s sociology department from 1967–1996. His former colleagues appreciated his kindness and dry sense of humor and said he went out of his way to help students succeed.

“Bill was not a showy teacher in the classroom. He was quiet, reserved, and very methodical in his teaching. And he understood very well how students learn and how to help them learn,” said Rodger Rice, a longtime colleague of Smit’s. “I’m thankful for the privilege of co-teaching some classes with Bill. There is much I learned from him that made me a better teacher.”

While Smit prioritized his students, he also cared deeply for his colleagues in the sociology department. “He was a quiet colleague who did his work faithfully and with integrity. As with his students, he did whatever he could to help his colleagues flourish,” said Cheryl Brandsen, a former colleague and student of Smit’s.

Though he may have been a man of few words who shied away from the spotlight, “he meant what he said, and he said what he meant. Inside was a soft heart. He cared for people, especially his students,” Rice said.

And that came from a deep-rooted faith.

“Bill devoted himself to his family and his students. He held to a strong sense of justice. Yet he was always ready to show mercy,” Rice said. “He didn’t carry his faith on his sleeve; it existed deep inside him.”

TIMOTHY STEELE

1958–2025

An “incredible musician” and “steadfast friend,” “a gentle leader” and “wise mentor,” a “kind human” and “one of the loveliest of conversation partners.” These are some of the ways former colleagues and students remember their peer, friend, and teacher, Tim Steele.

Steele served on the music faculty at Calvin for 18 years. On June 14, 2025, just weeks before his official retirement, Steele died following a brief and unexpected illness. He was 66 years old.

Faith was the cornerstone of Steele’s legacy at Calvin, expressed through his service to both colleagues and students. “He lived out 1 Thessalonians 5:11, ‘Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing,’” said Jason Werkema, who Steele supervised in the department of visual and performing arts.

“He loved the students, and he went the extra mile to ensure they were supported in their learning both in and outside the classroom,” Werkema said.

“Tim was a gifted administrator, and because of this, he spent most of his professional life in higher education being a chair or a dean. Tim weathered a lot of crises and change in his time as chair, and his colleagues owe him a great debt for this service,” said Benita Wolters-Fredlund, a dean at Calvin.

Steele was regarded as an excellent teacher and scholar, but he also remained an active practitioner, playing early wind and string instruments and leading Calvin’s Collegium Musicum. He also co-directed the Early Music Ensemble of Grand Rapids and assumed leadership roles in organizations such as the Society for Christian Scholarship in Music and the Christian Voices in Musicology Study Group.

THOMAS HOEKSEMA

1946–2025

Tom Hoeksema ’68 died unexpectedly at his home on September 30, 2025, at age 79. He served as a professor of education at Calvin University for more than 35 years. During his tenure at Calvin and into retirement, Hoeksema worked tirelessly to promote equality and inclusion for all people.

“Tom put Calvin ‘on the map’ in terms of special education,” said Bob Keeley, a longtime colleague. “He had a huge impact on his students and in schools, both Christian and public, throughout West Michigan and beyond.”

After graduating from Calvin in 1968 and earning master’s and doctoral degrees in special education from Michigan State University, Hoeksema returned to his alma mater in 1975 to establish a special education program. Not only did he develop the philosophical framework and curriculum for the new program, but he also pushed for physical improvements to the campus that would promote inclusion for all.

Hoeksema was the recipient of the 2001 Presidential Award for Exemplary Teaching, the 2014 Faith and Learning Award, and the 2017 Henri Nouwen Award. He also authored resources to help churches and communities think well about inclusion for all people. Hoeksema’s legacy will live on in the classrooms and communities touched by his justice-seeking scholarship and advocacy.

CELEBRATION February 12–21, 2026

Feb. 13–14: Peter and the Starcatcher Play

Feb. 20: Late Night “Eras” Concert

Feb. 21: Calvin-Hope Rivalry Game

March 10: North Haledon, N.J. The fall 150th events were unforgettable—and there’s still more to come on campus and across the country.

Feb. 10: Accra, Ghana

Feb. 12: Abuja, Nigeria

Feb. 16: Nairobi, Kenya

Feb. 24: Rehoboth, N.M.

Feb. 26: Phoenix, Ariz.

March 3: San Francisco, Calif.

March 5: Long Beach, Calif.

March 8: New York, N.Y.

March 11: Philadelphia, Pa.

March 12: Washington, D.C.

March 24: Toronto, Ontario

March 25: Hamilton, Ontario

April 14: Whitinsville, Mass.

April 15: Boston, Mass.

April 21: Seattle, Wash.

April 22: Lynden, Wash.

April 23: Surrey, British Columbia

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED (ACS)

Mark your calendar January 19–30, 2026

Choose your January Series experience: attend the live presentation on campus at 12:30 p.m. EST, watch the simulcast at a remote site, or watch digitally on-demand until midnight PST. Visit calvin.edu/January for details.