Spark Winter 2022 - Calvin University

VIEW THE PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION OF WIEBE BOER

— Dr. Wiebe Boer President

”Our mission produces alumni who are taught how to think not what to think. How to reach hearts rather than break them. How to seek and elevate goodness rather than counterfeit or bury it. How to lift each other up rather than hold each other down.”

Wiebe and Jehan Boer

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 relations, Calvin University, 3201 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546. ©2022 by the Calvin Alumni Association.

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FEATURES

POISED TO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT

The new School of Business opens its doors.

REDISCOVERING CALVIN

Calvin’s 12th president curates a list of 12 highlights from his first semester on the job.

Inauguration day brings together old friends, introduces new faces, and offers a hopeful vision of the university’s future.

ON THE COVER: Calvin University officially welcomes the Boer family on inauguration day.

PHOTO CREDIT: SIGNATURE PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIOS

THE CALVIN SPARK

Editor: Jeff Haverdink ’97

Managing Editor: Sara Korber-DeWeerd ’00

Art Director: Amanda Impens

Designers: Vicki Dolsen Olivia Stallmer ’22

Contributing Writers: Jeff Febus ’92 Abigail Ham ’23 Matt Kucinski HON Katie Rosendale ’23

Contributing Photographers: Steven Herppich Ryan Humm

Amanda Impens Adrian Van Stee ’23

CALVIN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD

President: Jori Brink Hannah ’04 (Chicago, Ill.)

Vice President: Tyler Amidon ’93 (Centennial, Colo.)

Secretary: Karen Zwart Hielema ’94 (Toronto, Ont.)

Treasurer: Jim Valk ’87 (Paw Paw, Mich.)

Executive Director: Jeff Haverdink ’97

Members:

Jerry Cooper ex’66 (Holland, Mich.)

Minwoo Heo ’09 (Chicago, Ill.)

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

Dale Kaemingk ’77 (Brier, Wash.)

Adam Kinder ’06 (Ada, Mich.)

Kathleen Smit Klaasen ’70 (Caledonia, Mich.)

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

Debra Perry ’91 (Grand Rapids, Mich.)

Janorisè Evans Robinson ’92 (Oak Park, Ill.)

Levi Stoep ’13 (New York, N.Y.)

Stephanie Vogelzang ’07 (Alexandria, Va.)

Eliezer Yeong ‘18 (Grand Rapids, Mich.)

Johanna Chambery Zandstra ’91 (Schererville, Ind.)

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Much to celebrate

The past few months have felt to me as if we’ve turned a corner, particularly here at Calvin, in my role with alumni. After a few years of quarantine and social distancing, it’s a welcome relief to gather in com munity once again. I’ve heard the same from many of you as well—spending time together has been life-giving.

This fall and early winter, I met many alumni at on-campus events, such as Homecoming. I spent time with our two Distinguished Alumni Award winners, George Comer and Chris Holstege. I’m also looking forward to meeting our Young Alumni Award winner, Nana Owusu-Achau, this spring, when he travels back to Calvin. I’ve had wonderful visits with alumni outside of west Michigan, too, in places like Pella, Denver, and a few stops in Ontario, Canada. I’m continually humbled to meet so many wonderful alumni and to hear their stories.

I’m not the only one who has been out meeting alums. In their first few months, our new president, Wiebe Boer, and his wife, Joanna, attended gatherings with alumni in many corners of the world. At these events, Pres. Boer often got asked about his early impressions of Calvin. His answer was always a version of this simple but true sentiment:

“We have a lot to celebrate here at Calvin.”

President Boer is right; we do have a lot to celebrate. The dedication of a new School of Business building, the formation of new Schools of Health and Education, the most diverse student body in Calvin’s history, a rapidly growing number of masters students, success on the athletic fields, new and strengthening global part nerships, remarkable faculty scholarship achievements, and the recent celebration of the inauguration of a new president. Indeed, there is much to celebrate.

During this season, I believe we can each find much to celebrate in our own lives, too. Celebration doesn’t mean all our challenges simply disappear. There is unfinished work ahead—tough questions remain unanswered, personal struggles may continue, and ongoing divisions in our society may concern or confuse us. Yet, we are blessed to belong to this Calvin community, with a shared faith to guide us.

As we find ourselves in this special time of thanksgiving and celebration, I pray each of us will take time to remember God’s blessings.

I am personally thankful for the gift of serving in my role and meeting so many of you, our wonderful alumni. I am thankful the Lord brought President Boer and his family to Calvin at this moment in time. I am thankful God has blessed Calvin for nearly 150 years in its mission to educate students for his kingdom. And most importantly, I am thankful for the birth of his Son, our Savior, through whom our salvation is assured.

Soli Deo Gloria.

BY JEFF HAVERDINK ’97 DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT

MEET SPARK’S NEW MANAGING EDITOR

This past summer, the Spark team welcomed a new managing editor: Sara Korber-DeWeerd ’00. Korber-DeWeerd joins Spark with over 20 years of experience in secondary and higher education, as well as a growing body of freelance work. In addition to writing for and editing Spark, she works part-time at Whitinsville Christian School in Whitinsville, Massachussetts, and writes for a variety of publications about faith, family, disability, and belonging.

“I believe stories have the power to build empathy and create a kinder, more just world,” she said. “When we listen with our imaginations, our experiences connect and change us.”

Korber-DeWeerd most enjoys sharing the power of language and story with young people, whether writing for children, helping English language learners develop communication skills, or teaching composition and creative writing. She is excited to return to Calvin University and serve in a new capacity. “It’s great to come full circle and participate in this incredible community again.”

Participants enjoy the Calvin Classic 5K and Fun Run during Homecoming 2022.

GUIDEBOOKS GIVE CALVIN HIGH MARKS

U.S. News & World Report ranks Calvin University fourth overall among Midwest regional universities. The digital news and information company helps prospective students and their families evaluate colleges and universities based on up to 17 measures of academic quality, such as first-year retention rates, graduation rates, and the strength of faculty.

In the Midwest Regional Universities category, Calvin University ranks #8 for “Best Undergraduate Teaching” and #2 for “Most International Students.” Calvin also continues to remain in the top 50 of the “Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs” list, which ranks all colleges and universities in the United States that are non-doctor ate-granting institutions.

In addition to the U.S. News & World Report rankings, Calvin University also received high marks from a number of other leading rankings guidebooks, including Fiske Guide to Colleges, Forbes, Money, Niche, Washington Monthly, and the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education, to name a sampling.

And the Princeton Review, which includes Calvin as one of the best institutions for undergraduates to earn their college degrees, also lists it as a top 10 school nationwide for its student support and counseling and wellness services, and in the top 20 nationwide for the 11th straight year for its health services.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION VISITS CALVIN PRISON INITIATIVE

In late August, leaders from the U.S. Department of Education visited Handlon Correctional Facility, Calvin’s second cam pus. This was undersecretary James Kvaal’s first visit to a prison. He and his team spent four hours touring the facility, where they talked with students in the program and participated in a roundtable discussion with state leaders, Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary administrators, and officials from the Michigan Department of Corrections, among others.

The leaders agreed CPI is a national model for prison education.

“[This program] really has a strong sense of mission, and it really has touched people’s lives and changed their lives, and I think

that is an incredible opportunity for these students,” said Kvaal.

“Calvin, and the CPI program, is a leading exemplar of what high-quality prison education programs can be. We want to see more programs like this across the country,” said Amy Loyd, assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education.

“Now, with the visit today, we hope that this will be an opportunity to not only expand this in Michigan, but to expand this program across the United States for the benefit of those within,” said Dr. Wiebe Boer, president of Calvin University. “We look forward to further partnerships with the government to make this happen.”

STAY CONNECTED

Find more campus news at calvin.edu/news

Leaders toured Handlon Correctional Facility, met with CPI students, and engaged in a roundtable discussion regarding prison education.

Rankings show Calvin students benefit from campus diversity, excellence in teaching, and health and wellness services, among other things.

CALVIN ANNOUNCES NEW FOOTBALL PROGRAM AMONG

OTHERS

Football is coming to Calvin University in 2023, with play starting in 2024. Calvin University’s Board of Trustees voted on and approved the university’s athletics strategic plan in late October, which includes adding women’s acrobatics and tumbling, men’s volleyball, and men’s American football to its portfolio of NCAA Division III athletic offerings. It also calls for an exploration of expanded ice hockey programs, including adding a women’s team.

“We are one of the premier athletics programs in all of Division III and so why

not add more offerings that meet the needs of our students,” said Dr. Wiebe Boer, president of Calvin University. “By adding these sports, we are providing students who have competed throughout high school the opportunity to get the best Christian liberal arts education around and continue in the sport they love. It’s a win-win.”

The athletics strategic plan also includes a significant renovation and expansion of Calvin’s outdoor athletic facilities, including the construction of new outdoor facilities for soccer, lacrosse, and football.

JANUARY SERIES ANNOUNCES 2023 LINEUP

The 2023 January Series lineup is now set. A NASA scientist, a former speechwriter for three U.S. presidents, and the holder of the longest winning streak on Jeopardy! are among an eclectic lineup who will discuss some of today’s important issues.

Each year, the January Series welcomes a worldwide audience. Last year, the series reached a record 100,000-plus viewers in 50 states and 52 countries spanning six continents.

“The number of people who join us speaks to both the quality of the programming we offer and the accessibility of these talks,” said Michael Wildschut, who is directing his first January Series. “When we learn more about the world, we will hopefully become a richer version of ourselves, and, in doing so, be better equipped to make this world a better place for all.”

The free lecture series’ 36th edition begins Monday, January 9, and runs 15 straight weekdays through Friday, January 27. The one-hour lectures begin at 12:30 p.m. EST in Calvin’s Covenant Fine Arts Center. Viewers can also enjoy presentations virtually, both live and until midnight PST, on the day of each presentation at calvin.edu/january. Dozens of remote webcast locations will also stream the series live. Find an updated list of viewing locations on the January Series website.

STAY UPDATED

Read more football news calvin.edu/go/football

STAY CONNECTED

Find more about the January Series at calvin.edu/january

In November 2022, Calvin launched a national search for its first-ever football coach.

Author and game show contestant Ken Jennings holds the record for the longest winning streak on Jeopardy!.

DIVERSITY TRAILBLAZER WINS

PRESTIGIOUS AWARD

Rev. Dr. Michelle Loyd-Paige, the executive associate to the president for diversity and inclusion at Calvin University, was named one of two recipients of the Dante Venegas Award. The award is the Office of Race Relations’ method for calling out distin guished leadership in diversity and racial justice work in the Christian Reformed Church. Loyd-Paige is being recognized for her work in a community setting.

For 37 years, Loyd-Paige has served Calvin University as a professor and administra tor, most recently for nearly a decade in a cabinet-level position created to advance the university’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

This is significant, considering that LinkedIn research shows the average turnover rate for a chief diversity officer is just three years, with many leaving because of a lack of resources, unrealistic expectations, and inadequate support from senior executives.

“Calvin’s aspirational mission and my personal mission are in alignment,” said Loyd-Paige, citing a key reason why she’s stayed at Calvin for so long. Over the years, she’s felt an obligation to continue her work, both to honor those who came before her and the generations that will call Calvin home in the future.

SPEECH PATHOLOGY GRADUATE PROGRAM BOOMING

More learners are choosing Calvin’s speech pathology graduate program because of the unparalleled preparation they receive, which includes a student earning more than 100 clinical hours right on campus during their first year in the program.

“This is one of the biggest selling points for students to join the program,” said Emily Vedra, the distance education manager for the Speech Pathology and Audiology Program. “It prepares students best for their second year when they go into hospitals and schools. They are ready to hit the ground running.”

Employers agree. “The Calvin students are provided with an incredible advantage coming into externships. They are intro

duced to technical and soft skills that are needed in their clinical placements,” said Karen Duffy, Spectrum Health’s Speech Language Pathology Clinical Education Coordinator. “The students have a grasp on standardized testing, documentation, and rapport building that sets them up with a foundation to build on and succeed.”

The School of Health’s speech pathology graduate program is also expanding to satisfy a growing demand in its more recently added online graduate program. Online students have access to similar resources as in-person graduate students, including to more than 20 practicing speech-language pathologists who are experts in voice, aphasia, child language, and adult neuro.

STAY CONNECTED

Find out more Calvin’s online degrees at online.calvin.edu

Jana Feuerstein, a first-year graduate student, works with a client at the on-campus clinic.

Calvin University president Dr. Wiebe Boer congratulates Rev. Dr. Michelle Loyd-Paige after she received the Dante Venegas Award.

INCOMING CLASS MOST DIVERSE, TOPS 1,000

More than 1,000 incoming students began their pursuit of an undergraduate or graduate degree at Calvin University in the fall of 2022.

The entering class of first-year students is record-setting in terms of ethnic and geo graphic diversity. This year’s incoming class hails from 42 U.S. states and 38 countries, both five-year highs for Calvin. Seventeen percent of the incoming class hails from outside the U.S., a record for the university.

In addition, Calvin’s 2022 class shows domestic diversity with 18 percent of the incoming students representing BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) populations, an institutional high. Also notable, the class’s average GPA, ACT, and SAT scores all either match or exceed the marks from the past five incoming classes.

Calvin also experienced growth in firstgeneration students with more than a 20-percent increase year-over-year. It’s also the institution’s highest mark since 2018.

Calvin’s diversity is seen in its portfolio of learners, which has expanded in recent years to meet the needs of a changing environment and to provide more pathways to a Calvin education.

Today, Calvin serves traditional residential undergraduate and graduate students, students at the Handlon Campus through the Calvin Prison Initiative program, transfer students and online learners, and students in the university’s Ready for Life program. Calvin also serves adult learners who are seeking certificates.

STARTUP GARAGE

When alumnus Jon VerLee ’07 sold Breeze, a user-friendly church management soft ware company, in 2011, he and his wife, Kerrie Notman VerLee ’07, wanted to bless others with what they saw God had entrusted to them. That evolved into the Calvin Startup Garage, an incubator that provides mentoring, funding, and community support to Calvin students from any major interested in starting their own businesses. “The purpose is to create 100 Christ-centered companies in the next 10 years,” said VerLee.

VerLee will volunteer his time over the next four years to be the director of the Startup Garage and an entrepreneur-in-residence. The VerLees plan to give $500,000 over that time to fund it, with part going toward operational expenses and part seeding an endowment that the university hopes to grow to $2 million, with the help of Calvin alums and friends of the university.

When VerLee started Breeze, his vision was to make the maximum possible impact, centering people over profit. It’s a vision that aligns with Calvin’s School of Business. Said VerLee, “The goal of a business is not to make money; money is a byproduct of creating real value in the world.”

STAY CONNECTED

Find more campus news at calvin.edu/news

Jon VerLee ’07 will dedicate funds and time to grow entrepreneurship across disciplines.

In November, a group of first-generation students gathered for a photo near Hiemenga Hall.

2022 CALVIN FALL SPORTS ROUNDUP

BY JEFF FEBUS ’92

The Calvin men’s soccer team held a top 10 national ranking through mid-October. Under the direction of veteran head coach Ryan Souders, the Knights opened their MIAA campaign with victories over Trine and Hope. The Knights also claimed victory over nationally ranked opponents from Redlands, Ohio Wesleyan and Transylvania. Another early-season highlight was the welcoming back of the members of its 2009 and 2011 national runners-up teams on Calvin’s Homecoming Weekend. The men’s soccer team concluded the regular season with an overall record of 14-2-2 and won its 16th straight MIAA title with a 6-1-0 league mark.

Led by head coach Emily Ottenhoff, the Calvin women’s soccer team jumped out to a 12-0-0 start and was ranked in the top 10 nationally in mid-October. The Knights shut out their first 12 opponents to set a new Calvin single-season record for consecutive shutouts. The Knights were also 4-0-0 in league play including a 1-0 rivalry win at Hope College in early October. Another early-season highlight was a 2-0 win over a nationally ranked team from the University of Chicago. The women’s soccer team concluded the regular

season with an overall record of 15-0-1 and won its third straight MIAA title with a 7-0-1 league mark.

The Calvin women’s volleyball team was off to a 15-3 record including a 4-0 mark in the MIAA. Led by head coach Amber Warners, the Knights were ranked in the top 10 na tionally in mid-October. In late September, the team enjoyed a three-set win over rival and nationally ranked Hope at Van Noord Arena. In early October, Calvin treated New York City alumni to three victories at the NYU Showdown in Brooklyn. While there, Calvin defeated 10th-ranked NYU, 19th-ranked MIT, and a strong team from Swarthmore College. The Calvin women’s volleyball team was 23-3 at the conclusion of the regular season and captured its 12th MIAA title in the last 13 years, finishing 8-0 in conference play.

The Calvin women’s cross country team held a top 25 national ranking throughout the fall. Led by first-year head coach Nicole Kramer, the Knights took second at their own Calvin Knight Invitational in early September and then took fifth in a field of 36 teams at the NCAA III Pre-National Invitational in East Lansing, Michigan, in early October. The team

finished second to first place Hope at the MIAA championships in late October.

The Calvin men’s cross country team has held a national ranking throughout the fall. Also led by first-year head coach Nicole Kramer, the Knights took first place at their own Calvin Knight Invitational in early September. The Knights then took 11th in a field of 36 teams at the NCAA III Pre-National Invitational in East Lansing in early October. The Calvin men’s cross country team captured its 35th consecutive MIAA crown, taking first place at the MIAA Championships with 27 points, four points ahead of rival Hope. The championship streak is the longest active MIAA conference championship streak.

The Calvin men’s golf team was in the top four of the MIAA standings this fall and in strong position to qualify for the MIAA Spring NCAA Qualifier Tournament, which takes the top four teams from the MIAA fall season. Led by head coach Brian Bolt, the Knights took first place at the Irish Hills Invitational hosted by Adrian in mid-September and then hosted the MIAA Fall Tournament in mid-October in nearby Wyoming, Michigan.

Led by head coach Jerry Bergsma, the Calvin women’s golf team took fifth in the MIAA fall season, finishing just five strokes out of a top-four team finish and a berth in the MIAA Spring NCAA Qualifier Tournament. Junior Chandler Sjoerdsma (Riverside, Calif.) took second in the final MIAA individual standings and was named to the All-MIAA First Team for a third straight year. Senior Jericha Sharphorn (Hudsonville, Mich.) was named the recipient of the MIAA Sportsmanship Award.

Under the direction of head coach Kattie Carpenter, the Calvin women’s triathlon team was in position to gain its third trip to the NCAA Division III Collegiate National Championships in November in Tempe, Arizona. An early-season highlight was taking first place in the collegiate competition of the Reeds Lake Triathlon in nearby East Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Knights later took sixth at the Millikin D3 Invitational and competed at the Division III West Region Qualifier in Stockton, Missouri.

LOOKING BACK OVER THE LAST 50 YEARS

BY JEFF FEBUS ’92

From humble beginnings to fast-charging runs up the ice, the Calvin men’s ice hockey program is making the 2022–23 season a celebratory one as it heads into its 51st year as a collegiate program.

The celebration began on Calvin Homecoming Weekend as nearly 50 men’s hockey alumni, along with their families, arrived to either participate in or witness an alumni game at Eagles Ice Center, located just a few miles from campus. The alumni game was part of a hockey triple-header that took place between Calvin’s ACHA Division III contest against Cleary University and its Division I contest against cross-town rival Aquinas.

The Division III contest was won by Calvin 6-1, while the Division I team fought Aquinas to a 4-4 overtime tie. Most importantly, members of the hockey program from past and present celebrated a program that is rich with tradition and continues to build

momentum. “It was just a wonderful weekend,” said Calvin Division I head hockey coach, Mike Petrusma ’85. “It was gratifying and humbling to see so many alumni back in Grand Rapids and wear the Calvin sweater again. It just reaffirmed something I already knew—that our alumni care deeply about this institution and its hockey program.”

Wearing commemorative Calvin hockey jerseys, alumni played in the late-after noon contest and then met with President Wiebe Boer. Prior to the start of the Division I game with Aquinas, Boer dropped the ceremonial first puck at center ice.

The Calvin hockey program dates to the fall of 1972, when the first organized team was established. A trip to Canada to compete against the likes of Redeemer University, Dordt University, and Trinity Christian College materialized later that season. The Knights finished last place in that tournament but remained undaunted.

One year later, the Calvin icers roared out to a 14-1 start and proceeded to finish high in a post-season tournament competition, setting the stage for more wins to come.

By the 1980s, the program had increased visibility and popularity with the Calvin student body, playing at local rinks against schools primarily from Michigan. In the early 1990s, the program joined the Ameri can Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) to gain a stronger national foothold and make a run at a national tournament.

Current head coach, Mike Petrusma, took over the reins of the Calvin hockey program in the fall of 1991. He was well-versed in the sport, having played the game growing up in Georgetown, Ontario.

In 1994, Calvin made its national tournament debut, taking third at the ACHA Division II National Tournament in Albany, New York. Petrusma remembers the experience well. “We traveled to up-state New York and had a great group of guys and a very competitive showing in our first trip at that level,” said Petrusma. “That trip helped lay the ground work for teams in the future, and it featured a team with a lot of talent.”

Petrusma stepped aside in the late 1990s to coach his sons at the high school level but returned as Calvin’s head coach in 2002. Several of his former high school players followed him to Calvin to play for the Knights, who, by then, competed at the ACHA Division III level instead of Division II.

In 2004, a Calvin team led by future ACHA Division III National Player of Year Max Sieplinga ’06 captured the ACHA Division III National Title, winning four straight games in Glendale, Arizona.

Success continued over the next several years as the team grew, and in the fall of 2017, the Knights split into two teams creating an ACHA Division III and an ACHA Division I team.

“We were getting more and more interest from players and had formed a JV team that played against several of the top local men’s teams in Grand Rapids,” ex plained Petrusma. “That group formed the backbone of our current Division III team, while our Division I team also started off.”

Calvin’s Division I team earned trips to the ACHA National Tournament in both 2020 and 2021, while the Division III team continues to push for a return trip to the national tournament.

According to Petrusma, both teams feature extraordinary talent this year and hope to return to the national level. Jim Hartlein continues to serve as the head Division III coach—a role he has held since 2018. Josh Petrusma ’06, Mike’s son, has also

moved into the role of Director of Hockey Operations, handling logistics and assisting with recruiting and promotion.

The father-son duo also helped renovate locker rooms for both teams. “I can honestly say that our Division I locker room is one of the finest in the country and rivals locker rooms at the professional level,” said Mike Petrusma. “Our Division III locker room isn’t too far behind. It makes a huge dif ference for our guys, and it’s another place they can call home.” He credits alumni contributions for the project’s success.

Calvin’s Director of Athletics, Dr. Jim Timmer, is excited about the direction the Calvin hockey program is headed. “It’s great to see two hockey programs playing at a high level at Calvin and adding something compelling and collegiate to our athletics experience,” said Timmer. “The hard work and dedication from our athletes and coaching staff are wonderful, as is the support from our hockey alumni. We look forward to many more years of Calvin hockey.”

A Campus for all Seasons

BY ABIGAIL HAM ’23 AND KATIE ROSENDALE ’23

FACULTY-STUDENT RESEARCH SHOWS CALVIN’S ARCHITECTURE AND IDENTITY HAVE EVOLVED, AND CONTINUE TO EVOLVE, SIDE-BY-SIDE

Art history professor Craig Hanson conducted summer research exploring the history and influence of Calvin’s Knollcrest campus architecture with three McGregor Student Fellows. The project was one of eight conducted this past summer through the McGregor Undergraduate Research Program, which has funded student-faculty research in the arts, humanities, and social sciences since 1999.

“We were exploring the architecture, the architect, and the student experience when the campus was first created,” said Gabrielle Freshly ’23, one of the student researchers. Freshly and the other students spent the summer digging through Calvin’s archives, researching the campus’ architects and conducting interviews with current and past Calvin community members. What they found points to a connection between identity and design.

When Calvin first moved to the Knollcrest campus in the ’60s and ’70s, the student body predominantly comprised a tightlyknit Reformed community. Both the physical campus and the Calvin community have changed since then, and while the school’s legacy remains potent, more expansive visions of Calvin’s future are also playing a role in the campus’ evolution.

In 1956, Calvin College purchased a large plot of land known as Knollcrest farm. Calvin’s campus at the time was located on Franklin Street, in the heart of Grand Rapids. But after World War II, the college experienced a period of intense growth that the Franklin campus couldn’t accommodate.

Then-President William Spoelhof turned to architecture firm Perkins and Will, which Hanson described as “the most progressive architects for education,” to design and build the new campus. The firm assigned architect William Fyfe, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, to the project.

Fyfe was a proponent of Prairie style archi tecture—a style focused on the integration of buildings and landscape via elements such as flat roofs and natural colors.

The design and construction of the Knollcrest campus took place in a period when the Christian Reformed Church in North America was beginning to think more intentionally about preserving the unity of its community. It made sense for campus architecture to reflect and reinforce that desire, but this has often been interpreted as campus having a “closed-in” feel.

When the campus was constructed, it was “pretty isolated,” Freshly said. “At the time, it was at the edge of town.”

The campus faces inward, too. “Entrances are not typically located outside the commons,” Hanson said. This design aligned

Calvin with classical European universities like Oxford; officials also hoped that an inward orientation would prevent campus from disturbing the privacy of any surround ing neighborhoods, according to Hanson.

Calvin at the time was largely composed of the Dutch-American community. “The overwhelming majority on campus in the ’70s were insiders,” Hanson said. Campus buildings didn’t have signs; if you were part of the community, you’d just know where to go.

“We experience that as snooty inhospitality,” Hanson said—but, in reality, it was intended to be hospitable. “Fyfe had this vision that if you showed up on campus and you didn’t know where you were going, you would ask somebody. It was a vision of hospitality that depended upon an insider community.”

But Prairie style also has advantages, according to Hanson. “Buildings at the University of Chicago, buildings at Yale— they want to impress you,” he said.

Calvin’s campus, on the other hand, “doesn’t suggest a kind of mastery of the surrounding landscape,” Hanson said. “It’s not hierarchical. It’s a very peaceful, coexisting form of architecture.”

The various master planning projects currently in the works aim to preserve this feature of Calvin’s campus while trying to mitigate the feeling of being closed-off.

One example is a new residential master plan, which aims to make small tweaks with big impacts to residence hall designs. The goal is to add light and openness without sacrificing the integrity of the Prairie style.

Adjustments like these keep Calvin’s architecture from stagnating, according to Hanson, who gained a newfound appreci ation for the dynamism of Calvin’s design through his research. Hanson said, “I now think of Calvin’s campus—even the parts I’m not in love with—as a sort of ongoing investment. Campus has to be a living, organic thing.”

This dynamism has been key throughout Calvin’s history. The original vision for campus was defined by paradoxes: both closed-off and welcoming, both American and Dutch, both—in Hanson’s words— “embracing cultural engagement” in its architecture and “shrinking away from community engagement” in its location. Now, it’s even more complex: updates to campus face the need to preserve Calvin’s historical integrity while recognizing that the school’s student body composition and reach have changed.

Now, as Calvin designs the next wave of renovations, changes to the physical campus will balance preserving Calvin’s historical legacy with visions of a more diverse and innovative community.

“I now think of Calvin’s campus as a sort of ongoing investment.

Campus has to be a living, organic thing.”

CRAIG HANSON PROFESSOR OF ART HISTORY

Left: On a warm autumn evening, faculty, students, donors, Calvin community members, and two of Calvin’s recent presidents gathered in front of Calvin’s new School of Business to dedicate its future in service to God. “Our agents of renewal that are educated here will be the entrepreneurs, the innovators, and the business leaders that set the standards for putting people over profit, and who can focus on the financial bottom line while considering how their businesses can create social impact as a core part of their business model,” said President Wiebe Boer during his address to the over 300 guests who attended the ceremony.

Top right: The 24,900 square foot building, made possible by a $22.25-milliondollar anonymous donation, is located next to the DeVos Communication Center on the east side of campus. Half the gift funded construction, while the other half went into an endowment for new business programs, including the addition of a certificate in global business for undergraduates and a new major in operations and supply chain management. A master of accounting program, an online master of business administration program, and MBA certificate programs were also recently added. More new programming will follow.

Middle right: Former President Michael Le Roy, Calvin Center for Innovation in Business director Bob Eames, and donors Cate and Sid Jansma Jr. ’65 also presided over the festivities. In her message, University pastor Mary Hulst ’91 spoke of practicing faithfulness in business. “Calvin University’s School of Business strives to help students learn how to be faithful. Faithful with a little. Start small. Try an idea. Work out a problem.” The Calvin Gospel Choir also performed two songs, including “Great is Thy Faithfulness.”

Bottom right: The student-centric building promotes collaboration with open, accessible spaces, a light-filled atrium, a live stock ticker, conference and breakout rooms, and classrooms equipped with the newest technology. Visitors find it easy to imagine the energy, innovation, and creative solutions students will put to work under the guidance of Calvin’s committed faculty, making it, in former President Michael Le Roy’s words, “the premier business school among Christian institutions in the world.”

“We in business stand on the shoulders of the liberal arts, the sciences, the humanities. They have taught us to think well.”

— SID JANSMA JR. ’65 CALVIN UNIVERSITY SUPPORTER

ON SEPTEMBER 14, CALVIN’S SCHOOL OF BUSINESS OPENED ITS DOORS TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF ENTREPRENEURS, LEADERS, AND INNOVATORS

REDISCOVERING CALVIN

CALVIN UNIVERSITY’S 12TH PRESIDENT SHARES

12 OBSERVATIONS FROM HIS FIRST SEMESTER ON CAMPUS

While Dr. Wiebe Boer graduated from Calvin University in 1997, he’s only been back on campus in earnest since late June 2022. In honor of his recent inauguration, we asked Dr. Boer to curate a list of 12 things he discovered about Calvin during his first few months on the job.

Here’s his list, which is meant to be representative, not exhaustive:

Top left: Calvin has a tree-to-student ratio of 1:1; actually, we even have a few more trees! Top right: A mural by Christine Vermeer brightens the underpass connecting the east and west sides of campus. Bottom left: Markus Boer joins engineering students during the cardboard canoe race at the seminary pond. Bottom right: President Boer drops the first puck at the alumni hockey game.

1. We have a full cross-country course on our campus. I ran Cross Country back in the ’90s, and at the time, our home course was off campus. Calvin’s Grand Rapids campus is located in the middle of a city, so having a full 8K (five-mile) course is a huge asset to our community.

2. We have an Ecosystem Preserve on our campus that spans 100 acres. What other university has this? Our professors and students use this space for research, and it’s a beautiful place to get away and find respite. What a gift to Calvin and the greater west Michigan community.

As a side note, we have a mini tropical rainforest inside our Science Building. I’ll probably spend part of February in there.

3. You can find art all over this campus in all shapes and forms, from the lobby of the new state-ofthe-art School of Business building to the underpass that connects the east and west sides of campus. We also have a beautiful Center Art Gallery that hosts multiple art exhibitions throughout the year.

4. We are a global campus. Our students hail from 55 countries, 48 U.S. states, and 5 Canadian provinces. This year, a record percentage of our incoming class is joining us from outside the United States.

5. My sons have quite a playground right in their own backyard. Calvin’s campus spans 400 acres and is complete with a 40-foot rock-climbing wall, seminary pond, underground tunnels, lots of cool-looking shiny rocks, and a space to play any and every sport imaginable.

6. Our athletics program is second to none. Since the ’90s, we have won 10 more national championships in four different sports. In late October, five of our fall teams were ranked inside the top 25 in NCAA Division III. During Homecoming Weekend, our hockey program celebrated its (belated) 50th anniversary year. What a proud moment for me as a Canadian citizen!

7. We are leading

way

all higher education when it comes to prison education. Calvin Prison Initiative equips adult learners in prison with the knowledge and skills to become community leaders. The five-year program currently has 95 students and has granted 45 bachelor’s degrees to date. This past fall, the undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Education visited and was blown away by what CPI is doing in moral formation and prison transformation. I am, too.

the

for

Top left: A student in the Calvin Prison Initiative program made two chairs and an end table for President Boer’s office, complete with an engraved Calvin University logo. Bottom left: The documentary Luminous, directed by Calvin film and media professor Sam Smartt, tells the story of Calvin astronomy professor Larry Molnar and his students’ research that made international headlines. Right: Fans cheer at a women’s volleyball game against rival Hope College inside Van Noord Arena.

8. Our community of learners includes undergraduate, graduate, and certificate-seeking students of all ages, in-person and online. While we are committed to serving our residential undergraduate students well, we are also seeing major growth in our graduate-level programming—our online speech pathology and audiology program is one example to highlight.

9. We hold a commitment to sustainability. In fact, during my first, full week on the job, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Sun FundED to pursue solar energy solutions for Calvin. What an exciting development!

10. Calvin University’s campus is home to some impressive facilities, from amazing art and design studios, to beautiful performing arts spaces, to what I think are the best indoor athletic facilities in all of Division III. (Our outdoor facilities will undergo a major upgrade, beginning in 2023.) And if you live in the area, you should come check out our new School of Business building.

11. Our science building holds a world class telescope. We can remotely access another telescope located in Rehoboth, New Mexico. I hear our professors and students make some exciting discoveries with said telescopes.

12. Alumni and friends of Calvin care deeply about our students.

I have met with many donors over the past three months who, in their giving, put students first. For exam ple, Jon and Kerrie VerLee provided a significant financial gift to help launch the Calvin Startup Garage.

Jon is also gifting four years of his time as director of the venture and as an entrepreneur-in-residence. This is what investing in students looks like.

CALVIN UNIVERSITY INAUGURATES ITS 12TH PRESIDENT

A DAY OF CELEBRATION

Music and celebration filled the Van Noord Arena on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, where more than 2,000 people gathered for the inauguration of Calvin’s 12th president, Dr. Wiebe Boer. The event included a Scripture reading in 11 different languages, a commis sioned poem, prayers, charges of encouragement, and multiple songs sung and performed, including two submitted by students in the Calvin Prison Initiative program.

The ceremony provided an opportunity for the broader commu nity to get to know the university’s 12th president and his family. It represented Boer’s vision for Calvin University as a place of renewal, partnership, diversity, and growth, while reaffirming a continued commitment to Calvin’s legacy of Christian higher education within the Reformed tradition.

A handful of special guests took the podium during the livestreamed ceremony, including Boer’s childhood friend Danladi Verheijen ’97, who attended Calvin with Boer. His introduction highlighted Boer’s wide-ranging personal interests and accomplishments, in addition to Boer’s impressive career in the business, non-profit, and energy sectors. “In every challenge [Wiebe] sees the opportunity to build or transform. He is a tsunami of ideas and a very creative problem solver.”

Boer’s eldest son, Jehan, addressed the crowd with moving words, sharing a story of his father rescuing him from a carjacking when he was just a baby. “[My father] is a brave, loving, caring, risktaker who will put himself on the line for the people he cares for,” said Jehan.

Other notable speakers included Shirley Hoogstra ’78, president of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities and university pastor Dr. Mary Hulst, who reminded guests of the university’s legacy, built from the ground up. “We are grateful for those who have gone before us, those who took the risk to start this school. Those who prayed this place into existence. Those who took on second jobs so that their children could come here. Those who gave in church offerings for years so that this place would flourish. We walk through buildings we did not build. We sit under trees we did not plant.”

Highlighting Boer’s commitment to Calvin’s continued flourishing, student body president Nain Miranda Duarte ’23 spoke directly to the president from the podium. “You have taken a student-first approach. Since the day we met, you have always sought student opinion and have focused on ways to improve the student experience. And not only have you sought for the opinion, but you have consciously taken action by providing solutions.”

Boer’s own address invited Calvin to renew its call to global good, by learning from and esteeming the many cultures represented at Calvin. He encouraged the community to commit to deeper engagement with Calvin’s local and

global community for mutual flourishing. He also challenged the community to re new its commitment to engaging with the church, “showing that our mission is not just abstract, but put into action for the welfare of the Christian Reformed Church, the city of Grand Rapids, and communities around the globe.”

Finally, Boer called the Calvin community to be innovative in its approach to the future of higher education, flexible in meeting challenges, unwavering in its Christian and academic commitments, and to do better at telling the Calvin story, “sharing what unites us all.”

Jane Bruin, director of Calvin Center for Intercultural Student Development and longtime friend of Wiebe Boer shared a West African (Mandinka) proverb near the ceremony’s close: “Faroolu meŋ be naaneeriŋ, woolu le jiyoo ka bori ñoo kaŋ: Adjacent fields get the same water running over their crops. Meaning, we all share in the same community.”

“Welcome home, sir,” she said, “and as you begin your work, please know that we are in it together.”

In keeping with the globally minded, community-centered ceremony, four prayers of blessing and dedication marked the end of the event, each one reflecting on a different Boer family value—faith, diversity, dedication, and impact.

Community events also bookended the inauguration ceremony. These included a morning chapel on the theme of “God’s invitation to renewal” and a community screening of the new documentary film Luminous, about Calvin astronomy professor Larry Molnar’s scientific research made with a team of student researchers. Community members and guests of the inauguration also enjoyed a post-inauguration reception and an evening celebration dance in the Hoogenboom Gymnasium.

“We are grateful for those who have gone before us, those who took the risk to start this school. Those who prayed this place into existence.”

DR. MARY HULST CALVIN UNIVERSITY PASTOR

VIEW THE PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION OF WIEBE BOER

THE GREATEST GENERATION IS NOW

Calvin is in a strong place right now with an amazing foundation to build on. ... If our mission is taken seriously, and our responses are agile to the needs of our students and the world, we will continue to attract new generations of Calvin students. And, in turn, we will continue to be known for our remarkable alumni.

Our mission produces alumni who are taught how to think rather than what to think. How to reach hearts rather than break them. How to seek and elevate goodness rather than counterfeit or bury it. How to lift each other up rather than hold each other down.

Calvin has always played a role in society in what we have called the messy middle, but that I would instead like us to call “the missing middle.” This is a place that is getting harder and harder to hold in our current local and global political context. On the Nigerian mission field [where I grew up], Christian Reformed missionaries were considered one of the more “liberal” missions; in other contexts, such as when I was a graduate student at Yale, we are viewed on the more “conservative” side. But these are just monolithic labels that society tries to put on us. Calvin must define our own place in the world, and not let the world define us with their labels.

What Calvin needs to focus on is what author Jim Collins calls, “the genius of and,” instead of the “tyranny of or.” Here are just some of the things Calvin can find the genius of.

As a committed Christian university and community, why can’t we be: Dutch and diverse, excellent and exciting,

conservative and controversial, progressive and pious, gritty and grace-filled, orthodox and original, renewed and renewable?

We should leverage these living tensions as bridges to one another—to be the institution that influences the world by calling us back from division and calling us together through dialogue.

So today we need to revisit what it means to be a neighbor, as Calvin has done generation after generation. With a vision of hope, and a tenacious pursuit of that vision, our future will be promising—and our impact will be lasting. ...

Talk to a Calvin student today and you’ll see they are eager to make this world a better place, and to do that now—as radical agents of renewal.

Today’s Calvin students are a part of the greatest generation and they will go on to do even more world-shattering things than their predecessors. So it is our role here to make them ready. ...

We’re going to need all of you. And with God helping me, I’m going to bring all of myself to this mission.

For the chance to serve this university, I am overwhelmed and humbled. Let me close by saying thank you for the opportunity to be the 12th president of Calvin University.

Now, let’s get started.

PRESIDENT WIEBE BOER REFLECTS ON THE PAST AND PRESENT OF CALVIN’S MISSION IN THIS EXCERPT OF HIS INAUGURAL SPEECH

Bottom left: After receiving the presidential medallion from board chair Bruce Los, President Boer celebrated on stage with his family.

Bottom right: Nain Miranda Duarte ‘23 , student body president, paused to take a selfie after completing his remarks.

2022 Alumni Honorees

THE CALVIN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD RECEIVES MANY NOMINATIONS FOR THESE ANNUAL AWARDS, AND THEY PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER EACH ONE. THESE ALUMNI HAVE MADE CONSIDERABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THEIR FIELDS, AND THEIR LIVES REFLECT THE MISSION OF THE UNIVERSITY.

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

Read more profiles online calvin.edu/spark

Nominate alumni Email: alumni@calvin.edu

NANA OWUSU-ACHAU ’12 YOUNG

ALUMNI AWARD

An entrepreneur in agriculture and real estate, Nana Owusu-Achau combines his knowledge of technology, experience in business, and commitment to stewardship to grow sustainable agriculture in Ghana. A leader in his industry, he exports his company’s high-quality rice and food products around the globe.

GEORGE COMER ’68 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD

George Comer, a lifetime educator, invested his career in the youth and families of the Gary, Indiana public school district. An ability to solve any problem with creativity and heart characterize Comer’s signature leadership. Now retired, he maintains a strong commitment to giving back to the community he’s been part of his whole life.

CHRIS HOLSTEGE ’88 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD

Chris Holstege never imagined his chemistry major would take him into the field of medical toxicology. A long-time faculty member at the University of Virgina, Holstege works nationally and internationally to protect vulnerable patient populations and leads the way in promoting wellness and well-being for students on the University of Virginia’s campus.

Agent of Change

Nana Owusu-Achau ’12 Young Alumni Award winner

Ghana native Nana Owusu-Achau ’12 grad uated with an impressive skillset in computer science, information systems, and engineering. He also served the Calvin community in many capacities over his four years, culminating with his role as student body president. Hard work and accomplishment landed him his first job on Wall Street. Yet, a mere three days into his career, Owusu-Achau pivoted and decided to return to Ghana. “I realized all that effort I could be putting out into these Wall Street companies, if I brought that to Ghana, the dif ference I could make is enormous.” He left the Big Apple in August, unsure where his future would lead, certain he could make an impact.

On the flight home, an article in a leading financial magazine caught Owusu-Achau’s attention and “a seed was planted.” According to the article, in 2012, Africa used only 8% of its arable land. Owusu-Achau contacted fellow Calvin alumni from Africa. “I said, ‘Hey guys, we’ve got to do something.’ We were underuti lizing the resources we had as a continent.” He admits, at the time, he didn’t know what that “something” was.

Owusu-Achau chose to partner with his father in real estate, learned the business, and even tually branched off to start his own company. By 2015, he’d also invested in agriculture; however, his first ventures didn’t succeed as he hoped. Then, in 2018, while working on a real estate project, he met a community chief who shared some locally grown rice. “I loved it. Prior to this, I used to consume imported rice without thinking.” Finally, he saw a way to ad dress the problem of underutilized resources in Ghana. Owusu-Achau supported two farmers from the chief’s community, helping them to produce high quality rice for the retail market. “Five years down the line, we work with about 300 small-holder farmers and have acquired about 10,000 acres we use for a commercial size farm.” His company, Agro Kings, sells Nana’s Rice and other food products in Ghana. More recently, the company began exporting rice to Belgium, Germany, the U.S, the U.K., and China.

Owusu-Achau lives by the principle of ta panta, the Greek phrase meaning “all things” that Paul used in his letters to early Christian churches. Owusu-Achau says he learned its application to his own life at Calvin. “God has called us to be agents of change in all things, whatever we find ourselves doing. As ambas sadors of Christ, we have the responsibility of representing Jesus Christ on earth—being an instrument of change as he was.”

Agro Kings operates on three pillars. “We be lieve strongly in feeding the future, empower ing the marginalized, and utilizing technology.” This means increasing food security through local food production, training farmers, and moving their growers’ products into new markets. Owusu-Achu believes every farming community Agro Kings partners with should benefit from its presence. The company helps communities access clean water, improve sanitation, and employ youth. Agro Kings is also committed to positioning women in key leadership roles within the company. To minimize climate impact, Agro Kings uses renewable energy to generate electricity and power irrigation.

Of course, a business of this scale couldn’t run without key players and steady support. Owusu-Achau and his wife, Phyllis, work hard to make sure they meet the needs both of their employees and their growing family. Phyllis often works behind the scenes in human resources, especially as a support to female team members navigating the challenges of work-life balance. Together, Owusu-Achau and his wife have two daughters and also provide a home base to their chief farmer’s three children, so the girls can receive a quality education in the city.

Only a decade has passed since Owusu-Achau stepped off Calvin’s campus, diploma in hand. And though his path changed directions, his commitment to serving as an “agent of change” in God’s world never has. “I have always been a fundamental believer in the fact that we have a rich African culture, rich resources, and land.” That belief continues to inspire and guide Owusu-Achau’s vision for Ghana.

“God has called us to be agents of change in all things, whatever we find ourselves doing. As ambassadors of Christ, we have the responsibility of representing Jesus Christ on earth—being an instrument of change as he was.”

Community Builder

George Comer ’68

Distinguished Alumni Award winner

Tumult and progress marked 1964, the year George Comer ’68 graduated from high school in Gary, Indiana. That was the year of the Civil Rights Act. The Harlem Race Riots. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. But that fall, amidst political unrest and seismic social change, Comer stepped onto Calvin’s campus with a clear sense of vocation, a dedicated work ethic, and a strong faith he hoped would guide him over the next four years.

Comer first heard of Calvin through his sister and brother-in-law, who lived within walking distance of the Franklin campus. Since Grand Rapids had a robust African American community, Comer assumed Calvin would, too. Plus, the university’s strong academic reputation appealed to him. But Calvin’s conservative culture and predominantly white student population caught Comer by surprise. As one of only three black students on campus, Comer frequently shared his point of view with classmates. “Many of the Calvin students had not had an opportunity to interact with blacks. We would have little sessions, and I would talk about the black experience.” Still, Comer considered transferring. Looking back, he’s glad he stayed. “Calvin pushes for diversity,” he says, “and they’re sincere about it. They made every effort to make me feel comfortable.” Comer cites “being able to feel like I belonged, that I wasn’t going to be treated differently” as the reason he remained.

Comer graduated from Calvin in 1968, turning down a graduate fellowship at the University of Michigan to return home, marry his childhood sweetheart, Sarah, and begin his career. He spent forty-four years in the Gary community schools, first teaching English and drama. After six years, he moved

into administration. By the time he retired as assistant superintendent in 2012, he had held nearly every administrative position in the district. Over the span of his career, Comer became known for his ability to move into any role and get a job done.

Dedicated and innovative, Comer helped Gary’s students reach their full potential, piloting programs to enhance student learning and encourage parent engagement. Comer developed a partnership program with Indiana University called Competitive Edge, where high schoolers took summer classes in the sciences. For many participants, Competitive Edge was their first experience on a college campus. “That was sort of exciting to me.” Comer says, “Many of the kids were extremely well prepared in the Gary system, but because they have the steel mills there, which is good money, there just wasn’t that feeling of ‘Hey, I want to go off to college.’” Another successful program employed primary school parents and tasked them with strengthening parent engagement in their local schools. Comer notes, student performance increased when parents participated in their kids’ education.

Growing up, church and family played vital roles in Comer’s life. That legacy lives on. Comer says he’s proud of his three children who built careers in education and healthcare. He’s proud to have loved two good women. His first wife passed away in 1992. His second wife, Mary, is the longest tenured administrator in Gary’s public school system. And he’s proud of his faith, because he says, “It keeps me humble.” Today, the Comers remain active in their community and church, investing in local students’ lives with time and financial support. “I just enjoy being around kids. It keeps me young,” says Comer, who teaches Sunday school, helps his wife coach the St. Timothy Community Church Bible Bowl team, and still attends school sports and fine arts events.

Looking back on his career and its many highlights, Comer doesn’t reflect on himself for very long. Instead, he remembers the students’ lives he touched. “If you really want to have an impact on children, go into teaching. It’s more than just delivering content. Sometimes it’s more of a personal kind of thing.” He hopes, above all, he changed the minds of kids who felt they weren’t talented enough to compete with the best students. “I hope the one thing I did was to convince them that they could.”

“If

Chris Holstege ’88 has a heart for serving vulnerable populations. On any given day, the internationally renowned medical toxicologist might be found in a classroom, an emergency department, a courtroom, or a research lab. No matter his location or task, Holstege approach es each day with characteristic energy and a clear-minded commitment to service.

Holstege is a Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Virginia’s School of Medicine and the Chief of its Division of Medical Toxicology, a program that treats patients who have been poisoned. He also teaches and serves as the Executive Director of the University of Virginia’s Department of Student Health & Wellness. His current research focuses on student populations, particularly in the area of substance abuse, and on criminal poisonings.

Toxicologists use differential diagnosis, a pro cess of piecing together evidence and symptoms to both rule out and determine the toxins involved in a poisoning. Holstege says it’s a bit like piecing a puzzle together. He frequently partners with experts from a variety of fields and credits his liberal arts education at Calvin with preparing him to successfully collaborate at a multidisciplinary level. For example, Holstege serves on UVA’s Critical Incident Analysis Group that brings together experts from the sciences and humanities to study crit ical incidents, such as major terrorist events,

and their impact on governments and societies. The group has studied incidents such as 9-11 and the attacks on U.S. embassies in Africa.

Holstege also assists in international poisoning cases. He has worked on high profile events such as the 2001 anthrax release and the 2004 poisoning of Ukranian presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko. He currently serves as a member of a number of telehealth groups, one of which monitors patients for the release of chemical warfare in the civilian Ukranian population. “I really think Christians have a leading role to care for the vulnerable,” Holstege says. “Bureaucracies need to be held accountable. And we need to make sure justice is brought. Truly, if you really look at what drives me, it’s that.”

Holstege has also served in criminal prose cutions. He cites a partnership with Calvin faculty and student researchers who helped determine how much cyanide it would take to kill someone by lethal injection. That evidence helped lead to a murder conviction. “Predators are looking for the vulnerable. But I think you would be heartened to see how many people are working together to put them at bay and bring justice.”

More recently, Holstege’s research has turned to students, helping the University of Virginia define wellness and well-being, and even build ing a university partnership with Shenandoah

National Park to get students out into nature. Holstege remains hopeful that an interdisci plinary approach to wellness will empower students to flourish in these challenging and complex times.

Holstege carries the torch of a long Calvin legacy. “I’ve been part of the history of this uni versity for a long time. I grew up in the halls as a kid,” he says. His father, Henry Holstege ’54, was a professor of sociology; his mother, Lois Veltkamp Holstege ’54, attended Calvin; and his great-grandfather graduated from Calvin Seminary. Holstege himself studied chemistry and ran and hurdled for the Calvin track and field team. In 2017, he was named a Knight of Distinction. Holstege and his wife, Angela Dykstra Holstege ’90, have six children, five of whom chose to attend Calvin. As a Calvin parent, he appreciates the “fabulous faculty, their tremendous expertise, and an emphasis on service.”

Medical toxicology is intense work and Holstege admits he’s “seen significant brutality over the years.” It might be easy to grow cynical; but in fact, Holstege remains resilient, hopeful, even. His secret? He holds an unflagging belief in the value of public service. He relishes every oppor tunity to restore justice or return patients to health. He sees promise in the next generation of students. Though he’s well-established in his profession, you get the sense Chris Holstege has only just begun.

“Christians have a leading role to care for the vulnerable. Bureaucracies need to be held accountable. And we need to make sure justice is brought. Truly, if you really look at what drives me, it’s that.”

A Heart for Service

Chris Holstege ’88 Distinguished Alumni Award winner

Calvin Classic 5K

Virtual and on-campus options were available, and nearly 600 runners signed up to participate in the 5K race or youth fun run.

Calvin’s campus was full of life this fall as students, families, and alumni gathered for Homecoming & Family Weekend Sept. 30–Oct. 1.

There was something for everyone to enjoy. Sports fans caught student teams in action, while former hockey and men’s lacrosse players competed in alumni games. Guests laughed along with comedian Michael Jr. and enjoyed a “400 Years of African American Music History” musical exhibition by the Gospel Choir, hosted by the Calvin Academy for Lifelong Learning.

Alumni also brought their kids to make fresh-pressed apple cider in the Ecosystem Preserve, swim in the pool, and examine fluorescent rocks in the Dice Mineralogical Museum. It was a great weekend to be a Knight!

First row: Minwoo Heo ’09, Eliezer Yeong ‘18, Carla de Jong Hiemstra ’94, Janorisè Evans Robinson ’92, Stephanie Vogelz ang ’07 Middle row: Debra Perry ’91, Kathleen Smit Klaasen ’70, Johanna Chambery Zandstra ’91, Karen Zwart Hielema ’94, Jori Brink Hannah ’04 Back row: Jerry Cooper ex’66, Tyler Amidon ’93, Adam Kinder ’06, Levi Stoep ’13, Jeff Haverdink ’97

Not pictured: Jim Valk ’87, Dale Kaemingk ’77, Maxine Asante Mosley-Totoe ’06

Nationally recognized comedian Michael Jr. and Calvin Improv provided a night full of laughter with their performances.

The chemistry and biochemistry department joined in the fun for Maroon & Gold Day. From left to right: Laura Westrate, Mark Muyskens, Dave Ross, Chad Tatko, Larry Louters, Chris Holstege, and Eric Arnoys.

Students compete in Grand Prix Bed Races.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD

CALVIN ON THE ROAD

This past summer and fall, Calvin alumni reunited throughout the U.S. and internationally, enjoying one another’s company and sharing their post-Calvin experiences. After several pandemic-impacted years, attendees expressed gratitude for the opportunity to gather once again.

Here’s where they met: Abuja, Nigeria on April 16; Jos, Nigeria on April 28; Lagos, Nigeria on May 4; Accra, Ghana on June 9; Boston, Mass. on July 12; Seoul, South Korea on July 16; Atlanta, Ga. on July 29; Jakarta, Indonesia on Aug. 3; Tinley Park, Ill. on Aug. 6; London, England on Sept. 11; Pella, Iowa on Oct. 3; Lynden, Wash. on Oct. 10; Denver, Colo. on Oct. 12; Hamilton, Ontario on Nov. 1; London, Ontario on Nov. 2.

President Wiebe Boer ’97, and his wife, Joanna ’03, attended several of these events, where they met with fellow alumni to share their vision for Calvin University.

TRAVEL WITH CALVIN

Join alumni and friends for one of Calvin’s unique travel opportunities.

Greece

Visit several cities associated with Paul’s missionary journeys and take an Aegean cruise.

Host: Ken Bratt April 29–May 13, 2023

Stratford Festival

Attend theater performances with guided discussions as well as a back-stage tour. Hosts: Debra Freeberg and Gary Schmidt June 5–8, 2023

The Wonders of Utah

Explore the beauty of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, the paleontological record at Dinosaur National Monument, and the sites of Salt Lake City.

Host: Ralph Stearley September 14–23, 2023

Namibia & South Africa

Go on game drives in Kruger National Park and Etosha National Park, view Sossusvlei’s 1000-foot sand dunes, and visit Johannesburg and Robben Island.

Host: John Apol October 2023 (17 days)

See calvin.edu/go/travel for details. Email alumni@calvin.edu to request tour brochures for specific trips.

More on these events and others calvin.edu/calendar

Hamilton, Ontario

Pella, Iowa

REUNION IN A BOX

The next time you get together with four or more Calvin roommates, teammates, or friends, let us know. The alumni association will send you a “Reunion in a Box” filled with fun swag to help you celebrate! Each box has one-of-a-kind T-shirts and some of our favorite Calvin goodies. Visit calvin.edu/go/reunion-box.

Back row, from left to right: Sarah Bos Vander Plas ‘03, Katie Hughes Dorn ‘02, Jill Friesema Ties ‘03, Cheryl Potter ‘03, Susan Sytsma Bratt ‘03, Meghan Nash Eaken ‘03

Front row, from left to right: Adrienne Bockheim Heideman ‘03, Kim DeHoog Benson ‘03, Kim Hendricks Veltkamp ‘03, Jaime Teixera Bannister ‘03, Hannah Hoogendam Marnoch ‘04

Back row, from left to right: Dave Huyser ’78, Dirk VanEyk ’06, Marten VanEyk ’74

Middle row, from left to right: Kristin Huyser VanEyk ’06, Dianne Schepers VanEyk ’74, Jeni Wittingen VanEyk ’02

Front row, from left to right: Colin VanEyk (in red), Lily VanEyk (in maroon), Ashley VanEyk (in red)

From left to right:

Carol Van Hal Browne ’81, Marj Dykhuis Terpstra ’82, Bob Terpstra ’81, Jeanne Even house Ellens ’82, Tim Ellens ’82, Lori Olson Boehning ’81, Mike Medendorp ’82, Shari Vander Brug Medendorp ’82

From left to right: Pictured with their children: Andries van der Meer ’10, Mary Tolsma van der Meer ’10, Kristen Cisneros Tolsma ’10, Mark Tolsma ’10, William Tolsma ’08, Maria Mejia Tolsma ’08

From left to right: Greg Snyder ’94, Mark Harvey ’93, Rob Patete ’94, Jeremy Lloyd ’94

Christina Baylor Tazelaar ’05, Cara Heeringa Matthies ’05, Kari Hongsermeier Politylo ’05, Cristin Carter Buys ’05, Renee Baas Sieplinga ’05, Cherilyn Dudley Larsen ’05, and Tanya Bovenkerk Disselkoen ’05

Top row, from left to right: Dr. Joel VanderLugt ’00, Shontel Laning VanderLugt ’00, Don VanderLugt ex’82, Rachel VanderLugt Kuipers ’03, Christine Farough Thomas ’02

Front row, from left to right: Dr. James VanderLugt ’74, David VanderLugt ’02, Dawson Vanderlugt - expected 2026, Janet Oele VanderLugt ’02, Gertrude Zaagman Oele ’65, Jerry Oele ex’63

From left to right: Janet Cok Vreugdenhil ’89, Gordon Vreugdenhil ’88, Dave Klanderman ’88, Barbara Dykhuis Klanderman ’87, Rod Tjoelker ’87, Tenda Palsrok Tjoelker ’87, Elise Tjoelker, Victor Norman ’87, Sherry Mandeville Knoppers ’87, Susan McBurney Norman ’88, John Knoppers ’88, Lois Litty ’87, David Klooster ’89, Matthew Tjoelker, Michelle Wildeboer Klooster ’89, Dan Tjoelker ’88, and Stephanie Miller Tjoelker ’87

Top to bottom, from left to right: Dave Swierenga ’63, Mary Venema Swierenga ’63, Thom Venema ’71, Peg Venema DeBoer ’67, Doug Jipping ’92,

Left to right: Gladys Buckley VanderWoude ’64, Judy Oosterhouse Fletcher ’64, Jeannie Sterk Snoeyink ’64, Carol DeMots Woltjer ’64, Jan Weesies Gabrielse Scheffler ’64, Joy Stavenger Winkle ’64

Steve Swierenga ’97, Nancy Venema Groom ’64, Pam Fieldhouse Groom ’94, Karen DeBoer Jipping ’94, Jessica Plaumann DeBoer ’05, Cherie DeBoer Smith ’92, Christine DeBoer ’97, Chris Groom ’94, Dan VandenBroek ’97, Jen DeBoer VandenBroek ’99, Joel Swierenga ’01, Tim DeBoer ’04

From left to right: Emily Jipping ’23 & Anna Jipping ’26

Gift of Faith

BY SARA KORBER-DEWEERD ’00

An Dinh ’11, MA ’13 grew up in Vietnam, where, she says, many people are not Christians. She first traveled to the United States in 2006 to spend her senior year of high school as an international exchange student. Her host parents, Ken and Rose Kruger, shared more than their home with her; they also shared their faith. “Through my host parents, I came to know Jesus. I was young in my faith. My host parents wanted me to attend a Christian college because that would help.”

Dinh’s host family lived an hour north of Grand Rapids. Occasionally, Dinh traveled to the city to shop or hang out. Her first impression of Calvin was the pedestrian overpass that connects the university’s east and west campuses. Dinh remembers thinking, “Wow, that looks really nice. I want to go there,” she laughs, recalling how little she knew of Calvin. Navigating the admissions process opened her eyes to Calvin’s unique community. “Even from the beginning of the applying process, my admissions counselor in the international office was very helpful—getting me more

A young, international alumna established a scholarship to honor her host parents and her heritage

An Dinh with host parents Ken and Rose Kruger in June 2021, presenting them with a certificate commemorating the named scholarship she established in their honor.

financial aid so I could come, answering a lot of questions about my faith. So it wasn’t just about Calvin trying to get another person on campus.”

Dinh, now an associate professor of speech-language pathology at Toledo University, says she knew she wanted to give back to the university that nurtured her education and her faith. She hoped to establish a scholarship in her host parents’ names, but she never intended to create one so early in her career. “My plan was to do this ten years in the future, when my career was established. I’ve only been a professor for three years.” However, Dinh’s host mother had Parkinson’s disease, and when Rose’s health deteriorated, Dinh changed course.

She wanted Rose, who passed away three months after the scholarship’s inception, to enjoy knowing her legacy of faith would live on.

Dinh describes her time at Calvin as a kind of miracle. Despite living thousands of miles from her family, being a new Christian, and majoring in speech-language pathology as a non-native speaker, she felt embraced. She recalls taking a phonetics class as a sophomore. “I had heard stories from other international people who could not get a degree in speech therapy in the U.S. because they are not from here. I wanted to sound like an American, so I worked really hard. And my professor asked, ‘Why? Everyone sounds different. As long as you are intelligible, that’s fine. There is no such thing as an American accent.’” Dinh smiles, “That made me feel more confident. You know, it’s more about people being people.”

Her professors encouraged her “to use

this thing you think is an obstacle as your strength. You can empathize with people.”

Dinh also recalls the summer in which former vice president of Student Life, Shirley Hoogstra, and other faculty learned she hadn’t seen her family in four years. In response, a group of faculty arranged to fly Dinh home for the next Christmas break. She remembers her supervisor calling her away from a therapy session with a client and leading her to a room where all her professors had gathered. They shared they had been praying for Dinh about going home and had decided to pay for her plane ticket. She was overwhelmed by the gift. “My family’s not Christian,” she says, “so it was a huge battle just for me to be at Calvin every year. They thought I should transfer. When they knew Calvin paid for my plane ticket, they were like, ‘Why? What’d you do? Win an award or something?’” The community’s generosity made a positive impact on her family, too.

Dinh hopes her scholarship will relieve some of the financial strain that international students commonly experience, since they can only work on campus, and they can’t take out loans in the United States. She also says, “My deepest hope would be that through this scholarship, a student from Southeast Asia will either come to know Jesus or grow more in their faith. The legacy my host parents have left with me, I want to continue that.” The Ken and Rose Kruger scholarship is now in its inaugural year and is awarded annually to an incoming or current student from Southeast Asia who has a heart for Christian service.

The Ken and Rose Kruger Scholarship is part of Calvin’s Named Scholarship Program. Each year approximately 20 new scholarships are added and, for the 2022–23 academic year, more than $5 million was given to support students through over 1,475 individual awards.

While many awards are in memoriam, others are gifts of gratitude for the role Calvin played in an individual or family’s life. Donors can indicate criteria for students, including financial need, program of interest, residen cy, high school attended, and diversity.

Visit calvin.edu/support/ where-to-give/scholarships/ for more information.

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)

After 22 years in the position, Richard Sjoerdsma ’62 will step aside as editorin-chief of the Journal of Singing, an international, peer-reviewed periodical that deals with all aspects of the act and art of singing. During his tenure, Richard brought the periodical from a magazine to a prestigious scholarly journal. In recognition of his contributions, the National Association of Teachers of Singing honored him with its coveted Lifetime Achievement Award at its 2022 Chicago national conference. In addition, the association has named him editor emeritus of the journal and has designated a conference room in his name at its offices in Jacksonville, Fla.

1970s

Raleigh Apol ’76 is in his 25th year as treasurer of Classis Columbia. He recently retired from the Yakima Police Department after nearly 19 years, where he had been employed since selling his insurance and real estate business. He is in his 25th year as treasurer of Classis Columbia.

01 Calvin Bratt ’77 recently retired as editor after more than 40 years with the Lynden Tribune and associated publications. Calvin’s deep belief in community-based journalism was evidenced in his work. He represented the Lynden, Wash., community with respect and fairness.

1980s

02 Susan Van Nuis Korstanje ’82 has been elected as the new North Ontario chair on the board of Choirs Ontario. In this role, she represents choirs and conductors from across Northwestern and Northeastern Ontario, including Thunder Bay, where she conducts Lakehead University Vocal Ensemble and Lakehead Choral Group.

01 02 03 04

03 In May, a team of Calvin alum ni performed orthopedic surgeries at Clinica San Lucas Gracias in the Honduran town of Gracias, Lempira. Over four days of operating, the team was able to care for over 30 Hondurans with orthopedic needs that weren’t able to be met by the local health care infrastructure. Pictured above from left to right: Scott VanderLeest ’00, Lathan VanderLeest ’26, Hendrik Kok ’05, Tami Vermeulen Post ’03, Joel Post ’04, Joel Hoekema ex’85

04 Hungerford Nichols CPAs + Advisors has elected Tom Prince ’87 as their new managing shareholder. Tom started with the firm right out of college and has been there ever since, now starting his 34th tax season. His focus is working with business owners to assist them in fulfilling their long-term business and personal financial goals.

Lynwood VandenBosch ’68, Jack Van Coevering ’80, Steven Tjapkes ’85, Jennifer Siebers Van Regenmorter ’90, and Mindi Jelsema Johnson ’01 have been selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in Amer ica 2023. All five alumni are attorneys with the law firm Foster Swift Collins & Smith PC.

05 Jeff Hoeks ’89, journeyman elec trician and field operations manager with Feyen Zylstra, was named 2022 Craft Professional of the Year by the Associated Builders and Contractors’ Western Michigan chapter. This award is presented to an individual who sets a high standard for professionals in their craft by exhibiting outstanding skills and leadership.

1990s

06 Christina “Christy” Berkelaar Taylor ’96 was awarded the Teacher of the Year award for Fremont Unified School District in California, which serves 34,000 students. Her name will be forwarded to the Alameda County Teacher of the Year Program.

2000s

In summer 2022, Sarah Bodbyl Roels ’06 joined the Van Andel Institute as associate dean of the graduate school. In this position, she supports the school’s curriculum as well as student fellowships and internships. Sarah is an evolutionary biologist and has a PhD in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Kansas.

2010s

The Michigan Section of the American Water Works Association (MI-AW WA) recognized Adam DeYoung ’13 as the 2022 awardee of the Young Professional of the Year Award. Adam is a project engineer with Moore & Bruggink Inc.

07 Andrew Van Solkema ’17 has joined Macatawa Bank as commercial banker. He is responsible for building relationships with existing customers and developing relationships with new customers to ensure continued growth for the bank. Andrew and his team will work with small businesses, middle market companies, and closely held corporations.

Drew Folkerts ’18 is the first ever active-duty Army resident to train at University of Chicago (UChicago) in their new partnership through the Health Profession Scholarship Program (HPSP), which pays for medical school in exchange for active-duty service as a physician. He is starting a general surgery residency at UChicago.

Deaths

HERITAGE

Paul Achterhof ’58 June 14, 2022, Jenison, Mich.

Andrew Andre ’54 July 27, 2022, Williamsburg, Va.

Claire Bergsma Ashman ’64 July 12, 2022, Iowa City, Iowa

Helen Koopman Banning ex’53 Feb. 23, 2022, Whitinsville, Mass.

Willa Bos Bauer ’56 Aug. 11, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Edward Bensinger ex’63 April 19, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Alfred Bloem ’53 Aug. 15, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Francis Blom ’65 July 22, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

John Booden ex’59 Sept. 4, 2022, Kalamazoo, Mich.

James Bosscher ’51 Aug. 7, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Norman Bouma ex’55 May 28, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Paul Bouman ex’59 July 31, 2022, Willard, Ohio

Nellie Borduin Bouwkamp ’65 July 28, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Theresia Vander Wielen Brandt ’67 June 13, 2022, Austin, Texas

Richard Bruinooge ’49 May 28, 2022, Sheboygan, Wis.

Connie Northouse Brummel ’60 July 19, 2022, Holland, Mich.

Michiel De Berdt BD’62 May 14, 2022, Winchester, Ky.

John De Jager ex’64 Sept. 5, 2022, Holland, Mich.

Ida De Boer De Jong ex’54 July 22, 2021, Lansing, Ill.

Douglas De Vries ’60 June 10, 2022, Munster, Ind.

Phyllis Van Dam De Vries ’69 July 17, 2022, Caledonia, Mich.

Henry De Witt ’51 July 22, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Albert Drost ’46 July 17, 2022, Grand Haven, Mich.

Henrietta Polstra Dwarshuis ’59 June 20, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Charles Dykstra Sr. ’54 Aug. 17, 2022, Kalamazoo, Mich.

June Clausing Dykstra ’53 Dec. 7, 2020, Kalamazoo, Mich.

John Einfeld ex’51 Sept. 4, 2022, Lynden, Wash.

Irma Fennema ’52 Aug. 27, 2022, Kentwood, Mich.

Laurence Fryling ’51 June 4, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Idamae Karelse Gemmen ’58 Aug. 31, 2022, Holland, Mich.

Betty De Vries Groen ’63 Aug. 27, 2022, Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Robert Hansen ex’48 Sept. 5, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Robert Haveman ’58 June 18, 2022, Madison, Wis.

Kenneth Havert ’55 Aug. 4, 2022, Grandville, Mich.

Marvin Hoekstra ’67 June 20, 2022, Grandville, Mich.

Paul Hoffman ’57 May 2, 2022, Coopersville, Mich.

John Hofman Jr. ’51 March 1, 2022, Glendale, Ariz.

Gerald Hogeterp ’64 June 16, 2022, Brantford, Ontario, Canada

Karlene Oomkes Holleman ’63 Aug. 8, 2022, Oak Forest, Ill.

John Hoogland ’55 Sept. 4, 2022, Midland Park, N.J.

Ellen Weesies Johnson ex’57 June 17, 2022, Montague, Mich.

Marian Halbersma Jurries ex’56 July 3, 2021, Carmel, Ind.

Edwin Kamps ’53 April 27, 2022, Denver, Colo.

Robert Keegstra ex’40 July 29, 2022, Jenison, Mich.

James Kok ’52 July 3, 2022, Denver, Colo.

Sally Boukma Koning ’64 Nov. 20, 2021, Hudsonville, Mich.

Anthone Kort ’53 Sept. 6, 2022, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Edgar Leep ex’57 May 29, 2022, Highland, Ind.

Calvin Lubbers ’64 July 12, 2022, Holland, Mich.

Carole Lugten ex’59 Aug. 28, 2022, Hamilton, Mich.

John Malestein ’48 May 31, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Graydon Meints ’55 April 12, 2022, Mesa, Ariz.

Hannes Meyers Jr. ’55 Sept. 4, 2022, Holland, Mich.

Melvin Miedema ex’54 April 19, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Betty Feringa Miller ’53 March 23, 2016, Verona, Wis.

Ethel Kruithof Mulder ’51 Aug. 10, 2022, Jenison, Mich.

Gerald Naber ex’47 July 18, 2022, Inverness, Fla.

Arnold Pals ex’58 May 19, 2022, Spring Lake, Mich.

Laura Weesies Post ex’49 Aug. 9, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Ruth Post ’51 Aug. 10, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Jane-Ann London Postma ex’44 Sept. 10, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

John Rensenbrink ’50 July 30, 2022, Topsham, Maine

Allan Rietberg ’65 Aug. 10, 2022, Hudsonville, Mich.

Carolyn Laninga Rietberg ’54 April 13, 2022, Wyoming, Mich.

Betty Lanser Schripsema ’67 July 13, 2022, Kenosha, Wis.

Gene Schripsema ’55 July 19, 2022, Albuquerque, N.M.

Norma Andriese Schuiteman ’68 March 28, 2022, Tumwater, Wash.

John Schutten ex’49 June 14, 2022, Holland, Mich.

Hermina Sikkema ’65 May 6, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Margaret Van Tholen Slater ex’54 May 23, 2022, Holland, Mich.

Lammert Slofstra HON Dec. 31, 2021, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

Henry Spaanstra ex’43 Sept. 14, 2022, Byron Center, Mich.

Delores De Witt Stob ’52 May 12, 2022, Hobe Sound, Fla.

Donald Taws ’55 July 19, 2022, Beltsville, Md.

Alvin TeWinkel ex’59 July 20, 2022, Minneapolis, Minn.

Dennis Tibstra ex’52 Feb. 3, 2022, Leesburg, Fla.

Janice Stoel Tuls ’67 May 8, 2022, Holland, Mich.

John Ubels ’48 Aug. 31, 2022, Jenison, Mich.

Beverly Bolt Uken ex’66 Dec. 20, 2019, Willmar, Minn.

George Van Arragon ’69 Dec. 27, 2021, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

Nancy Decker Van Beveren ’68 Feb. 28, 2022, North Haledon, N.J.

Richard Vanden Akker ’68 June 13, 2022, Wantage, N.J.

Mary Buurma Van Denend ’67 May 23, 2022, Holland, Mich.

Joyce Nobel VanderBent-Davids ’69 July 28, 2022, Holland, Mich.

Gerrie Mensonides Vander Hoek ex’67 March 17, 2022, Modesto, Calif.

Paul Vander Lee ’65 Oct. 25, 2018, Boston, Mass.

Margery Vander Ploeg ’53 Aug. 30, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Dorothy DeHaan Vanderzee ’48 Aug. 24, 2022, Kentwood, Mich.

Gertrude Van Dyken ex’46 July 8, 2022, Everson, Wash.

Audrey Gebben Van Eerden ex’62 Sept. 5, 2022, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

John Van Hemert ’62 May 26, 2022, Sandwich, Ill.

Roger Van Heyningen ’51 Aug. 23, 2022, Highlands Ranch, Colo.

Mary Westra Van Hook ’60 Aug. 14, 2022, Oviedo, Fla.

Donald Van Ostenburg ’51 May 8, 2022, Tinley Park, Ill.

James Veen ’58 May 15, 2022, Palm Desert, Calif.

Judith Johnson Veenstra ’68 Nov. 8, 2019, Lansing, Ill.

James Veldman ex’51 April 24, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Glenda Zuiderveld Veltman ’69 July 31, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Gladys Verhulst ’68 Aug. 26, 2022, Kentwood, Mich.

Robert Ver Schure ’54 July 22, 2022, El Mirage, Ariz.

Ethel Vanderzyden Visser ex’60 May 10, 2022, Byron Center, Mich.

Arthur Volkema ex’51 Aug. 4, 2022, Hot Springs Village, Ark.

Lorraine Vos ’58 Aug. 27, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Kent Voss ’59 July 17, 2022, Fairfield Glade, Tenn.

Jerry Waldyke ’60 Sept. 15, 2022, Chelsea, Mich.

Carl Welmers Jr. ex’56 Aug. 27, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Evelyn Kenbeek Westmaas ex’54 June 24, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Donald Wisse ’54 Feb. 27, 202, North Haledon, N.J.

Carol Vander Veen Workman ex’58 Aug. 20, 2022, Twin Lake, Mich.

Albertus Wyma ’50 July 31, 2022, Holland, Mich.

David Zylstra ’69 March 22, 2022, Sheboygan Falls, Wis.

1970s

Sharon Sturrus Anderson ex’77 Sept. 6, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Wayne Bush ’70 April 12, 2022, Grandville, Mich.

Calvin Exoo ’73 July 22, 2022, Canton, N.Y.

Gesena Bouma Groenendyk ’77 Aug. 30, 2022, Holland, Mich.

Clarence Hogeterp ’70 June 3, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Barbara Afman Houwer ex’75 June 13, 2022, Roulette, Pa.

Larry Johnson ’71 Feb. 28, 2022, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Dirk Smit HON May 17, 2022, Katy, Texas

Wolter Smit ’73 March 4, 2022, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

Peter Tigchelaar ex’74 Aug. 24, 2022, Byron Center, Mich.

Alfred Vander Berg ex’72 May 3, 2022, Grimsby, Ontario, Canada

Ronald Vander Lugt ’77 Sept. 10, 2022, Kalamazoo, Mich.

Louann Vander Wiele ex’72 April 29, 2022, Auburn Hills, Mich.

1980s

Robert Mac Donald ’89 March 16, 2022, Nine Mile Falls, Wash.

Phillip McCaleb ’83 July 15, 2022, Wyoming, Mich.

Debra Beekman Newhouse ex’86 Sept. 18, 2022, Hancock, Minn.

Richard Visser ’82 July 11, 2022, Holland, Mich.

1990s

Joy Dykstra Ferwerda ’97 June 29, 2022, Somers, Conn.

Marlena Westerman Solomon ’94 July 20, 2022, Houston, Texas

2000s

Eric Vredeveld ’06 Aug. 20, 2022, Fremont, Mich.

2010s

James Brown ’18 May 24, 2022, Ionia, Mich.

You don’t have to look far in west Michigan to see Jim Bosscher’s fingerprints. In fact, you don’t even have to leave your driveway. After all, Bosscher ’51 helped pioneer curbside recycling in Kent County, Michigan.

He was also a leader in the establishment of Camp Tall Turf, Safe Haven Ministries, the Christian Engineering Society, Hilltop University (renamed University of Mkar) in Nigeria, and Calvin’s four-year engineering program.

Bosscher died on Sunday, August 7, 2022. He was 97 years old.

Bosscher attended Calvin as a student, served in the Army Air Force, and earned advanced degrees from Purdue University and the University of Michigan. He then began his teaching career at Calvin, retiring 33 years later.

He was instrumental in helping Calvin move from a three-year pre-engineering program to a degree-granting four-year pro gram by 1985. Today, that program is among the best in all of

higher education. In fact, it’s one of the top 50 “Best Under graduate Engineering Programs” according to U.S. News & World Report

“While success of the program should be attributed to the many individuals who have shepherded it over nearly 40 years, Jim should be recognized as the one who had the vision and courage to get it all started,” said Professor Emeritus Robert Hoeksema, who was a student of Bosscher’s in the ’70s and later a colleague for nearly a decade.

Bosscher’s former students and colleagues are grateful for his intentionality in integrating faith and learning in the development of the engineering program. In 2000, Calvin’s Alumni Board recognized this work by awarding Bosscher the Faith and Learning Award, which is based on excellence in teaching, spiritual impact, concern for students, and lasting influence.

GIVE TO WHAT YOU LOVE

When you donate to the Calvin Annual Fund, you can choose which area of the Calvin University experience you will impact.

Your gift can provide equipment for athletes or sustain creative spaces for artists. Your support can unlock potential through faculty-student research or strengthen financial aid packages so more students have access to a world-class, Christian education. Regardless of where you choose to invest, your support enriches the lives of every student and opens doors to the transformational power of a Calvin education.