English Students Learn from Alumni Mondays at 10
In the English department’s new “Mondays at 10” sessions, students in English 103 with Dr. Michael Vander Weele ’73, professor of English, are learning from the experiences of Trinity alumni who have brought writing from the classroom into their various careers. English faculty hope to reinforce that good writing skills benefit students as they enter any career field and can open up opportunity for job advancement.
In planning Mondays at 10, Vander Weele sought to bring other voices into perspective for students, while deepening the thinking on how writing has an impact on a career path. By inviting alumni to share their post-graduation experiences, the department gives current students a glance into how the skills fostered at Trinity will serve them in their vocations.
The final session on October 21 in the Marg Kallemeyn Theatre welcomed alumna Bethany Eizenga ’11 who spoke on “Writing for Others.” She discussed the senior project “Voices of Redemption,” a book she co-authored with Monica Brands ’11.
The three previous sessions included the following speakers and topics:
- Dr. Mackenzi Huyser ’98, professor of social work, and Dr. Abby Schrotenboer, assistant professor of biology, spoke on “The Importance of Place.”
- Assistant Professor of Business Rick Riddering and alumnus Russ Hollander ’71 discussed “Writing in the Professions.”
- Attorney David De Jong ’73 lectured on “What do we learn from story?” and discussed how his skill in writing helped advance his career in the law profession.