Initiatives Archive

–By Christy Wolff ’10

While Amy (Bulthuis) Huckstep ‘09 grew up with a clear picture of what college would look like for her, she didn’t quite know which school she’d attend. Growing up near Trinity meant she was familiar with the campus, and after learning more about what Trinity had to offer, she knew she belonged there.

“I wanted to be somewhere small with a close environment of Christian educators and friends – all things I found at Trinity,” Huckstep shared.

Knowing she would major in science and ultimately attend graduate school, Huckstep was immediately drawn to Trinity’s state-of-the-art Heritage Science Center and the extracurricular activities offered, such as research opportunities (a helpful addition to her grad school applications) and being a part of smaller classes – allowing more involvement with professors.

One research opportunity involved studying rats with adult stem cells. Huckstep, two other students, and Professor of Biology Bob Boomsma ’77, Ph.D., undertook this two-year project that involved regenerating stem cells from aortas with the hope that there would be re-growth. “The research environment was huge in my learning process,” Huckstep said. “I do a lot of research in my job today, so it was helpful to have this foundation.”

During her junior and senior years, Huckstep enrolled in a class that studied the merging of Christianity and ethics within the science world. “Sometimes those subjects are categorized by themselves, but to bring them together and reason through science and your Christian worldview was really impactful for me,” Huckstep shared. “I might not have gotten that opportunity at a large university.”

After graduating from Trinity, Huckstep went on to receive her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She found that Trinity prepared her well for further education, specifically by being challenged academically. “The professors at Trinity taught me to problem solve and learn the concepts to the right answers instead of just memorizing them,” Huckstep said.

She recalled leaving her doctoral classes each day thinking about our Creator and having a bigger perspective on what she was learning, in large part because of how Trinity influenced her during her college years.

Huckstep now works as a physical therapist at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and helps patients who have had a stroke or brain injury, or are living with diseases like Parkinson’s or multiple sclerosis.

Two years ago, Huckstep and one of her colleagues worked with engineering students at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., to come up with improved ways of learning wheelchair skills. What came of this was the “Alligator Tail,” a harness that can easily be fashioned to a wheelchair and is designed to stop the wheelchair from falling backward while learning new skills, such as a wheelie.

The team desired to help patients with spinal cord injuries that had resulted in paralysis of the core and legs. Huckstep explained, “Unfortunately, insurance rarely covers enough time in therapy to effectively learn [how to perform a wheelie]. And if we spend all therapy time learning this task, we aren’t able to teach these patients how to do other tasks such as getting in and out of bed with paralysis, transferring from a bed to a wheelchair, sitting at the edge of the bed without assistance, etc.”

She went on to say, “The device was created to allow patients to get a device at home to practice with family safely, to improve repetitions and confidence, and to keep therapists safe in teaching these patients how to perform the task.”

As a result of her hard work, Huckstep’s name is listed on the device’s patent.

Today, there are five Alligator Tails being used for physical therapy needs at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the final patent is still in process, which means they can’t be distributed to other facilities yet. The hope is to start the marketing and distribution process as soon as it’s safe to do so, with the goal of distributing these harnesses throughout the world.

Reflecting on her time at Trinity, Huckstep shared, “I love my job, I look forward to going to work each day, and I find motivation through my coworkers. God formed me and prepared me for what I’m doing today through my experiences at Trinity; this is all part of God’s plan designed for me.”

Congratulations to Prof. of Education Bill Boerman-Cornell, Ph.D., on the publication of his new book, Using Graphic Novels in the English Language Arts Classroom. 

The book, co-written with Jung Kim, fills a gap about how graphic novels can be effectively used in junior high school classrooms. Drawing on research, surveys and classroom observations, it offers teachers ways to effectively incorporate graphic novels in their classrooms.

According to Boerman-Cornell, graphic novels can be used in teaching English for more than just getting students’ attention and interest. “They can be used to helps students identify themes in literature (drawing on images as well as text), to analyze story structure (especially in contrast with regular text books. ) They can be used to learn literary interpretation. Contrasting a graphic novel’s adaptation of a book like To Kill a Mockingbird or King Lear can help students learn of the affordances and constraints of different formats,” he said. “And, learning to read graphic novels prepares students effectively for learning to get information form internet sources that communicate multimodally – using both images and text and the interplay between the two of them. Also, they are fun to read.”

Boerman-Cornell’s new book highlights two different studies already that show that graphic novels do not discourage students from reading regular text books. “Actually graphic novel readers tend to show increased interest in reading regular text books,” he said. “Our book doesn’t suggest that graphic novels should replace regular books, but they are worth being considered alongside them.”

For Boerman-Cornell, his love of reading graphic novels goes back to his childhood, when he discovered his cousin’s stash of comic books. “I read through them thoroughly – some old Marvel superhero books, Carl Barks’ run on Donald Duck, and a bunch of Classic Comics – Moby Dick, Ivanhoe, that sort of thing. My aunt noticed and for my birthday took me to a comic book store and gave me a $20 bill to spend as I wanted.”

Over the years, his love of reading comics expanded to include a love of reading anything. After majoring in English in college and working as an editor and writer, he went back to school and found himself teaching high school English. “I loved doing that, but noticed that some of the most intense conversations about reading that I heard were not in my classroom, but in the hallways, with kids talking about connections between Neil Gaiman’s Sandman and Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

When he began his Ph.D., Art Spiegelman’s Maus had recently won the Pulitzer prize. “A lot of creators were using the graphic novel format to tell all sorts of stories: memoirs, non-fiction, realistic and fantasy novels, and a lot of graphic novels for kids. So, I ended up focusing my Ph.D. on ways to use graphic novels to effectively teach high school history. I have been researching how to use graphic novels in the classroom ever since.”

This is the second book Boerman-Cornell and Kim have collaborated on. In 2017, he, Kim and another graduate school colleague Michael Manderino wrote Graphic Novels in High School and Middle School Classrooms: A Disciplinary Literacies Approach. “That book was published by Rowman and Littlefield, a small academic publisher. It partly targeted an audience of researchers and argued that graphic novels offered a useful tool for reaching learning goals within each of the academic disciplines,” he said. “In history class, for example, it is important to get students to learn to recognize bias and perspective in primary source documents. Traditional textbooks, because they are printed with solid columns of Times New Roman Type and black and white documentary photographs, often seem like they are a purely objective summary of a particular historical event. Students are often reluctant to critique or question such a impressive looking book. A graphic novel like the award winning biography of U.S. Representative John Lewis, March, because it is presented in a format that appears less formal, is easier for students to question and interrogate.”

That book did reasonably well, he said. “But when my co-authors and I were speaking at conferences, we kept getting requests from English teachers for something that was directed specifically toward their subject area.” Manderino had just left Northern Illinois University to take a job as assistant superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction for Leyden High School. “But Dr. Jung Kim, a professor of literacy at Lewis University and I did some brainstorming and submitted a proposal to Bloomsbury and they accepted it. 

“Then it just took a year or so of writing, timed with a wonderful sabbatical from Trinity for me, and we were able to pull it together,” he said.

For an unprecedented fifth time in six years, Trinity nursing graduates have achieved a perfect first-time pass rate on the NCLEX-RN exam. This success for Trinity’s top-ranked program represents the highest six-year NCLEX average of any BSN or ADN program in Illinois.

According to Nursing Department Chair Tina Decker ‘06, D.N.P., “This year’s 100% pass rate is especially significant with the challenging way the Class of 2020’s last semester ended. In addition, there was a delay in when students were able to take the NCLEX due to COVID closing testing sites. We are so proud of the graduates for all they overcame to earn this 100% pass rate.”

According to Kayla Kamp ‘20, Trinity gave her the knowledge and skills she needed to not just pass the NCLEX, but to immediately begin caring for patients in the midst of COVID-19. “Graduating in 2020 allowed me to really be thrown head first into nursing and helped me realize how prepared Trinity made me,” she said. “Learning that the NCLEX was going to so much shorter than it has been in previous years was nerve-wracking because there was less room for error, but at the same time, I was confident in what we learned at school and the study tools that were given to me–as much as I may not have liked them at the time!”

While Kamp never pictured starting her nursing career in the middle of a pandemic when she was little and dreamed of being a nurse, the situation has helped her realize the impact can have, especially Christian nurses. “Although I don’t think anything could have prepared me for what 2020 would bring, I think what I learned at Trinity was about as close as I could get to being ready to be a nurse in a pandemic!” she said.

The 100% pass rate isn’t the only reason for celebration, as Trinity unveiled renovated nursing facilities this fall. Trinity’s BSN students can now take advantage of state-of-the-art spaces that include:

The DeJong Simulation Lab featuring three high-fidelity simulators, which now includes an observation room;
The Veenstra Lobby, which provides a comfortable, flexible space for students to study, relax, and work together; and
The Trinity Alumni Nursing Association (TANA) Lab, which offers virtual conferencing technology and space for clinical group meetings and small classroom gathering.

Click here for a tour of the newly updated facilities.

The NCLEX-RN exams are administered by NCSBN, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, through which boards of nursing act and counsel together to provide regulatory excellence for public health, safety, and welfare. The exam is taken after the student graduates from a bachelor’s degree-granting nursing program.

Trinity’s nursing program, which is ranked as the best BSN programs in Illinois by RegisteredNursing.org, is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Click here to learn more about Trinity’s nursing program.

Trinity is pleased to announce that Ross Barz ‘21 has been named Trinity’s 2020 Lincoln Laureate. Barz will be honored in a virtual ceremony by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

The annual Lincoln Academy Student Laureate Ceremony recognizes excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities by seniors from each of the state’s four-year, degree-granting colleges and universities, and one student from the community colleges in Illinois.

Barz, a biochemistry and molecular biology major, said he was grateful and appreciative when Professor of Communication Arts Craig Mattson, Ph.D., told him he was this year’s recipient. “I knew it was a high honor,” he said. “It means even more that it was created in honor of Abraham Lincoln.”

A native of Holland, Mich., Barz has taken on many roles at Trinity. He is serving his second year as President of the Trinity Student Government Association and is a two-time Thrive Student Intern. Barz also leads campus worship as a campus ministry leadership team member and is part of Trinity’s track and field team.

Along with his activities, he works as a direct support professional with Bethshan Association in Palos Heights, where he provides care and follows the behavior program for residents with intellectual disabilities. Barz is also a student intern with Applied Occupational Care, Inc., in Chicago, where his duties include developing articles for users of a daily COVID-19 symptom screening application.

Trinity’s nominating committee praised Barz’s integrity and leadership. “His warm, affable presence is known by everyone. However, while warm and affable, Ross is also convicted and compassionate. He has promoted voter registration throughout campus. He works as a direct support professional at a local home for residents with intellectual disabilities. He promotes involvement and raises up new leaders. Ross’ engagement in the classroom, his friendship toward his peers and his voice in the community demonstrate a commitment to the betterment of humanity that is simply outstanding.”

Barz plans to attend medical school after graduating in May. As part of his interest in medicine, he took part in the Global Medical Fellowship in Athens, Greece, in 2019.

Trinity Christian College Lincoln Laureates

2019—Indira Escalante

2018 – Mallory Boyce

2017 – R. Josiah Rosario

2016 – Courtney Kalous

2015 – Hallie Wisse

2014 – David (Woody) Lucas

2013 – Megan Anderson

2012 – Adam Perez

2011 – Alberto LaRosa

2010 – Joseph Wydra

2009 – Jon Vander Woude

2008 – Caitlin Fillmore

2007 – Elizabeth VanderSpek

2006 – Allison Backous

2005 – Erin Marshalek

2004 – Rachel Van Oort

2003 – Yvana Hansen

2002 – Evan VanderZee

2001 – Nate Bosch

2000 – Laurie Johnson

1999 – Hanna Vancer Zee

1998 – Kristen Devine

1997 – Heidi Boeck

1996 – Julie Tinklenberg

1995 – Keri Dyksterhouse

1994 – Mark Mulder

1993 – Kristen Hart

1992 – Sarah Ver Velde

1991 – Aron Reppmann

1990 – Nathan Van Der Male

1989 – Drew Sweetman

1988 – Erik Hoekstra

1987 – Kimberly Dykema

1986 – Edward Wiener, Jr.

Trinity is pleased to announce the Fall 2021 launch of a new Data Analytics program, which will include a major as well as opportunity for micro-credentialing for students in other majors.

Sundeep Vira, currently Trinity’s Assistant Professor of Business and Director of Strategic Innovation, will serve as Director of Data Analytics. Karl Schmitt, Ph.D, previously Director of Data Science Programs at Valparaiso University, has joined Trinity as Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Data Analytics.

Funding for the Data Analytics program at Trinity has been made possible through a lead gift from the Vermeer Charitable Foundation and additional gifts from a range of Trinity constituents.

Said Trinity President Kurt Dykstra, “We are very grateful for the Vermeer Charitable Foundation and so many others who have seen fit to help Trinity launch this program. These program funders understand the role that data plays in today’s world. We endeavor to educate students to help them, and other organizations like them, better use data for the good of their organization and the good of the world.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, data analytics is one of the fastest growing occupations in the United States. Trinity’s program will draw on the strength of the College’s liberal arts foundation and multidisciplinary approach, bringing together faculty from different departments and offering a holistic view of data analytics to students.

“The best data science and analytics doesn’t happen in silos,” said Schmitt, who will have program design responsibilities and teaching responsibilities in the areas of computer science and data analytics. “It happens in connection with other fields. I’m excited to be part of the collaborative teaching environment at Trinity.”

Said Vira, “Data analytics is essential for all services and industries and Trinity is excited to lead the way for students across disciplines to access and develop hard skills and strengthen their value for future employment.”

With the explosion of data in today’s society, data analytics now touches on virtually every aspect of life, according to Schmitt. “Data analytics can be useful for any field,” he said, pointing to applications as diverse as managing risk to improving sales leads to honing the algorithms used to suggest song playlists. And a place like Trinity brings a vital perspective to the field. “There are some really relevant issues around ethics in data science and machine fairness and bias,” said Schmitt. “It is exciting when students can study these questions at a College where faith is an integral part of that. A place like Trinity brings a deeper perspective to the field.”

Vira, who joined Trinity in 2019, and Schmitt bring significant experience to the College’s Data Analytics program. A native of India, Vira served as a senior investment analyst at Morgan Stanley and managing director and product manager at Nuveen, where he was responsible for growing separately managed accounts totaling approximately $60 billion. Vira, who earned an MBA from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago, is passionately committed to social entrepreneurship and currently serves as a consultant with The Academy Group, a non-profit educational organization that works to build a national pipeline of young leaders from underserved communities.

As Director of Data Science Programs at Valparaiso University, Schmitt created a national top 30 Data Science undergraduate degree program with 100% graduate placement. He has also published more than 10 peer-reviewed papers and four whitepapers/reports. Schmitt earned his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, where he conducted his dissertation research on the Application of Graph Algorithms to Improve Genome Assembly. He currently serves as a Task Member of the Association of Computing Memory’s Data Science Task Force Program Committee and on the Program Committee of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics 2020 Conference on Applied Mathematics Education.

This new program is a reflection of Trinity’s mission, as well as its vision to educate students for God, for good, and for the world. Said Dykstra, “From Day 1, Trinity has offered a rigorous education in the liberal arts, shaped by the historic Christian faith, that also connects education with the needs and opportunities in the world. Our sweet spot is where Trinity’s mission meets the needs of the world. Understanding and using data is the currency of the 21st century regardless of field, profession, and vocation. A robust data analytics program, led by outstanding scholars and practitioners, creates opportunities for our students and moves Trinity’s mission forward.”