Archives: Initiatives

–By Christy Wolff ‘10

Sarah Irvine ‘13 grew up on the soccer field. She joined her first team when she was five years old; by the time she was seven, she was part of a travel team. God began forming Sarah through her passion for soccer from a young age and continues to this day.

Unsure of what career God was calling her to, Sarah attended community college for two years and took a variety of classes. Her soccer coach at the time encouraged Sarah to research Trinity for her next steps – which is exactly what she did.

“Transferring was difficult because I had to start over. But the soccer team at Trinity provided community when I needed it most,” Sarah shares.

Through the guidance of her sister, Sarah knew she wanted to help others in her work. So, she declared a social work major. During her classes, Sarah worked with then-Professor Rose Malinowski to create a January interim course focused on homelessness. She researched and connected with different services and support groups to create a curriculum. Prof. Malinowski also advocated for Sarah to do an internship in Ecuador during her senior year. “It was the best experience of my life,” Sarah recalls. Working at an English-speaking international school, Sarah led social skills groups, did research for the social work department, and helped with individual cases.

Sarah also took a sign language course at Trinity, which turned out to be her favorite class. One of the class assignments was to translate a children’s book into sign language. Instead of taking an already-published book, Sarah took on the brave task of writing her own. This evolved into illustrating and adding sign language to her children’s book.

Following graduation, Sarah went on to receive her MSW (Master of Social Work). Today, Sarah works in private practice in Austin, Texas. Her specialties include working with children and their families, as well as young adults. She meets with individuals who struggle with ADHD, life transitions, behavioral issues, and relationship conflicts – to name a few.

Sarah regularly uses the book she authored, Zoe the Zebra: Be Kind, as a tool to teach kindness and have constructive conversations with her clients. In 2019, her book that she wrote at Trinity was published and is currently being sold on many different platforms, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Becoming an impactful social worker and talented children’s book author are just two ways that Sarah grew during her time at Trinity. More importantly, her relationship with God deepened through worship opportunities on campus and her soccer team.

“Trinity provided me a perfect place to grow in my faith,” Sarah says.

To learn more about Sarah’s book, visit her website at sarahirvinelcsw.com

–By Christy Wolff ‘10

If Eric VanderSchaaf ‘07 was told during his high school years that he would receive a college degree and eventually start a family-owned food company with his wife – while also raising three children – he might not have believed it could happen. With God’s guidance, the help of several impactful mentors, and his experiences at Trinity, VanderSchaaf is now a proud husband, father, and business owner.

VanderSchaaf learned about Trinity through Restoration Ministries, a Christian-based organization that provides life-changing programs to recovering addicts, among others. Following a drug overdose shortly after his high school graduation, VanderSchaaf entered this rehab program, which was co-founded by his grandfather, and his life turned around.

During treatment, VanderSchaaf was introduced to Trinity’s baseball team, whose members often volunteer in the Restoration Ministries children’s program. VanderSchaaf was no stranger to baseball, since he grew up playing on different teams. So, he quickly formed relationships with some of Trinity’s players. Near the end of the treatment program, VanderSchaaf connected with Trinity’s baseball coach at the time, who encouraged him to try out for the team.

By the fall of 2004, VanderSchaaf was enrolled at Trinity with a baseball scholarship. “I was happy to be spending time with kids my age again and having some normalcy in my life,” VanderSchaaf shared.

Not only did VanderSchaaf excel at baseball, but he also excelled in the classroom. “I was a great student in high school but never applied myself. When I got to Trinity, I had a new focus,” VanderSchaaf recalled. He declared a Spanish major with a business minor. He had developed a relationship with Professor of Psychology Emerita Mary Lynn Colosimo, who is heavily involved with Restoration Ministries, so he also took several psychology classes.

During Colosimo’s introduction to psychology course, she encouraged students to pick a statement that guides their lives. VanderSchaaf chose “To know Christ and make Him known.” This impacted his faith that started to grow during rehab – and he still makes this phrase a focal point of his walk with God. Mark Hanna, his resident director at the time who is currently Trinity’s Associate Vice President for Student Life & Athletics and Athletics Director, also helped shepherd his faith. “He showed me how to be a man and how to lead a family,” VanderSchaaf said.

When asked about VanderSchaaf’s years at Trinity, Hanna said, “Eric’s is an incredible story and ultimately one that bears real witness to our steadfast and faithful God and to the vital importance of formative Christian communities like Trinity.”

After graduating in 2007, VanderSchaaf entered the commercial insurance industry and found a job in downtown Chicago. A few years later, he moved to Texas to take a job with an e-commerce company. During this time, he realized he had his own ideas for launching a business. “I wanted to bring something new into the world,” VanderSchaaf shared.

By 2012, VanderSchaaf and his wife Mary Claire established Treehive: a better-for-you breakfast company that sources syrup and pancake mix. This grew into Austin Food Group, a privately held, family-owned and operated, food-holding company that oversees three different businesses. Products include breakfast items like syrup (inspired by eating Saturday morning breakfast with family) and pancake and waffle mix, and are sold nationwide at Walmart and Whole Foods and at local Texas grocery stores. “My dream of owning my own business has come true. I have the flexibility to be with my family and love growing these businesses alongside my wife.”

Looking back on his experience at Trinity and reflecting on how it helped him become the man he is today, VanderSchaaf recalled the incredible mentors he had. “Everyone seemed to have a focus on the redeeming power of God and helped shepherd me to that healthy place,” he said. His years at Trinity were a crucial time as they helped frame how he runs a business with excellence. He learned how to push himself and show Christ’s love in all he does.

“So how will I take that into the world? Trinity helped me ask those big questions.” VanderSchaaf said.

–By Christy Wolff ’10

From the time Holli Moote ‘13 was young, she had her heart set on becoming a teacher. During her high school years, her love for music grew, which helped in her decision to teach music. In the years to follow, Moote learned from her own music teachers about what it took to become one herself. Four years at Trinity and two countries later, Moote is living out her passion by teaching music to children halfway around the globe.

Small class sizes and large performance groups at Trinity – specifically choir and band – gave Moote valuable class time and hands-on experiences throughout the time she was working on her degree. Moote especially appreciated the freedom she had in her music classes. On one occasion, she chose to study Icelandic music for a project. She located an Icelandic woman living in Chicago to help with the project — a benefit of Trinity’s campus being just 30 minutes from the diverse city of Chicago.

Moote always wanted to study overseas. However, with the significant courseload of the music education program, she simply didn’t have the capacity to fit a traditional semester abroad into her schedule. Dr. Joy Meyer, Trinity’s Dean of Education, helped Moote find an international student teaching placement through a Trinity alumnus in Indonesia. “This is when I fell in love with Indonesia,” Moote recalled. “The food, the people, the landscape, the weather – I loved everything about the country.”

Moote’s student teaching experience was focused on music and English, both of which aided in Moote’s growth as a teacher. A number of Trinity professors also visited Indonesia while Moote lived there. “They made a point to contact me and visit, which meant a lot,” Moote shared.

At the end of her placement, the school offered Moote a position, which she accepted. For five years following graduation, Moote taught middle and high school music classes. Knowing her heart was in elementary music, she felt pulled in a different direction with new opportunities in 2018: South Korea.

Currently living in Seoul, the bustling capital of South Korea, Moote found her dream job of teaching music to 350 students between second and fifth grade. “With teaching elementary students, there is still exploration and play associated with music. I enjoy helping kids grow and discover joyfully,” Moote said. The school she teaches at is made up of students from 60 different countries, with differing levels of English-speaking skills.

Moote also enjoys exploring a new region of the world, particularly the culture, food, and learning a new language. “I was able to travel around Korea this summer and got to see the countryside, beaches, and mountains around the country. Getting to see so many beautiful places helps me love it even more,” Moote shared.

Reflecting on her teaching journey that began at Trinity, Moote described how prepared she felt to teach abroad, thanks to Trinity’s professors and classroom experience. Moote recalls a project called “Building Bridges, Serving Communities” where Trinity students worked with local Muslims to begin cleaning up what is now known as the Cal-Sag Trail near campus, with the purpose of strengthening the community. “Connecting with people and loving people – that’s what Trinity does best,” Moote shared.

Moote is also thankful for the theology and philosophy classes she took at Trinity, which challenged her and prepared her to talk to people with different backgrounds and beliefs. “Living in a different country opens your eyes to the world and how many perspectives there are,” Moote said.

For Moote, Trinity wasn’t just a four-year college experience; she still connects with several professors as she is able to. “I felt seen and known at Trinity, and that continues even today,” Moote said. Through an incredible program, a global classroom perspective that capitalized on its location, and a community of people that took the time to understand her hopes and dreams, Moote is impacting lives all around the world through music. She embodies the Trinity spirit that seeks to live out their calling for good, for God, and for the world.

For Professor of Art & Design John Bakker, painting portraits of  individuals is a way of affirming the value of their humanity without regard to success or failure.

He has explored that theme in different contexts, from his Galesburg Portrait Project to his series “Making Contact,” which is exhibited in the 6th District police station in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood.

Recently, ProPublica Illinois interviewed Bakker about Making Contact, as part of an article exploring public artwork in Chicago police stations following the city’s removal of statues of Christopher Columbus.

“In some ways, painting portraits is really dumb and painting portraits of hundreds of people is ridiculous. It takes an awful amount of time,” Bakker said. “But in the current situation, I can’t think of anything more avant garde.”

Read the full article here.

With a Human Resource Management degree from Trinity, graduates not only learn how to manage HR from a strategic and organizational point of view—they learn to do so with an emphasis on human relationships.

And Trinity is pleased to announce that the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has acknowledged that Trinity’s HR Management degree now aligns with SHRM’s HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates.

“Achieving alignment certification with the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) gives our students the assurance that our Human Resource Management program is built to equip them to participate in testing for important professional certifications offered by SHRM,” said Professor of Business and Department Chair Deborah Windes, Ph.D. “SHRM certifications are the most prominently sought out by employers. Alignment certification also ensures that our program is equipping HR students for a strong start in their professional career in human resource management.

“With this achievement comes the opportunity to be listed in the SHRM directory of schools with aligned programs,” she said. “This is an excellent way for Trinity to reach more students seeking to work in human resources.”

The HR Curriculum Guidebook and Templates were developed by SHRM to define the minimum HR content areas that should be studied by HR students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The guidelines are part of SHRM’s Academic Initiative to define HR education standards taught in business schools and help them develop degree programs that follow these standards.

With more than 300,000 HR and business executive members in 165 countries, SHRM impacts the lives of more than 115 million workers and families globally.

–By Christy Wolff ’10

Danielle Oeverman ‘18 is part of the second graduating class from Trinity’s speech-language pathology (SLP) program. Desiring to earn her degree and play volleyball at a small NAIA school, Trinity fit the bill for Oeverman. “My parents taught me that I need to work for what I want and not be afraid to go and get it,” Oeverman said. So, after graduating from South Christian High School in Grand Rapids, Mich., she moved to Illinois, embarking on a new adventure at Trinity.

Having gone through years of speech therapy herself, Oeverman’s interest in making this a career started from a young age. “I knew how big of an impact an SLP can have in one’s life.” More recently her nephew underwent speech therapy, which led Oeverman to shadow in the field–solidifying her dream to make this a career.

Trinity’s SLP program is “small but mighty,” according to Oeverman. Alongside a class of seven, Oeverman felt comfortable bouncing ideas off her classmates and studying with them. “To still be in contact with your classmates says something about the Trinity atmosphere,” Oeverman shared.

Since grad school is a requirement in order to be a licensed SLP, Oeverman valued how Trinity equipped her for that next step. “Being such a small program, we were able to truly connect with our professors and ask questions to prepare us for grad school.” Oeverman gained perspective on grad school during visits from Trinity’s SLP graduates who would share about their grad school experience, what they learned, and what they wished they knew.

Trinity’s SLP class topics include child development, communication disorders, anatomy, and motor speech disorders, to name a few. “Trinity’s program covers all the courses you need for grad school,” she said. “It’s one thing learning the knowledge behind the topics; it’s another to learn how to provide therapy. Trinity did both,” she said.

Several Trinity experiences aided in her grad school application–and eventual acceptance– including internships at a school and nursing home, and hands-on assessments in class. She attended Midwestern University in Downers Grove, Ill., and virtually graduated in May 2020, due to COVID-19.

“Trinity taught me when it’s important to step up and stand up for what I believe in, especially when it comes to advocating for myself and my patients,” she said.

Trinity also provided Oeverman with the gift of forming lasting friendships. “Four years is such a short time to develop lifelong friendships, but Trinity gave me that sense of family.” Having such impactful friends helped her grow in her faith. “I really learned what I believe and why I believe that.”

She also made a huge impact on the volleyball court during her years at Trinity. She was a member of Trolls teams that claimed NCCAA National Championship titles in 2014 and 2016 and advanced to the NAIA National Championship in 2015 and 2017. Amongst her many accolades, she was a four-time All-Conference selection and was the CCAC Freshman of the Year in her rookie season. She earned AVCA/NAIA All-Region honors twice and NCCAA North Central All-Regional honors three times. The NCCAA  also named her the 2017 Susan R. Hellings Award Recipient for Division I Women’s Volleyball, given annually to a player who exemplifies Christian leadership on the court..

Her advice to prospective students considering SLP? “Don’t be afraid of the small class size or that Trinity doesn’t have a grad program,” she said. “None of those things have stopped me from graduating and applying for jobs currently.”

Oeverman looks forward to embarking on her next adventure and using the tools Trinity gave her to be a positive influence in her career.