Archives: Initiatives

Communication Arts professor Dr. Bethany Keeley-Jonker is celebrating the July 2022 release of an edited book including a chapter she co-authored titled “And What More Shall I Say? Heroism in Hebrews 11 and Star Wars.” The book, published by Rowman & Littlefield, features 15 essays from scholars in different disciplines engaging the growing film/television franchise with a theological imagination.

“I’m proud of the work we did in this essay, arguing that we need to take both the narratives in the Bible and in Star Wars seriously as narratives,” says Keeley-Jonker. “Sometimes when people move toward theological reflection on our favorite media, we either transform it into what we wish it was, or we flatten it into something it wasn’t meant to be, and then dismiss it. The complicated nature of heroism, and the distinct roles people can have in cosmic stories is reflected in the Star Wars canon, as well as the Biblical one. It was fun to consider those parallels through examples while working on this essay with my dad.”

While Keeley-Jonker enjoyed the topic of the work, the other joy of this piece of scholarship was in her relationship with her co-author. “Co-writing is great because you can do a little work, walk away, come back, and there’s more writing!” she jokes. But adds “it was especially fun to move from ongoing conversations about both faith and movies with my dad to writing something for publication that invites others into that conversation too.”

To learn more about Dr. Bethany Keeley-Jonker and her passion for communications click here.

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If you are interested in pursuing a degree in Communication Arts, and to explore all Trinity Christian College has to offer, schedule a visit to our campus today!

A program designed to supply a rich introduction to three historic Italian city-states – Venice, Florence and Rome.  This is what was in store for a group of Trinity students, who traveled with Assistant Professor of History, Dr. Kyle J. Dieleman, but what they experienced went far beyond the pages of a history book or the pictures in a travel brochure.

Traveling from Chicago and arriving in Venice, Italy, the students were exhausted after an 8-hour flight and stopover in Philadelphia, but excited about the adventure ahead.

While in Venice, the group tried foods like pizza and gelato, which in true Italian fashion were delicious and did not disappoint. While no trip to Italy is without its decadent food, the goal of this trip was to learn more, enrich understanding of history, art and geo-politics.  There was time to explore Doge Palace, St. Mark’s Square, and of course, a ride on the classic gondolas in Venice. A native Venetian tour guide led a walking trip through the city, explaining the significance of the architecture, the different churches and saints, and even how the canals are maintained.

From Venice, the group enjoyed a scenic ride through the Italian countryside and arrived at Florence. Upon arrival, they were immediately greeted by the sights of historic architecture and ancient structures. A guided tour of Florence shared interesting facts about this city, which was formed nearly 1500 years ago, along with some of its famous residents, including Leonardo Da Vinci, the Medici family, and Donatello, to name a few.   Homemade pasta, ravioli, and tiramisu helped to round out the perfect stay over in Florence.

After a rich day in Florence, it was onto Pisa, to see the iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa and learn the history of the area. An excursion was planned to see the Mediterranean Sea and enjoy the area with clear water and warm sand. The onto Rome and Assisi to explore the deep history of these areas. Starting in Assisi, the group learned that this area is known to be one of the greenest parts of Italy, with little to no industrialization. The brief time in Assisi felt like a step back in time, even walking the streets felt as if they were living in a different period. The opposite to that would be Rome, which is a larger bustling city with expensive shops and restaurants, filled with extensive history, architecture, and art.

To hear from the Trinity students themselves and learn more about what was learned from the trip click here to read the blog posted during their trip.

The Lincoln Academy of Illinois is dedicated to advancing the values exhibited in the life of Abraham Lincoln: excellence, service, and honor. Each year, the academy recognizes Lincoln Laureates who embody these virtues, as well as a group of Student Laureates.  

For the recent 58th Convocation & Investiture, Trinity’s Assistant Professor of Music Toni Esker performed several pieces. Esker sang “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “Illinois,” the official state song, and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” for which she received a standing ovation.  

The ceremony, which was attended by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, honored William J. Brodsky, Debra Cafaro, Rebecca Carlisle Doyle, John McCarter, Martha C. Nussbaum, and Justice Robert R. Thomas.

“This was by far one of my favorite performances of all time,” said Esker. “It was such an honor and a privilege to be a part of a ceremony honoring these highly accomplished and influential citizens of Illinois.” 

The convocation ceremony can be viewed here.  

Dr. Aron Reppmann ‘92, Professor of Philosophy and Department Chair, doesn’t require his students to use any of his titles in the classroom. But if they want to use one, his favorite is “professor.” And that makes being named Trinity’s 2022-23 Professor of the Year particularly meaningful, he said. 

On the first day of each class, Reppmann tells students he prefers to be called by his last name only. “If they want to use the honorific ‘doctor,’ they can. It’s a deep honor and it took a long time to achieve. But it reflects a one-time achievement. The honorific I prefer is ‘professor,’ since being a professor is my calling,” he said. “This is a deep honor and I am striving to live up to it and in to it.” 

Reppmann’s many nominators for the annual award agree that he is changing the lives of students through his calling. Said one student, “He has provided patience, kindness, accommodation, intelligence, and mentorship (just to list the few of many) in every aspect of my life. I would not be graduating this semester without his support.” 

Said another nomination, “He brings out the best in students and encourages them to strive for success. He is the paragon of what it means to be a Trinity professor.” 

Another nomination cited how he pushes each student to be the best version of themselves while also reminding they to stay true to who they are. “He has served in giving us the tools we need to flourish, provides a safe and welcoming space for all, and empowers us.”
 

Other nominations cited Reppmann’s deep ties to Trinity and how he is “an institution within this institution,” where he is an alumnus, a professor, and the parent of a current student. Reppmann noted that he has been a Trinity Troll  for 35 years and a faculty member for 25 years. After earning his undergraduate degree in philosophy from the College, Reppmann received his M.A. and Ph.D., from Loyola University Chicago.  

Reppmann was honored at Trinity’s commencement on May 7. He said he is also looking forward to speaking at Convocation in the fall. “I’m looking forward reflecting on where we are in this time of our communal life.” 

He insisted he is not a “special unicorn” and pointed to his many dedicated and deserving colleagues. “This award represents the values that Trinity professor all uphold together,” he said.   

Recent Professor of the Year Award recipients: 

2017: Michael Vander Weele (English) 

2018: Clay Carlson (Biology) 

2019: Kara Wolff (Counseling and Psychology) 

2020: Yudha Thianto (Theology and Christian Ministry) 

2021: David Brodnax Sr. (History) 

Alma Berrones had several important reasons to return to school to complete her college degree. One was to advance her career. Another was to set an example for her son. With those motivations guiding her journey, Berrones will graduate with her degree in Business Management from Trinity’s Adult Undergraduate Program this fall.

Berrones had already completed some of her college coursework at Kendall College, which was acquired by National Louis University. Then, her focus shifted to her family and career at Northern Trust Corp., where she is now senior account manager and 2nd vice president.

Yet she always wanted to complete her degree. She said one goal was to finish her education before her son finished his. “I wanted to graduate before he did!” said Berrones, who grew up in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago and currently lives in Oak Lawn, Ill.  She also knew she needed a bachelor’s degree to reach her full potential in her profession. “I had been at my company for more than 15 years, and I was told I would be passed over for a promotion by someone I had trained, who had a degree,” she recalled. “That really pushed me to change my mind set and go back to school.”

Initially, Trinity wasn’t even on her radar. But when she was speaking with a colleague about returning to school, the colleague mentioned that her sister had gotten her degree through Trinity.  After doing some research, Berrones realized Trinity would be a good fit. Her boss was also very supportive, and helped guide her to through the company’s tuition reimbursement process. Trinity was also helpful in determining which of her credits would transfer.

The Trinity program also offers a good pace for working adults and has helped her meet both her work and family obligations. “It’s been a Godsend,” she said. Several Trinity professors and classes have been particularly impactful for Berrones. She pointed to Assistant Professor of Business Omar Sweiss as one. “His teaching style and how he handles the curriculum really resonates with my style of learning,” she said.

One of her most challenging courses involved a foundational religion class on biblical perspectives and Christian scriptures. “I grew up a devout Catholic, but I didn’t keep up with my Bible studies the way I should have,” she said. “I had to teach my brain to be more open to Christian studies. I was challenged by the class, but it was a good challenge.”

Initially, Berrones was concerned about returning to school in her late 30s. But she has enjoyed the experience of interacting with her younger classmates and believes it is helping her with her career as well. “From a management perspective, I need to understand what the younger people are doing, since they are the future of the workforce. It’s become a breath of fresh air.”

A small town. A sudden disaster. An immediate need for knowledgeable people across a range of professions to come together, formulate a rapid response, and work quickly and calmly to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all the townspeople.

In today’s world, these types of situations are unfortunately common. Being prepared to respond is another story. Recently, more than 60 Trinity undergraduate and graduate students across a range of majors, including nursing, social work, education, and psychology, got to have such an experience when a simulated disaster struck the fictional town of Trollsboro.

The students weren’t told ahead of time what the scenario would look like, so they had to immediately start working together to respond to the crisis and then develop a follow up plan to deal with the repercussions of the disaster one month later.

Said nursing major Kate DeKryger ‘22, “It was interesting to see other disciplines at work in front of us and alongside of us. My biggest takeaway from this experience and the challenges that it brought is that no one discipline or group of people, even expertly trained and skilled individuals, can handle crises alone.”

Each group included at least one student majoring in nursing, education, social work, and psychology. The students experienced working together in an interdisciplinary way.  Along with respecting the expertise of others, it was a chance for each one of the student to find their voices and advocate for their own insights and opinions.

For Dr. Deb Majewski, Associate Professor of Psychology and Counseling, the simulation fit in perfectly with her graduate-level Counseling 603  Internship II course. “The project offered the students real-world experience in responding to a crisis simulation in conjunction with other disciplines.  They were required to collaborate in respectful and deeply caring ways as they considered the needs of the community,” Majewski said.

Majewski’s students found the exercise to be deeply meaningful for them personally. “It built confidence, awareness of their knowledge and natural empathy.”

Listening to the insights and expertise of others is a valuable skill in today’s world, agreed Professor of Education Bill Boerman-Cornell, Ph.D. “Our society needs more practice in hearing what other people have to say.”

According to Dr. Tina Decker, chair of the nursing department, the exercise also gave the students the opportunity to really think about their professional roles. “Students got to act in the role of their profession. They were acting as nurses, teachers, counselors, and social workers, and not as students.”

It was a “disaster” that took a long time to plan. The idea for the interdisciplinary simulation came from a meeting that Assistant Professor of Social Work and Director of Field Education Lisa Doot Abinoja attended several years ago, where a professor at another local university described a simulation exercise they had done.

“We are familiar with experiential learning here at Trinity, and I quickly recognized that we could do that here,” she said. Abinoja reached out to her Trinity colleagues in several different departments, who were enthusiastic about the idea. During the spring semester of 2020, Abinoja received a Collaborative Initiative Grant through Trinity’s Provost’s Office for the simulation.  “We originally planned to meet first in June 2020 for a Spring 2021 event,” she said. “With COVID, we quickly knew that wouldn’t happen and were able to delay a year.”

During that time, Abinoja, Decker, Majewski, Boerman-Cornell, Dr. Cini Bretzlaff-Holstein, Director of the Online BSW Program and Associate Professor of Social Work, and Dr. Michael Dieter, Assistant Professor of Education, began doing a great deal of prework. That included adding the simulation exercise to each class’s syllabus with a specific learning outcome. “The main outcome was working in an interdisciplinary way and how students embodied their profession,” said Abinoja. Each professor provided equal weight to the assignment, which helped to ensure success. “For example, we did not want this to be extra credit for one class, while it would make up a third of the grade in another class,” she said.

The experience also allowed professors to work closely with each other in an interdisciplinary manner, said Boerman-Cornell. “It was fun to get to know our colleagues in a different way.”

Learning took place in ways the organizers didn’t anticipate, which added to the richness of the experience. “In a classroom setting, there are things that can’t be replicated in an event like this. Even the challenges we experienced were good for learning,” said Abinoja.

The event went so well that the organizers are looking to make it a regular part of the curriculum. Several participants will also be offering a presentation about the simulation at the International Christian Community of Teacher Educators (ICCTE) Conference at George Fox University in Newberg, Ore., in May.  For Boerman-Cornell, the outgoing president of ICCTE, the conference will not only allow Trinity professors to share their experience. They will also have the opportunity to learn how other colleges around the country have conducted similar types of simulations and hear some of those best practices.

A small town. A sudden disaster. An immediate need for knowledgeable people across a range of professions to come together, formulate a rapid response, and work quickly and calmly to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all the townspeople.

In today’s world, these types of situations are unfortunately common. Being prepared to respond is another story. Recently, more than 60 Trinity undergraduate and graduate students across a range of majors, including nursing, social work, education, and psychology, got to have such an experience when a simulated disaster struck the fictional town of Trollsboro.

The students weren’t told ahead of time what the scenario would look like, so they had to immediately start working together to respond to the crisis and then develop a follow up plan to deal with the repercussions of the disaster one month later.

Said nursing major Kate DeKryger ‘22, “It was interesting to see other disciplines at work in front of us and alongside of us. My biggest takeaway from this experience and the challenges that it brought is that no one discipline or group of people, even expertly trained and skilled individuals, can handle crises alone.”

Each group included at least one student majoring in nursing, education, social work, and psychology. The students experienced working together in an interdisciplinary way.  Along with respecting the expertise of others, it was a chance for each one of the student to find their voices and advocate for their own insights and opinions.

For Dr. Deb Majewski, Associate Professor of Psychology and Counseling, the simulation fit in perfectly with her graduate-level Counseling 603  Internship II course. “The project offered the students real-world experience in responding to a crisis simulation in conjunction with other disciplines.  They were required to collaborate in respectful and deeply caring ways as they considered the needs of the community,” Majewski said.

Majewski’s students found the exercise to be deeply meaningful for them personally. “It built confidence, awareness of their knowledge and natural empathy.”

Listening to the insights and expertise of others is a valuable skill in today’s world, agreed Professor of Education Bill Boerman-Cornell, Ph.D. “Our society needs more practice in hearing what other people have to say.”

According to Dr. Tina Decker, chair of the nursing department, the exercise also gave the students the opportunity to really think about their professional roles. “Students got to act in the role of their profession. They were acting as nurses, teachers, counselors, and social workers, and not as students.”

It was a “disaster” that took a long time to plan. The idea for the interdisciplinary simulation came from a meeting that Assistant Professor of Social Work and Director of Field Education Lisa Doot Abinoja attended several years ago, where a professor at another local university described a simulation exercise they had done.

“We are familiar with experiential learning here at Trinity, and I quickly recognized that we could do that here,” she said. Abinoja reached out to her Trinity colleagues in several different departments, who were enthusiastic about the idea. During the spring semester of 2020, Abinoja received a Collaborative Initiative Grant through Trinity’s Provost’s Office for the simulation.  “We originally planned to meet first in June 2020 for a Spring 2021 event,” she said. “With COVID, we quickly knew that wouldn’t happen and were able to delay a year.”

During that time, Abinoja, Decker, Majewski, Boerman-Cornell, Dr. Cini Bretzlaff-Holstein, Director of the Online BSW Program and Associate Professor of Social Work, and Dr. Michael Dieter, Assistant Professor of Education, began doing a great deal of prework. That included adding the simulation exercise to each class’s syllabus with a specific learning outcome. “The main outcome was working in an interdisciplinary way and how students embodied their profession,” said Abinoja. Each professor provided equal weight to the assignment, which helped to ensure success. “For example, we did not want this to be extra credit for one class, while it would make up a third of the grade in another class,” she said.

The experience also allowed professors to work closely with each other in an interdisciplinary manner, said Boerman-Cornell. “It was fun to get to know our colleagues in a different way.”

Learning took place in ways the organizers didn’t anticipate, which added to the richness of the experience. “In a classroom setting, there are things that can’t be replicated in an event like this. Even the challenges we experienced were good for learning,” said Abinoja.

The event went so well that the organizers are looking to make it a regular part of the curriculum. Several participants will also be offering a presentation about the simulation at the International Christian Community of Teacher Educators (ICCTE) Conference at George Fox University in Newberg, Ore., in May.  For Boerman-Cornell, the outgoing president of ICCTE, the conference will not only allow Trinity professors to share their experience. They will also have the opportunity to learn how other colleges around the country have conducted similar types of simulations and hear some of those best practices.