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Trinity Christian College is pleased to announce Julie Blecker as its new Vice President for Finance. Blecker has had an exceptional career journey, giving her the skills and knowledge essential for this key leadership role at Trinity. Most recently, she served as Controller at SFO, LLC. Her previous tenure included leadership roles at Columbia College Chicago, where she served as Associate Controller and Accounting Manager. She has accrued a wealth of diverse industry experiences, ranging from financial analysis at The Art Institute of Chicago to a role as a Trust Officer at Northern Trust.

She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Loyola University Chicago with a bachelor’s in finance and later received her M.B.A. with a concentration in Management Information Systems from Northern Illinois University.

“I am grateful to welcome Julie Blecker to Trinity as Vice President of Finance. Julie began her work last week, bringing a wealth of experience,” said President Aaron Kuecker. “I am excited for our campus to begin knowing Julie as a colleague!”

Growing up in the southwest suburbs of Chicago, Blecker has deep roots near the Palos Heights campus and now calls northwest Indiana home. In her spare time, she can be found tending to plants in her garden or reading a good book as a self-described lifelong learner.

Blecker’s commitment to seeing the Trinity Christian College community flourish sparked her interest in this role. She explained, “I believe that God has put me here for a reason. I am grateful to play a part in helping to move forward with the mission of the college.”  She continued, “Everyone here has a passion about their work, and it just resonates throughout campus. It’s an exciting time to become a part of the team.”

With her extensive experience and a heart set on elevating those around her, she is ready to play an integral role in the future of Trinity Christian College, ensuring that it continues to thrive as a place of growth and transformation.

-Sharon Robbert, Ph.D., Professor of Mathematics Emerita

On Wednesday, April 16, Trinity celebrated its 26^th campus-wide celebration of student scholarship: OPUS. The event included 48 academic presentations, 14 fine arts performances, 11 Art & Design senior thesis presentations, 7 featured displays in a Nursing Gallery of Wellness, two galleries including 28 academic research posters, awards for top presentations and performances, raffle prizes, and evening laser tag in the Huizenga Library.

Wait—laser tag? How does that fit? Trinity applies its quirky sense of celebration to every OPUS event.  Prior OPUS events have included a parade led by bagpipes, balloons in a circus tent, gummy bears and cotton candy, professors dressed in superhero costumes, and “throwable” prizes at a closing ceremony where awards are announced.  The OPUS 2025 Library Laser Tag is sponsored by the Student Government Association. This year, the library features an art installation modeling the distribution of 1,556 disciplinary presentations using colorful flags over the prior 25 years of events. Stop by the Huizenga Library to experience this display in person or view it here.

While these elements of quirkiness bring joy and a celebratory spirit, the event is designed to promote the Christian academic learning community at Trinity and showcase how Trinity lives out its mission.  Dr. Clay Carlson (Biology) says the “huge breadth of good work at OPUS demonstrates how we are subjecting all cultural activities to the reign of God.” And, while dressed in an oversized red royal robe, a white feather boa, and a fake crown, 2024-25 Professor of the Year Dr. Tim Hendrikson (English) explains that OPUS “focuses on the public aspect of knowledge creation, something that undergraduate students may not at first recognize as an important component of scholarship.”

The event is planned by a committee of faculty, staff, and students every year.  Library Director Kyle McCarrell, who serves as committee co-chair, says, “The committee leveraged Wellbeing Wednesdays to expand the OPUS schedule to the entire day. Our committee goal is to allow attendees to participate in as many OPUS components as possible without forcing them to choose between conflicting events.”  Committee co-chair Professor Ryan Thompson (Art) affirms this as successful but also says “the best academic conferences always have overlapping sessions that force you to choose between excellent options.” The schedule this year includes poster presentations and fine arts performances in the morning and oral presentations in the afternoon.

OPUS 2025 Committee members are Prof. Toni Esker, Librarian Sarah Hoeksema, Prof. Abigail Holcombe, Library Director Kyle McCarrell (co-chair), Prof. Emma Schneider, Prof. Omar Sweiss, Prof. Ryan Thompson (co-chair), Prof. Jennifer Wedster, Prof. Syreetha Yokley, Katelynn Benitez (’26), and Selina AlHalaseh (’27).  The OPUS 2025 student designer is Regan Steenwyk (’26).

OPUS 2025 first place competition winners:

Art & Design

• Best in Show:  Karla Rosales – Often Devotional but Sometimes Merely Quirky
• Graphic/Digital Design: Lydia Rascher – Lupus Nephritis
• Sculpture/3D: Karla Rosales – The Everyday
• Drawing/Painting/Mixed: Ren Amador – 15 Years Old
• Print/Photo: Mikayla Araiza – The Past is Watching, Waiting

Creation Care: Paige Wallenberg (poster) – Renewable Pathways: Xylose Dehydration to Furfural

Literary Arts

• Fiction/Drama: Chase Hadley – Cops and Robbers
• Poetry: Njoki Mukuria – Disenchanted

Music

• Vocal Solo: Alyssa Fiacchino
• Vocal Ensemble:Audrey Yonkman and Anneka Baggech
• Instrumental Solo: Elyssa Peters
• Instrumental Ensemble: Elyssa Peters and Jared Peters
• Original Musical Composition: Audrey Yonkman – Heilig

Poster Presentation: Aala Al-Goare – A Game of Telephone: Unpacking the Intergenerational Taboos of Post-Partum Depression in the Arab Culture

Presentation Showdown: Hope McIntosh – At Last, Everydayness

Pictured above are Tom and Caryle Roegner and their grandchildren.

-Tricia Despres

It was January of 1967, and Thomas D. Roegner had never felt so lost.

Not only did the hardworking kid from Blue Island find himself failing out of the first semester of his freshman year at Northern Illinois University, but the aspiring business major also found himself at a time in the country’s history where if you were a healthy 19-year-old man not enrolled in college, there was a good chance you could be headed to Vietnam.

“I had to find another college, and I had to do it quick,” Roegner said in an interview back in 2017. “I needed to find a college that would take a gamble on me.”

So, as the story goes, Roegner spent two days alongside his devoted mother, driving across the Midwest visiting academic institutions such as University of Wisconsin-Madison, Rockford College and Illinois State University – all in the hopes that someone could see past his learning disabilities and instead, find a man deserving of another chance.

“We were doing a ton of praying over all of this at the time,” recalls Caryle Roegner, who met her future husband Tom when they were just teenagers attending First Lutheran Church in Blue Island. “There was a lot at stake.”

And just when Roegner began to lose hope, the pair made the life-altering decision to drive to Palos Heights and drive into the parking lot of Trinity Christian College.

“We met with the Dean of Students, and somehow we got on the right side of him,” Roegner always remembered fondly of his fateful meeting with Dr. John H. Van Der Molen. “And he said to me, you know what son?’ He said, ‘I want to take a chance on you.’ And I said, ‘that’d be great.’”

“It was at that moment that our prayers were answered,” adds Caryle, who spent a majority of their 53+ year marriage living in a home they built just a few short blocks away from Trinity. “Trinity [Christian College] was the answer. Tom knew God had put him there for a reason.”

Soon after, Roegner enrolled as a student at Trinity Christian College and swiftly made the Dean’s List. “There was much he was trying to prove not only to his parents, but to himself,” Caryle remembers. “I firmly believe God and Trinity Christian College helped him through that.”

Armed with a newfound confidence gained during his one and only semester at Trinity Christian College, Roegner returned to Northern Illinois University and graduated in May of 1970 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. From there, Roegner would become a pivotal player in the Chicago banking industry, serving for over forty years in various executive roles at Lake Shore National Bank, LaSalle Bank and Bank of America. But he never forgot the role Trinity Christian College ultimately played in his life. It was that life that was cut far too short on September 10, 2023, when Thomas D. Roegner passed away at the age of 75.

In March of 2025, The Thomas D. Roegner Transfer Student Scholarship was established in Roegner’s memory at Trinity Christian College, with the hopes of financially and figuratively helping two transfer students per year who might too find themselves feeling lost, with nowhere to turn.

“Trinity [Christian College] was a life saver for Tom,” explains Caryle Roegner, Tom’s wife of 53 years and a longtime Palos Heights resident. “Not only in terms of his education, but especially from a mental standpoint. Just the fact that someone was willing to give him a chance at that crucial time ultimately changed his life. And it is now our hope to give that chance to someone else.”

**

THOMAS D. ROEGNER Scholarship Description

The Thomas D. Roegner Transfer Student Scholarship was established in memory of banking executive Thomas Roegner, a longtime resident of Palos Heights and an alumnus of Trinity Christian College. In 1967, Roegner transferred to Trinity from Northern Illinois University and in doing so, he was able to get both his academics and his life back on track.

Created in March of 2025, the Thomas D. Roegner Transfer Student Scholarship is designed to support students transferring to Trinity Christian College to continue their collegiate career, despite past academic difficulties. Interested students are invited to submit a 150 word-200 word essay as to how Roegner’s story resonates with their own unique story.

-Njoki Mukuria ’25

Each year, the Trinity Christian College community comes together through a special day of giving meant to support the work of the College. The importance of Trinity Together lies in the communal spirit it builds alongside the support it seeks to achieve as students, staff, alumni, and more members of the Trinity’s large family unite toward one goal. The Executive Director of Advancement and team leader for Trinity Together, LyNae Schleyer, puts it best: “This is more than a campaign – it is a celebration of what we can achieve as one united community. When we come together, we uphold the values that make Trinity so special – excellence in academics, Christian formation and spiritual growth, and opportunities that inspire every student to reach their full potential.” Trinity Together is the embodiment of this intentional commitment to the College’s mission.

The 9th annual Trinity Together event was held on April 9th, 2025, and was different from past years in a few exciting ways. This year, all gifts of $25 or more were matched dollar for dollar up to $50,000. In addition to this, donors were also able to choose from three different gifting areas: the annual OPUS celebration that recognizes student excellence, new broadcasting equipment for Trinity Athletics for higher quality streaming, and our Area of Greatest Need, The Trinity Fund, as an investment in Trinity scholarships, academic programs, and services. To Schleyer, however, the most memorable moment from this year’s initiative was the thought of “hundreds of people who are… thinking about and supporting Trinity all at the same time” because “many times, when a gift is posted, donors include kind words of encouragement and prayer.”

This year’s Trinity Together ended successfully, thanks to the efforts of 339 donors. Through the 36 hours of engagement, a total of $141,704 was raised in support of OPUS, Athletics, and Trinity students as a whole. Schleyer’s words ring true in this amazing result: “It takes the entire community, and every gift—no matter the size—is so important. Together, WE are Trinity Together.”

If you didn’t get a chance to give during the event, there is still time to have your gift impact the students at Trinity Christian College by giving here.

-Mary (Honey) Mathieu ’27

The Golden Apple Scholars Program collaborates with Trinity Christian College to support education students in becoming effective teachers. This partnership offers a range of opportunities, including mentorship, personal development, and financial assistance. Through this program, students can network with peers and explore ways to use their education for the greater good.

Dr. Michael Dieter, Assistant Professor of Education and Liaison for Trinity’s Golden Apple Scholars Program, is a 2004 Golden Apple Scholar. According to Dieter, being a Scholar has been immensely important to him, as it provided the opportunity to take classes with like-minded individuals dedicated to meeting the needs of all students. The program also allowed him to gain valuable hands-on teaching experience during the summer. This offered him an advantage in education courses and field placements due to the additional experiential learning that participants in the program can engage in.

Dieter enjoys serving as a liaison for the program because he knew from the moment he was selected as a Scholar that he wanted to give back to the organization one day. His hope for students in the Golden Apple Scholars Program at Trinity is that they take full advantage of the resources available to them, as teaching is a challenging profession. However, it is through the power of collaboration that great achievements are possible in both the educational system and the world at large.

Ashley Lopez, a current Golden Apple Scholar, is a sophomore at Trinity, majoring in physical education with a minor in education. She chose to pursue her degree at the College for several reasons, including the favorable teacher-to-student classroom ratio, the supportive residential community, and the campus’s proximity to her home. Lopez aspires to be an educator because she believes that teaching is a vital profession. She understands that educators play an essential role in shaping individuals’ lives and greatly admires the career she is pursuing.

Through the Golden Apple Scholarship Program’s summer teaching experience, Lopez had the chance to apply her beginner teaching skills in a real classroom. She is grateful for this opportunity, as it allowed her to enjoy being in a classroom setting and observe a seasoned professional, gaining valuable insights to incorporate into her future teaching approach. She aims to make a positive impact as an educator and wants others to understand that the Golden Apple Scholars Program makes the dream of becoming a teacher possible by providing financial support to scholarship recipients.

This program is significant because it rigorously prepares participants to become exceptional educators by offering numerous teaching experiences and helping those considering the profession understand both the challenges and rewards that lie ahead. Trinity is proud to partner with the Golden Apple Scholars Program to shape the lives of our students and is grateful for the organization and its incredible impact!

Wesleyan Impact Partners, a national nonprofit and church ministry partner dedicated to promoting the work of spiritual entrepreneurs, proudly announced its 2025 Locke Innovative Leader Award honorees, which include Dr. Aaron Kuecker, President of Trinity Christian College.

The award, named in honor of former Wesleyan Impact Partners President Tom Locke, honors the work of Christian spiritual entrepreneurs who envision new ways to serve their mission field and inspire others to join them. Locke Leaders are recognized for having proven themselves in innovation, living out a deep spiritual faith, and working at the intersection of faith and individual and communal transformation.

Kuecker was recognized for his work at Trinity, which aims to create entrepreneurial solutions within higher education and the communities it impacts. Wesleyan Impact Partners wrote: “Trinity is working to shift its institution – and higher education as a whole – toward an abundant mindset rooted in better connecting and receiving the gifts already present in Chicagoland. This approach to abundance, connection, and mutuality has produced upstream solutions for student loan debt and student wellbeing that have deepened the flourishing of both students and local partners. Among Trinity’s innovations are a 4-day class schedule that provides students a mid-weekday to pursue spiritual, social, academic, and financial wellbeing, and a radically transformed economic model that reduces tuition by 40% while also partnering with local businesses to minimize student loan debt through paid internships and sponsored degrees.”

“Wesleyan Impact Partners and Texas Methodist Foundation have a long history of supporting vital innovation in communities of faith,” said Kuecker. “I have learned so much about Christian leadership and creative innovation from past recipients of this award.”

The award aims to inspire and strengthen the entrepreneurial spirit, fostering more significant innovation throughout the Christian community while celebrating the boldness needed to explore new ideas and embrace lifelong learning. By celebrating these leaders, the award aims to inspire others to pioneer fresh approaches that highlight individuals, strengthen neighborhoods, and advance the mission of the Wesleyan movement.

Tom Locke, the award’s namesake and retired president of the Texas Methodist Foundation, shared insight into the award’s history, stating, “With this award, we hope to shine a bright light on the work being done by nontraditional ministry leaders like Aaron.”  He continued, “The reality is, we have a great respect for the work being done, and while this award recognizes the leaders, it ultimately helps to shine an even brighter light on ministries like Trinity Christian College and support the work being done in their communities.”

Each honoree is a proven innovator with a promising future who has positively impacted the ecosystem by working directly at the intersection of faith and transformation. Through versatile ministry, social entrepreneurship, and collaboration, Locke leaders focus on reaching communities and populations that are often overlooked or under-resourced, guided by a Spirit-led generosity.

“The Locke Innovative Leader Award is all about celebrating and empowering change-makers who embody the call of the Gospel and the spirit of the Wesleyan movement,” said Rev. Lisa Greenwood, president and CEO of Wesleyan Impact Partners. “We are inspired by these Locke Innovative Leaders and are learning from them how to lead the systemic changes needed for human flourishing and thriving communities.”

When asked to reflect on this honor, Kuecker concluded, “This recognition reflects the incredible work of the wider Trinity community. As we have worked together on innovative solutions to student loan debt, student wellbeing, and living as a neighbor committed to the mutual flourishing of our place, Trinity colleagues and students have been key catalysts for change.”

Click here to learn more about how Trinity Christian College is doing college differently.

The 2024-2025 school year began with excitement as the Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) program welcomed a new cohort of students and launched Theta Alpha Omega, a new chapter of Chi Sigma Iota (CSI) at Trinity Christian College. CSI is an academic and professional honor society for counseling. Students were invited to join the chapter in recognition of their exceptional academic achievements and exemplary ethical judgment and behavior. In December, a group of students and alumni were inducted into the honor society, with students Brooke Berry and Jenae Henao serving as president and secretary-treasurer.

Additionally, the Illinois Counseling Association (ICA) campus chapter at Trinity has actively fostered connections among students and alumni while exploring counselor identity and the work of counselors. Trinity’s ICA chapter members presented wellness workshops this past fall at the Palos Heights Library.  The chapter is also working to partner with a local nursing home to offer wellness support to residents and staff.

Furthermore, the CMHC department participated in the 76th annual Illinois Counseling Association conference as volunteers and presenters. Breanna Cordova and Jenae Henao presented a poster on “Enhancing Tomorrow’s Counselors: A Study on the Perceived Benefits of a Wellness Counseling Course.” Brooke Berry and Assistant Professor of Counseling Dr. Crystal Zanders co-facilitated a content presentation titled “Sis, You Good? Conceptualization and Counseling Interventions for the Strong Black Woman.” Both presentations received positive feedback and are being prepared for publication.

This spring, students are completing their internships at sites that include Balance Counseling and Wellness, Davis-Smith Counseling, Grace Integrated, Raquel Ornelas Counseling & Psychotherapy, and Victress Wellness. Students have received outstanding feedback, and many supervisors are extending offers for students to continue working with their organizations after completing their internships. These students are also preparing for their Case Competency exams in early April, where they will present an in-depth clinical case for a client, utilizing evidence-based practices to ensure client growth and wellness.

Lastly, since receiving CACREP accreditation, Trinity Christian College’s CMHC program has been permitted to participate in the National Board of Certified Counselors’ National Counselor Certification exam process. This enables Trinity graduates to take the exam before graduation, providing them a competitive advantage when seeking employment.

The Trinity Christian College Clinical Mental Health Counseling graduate program continues to be dedicated to professional development, scholarship, and service, ensuring the wellness, empowerment, and growth of counseling clients and society.

Click here to learn more about how Trinity Christian College is empowering the counselors of tomorrow.

Trinity Christian College has announced that Tom Homa will become the sixth head coach of the Trinity Women’s Soccer program, beginning this spring.

Homa comes to Trinity having served at the youth and collegiate levels, most recently with US Soccer as an assistant coach and sport scientist with the United States U-20 and U-16 Men’s Youth National Teams. During his time on staff, the U-20 MYNT reached the final of the 2024 CONCACAF U-20 Championship and qualified for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup, while the U-16 MYNT qualified for the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

In the collegiate ranks, Homa spent two seasons at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville as an assistant coach for the women’s team. During his time with the Cougars, SIUE would qualify for two straight NCAA Division I tournaments while winning one Ohio Valley Conference regular season title and back-to-back OVC tournament championships. Prior to his time in Edwardsville, Homa was also an assistant coach with the women’s program at Northwestern and the men’s program at South Florida, reaching another NCAA tournament with the Bulls in 2019. His first collegiate coaching position was as a graduate assistant with the men’s team at Augsburg University, where they made the third NCAA Division III tournament appearance in program history in 2018.

Homa is a graduate of the University of Illinois, where he was a member of the Illini men’s program and team captain, and a student-assistant coach with the women’s program.

Click here to learn more about Trinity Christian College Athletics.

-Dewoun M. Hayes

On February 27, Trinity Christian College joined with campuses across the country and around the world to participate in the Collegiate Day of Prayer, a tradition that unites students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of higher education in a shared time of worship and intercession. The day was marked by moments of deep reflection, heartfelt prayer, and a strong sense of connection to the larger body of Christ.

As described by LyNae Schleyer, Executive Director of Advancement, the heart behind the Collegiate Day of Prayer is rooted in “a humble recognition of great need combined with great faith in Christ,” which naturally leads to united prayer. The purpose of this annual day is to bring together people to pray over college campuses, asking for the Holy Spirit to move in powerful ways among students, faculty, and all who are part of the academic world.

Reflecting on the gathering at Trinity, LyNae shared, “As Trinity staff, faculty, and students gathered on our campus, it was powerful to know that campuses worldwide were alongside us, inviting the Holy Spirit to move throughout every campus to impact students, friends, families, and peers seeking Jesus.”

What made the day even more meaningful was the knowledge that alumni and parents of Trinity students also paused to pray, standing with the campus community in spirit. LyNae emphasized this connection, saying, “It was even more powerful to hear from many alums and parents who took time that day to pray for Trinity and God’s work on our campus. We invite everyone to continue to pray for our college and the students we serve.”

The Trinity community was reminded that although each group gathered in its own place, it was part of something much bigger—an international chorus of prayer rising on behalf of students everywhere.

Mackenzi Huyser ’97, Vice President for Advancement, also reflected on the experience, highlighting the significance of gathering as a community for a shared day of prayer. “What a blessing it was to invite the Trinity community to gather together for a shared day of prayer,” she said. “As a small group of us gathered that morning, it was powerful to think about so many others gathering across the world to pray for students and our institutions. Thank you to all who joined us on this day. God is indeed faithful.”

While the Collegiate Day of Prayer is marked on one day each year, Trinity’s campus community is encouraged to continue in prayer beyond that day — for students to grow in faith, for faculty to lead with wisdom and compassion, and for the entire Trinity family to be a light to the world.

As this year’s gathering showed, prayer unites people across time zones, cultures, and experiences, and Trinity remains committed to being part of this global movement of prayer for students and the future of higher education.

Click here to see why Trinity Christian College is consistently named a Christian College of Distinction.