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After gathering in Trinity’s Ozinga Chapel for prayer and worship each morning, nearly 300 students, leaders, and other participants in Youth Unlimited’s* Chicago Project head to various work sites around Chicagoland to volunteer.
Serving others is at the heart of The Chicago Project, Youth Unlimited’s initiative to dedicate three full days of volunteer work to more than 25 partner organizations near Trinity’s campus, the host site for the project, July 27 through August 1.
Youth Unlimited is a non-denominational, non-profit ministry organization that assists the Church and its many local congregations with their ministry. Student teams are assigned to various work sites and tasks, including:
- Painting the entire interior of Ira F. Aldridge Elementary School in Altgeld Gardens
- Leading crafts and activities for older adults at Providence Health and Rehabilitation
- Helping Lake Katherine develop their Spider Maze
- Trimming trees and removing invasive species with the prairie restoration project at Kickapoo Woods
- Helping with lawn care and home repair for elderly neighbors in Worth with the Neighbors in Needs program
- Volunteering at By the Hand, Roseland Christian Ministries, Restoration Ministries, and the South Chicago YMCA summer youth camps
- Helping repaint the By the Hand Cabrini Green site
- Assisting Grace and Peace Community Church clear five acres of land for a new church building and charter school
- And much more!
Director of Admissions at Trinity, Jeremy Klyn ’02, served as the Trinity liaison. “I loved seeing students serve as the hands and feet of Christ,” said Klyn. “Every year I read college applications in which students talk about their faith being influenced by acts of service. I can’t wait to read some in the coming years that talk about The Chicago Project as a point of growth in their faith.”
I loved seeing students serve as the hands and feet of Christ.
– Jeremy Klyn ’02
All of the volunteer site coordination was arranged by Trinity’s AmeriCorps VISTA / Community Partnership Coordinator Carrie Timmermans ’11.
Welcome back Pastor Zan
For keynote speaker and Trinity alumnus Zantesah (Zan) Ingalls, it was the second visit to campus since his graduation from the College in 1988. The senior pastor of Galilee Missionary Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey, has been involved with Youth Unlimited’s projects since 1993, speaking at various events throughout the country and in Canada. He also serves on the organization’s Board of Directors.
Ingalls, who earned a bachelor’s degree in theology at Trinity, delivered encouraging messages to help students understand the importance of the work they did and how God would make flourish the seeds they planted through service.
“This is awesome,” Ingalls said of being back on campus as part of The Chicago Project where he witnessed participants’ lives changed as well as those they served.
Thanks to the great worship team
Morning and evening worship was led by Trinity alumnus Vinnie Adams ’10 and his team. Adams is the director of the special needs ministry and the campus worship leader at Faith Church in Dyer, Indiana. As a student at Trinity, where he majored in special education, he led the student worship team Outcry.
Vinnie Adams ’10 (lead from acoustic and drums)
Richard Bodden (electric and acoustic)
Anthony Bolkema ’07 (keys)
Katie DeGraff (keys)
Pete Meyer ’07 (bass)
Linelle Muse ’08 (drums)
Eric Rosario (electric)
More about Pastor Zan Ingalls ’88
In addition to pastoring his church, Ingalls is the president of the Congress of Christian Education of the New Hope Association, New Jersey General Baptist Convention. He is the former vice principal of United Academy (a K-8 private grammar school) in Newark and is also a former member of the gospel recording ensemble, Special Edition. He has hosted the weekly radio broadcast, There is Hope Ministry out of Yanceyville, North Carolina. Ingalls received his Bachelor of Arts in Theology at Trinity and his Master of Divinity from Lighthouse Bible College. He and his wife Liane have three children, Zantesah II, Jaazaniah, and Leilani.
* Youth Unlimited is known ThereforeGO as of 2021.
High school juniors experienced college firsthand this month at Trinity.
Eleven students from Noble Network of Charter Schools participated in College Quest, a three-week college immersion program.
In partnership with Right Angle, a program of the Noble Network of Charter Schools, College Quest provides high performing high school students with the tools and strategies needed to be a successful student in high school, college, and beyond as well as the opportunity to earn college credit.
This year, College Quest students enrolled in History 103 or Psychology 123 courses from July 8 to 26. They spent Monday through Friday morning in class. In the afternoon, they attended an academic coaching session that taught them how to be successful college learners.
During their time at Trinity, students resided in Alumni Hall under the guidance of Resident Assistants Lette Huisman ’14 of Hudsonville, Michigan, and Sam Lankah ’13 of Warrenville, IL. The program simulates the daily college experience: the group ate in the Dining Hall, worked out in the fitness center, completed homework in the computer labs, and checked books out of the campus library.
The program also included social and service activities, including evening bonfires, a Chicago Fire soccer game, and volunteering at Feed My Starving Children.
Participating Noble Network of Charter Schools
Chicago Bulls College Prep
Johnson College Prep
Noble Street College Prep
Pritzker College Prep
Rauner College Prep
Rowe Clark Math and Science Academy
To learn more, visit http://rightangle.noblenetwork.org/.
T
rinity Adult Studies Education graduates are among the most qualified teachers in the field, and the College’s excellent reputation with school districts helps graduates secure teaching positions.
Recently, some of our graduates contacted us to let us know about their new teaching placements.
Amy Brown ’12, who earned her elementary license, will be teaching at Seventh Avenue School, where she student taught last fall. Brown was one of 600 candidates for a 4th grade teaching position. “I felt very prepared when I went into student teaching. When I was interviewing, I felt confident with my understanding of common core, since that is a focus of Trinity’s program.”
Jeff Heimer ’11 is nearing the end of his second year as a social studies high school teacher, high school baseball and football coach. “I was added to the football coaching staff at the beginning of what would become an undefeated (14-0) 2012 IHSA Class 6A football championship season. All thanks in large part to the guidance, instruction, and support of the entire Trinity Adult Studies Education department, which greatly helped make my dream of being a high school educator and coach a reality.”
Erin Lara ’12 earned her K-12 license in Spanish and Arabic and also earned her ESL endorsement. “I am excited to lead my own classroom. I knew I had the credentials I needed for the open position and was thrilled to be offered the job.” This fall, she will be teaching Spanish and ESL at Richards High School.
Jose “Jesse” Gonzalez ’13 will be the new 6th grade Spanish teacher at Northbrook Jr. High. “Working with the people in Adult Studies has been a godsend. Once I started the program, it made me feel like I was on a roll, and with their support, I was going to be done before I knew it. Since I started this program, everyone – from Financial Aid, registration, and faculty – has played an important role in the huge change I made in my life.”
Michelle Melendez ’13 will be the art teacher for Oak Lawn District 123 starting in August. She did her student teaching at Covington, one of the three elementary schools in the district, and is replacing her cooperating teacher, who retired. Previously, Melendez worked in the office at Kolmar, another one of the schools in the district. “I’m excited to stay in the district, where I have forged such wonderful relationships,” Melendez said.
Adult Studies faculty and staff are proud of these graduates and wish them success as they teach with excellence!
Adult Studies graduate Dave Kush ’05 of Homewood-Flossmoor High School has won the award of “Star in the Classroom” from the Illinois Council for Economic Education.
Kush credits the students he works with in the Econ Challenge at Homewood-Flossmoor. This year a team of four won 4th place in nationals in New York City.
Homewood-Flossmoor had been a perennial winner of the Econ Challenge for years until 2007. When the teacher who worked with the program was promoted, the group disbanded. Kush came across the old state title trophies and rejuvenated the program. Kush is also a sponsor of the school’s National Honor Society and the Model UN club.
Kush had completed an MBA before earning his teaching license from Trinity and has been able to add multiple endorsements. He brought the right combination of credentials and five years in the classroom to the teaching position at Homewood-Flossmoor. After teaching for five years, he transitioned into an administrative role.
“Trinity’s program did a lot to prepare us for the profession,” says Kush. “The school takes the task of training us to be teachers seriously and the whole atmosphere is focused for success.”
In addition to his administrative role at Homewood-Flossmoor, Kush also teaches at Trinity and Saint Xavier University.
About the award
The Exemplary Teacher Recognition program from the Illinois State Board of Education honors those teachers who have been singled out as being the best in the field of expertise by their respective education organizations. Content area experts are chosen by their peers for their dedication to students and their specific area of expertise. Thirty six educators from throughout Illinois were recognized on June 11 during the Exemplary Teacher Recognition Award Luncheon.
In honor of the TAC Golf Classic’s 27th year, Trinity’s athletics department has set a goal of 27 new golfers participating. To help reach that goal, organizers are offering $50 off the individual registration fee for first-time attendees and for guests who bring a new golfer.
The outing is scheduled for Monday, August 19, at the Calumet Country Club in Homewood, Illinois. Register online by August 5. To take advantage of the special offer, choose the New Attendee Discount or Refer-a-Golfer Discount when registering. Discounts on scholarship sponsorships are also available.
The Trinity Athletic Club Golf Classic plays a vital role in supporting the athletics department. Proceeds from the event are used for student-athlete scholarships. More than 30 student-athletes benefited from TAC scholarships in this past academic year.
For more information, contact Dennis Harms at 708.846.4819 or dennis.harms@trnty.edu.
Thank You!
“If you have never attended, we say ‘welcome.’ And if you are a faithful supporter, we appreciate your ongoing support and encourage you to invite co-workers, business associates, and friends to this year’s outing,” said Bill Schepel ’85, athletics director.
Providence Bank and Ozinga Bros., Inc. are once again sponsoring the Golf Classic. Their generous support has underwritten the cost of the event and allows TAC to apply more funds directly to the athletics scholarships fund.
When Dorothy Rosier ’08 of Lemont, Illinois, was choosing her capstone project for the Adult Studies Business Program, she was going to focus on her current job in corporate marketing. But as she prayed about what to do, she felt the Lord was guiding her in a different direction.
Rosier always had a passion for farming, so she decided to focus her capstone research there.
“Farming has been an interest my whole life,” Rosier said. “The thing with farming is that you don’t just go out and till the fields and hope it grows. It takes planning.”
Following that interest—and her graduation from Trinity—Rosier pursued an associate in applied science degree in horticulture from Joliet Junior College (JJC). In 2010, she participated in the installation of a five-acre teaching arboretum for specialty crop production as part of that education.
When JJC decided to launch a farmer’s market, Rosier was encouraged to apply for the manager’s position because of the combination of her business degree from Trinity and her horticulture education from JJC. She was offered the position, and in May, she welcomed more than 600 customers to the JJC Farmer’s Market grand opening.
The farmer’s market was made possible through the Farmer Market Promotional Program grant, and Rosier works to encourage local farmers, producers, and artisans to sell their goods. The market is also part of the governor’s program “Where Fresh Is.” The goal of the program is to stimulate the economy with $2.4 billion by 4.8 million families in Illinois spending $10 a week on local produce and meats.
“I’ve worked hard to fulfill my Trinity capstone project, and I am so blessed to work with farmers and livestock producers,” Rosier said.
Trinity Christian College hosted representatives from the University of Mkar in Nigeria on Tuesday, June 25, with a goal to establish a partnership with the university as an international sister-school.
The hope is to eventually participate in a student exchange program or a study abroad opportunity that would enrich the lives of students culturally, spiritually, and academically, according to Trinity’s Office of Ethnic Diversity.
Guests from the university included Dr. Emmanuel H. Agba, vice chancellor, Professor Joseph Antyo, and Abe Vreeke. Welcoming them to campus were Dr. Liz Rudenga, provost; Professor Don Woo, dean for ethnic diversity and multicultural programs; Ginny Carpenter, dean of student engagement and international services; Dr. Thomas Roose, associate professor of physics and science education; and Trinity student Alyssa Slinkman ’15 of Orland Park, Illinois.
In addition to the work of exploring a partnership, those involved also enjoyed a time of Christian fellowship and sharing of cultures.
More than 50 alumni and friends of the College raised $9,000 for the Alumni Excellence Scholarship at this year’s Alumni Golf Outing on June 8. The renewable scholarship provides $1,500 awards for children of alumni attending Trinity.
The outing, held at George Dunne National Golf Course in Oak Forest, began with lunch, followed by a shotgun start. The event ended with refreshments and the presentation of the trophy, which is engraved each year with the names of the winning foursome.
This year’s winning foursome included 2009 alumni Jamie Prins, Rich Tameling, Eric VandenBerg, and Ryan Wories.
The College is thankful for the faithful support received from the golf outing sponsors who make it possible for the funds raised by the event to go directly to the Alumni Excellence Scholarship.
Corporate Event Sponsors
Evenhouse & Co.
Homewood Disposal
Kramer & Leonard, Inc.
Media Resources, Inc.
Ozinga Brothers, Inc.
ReNew Paint
Providence Bank
ProviNET Solutions
Individual Event Sponsors
Trinity Alumni Board
Corporate Hole Sponsors
Bert Kamp, CPA
Bettinardi Golf
Clarence Davids & Company
Colonial Chapel
Firebone Brand Consultancy
Interiors for Business, Inc.
LEGACY Insurance Group
Mama Vesuvio’s East Restaurant, Inc.
McGuireWOODS LLP
PolyJohn Enterprises Corporation
Porter’s Apparels
Premium Disposal
Schaaf Window Company, Inc.
Schepel Buick GMC Truck
Service Sanitation
Silva International, Inc.
Stepping Stone Financial
Strack & VanTil Supermarkets
Van Bruggen Signs
Wentworth Tire Service
Individual Hole Sponsors
All God’s Children Orphanage, Pam DeBoer
Ken and Margie Boss
Rick and Sue VanDyken
Kevin and Tammy Walker
Education reform in Illinois was the topic of Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon’s address to more than 100 teachers, teacher educators, and soon-to-be teachers at the Associated Colleges of Illinois (ACI) Summer Institute for Educators held on campus Friday, June 21. The Institute is an extended day of learning that follows year-around Teacher Induction Academies.
Simon was welcomed by and introduced to guests by Trinity Provost Liz Rudenga, Ph.D. “As I read her biography, I realized that she shares many characteristics of educators,” said Rudenga. “Teachers care about the children in the classes. She cares about people, for she was a country prosecutor, fighting crime to create safe communities. Teachers are accountable for the learning environment they establish, for the learning of their students.
“The Lieutenant Governor wants government to be accountable, just as teachers are accountable to set the learning context in the classrooms,” Rudenga said.
The institute also welcomed Dr. Carol Baker, one of the writers for the Next Generation Science Standards. Baker is the director of curriculum for science and music for Community High School District 218 in Oak Lawn, Illinois. For 18 years, she taught all levels of high school physics. She has participated in science competitive professional development experiences such as the Department of Energy Teacher Research Associates and NASA Educational Workshops for Mathematics and Science Teachers.
ACI, of which Trinity is a member, is a network of private, nonprofit, residential colleges and universities that works with business and community leaders to design and implement innovative and collaborative programs.
Teachers can earn a master’s degree in Special Education with LBS I licensure in 1½ years at Trinity for a competitively-priced tuition cost.
Tuition for the entire 36-credit hour program is $14,940 ($415 per credit hour). Discounts are available for Trinity graduates and friends or colleagues who enroll in the program together. Students attend class one night a week, on the same evening throughout the entire program. Some classes are blended with online instruction. Classes begin this August.
The growing need for special education teachers
According to the National Education Association, over the past 10 years the number of U.S. students enrolled in special education programs has risen 30%.
“Teachers can meet the growing demands of districts and earn the qualifications to work with children with special needs,” said Dr. Patti Powell, director of the Special Education Graduate Program.
Pursuing their master’s degree in special education at Trinity led to full-time teaching positions for two current students even before they completed the program.
Daniel Matt of Chicago was recently hired as a teacher by PRIDE Alternative School in Oak Lawn, Illinois. “After spending a few years in the field with my undergraduate degree, I decided that the Graduate Studies program at Trinity was exactly what I needed to advance in my career,” said Matt.
I know that the experiences and information I learned at Trinity directly led to my employment.
Daniel Matt
“As I began the interview process, I found that the professors and the classes greatly prepared me for the questions prospective employers had. I know that the experiences and information I learned at Trinity directly led to my employment.”
Register to attend an information session
Teachers interested in learning about Trinity’s M.A. in Special Education Program are invited to attend an information session on Wednesday, June 26, at 6 p.m. in the Grand Lobby of the Ozinga Chapel. To register, visit http://graduatestudies.trnty.edu or call the Graduate Studies office at 708.239.3900.