Archives: News Stories

Two new students have been named recipients of the prestigious Trinity Christian College Founders’ Scholarship. Aletta Huisman of Hudsonville, Michigan, and Jacob Maatman of Lynwood, Illinois, both expressed excitement and gratitude upon receiving the news from their Trinity admissions counselor Dilaun White ’09.

Founders’ scholarships are renewable full-tuition awards given to two incoming freshmen. Applicants must rank in the top five percent of their graduating class or achieve a 3.8 grade-point average; score a minimum of 30 on the ACT or 1320 on the SAT; exhibit leadership in their church, school or community; and display evidence of personal faith in Jesus Christ.

Huisman, who is a senior at Unity Christian High School and plans to major in biology at Trinity, said that after spending Founders’ Weekend with the 31 other candidates, she realized the committee’s decision would be a difficult one to make given the caliber of students being considered. She is the daughter of Bob ’87 and Lisa ’86 Huisman and attends Immanuel Christian Reformed Church in Hudsonville, Michigan, where her father serves as pastor.

Maatman is a senior at Heritage Christian School and will major in mathematics. He is the son of Troy and Rebecca ’86 Maatman and attends South Holland Protestant Reformed Church. White, along with Pete Hamstra, vice president for admissions and marketing, and Jeremy Klyn ’02, director of admissions, arrived at Heritage to make the announcement to a very surprised Maatman, and his mother who teaches Kindergarten at the school.

Responding quickly to the news of the devastating earthquake in Haiti in January, student, staff, and faculty leaders met with President Steve Timmermans to figure out a way to help. Out of that meeting came plans for the Haitian Relief Benefit Concert featuring the a cappella group Supremacy 4 on February 5.

Nearly 300 people attended and enjoyed the featured group in addition to Trinity’s Gospel Choir, Outcry, and Sisters in Unity. Proceeds totaling nearly $8,000 from the concert, as well as other on- campus fundraisers, have been divided between four organizations: the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC); Elim Christian School, in Palos Heights, Illinois, where students assembled Hope Packs for Haiti, filled with food and supplies; Mission of Hope Haiti; and Vision of Hope Ministries. Representatives from each organization were present to provide information after the concert.

Liz Metcalfe ’83, head women’s basketball coach at Trinity, taught for three years in Port-au-Prince at the Quisqueya Christian School, which suffered no damage during the earthquake but has become an oasis in the devastation. Metcalfe shared news from the school with the audience.

According to reports, the chapel is being used as a hospital/surgical room; the Pre-K/Kindergarten area is occupied by children from a local orphanage that was destroyed by the quake; and the soccer field has become a temporary tent city for staff and national workers. The basketball court, where Metcalfe coached her first basketball game 27 years ago, serves as a trauma center and a place for the distribution of food and water.

On January 23, in home conference basketball contests against Trinity International University, the Trolls raised $1,400 through ticket and concession proceeds, t-shirt sales by the volleyball team, and donation collection. The money was combined with the other fundraising efforts on campus.

Dr. Mackenzi Huyser ’98, professor and chair of Trinity’s social work department, and alumna Laura Zumdahl ’02, are the recent recipients of awards relevant to their fields.

The fellow alumni and former co-workers at Trinity have also been collaborating on a project that will give Huyser’s students experiential learning. At the same time, the project will provide Zumdahl, associate executive director of Cabrini Green Legal Aid (CGLA), with valuable information she can use to better serve clients.

Sociology and social work majors at Trinity who are taking a course in research will work in small groups assigned to a program area at CGLA. These areas include family law, housing law, criminal defense, criminal records, and the volunteer program. Students will research the professional literature in their program area, propose a methodology to conduct further research, analyze data collected by CGLA, and prepare a final report to present to agency representatives.

“It is my hope that the project will not only allow students hands-on experience in the research process but assist CGLA in their goals and reinforce the importance of research in our professional work,” said Huyser.

Dr. Mackenzi Huyser ’98
Dr. Mackenzi Huyser has received the National Association of Social Workers’ Illinois Emerging Leader Award for demonstrating exemplary leadership, expertise, and dedication to the profession in Illinois.

In 2000, Huyser was asked to lead Trinity’s effort to develop an accredited social work program, which received accreditation in 2005 and was reaffirmed in 2009 by the Council on Social Work in Education. Huyser has served as the department chair since its inception.

Huyser is seeing continued growth in the program and said, “Because our program prepares students for community-centered generalist practice we expect that they will have the opportunity to serve many different populations and in many different settings. A student who graduates from Trinity’s BSW program is a well-prepared and competent practitioner.”   

Laura Zumdahl ’02
Alumna Laura Zumdahl was named a Chicago Community Trust Emerging Fellow for 2010 and received nearly $30,000 to fund her professional development plan studying innovation and design thinking in nonprofit organizations.

In 2005, Zumdahl returned to Trinity to serve as the social work department’s project coordinator. She left in 2007 to accept her current position as associate executive director of Cabrini Green Legal Aid, which provides free legal services to over 5,000 low income residents of Chicago each year. She will be completing her doctoral work this spring.

“My time at Trinity provided a comprehensive education but also challenged me to integrate my faith into my vocation,” said Zumdahl. “It was through that experience that I found how much I loved the profession of social work and working in nonprofit organizations. That discovery shaped my calling and career.”

Matthew 25 lists the only criterion in the final judgment as whether or not you gave yourself away to those who needed you. The Restoration Ministries Interim uses this passage as the foundation for its work. Students on this interim spent two weeks in January living at the Tabitha and Harvey houses in Harvey, Illinois.

Acting on a Christian call to service, students work with recovering drug and alcohol addicts in the homes. They spend time in prayer and devotions with the residents each morning, work in the thrift store, visit elderly people in the community, and work with an after-school program for neighborhood children.

“There wasn’t a minute that they weren’t serving,” said Dr. Mary Lynn Colosimo, associate professor of psychology, who has been leading the interim for over 10 years and working with Restoration Ministries for 25 years.

Living in the houses gave students the ability to build relationships with the residents. For Colosimo it is exciting to watch as the lives of residents and students begin to change.

Syerra Niday ’13 of Corydon, Iowa, described the experience as amazing. “Their testimonies are incredible,” she said.

The relationships formed during the two weeks are “forever relationships,” Colosimo said. The bonds are unforgettable and make possible a better understanding of each student’s call to serve.

“I now have a deeper passion for service. This is only possible through God’s grace,” Niday said, reflecting on the experience.

This opportunity pushes students to step out of their comfort zones and build and honor the lives of the residents at Restoration Ministries. Colosimo encourages her students in this with a saying: “Jesus came to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.”

Thirty-two top high school students were finalists for this year’s Founders’ Scholarship. Students and their parents attended a banquet in the Grand Lobby of the Ozinga Chapel on Thursday, February 4, with a variety of activities planned throughout the weekend.

The 2010 Founders’ Scholarship recipients will be announced soon.
The award provides a renewable full-tuition scholarship for two incoming freshmen who have demonstrated consistently high academic achievement and who will perpetuate the mission of Trinity Christian College in thought, word, and deed.

Applicants for the Founders’ Scholarship must rank in the top five percent of their graduating class or achieve a 3.8 grade-point average; score a minimum of 30 on the ACT or 1320 on the SAT; exhibit leadership in their church, school, or community; and display evidence of personal faith in Jesus Christ.

Scholarship candidates spent time off campus having dinner at the Chicago Semester location and enjoying late-night bowling. On campus, students were immersed in life at Trinity, worshipping, dining, and rooming with current Trinity students.  Candidates also participated in a service project at the Children’s Hunger Fund, one of Trinity’s many service opportunities.

What makes a good story?

According to professional storyteller Dan Keding, a good story teaches you to respond to an emotion and causes you to think.

On Tuesday, February 2, Trinity students and faculty gathered to listen as Keding brought life, excitement, and emotion to his stories.

Sharing stories of his childhood, family, other cultures, and folktales from past generations, he kept the audience engaged. Keding’s subtle humor, emotion, and energy propel his stories and touch his audience members.

“He kept our attention from beginning to end,” said Leah Branderhorst ’11, of Holland, Michigan, “and as a future teacher I learned a lot of valuable tips on storytelling.”

With our stories we make an impression, Keding said, they’re pervasive. A story can teach you about a person’s values, their beliefs, or their culture. “Storytelling is in the threads of our life,” Keding said. We constantly tell our story to those around us, at home, in a classroom, or at work.

Keding’s second visit to Trinity, which included an afternoon workshop and evening performance, was sponsored by the Cultural Affairs Committee.

More than 100 alumni met on campus on January 30 for the first annual Dinner and Hoops. Thirteen alumni teams squared off in the morning’s 3-on-3 basketball tournament, while others cheered on the Trolls in an afternoon double header against Cardinal Stritch University and ended the day with dinner at Sam MacGuire’s in Orland Park.

This event replaces the alumni sports weekend held in the fall and still gives alumni a chance to get together during the winter season now that Homecoming officially has been moved to October.

“It was great to see so many alumni on campus,” said Travis Bandstra ’06, director of alumni relations. “The turnout at all three events was great, and the atmosphere at the double header was electric. We hope this will become a new winter tradition for Trinity alumni.”

For the 3-on-3 tournament, alumni played in two divisions—recreational (5 teams) and advanced (8 teams). This was the biggest turnout ever for this tournament, according to Bandstra. It was also the first time an all-women’s team won the recreational division.

“It was exciting to compete again, see some familiar faces, and recall the good old days at Trinity,” said Barbie Heerdt ’06, a member of the winning team in the recreational division. “Being back on campus reminded me of how much I enjoyed my years at Trinity.”

AdvancedWinning teams and their players included:

Advanced Division Winners
Kurt Gruppen ’09
Bryon Ritzema ’97
Ross Stuursma ’09
Peter Zigterman ’08

Recreational Division Winners
Janet Bruinsma ’06
Kara Bruxvoort ’03
Barbie Heerdt ’06
Jessica Hoekstra ’06

The men’s and women’s soccer teams spent Interim 2010 on their annual mission trip in Costa Rica, working with the Christian organization Score International. Partnering with local missionaries from the Score International team, they competed against local Costa Rican teams and ran soccer clinics for children from orphanages and low-income neighborhoods.

The teams each played five games in five days, and after each game, players shared their faith and personal testimonies with members of competing teams. The real blessing, according to many Trinity players, was how receptive the Costa Rican teams were to their message.

“The players from the other teams were very accepting of what we had to say, and I really appreciated how respectful they were when we shared the Gospel,” said Tom Clason ’11 of Somonauk, Illinois.

“We were blessed to see many players from the other teams come to know Christ and find their salvation in him,” said Brady Davidson ’11 of Shawnee, Kansas. His head coach, Jose Dominguez ’02, added, “At least two players from each team we played against each day accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior.”

The clinics for the children gave the Trinity teams a chance to witness and show Christ’s love to children in impoverished areas. Despite the language barrier and the fact that many of the children didn’t have shoes to wear, they were always smiling and happy, Coach Dominguez recalled.

“It was so great to be there for these children and give them the love and attention they need through soccer,” said Anna Gesch ’12 of Cedar Grove, Wisconsin, a member of the women’s soccer team.

The trip was also provided an opportunity for the players and coaches to learn more about each other and themselves. They spent time in daily devotions and experienced God while using their gifts and skills on the field to reach out to others.

“The cool truth is that we were able to make a difference, because we were able to support the people who are ministering to those communities 365 days a year,” said Davidson. “We helped by living out through example what they talk about and share with people every day.”

Melissa J. Voss ’11 of Orland Park, Illinois, said she was shocked when she received a call from Pete Hamstra, vice president for admissions and marketing, about an unexpected opportunity. Said Voss, “I was hoping for something new this year!”

The opportunity? Voss has been chosen to serve as a youth board member of the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, the relief and development arm of the Christian Reformed Church.

Voss is one of two students nominated by their schools and selected to represent their respective colleges.  As a newly elected board member, Voss will be attending the annual CRWRC conference in February in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

“The main goal for youth members is to be ‘the eyes and ears’ for CRWRC on the college campus,” said Voss. “We will identify ways in which students are most excited to work and reach out to those in need. CRWRC wants to increase the support from the younger generation and is looking for new ideas and ways that will promote this.”

Voss plans to work with Trinity committees and organizations to explore ideas for partnering with CRWRC, which could provide students with even more opportunities to serve others.

“While promoting CRWRC opportunities, it will be interesting to learn where I can help personally,” said Voss.

Voss is a double major in special education and elementary education as well as a member of the track and field team. Her sisters Michelle L. ’10 and Allison ’12 also attend Trinity.

When Dr. Tom Roose, associate professor of physics and science education, finishes his week in the classroom with college students, he welcomes high school freshmen to take the vacated seats on the weekend.

One Saturday each month, through the College Readiness program sponsored by the Associated Colleges of Illinois (ACI), Roose teaches science on Trinity’s campus to under-served high school students from Chicago.

As an ACI member institution, Trinity provides students with “learning laboratories” held throughout the academic year. During these monthly Saturday seminars, students build academic and personal skills and acquire real-world campus experience.

Roose relishes the opportunity to enlighten young minds. He developed curriculum and taught math and science courses at Chicago Christian High School in Palos Heights, Illinois, for 6 years. He also developed the curriculum theme and wrote the science curriculum for the Summer Enrichment for Academics in Mathematics and Science program at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora, Illinois (2005-2008). In addition to his Ph.D. from Stanford University, this scientist and author has 21 years of industry work experience in various environmental, research, and scientific settings.

“Creating interest and nurturing aptitude in mathematics and science in our youth is vital to developing people that can undercover new fundamental knowledge and create new technology to improve the quality of life for all,” he said.

Because most of the students live and attend school in the city, they especially enjoy the chance to gather samples along the Trinity Trail and Navajo Creek as they study ecology with Roose. After completing their unit on ecology, they will study Newton’s Laws.

Roose recently met with one of the students in an extra session to help him conduct an experiment for a high school project. Eduardo Paz of Little Village Lawndale High School compared the turbidity (measure of solids in the water) of samples from Lake Michigan, Navajo Creek, and a public drinking fountain. Paz notified Roose that he won first place at Lawndale’s science fair and placed 20th out of 84 in the area competition. For Roose, this is a testament to the importance of the ACI program and its partnership with Trinity.

Read more about Dr. Tom Roose, visit Meet the Faculty and view his profile.