Archives: News Stories

Dennis Harms ’89, Trinity’s Associate Vice President for Advancement, has received Prime Officer status from Reeher, in recognition for being a top gift officer. Harms received this honor at the Vista Executive Conference last week.

According to Reeher, this award recognizes the top gift officers in its community, as a result of analyzing the activities in fiscal year 2018 of over 1,650 gift officers on its platform. Reeher builds data-driven software designed to enable higher education advancement teams.

At Trinity, Harms plans, organizes, and leads the College’s major gifts program and establishes relationships between Trinity and area businesses.

Congratulations on this well-deserved honor!

The Trinity community today mourns the passing of philanthropist and businessman Richard M. DeVos, who entered into glory on Thursday, Sept. 6, in Ada, Mich.

“During his 92 years, Rich was not only an extraordinarily successful businessman. He was also a Christian who always lived by his strong ideals of generosity and faith,” said President Kurt D. Dykstra, J.D. “Those of us at Trinity know that spirit of giving here, as have many others around the world who have benefited from the leadership, values, and kindness of Rich and his late wife, Helen. We extend our condolences to the DeVos family, even as we take comfort knowing that Rich has gone to his eternal reward in Heaven.”

Trinity’s DeVos Athletics and Recreation Center, which was dedicated in 2013, was named in honor of Rich and Helen. The DeVos family continued to be faithful supporters of the College throughout the years, and Rich visited campus several times as part of Trinity Business Network and Christians for the Advancement of Business Leadership in Education (CABLE) events.

DeVos was a co- founder of Amway and owner of the Orlando Magic NBA team. A World War II veteran, DeVos also served as director of the Board of Home Ministries of the Christian Reformed Church.

He is survived by his children and their spouses Dick and Betsy, Dan and Pamella, Cheri, and Doug and Maria; grandchildren and their spouses Rick and Melissa, Elissa and Nate, Andrea and Michael, Ryan, Cassandra and Heath, Sydney and Andrew, Cole, Hannah, Katie, Ben, Jessa, Addie, Dalton, Micaela and Jordan, Monreau, and Olivia; and great-grandchildren Clara, Sloane, Remington, Richard, Wilhelmina, Aurelia, Taggart, and Riven. He is also survived by two sisters, Bernice Heys and Janice (Bob) Courts.

Trinity is pleased to announce that several members of our community have been named to the board of foreverU, a youth empowerment organization founded by alumnus Ryan Hesslau ’18.

Recently announced board members include:

–Rick Hamilton: retired Professor of Business

–Christian Perry ‘16: Founder, Speaker & Youth Empowerment Coordinator at Grind Grately.

–Rick Riddering: Vice President of Enrollment at Trinity, Owner & Consultant at NorthStar360 LLC.

–Kendra Zantingh: Internship Specialist & Professor of Human Resources at Trinity

“I’m thrilled to have these individuals join me as we take our mission to a new level,” said Hesslau. “Thank you to those of you who’ve believed in me since 2012, and for believing in our mission of ensuring no youth walk through life alone. It’s time to dream bigger.”

foreverU is a 501(c)(3) youth empowerment organization that exists to ensure no youth walk through life alone by offering empowerment camps, retreats, and programs to students from all walks of life. At the core of our mission, we are simply helping youth find their place in the world by equipping them to live a life of impact and influence – no matter what battle they are up against. For more about foreverU, visit the organization’s website.

As programming and communications manager at Art on Sedgwick, Hannah Dykstra ’17 said she has found a career that works “perfectly” with her double majors of art education and graphic design. She credits Professor of Art & Design John Bakker, a member of the governing board of the art center in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood, with helping her first learn about Art on Sedgwick.

And this summer, she and Bakker had the opportunity to teach a class together at Art on Sedgwick. The class was funded through Chicago’s After School Matters program, which is a non-profit organization that provides Chicago public high school teens with opportunities to explore and develop their talents. “Our program’s purpose was creating energy around the ways Old Town supports all of its residents, businesses, and schools through public artwork,” Dykstra said. “It also gave the students a sort of apprenticeship to live as a working artist and introduced them to a variety of ways that art could change people’s ideas about a place.”

The class focused on figure drawings. According to Bakker, the theme of the class meshed with Art on Sedgwick’s mission, which uses art as a catalyst to bring diverse communities together. “We worked to soften the economic, racial and age divides across the Old Town community,” said Bakker, whose work focuses on portraits. “It culminated in high school students doing dry erase marker drawings of Old Town business people on their shop windows. Of course, the students had to speak with the business people regarding the project; allowing the business people to get to know the students. Perhaps they might even think about hiring some of them!”

The course also drew a diverse group of about 15-20 students. “The students/artists-in-training were mostly from the Old Town community,” said Dykstra. “More than half were from Marshall Field Garden Apartments, the affordable housing apartment building where Art on Sedgwick rents their storefront. The other half were from all over Chicago.”

Dykstra first learned of  Art on Sedgwick while finishing up her graphic design degree. “Prof. Bakker mentioned that Art on Sedgwick was in need of teaching artists. He gave my contact information to Charlie Branda, the founder and executive director, and she hired me to teach a class back in 2016.” After graduating, Dykstra was offered her current position. “I enjoy the variety of work I do, and I’m able to use my skills as an artist as well as designer and teacher,” she said.

When Trinity’s nursing students receive their degrees, they are prepared for a world that needs them. Once again, Trinity alums continued their perfect first-time pass rate on the NCLEX-RN exam. This success represents the third time in four years that the College is celebrating a 100% pass rate.

“The nursing faculty at Trinity strive to help prepare students to be outstanding hands-on nurses, but recognize for that to happen graduates must first pass the NCLEX examination for licensure,” said Nursing Department Chair Tina Decker, D.N.P. “With this exam being so important, the department strategically designs content review and testing preparation throughout the curriculum so that when students graduate we can confidently say, ‘You are ready!’

“We are so proud that all of the hard work of the students and faculty from 2018 has resulted in the best possible outcome of 100% of the graduates passing the NCLEX on their first attempt, and a wonderful new batch of BSN-prepared RNs can go out into the world to give top-notch patient care,” she said.

The exams are administered by NCSBN, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, through which boards of nursing act and counsel together to provide regulatory excellence for public health, safety, and welfare. The exam is taken after the student graduates from a bachelor’s degree-granting nursing program.

Trinity’s nursing program, which is ranked the top BSN program in Illinois by RegisteredNursing.org, is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Click here to learn more about Trinity’s nursing program.

Tim Lowly: August 27 to September 27, 2018 in the Seerveld Gallery
Thursday, September 27, Lecture: 6:00 p.m. ARCC DeWitt Lobby
Closing Reception: 7:00 p.m., Seerveld Gallery, ARCC

Chicago artist, musician, and teacher Tim Lowly’s work is currently being featured at the Seerveld Gallery in the Art & Communication Center through Sept. 27.

Lowly integrates painting, drawing, installation, digital media, and music in his art. His work blends realism and quiet spirituality, and his creative efforts have earned him a reputation an accomplished artist over the last 30 years.

Lowly shows a variety of subjects in this gallery show, “re: Rainbow Girl.” Several will focus on his daughter Temma, who has a clinical diagnosis of “multiple impairment” or “spastic quadriplegia.” Lowly’s work has been deeply impacted by his daughter. “Part of my fairly political agenda is to say that disabled children are part of life,” he said. “These are not freaks. What I’m saying is that we should advocate for eyes of compassion that see human beings as human beings, rather than separating them into beautiful, the ugly, the normal, the freak.”

He often works in egg tempera, an exacting medium that involves mixing egg yolk to create paint color. The process dates to the Renaissance.

Lowly has shown his work throughout the country, and we are thrilled to welcome him to Trinity.

Lowly was born in Hendersonville, N.C., in 1958. The son of medical missionaries, he spent several years growing up in South Korea. He received his BFA degree from Calvin College in 1981. He, his wife Sherrie and daughter Temma live in Chicago. Lowly is a professor at North Park University, where he teaches, serves as gallery director and artist-in-residence. He is represented by Koplin Del Rio Gallery, Seattle. Click here to learn more about Lowly and his work.

During their time at Trinity, Evan Witmer ’18 and Tony Dykstra ’18 didn’t become just roommates–they are also collaborating on a crypto-currency based app called .HIVE that rewards users for hanging out at their favorite spots.

And they are working to roll out the app soon, with beta-testing to begin on Trinity’s campus this fall.

Witmer and Dykstra recently spoke with “Blockchain News” about their interest in bitcoin, the mentorship of Assistant Professor of Business Omar Sweiss, and how Trinity’s university partnership with tech incubator 1871 in downtown Chicago has allowed them to launch their careers as entrepreneurs. Read the entire article here.

The world needs nurses. And the Trinity community not only prepares students to become nurses, but helps them find jobs after graduating! That was the situation for Rachel Kuipers ’18. Here’s her story:

Throughout nursing school, people have always told us as students that, “There are so many job openings for nursing,” and “You will have no problem finding a job.” While these statements can be true, I found that it is difficult to get in at a hospital or even get an interview if you do not have connections.

After doing my capstone/clinical Internship at Northwestern Memorial Hospital on an Intensive Care Unit, I knew that critical care was the area and environment that I wanted to work in. It was a grueling process of searching, finding job postings that interested me, applying, and then getting denied for unknown reasons. I had been searching and applying for jobs around the West Michigan area, where I am originally from, for a few months and was not having any results.

I finally thought to try and reach out to Amy Nagelkirk ’92, President of the Trinity Alumni Nursing Association (TANA). TANA had hosted a few events throughout the years that I had attended. So I figured, what harm could come from reaching out to see if there were any Trinity alumni in the critical care field who would have information regarding their floors? When I first messaged Amy on Facebook, I thought it was going to be a long shot. At that point, I was mostly looking for advice and thoughts on what I should do.

But Amy was more than happy to help out. She looked for openings and networked with Trinity alumni to see what was available! After messaging back and forth a couple of times, she mentioned that she had found an alumni who was working at Blodgett Hospital in Grand Rapids, Mich., on its Adult Critical Care unit. Amy provided me with an email address for Alissa Stuive ’99, and I was able to reach out to her. Through Alissa, I was able to get in contact with the nurse manager on her floor, and from there was given the opportunity to interview for a position. I am very excited to say that I am now employed as a nurse on the Adult Critical Care unit at Blodgett Hospital!

I am so blessed by Amy and Alissa and their willingness to help me and encourage me throughout this whole process. TANA has been a great outlet for networking and truly is a great resource and association for not only graduating nursing students and those still in the program, but also for alumni who are wanting to network with each other even after graduating.

According to Nagelkirk, “Networking among nurses is a valuable tool in helping new graduates, alumni who are looking to reenter the workforce, and those looking to make a career change. The Trinity Alumni Nursing Association is working on updating its database to increase opportunities to meet the needs of its nursing alumni. Let us know where you are working and if you would be willing to recruit and network with other Trinity nurses. Send your information to the alumni office at alumni@trnty.edu. Trinity’s nursing program is ranked as the number one BSN program in the State of Illinois. You can be sure that recruiting a Trinity nurse to your workplace will bring quality care.”

Embrace the idea of yes. That is the advice of Associate Professor of Biology Clay Carlson, Ph.D., Trinity’s 2018-19 Professor of the Year, during the 60^th Annual Convocation on Aug. 22. “Strange things happen when you say yes,” said Carlson, recounting the times that being open to new opportunities has changed his career and life. “It may be the Holy Spirit blessing you, so you may bless others.”

As part of Trinity’s long-standing tradition, Carlson gave the Convocation Address as Professor of the Year. He spoke about his experiences as a first-generation college student, where he arrived on campus with an acoustic guitar, a hacky sack, and not much of an academic plan. “It was the ‘90s,” he joked to the crowd of students, faculty, and staff who gathered in Ozinga Chapel Auditorium. Carlson also spoke about how a willingness to take an internship that involved setting up lab equipment ultimately led to his first full-time job. In grad school, a casual agreement to monitor a middle school bounce house for an afternoon set the stage for years of deeply fulfilling youth ministry involvement. While at Trinity, an unsolicited request to write an article about climate change ultimately changed the course of his career. “Say yes,” he repeatedly urged.

Convocation began with the processional by faculty and staff, and a welcome by President Kurt D. Dykstra, J.D. “This gathering is an annual tradition, to be sure,” he said. “In this, we have been gathering like this for 60 years. That is no small thing. In previous convocations were Trinity people who now occupy the highest positions of power and influence for God, for good, and for the world: parents and pastors, doctors and lawyers, business executives and non-profit executive directors, artists and scientists, professors and college administrators. All of them sat, figuratively, where we sit.”

Michaela Kohlmeier ’20 Campus Ministry Prayer Leader, offered the prayer of invocation. Craig Mattson, Ph.D., Professor of Communication Arts, and Leah Wideman ’21, 2017 Founder’s Scholar and Honors Program member, led the litany. Provost Aaron Kuecker, Ph.D., introduced Carlson.

Professor of English Karen Dieleman, Ph.D.; Director of First Year Experience Emily Bosscher; and Student Association President Bailie Fredlock ’20, gave the prayers of thanksgiving and petition after Carlson’s address. Pastor Bill Van Groningen, Ph.D., gave the closing remarks and benediction.

Music throughout the service was provided by Instructor of Music Minkyoo Shin, D.M., Professor of Music Mark Peters, Ph.D., and Trinity’s worship team.

After Convocation, the Trinity community gathered for fellowship and refreshments in the Grand Lobby before embarking on the new school year.

A self-described caretaker of four rescue animals, Prof. Cini Bretzlaff-Holstein, DSW, associate professor of social work and department chair, spent part of her summer at St. Stephen’s House at the University of Oxford, where she attended the Fifth Annual Oxford Animal Ethics Summer School.

The theme for this year’s program, which was held from July 22-25, was “Animal Ethics and Law: Creating Positive Change for Animals.”

“It was a wonderful experience,” said Bretzlaff-Holstein, whose scholarly interests pertain to social work education and humane education. “I study the interconnection between human rights, environmental preservation, and animal protection, as well as the human-animal bond. My doctoral dissertation made the case for humane education in social work education.”

The Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics was founded in 2006 and pioneers ethical perspectives on animals through academic research, teaching, and publication. This year’s program is part of an acknowledged that animal law has now become a recognized academic subject in its own right alongside animal ethics, according to the centre. The sessions at this year’s summer school explored philosophical and religious ethics, historical, anthropological, scientific, psychological, and sociological perspectives.