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Trinity’s own Cathy Mayer, Director of the Jennie Huizenga Memorial Library, has been appointed to the board of directors of CARLI, the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois. Mayer began her one-year term on July 1.

CARLI includes 134 member libraries across the state that are committed to meeting the information and research needs of 900,000 students and thousands of faculty and staff. CARLI’s mission is to lead Illinois academic libraries to create and sustain a rich, supportive, and diverse knowledge environment that furthers teaching, learning, and research through the sharing of collections, expertise, and programs.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by my peers and asked to serve,” said Mayer. “I’m really excited to join the board.”

As one of 12 voting board members, Mayer will attend four meetings at CARLI headquarters in Champaign, Ill., participate in working groups, and help advise on the strategic direction of the organization.

Mayer believes she is the first representative from Trinity to serve on CARLI’s board, which includes appointed and elected representatives from public universities; private colleges, universities, and research libraries; and public community colleges.

Trinity’s size and close-knit community offer extraordinary opportunities to gain hands-on experience and develop close working relationships with fellow students and professors. The Maurice Vander Velde Junior Scholarship Award represents one of the most unique opportunities available to Trinity students.

The scholarship supports outstanding junior or senior students in collaborative research with a Trinity professor in their chosen disciplines. Serving as a colleague, not as a paid assistant, each Junior Scholar is expected to produce a scholarly product for publication at an appropriate level.

Trinity congratulates the 2017-18 Junior Scholars:

• Josiah Rosario ’18, with Dr. Kara Wolff and Dr. Jessica Clevering: “Belonging, Religious Commitment, and Ethnicity: A Quantitative Study on the Relationship between Ethnicity, Belonging, and Religious Commitment for Students of Color at Predominantly White Institutions”
• Addison Van Weelden ’18 & Jacey Dolence ’18, with Dr. Bob Boomsma: “Urban Waterways: The Effect of Water Collected From Local Waterways on Zebrafish Development”
• Leah Smit ’19 & Matthew Nolan ’18, with Dr. Sharon Robbert and Dr. Jeff Nyhoff: “Enhancing Common Freeware to Support Assessment Data Collection and Analysis”
• Matthew Koerner ’19, with Dr. Yudha Thianto: “History of Psalm Singing”
• Molly Hofman ’18, with Dr. Bill Boerman-Cornell: “Scythes and Schizophrenia: Moral Conflict in Neal Shusterman’s Writing”
• Morgan De Ruiter ’18, with Dr. Clay Carlson: “Urban Waterways: Resistance Mechanisms and Population Diversity of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria”

Among other criteria, applicants for the Vander Velde Junior Scholar program are evaluated on their awareness of the project’s relevance, context, and background and whether their projects are ambitious but realistically achievable. They must also demonstrate strong and articulate faculty support.

Student and faculty recipients of the Vander Velde award will be invited to present their work at the Trinity Scholars Dinner in the spring semester.

The dean’s list is Trinity Christian College’s highest academic honor. Congratulations to all our traditional undergraduate and adult studies students who met this distinction for the Spring 2017 semester.

Traditional undergraduate students who attend Trinity full-time and earned a 3.5 grade point average earn this honor:

Melanie Adams
Benjamin Andringa
Samantha Andringa
Christine Arcos
Graciela Armstrong
Celeste Ayala
Katelyn Baker
Ryan Bakke
Amy Ballance
Amber Ballast
Emily Balmes
Erica Barragan
Alyssa Bava
Calandra Beezhold
Stefano Belmonte
Melanie Belstra
Matthew Berardi
Gregory Billo
Sara Blauw
Mallory Blink
Megan Blok
Cole Boender
Karlyn Boens
Sarah Boeringa
Jacob Boglio
Daniela Boline
Elizabeth Boss
Heather Boss
Luke Boss
Mallory Boyce
Cassandra Boyd
Claire Boyd
Victoria Brady
Hannah Bresser
Benjamin Brinks
Heather Brinks
Ryan Brouwer
Larissa Brumlow
Danielle Brummel
Gabrielle Bryant
Monika Bryja
Marissa Buhman
Victoria Burden
Samantha Burgess
Lacey Burie
Sarah Bushrow
Cassidy Buss
Dylan Busscher
Michelle Busscher
Meaghan Cady
Geena Calomino
Jocelyne Candelas
Juliana Carrilho Santana
Abi Castro
Brenna Cesmat
Elisabeth Childers
Yeonji Choi
Sierra Christopher
Alexander Clark
Lauren Colbert
Joshua Coldagelli
Lucky Collins
Nicholas Costa
Sophia Courey
Michelle Covarrubias
Courtney Cramer
Adalys Crespo
Michael Cullinan
Alexis Cupples
Monica Czajkowski
Bethany Dadisman
Matthew Dail
Emma Darcy
Anna DeBlecourt
Aaron Deboer
Alison DeBoer
Timothy Decker
Krystal DeFrank
Alivia DeHaan
Kacie DeKleine
Samuel DeKryger
RicaDianne Del Rosario
Gabriel De Melo Soler
Jacob DeRuiter
Morgan De Ruiter
Laura Devries
Rebecca Lynn DeVries
Kayla Diemer
Andrea Dinuzzo
Jacey Dolence
Taylor Dombrowski
Alyssa Doot
Vincent Doro
Danielle Dougherty
Lindsey Dykema
Anthony Dykstra
Brittany Dykstra
Lydia Dykstra
Scott Ebbeling
Brittan Edwards
Spencer Ellison
Nicholas Engel
Arika Engelsma
Alicia Enz
Indira Escalante
Hope Fathman
Nicole Faulkner
Gabriel Fennema
Zachariah Fitch
Kari Folkertsma
Jacob Fondrk
Thomas Foote
Kyler Ford
Tyler Fortier
Kelsie Foster
Jocelyn Foust
Emily Frank
Tyler Frederiksen
Deborah Fry
Grace Furlong
Reagan Furlow
Amanda Garcia
Nari Garrett
Allison Gartman
Christopher Gartman
Michelle Gawlak
Kaitlyn Gehrke
Stephen Gerena
Hannah Gergets
Hailey Ghiglia
Jordan Ghiglia
Sarah Gillespie
Megan Gjertsen
Alison Goshgarian
Nicole Graham
Emily Grigoletti
Callie Groenhof
Jessica Gross
Brittany Grzeslo
Brittany Guiliani
Sarah Gunneman
Aaron Haan
Matthew Hall
Lorelle Hallenbeck
Denise Hallstrom
Nina Hamilton
Jamie Harcar
Alyssa Harms
Carleigh Haverdink
Brooke Helder
Kailey Heppner
Daniel Herman
Samuel Herzog
Elijah Heyboer
Maria Heynen
Laurel Hibbard
Brittany Hoekman
Annalee Hoekstra
Courtney Hoekwater
Lydia Hoerr
Molly Hofman
Travis Holcombe
Daniel Holowicki
Kerry Hopp
Cara Horstman
Dustin Huckstep
Casey Huisenga
Mary Huisenga
Jovita Hutanto
Shin Hye Hwang
Emily Ipema
Leah Ipema
Corrie Jacobi
Rachel Janke
Sarah Jarosz
Valerie Jochems
Aaron Johnson
Elizabeth Jones
Karyn Jones
Zachary Jones
Caleb Jonkman
Jordan Jousma
Courtney Kalous
Kayla Kamp
Kennedy Kaptein
Anamarie Karnia
Avery Kats
Hillary Kauffman
Cristen Kendrick
Blake Kerzich
Zachary Kirkilas
Abigail Kleyn
Sarah Kliora
Matthew Koerner
Michaela Kohlmeier
Alexander Kohrs
Kirsti    Kooiker
Sarah Kooiman
Andrew Kowitz
Theresa Kraiss
Emily Krantz
Jeremiah Kruithof
Zachary Kuipers
Matthew Kunz
Abigail Lammers
Lance Lammers
Daniel LaReau
Benjamin Lashar
Chan Nyung Lee
Kelli LeGrand
Tyler LeGrand
Sarah LeMahieu
Elijah Lemkuil
Jessica Lemmenes
Alexis Lemus
Abigail Leo
Hannah Limback
Paige Lindemulder
Hannah Lins
Cory Lody
Rebecca Loenen
Anneliese Lokken
Katherine Long
Kailee Lopez
Jenna Los
Taylor Lund
Rebeca Lungu
Jon Mackrow
Martha Mahtani
Hope Manke
Victoria Mantel
Steven Massey
Leann Matherly
Bethany Mattingly
Mary McClorey
Brandon McDonald
LaDonna McGhee Ford
Chloe McRobbie
Dara Megyesi
Dyvon Melling
Michael Melody
Kevin Meyer
Kate Meyrick
Matthew Meyrick
Eva Miller
Alyssa Milosz
Hannah Modahl
Joshua Mollema
Jared Mulder
Ebenezer Munoz
Jason Nagelkirk
Dean Nazario
Mariah Nelesen
Katherine Newendorp
Miriam Newmeyer
Sarah Nicols
Miranda Nikkel
Matthew Nolan
Mary Kate Noone
Marc Robert Oda
Danielle Oeverman
Samuel Olea
Joshua Olson
Katie Oomkes
Robert Oostindie
Brady Otte
Danielle Overbey
Jessica Owen
Nicholas Paarlberg
Christopher Paepke
Nicole Paluch
Anne Parker
Nicole Parker
Anna Parro
Kylla Pate
Lydia Pelzer
Michael Philippi
Emily Phillips
Vera Picknally
Gabrielle Poskus
Shaelyn Postmus
Kailah Price
Kelly Price
Maria Rademacher
Samantha Radunz
Leslie Raich
Aida Ramirez
Alisson Ramirez
Michaela Rappa
Lauren Reske
Zach Riddiough
Jonathan Rietveld
Victoria Rivas
Juan Robles
Sarah Roddy
Hannah Rodgers
Timothy Rodgers
Jessica Rodriguez
Sabrina Rodriguez
Stephanie Rodriguez
Ashley Rogalske
Frank Romano
Roberto Rosario
Natalie Rosendale
Brittany Rotman
Rachel Rowlett
Cynthia Ruiz
Mauricio Salgado-Jimenez
Mckenzi Sall
Leojair Santana
Robert Schaaf
Tyler Schneider
Kimberly Schutt
Tyler Schutt
Marisa Schwerin
Audria Scott
Breanne Self
Katelyn Sena
Kylie Shaffer
Ruyu Shi
Jungeun Shin
Amber Shoberg
Yolanda Sinaga
Lauren Siston
Benjamin Slager
Hannah Slager
Jessica Slinkman
Leah Smit
Abigail Smith
Kelsey Smith
Elizabeth Smits
Tiffany Solecki
Dainius Soliunas
Tarryn South
Anna Spotts
Thaddeus Spyrnal
Tyler Sroczynski
Joshua Stammis
Kezia Stephanie
Ellie Sterenberg
Ivy St. John
Rebecca Stocks
Lauren Stokes
Staci Sturmer
Jonathan Sturrus
Clarine Sukamto
Inas Suleiman
Courtney Sullivan
Alek Svabek
Nicole Syverson
Austin Tafoya
Andrea Taylor
Leah Taylor
Sarah Tews
Brianna Thier
Kelsie Thornell
Sydnie Tiemens
Cody Tiesman
Blake Timmer
Madeleine Tjoelker
Benjamin Tocila
Molly Toepper
Maggie Tolsma
Breanna Toppen
Kendall Toren
Heidi Triezenberg
Ryan Tubbs
Claire Unema
Nicholas Van Beek
Drew Van Buren
Jordan Vande Kamp
Christianna Vande Kamp
Tara Vandermeer
Jenna Van Der Pol
Elizabeth VanderWall
Anna Vanderwall
Shane Van Donselaar
Carolyn Van Drunen
William Vandyken
Tyler VanElst
Nicholas VanEss
Ethan Van Holland
Kyle VanKalker
Mikayla Vanlaan
Danielle Van Laten
Tanner Van Maanen
Brantley Van Overloop
Justin VanRegenmorter
Addison Van Weelden
Ognjen Varicak
Meghan Varner
Rachel Verhage
Joshua Von Borstel
Deanne Vos
James Vos
Rachel Walby
Lindsey Walker
Jared Wallace
Daniel Walters
Jason Walters
Ruoran Wang
Xiaowei Wang
Celina Wanta
Randall Warners
Erin Wessels
Casey Wiegers
Abraham Wierda
Jessica Wiersma
Lauren Wilkman
Abbie Wilson
Kylie Wilson
Olivia Winkowitsch
Megan Wise
Rebekah Wisneski
Carissa Wisse
Jason Wolterink
Noah Wolters
Alice Wong
Jessica Workman
Jinho Yang
Taylor Yanke
Joshua York
Mariyiama Young
Agnes Zabawa
Laura Zamora
Enas Zeidan
Haoxiang Zhen
Mikayla Zuidema

Adult Studies students who have earned a 3.8 grade point average while taking at least six credit hours of classes for the semester merit this distinction:

Maranda Ahlfeld
Ashley Angone
Abbygale Baldwin
Matthew Balouris
Joseph Barczak
Gail Brockmann
Shari Bruno
Jennifer Capizzano
Nicole Ceh
Laura Coughlin
Michael Coulter
Felicia David
Kimberly Deir
Alicia Demos
Dawn DeYoung
Donald Duffy
Pamela Ellison
Jeffrey Estopellan
Kendra Evans
Shaun Gartman
Amy Gressick
Jessica Griff
John Grothaus
Donna    Guerrero
Christine Haines
Anne Harris
Veronica Hejna
Sonia Hernandez
Katie Hickey
Anita Hicks
Charles Homerding
Brittany Host
Joseph Huckleby
Tabitha Jirsa
Margaret Joyce
Phillip Kleven
Emily Kuypers
Alissa Lamb
Gessica Majka
Diana Maldonado
Antonio Manjarrez
Michelle Martin
Maribel Martinez
Megan Mason
Samantha Mele
Zachary Menard
Megan Monreal
Sheila Murphy
Elizabeth Nicholson
Jennifer Niemiec
Cheryl Novak
Robert O’Brien
Veronica Ortiz
Heather Paluch
Megan Panella
Nicole Panici
Gina Perez
Emily Pfiffner
Anthony Pokrajac
David Polanski
Courtney Puckett
Steven Ramel
Katrina Rivera
Ashley Roberson
Kenneth Rodriguez
Christina Rossborough
Helane Scarnavack
Melinda Scheltens
John Shelton
Lindsay Slovey
Taylor Smith
Megan Stotts
Trevor Tabisz
Melissa Tondini
Amelia Van Ham
Jennifer Walker
Ian Wexell
Michelle Williamsen
Ariana Wills
Bisan Yahya

Head Softball Coach Jackie Manrique welcomes Hannah LeBeau to the softball coaching staff for the 2017-18 season. LeBeau will assist Manrique and the team in all aspects of the program, but will use her skill and knowledge in specifically working with the infield and hitting.

“I could not be more excited for Trinity softball to add Hannah to our coaching staff,” said Coach Manrique. “Her dedication to our mission as a college and the values we hold as a program will benefit our team dramatically. I look forward to watching Hannah positively influence our athletes on and off the field.”

LeBeau, a native of Keller, Texas, comes to Trinity after competing as a student-athlete for four years on the softball team at NCAA Division II Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma.  As a starting catcher or infield for the Crimson Storm, LeBeau ended her career with a .275 batting average and a .970 fielding percentage and earned multiple academic all-conference honors.

In addition to her playing experience, LeBeau served as a softball skills camp counselor at Southern Nazarene where she was involved in instruction of skills and game management. She also has experience working with youth as a counselor at a YMCA camp and a middle school summer camp.

LeBeau graduated in2017 from Southern Nazarene University with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design.

Just as the church is a unit made up of many parts, each with its own gifts and abilities, Trinity Christian College is a community that recognizes a variety of God-given gifts. We celebrate those gifts, as evidenced in the scholarship of our professors. Here is a look at some of the activities our professors have been involved with recently.

At Trinity Christian College, it is part of our mission to strive to offer the highest quality of instruction to prepare students for excellence in further study and careers beyond the College. To further that mission, Trinity has recently announced several new majors for Fall 2017, including writing and web design; music and worship; and recreation and sport management.

The College has also expanded and revamped the number of theology and ministry majors into six Bachelor of Arts degrees: theology; historical and systematic theology; biblical studies; Christian ministry; youth ministry; and cross-cultural ministries.

These new majors join three other previously announced degree programs for Fall 2017: health communication; art therapy; and human resource management.

“We are convinced that these new majors, most of which are multi-disciplinary, will prepare students to be highly skilled, creative, and wise — traits that are essential for fruitful and meaningful work that supports the good of neighborhoods, communities, and the broader public,” said Provost Aaron J. Kuecker, Ph.D.

Along with the new majors, Trinity has also announced several exciting updates to our graduate and Adult Studies programs.

Writing and Web Design

The writing and web design Bachelor of Arts degree program draws on courses in visual design from the Art Department, in web technologies from the Computer Science Department, and on writing from the English and Communication Arts Departments.

“We believe that expert writing combined with design skills and technological know-how about the web will open multiple vocational opportunities for graduates: in professional careers, business, non-profit organizations, civic life, and more,” said Dr. Karen Dieleman, Ph.D.,professor of English and chair of the English department. “The writing and web design major could even be paired with a second major to strengthen students’ graduating profile.”

Music and Worship

By earning a B.A. degree in music and worship, students will receive training in music and in theology, along with courses in communication arts, ministry, and philosophy. Students will fulfill their studies of music and worship through advanced coursework in worship leadership, a senior capstone project, and an internship.

This interdisciplinary program provides students with a strong foundation in both music and theology while intentionally connecting those fields to each other and to the broader framework of a Christian liberal arts education. Students completing the music and worship major will be equipped to serve with excellence from a Christian perspective in the ministry of local churches with a particular emphasis on worship planning and leadership.

Recreation and Sport Management

This Bachelor of Science degree is geared towards students who would like to become recreation directors, managers or administrators in the areas of recreation, park districts, YMCAs, Boys and Girls Clubs, private, and other sport-related organizations.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be a 29 percent increase in coaching and scouting jobs through 2020, a 19 percent increase in recreation workers through 2020, and a 44 percent increase in event planning.

The recreation and sport management degree will encompass courses in physical education; business; accounting, communication art; and computer science. “This degree will prepare students to be strong, diverse, and Christian leaders in the world of recreation and sport management,” said Shari Jurgens, assistant professor of physical education and chair of the Physical Education Department.

Changes to Theology and Ministry Degrees

To better reflect the goals and mission of Trinity, the Theology and Church Ministry and Leadership Department has been renamed the Theology Department. The degree programs have also been renamed and expanded. Starting in Fall 2017, students will now be able to major in theology; historical and systematic theology; biblical studies; Christian ministry; youth ministry; or cross-cultural ministries, or combine degrees into a double major.

“These titles signal our wide disciplinary and vocational range,” said Keith Starkenburg, Ph.D., professor of theology and department chair.

Updates to Graduate, Adult Studies Programs

The College is also rolling out dynamic changes to our graduate and Adult Studies programs.

Our Master of Arts in Special Education Behavior Intervention Specialist program continues to be unique, since it is the only master’s program that offers both the Behavior Intervention Specialist endorsement and a BACB® approved course sequence and practicum. Previously, students who wished to enter the program needed to be licensed special education teachers. Starting fall 2017, there will now be multiple options for students to join the program who are not licensed teachers, including those who have one year of intervention experience and are interested in both the master’s degree and the BACB® approved course sequence and practicum.

Our M.A. in Counseling Psychology program, which prepares graduates to pursue licensure as a professional counselor in Illinois, has moved from 48-credit hours to 60-credit hours. Adding the additional 12-credit hours anticipates a change in licensure requirements, as Illinois will increase the required degree credit hours to 60 in the next few years. The change also enables our graduates to receive licensure in other states, including the 38 states that have already moved to the 60-credit hour degree requirement for licensure.

Exclusively for Adult Studies students, Trinity’s Business Department will now be offering a B.S. in business management program. Although the previous major offered to adult students was a general B.S. in business degree, our new major will focus on managerial and leadership skills, helping our adult students to grow as ethical and strategic leaders, and integrating their own knowledge and experiences with the principals of good management and leadership.

“We are very excited about the changes we are implementing,” said Dr. Rhoda Mattson, academic dean for the Graduate and Adult Programs at Trinity. “They arise from our efforts to provide an excellent student experience that is responsive to recommendations from our students and alumni, accreditation standards and outcomes, and the changes in each field and profession.”

To learn more about these new degrees and programs, and the other 70-plus programs that Trinity offers, visit www.trnty.edu

To support Trinity’s nursing students, and to honor National Nurses Week, the Trinity Alumni Nursing Association (TANA) challenged alumni and friends to raise $20,000. And thanks to the generosity of our donors, the goal was met and surpassed! By midnight on May 13, the “I Support Nursing” campaign garnered $23,445.

With this money, TANA will endow a scholarship to benefit one nursing student a year for perpetuity.

“Trinity prepared me well for a career that I love,” said Amy (Eggebeen) Nagelkirk ’92, president of TANA. “Knowing that my gift will go to support the next generation of nurses and beyond is very meaningful to me.”

Trinity has been named one of the “Healthiest Companies in America” by Interactive Health. The College is one of 156 organizations to earn this recognition for having “embraced the mission of life-changing access to preventive health care in the workplace.”

To be named a Healthiest Company in America, companies or organization must have:

• Screened 50-plus participants
• Achieved participation rates in excess of 70 percent
• Have a low-risk health score for their total population

“We know that to do well, Trinity employees need to be well,” said President Kurt D. Dykstra.  “We are thrilled that the individual actions of our talented employees, joined with proactive policies of the College, are paying such significant dividends in good health.”

This is the second time in three years that Trinity has received this honor.

According to Interactive Health, winners of the Healthiest Companies in America designation span nearly every industry, U.S. geography, and size. “These companies demonstrate their ability to impact the health of a population,” according to the company.

With gladness and rejoicing, the Trinity community celebrated the class of 2017 during commencement on May 6. The ceremony honored Trinity’s traditional, Adult Studies and graduate studies graduates.

Soon-to-be graduates, their family and friends, and Trinity faculty and staff were greeted by Paul Boice, vice chair of Trinity’s Board of Trustees. Ricardo Sanchez, M.A. ’17, gave the invocation. President Kurt D. Dykstra introduced commencement speaker J. Todd Billings, Th.D., Gordon H. Girod Research Professor of Reformed Theology at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Mich. Billings spoke on “The Alpha and Omega, and Our Uncertain Future.”

Jordan Ghiglia, B.A. ’17, led the commencement litany. Provost Aaron Kuecker, Ph.D., presented the 2017-18 professor of the year, Michael Vander Weele ’73, Ph.D., professor of English.

Noel Huddleston, B.S. W. ’17, offered the benediction.

Commencement 2017 was the culmination of a weekend of celebration, praise, and prayer, which also included the Honors Convocation and Baccalaureate Service.

To view the Commencement 2017 program, click here. To see the Honors Convocation program, click here.

Trinity students who are academically gifted, intellectually curious, and deeply passionate can take part in the Honors Program. Honors Program students have the opportunity to delve into the areas that interest them most, including participating in a seminar of their choosing and conducting collaborative research with a professor in their discipline.

On May 3, members of the class of 2017 who participated in the Honors Program were recognized in the annual Righteous Oaks pinning ceremony:

• Trevor DallaSanta
• Valerie Jochems
• Dyvon Melling
• Kate Meyrick
• Elizabeth Smits
• Anna Spotts
• Ellie Sterenberg
• Kendall Toren
• Heidi Triezenberg
• Rachel Verhage
• Erin Wessels
• Olivia Winkowitsch
• Mikayla Zuidema