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More than 40 students, faculty, and staff attended the 1st Annual Entrepreneurship at Trinity Dinner on May 7 to celebrate the strides business students have made over the semester in discovering their inner entrepreneur and the ways in which they can serve the greater Trinity community.
Special guests Scott Issen, Future Founders president and CEO, and Katie Sowa, Future Founders director of community engagement, presented the Outstanding Community Partnership award to Assistant Professors of Business Dr. Rick Hamilton and Kyle Harkema.
Trinity became a founding partner with the Future Founders Foundation (FFF) during the Fall 2014 semester. The College joined an impressive group of founding Community Organization and University Partners such as Business Enterprise Law Clinic at The John Marshall Law School, Coleman Entrepreneurship Center at DePaul University, Entrepreneurship Law Center at Northwestern University School of Law, Stuart School of Business at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and Lewis University, among others.
“It is so much fun to see the energy, enthusiasm, and action of Trinity students as they seek to identify, define, and develop their God-given gifts for creativity and service,” Hamilton said.
Harkema echoed the sentiment. “What a joy to walk along side and be part of our student community as it engages the vibrant entrepreneurial community in the greater Chicago area.”
Throughout the academic year, 20 Trinity students participated in several FFF events ranging from the U.Pitch Competition to several E-Pass programs where students met and conversed with influential community business leaders. In addition, freshmen Ryan Hesslau of Mokena, Illinois, and Tom Iwema of Oak Lawn, Illinois, were selected to be part of a selective year-long FFF program designed to accelerate the development of “rockstar” student entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial-minded individuals.
“Trinity Christian College does a tremendous job of supporting entrepreneurship on- and off-campus, ensuring their students gain critical real world experience,” said Issen. “We are thrilled to work with a faculty and student body that exudes the entrepreneurial spirit and has a passion for learning. We look forward to building on our strong partnership to help Trinity students achieve their entrepreneurial dreams.”
During the evening, student efforts in developing independent businesses and the formation of the Trinity Entrepreneurship Club were also recognized. First officers of the Entrepreneurship Club include Tony Dykstra ’18 of Highland, Indiana; Tyler Schneider ’18 of St. Charles, Missouri; and Tanner VanMaanen ’18 of Leighton, Iowa.
Read about the exceptional opportunities Trinity business students have been afforded through this partnership:
Students Invited to Network with Top Chicago Entrepreneur
Future Founders Students Selected for Fellowship
Entrepreneurial Students Semifinalists at U.Pitch Competition
Trinity has been named as one of the “Healthiest Companies in America” for 2014 by Interactive Health, a leading provider of health management solutions. The College was one of only three colleges named.
Trinity was among the 158 honorees from across the United States recognized for embracing the mission of implementing life-changing preventive health care in the workplace. Another local recipient included Ozinga Bros., Inc.
The award is given to select organizations across the nation that have helped transform — and even save – the lives of employees by offering wellness programs that combine thorough health evaluations with fast, personalized results. With the help of these strategic, flexible initiatives, winning organizations have accomplished tremendous success in moving employees from high-risk health status to lower risk and achieving remarkably high employee participation.
Some of the initiatives to enhance the health of Trinity employees have included the availability of the Fitness Center for staff and faculty use, discussions with Creative Dining Services staff about even more healthful dining options, and an on-campus Weight Watchers program.
James Kastrantas, a staff member in the computer services department, participated in the program. “We all inspired each other, and doing that with co-workers was a great team building experience,” he said. “It also holds me more accountable, because I see my co-workers who were in the program, and we still talk about weight loss and the good habits we learned.”
“This honor is an indication of the contributions of many people on campus, including the Fitness Center staff, a human resource department that encourages healthy living, and a Creative Dining staff that promotes healthy food choices,” said Interim President Liz Rudenga, Ph.D. “It is also a tribute to a fine faculty and staff who mutually foster a healthy lifestyle.”
Every year students show some love to the community that surrounds the College during the annual Love Palos event.
On Saturday, May 2, faculty and staff joined students to volunteer during this annual clean-up and beautification project on campus and around Palos Heights.
The morning began with a time of prayer. Volunteers were then assigned to work sites where they completed a variety of tasks, such as landscaping and planting.
Partnering Organizations
Campus Ecological Stewardship Advisory Group (CESAG) at Trinity
Forest Preserves of Cook County
Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanical Gardens
Love INC of Tinley
Navajo Homeowners Association
Palos Heights Christian Reformed Church – Palos Christian Preschool
Providence Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center
Restoration Ministries
Trinity Christian College
On April 21, at the opening ceremony of OPUS, Trinity’s Ethnic Diversity Committee presented the 2014-2015 Catherine Yonker Awards to the Dean of Students Mark Hanna, social work major Noel Huddleston ’17 of Homewood, Illinois, and history education major Christian Perry ’16 of Palos Heights.
Hanna, also former chair of the Ethnic Diversity Committee, was unanimously selected for his commitment to building healthy relationships among all students.
Huddleston’s work as the leader of Multicultural Clubs has led her to initiate and promote events that encourage unity and conversation. Likewise, Perry has served as the leader of the Black Student Union where he has planned several events that promote community engagement.
“While they are both gifted leaders, I believe their greatest gift is their love and respect for humanity,” said Dr. Jacqueline Moses, ethnic diversity committee chairperson. “Both Noel and Christian are image bearers of Christ in that they seek to know people as God does–with the heart–with no regard of race or ethnicity.”
The Ethnic Diversity Committee unanimously selected this year’s recipients after carefully reviewing each nomination. The committee seeks nominees who have made significant contributions toward accomplishing Christian race relations and cross-cultural understanding on campus.
Jessica Bordenaro ’15 of Lockport, Illinois, was recently selected from School District 146 for the South Suburban Reading Council Patricia Burnette Rising Star Award.
The award recognizes a student teacher who displays outstanding attributes. The recipient receives $250 toward building a future classroom library, as well as a one-year paid membership to the South Suburban Reading Council.: Student Teacher Receives Rising Star Award
“Jessica took the initiative to learn the curriculum and came up with excellent ideas to make the students engaged learners. She was organized with her work and willing to share with colleagues. She related to the students well and made the classroom a fun place to learn,” said Bordenaro’s cooperating teacher, Mrs. Dian Schulz.
Bordenaro, or Miss B. as her students called her, completed two semesters at the Fierke Education Center in Oak Forest. One hundred hours of novice teaching in the fall led directly into a semester of student teaching in the spring.
“I absolutely loved my time in 5th grade with Mrs. Schulz. Fierke is a wonderful school, and after my time there I feel much more confident and prepared as a teacher,” she said.
Bordenaro attended a dinner on April 22 to accept the award.
“Jessica did an excellent job in her student teaching role, and I knew she would be an outstanding candidate for the award,” Schulz said.
Ben Hoekstra ’17 of Andover, Minnesota, recently spoke alongside Chaplain Bill VanGroningen, Ph.D., at the Christian Reformed Church’s recent Prayer Summit conference at All Nations Christian Reformed Church in Lake View Terrace, California, from April 13-15.
Pastors and prayer leaders from across the United States and Canada gathered together to unite through prayer, in hopes of spurring a renewed movement in CRC churches across both nations.
“It was a unique and amazing opportunity to co-present at a conference with a member of Trinity’s staff,” Hoekstra said.
He and VanGroningen spoke of both the advantages and disadvantages digital natives face in regard to prayer and the technological landscape. They focused on the advantages of global connectivity and the possibility of praying over social media, but also the disadvantages of identity issues, the challenge of vulnerability, and loneliness.
Hoekstra, head of the recently reinstated Prayer Ministry on campus, was grateful for the experience to share some of his insights.
“The ability to start a conversation about a topic that’s not necessarily being talked about yet was a meaningful experience to me,” Hoekstra said.
Hoekstra also presented his portion of the presentation at this year’s OPUS event.
The annual Celebration of Asia honored and showcased Asian culture with traditional cuisine and cultural performances on May 4. China, Burma, Korea and other countries were represented in the array of authentic dishes, including sushi, mochi, and kimichi.
After dinner, students sported the traditional attire of their respective countries. Students also performed a variety of traditional dances and music selections that showcased Chinese instruments.
The evening, which was hosted by the Asian American Alliance, included interactive activities, like creating origami, and ended with a time of praise and worship.
“The celebration was a huge success,” said Claire Edwards ’18 of Stevenson Ranch, California. “We were so fortunate to have so many people show up eager to learn about Asian culture and what Triple A is all about. The performances were great; we even got a surprise performance of taekwondo.”
On April 27 and 28, Trinity welcomed 247 students from 12 different elementary and middle schools to campus in celebration of the annual Young Authors’ Festival.
The two day event has a 24-year history at Trinity. This year’s festival offered a packed schedule that included a meet-and-greet with guest speaker and children’s author Marissa Moss. On Tuesday, students who had won Young Authors’ awards returned to campus to participate in a day of celebration.
“This event takes a ton of collaboration between the schools that are participating, Trinity students and faculty, and the featured author,” said Kelly Lenarz ’99, assistant professor of Adult Studies Education.
“It is so great to see how we can all come together and work together in a positive way to make an impact on all those involved.”
Many of Trinity’s education students had the opportunity to teach and interact with the children.
“They were enjoying the event,” said So Hye Park ’15 of South Korea. “Sometimes some of the students looked like it was challenging [for them] to write a story, but they all made a wonderful story with their imaginations.”
The children were able to watch their stories be performed by Trinity’s improv team. They also participated in a writing workshop and attended a session with Moss as she spoke on creating storyline endings.
Dr. Bill Boerman-Cornell, associate professor of education, praised Moss’s efforts at the festival.
“Marissa did a fantastic job of connecting with students into the Monday night sessions,” Boerman-Cornell said. “She talked about her process of writing and illustrating books. During the Tuesday sessions, the activity she did with the students seemed to open them up to the possibilities of telling an illustrated story.”
About the Author
Marissa Moss has been publishing books for a long time. She has over 40 published stories, but is far from finished. She is always working on multiple projects at once, and loves finding the challenge in each new story. Moss is best known for her Amelia’s Notebook series, but also writes and illustrates a variety of other pieces including historical journals and young adult novels.
On May 6, Trinity student-athletes, coaches, and support personnel gathered for the 2015 Athletics Awards Night. The program included a review of the year’s sports season, reflections by two senior athletes, and an awards presentation that included recognition of Dennis Harms ’89, who has served as the men’s golf coach for the past four years, and the Athletic Department’s special awards.
The Women’s Athletics and the Keith Albers Memorial Awards, the department’s highest honors, are career awards given to a female and male athlete who exhibit exemplary play on the athletic field, high achievement in the classroom, and leadership in campus activities. This year’s selections were Anna Bos ’15 of Rockford, Michigan, and Logan Vos ’15 of Ripon, California.
Bos is a four-year cross country and track runner. In cross country, she is a four-time NAIA national qualifier, a four-time all-conference selection, the 2015 CCAC Runner of the Year, an All-American, and the school record holder. On the track she holds school records in the multiple distance events. She has earned all-conference honors and is an indoor and outdoor season All-American. As a biochemistry major, she has excelled in the classroom and received scholar-athlete honors.
Vos is a four-year athlete in both golf and men’s basketball. He led the golf team with the low average in each of his four years and for his career posted a 79.4 average. This past fall he made school history as the program’s first NCCAA national qualifier. On the basketball team, he was a team leader and a starter in his senior year. Academically, Vos, an accounting major, was a member of Trinity’s Honors Program and earned scholar-athlete honors.
For their outstanding individual accomplishments this year, volleyball and basketball player Erynn Schuh ’15 of Frankfort, Illinois, and cross country and track runner Cody Velthuizen ’17 of Lynden, Washington were named Athletes of the Year.
As setter, Schuh led the team to a record number of victories and the program’s first NCCAA national title. She received highest honors as NCCAA National Player of the Year, as well as Conference Setter and Player of the Year. In addition, she was NCCAA and NAIA (Third Team) All-American and a scholar-athlete. For the year, she set school season records in assists and total serves. On the basketball team, Schuh started in nine basketball games and averaged 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds.
Velthuizen led the men’s cross country team as the top runner in every meet. He was a NAIA national qualifier, and earned all-conference and NCCAA All-American honors. He was a NCCAA national qualifier in indoor track and placed third in three events at the outdoor CCAC Championships for all-conference honors.
Recognizing a member of the Trinity community who has made a significant contribution to the athletics department, the Rich Kooy Award was presented to Tim Timmons, physical plant director. Over the past few years, Timmons, along with his staff, have done an outstanding job of meeting the extra demands faced with the construction and maintenance of the DeVos Athletics and Recreation Center and Schaaf Athletics Complex.
Guest speakers, film, and interactive theater were all highlights of the English department’s biennial English Festival on April 30 and May 1.
Faculty and students welcomed Dr. Okaka Dokotum, a Ugandan professor and Fulbright Scholar at Northern Illinois University. Dokotum’s research focuses on African film adaptations of African literary work. He visited campus last December for a conversational interview time with host Dr. Michael Vander Weele, professor of English.
The festival began with a viewing of Djiril Diop Mabety’s film “Hyenas” on Thursday evening. Friday followed with a lecture by Dokotum, a luncheon in the Fireside Room, and a poetry reading. During the lecture, Dokotum spoke about his research on Hollywood and African films. He read various selections of poetry on the themes of politics and love.
On Friday evening, students attended a theater performance by Albany Park Theater Project in Chicago. The play, “Learning Curve,” takes the audience through an immersive experience of a Chicago public high school.
“I enjoyed the English festival because of the variety of events offered,” said Sara Henreckson ’15 of Hillpoint, Wisconsin. “Dr. Dokotum’s involvement ranged from a lecture to poetry reading. It was interesting to see both the depth and breadth of his work.”