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Trinity calls its students to be active and intentional in regard to community, both in and out of the classroom, a mission that one class felt called to answer creatively.
On October 25, Trinity’s education class, “Methods of Teaching Language Arts,” hosted a creative writing workshop at Palos Heights Public Library. Assistant Professor of Education Kelly Lenarz ’99 led the workshop along with her class of elementary and special education majors.
Lenarz spent the summer brainstorming with Debbie Larsen ’96, director of Youth Services at Palos Heights Public Library, on how to better connect Trinity students to the programs offered at the library. One result was the creative writing workshop, which both Lenarz and Larsen found beneficial to their programs.
“The purpose of this workshop is to allow my students a chance to put into practice what they are learning in the course regarding effective writing instruction for elementary and middle school students,” Lenarz said.
Larsen also found the opportunity to be just as rewarding for the library.
“As a Trinity alum and Palos Heights resident, I know that Trinity’s staff and students have much to offer the Palos Heights community,” she said. “I am happy to have Trinity join with us to promote literacy to children and families in our community, and I hope we can continue to find ways to work together.”
The event allowed the 13 children, grades kindergarten and up, to create books using the stories each child authored.
David Jenner ’15 of Chicago helped at the workshop and found that it taught him many skills needed in teaching, such as planning activities, overcoming unforeseen obstacles, and engaging kids.
“We have been learning how to effectively teach children using creative writing and books, and how God’s gift of language is important in the classroom,” he said.
The children involved clearly enjoyed the experience and were eager to share their work.
“It was lots of fun, and we made our own books to take home. I’m going to read my book to my dad when he gets home,” said Summer, age 9.
The Workshop
The workshop began with introductions and a story reading of “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves.” Trinity students then led the children in filling out a graphic organizer that showed how the story was told and explained how to use the graphic organizer to write their own stories.
Collaborating with the Library
Some of Lenarz and Larsen’s other brainstorming sessions have resulted in future partnerships between Trinity and the library, such as Technology in Education students helping with adult computer programs or Adult Studies students helping with the library’s STEAM programs. In the weekly Reading Buddies program, children can read for 20 minutes with a Trinity student.
This is not Trinity’s first partnership with Palos Heights Public Library. In the past, Dr. Bill Boerman-Cornell, associate professor of education, has offered a creative writing workshop for the library with his education and English classes.
Ellen Browning, associate professor of art and design, recently accompanied students to the Chicago Cultural Center to view CHCO DSGN, an exhibit featuring the work of elite graphic designers.
Rick Valicenti, award-winning designer and founder of Thirst/Chicago, a design firm in Chicago, curated the show. As he led the group through the exhibit, his passion for design, especially Chicago design, was evident.
Design student Keegan VanMaanen ’16 of Leighton, Iowa, said, “Seeing the contributions of talented designers in the Chicago area was an illuminating experience, motivational.”
Because of Trinity’s proximity to Chicago’s art and design world, students benefit greatly from many opportunities like this to see professionals living out their vocation.
High school students! Check out the Trinity Arts Experience…
Interested in getting a glimpse into a day like these students experienced?
Register today for the Trinity Arts Experience, Thursday-Friday, November 13-14. You will meet current art and design students and faculty, take a trip to Chicago, and tour Trinity’s amazing art and design facilities in the Art and Communication Center.
The academic departments, residence life, and First Year Experience came together on October 27 to offer students the annual Major Questions event, which informs students and promotes the many programs of study offered at Trinity.
This event targets first-year students but is open to all students who may not have declared a major, who are considering a change of major or studying abroad, or who are looking to pick up a minor. Many academic departments use this event to interact with students and encourage them to actively engage their educational future.
Dr. Erick Sierra, assistant professor of English, said that the event spoke to how much professors care about their disciplines and how they wish to see students benefit from that commitment.
Biology professors Dr. Robert Boomsma and Dr. Abbie Schrotenboer said the event provided a place to inform students about available fields of study. Likewise, Dr. Dennis Connelly, professor of criminal justice, commented on the open structure of the event, which invites students to ask questions.
Freshmen Tammy Mels of Tinley Park, Illinois, and Anna Karnia of Oak Lawn, Illinois, both found the event to be just what they needed to continue their educational journeys.
Mels, who has not yet declared a major, said she appreciated the representation of all the majors and came to the event due to its accessibility.
Karnia, who said she is considering changing her major, said, “I came to get information, and they helped me a lot.”
Director of First Year Experience John Baldauff recommends Major Questions to all students who have questions about their education. “This event is a great opportunity for our students to explore what majors are offered here at Trinity.”
Nursing alumni, faculty, and students gathered on October 13 for the annual Commitment to Caring Ceremony to recognize and pray for junior nursing students beginning their clinical rotations in area hospitals.
After an opening prayer by Jordan Roon ’15, Nursing Department Chair Tina Decker ’06 introduced the nursing professors as well as Connie Van Groningen, nursing administrative coordinator. Decker then read a poem from the handbook and encouraged students to remember they will be caring for patients made in God’s image.
Guest speaker Angela Boomsma ’08, family nurse practitioner, said her Trinity nursing education was “well-rounded and holistic,” and remarked on the mentorship of her nursing professors and the good reputation of Trinity’s nursing program. She assured students that as novice nurses they may experience apprehension as they begin clinicals. She encouraged them to trust God and to rely on the expertise and knowledge of the nurses they will work alongside. She also advised them to keep their minds and options open since God could have a different plan for their nursing careers.
Nurses Student Organization (NSO) President Keren Nobel ’15 closed the ceremony, echoing Boomsma’s words and advising students to rely on God and their professors for guidance and support.
To finish the ceremony, Chaplain Bill Van Groningen offered a blessing. He explained that God’s anointing is conveyed by a laying on of hands when sending out ambassadors. Those gathered formed a large circle, joined hands, and lifted them up as Van Groningen blessed the hands of the students and the work they are set to undertake.
Students in the course “Cross Cultural/Multicultural Issues in Education” recently enjoyed some outside-the-classroom learning at museums in two of Chicago’s culturally-diverse neighborhoods.
Dr. Jaki Moses ’05 and Dr. Trina Vallone ’99, professors of education, accompanied their students on field trips to Pilsen’s National Museum of Mexican Art and Hyde Park’s DuSable Museum of African American History.
The National Museum of Mexican Art provided a rich exhibition of the arts with cultural tie-ins that continued out of the museum and into the surrounding community.
“We were able to enjoy the wonderful varieties of Mexican art and a unique exhibit of Day of the Dead,” said Moses.
On another occasion, the class also visited the DuSable Museum, which offered “Funky Turns Forty,” an exhibit on the black character revolution in animation art, and “Spirits of the Passage: The Story of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.”
Students also enjoyed exploring the Hyde Park neighborhood and lunch in the Historic Bronzeville community.
The trips provided a context for a discussion on issues that affect education, such as cultural and ethnic diversity, poverty, and discrimination.
As an impressive crowd of students filled the Grand Lobby on October 20, guest lecturer David Feiner, producing artistic director of the Albany Park Theater Project (APTP) in Chicago, moved throughout the room talking with members of Trinity’s community.
The Annual Freshmen Lecture opened with a prayer from Dr. Karen Dieleman, chair of the English Department, and Dr. William Boerman-Cornell, associate professor of education, introduced the speaker.
“I will tell you to listen to what David Feiner has to say because he is someone who has found his calling – a calling that may not be the most financially rewarding, that may not make him the most famous director in the world – but a calling that brings together his interests and the world’s needs,” said Boerman-Cornell.
Feiner explained the work of the APTP, a group that he co-founded and that works in one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the country. The group includes approximately 30 youth actors and 10 adult directors, choreographers, and designers.
Actors employ improvisation as a tool in creating the plays, but the plays are also well-scripted, elements of the project’s multidisciplinary method. Subject matter is often adapted from real-life experiences, tales of social injustice and pain but always of hope.
Feiner discussed the play “Home/Land,” a piece focusing on immigration, an issue that has affected many of the young actors. He described his actors as “bold activist storytellers,” who strive to tell people’s stories in a way that honors them.
About David Feiner
David Feiner is co-founder of Albany Park Theater Project, which he co-founded in 1996 with his wife, the late Laura Wiley. Feiner said APTP relies on word of mouth recruitment and that perks such as food, friends, and a college counseling program encourage young people to keep joining. The way the project is set up allows some student to stay connected with APTP for years.
Feiner’s honors with APTP include the Goodman’s August Wilson Award, the Coming Up Taller Award from the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, the Midwest Human Rights Award from National Immigrant Justice Center, an Illinois Theatre Alliance Award of Excellence, and the Susan F. Berkowitz Award for Outstanding Service to Children. He holds an MFA from the Yale School of Drama.
At Trinity, learning extends beyond the textbook and classroom into networking with industry professionals in Chicago.
On October 9, Assistant Professor Darren Zancan accompanied his public relations class to Green Target, a PR firm in Chicago that specializes in working with clients in development and communication.
Business communications major Caitlin Williams ’16 of Clarendon Hill, Illinois, viewed the field trip as an opportunity to see what emphases professionals place on education.
She said that employees at Green Target placed an emphasis on getting internships. “They taught us that an internship is the perfect way to try out different areas of your major for a short period of time,” said Williams.
She also saw the field trip as a chance to connect with people who could lend advice. “We met with three associates who were all young and eager to teach us about what they do,” said Williams. “They gave us their business cards and encouraged us to reach out to them.”
Zancan said field trips are another way for students to engage with class material and to envision how what they are learning in the classroom applies to future careers.
Kathy Nimmer ’91 has been named Indiana’s 2015 Teacher of the Year.
Nimmer is an English teacher at William Henry Harrison High School where she has been teaching for 22 years. The Trinity alumna is no stranger to honors and awards, being recognized for over 14 achievements, authoring two books, and inspiring her students to overcome their challenges as she has her own – blindness.
View the video of the surprise announcement
The Indiana Department of Education website states, “The Indiana Teachers of the Year (INTOY) are the voice of education throughout Indiana and the Nation. The INTOY award is a lifetime role in education, which has many opportunities to celebrate teaching and uplift the teaching profession.”
About Kathy Nimmer ’91
Nimmer graduated high school valedictorian from the Indiana School for the Blind in 1987, earned a bachelor’s in English Education from Trinity Christian College in 1991, and received a master’s in English from Purdue University in 1992. Her writing spans many genres, both published and unpublished, consisting of essays, anthologies, poetry, memoirs, and young adult novels. Nimmer is the author of Two Plus Four Equals One and Minutes in the Dark, Eternity in the Light. She also writes and edits the Harrison High School Newsletter and created the Elena Awards Poetry Contest in 2007.
Achievements
- Trinity’s 2010 Alumna of the Year
- National Board Certified Teacher 2003, 2013
- Tippecanoe School Corporation Teacher of the Year 2014
- TED Talk Presenter at TEDxPurdue 2014
- William Henry Harrison High School Teacher of the Year 2013/14
- Lafayette Optimist Club Teacher Grant Winner 2013
- NBC “Student Success” Video Contest Winner 2013
- Ann DeCamp Creative Teaching Award 2011
- Durward K. McDaniels Ambassador Award, American Council for the Blind 2009
- Lilly Distinguished Fellow 2009
- Helen Keller Foundation International Memoir Competition
- First Place, the Golden Apple 2006
- Butler-Cooley Excellence in Teaching Award
- Olympic Torch Bearer 1996
About the INTOY Program
The INTOY program began in 1957 as the oldest state program to honor excellence in teaching. Its mission is to build a community of teachers that allows opportunities for growth and which celebrates excellence.
The Indiana Teacher of the Year is chosen from current Indiana District Teachers of the Year by a selection committee of past winners of INTOY using a demanding application process.
The 550 Challenge Results
$120,375.00
and counting …
We did it!
Thank you to all who participated in “The 550 Challenge” in honor of Trinity Christian College’s 55th Anniversary. Together we raised $95,375.00 in gifts and pledges – surpassing our goal of $55,000. Thanks to those friends who provided the match, $25,000, making our grand total $120,375.00.
“I am amazed and humbled by the incredible response we received, and are still receiving, to the 550 Challenge,” said Larryl Humme, vice president for development. “I’m also grateful for donors who understand the power of social media as a proven avenue for sharing their love of Trinity and inviting participation in giving to help it thrive.”
If you missed the excitement of October 4th, but would still like to participate, go to www.trnty.edu/550 to accept the 550 Challenge!
We are blessed and grateful for all who support Trinity! Go Trolls!
Why I took the 550 Challenge
Nancy Kwasteniet – Current Staff
“When your life’s work intersects with the deepest desires of your heart, you experience glimpses of purpose not commonly found. (I say glimpses because the academic calendar can take on a life of its own, and because all too often we can be found “stumbling toward heaven.”) So at a place like Trinity, the work of each person, each department, can be seen as essential to the common purpose. And, when that purpose involves working for the King, contributing time and resources is a natural response.”
Pastor Ollie V. Williams ’13 – Adult Studies, Alumnus
“I came to Trinity as an Adult Studies student. During my time at Trinity I felt like I was a part of a family. When I speak of Trinity, I have a sense of pride and accomplishment. As a proud alumnus, I took the challenge to continue being a part of a great institution that I want to see succeed. Go Trolls 2013!”
Paul Boice – Board of Trustees Member
“I appreciate the fact that the 550 Challenge was both spontaneous and informal. Reaching out to alumni, parents and friends of Trinity through social media was a great idea and I suspect the appeal reached individuals who had never given before. With the option of giving as little as $5.50, it was a campaign that everyone could afford to invest in. Many of us have been blessed by Trinity and the exceptional staff of Trinity. The 550 Challenge gave us the opportunity to give back to a school we love, and I’m thrilled so many folks did just that.”
Mark and Annalee Ward – Former Faculty
“While we give to Trinity throughout the year, the 550 Challenge represented an opportunity for us to, as Hebrews 10:24 suggests, “. . . consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds … encouraging one another.” This is a challenging time for higher education in general, and even more so for Christian higher education. As parents of a graduate, we know the profound impact a Trinity Christian College education has on the next generation of Christian leaders. As former members of the Trinity faculty, we know first-hand the dedication of Trinity’s faculty and staff. God continues to use Trinity and we are happy to support its work.”
Paul D. Peterson ’63 – Alumnus
“The 550 Challenge was something I could do at this time, since $5.50 is a contribution amount anyone can make to support the College. It is nice to know small contributions add up to make a difference.”
Kim Wydra – Parent of JR Wydra ’11 and Matt Wydra ’15
“Joseph and I took the 550 Challenge to give to the college that has richly blessed our family. We are thankful God directed our children to attend Trinity and wanted to participate. Our entire family has been blessed by Trinity.”
Rudi Gesch ’04 – Alumnus
“I was so excited to give to the 550 challenge! The movement to a ‘social give’ involving our tight Troll-munity was a great way to celebrate a milestone year and to get lots of alums involved. I’m proud of the response of the Troll Nation!”
In June, education major Melissa Stalman ’15 of Janesville, Wisconsin, found herself teaching in Indonesia on a one-month trip sponsored by Sekolah Pelita Harapan (SPH), international Christian school system.
Stalman split her time between teaching summer school kindergarten and touring Indonesia. She was able to teach a diverse group of students from Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Indonesian backgrounds.
“It was a blast getting to work with the kids,” Stalman said. “They were so fun and energetic. We also got to explore different parts of Indonesia.”
Stalman collaboratd with other college students, gained teaching experience in a full-time setting, and worked with teachers of another culture. While touring, Stalman was exposed to a culture far from her own. She was able to ride an elephant, visit a Mosque in a predominantly Muslim country, experience different forms of transportation, and learn new dining customs.
SPH has various campuses throughout Indonesia. Excluding airfare, the organization covers the entire cost of the trip, including housing, food, ground transportation, and touring activities.
Stalman’s advisor Dr. Pete Post ’74, associate professor of education, described her trip “as a way to step out of one’s comfort zone and travel internationally.”
“I just think this is a great story and one that could lead to additional opportunities,” Post said.
“Being able to immerse myself in this setting for a month was awesome,” Stalman said. “It was a great experience and helped me grow as a future teacher and person.”
Trinity alumnae Leanne Koetje ’10 and Holli Moote ’13 both teach through Sekolah Pelita Harapan.