Trinity Celebrates 40th Anniversary of First Graduating Class in Nursing

This year marked the 40th anniversary of Trinity’s first graduating class in Nursing. To celebrate this milestone Trinity’s Alumni Nursing Association (TANA) invited the Class of 1985 to return to campus for a reunion that included participating in Nursing Pinning Ceremony. Of the 19 alums, 11 attended along with two of their nursing professors. The day began with a lunch, followed by a tour of the nursing department’s simulation and skills lab. Alums then gathered in the Ozinga Chapel Auditorium for the Nursing Pinning Ceremony. Following the presentation of the pins to the class of 2025, the class of 1985 was introduced by TANA president, Amy Nagelkirk, and invited to stand behind the new graduates for a prayer of blessing led by a founding member of the department, Professor Emeritus, Dr. Lois Roelofs.

Inspired by that blessing, 2025 graduates, alums of the class of 1985, and guests joined in singing the chorus of “Lead Me, Guide Me”. To watch this powerful moment, click to minute 42:30 on the playback bar in the video linked here.

“Returning to campus was a delightful experience, and I was thrilled to be reunited with former classmates from Trinity’s first graduating class of nurses. It is hard to believe that 40 years have passed since our graduation. The luncheon provided a lovely opportunity for us to reconnect, and the tour of the new nursing lab, conducted by Dr. Sarah Gouwens, was particularly meaningful. The nursing lab has grown and changed remarkably over the last 40 years. What a blessing to see the simulation patients that can be programmed for real-life patient experiences. Participating in the laying of hands ceremony and prayer for the nursing graduates of 2025 was a true honor. May our hands be instruments of peace, support, hope, and reassurance. God’s provision of necessary individuals and resources enabled the successful launch of this program, and He continues to guide and sustain it.” – Deb VanderWoude ’85 

Please reach out to Trinity’s Alumni Nursing Association at tana@trnty.edu with interest in organizing a class reunion, ideas for future nursing alumni events or to support the nursing department through volunteering or giving.