Initiative Category: Business

OPUS,  Trinity’s annual festival of student scholarship, is taking place on Wednesday, April 20.  The word “opus” is Latin for work. Whether it’s the arts & humanities, natural & applied sciences, or social sciences, students from all disciplines can present their work or attend this annual celebratory conference.

We invite you to attend OPUS 2022 and imagine the possibilities of your own OPUS!

OPUS SCHEDULE

12:30-12:45             OPUS Parade

12:45-1:15               Opening Ceremony

1:30-4:15                 Student Presentations

4:30-5:15                 Presentation Showdown

All students are given the opportunity to enter into a competition for all solo and group presentations. Top scorers advance to the Presentation Showdown where they give a 5-minute summary of their presentation in front of their peers and additional judges.

4:30-6:30                 Trinity Trolldown Dinner in the Dining Hall

5:00-6:00                 Dunk Tank Fundraiser for Ukraine

6:00-7:30                 Raffle & Closing Ceremony

7:30-8:30                 Senior Student/OPUS Art Reception

6:30-8:30                 GRUMPUS Graduate OPUS

9:00-10:00               Outcry

Special Thank you!

The Trinity Christian College community is grateful to alumni Yvette Madany (’85) and Peter Madany (’82), who generously provided financial support to underwrite expenses for OPUS 2022.

The OPUS 2022 committee is also grateful for the support of Trinity administration, faculty, and staff, including the departments of admissions, student life, physical plant, audio-visual services, information technology services, marketing and communications, and Creative Dining.

OPUS Committee Members

Brian Cerney

Inglebert Christiansen (Student Graphic Designer)

Sarah Hoeksema (co-chair)

Jeff Nyhoff

Mary LoGalbo

Deb Majewski (co-chair)

Katie Oomkes

Julianna Padilla (Student Government Representative)

Aron Reppmann

Omar Sweiss

Kevin Schenke

Maura Sukamto (Student Graphic Designer)

Graduates of Trinity’s business programs are prepared to become leaders who make a difference, with successful careers built on intellect and integrity. As part of our ongoing commitment to this kind of excellence, Trinity is pleased to announce the business department’s reaffirmation of accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).  

“This affirmation from the ACBSP is a sign of our commitment to a rigorous, quality business education for our students,” said Professor of Business and Department Chair Deb Windes. “We are pleased to receive this important validation of the quality of the education that students in our business programs receive.” 

ACBSP accreditation certifies that the teaching and learning processes within the business degrees and programs offered through Trinity meet the rigorous educational standards established by ACBSP. The business programs at Trinity were first accredited by ACBSP in 2011. The College is required to go through the reaffirmation process every 10 years to maintain ACBSP accreditation.  

Trinity’s business department offers a vast wealth of knowledge and experience for students looking for a career in the world of business, said Haley York ‘20. “I was fortunate enough to have so many opportunities in the start-up community and on campus to grow my experience and skills I learned in the classroom. My four years in the business department at Trinity were foundational to my life and career,” said York, who is now director of expansion at Next Door Photos and the Fusion59 Innovation Center coordinator. “Both of these positions lean on the experiences, knowledge, and mentorship I gained while at Trinity and I am so thankful for the time I had on campus.” 

Based on the Baldridge Education Criteria for Performance Excellence, ACBSP accreditation evaluates aspects of leadership, strategic planning, relationships with stakeholders, quality of academic programs, faculty credentials, and educational support to determine whether the business programs offer a rigorous educational experience and demonstrate continuous quality improvement. 

“Trinity Christian College has shown its commitment to teaching excellence and to the process of quality improvement by participating in the accreditation process,” said ACBSP Chief Accreditation Officer Dr. Steve Parscale. “This reaffirmation of accreditation is evidence that they are committed to maintaining the highest quality business education for their students for the next 10 years, just as they have done since 2011.” 

Trinity’s business program has been recognized for the quality of its teaching and ability to prepare graduates for their vocations, including by Colleges of Distinction.  

A Bachelor’s Degree from Trinity Christian College prepares students to flourish in their careers and vocations. And our graduates are well-prepared. According to data from Trinity’s Cooper Center for Vocation and Career Development, 97.7 percent of the graduates in the Class of 2021 are employed or in graduate school. That far surpasses the nationwide average of 82.4 percent. 

Each year, Trinity seeks career outcome data from new alumni. For 2020-’21 degree conferrals, 82.1% of graduates are employed, 15.1% are enrolled in graduate school, and one is serving the United States in the military.  

“We are excited to see our students successfully launch into their life after Trinity and continue to make meaningful contributions in the world,” said Director of Vocation and Career Development Jeff Timmer. “This metric is just one way that Trinity demonstrates how it prepares students for positive engagement in their communities and for contributions to the Kingdom.” 

Companies that employ recent Trinity graduates include Amazon, BDO USA, Chicago Public Schools, La Rabida Children’s Hospital, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and Topel Forman. 

The class of 2021 has a range of job titles, reflecting the diversity and depth of Trinity’s liberal arts education: medical surgical/oncological nurse; special education teacher; art therapist; communications coordinator; graphic designer; tax associate; internal events coordinator; pastor; business analyst; baseball coach; police officer; and occupational therapy technician, among others. 

Trinity graduates are also pursing further education at the graduate level at institutions such as Duke Divinity School, John Marshall Law School, Northwestern University, Rush University, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.  

Avery Johnson ’21, is currently attending Duke Divinity School in Durham, N.C., and she cited the support she received from Trinity in helping her on her journey.  “I couldn’t have gotten this far without the help of the Trinity’s staff and professors,” said Johnson, who double majored in Biblical Studies and Communication Arts at Trinity and plans to become an ordained minister. 

For more information about Trinity’s 98% placement rate, visit Trinity’s Cooper Center for Vocation & Career Development. 

As the first black woman CPA in America, Mary T. Washington Wylie blazed trails throughout the accounting profession. In her honor, the Illinois CPA Society has created an internship program to help the current generation of college students continue her legacy. Recently, accounting major Jason McGhee ‘24 had the opportunity to participate in the Mary T. Washington Wiley Internship Preparation Program, designed to launch African American and other racial and ethnic minority college students into the accounting profession with access to training, resources, and mentors. 

The internship program was held in early January, over the Christmas break. McGhee said he decided to apply after learning about it from Professor of Business and Department Chair Deborah L. Windes, Ph.D.  According to Assistant Professor of Accounting Kevin Schenke, McGhee was an excellent choice for the program. “Jason is an introspective and thoughtful accounting student. He approaches problem solving with a measured and relaxed approach which allows him to focus only on relevant information for decision making,” said Schenke. “This is critical for today’s accountants/CPAs.” 

The multiday program included numerous activities and opportunities. “I was able to connect with fellow participants and industry professionals,” said McGhee. There were also panel sessions led by professionals from Big 4 accounting firms and major corporations, as well as the opportunity to engage in mock interviews. McGhee said a workshop on creating resumes was particularly helpful. He and other participants also took part in interviews for upcoming internships with major accounting firms.  

McGhee said he knew from a young age that he either wanted to be an accountant or a math teacher, before choosing accounting. “I’ve always been passionate about numbers,” he said. A graduate of Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park, Ill., he knew Trinity would help get him ready for that career. Along with having its excellent business program, he was also drawn to Trinity’s size and Christian orientation. “It was the fit that I was looking for,” he said.  

He said he has particularly enjoyed taking classes with Assistant Professor of Business Omar Sweiss and Associate Professor of Business and Finance Kelly Nyhoff. McGhee is also part of Trinity’s Fellows Program, which prepares business students to be innovative global leaders in the competitive world by combining rigorous classroom education and first-hand learning. 

After graduating from Trinity, McGhee plans to pursue a master’s degree and become a licensed CPA. 

He is the second Trinity student to take part in the prestigious internship program, after Indira Escalante ‘19. The program is named in honor of Washington Wylie (1906-2005), who earned a degree from Northwestern University’s business school in 1941 and became a CPA two years later. According to the Illinois CPA Society, at a time when virtually no firms would hire African Americans or females, let alone an African American female, she began her own accounting practice in a basement on the South Side of Chicago. She opened doors for future generations of African American accountants, and the downtown firm of Washington, Pittman & McKeever still bears her name.  

For professional market research, improving brand awareness, boosting social media engagement, creating business models and other services, local companies have an option right at Trinity—Fusion 59’s Consulting Team.  

The Consulting Team, which consists of Trinity students and is overseen by Fusion 59 Director Haley York ‘20, recently presented a marketing plan for a new venture by alumnus Gabriel Soler ‘19. The venture involves “New Drip,” a waterless car wash option that has a strong business in Brazil, and which Soler is looking to expand to the United States.  

The consulting team, led by Hope Heeg ‘22, offered a comprehensive plan that included multiple components, including market research, competitive analysis, product testing feedback, product branding recommendations, and a social media marketing strategy.  

Soler praised the quality of the presentation. “This will lead to some good discussions with the people in Brazil,” he said. “They did a thorough job with research. The pitch deck was well organized and the branding work was very detailed.” 

The team spent about two months working on the presentation. York brought together a team with diverse backgrounds for the assignment, Heeg said. “We had accounting, marketing, and graphic design majors to help tackle this new project. We knew we had to come up with a marketing plan and a strategy to bring New Drip to the United States from Brazil. The team took areas that they were experts in and we went from there! We all reviewed each other’s work and made the necessary changes to provide the most thought-through plan,” she said. 

This was one of several projects the Consulting Team has been working on. “Each semester we are assigned at least four clients in the Chicagoland area that need assistance with their digital marketing. We provide a certain amount of postings per week on various social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube,” Heeg said. “Depending on what package the client purchases, we also do photoshoots to gain new content and email campaigns. These businesses are all diverse in what they provide to the community. For example, we have worked with the Palos Heights Public Library, Royalberry Waffle House, and Noral Jewelers.” 

As a marketing major, Heeg said the Consulting Team has given her important experience and insights and helped prepare her for a career after college. “I knew that this was something that could help get my feet wet in the marketing realm and help me get an idea of what exactly I enjoy,” she said.  

Along with the professional research and report, helping students gain valuable experience is one reason Soler selected the Consulting Team. “As a student, I donated a lot of energy to Trinity. Giving back is important,” said Soler, who majored in finance. “I realized I could give this work to a third party or to Fusion 59, so gave it to Fusion 59.” 

Soler, who lives in Oak Lawn, Ill., and currently works as a consultant, has personal experience with the value that Fusion 59 offers. Fusion 59 launched while he was a student at Trinity, and he was deeply involved, along with serving as captain of the men’s soccer team and being part of Future Founders, which is affiliated with 1871 in downtown Chicago that supports early stage, growth stage and corporate innovators. “I’m pleased to see how well Fusion 59 is doing. Being part of Fusion 59 is a big benefit for students,” he said.” 

And it also benefits clients. Soler is currently working with several partners in the discovery phase of New Drip. He discovered the product while visiting Brazil, and is looking for next steps in introducing it to the U.S. market. “I wanted to get an unbiased view, which is why I reached out to Fusion 59 for marketing consulting work.” 

During his time at Trinity double majoring in finance and marketing, Zach Fitch ’18 didn’t plan to become an influencer or work for one of the biggest TikTok marketing agencies in the world. Yet since graduating from the College and doing a career pivot when COVID-19 hit last year, Fitch has achieved those objectives and more.  

Fitch recently returned to campus from his base in Los Angeles to share his story, offer career advice, and provide insights into social media to several classes of business students. 

In early 2020, Fitch was selling legal products to businesses and consumers. “Then COVID hit, and I lost 70% of my business in a couple of months,” he recalled. Around that time, Fitch’s younger brother challenged him to see who could get the greatest number of TikTok followers. As Fitch remembered with a laugh, he had some time on his hands and didn’t want to lose to his little brother. So, he began creating TikTok videos. “It started as a joke, but I began building a following,” he said. Once he reached more than half a million followers, he started getting offers from companies to promote their brands. Yet TikTok is still a new platform, and there are few guidelines or other people working in that space who could offer advice and guidance. “It is the Wild, Wild West,” he said.  

Those experiences led to his current position as director of campaign execution at Ubiquitous Influencer Marketing, one of the largest TikTok influencer marketing agencies in the world. Ubiquitous works with content creators, as well as major brands like Disney, American Eagle, Netflix, and Lyft. For Fitch, his work is an extension of his Christian faith. “The whole reason Ubiquitous started is so creators don’t get taken advantage of,” he said. “We want to ensure that everyone gets treated fairly.” 

Fitch demonstrates the importance of being flexible, according to Assistant Professor of Business Omar Sweiss. “I’m a big believer in experimenting and adapting,” Sweiss told students during one of Fitch’s presentations. “Zach had to adapt, then adapt again.” 

An education from Trinity Christian College doesn’t just change lives—our graduates go on to change the world. And the life-changing value of a Trinity education has once again been recognized by U.S. New and World Report, which named Trinity to several of its “best” lists for 2022, including among the Top 20 Regional Colleges Midwest and #15 for social mobility. And in U.S. News’ inaugural ranking, Trinity’s nursing program has been ranked among the top 300 of all undergraduate nursing programs in the United States. 

U.S. News uses multiple criteria for its highly regarded rankings. To be named among the “Best Colleges,” Trinity was rated for its graduation and retention rates; social mobility; academic reputation; student selectivity; financial resources; alumni giving; and graduate debt, among other factors. 

“I am confident that, under the tutelage of a talented and dedicated faculty, Trinity students work hard and learn well as they prepare for a lifetime of opportunity and service,” said President Kurt D. Dykstra. “While no one set of data can measure that kind of transformative experience in full, it is gratifying to, once again, be recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top college in the Midwest.” 

Trinity’s performance on social mobility deserved its own category, according to U.S. News, which looked at Trinity’s ability to enroll and graduate students from less-advantaged backgrounds. U.S. News also recognized Trinity’s undergraduate nursing program. (see “U.S. News Recognizes BSN Program among Best in Country”) 

“We are honored and excited to be recognized as an institution that excels at making a college education possible for students from all backgrounds,” said Provost Aaron Kuecker, Ph.D. “This recognition is the result of the significant dedication of an excellent faculty and staff – but, most truly, it is a recognition of the hard work, dedication, and amazing gifts of Trinity’s students. It is such a privilege to serve the students who come to Trinity to learn, to be challenged, to be transformed, and to discover the joy of their vocation.”  

Along with the U.S. News rankings, Trinity is frequently recognized by many organizations for preparing students for a world that needs them. The College’s honors include being named a “College of Distinction;” routinely ranked the best BSN programs in the state of Illinois; part of the “National Strength and Conditioning Association Education Recognition Program;” and a “best value” among special education programs. 

Dr. Paul D. Miantona ’03, DBA, will never forget Saturday, Feb. 26, 1999. That is the day he left behind his refugee life and boarded a plane at the Abidjan International Airport in the Ivory Coast of West Africa to fly to a new life in Philadelphia. “As I bid the final goodbye to my parents, family members, and friends, I saw mixed expressions in their faces,” he recalled.  “For some, it was renewed hope and for others sadness.  As I stepped aboard the gigantic and bluish-looking Air France plane, I knew my life had changed forever.”   

Miantona and his family had been uprooted by the civil war in Liberia that began in 1989 and lasted for 14 years. “My parents, siblings, and I escaped the civil war and settled in the Ivory Coast as refugees, living on the refugee camp in Danane,” he said.   

Miantona, who quickly established himself with a job at a fast-food restaurant, had a goal when he arrived in America: to continue his education. “During that time, I began to fervidly pray that God may open the door for entrance to a Christian college.” And God did answer his prayers. “An old friend was attending Trinity Christian College and began to tell me about his wonderful experiences.” The friend knew of Miantona’s interest in soccer as well as academics, and introduced him to Dave Ribbens, then the men’s head soccer coach. “Coach Dave invited me to try out and by the grace of God I enrolled at Trinity Christian College in the Fall of 1999. I excelled in both soccer and academics and built wonderful and memorable relationships at Trinity.” In 2003, he graduated with his bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems.  

Miantona continued his education after graduating from Trinity and earned a DBA with an emphasis in strategic management, an MBA and a Master’s degree in accounting and financial management. He currently works at Renters Warehouse as a real estate and leasing consultant and is an adjunct professor at Saint Mary’s University, Minnesota. He also co-owns a business called Brokers Select along with a partner.   

He credited Trinity for helping him develop servant leadership traits. “I learned to encourage diversity of thought and create a culture of trust,” Miantona said. “I learned to have an unselfish mindset and foster leadership in others.”  

At Trinity, he also learned the importance of giving back. “At Trinity, I was encouraged to join United Liberia Inland Church Associates & Friends (ULICAF), a nonprofit organization that built Liberian International Christian College.” He currently serves as president of the association’s board.  

Along with influential Trinity professors and staff such as women’s head soccer coach Josh Lenarz ’98 and Associate Professor of Education Kelly Lenarz ’99, Ed.D., his time at the College reinforced his belief in America as a country that embraces different cultures and appreciates the American ideal of liberty and justice for all. “Trinity captivated my attention and made me see America as a ‘beacon of hope’ for the hopeless; a ‘refuge’ for the refugees. It made me admire America as the United States of America.”  

Miantona said Trinity is exceptional and outstanding. “Trinity is the real deal and for this, I am grateful.”  

The bonds between Trinity and the City of Palos Heights run deep—both founded in 1959, the College and the city have grown together and found many ways to benefit each other over the decades. 

Some of those bonds were highlighted during a recent interview with Trinity’s Fusion59 co-directors Haley Heeg ’20 and Sundeep Vira, assistant professor of business and director of data analytics and strategic innovation, on Channel 4, the Palos Heights community access channel. 

During the interview with Palos Heights Alderman Jeff Key, a member of the city’s business and economic advisory committee, Heeg and Vira talked about the partnerships that Fusion59 has formed with local businesses in the three years since its founding. That includes how members of Fusion59’s Consulting Team have worked with businesses in areas like social media, website design, and marketing.  

According to Heeg, Trinity’s Consulting Team works with five clients over the course of A semester. “It’s been wonderful to see how we can grow local business’s social media presence, with web development, and conducting interviews with business owners.” Trinity students also get experience that they can use once they graduate. “It’s mutually beneficial,” she said.  

Said Vira, “Fusion59 is in some ways a bridge between students who have resources and knowledge and information and community members who have business needs.” 

Trinity’s relationship with the Palos Heights community dates back decades, of course. Key pointed to multiple initiatives, including the assistance that students in Trinity’s business classes offer the community, such as assisting with insights for the local Chamber of Commerce, as well as the “welcome back” events that Palos Heights businesses host for students each fall.  

Trinity is part of what make Palos Heights unique, said Key. “It’s eye-opening to see what is going on around campus,” he said.