Initiative Category: Psychology
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)
For every incoming class, our Founders’ Scholars stand apart even amongst their exceptional peers. Normally, Trinity designates two incoming freshmen to receive the prestigious, full-tuition Founders’ Scholarships. Yet thanks to the generosity of our donor community, Trinity has been able to designate five Founders for the Class of 2026.
These five students demonstrated outstanding spiritual, academic, and social leadership:
- Carvel Anderson
- Caitlin Haverdink
- Mia Musick
- Grace Steenwyk
- Anika Wicker
Carvel Anderson, a native of Chicago, is a representative in his high school student government and a member of the Black Student Union. The future elementary education major also served as a Mikva Summer Fellow, where he interned with an elected official. Anderson has also been named a Diversity Scholar with Trinity.
A native of Hudsonville, Mich., Caitlin Haverdink plans to earn a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Trinity. She has been involved with golf, musical theater, and service projects. Haverdink also participates in the Spiritual Leadership Team at her school and with the praise team and nursey at her church.
Mia Musick, from Fisher, Ill., is considering majoring in psychology or social work. She is currently involved in student government and the National Honor Society at her high school and also plays the saxophone. One of five girls, she also competes in sports and serves as an FCA group leader. Musick is also a member of the gospel choir and preschool volunteer at her church.
Grace Steenwyk is from Zeeland, Mich., where she plays volleyball and soccer. She plans to continue her volleyball career as a Trinity Troll, as well as to participate in Trinity’s Honors Program. She is currently involved in the National Honor Society and student leadership. Steenwyk plans to major in psychology.
Anika Wicker grew up traveling the world with her parents, Lloyd ’97 and Heidi (Boeck) ’98, as her father serves as a Navy Chaplain. Wicker has participated in the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) for four years and is currently a commanding officer. Wicker, who is planning to major in special education, plays piano and guitar and sings, and advocates against human trafficking through the Dressember Foundation.
Trinity is excited to welcome these newest Founders’ Scholars to campus this fall! Said Professor of Communication Arts and Co-Director of the Honors Program Craig Mattson, Ph.D., “Hearing about our new Founders is electric. I watched these people doing collaborative problem-solving in high-stakes conditions. They are extraordinary.”
Join us for the tenure lecture of Dr. Kara Wolff, Professor of Counseling, on Tuesday, April 5 at 3:55 pm in the Grand Lobby of Ozinga Chapel. Tenure lectures are a celebration of the mature Christian scholarship of our faculty colleagues. When we celebrate these moments, we mark and extend our commitment to our core identity and mission as a College – and we rejoice at the gifted teacher-scholars in our midst!
Wolff’s lecture is entitled “Christian Social Justice Pedagogy: A Shared Dwelling Place.” At the core of the human experience is a desire to belong and to be deeply known. Despite this longing we often find ourselves challenged to connect in deep and meaningful ways across our constructed barriers. This lecture explores how cultivating a learning environment that fosters love for each other and prioritizes pursuing justice and equity opens us up to transformational ways of being in the world.
Trinity’s Counseling and Psychology and Social Work Departments are pleased to present the Ninth Annual Psychology Renewed Conference on Saturday, April 30 from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm.
Attendees to the conference will explore Conceptual Dialectical Behavior Therapy and how it can be used to treat emotional dysregulation.
Dr. Paul Holmes, a Senior Lecturer at Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice at the University of Chicago, will introduce the “Chronic Distress Model” as an explanation of emotional escalation. He will give an overview of the structure and processes that comprise C-DBT, an approach that emphasizes experiential encounters where participants decouple behaviors from emotions, thoughts, and memories and select responses based on context and valued ends. Participants can experience freedom from their past and create opportunities to organize their behavior in relation to a future they desire.
For more information and to register for the conference, click here.
Cost:
CEUs – $30 | Trinity Alums – $10 (CEUs are included in the alumni cost) | Current Students – Free with Registration
Join us for the tenure lecture of Dr. Jessica Clevering, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Adult Program in Psychology, on Tuesday, March 29 at 3:55 pm in the Grand Lobby of Ozinga Chapel. Tenure lectures are a celebration of the mature Christian scholarship of our faculty colleagues. When we celebrate these moments, we mark and extend our commitment to our core identity and mission as a College – and we rejoice at the gifted teacher-scholars in our midst!
Clevering’s lecture, “Three Heads in the Well: A Pedagogical Fairy Tale, ” will explore how should professors approach the self, specifically their own selves, while teaching? Four approaches will be proposed, and the preferred approach will be illustrated by means of a fairy tale. That’s right: story time! Christian themes will be highlighted throughout. Teddy bears are welcome.
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.
At Trinity, our bachelor’s degree program in psychology and our master’s degree program in clinical mental health counseling prepare students to serve in a variety of careers and professions, with understanding and healing in mind.
So, the College is pleased to have its undergraduate and graduate programs recognize by College Factual as among the “Best Colleges.” College Factual ranked the the bachelor’s program among the top 20 in the Great Lakes Region and the master’s program as #11 in the Great Lakes Region. Along with the overall quality of the program, the rankings agency also named both programs a “best value.”
College Factual also provided accolades to Trinity’s education and special education programs.
To determine its rankings, College Factual analyzed almost 5,000 colleges & universities in the United States.
Schools were assessed across 1,784 different majors & concentrations, 60+ different and four degree levels to come up with what amounts to over 800,000 distinct lists to help students find the best-fit college for them.
At Trinity, our bachelor’s degree program in psychology and our master’s degree program in clinical mental health counseling prepare students to serve in a variety of careers and professions, with understanding and healing in mind.
So, the College is pleased to have its undergraduate and graduate programs recognize by College Factual as among the “Best Colleges.” College Factual ranked the the bachelor’s program among the top 20 in the Great Lakes Region and the master’s program as #11 in the Great Lakes Region. Along with the overall quality of the program, the rankings agency also named both programs a “best value.”
College Factual also provided accolades to Trinity’s education and special education programs.
To determine its rankings, College Factual analyzed almost 5,000 colleges & universities in the United States.
Schools were assessed across 1,784 different majors & concentrations, 60+ different and four degree levels to come up with what amounts to over 800,000 distinct lists to help students find the best-fit college for them.
The Illinois Counseling Association‘s Trinity Chapter is hosting the Third Annual Wellness Retreat on Saturday, Oct. 23 from 9:30 am to 3 pm.
At the retreat, participants will have the opportunity to choose from a variety of workshops featuring physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and other areas of personal wellness.
Each workshop is designed to aid in improving life balance and understanding in each area of life. Workshops are led by faculty, students, and other area professionals.
Tickets are $20. Trinity students are invited to attend the event for free.
Lunch is included in the price of admission. Vegetarian options will be available.
Registration begins at 9:30 am upstairs in the Classroom Building. Workshops begin at 10:00 am and end at 2:30 pm.
Participants are invited to gather for Meditation and a Raffle Prize drawing to wrap up the day.
This year’s Wellness Retreat will also include vendors offering a variety of services and products to aid participants on their wellness journeys.
Proceeds help support the philanthropic efforts of the Trinity Christian College Chapter of the Illinois Counseling Association.
Trinity Christian College is graciously supporting the efforts of our local ICA Chapter by sponsoring this event.
Have questions about the event or are interested in becoming a presenter or vendor?
Contact Dr. Deb Majewski (Faculty Advisor) or Tabitha Jirsa (Chapter President). They can be reached, by email, at:
Dr. Deb Majewski – debra.majewski@trnty.edu
Tabitha Jirsa – tabitha.jirsa@trnty.edu
Click here to learn more and register.
*CDC guidelines will be followed.
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.