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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. News 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.
Students who receive their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees from Trinity aren’t just graduating from the best nursing program in the state of Illinois. In its inaugural rankings, U.S. News & World Report has recognized Trinity’s program as among the best in the country, standing shoulder to shoulder with some of the largest universities in the United States.
U.S. News also named the College to several other prestigious lists, including among the Top 20 Regional Colleges Midwest and #15 for social mobility. (see “U.S. News Names Trinity a Top 20 School”)
In the latest U.S. News rankings, Trinity was named among the top 300 of all undergraduate nursing programs in the United States, taking its place among far larger colleges and universities.
“Trinity’s Department of Nursing is dedicated to preparing nurses who are both academically excellent, and also ready to face the demands of providing hands on patient care. Our commitment to training nurses to excel in both theory and clinical practice, makes our graduates stand out when they enter the workforce all over the world,” said Associate Professor of Nursing and Department Chair Dr. Tina Decker ’06. “We prepare great BSN nurses who are ready to provide Christ-like care to those in need. This recognition from U.S. News affirms that. It is an honor to have the hard work of the students, alumni, faculty, staff, and the broader Trinity community recognized in this way.”
The College’s program has set the bar for nursing programs in many ways. In 2020, Trinity nursing graduates achieved a perfect first-time pass rate on the NCLEX-RN exam for the fifth time in six years. This success for Trinity’s top-ranked program represents the highest six-year NCLEX average of any BSN or ADN program in Illinois.
Trinity’s Nursing program is also regularly ranked among the best BSN programs in Illinois, including by RegisteredNursing.org and RN to BSN.
For Amy Nagelkirk ’92, president of the Trinity Alumni Nursing Association (TANA), it is exciting to see Trinity’s nursing department recognized once again for its excellence. “It’s a tradition that I’ve always felt proud of while working in both Chicago and West Michigan.”
One of the great strengths of Trinity’s nursing program is the generosity of its dedicated nursing alumni, including TANA members who support the Department of Nursing through student-related activities and fundraising, and foster personal and professional relationships among alumni, she said. “At the height of the pandemic surge last November, we saw an increased number of nursing alumni volunteer to be part of our TANA mentoring program. Even as many were in the thick of it, struggling to get through their shifts and extra mandate shifts, they were still wanting to support students.”
TANA also provides endowed scholarships for nursing students. “This, year, TANA was able to award two $1,000 scholarships from that fund,” she said. “A program with that kind of support behind it is going to continue to thrive.”
Graphic novels and Comic-Con go together like Batman and Robin. And as the famed convention has expanded its online educational programming, helping teachers incorporate graphic novels into the classroom is one topic the Comic-Con Educational Series recently tackled. Trinity Professor of Education Bill Boerman-Cornell, Ph.D., who recently published Using Graphic Novels in the English Language Arts Classroom, appeared as a panelist to share strategies, resources, and lessons to improve methods of teaching with this highly effective medium.
As part of the panel, Boerman-Cornell discussed ways to help teachers incorporate the use of graphic novels into their classrooms, as well as talking about his own introduction to graphic novels. He fondly recalled the time as a young boy in the 1970s when his Aunt Agatha took him to a comic books store and gave him $20. “This was at a time when Marvel comics cost 35 cents—it was fantastic,” he said. “In those days, we were often told comic books weren’t serious, and you shouldn’t be spending time with that. But it led to loving to read.”
Fast forward several years, and Boerman-Cornell was teaching English at the high school level. “I’d spend 50 minutes trying to get students to have a serious discussion about Hamlet,” he said. But then one day, he was walking down the hall and heard two students passionately discussing something they were reading–Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman #19,” a take on Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
“It turns out it was a comic book about Shakespeare. At that point, I was hooked,” he said. Boerman-Cornell went on to focus his dissertation on graphic novels.
He and the other panelists, which included high school teachers and college professors, also discussed their greatest surprises in teaching with graphic novels. Boerman-Cornell pointed to the ways that his students showed him new insights into the medium by realizing how imagery interacted with text.
He also encouraged teachers in fields other than English to consider how graphic novels could fit into their curriculum. “English is the rock star for using graphic novels, but we sometimes forget all other subjects can use them as well,” he said. “There are so many graphic novels out there for math, science, history, and even things like phys ed and the arts. There is a lot of room out there.”
Each fall, Convocation brings together the Trinity Christian College community like no other event on campus, where students, professors, staff, and administrators gather together to mark the beginning of the academic year. The 63rd Annual Convocation, which took place on Sept. 1, was a particularly meaningful one, as those who had been learning, teaching and working remotely during the pandemic came together once more in Ozinga Chapel Auditorium to pray, sing, and be in community.
President Kurt Dykstra welcomed the campus to the opening of another academic year. He reminded the campus that it was carrying on a six-decade tradition at the College and, in this gathering, was joining figuratively with all who have previously been a part of the Trinity community. Dykstra also reminded the community that it was undertaking the serious work of “calling forth the best of a tradition, pursuing truth, gathering knowledge, engaging reason, growing in wisdom, and nurturing a deep faith.”
Continuing another long-standing Trinity tradition, the college Professor of the Year, Dr. David Brodnax Sr., Ph.D., delivered the Convocation address. Brodnax, Professor of History, gave context to current events, from the pandemic to massive movements for social justice, a divisive presidential election, and the ravages of climate change.
He looked to the past, from the ancient Hebrews to today’s current climate, with a spoiler-filled description of the Marvel universe’s most recent movies and television shows. Like some of the Avengers, many today want to see the world remain the way it has always been—or how they perceive it to be, Brodnax said.
Brodnax urged everyone at Convocation to continue to make reforms around the world and on our own campus. “To everyone here today, Trinity is a place that can and should change you. Trinity is a place that can and should be changed by you. Trinity is a place that you can use to change the world…. We were meant to make all things new, to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God.”
The first day of fall classes is always an exciting time, with campus dorms bursting with new friends and roommates, halls buzzing with students and professors, athletics teams launching into the new season, and a community gathered together in the pursuit of knowledge.
At Trinity, Aug. 30 marked a particularly special back-to-school occasion, after the challenges of the COVID pandemic. Students, professors, and staff reported a new appreciation for being together again.
“I just kept telling my students how good it was to see their real faces (even behind the masks!),” said Associate Professor of Physical Education, Recreation and Kinesiology (PERK) and Department Chair Shari L. Jurgens ‘92, Ph.D. “Being able to connect with their faces is so important for learning, and I am excited to be able to be in a classroom or gym with them again! Teaching PERK classes in the gym over Zoom was not fun or easy, but it was what we had to do and our students did great at adjusting and learning, despite the challenges. We are just glad to be back together, moving and learning together again!
Associate Professor of Chemistry Jon Vander Woude ’10, Ph.D., said it is wonderful to have students back in the classroom and laboratory full time this fall. “We all did our best when COVID forced us to turn online, but there is something lost when class is on a computer screen instead of in person, and I am looking forward to once again building meaningful relationships with my students as I get to know them face to face,” he said.
Trinity’s Student Government Association (SGA) is also excited to be back in-person and has planned many activities for the upcoming semester. “We will be aiming in encouraging more student voices on campus and their activeness to join clubs and organizations to make Trinity a place where students can feel belonging,” said RanitaLuhur’22, SGA president. “As a student and a member of SGA, the last 18 months have been interesting. We were able to innovate and look at things where we haven’t thought of before, such as having half virtual and half in-person SGA meetings. So, I’m excited to see what SGA can come up with more this year, I’m certain that this would be a great year for SGA as we return fully in person.”
President Kurt D. Dykstra also shared in greeting everyone back to campus. “This is the start of another year, one filled with great adventures,” he said in a message to students. “ God has brought us together in this time at this place for distinct purposes. Let us joyfully discover those purposes together, fully with one another.”
The world needs social workers, and Trinity is pleased to announce the Spring 2022 launch of a Bachelor of Social Work degree geared towards adult students and taking place entirely online. This new degree program, specifically designed for adults with some college credit who are aged 23 or older, offers greater accessibility to a BSW degree for individuals who may otherwise not be able to engage with social work education due to various barriers such as work and family responsibilities.
This new program, along with the College’s traditional undergraduate BSW program, answers the call for the growing need for social workers with a focus on liberal arts education that prepares Trinity’s graduates for a world that needs them. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 13% employment growth rate for all social workers from 2019-29. Students who earn their BSW degree at Trinity Christian College are eligible to earn their MSW degree in 1-year through the advanced standing placement enrollment option at other higher education institutions with a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Master of Social Work (MSW) degree program.
Said Associate Professor of Social Work; Director of Social Work Program; and Department Chair Cini Bretzlaff-Holstein, DSW, “This new degree completion program offers adult learners’ access to an exciting opportunity beyond the traditional face-to-face undergraduate program. More specifically, this new online program provides greater access to an accredited Bachelor of Social Work program in which the integration of faith and practice is central to its mission and identity.”
This new online option for adult learners amplifies Trinity’s current BSW program, according to Bretzlaff-Holstein. “Assisting students in the development and discernment of their vocational call to be Christ-like change agents through the social work profession is at the heart of Trinity’s social work program.”
The program will continue the history of excellence demonstrated by those who have earned their BSW degrees from Trinity, according to Amy Tiemersma, MSW, LCSW, clinical social worker at Trinity agency partner Bethshan Association. “Trinity offers an excellent on-campus Bachelor of Social Work program, and I am excited about the increased accessibility the online program will offer, with flexible timing and location for adults who may be working full time or who may not able to access Trinity’s campus due to geography,” said Tiemersma, who has served on the advisory committee for the Trinity social work department, taught social work classes as an adjunct faculty member, and supervised many Trinity BSW interns during their field placements.
Tiemersma said she is confident that the online program will maintain the excellence that allows Trinity’s social work program to stand apart from others. “I can attest first hand to the excellence of instruction overseen by the social work professors, the provision of valuable social work learning experiences for students, and the incorporation of a Christian world view for informing social work practice, and I really encourage adults considering a BSW to look into this new option at Trinity.”
Applications are currently being accepted for the Spring 2022 semester. To learn more about Trinity’s new Adult BSW program, visit our website.
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.
Nobody questions the need for companies to have economic capital. And social capital is increasingly recognized as a key ingredient for business success. But what about spiritual capital? Well, that raises a whole host of other issues, many of them complicated. It’s a topic that Professor of Communication Arts Craig Mattson, Ph.D., delves into in his most recent book, “Why Spiritual Capital Matters: Activating Latent Resources in Your Community.”
In 2018, Mattson was researching the topic of organizational communication. “People wanted to talk about the role of spirituality,” he said. “As a person of faith at a Christian institution, I decided to pursue that.”
As part of his research, Mattson talked with dozens of social entrepreneurs and launched a podcast series called “Spiritual Capital.” His research raised questions about spirituality, racial equity, the collective nature of social capital, and other issues.
“I labored over the term spiritual capital, but it provoked some good talks,” he said. “I got involved in some weirdness around the idea of spirituality—I went to some really woo woo conferences,” he said with a laugh.
Yet even at the woo woo conferences, the need for capital, including economic, social, and cultural, kept coming up.
After starting the book, Mattson said he experienced a mindset change. “I was focusing on white-led institutions, where spiritual capital was talked about on an individual level,” he said. But after attending a conference for SOCAP, a thought leadership platform for the accelerating movement towards a more just and sustainable economy, he met some entrepreneurs of color. “That provided some framework for individualization.” In particular, Mattson points to conversations with De’Amon Harges, faculty member of the Asset Based Community Development Institute, community organizer, creator of the Learning Tree, and chairperson of the Grassroots Grantmakers Association Board, in particular towards helping him shift to seeing social capital as more of a collective endeavor.
The murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and other unarmed Black Americans also helped to spur his interest in how the financial system breeds, systemic racism, a topic Mattson frequently focused on in his podcast series.
The resulting book encompasses multiple topics, including “On Being Mindful and Overwhelmed;” “Moving from Dialogue to Multilogue;” “The Limits of Epiphany;” “Telling Company Stories That Start with Place;” and “Expanding the Range of our Affections.”
Mattson’s perspectives on business and spirituality are refreshing, especially for those who have been involved in the “conscious business” sector, said Emily Lonigro, founder and president of LimeRed. “He helps us see with new eyes—ourselves, each other, our paths, our connections.”
“Why Spiritual Capital Matters” also provides a vital resource for organizational leaders everywhere, according to Angie Thurston, cofounder of Sacred Design Lab. “In our time of widespread spiritual longing, he provides clear and practical pathways to activate the spiritual capital that is always in our midst—and which could not matter more!”
According to Mattson, that echoes one important takeaway he learned: “We have more capital than we know,” he said. “Often, we can’t see it or perceive it. We all have our blind spots.” He points to the verse he quotes at the beginning of the book, from Ecclesiastes 3:15 (NRSV): “…that which is to be, already is.”
Along with the book and podcast, Mattson shares more insights about why spiritual capital matters in this series of videos.
SALT is back with terrific, in-person offerings for Fall 2021! SALT (Seasoned Adults Learning at Trinity) is a membership-based program for community members 55+ who are interested in ongoing education and lifelong learning.
“We are excited to welcome our current and new members back ,” said Andrea Dieleman, SALT program coordinator. “This fall, we are offering a variety of courses on numerous hobby and academic topics, as well as other special events like discounted tickets to the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra and Southwest Symphony Orchestra.”
The $40 annual membership to SALT includes discounted rates for classes, as well as numerous benefits:
- Free “listener pass”— the opportunity to sit in on a select group of traditional college courses during the Fall and Spring semesters
- Access to Trinity’s fitness center
- Free on-campus parking sticker
- Invitation to special theatre performances and lectures
- Invitation to music department recitals and concerts
- Free admission to regular season home athletic contests
- Free Wi-Fi while on campus
- Significant discounted rate for Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) performances on campus
- Significant discounted student rate for Southwest Symphony Orchestra performances
“We are also introducing a new Guest Program and Visitor Program in the Fall,” said Dieleman. “Members can purchase one additional discounted ‘guest’ pass for all courses and events offered by SALT. In addition, visitors are invited to join us for all our offerings at a non-discounted rate.”
The classes taking place in the Fall include a look at the Underground Railroad in Chicago and Northeastern Illinois; a History of Toleration: Discussions, Disputes, and Difficulties; Wellness for Seniors; Taking a Slow Stitch: A History of the World Through the Eye of a Needle; Chemicals that Changed History; Coming to America Through Immigrant Voices; and World Music and Missions.
To learn more about SALT, visit trnty.edu/SALT
Network Administrator Erick Matherly has dedicated his time to serving the Trinity community, while simultaneously serving our country as a member of the National Guard. In recognition of the College’s support of his service, he recently nominated Trinity and his supervisor for several awards through the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a program of the U.S. Department of Defense.
Matherly’s supervisor Director of Technology Systems Kevin Jacobs ‘02 received the Patriot Award, which recognizes supervisors and bosses nominated by a guardsman or reservist employee for support provided directly to the nominator. The College was also honored to receive a nomination for the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, the highest recognition given by the U.S. government for employers.
As a visible emblem of Trinity’s commitment to support of the Guard and Reserve, President Kurt D. Dykstra has signed an ESGR Statement of Support as well.
“I have felt strongly supported at Trinity in my 12 years of working here and as a service member,” said Matherly. “It was really cool that I had the opportunity to nominate Trinity for the award.”
Matherly has been part of the National Guard throughout his time at the College and has served two deployments, multiple trainings, and other service work in that time. In his nominations, Matherly praised the accommodations and encouragement he has received from the College, his coworkers in the IT Department, and Jacobs in particular. “The department I work in is a small team, and everyone has to pick up my workload when I am away,” he noted. “My supervisor is flexible with my schedule, and has always been supportive of my service and time away. He has personally worked extra hours to make up for my absence while I am at training or deployed. He always displays a positive and friendly attitude towards my service and this great Country.”
Jacobs said he was honored to receive the Patriot Award. “I’m grateful for Erick’s service in the National Guard and the opportunity to support him while he was away,” said Jacobs. “I’m also thankful for the support that the IT department was given from Trinity during Erick’s deployment and while he was away for training prior to his deployment.”
In further recognition of Trinity’s support of U.S. military personnel, Jacobs and Dykstra recently participated in a ceremony at the headquarters of the Kankakee, Ill., National Guard unit.