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Recently Justin Vander Waal ’16 was named winner of Trinity’s 2015-16 Student Association Service Award. The annual award is given by the Student Association to a Trinity student who has shown exceptional leadership skills, clearly desires the best for the College and her students, whose impact has been felt across campus, and whose presence will be missed upon graduation.
“I’m extremely honored to be even considered for the award,” said Vander Waal, a graphic design major from Oostburg, Wis.
When Vander Waal was nominated during a Student Association meeting, everyone had something positive to say about the impact he has had at Trinity, said Casey Huisenga ’18. “His light for Christ shone through his work and attitude, embodying everything that the service award stands for.”
According to Halie Wisse ’16, Student Association president, Vander Waal willingly served with a joyful spirit in his many activities, including working with Trinity’s AV department, as part of Outcry, and behind the scenes at many events.
Vander Waal’s name will be added to the Service Award plaque that hangs in the Molenhouse Student Center.
During the final chapel of the 2015-16 school year, Trinity introduced a new tradition of recognizing our seniors from all programs and sending them forth from our community. Each senior was presented with a medallion.
This new tradition allows us to bless, congratulate, and celebrate the class of 2016, before commencement on April 30.
-By Rachel Townsend ’16
One novel. Three different disciplinary perspectives. On April 14, Trinity hosted a colloquium on Ralph Ellison’s groundbreaking 1952 book Invisible Man. The storyfollows one African American man as he faces racial tensions, journeying through an era of hatred and confusion, a time of invisibility. By exploring the novel and its themes through history, literature, and music, the Ellison Colloquium offered students and faculty the chance to not only speak on these subjects, but to show their interdisciplinary power.
Hosted by Dr. Bob Rice, professor emeritus of history, the colloquium included presentations by Dr. David Brodnax Sr., professor of history, Dr. Mark Jones, professor of English, and Dr. Mark Peters, professor of music. Their presentations were followed by a Q & A session, where faculty and students were encouraged to probe the material further.
“Invisible Man is one of the most important novels in 20th century America for several reasons,” said Brodnax. “It explored the idea of identity at the crossroads of the 20th century, a time when Americans had just come out of WWII and the Depression and were also entering the Cold War and Civil Rights Movement. At the same time, questions of individual and national identity are timeless, and so the book is as well. Also, for a country that had yet to reckon its original sins of slavery and racism, the novel explores these issues. At the same time, because America still has not fully addressed these problems, and in fact because some people and institutions in America continue to make them worse, the book is timeless.”
In between each presentation, there were interludes of dramatic readings and musical performances inspired by the novel. Students participated, including Fred Walls ’16, who read a segment from the book’s Jim Trueblood episode, Dyvon Melling ’16, who performed a segment from the funeral oration, and Kylla Pate ’17, who read an original poem. Faculty also took part, with Jones and Dr. Aron Reppmann, professor of philosophy, performing the song “Come Back, Baby.” Brodnax, Jones, and Peters ended the event with a performance of “Black and Blue.”
The colloquium was sponsored by a generous grant from Trinity’s Faculty Development Office, Brodnax said. View the photo gallery for a look at the event.
As the school year comes to an end, the Athletics Department held its annual Athletics Award Night. The program involved a review of the highlights of the sports season, a video capturing the action from the year, and reflections by three senior athletes, and the awards ceremony.
The Liz Metcalfe Memorial Award and Keith Albers Memorial Awards, the department’s highest honors, are career awards given to a female and male athlete who exhibit exemplary play on the athletic field, high achievement in the classroom, and leadership in campus activities. This year’s recipients were women’s basketball player Allie Paluchniak ’16 of Oostburg, Wisconsin, and cross country and track runner Michael Potter ’16 of Kentwood, Michigan.
Paluchniak, a three-year player and starter on the women’s basketball team, is a team leader on and off the court. For her career she averaged 8.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists and ranks first in the Trinity records book with a 79.7 free throw percentage. She earned 2014-15 NCCAA North Central All-Region Honorable Mention honors and for the past two years has received scholar-athlete recognition as an exercise science major.
Potter is a four-year member of the cross country and track and field teams. On the cross country course he ranks seventh overall in Trinity’s record book with a career best time of 26:14 in the 8K race. As a track distance runner he ranks in the top ten in five indoor and four outdoor records. This year he has qualified for the marathon at the NAIA National Championship. He earned 2015 CCAC All-Conference honors and, as an accounting major, is a scholar-athlete.
For their outstanding individual accomplishment for the year, cross country and track runner Ashley Jourdan ‘17of Wyoming, Michigan, and baseball player Zack Jones ’17 of Norridge, Illinois, were named the Athletes of the Year.
Jourdan is a NAIA All-American in cross country and indoor track and has already qualified in the 1500 meter for the NAIA national outdoor meet in late May. For the cross country season, she led the team, tied the school 5K record at 18:09, took second in the conference, was a national qualifier, and finished 29th at the NAIA national meet. In the indoor track season she set the school record in the mile at 5:02.75 and took fourth place at the NAIA indoor championships.
Jones is the starting catcher and a closing pitcher for the baseball team that has set school record for season wins. In the ongoing season he is a team leader with an above .400 batting average. He ranks in the top five in the conference in batting, hit, RBI, and walk averages and leads the CCAC with nine saves as a reliever. The baseball post-season awards are yet to be determined.
Recognizing a member of the Trinity community who has made a significant contribution to the athletics department, the Rich Kooy Award was presented to Brittany Lee, athletics department member. Lee not only functions as an assistant coach for the women’s soccer team, but in the past couple of years has enriched the athletics department with the formation of the Athletics Leadership Program for Students (ALPS) and by serving as a Performance Enhancement Coach.
FINDING A HOME AWAY FROM HOME
The best hospitals hire only the best nurses. Thanks to the education she received at Trinity, Rebecca (Vannette) Hendrikse ’15 was hired at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago after completing her capstone project there.
“After completing my capstone—a 200 hour internship–at Northwestern, I realized there was no better place to gain experience than at one of the best hospitals in the nation,” said Hendrikse. “Northwestern expects excellence and precision from their nurses, and I knew I would get to see the newest advanced technologies in medicine. Trinity’s nursing program expects excellence, as can be seen in our 100% NCLEX-RN pass rate and focus on evidence-based practice, and I knew I needed a place of work that would expect the same.”
She had another compelling reason to look for an internship that could lead to a job after graduation. “My junior year, I met a boy by the name of Nathan [Hendrikse ’14]. He graduated and found a job in Tinley Park, Ill. When he proposed to me in January of my senior year, I figured I’d stick around,” she said.
As a general medicine nurse, she passes medications, verifies orders, completes documentation, and helps patients try to be comfortable. “I listen to, I advocate for, and hold the hands of patients and their families. I insert IVs, hold pressure on bleeds, change dressings, and often call for help. I make jokes, smile, and laugh a lot. And I definitely do a lot of cleaning,” said Hendrikse.
While her course work was very important, Hendrikse said much of her growth during college occurred in the relationships she made, including her time as a Resident Assistant (RA).
In fact, Hendrikse found a home at Trinity in the fall of 2013, when she faced several challenging events. “Any nursing major will tell you that first semester junior year is the toughest year of school,” she said. But along with her coursework, Hendrikse’s mother was diagnosed with advanced stage cancer in October. Then, on Nov. 17 during a trip home to Washington, Ill., with several friends, her house and much of her town were hit by a powerful tornado. “My friends and I were able to make our way back that evening when Trinity allowed some other friends to make a rescue trip out to us in a TrinVan. It’s safe to say I was overwhelmed,” Hendrikse said. After being back on campus for a few days, she realized she needed to return to her family. “My nursing professors were extremely understanding.”
Hendrikse specifically recalled how Professor Tina Decker, assistant professor of nursing and department chair, worked closely with her to ensure she would have enough time in the simulation lab. “After the SIM, she asked me to stay for a few minutes and brought me into the nursing office. She proceeded to tell me that she and the other professors were praying for me. Professor Decker pushes us hard because she wants us to be excellent, but she can also make each student feel important in conversations. I think that is what Trinity is all about — large enough to have excellent programs, but small enough to make each student feel worthy and worth while. We are not just numbers.”
TAKING OFF AT UNITED
Carolyn (Callie) Bunker ’15 never expected to get a job working for a major company in Chicago’s famous Willis Tower right after graduation. Her education and experience at Trinity has allowed exactly that to happen. “Looking back, I am able to see how various events that God orchestrated during college, and even before college, were all building up to my job with United Airlines,” said Bunker. “I was extremely blessed to be able to attend such an exceptional school. I never thought that I would be working for a Fortune 500 company right out of college and I am humbled by the opportunity.
Trinity also shaped me to be a person of understanding and empathy, two qualities that are desirable when your job deals with customer service.”
A business communication major with minors in marketing and history, Bunker works as a social media relationship representative for the international airline. She is responsible for day-to-day response and relationship building in the company’s Social Media 24/7 customer response operation. Her job includes actively managing incoming customer conversations from start to resolution. She also identifies social trends, insights, and content opportunities, while replying to positive posts and comments.
As an incoming freshman, Bunker hadn’t decided on a major. “Second semester of my freshman year, I took an assessment test through the Cooper Career Center. The results I received essentially told me that I would thrive in a variety of fields. So I decided to pick up a major in business communication,” she said.
Bunker enjoyed her introduction to marketing class so much that she became a marketing minor. That ultimately led to an internship as the marketing director at the Chick-fil-A in Willowbrook, Ill. “My internship at Chick-fil-A taught me how to work in a fast-paced, constantly changing corporate environment. I also managed all of their social media and was able to gain a greater understanding of using social media as an outreach platform,” she said.
While Bunker was active in a variety of areas at Trinity, including as an FYF [First Year Forum] mentor and Women’s Ministry leader, theater was a particular passion. “My theater involvement lasted my entire college career, and it truly shaped me as a person, teaching me how to be a team player and work on a successful project from start to finish,” she said.
Bunker’s faith was also influenced by every aspect of her college education, she recalled. “The Trinity community reminds me of Romans 12, where Paul says that if you have been blessed with the gift of encouragement then you ought to encourage one another. In verse 10 he says: ‘Be devoted to one another in brotherly love, honor one another above yourselves.’ The people I interacted with at Trinity — faculty, staff, and students — proved to be living examples of these two principles.”
All of these experiences came together to help launch Bunker into her current role. “My past experience with social media through Chick-fil-A and through the Trinity theater proved to be a great asset when applying to my current position with United Airlines. I never thought I would end up with a job in social media and God definitely surprised me with this one,” she said.
A PRICELESS OPPORTUNITY
Choosing a major at Trinity was no easy job for Patrick Page ’15, who eventually settled on biology and philosophy. That unique combination helped position Page for his current job as a research technologist at the Center for Genetic Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
“A Christian liberal arts education offers priceless opportunities. I switched my majors more times than I can remember. Because of the unique and enjoyable courses, I ended up wanting to major in everything,” he said. “The foundation courses expose each student to a myriad of different disciplines that whet the appetite for learning.”
Once he settled on his biology major, the research opportunities at Trinity provided ways to gain valuable experience. “The research I was able to do with both Dr. [Robert] Boomsma ’77 [professor of biology] and Dr. [Clayton] Carlson [associate professor of biology] was a monumental piece of my college life,” he said. “I was fortunate enough to share data at various venues and to different groups of people within the school on both local and national levels. One project allowed for the publication of a paper into a peer-reviewed journal.”
At the Center for Genetic Medicine, he maintains the lab and assists with research projects.
“Currently, this means I am doing tissue culture with primary cell lines and induced pluripotent stem cells. I am also being trained to perform echocardiograms, electrocardiograms, tissue sectioning, and staining,” he said.
He suggested current Trinity students take full advantage of the liberal arts opportunities whenever they can. “I encourage students with a light credit hour semester to try out some classes in departments other than their major,” he said. “It will be a very rewarding experience.”
APPLYING TRINITY’S VALUES IN THE BUSINESS WORLD
The world of finance can be a cut-throat one. But for Jonathan Holden ’15, his Trinity education helped impart values he uses as a Corporate Actions Analyst I at Jackson National Asset Management (JNAM) in downtown Chicago. “Sometimes, you have to be aggressive, but at JNAM, they appreciate cooperation. That’s also appreciated at Trinity, and one of the values I learned there,” said Holden, an accounting major.
At JNAM, Holden is part of a team of five that researches corporate actions such as mergers, stock splits, and rights issuances for any security held by JNAM’s funds. The actions are analyzed to determine which transactions to book in order to recognize the action and to assess the impact on the value of the fund. “Ultimately we ensure that Net Asset Values (NAV) of our funds remain accurate. Additionally we monitor dividend payments, distressed debt, and class actions, and we work to automate many of our daily processes,” he said.
While at Trinity, Holden was able to gain experience in the business world through two internships, including one at JNAM. He also participated in Trinity’s Investment Club, whose mission is to provide members with a greater knowledge of investing through a Christian worldview. Discussions with his advisor Dr. Lynn Spellman White and Professor Todd Barre were helpful when he was considering his future plans.
“I found out in April of 2014 that I would begin my internship at JNAM in January 2015 and would need to be available to work at least 40-50 hours a week in January through March,” he said. “Dr. White spent extra time with me planning which classes I would need to take over that summer and the following two semesters in order to fit everything in and still have plenty of time to devote to JNAM.”
Professor Barre also provided many helpful insights. “He was open to talking about his own career path and the multiple jobs and roles he had filled in his life. Some of the best advice he gave me was to remember that I wouldn’t just be entitled to anything after college and that I would have to work hard at any job I had to earn the career I wanted. I kept this in mind throughout both my internships, and I believe this attitude was certainly a factor in being promoted to an analyst at JNAM,” said Holden.
As a student, Holden enjoyed going into the city for baseball games and other events. Now that he lives within walking distance of Wrigley Field, he cheers on the Cubs regularly at home games. “I would advise current students who want to work in Chicago after graduation to take advantage of all the opportunities,” Holden said.
For Byron Plate ’15, his accounting internship at Trinity led directly to his current job at Topel Forman. In fact, he did two internships, and both places offered him a job after graduation.
“I really liked Topel Forman during my internship,” Plate said. “I could see that I would be able to move up as I progressed through my career. But it’s also small enough that a number of top partners began their careers here after college and worked their way up to the top.”
He began his job at Topel Forman as a tax associate one week after graduating, and has passed all the necessary exams to become a CPA. Plate credits the Business Department faculty at Trinity, and Dr. Lynn Spellman White in particular, for preparing him for the rigors of the professional accounting world. “Dr. White is very good at bringing up opportunities for students,” he said.
Plate encourages current Trinity students to take advantage of internships and the many opportunities available in Chicago. “There are lots of different kinds of cultural experiences you can go to. It’s good to branch out,” he said. “Chicago opened up many doors for me in terms of job opportunities.”
Love of Accounting, Music Leads to Big 4 Job
For Stephanie Reichert ’14, majoring in accounting and music at Trinity allowed her to combine her passions. Her connections then led to an accounting position at Deloitte in Chicago.
“I felt supported, loved, and encouraged by my professors, supervisors at the Bootsma Bookstore Café, and by other students and staff,” she said. “It was always evident that I was not just a number and that they were invested in me and wanted to see me succeed.”
Currently an audit assistant, Reichert recently passed all the CPA exams and will officially become a CPA in the fall of 2016.
She pointed to Dr. Lynn Spellman White as one of her biggest supporters. “She fully understood my passion for accounting and music. Her dedication to not only me, but all of her students, has been shown recently with Trinity placing number one in the CPA pass rate and average exam score for Illinois.”
White helped Reichert secure an internship at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Reichert’s supervisor at Gallagher began his career at Deloitte and encouraged Reichert to apply for her first full-time job there. “Between nhis recommendations and my original interview through the Illinois Small College Placement Association (ISCPA), I was able to receive my job offer for Deloitte,” she said. Reichert was attracted to Deloitte because of the career opportunities available at a global accounting and consulting firm.
During college, Reichert was encouraged to show her faith through hard work. “At Deloitte, I have had managers tell me that there’s just something different about me,” she said. ”It has been encouraging to hear this as I let my hard work speak for itself.”
Reichert’s Christian liberal arts education allowed her to see the world differently. “It also taught me how to let my actions speak louder than my words. Now that I am at Deloitte, I am working with people from around the world. Often I find co-workers are not surprised when I tell them that I am taking time off to attend Bible studies and that I attend church on a regular basis.”