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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.”
Building the Blocks to a Great Future
As Anna DeBoer ’16 has learned, studying English at Trinity opens up a world of possibilities. DeBoer has found that her studies have been interdisciplinary. “I knew that I wanted to study English, and it’s been a fun process learning how my skills can transfer over into so many other fields,” she said. Her current internship at the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce through Chicago Semester exemplifies this interconnectedness.
As a communications and membership intern, DeBoer leverages her education across different areas every day. “But even more than that, it’s been a great way to learn how an actual company operates and how different departments work together to succeed.”
Before her internship at the chamber, DeBoer had several on-campus jobs in the Marketing & Communications Department and the Writing Center. “The student worker positions I had at Trinity have been invaluable to me as I have been looking ahead to my career. Each step requires a little more experience, and those first jobs were great building blocks,” she said.
A recipient of the Mary Beth Bootsma Memorial Scholarship, DeBoer pointed to Dr. Mark Jones’s Shakespeare course as one of her favorites. As she has found out, an English major not only allows her to earn a degree in a field she loves, it can also pay off in the job market. “I would encourage everyone who is thinking about English to go for it,” she said. “It is definitely worth it.”
From Myanmar to Chicago
For some students, Trinity is a short commute from home. For entrepreneurial management major Monica Snyder ’16, the journey has spanned continents. A refugee from Myanmar (formerly Burma), Snyder arrived in the United States in 2008 with her sister. They came to Holland, Mich., where they stayed with an American family and attended Holland Christian High School.
Her high school guidance counselor urged her to consider Trinity, and she was attracted by the size of the school. “I figured I would get to know my professors face-to-face and could grow my faith,” she said.
As she hoped, Trinity’s size has allowed Snyder to get to know her professors and become involved in many activities, including serving on Hall Council, being president of the Asian American Alliance, part of the Multicultural Leadership Team, and a Bridge Assistant.
Snyder has also taken advantage of Trinity’s proximity to Chicago by participating in Chicago Semester. Currently, she is a Human Resources Intern at Easter Seals Inc., a nonprofit, community-based health agency dedicated to helping children and adults with disabilities attain greater independence.
“I love the city in general. I’m working with professionals learning things I can’t learn in a book,” she said.
FINDING GOD’S CALL IN CHICAGO
Ben Hoekstra ’16 has a few things in common with William Shakespeare. Not only do Hoekstra and the Bard share a birthday (April 23), but Hoekstra is getting an up-close-look at Shakespeare’s work while serving as a marketing intern at Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST), located at Navy Pier in downtown Chicago.
A communications arts major with a minor in history, Hoekstra has had the opportunity to do a range of work at the renowned theater during his internship, such as working with the executive team and directors, writing press releases, interacting with the media such as “Chicago Tribune” theater critic Chris Jones, and helping to plan photo shoots. Another perk of the job—spectacular views of the Chicago skyline from the theater company’s location on Lake Michigan. “With this internship, I’m able to see what parts of marketing I like,” said Hoekstra. “And I can continue to see what the Lord is calling me to do.”
Hoekstra’s internship brings together some of his favorite aspects of life at Trinity. “I love being in the city for my internship. Being close to Chicago is part of why I feel called to Trinity,” he said. Working at CST is also allowing him to explore his spirituality in a more secular atmosphere. “One of the lessons I’m learning is taking how I’ve grown spiritually at Trinity and seeing how that impacts my life. I’m in an environment where not everyone is a Christian.”
Spiritual growth has been a significant part of Hoekstra’s education at Trinity. Along with weekly Bible studies with his roommates, he cited Rev. Willis Van Groningen, Ph.D., chaplain and dean of spiritual formation, as a source of inspiration. He has also been involved as a leader of Sunday Snacks and Prayer Ministry. “Now that I have my internship, I miss going to Chapel,” he said.
Hoekstra believes that God worked through Trinity staff to make his attendance at the College possible. In high school, Hoekstra applied for a Founders’ Scholarship, a renewable, full-tuition award available annually to two incoming freshmen who exhibit stellar academic achievements and leadership. “We were moving when the scholarship was due, and my admissions counselor Dave Hoekman emailed me a reminder. I emailed him back to say there was no way I could get it done in time,” he recalled. “Within 10 minutes, Dave called me back and helped me get an extension. The Lord worked through Dave, and that was a very important thing for me. Trinity really came through.”
Dr. John Sebestyen, associate professor of communication arts and director of theatre, has been named Trinity’s Professor of the Year for 2016-17.
“I am blessed to teach at Trinity, and I am honored by this recognition,” Sebestyen said. “God has used my students and colleagues to enrich my life, and I am grateful to be a member of this loving learning community.”
A member of the Trinity faculty since 2005, Sebestyen has taught classes in acting, directing, foundations of public speaking, oral interpretation, practicum in theatre, principles of theatre, production design, and theatre forum. He has also directed numerous plays at Trinity, including the recent production of “Our Town.”
According to Megan Hanafee-Major ’16, Trinity has many amazing professors. But she cited Sebestyen as the one who has most influenced her. “Dr. John continually places his students first in his classroom, in the theatre productions, and even when he is learning things himself,” she said. “When I learned that he received the honor I was not at all surprised, as I hoped that the selection committee would see the impact he has had on the campus and that he deserves to be honored for it.”
Sebestyen was highly deserving of the honor, agreed Brooke (Wigboldy) Simkins ’14, Trinity’s conference and events manager. “I was blessed to learn and act under John’s direction as a student, and now I am honored to call him a colleague and friend,” Simkins said. “His faithful attentiveness to his students, his passion for the practice of theatre, and his love of Christ shine through in all of his endeavors. He is a wonderful professor, and a great man.”
Sebestyen will be honored during the commencement ceremony on April 30.