Archives: News Stories

The fall edition of Trinity magazine will be in mailboxes soon, but you can read all the stories about Trinity alumni and students online now!

Featured in this issue:

• Kurt D. Dykstra, J.D.’s inauguration as the eighth president of the College
• What major achievement the nursing department has celebrated
• How Jaclyn Feddes’ internship designed a new opportunity at Christianity Today
• How Hannah Dykstra’s project in art and music are combined to compose a graphic novel
• How every aspect of Kevin Hahn’s Trinity experience led to his career to a global e-commerce marketplace like Groupon
• And many other stories about the excellent academic, services, and professional experiences of Trinity students, faculty and alumni.

In this Season of Thanksgiving, I am reminded of Abraham Lincoln’s words from 1863:

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.

May this Thanksgiving be a joyous time for all associated with Trinity and may we all remember from whom all blessings flow.

Kurt D. Dykstra, J.D.
President

It was not ideal weather conditions for the NCCAA North Central Region, but it was an ideal result for the Trolls who came away the victors.  As the higher seed, Trinity hosted the University of Northwestern (St. Paul, Minnesota) in the final game and shut-out the Eagles with a 3-0 score. With the victory the team will advance to the National Championship in Kissimmee, Florida on November 30-December 5.

In gusty wind conditions and driving rain at times, Trinity and Northwestern met at the Schaaf Athletics Complex for the region final. Trinity did not let the wet weather hinder them as they kept up a steady attack for the 90 minutes. After seven shots that did not score, the Trolls made the eighth one count late in the first period. In the 39th minute Adrianna Puente fed the ball up the middle to Jessica Bianchi who out-manuevered the goalkeeper who came out to play the ball. Bianchi beat the keeper and found the empty net.

The 1-0 score held at the half and through the first 38 minutes of the second period. The Trolls were bound to score again as they fired a total of 17 shots at the goal in the period. They got one to count in the 83rd when Bianchi struck again. This time she received the pass from the middle of the field from Elly Brummel and took it to the goal for the shot.

In the final minute of the game the Trolls made it a 3-0 difference when Brooklyn Celebron took a direct kick from the 18 yards out on the left side. She ball hit off the goalkeeper’s outstretched arms and deflected into the net.

For the game the Trolls had 25 shots of which 16 were on goal. Northwestern ended with two shots. Sierra Christopher was in the goal with one save.

The Trolls will join a field of nine teams at the NCCAA National Championship which begins on November 30. The tournament participants, seeds, and game times are yet to be determined.

The Trolls may have entered the CCAC Tournament as the No. 3 seed, but they came away as the champions.  Trinity captured the conference tournament title with a win over the University of St. Francis (Joliet, Illinois) in the final match.  The Trolls took the Fighting Saints in three straight sets at 25-19, 25-23, and 25-17. With the title, Trinity receives one of the CCAC’s automatic bids to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round on November 21.

Except for a couple of early ties, the Trolls had the lead in the first set. With a four point run with Tori Mantel on the serving line, Trinity took a 13-8 lead. Throughout the rest of the set the team continued to maintain a scoring gap.  Ahead at 23-18, the Trolls gained their final two points on kills by Tina Massey.

The two teams were never separated by more than two points through the entire second set. Tied at 22-22, St. Francis took the lead on a kill. However the Trolls came right back and answered with two kills by Massey anew a final dagger by Kacie Stoll for the win.

The Trolls trailed through the early part of the third match and trailed at 11-9. They were not ready to let the match go and rallied on a 13-to-4 run to post s 22-15 lead. The Trolls reached set point at 24-17 on a kill by Christa Veenstra and ended the set and the match on a block by Stoll and Veenstra.

Overall Trinity ended with 43 kills with a .221 attacking percentage and St. Francis had 36 kills with a .140 percentage. Stoll ended the 11 kills, 10 digs, and four blocks. Massey had 10 kills and the team’s highest hitting percentage at .364. Mantel handed out 31 assists, two aces, and had 13 digs. Michelle Busscheralso had 13 digs. Veenstra led the team in blocks with five.

The Trolls advance to the Opening Round of the NAIA National Championship on November 25. The tournament qualifiers and pairings will be announced Monday, November 15 at 10 am. You can view the live Selection Show at www.NAIANetwork.com

This fall, Trinity’s nursing department celebrated another phenomenal NCLEX-RN pass rate for its nursing graduates of 100 percent.*

This exceeded last year’s notable pass rate of 95 percent, which was significantly higher than the 2014 national average of 82 percent.**

In addition to the extraordinary work of her students, Nursing Department Chair Tina Decker ’06 credits the high pass rate with the nursing program’s dedicated and experienced faculty and the hands-on learning students receive through the department’s simulation lab and the College’s proximity to major Chicago and suburban hospitals.

The exams are taken following graduation from a bachelor’s degree-granting nursing program and administered through the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), the vehicle through which boards of nursing act and counsel together to provide regulatory excellence for public health, safety, and welfare.

Trinity’s nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

*As of October 1, 2015
**Year to date total 2014; First Time, RN Candidates taking NCLEX Exam

Distinguished guests, delegates from academic institutions and learned societies, alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends of the College filled the Ozinga Chapel Auditorium on Friday, November 6, 2015, to celebrate the inauguration of Kurt D. Dykstra, J.D. as the eighth president of Trinity Christian College.

The voices of Trinity’s Concert Choir, directed by Dr. Helen Van Wyck and musical selections performed by  Minkyoo Shin, D.M., the Brass Quintet, Soprano Soloist Ivy St. John ’18, and Mark Peters, Ph.D. filled the auditorium.

Erick Sierra, Ph.D, associate professor of English, led the invocation. Sharon Robbert, Ph.D., interim provost welcomed everyone.  Past presidents were recognized by Board of Trustees Executive Committee member Felecia Thompson, D.Min. The litany was led by Rev. Dr. Matthew Floding of Duke Divinity School and Vice President for Student Life Becky Starkenburg.

Dykstra was officially introduced to the community by Terry Van Der Aa, Chair of the Presidential Search Committee.  Incoming Chair of the Board of Trustees Robert Buikema, J.D. formally invested President Dykstra and presented him with the medallion symbolizing his new role.

The new president was enthusiastically welcomed by Halie Wisse ’16, president, Student Association, Doug Van Wyngarden ’08, chair of the Staff Council, David Klanderman, Ph.D., vice chair of the Faculty Association, and Bradley Laninga ’89, chair of the Alumni Association.

Dr. James Bultman, president emeritus of Hope College, delivered the inaugural address.

Bultman spoke fondly of Kurt and Leah Dykstra and how their commitment to Trinity and its students will deeply enrich the College. Bultman highlighted that “leadership matters” and expressed his abundant confidence that with President Dykstra leading Trinity, our promising future is filled with opportunity.

Rev. Dr. Trygve D. Johnson, dean of the chapel of Hope College, offered the commissioning prayer. President Dykstra offered his response including his hope that our “burden would be light.”

Nicole Saint-Victor ’12, worship coordinator and conductor, led the Gospel Choir in the Doxology, joined by all attendees.  Dr. Helen Van Wyck led the Concert Choir in the closing anthem and Rev. Dr. Willis Van Groningen, chaplain and dean of spiritual formation, offered the benediction.

The historic and joyous event was preceded earlier this week by an inaugural chapel service in which President Dykstra interviewed one of Trinity’s founders, Dr. George DeJong; a student welcome on Wednesday at the BBC; a special service during Outcry; and an Academic Showcase featuring outstanding student and faculty collaborative work.  On Friday afternoon, faculty members Cini Bretzlaff-Holstein, Dr. Abbie Schrotenboer, Dr. John Sebestyen, and Dr. Aron Reppmann hosted a panel discussion of ideas of community and creativity from the perspectives of their disciplines and work.  The panel’s theme was inspired by Wendell Berry’s 2012 Jefferson lecture “It All Turns on Affection.”

The inauguration provided the perfect start to the College’s first-ever Fall Fest Weekend, a wonderful melding of Family Weekend and Homecoming.

For more information about President Kurt D. Dykstra, visit  www.trnty.edu/bio.html.

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On Wednesday, the Trinity Christian College community had the very special privilege of welcoming to chapel Dr. George DeJong, the College’s last living founder.

The Auditorium of the Ozinga Chapel was filled with members of the Trinity community that were eager to hear President Kurt Dykstra interview DeJong about the development of Trinity since its conception.

Opening with the songs “Great is Thy Faithfulness” and “We Worship God at Trinity,” the entire service was a showcase of God’s faithfulness through the generations—especially his abounding faithfulness to Trinity.

When asked to recollect the first conversations about starting a Christian college, DeJong explained that he was sitting on the front porch one night with his brother Walter and Martin Ozinga II when the idea surfaced. “Marty went for it,” said De Jong, “and this was the time we struck the match.”

This match lit the the torch that has been “carried nobly from generation to generation with God’s blessing.” De Jong stressed that it took the skillsets of a wide variety of people to get the institution on its feet and aid its growth. “Many intelligent, talented people worked and prayed to see this come to life.”

De Jong explained that a meeting was held at Chicago Christian High School to discuss naming the College. About a hundred people were in attendance, and when “Trinity” was suggested, the majority felt that name as not distinctive enough. DeJong recollected that Richard Prince wanted “Christian” to be included as a descriptor; “He wanted the name to be distinctive, to tell the world where we come from.”

The identity of Trinity Christian College was further solidified in the purchase of Navajo Hills Golf Course, which included the clubhouse that Trinity now uses as its Admissions building.

Dykstra asked if there was one moment that stood out in the course of the College’s development, to which DeJong replied, “Obtaining the clubhouse was so significant; it gave us identity, support. It increased community and gathered people together.” This purchase ensured that students would have a distinct place of their own to attend classes, different than a high school or local building.

DeJong fondly remembers the hands-on labor that went into transforming a clubhouse into a college. Members of the community gathered to physically implement the property’s fresh identity. Men repaired and repurposed, while women dug and landscaped.

This time of “figuring things out” presented some issues, but it was good overall. “We had our fair share of local politics, but we didn’t know enough to worry about it,” said DeJong. There was some concern that Trinity would become competition for Calvin College; however, Calvin quickly made this worry subside, affirming Trinity’s cause by providing help and acting as brothers and sisters of the Lord.

Dykstra closed the interview by asking DeJong what he would hope for in the hundredth year of the College. “I would like to see Trinity grow but retain the benefits of a small college,” said DeJong. “Its small size allows the student to grow in character as well as intellectually in a way that a large college can’t. Here, the professors are also role models.”

Quoting Martin Luther’s hymn “A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” DeJong said, “If not the right man on our side, our striving would be losing.”

He ended with this charge to the Trinity community: “Let’s remember where we came from, let’s never forget.”

Said Dykstra, “We’ll invite you back for the 100^th anniversary.”

After the service, the community gathered together for a time of refreshments and fellowship. Students, faculty, and staff reflected on the service, recognizing what a rare privilege it is to be able to talk with an original founder of a college.

“I think that it was really unique to hear from someone who was there when Trinity was first conceived and to see what it has become,” said Ben Hoekstra ’16.

Seth Hamstra ’17 appreciated the service as a concrete testament to God’s faithfulness, calling it one of the most influential services that he has experienced at Trinity.

Kara VanMarion, Area Director for Tibstra and Alumni Halls, said, “It was powerful to be reminded of who we are and where we came from as an institution; we need to let that shape who we are and who we strive to be.”

The service set the tone for the rest of the week as alumni, faculty, staff and students gathered together to witness the inauguration of President Dykstra and celebrate the larger Trinity community through Fall Fest.

Interview Video

When Chelsey Brunt ’10 left for a semester in Ecuador during her sophomore year, she did not know the experience would direct the course of the next several years of her life.

One of four students enrolled, Brunt participated in the first year of the program. Unlike other semester abroad programs, the semester in Ecuador is based through a mission organization rather than a university. This shaped Brunt’s experience, helping her see a bigger purpose for her time there.

“I was studying abroad, but I got really plugged into what God was doing in Ecuador, and I got involved in mission opportunities down there,” Brunt said. “The classes had a bigger perspective on life, and that really changed my outlook on what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I wanted to always have this global perspective.”

After graduating from Trinity in 2010, Brunt returned to Ecuador as a resident assistant for the program.

“I fell in love with the country and the culture, and with what God was doing there,” Brunt said. “This time really impacted my heart.”

With a heart longing for Ecuador, yet feeling unequipped at the time for further mission work there, Brunt returned to her home in San Diego.

Drawing upon her four years on the women’s soccer team at Trinity, Brunt began coaching soccer in the San Diego area with an organization called Youth and Leaders Living Actively (YALLA). YALLA helps refugee and immigrant youth build their lives in America by providing a support system and connecting kids through soccer.

“The experience has opened my eyes to the power of soccer as a platform to build relationships and empower athletes to discover who they are,” Brunt said.

Now, Brunt will see her love for God, Ecuador, and coaching soccer combine as she travels back to Ecuador as a missionary with Inca Link International. While there, she will coach for the Christian soccer ministry, Cumbre Alta.

“I feel so blessed because God has given me the opportunity to teach both the game that I love and about God’s love for us all,” Brunt said.

Brunt is currently in the process of building a team of supporters for her future work in Ecuador. If you would like to learn more about Brunt’s ministry, find the link to her webpage here.

Trinity Christian College will hold the inauguration for its eighth president Kurt D. Dykstra, J.D., on Friday, November 6, at 10:30 a.m. in the Ozinga Chapel Auditorium.

Before beginning his role as the College’s president in July 2015, Dykstra served as mayor of the City of Holland, Michigan, and as the senior vice president and community president of Mercantile Bank of Michigan. Melding his experience as an attorney since 1997 with his passion for higher education, Dykstra shared his expansive knowledge and expertise as a part-time member of the faculty at Hope College for more than a decade.

The on-campus celebration of the inauguration will begin on Wednesday, November 4, and will flow into the weekend with Fall Fest activities.

Inaugural Celebration  – Schedule of Events

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

10:00 am Chapel in the Ozinga Chapel.
During the chapel service, President Dykstra will be interviewing one of the founders of the College, Dr. George DeJong. Topics covered include the founding days of Trinity, how the College has grown and developed, and what DeJong hopes for Trinity in the future. Join us to experience Dr. DeJong’s wisdom, experience, and insight, told from his amazing perspective spanning nearly 60 years.

7:30 pm – 9:00 pm Student Inauguration Celebration in the Bootsma Bookstore Café (BBC).
Spend the evening with the president and his family, enjoying an inaugural hot chocolate and coffee bar, candy bars, and board games. Learn some fun facts about the Dykstras. Weather permitting, there will also be a gathering around the fire pit with s’mores. This event is for Trinity students only.

Thursday, November 5, 2015

6:00 pm – 7:00 pm Gallery of Scholarship in the Ozinga Chapel Grand Lobby.
The gallery will feature the research of Trinity’s faculty and students, which includes student/faculty collaborations (e.g., VanderVelde Junior Scholarships, Honors Program research), as well as Trinity-funded scholarship (e.g., Summer Research Grants, sabbaticals, conference presentations, and published work).

10:00 pm – 11:00 pm Outcry in the Ozinga Chapel Auditorium
Everyone is welcome to join the Outcry worship event. This student-led time of worship is comprised of song, scripture, and prayer. This week’s Outcry worship will also include a special time of prayerful anointing for President Dykstra.

Friday, November 6, 2015

10:30 am Inauguration Ceremony in the Ozinga Chapel Auditorium.
The Trinity community and invited guests and academic delegates will gather to celebrate the installation of Trinity’s eighth president. The event will be streamed live; the link will be available on the Trinity website. The event will be broadcast live for viewing at the Bootsma Bookstore Café and in the Grand Lobby of the Ozinga Chapel.

LIVE STREAM OF EVENT

Please click on the play button on the video to start the live stream.

12:00 pm $3 Inaugural Lunch Special in the Dining Hall.
Enjoy a delicious lunch for the low inaugural cost of $3 in the Dining Hall.

3:30 pm – 4:30 pm Faculty Panel Discussion: “It All Turns on Affection” in the lobby of the Art and Communication Center.
Join panelists, Professor Cini Bretzlaff-Holstein (social work), Dr. Abbie Schrotenboer (biology), Dr. John Sebestyen (communication arts) and moderator Dr. Aron Reppmann (philosophy) as they discuss ideas of community and creativity from the perspectives of their disciplines and work. The panel’s theme grows out of Wendell Berry’s 2012 Jefferson lecture “It All Turns on Affection.” This panel discussion also serves to help frame our viewing of Trinity theatre production of Max Frisch’s Andorra that opens the evening of Nov. 6.

5:30 pm – Saturday, Nov. 7:   Visit the  Fall Fest Activities site for more details.

The 2015 WorldView series concluded with an intense and thought-provoking performance of “Heaven: How I Got Here,” directed by Tim Gregory, the founding artistic director of Provision Theater in Chicago.  Rod Armentrout was cast in the role of the thief on the cross.  During the play, the audience is invited to join him in Heaven while he tells the story of how he got there.

In a compelling story of redemption and reconciliation, it was impossible to not be moved by the powerful message that even in our final moments, God is with us and forgives us for anything and everything that we’ve done.  “Believing in God is different from fearing God,” stated the thief on the cross, as he told the audience that fearing God means respecting him, trusting him, and ultimately giving our lives over to him, because of what Jesus did for us on the cross.

In the discussion following the performance, several of the actors spoke to the audience about how performing in the show has made an impact on their faith.  “There are few opportunities to combine my faith and the arts,” said Kona N. Burks, cast as Kate, saying that this was a unique opportunity for her. Patrick Thompson, cast as Max, stated that through method acting, the process of using all of one’s senses to get into a character role, “has made the reading of scripture more real…the details I guess.”

Please visit Provision Theater’s website at www.provisiontheater.org for information on their upcoming events and performances.