Archives: Press Releases

Contact:
Amy Stickel, Communications Manager
708.293.4918

For Immediate Release

Palos Heights, Ill.–For an unprecedented fifth time in six years, Trinity nursing graduates have achieved a perfect first-time pass rate on the NCLEX-RN exam. This success for Trinity’s top-ranked program represents the highest six-year NCLEX average of any BSN or ADN program in Illinois.

According to Nursing Department Chair Tina Decker ‘06, D.N.P., “This year’s 100% pass rate is especially significant with the challenging way the Class of 2020’s last semester ended. In addition, there was a delay in when students were able to take the NCLEX due to COVID closing testing sites. We are so proud of the graduates for all they overcame to earn this 100% pass rate.”

According to Kayla Kamp ‘20, Trinity gave her the knowledge and skills she needed to not just pass the NCLEX, but to immediately begin caring for patients in the midst of COVID-19. “Graduating in 2020 allowed me to really be thrown head first into nursing and helped me realize how prepared Trinity made me,” she said. “Learning that the NCLEX was going to so much shorter than it has been in previous years was nerve-wracking because there was less room for error, but at the same time, I was confident in what we learned at school and the study tools that were given to me–as much as I may not have liked them at the time!”

While Kamp never pictured starting her nursing career in the middle of a pandemic when she was little and dreamed of being a nurse, the situation has helped her realize the impact can have, especially Christian nurses. “Although I don’t think anything could have prepared me for what 2020 would bring, I think what I learned at Trinity was about as close as I could get to being ready to be a nurse in a pandemic!” she said.

The 100% pass rate isn’t the only reason for celebration, as Trinity unveiled renovated nursing facilities this fall. Trinity’s BSN students can now take advantage of state-of-the-art spaces that include:

• The DeJong Simulation Lab featuring three high-fidelity simulators, which now includes an observation room;
• The Veenstra Lobby, which provides a comfortable, flexible space for students to study, relax, and work together; and
• The Trinity Alumni Nursing Association (TANA) Lab, which offers virtual conferencing technology and space for clinical group meetings and small classroom gathering.

Click here for a tour of the newly updated facilities.

The NCLEX-RN exams are administered by NCSBN, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, through which boards of nursing act and counsel together to provide regulatory excellence for public health, safety, and welfare. The exam is taken after the student graduates from a bachelor’s degree-granting nursing program.

Trinity’s nursing program, which is ranked as the best BSN programs in Illinois by RegisteredNursing.org, is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Click here to learn more about Trinity’s nursing program.

Contact:
Amy Stickel, Communications Manager
708.293.4918

For Immediate Release

Palos Heights, Ill.—Trinity Christian College is pleased to announce the Fall 2021 launch of a new Data Analytics program, which will include a major as well as opportunity for micro-credentialing for students in other majors.

Sundeep Vira, currently Trinity’s Assistant Professor of Business and Director of Strategic Innovation, will serve as Director of Data Analytics. Karl Schmitt, Ph.D, previously Director of Data Science Programs at Valparaiso University, has joined Trinity as Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Data Analytics.

Funding for the Data Analytics program at Trinity has been made possible through a lead gift from the Vermeer Charitable Foundation and additional gifts from a range of Trinity constituents.

Said Trinity President Kurt Dykstra, “We are very grateful for the Vermeer Charitable Foundation and so many others who have seen fit to help Trinity launch this program. These program funders understand the role that data plays in today’s world. We endeavor to educate students to help them, and other organizations like them, better use data for the good of their organization and the good of the world.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, data analytics is one of the fastest growing occupations in the United States. Trinity’s program will draw on the strength of the College’s liberal arts foundation and multidisciplinary approach, bringing together faculty from different departments and offering a holistic view of data analytics to students.

“The best data science and analytics doesn’t happen in silos,” said Schmitt, who will have program design responsibilities and teaching responsibilities in the areas of computer science and data analytics. “It happens in connection with other fields. I’m excited to be part of the collaborative teaching environment at Trinity.”

Said Vira, “Data analytics is essential for all services and industries and Trinity is excited to lead the way for students across disciplines to access and develop hard skills and strengthen their value for future employment.”

With the explosion of data in today’s society, data analytics now touches on virtually every aspect of life, according to Schmitt. “Data analytics can be useful for any field,” he said, pointing to applications as diverse as managing risk to improving sales leads to honing the algorithms used to suggest song playlists. And a place like Trinity brings a vital perspective to the field. “There are some really relevant issues around ethics in data science and machine fairness and bias,” said Schmitt. “It is exciting when students can study these questions at a College where faith is an integral part of that. A place like Trinity brings a deeper perspective to the field.”

Vira, who joined Trinity in 2019, and Schmitt bring significant experience to the College’s Data Analytics program. A native of India, Vira served as a senior investment analyst at Morgan Stanley and managing director and product manager at Nuveen, where he was responsible for growing separately managed accounts totaling approximately $60 billion. Vira, who earned an MBA from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago, is passionately committed to social entrepreneurship and currently serves as a consultant with The Academy Group, a non-profit educational organization that works to build a national pipeline of young leaders from underserved communities.

As Director of Data Science Programs at Valparaiso University, Schmitt created a national top 30 Data Science undergraduate degree program with 100% graduate placement. He has also published more than 10 peer-reviewed papers and four whitepapers/reports. Schmitt earned his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, where he conducted his dissertation research on the Application of Graph Algorithms to Improve Genome Assembly. He currently serves as a Task Member of the Association of Computing Memory’s Data Science Task Force Program Committee and on the Program Committee of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics 2020 Conference on Applied Mathematics Education.

This new program is a reflection of Trinity’s mission, as well as its vision to educate students for God, for good, and for the world. Said Dykstra, “From Day 1, Trinity has offered a rigorous education in the liberal arts, shaped by the historic Christian faith, that also connects education with the needs and opportunities in the world. Our sweet spot is where Trinity’s mission meets the needs of the world. Understanding and using data is the currency of the 21st century regardless of field, profession, and vocation. A robust data analytics program, led by outstanding scholars and practitioners, creates opportunities for our students and moves Trinity’s mission forward.”

About Trinity Christian College

Trinity Christian College, based in Palos Heights, Ill., is an accredited Christian liberal arts college offering more than 70 programs by way of bachelor’s, master’s, and adult degree completion courses of study. Founded in 1959, the College is a community of Christian scholarship committed to shaping lives and transforming culture and is continually ranked in the top tier among Regional Colleges—Midwest by U.S. News & World Report. To learn more, visit trnty.edu.

Contact:
Amy Stickel, Communications Manager
708.293.4918

For Immediate Release

Trinity also Recognized as a “Best Value” College

Palos Heights, Ill.– Continuing a years-long tradition of excellence and recognition, Trinity Christian College has been named among the “Best Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report for 2021. Trinity was ranked 21st among Midwestern regional colleges in this year’s survey. Trinity was also named a “Best Value” college and a “Top Performer on Social Mobility.”

“At Trinity Christian College, our community is focused on providing a rigorous, life-changing education, and our graduates go on to find success in their careers and vocations,” said Trinity’s President Kurt D. Dykstra. “We are pleased that U.S. News & World Report has once again recognized how Trinity prepares our students to change the world.”

Said Provost Aaron J. Kuecker, Ph.D., “We are proud of the excellent academic programs that are supported by Trinity’s world class faculty. Rankings like these are a recognition of the top quality, whole-person vision of education that we pursue at Trinity.”

Trinity is frequently recognized for its high academic standards. The College’s honors include being named a “College of Distinction,” a “Best BSN Program in Illinois,” and a “National Strength and Conditioning Association Education Recognition Program,” among others. Trinity, which is a university partner with 1871, the world’s top university-affiliated startup incubator located in downtown Chicago, also has a world-class business department that recently led the State of Illinois with both the highest pass rates and average scores on the most recent certified public accounting (CPA) exam. The Trinity Athletics Department was also recently listed among the Champions of Character Five-Star institutions by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

The U.S. News rankings are based on qualitative and quantitative information in several categories, including peer assessments, graduation rates, social mobility, and faculty information. The “Best Value” ranking is determined by a school’s academic quality and the net cost of attendance for a student who received the average level of need-based financial aid. The “Social Mobility” ranking is based on how successful a college is at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell Grants.

About Trinity Christian College

Trinity Christian College, based in Palos Heights, Ill., is an accredited Christian liberal arts college offering more than 70 programs by way of bachelor’s, master’s, and adult degree completion courses of study. Founded in 1959, the College is a community of Christian scholarship committed to shaping lives and transforming culture and is continually ranked in the top tier among Regional Colleges—Midwest by U.S. News & World Report. To learn more, visit trnty.edu.

Contact:
Amy Stickel, Communications Manager
708.293.4918

For Immediate Release

The international corporate headquarters of NACSW relocating to Trinity’s campus beginning Summer 2020

Palos Heights, Ill.:  Trinity Christian College and the North American Christians in Social Work (NACSW) are pleased to announce a new memorandum of understanding to mark the co-location of NACSW’s corporate headquarters on Trinity’s campus, beginning June 1, 2020.  NACSW and Trinity’s Social Work Department have a long history of collaboration and support for one another, with Trinity’s social work faculty serving as frequent presenters at the annual NACSW convention.  Beginning in January 2020, Dr. Allison Tan – Assistant Professor of Social Work at Trinity – accepted a position as Director of Programs for NACSW.  In this role, Dr. Tan will have opportunity to serve as a key point of contact for the oversight of NACSW’s day-to-day activities from Trinity’s campus.  This co-location offers Trinity students opportunities for employment, internships, and experiential learning and provides NACSW with institutional support, space, and other invaluable resources.

The leaders of both NACSW and Trinity Christian College see the value of this co-location.  Rick Chamiec-Case, NACSW’s Executive Director says, “Besides providing much-needed additional space for NACSW’s growing office and storage needs, NACSW’s move to TCC’s campus will create a valuable partnership that will richly contribute to both NACSW’s and Trinity Christian College’s missions at several levels. Whether it’s creating opportunities for NACSW to work with and give experience to student workers and interns from TCC’s Social Work department and other majors, or sharing resources and providing consultation to support each other’s programs, this partnership will serve both NACSW and Trinity well in the years ahead.”

Trinity’s President, Kurt Dykstra, expressed the mutual benefit similarly, “We are thrilled to welcome NACSW to its new home on Trinity’s campus.  Our students and faculty will benefit immeasurably from the close physical proximity to this wonderful organization.  I trust, too, that NACSW and its employees will find Trinity a very hospitable and collegial home and enjoy, as we do already, the great benefits of living and working within one of the world’s great metropolitan areas.”

About NACSW

NACSW began in 1950 in Wheaton, IL and was incorporated in 1954.  NACSW’s mission and vision is to “be a vital presence in social work” by “equipping its members to integrate Christian faith and social work practice”.   With a membership of nearly 1,200 social work students, practitioners, and educators, NACSW’s work includes publication of the journal Social Work & Christianity as well as a number of textbooks aimed at equipping Christian social work and social work programs with resources to integrate faith and practice.  NACSW also hosts an annual convention, supports the mentorship of emerging leaders in social work, and provides a range of continuing education opportunities.

About Trinity Christian College

Trinity Christian College, located in Palos Heights, Ill., is an accredited liberal arts college offering more than 70 programs of study, master’s degree programs in counseling psychology and special education, and an Adult Studies accelerated program. Founded in 1959, the college is a community of Christian scholarship committed to shaping lives and transforming culture and is continually ranked in the top tier among Regional Colleges—Midwest by U.S. News & World Report. To learn more, visit trnty.edu

Participants in virtual internship program can receive three academic credits

Palos Heights, Ill.—Trinity Christian College has partnered with Upkey, a Chicago startup, to offer more than $1.5 million worth of academic credit to students participating in its virtual internship program.

Driven by a commitment to provide unique educational opportunities that seek the public good, Trinity is offering three academic credits to students who successfully complete Upkey’s online internship and business education program. More than 5,000 students applied to the program, which was open to 1,000 students.

“While COVID-19 has brought many unpredictable and abrupt changes, it cannot shake us from our core mission of helping students flourish by providing accessible education,” said Trinity Provost Aaron Kuecker, Ph.D. “When we learned about Upkey’s digital summer internships and saw their vision for helping students thrive, we were eager to create additional value in the program by making it possible for students to have their educational experience transcripted for college credit.”

Upkey’s Virtual Internship Program is an eight-week educational experience, starting on June 1. Each week, participants will be learning from expert sources, conducting research, and completing interactive projects. The program will cover a broad range of topics developed with the support of faculty from leading universities and top business schools across the nation.

“We are so humbled with the volume of students who have reached out and thanked us for creating an opportunity for them,” said Amir Badr, Founder and CEO, Upkey. “Everyone at Upkey is grateful for Trinity’s help in providing real college credit to students who were impacted by COVID-19. These credits will help students both educationally and financially.”

########

About Trinity Christian College

Trinity Christian College, located in Palos Heights, Ill., is an accredited liberal arts college offering more than 70 programs of study, master’s degree programs in clinical mental health counseling and education, and an Adult degree completion accelerated program. To learn more, visit trnty.edu

About Upkey

Upkey provides free online educational resources to students ranging from high-school to university level. Through gamified modules, the company focuses on making professional growth, fun, easy, and accessible to everyone. The goal of Upkey is to create equal opportunities across the board, and provide underrepresented students the tools needed to be successful in their career path. In the past six months, the company has served over 15,000 students across the nation. Those interested in learning more can visit upkey.com.

Trinity Christian College is pleased to announce that it has named Madison Eggert of Mequon, Wis., and Leslie Osorio of Mundelein, Ill., recipients of the prestigious 2020 Founders’ Scholarship. The Founders’ Scholarship is a renewable, full-tuition award available annually to two incoming freshmen.

Eggert attends Eastbrook Academy in Milwaukee, where she has played volleyball for four years. She plans to major in biology at Trinity.

“I am so excited and thankful to attend Trinity this fall with this generous award!” said Eggert. “I fell in love with the Christ-centered community that I found there. I am deeply grateful that I have the opportunity use this gift to help me on my journey to becoming a physician assistant.”

Osorio attends Mundelein High School, where she is a member of the National Honor Society and a student leader in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She is also an executive board member of Puertas, a Latino cultural experience club. Osorio plans to major in nursing at Trinity.

“I am immensely grateful, humbled, and honored to be one of the recipients of the Founders’ Scholarship,” said Osorio. “This award has not only lightened my financial burden, but it will allow me to continue to pursue my educational dreams in healthcare and wellness. With the strong academic programs and a close-knit community centered in faith, I am confident that my time here will form me as a whole person and equip me for my future career and calling to serve others.”

Among other criteria, the Trinity’s Selection Committee for the Founders’ Scholarship considers outstanding spiritual, academic, and social leadership.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Dean’s List is Trinity Christian College’s highest academic honor. Congratulations to all our traditional undergraduate students and adult programs students who met this distinction for the Fall 2019 semester.

Click here for a full list of students who have earned their place on the Dean’s List.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

In 2019, Trinity nursing graduates continue their perfect first-time pass rate on the NCLEX-RN exam. This success represents the fourth time in the past five years that the College is celebrating a 100% pass rate, which represents the highest five-year NCLEX average of any BSN or ADN program in Illinois.

“The mission of the Department of Nursing is to: prepare academically and clinically excellent professional nurses for a lifetime of Christ-like serve to others.” A key element of that mission is being able to pass the NCLEX for licensure, which allows Trinity’s BSN graduates to work as registered nurses.

According to Nursing Department Chair Tina Decker, D.N.P., NCLEX preparation is not an afterthought in Trinity’s nursing program. “It is woven throughout the entire curriculum, starting in the very first nursing courses students take,” she said

“We are so proud that all of the hard work of the students and faculty for the class of 2019 has once again resulted in the best possible outcome of 100% of the graduates passing the NCLEX on their first attempt,” said Decker. “And we are excited for the impact that the Class of 2019 can have by using their skills and knowledge in service to others.”

The NCLEX-RN exams are administered by NCSBN, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, through which boards of nursing act and counsel together to provide regulatory excellence for public health, safety, and welfare. The exam is taken after the student graduates from a bachelor’s degree-granting nursing program.

Trinity’s nursing program, which is ranked as one of the best BSN programs in Illinois by RegisteredNursing.org, is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Click here to learn more about Trinity’s nursing program.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Palos Heights, Ill.: Trinity Christian College is pleased to announce its ranking among the “Best Colleges” of Regional Colleges—Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for 2020. Trinity was ranked 20th among Midwestern regional colleges in this year’s survey. The College was also ranked among the top 25 “Best Values” among Midwest colleges. U.S. News & World Report also recognized Trinity for its significant number of international students. 

“As we celebrate our 60th anniversary in 2019, Trinity continues to provide a rigorous education in a supportive environment where students are taught wisdom and knowledge – and are prepared professionally so that they can pursue lives of significance wherever they are called to live and work,” said President Kurt D. Dykstra. “We are pleased that U.S. News & World Report has recognized, once again, that Trinity prepares our students very well for a world that sorely needs them.” 

The U.S. News rankings are based on qualitative and quantitative information in several categories, including peer assessments, graduation rates, social mobility, and faculty information. The “Best Value” ranking considers the ratio of quality to price; percentage of undergraduates receiving scholarships or grants; and average discount. 

About Trinity Christian College 

Trinity Christian College, based in Palos Heights, Ill. and with a dedicated location at 1871 in downtown Chicago, is an accredited Christian liberal arts college offering more than 70 programs by way of bachelor’s, master’s, and adult degree completion courses of study. Founded in 1959, the college is a community of Christian scholarship committed to shaping lives and transforming culture and is continually ranked in the top tier among Regional Colleges—Midwest by U.S. News & World Report. To learn more, visit trnty.edu