Archives: Staff

Katie Oomkes is the Area Director for South and West Halls.

Rob Prohaska ‘04 took over as head coach of the men’s program in the 2017-18 season after serving as an assistant coach for two seasons.  In his first season he led the team in its third varsity season to a 10-16 record.

Prohaska has a wealth of volleyball experience as he has been involved in the sport as a player or coach for the past 24 years.  As a coach he has served at the high school and club level. He has coached at Second City and Adrenaline volleyball clubs and as the head boys’ 18U coach for Division One Volleyball Club. He served as an assistant coach for the boys’ team at Marist High School for five seasons from 2008-12. During his time there the team earned four conference championships, three regional championships, two sectional championships, and IHSA state quarterfinal appearance and a state championship title.

As an athlete Prohaska played for Trinity in the 2001 and 2003 seasons and ranks in the top ten in the records book in total kills and blocks.  Previous to Trinity he competed for two seasons at Moraine Valley Community College where he earned Most Valuable Player and Best Offensive Player honors.  In addition, Prohaska was a four-year student-athlete at Marist High School and received all-conference and all-state honorable mention recognition. He also played for Second City Volleyball Club for four years.

Prohaska graduated from Trinity in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education. He earned his master’s degree in school counseling from Concordia University.  He is currently working as a licensed professional counselor.  He lives with his wife and three children in Palos Heights, Illinois.

Cheryl Katalinic was drawn to Trinity because of its beautiful campus and the close proximity to her home. She enjoys working with students during such a transformative time of their lives. She loves Trinity’s small intimate setting and considers the college a hidden gem.

Katalinic coordinates all of the charges and awards from around campus as part of her role in the Student Accounts department. She has spent much time and energy into making Student Accounts its own department. It has been rewarding and hard work centered on the 2.0 Initiative and Student Success and Retention. She is pleased by all the upgrades and enhancements to the student’s billing and paying experience.

Before coming to Trinity Katalinic was a banker and a proud stay at home mom who raised 3 children. She is also a sports enthusiast. She loves all Chicago sports teams except the Cubs. She is also a Notre Dame, DePaul and Army fan. She loves the outdoors, working in the yard. She also loves golf and travel.

Kara Van Marion serves as Associate Director of Earn, Network, and Learn (ENL).

After spending several years teaching in both public and charter schools, Kara felt called to leave her classroom teaching to work with college students.  In 2011, she joined Trinity’s live-in, Residence Life team and began cultivating student learning outside the classroom.  She was drawn to work at Trinity because of the institution’s deep commitments to faith formation, diversity & inclusion, and whole-person learning.

In 2018, Kara became Trinity’s Dean of Student Life.  As Dean of Student Life, Kara has responsibility for the College’s Residence Life & Housing program and Student Conduct Process.  Kara also serves as a Designated School Official (DSO) for international students and a Deputy Title IX Coordinator for concerns related to discrimination.  Other key areas of shared responsibility include crisis response, student health concerns, medical absences/withdrawals, and student leadership.   “My role is both administrative and relational.  I love that I get to work directly with students and I get to work with the systems and structures that help students flourish.  The work we do at Trinity is a gift, and I love that I get to do it alongside a team of amazing people who all believe in this mission and the transformation that can happen in this environment.”

Outside of Trinity, Kara enjoys hiking, snorkeling, and snowboarding—all of which require travel, which Kara also enjoys.  She also loves theatre, music, and museums—all of which are readily available in Chicagoland.  Kara and her family live right next to the college, and they are frequently seen on campus attending events or walking their dog.

Kara’s favorite Trinity tradition happens every year on the evening before freshman move into the residence halls:  All of the student leaders gather in one place to pray over each leadership team, the incoming students, and the schoolyear to come. “It’s an amazing night of authentic community and shared hope—it’s inspiring to see these students, who were once new themselves, step into leadership and become the shapers of a community that they themselves have been shaped in.”

As the Director of International Student Services, Mabia Shadel’s responsibilities will include providing transitional support to new international students, supporting and connecting international students to existing structures of support, and managing official documentation for our 40+ international students.

Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Mabia is fluent in Portuguese and loves traveling. She decided to come to study Public Relations and Advertising at Lee University in the United States to expand her worldview. While in college she won awards as the Outstanding International Student and the ADDY award.  She also completed a summer semester in the heart of Scotland in Edinburg. During her journey, she married Andrew and now lives in the Chicago area with her husband and son Lucas.

“Trinity feels like Narnia, a secret and exciting place in the midst of a big city ready to be explored,” she says.