Archives: Student Spotlights

Caleb Rivera is pursuing a degree in History with a Pre-Law track in which he is expecting to Graduate in December of 2023.

Caleb grew up in Oak Lawn, Illinois in which he graduated from Oak Lawn Community High School.

Caleb had heard about Trinity Christian college from a number of places, but the main source of his knowledge came from his mother who graduated from the college back in the day after initially starting at the City Colleges of Chicago. Since then, two of his cousins graduated from Trinity as well so he had a pretty solid understanding of what the institution was like. When he initially visited Trinity in the summer of 2019, Caleb did not think he would be attending. He had even gone as far as saying “It’s a nice place but I don’t think I’ll be attending”. There were several admissions representatives that kept visiting his high school and emailing him until he finally decided to take the application seriously. From here Caleb got to do another visit and really enjoyed the environment that the campus created for him as a visiting high school student.

Caleb chose Trinity for a number of reasons; one of the main reasons being the generous scholarships and aid that was given to him. Caleb did not think that he would be able to afford tuition at very many colleges, and because of this he had initially committed to an inexpensive state school in Chicago. From here, he was invited to Diversity Scholars weekend and was able to connect with some very amazing faculty and current students and participate in the culture of Trinity first hand. It was because of his experience at Diversity Scholars weekend and the blessings that came as a result that allowed him to come somewhere that he wanted to be; somewhere where he felt valued.

Caleb feels that to choose just one professor would be a disservice to the other amazing classes and professors he has had class with. Caleb can truly say that virtually all of his professors at Trinity have been stellar. To that end, if he did only have to choose only one class, he would have to choose his History of the Renaissance and Reformation course with Dr. Dieleman. Caleb thoroughly enjoyed this class and it was a pleasure to engage with many of the students in the course.

Trinity has helped Caleb grow spiritually in so many ways, and one of the many ways they have helped him is through Outcry, which is a student led worship on Thursday nights. He attended a few outcry services sparsely throughout his sophomore and freshman years, but this year Caleb started attending them more frequently until he decided to become part of the team. Being part of the worship team has allowed Caleb to empty his self before God when he may feel exhausted or weak, and being in a room full of other college age believers who he has so much in common with is a very big motivation.

Caleb’s fondest memory was being able to share his story at the Hispanic Heritage month chapel in October of 2022. Here he was invited to play the piano and sing while also being able to read a narrative he put together. “Opportunities like this are what has made Trinity so unique for me”.

Olivia Andre is pursuing a degree in Physical Educations while minoring in Education and Health Education in which she is expecting to Graduate in May of 2024.

Olivia grew up in West Springfield, Massachusetts in which she attended Pioneer Valley Christian Academy.

Being from Massachusetts, Olivia came to visit Trinity knowing very little about the college. It was simply one of the many small, Christian schools she visited. But upon her first step on campus, she knew Trinity was where she needed to be. Throughout her campus visit then, and her time as a student now, Olivia has discovered that Trinity is the type of college that seeks to empower and include. Trinity provides opportunities for students to make their college experience what they want it to be. Students are provided with resources and wisdom, but in the end, there are no bounds or limits which define a student’s potential. It is not a matter of what students can do to fit into the Trinity community, but rather how Trinity can shape and mold students to be who they themselves want to be.

Olivia’s favorite class that she has taken at Trinity is Literacy in the Disciplines with Dr. Boreman-Cornell. The class is required for all education students becoming licensed in grades k-12, and identifies how literacy can be implemented into the various subjects within a school. As a Physical Education major, she has always been discouraged by those who simply see PE as a place to play sports and maybe engage in the occasional health lesson. PE is a discipline where all students should feel welcomed, where more than just sport skills are taught, and a class that should be supported by all other subject areas. Literacy in the Disciplines taught her that the subject of Physical Education has a seat at the table with every other discipline when it comes to academic merit and function.

On first arriving at Trinity, the last place Olivia looked to be involved was within campus ministries. She simply attended chapel, and slowly began to mature spiritually. Flash forward three years, now getting the opportunity to lead a Bible Study with some of her best friends. The Bible Study that started as a group of 5 has now become the most attended ministry group on campus, praise God. Trinity Athletes Gathering is the name they chose, and it is an opportunity for athletes and non-athletes alike to unite over fellowship, prayer, and small group discussions. What Olivia appreciates most about Trinity is that she is pointed to Christ in every area she pursues. On the soccer field the team plays to bring glory and honor to God, in the classroom, she is taught how to embody Christ-like servanthood in her calling as a teacher, and in her job as a Student Ambassador in Admissions she gets to share about how God is working in and through the Trinity Community.

Through Trinity Olivia has done things she might have never thought she’d be doing during college. She has traveled abroad to Israel and walked in the footsteps of Jesus, gone to three National Tournaments for soccer, and made friends from all over the country and world, yet none of these experiences have brought more satisfaction and fulfillment then the sense of belonging she has felt at Trinity. The Trinity community has helped her grow in her understanding of who she is and how she can fit into the world, but also helped her learn about various subjects and disciplines within her field of Education” Because of Trinity I know and I am known”.

Njoki Mukuria is double majoring in English and Philosophy in which she is expecting to Graduate in May of 2025.

Njoki grew up in Nairobi, Kenya in which she attended Aga Khan Academy Nairobi.

Njoki chose Trinity first and it just happened to be in the U.S.. But she knew that she wanted to study her major abroad because she felt like she would get more freedom as a student to share her opinions even when it may contradict a teacher’s ideas. This was something that was not as welcomed in the education system back home (it was more of a “the teacher is always right” experience), and Njoki did not want her love for critically engaging with the multitude of ideas in English to be lost in her not being able to share these ideas freely. This is why she knew that if she studied English, then she wanted it to be something she studied abroad, and this ultimately led Njoki to the U.S.

Njoki heard about Trinity through the CommonApp as she looked for Christian colleges she could apply to. She chose it for two reasons, the first of which being that she completely fell in love with the college from the virtual visit she did while still in Kenya. She met one of the English professors (Prof. Sierra) and had a lengthy conversation with him about a book Njoki had written an extended essay on in high school. This conversation was a turning point for her because of how much she enjoyed it, and she realized that if that was what her professors were going to be like and those were the kind of amazing conversations they would have, then she really wanted to attend Trinity.

Njoki’s favorite professor is Professor Reppmann. He’s her philosophy advisor as well as the reason behind her adding Philosophy to her major (having been completely drawn in by her first philosophy class with him her freshman year). He has proved to be a strong support for her when she is away from home and family because he’s a mentor-like individual that she can talk to about life in general, its joys, questions and struggles. Njoki appreciates all the intellectual and emotional support he has provided because it helped her find a place of belonging on campus in knowing that someone always had her back.

There were a lot of internal prejudices that Njoki had learnt from the culture in which she had grown up has been wrestling with as she moved from my home country to the U.S., and she felt spiritually challenged to reflect on them as her mind was opened to a whole new culture here. But the growth Njoki felt more profoundly was a calling to be more active in advocating for the voices that have not often been heard on Trinity’s campus, in line with the Biblical message of loving your neighbor and sitting by the Samaritan woman at the well in conversation with her. Njoki grew to understand, messages from Christ that urged a kind of push to listen to and love the person who is different from you. From this, she felt drawn to engage more with multicultural endeavors on campus, joining African Student Union and Multicultural Leadership out of a desire to speak to at least one aspect of this calling – sharing cultural diversity and building a space of belonging for those who come from different cultural backgrounds. While at the start may not have immediately seen this as the spiritual calling it was, she has come to see the need for such engagement in terms of forming a vibrant community that reflects what Jesus says the Kingdom of God is like.

Probably the formation of the friendships Njoki has acquired along my journey, or more particularly, her friends in her Hangman 59 group had been the most memorable experience at Trinity so far.. Sounds like a weird name for a friend group, she knows, but their friendship began over a game of Hangman in the Fusion 59 room in the library, so it was fitting. The group of friends (Hangman 59 and beyond) are some of the most welcoming, interesting, and unique group of individuals Njoki has ever met, and her experience of going through the college journey with them – its ups and downs, Christmas parties and communal meals – is something that will stick with her for a long time moving forward.

Eleanor Brooks is pursuing a degree in Social Work in which she is expecting to Graduate in the Spring of 2024.

Eleanor grew up in Holland, Michigan in which she graduated from Zeeland West High School.

Eleanor received a letter in the mail back in 2019 but she didn’t read and let it sit on her desk. Then in 2020, after she dropped out of her other college, Eleanor was sorting through her desk and came across the letter again. She knew a few people who went to Trinity so she texted them and asked how their experience was and they liked it and said good things about Trinity. So she decided to set up a visit day and she loved how the professors interacted with the students.

One of Eleanor’s favorite professors is Dr. Thianto. He no longer teaches here at Trinity. But she had him for two of her Bible classes and he helped her fall in love with reading the scriptures. He was a huge encouragement to Eleanor in her faith and she loved being in classes with him.

Being so close to Chicago gave her the opportunity to explore different churches. However, in 2021, she heard of Reverend Doctor Charlie Dates of Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago and Salem Baptist Church. Eleanor visited Progressive and instantly feel in love with the environment and the leadership of Pastor Dates. 2021 was the first time in 4 years that she started going to church regularly and God worked amazingly in her heart. But she doesn’t think she would have felt bold enough to go to a new church environment if it wasn’t for Professor Thianto helping her fall in love with the Bible.

Participating in the Christmas concert in December was her most memorable experience at Trinity. She plays violin and hasn’t played in a huge performance like the Christmas concert since high school.

Bianca Sotelo is pursuing a degree in Communication Arts and Spanish in which she is expecting to Graduate in 2025.

Bianca Sotelo grew up in Chicago which she attended Josephinum Academy.

Bianca was using a website that matched the colleges that had the best fit for her major and Trinity popped up. She went to tour the campus and loved it. She chose Trinity because of how she could tell being a Christian wasn’t a title, they slapped on they incorporate it in everything. She could tell the teachers really care for the students and she really wanted that close connection.

She would have to say Intermediate Spanish 2 with Professor Lee is favorite class. Being able to start her morning with Professor Lee is amazing and fantastic as she is so supportive. She loves having Lee as a teacher and as an adviser.

Being here at Trinity has allowed Bianca to have time to herself to read her Bible due to the Wednesdays off. Having a lot of opportunities and chapel has really allowed Bianca to continue her faith in hard times.

“Being a part of the theater program has been amazing”. During the Fall semester of 2022 Bianca got to be in the One Act called “Trysting Place”. It was very fun for her, and the cast was amazing to work with. She loved that experience, and she can’t wait to be a part of more plays.

Elyssa Peters is double majoring in Music and Philosophy in which she is expecting to Graduate in May of 2025.

Elyssa Peters grew up in Blue Island, IL which she was homeschooled.

Elyssa grew up on Trinity’s campus because her dad has worked here since she was 1! She chose to attend Trinity because she was looking for a small, Christian liberal arts college near family, and she already loved the campus and faculty here.

Elyssa is really enjoying Courage, Calling, and Creativity with Professor Carlson. The arts have always been a huge part of her life, so she loves learning about creativity and how our faith intertwines with our work.

Elyssa learned so much in her campus leadership work! During freshman year, she was a women’s Bible study leader. This year, she is a chapel intern, and has loved leading in chapel and helping plan the services. She is thankful that God has given her the opportunity to be in an environment where she is continually learning and growing in her faith, throughout all different aspects of her life.

Presenting at OPUS has been her most memorable experience at Trinity so far. She doubted herself, but some professors encouraged her and a few other students to step out of her comfort zone and put together a presentation based on our experience as a ULA. It was scary for her but went very well, and she even ended up winning a prize!

Jenna DeWeerdt is pursuing a degree in Business entrepreneurship with a minor in marketing in which she is expecting to Graduate in December of 2024.

Jenna grew up in Byron Center, MI which she graduated from South Christian High School.

She heard about Trinity when her admissions representative, Brand Lanninga, came to her high school. She signed up for a bus trip, while he was there, that took Michigan kids to visit Trinity for a weekend. She had the opportunity to sit in on a class, experience Trinity culture, and stay in the dorms. She fell in love with Trinity’s culture and decided to further her education here at Trinity Christian College.

Her favorite professor is Omar Sweiss and she has loved any of his classes. Her favorite so far, has been Negotiations and the Lean Start Up, which she is currently taking.

She has had the opportunity to be able to grow spiritually by being immersed with professors, faculty, and peers that help guide her. Being able to trust and rely on people who help her grow spiritually and challenge her has helped her grow into the Lord.

Her most memorable experience at Trinity has been working at the Mail and Print Center. She loves being able to see a lot of different people from campus who come in, bonding with her co-workers, and having fun with many different shenanigans.

Faith Bruinius is pursuing a degree in Recreational Sports Management in which she s=is expecting to Graduate in 2024.

Faith grew up in Worth, Illinois where she graduated from Amos Alonzo Stagg High School

Faith heard about Trinity through her softball recruiting process, as well as living so close to the school. She would always drive through and think about the charm the campus had and when she did an actual visit, she fell in love with Trinity. A big reason Faith came to Trinity was because she was able to play softball, but another big reason was because of the small campus and class sizes. She is a big people person, so she likes being able to see familiar faces and talk to people in a comfortable setting!

Her favorite professor is Professor Cerney. He is her professor for most of the classes in her major and cares so deeply about his students and their success. All the students that have him, love him, and just from that you can tell he leaves a positive experience on every person he teaches!

Since being at Trinity, she has grown spiritually in many aspects. Her faith in God is at an all-time high and continues to grow every day.  Because she went to Trinity, she was able to stay at her home church, Moraine Valley Church, and continue to help serve on the worship team, the high school ministry, and the children’s ministry. After graduating high school, she believed she was called to work with the high school ministry so she could help change young girls lives as her leaders did for her. While helping in this ministry, she was blessed to be able to baptize 4 young girls in her 2 years of serving so far. She thanks God every day for the opportunities he has given her to go to college, play softball in college, and change peoples lives by glorifying his name! Before college she would’ve been nervous to put this out there, but because of her church and her coach putting God first, “I will forever shout his name from the rooftops and give him thanks for all he has done in my life”.

Her most Memorable experience at Trinity is any moment with my team. The Trinity softball team has a great relationship with each other and any time I am with them is memorable. Whether it is the bus rides to and from games, practices, the games themselves, or even when we get to hangout and talk to each other outside of softball. Being able to be a part of a team that can tell each other anything and be ourselves around each other is a team I also grateful to be a part of, and a team I am so excited to watch grow!

Anika grew up all around the world as a pastor kid and then military kid. She went to two high schools: Sigonella High School in Sicily, Italy and Ernest J. King High School in Sasebo, Japan. In total I have lived in Sunnyside, WA; Ripon, CA; San Clemente, CA; Sicily (Catania), Italy; and Sasebo Japan.

Anika has lived overseas a lot but would not necessarily consider herself an international student as she has always been a US citizen and only lived overseas while connected to the US military. She always knew she would come to the United States to study.

Both of Anika’s parents are Trinity alums (class of ’97 and ’98). It was always something that has been a part of her family’s history, but choosing Trinity was ultimately her choice and not her parents’. Unlike other schools she applied to, Trinity made her feel truly welcome and wanted. She felt like an individual person rather than just an application number. She loved the community and the location here, and was also blessed by some incredibly generous scholarships.

Overall she has been so impressed with all of her classes and professors here at TCC. She hasn’t  had a class that she didn’t like, but so far, she has loved her Life-Span Development class with Dr. Guzman.

Trinity has helped her grow spiritually in many ways. From classes, to clubs, to campus ministry events, she faced challenges and has been encouraged to question and grow deeper in her faith. She has been challenged by people around her, causing her to grow through experiences and the counseling of leaders around her. Her professors encourage her to think deeper as she connects class content to her personal faith, but most of all getting the opportunity to serve on the chapel and outcry teams has given her the opportunity to grow spiritually as she leads and learns from others.

There has been so many memorable experiences for Anika at Trinity so far! In general, something she has been blown away by is the number of events and opportunities there are to be a part of campus life! Nearly every night there is something going on whether it is related to theatre, campus ministries, res life, STAC, etc. There is no shortage of things to do around campus!

Miles Williams was studying in West Virginia when he made the choice to reach out to the baseball coach here at Trinity Christian College. In his search for the right school, he was looking for something with a Christian atmosphere, but somewhere that felt like home, where you were known by name and not just a number. He was looking to build connections with other students, connections that would become lifelong friendships, and was also searching for a place that would build opportunities for him in his life and career beyond college.

What Miles found at Trinity, was exactly what he was looking and hoping for. Everywhere he turned, he found places to affirm his passions, and help him shape his identity in who he is in God. From taking part in the Student Government Association (SGA) to the theatre program and the baseball team, he recalls a diverse set of memories on the campus of Trinity.

In high school, Miles had injuries that led him to physical therapy, which inspired him in his major, exercise science. His drive to learn more about getting into the exercise science field provided ways for him to learn more about how our body connects to our everyday lives. As he approaches graduation in 2023, he is excited about what the future holds and is focused on what his career and life will look like, beyond graduation day.

He feels grateful to be on campus every day, and for the ways he has been able to grow in his learning, his friendships, and most importantly, his faith.