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1950s

Robert Kisken ’59
Robert Kisken ’59 traveled years ago around United States photographing structures built by Finnish settlers in states including Michigan, Wisconsin, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Minnesota. He has given the photos to the Emigration Department in Turku, Finland. The photos have been on exhibit in Turku and the Emigration Museum in Seinajoki for years.

1960s

George Boerigter ’61
The Boerigter-Hope connection is strong, as reflected in this photo of three generations of the family wearing shirts featuring the college’s Boerigter Center for Calling and Career, which opened this past fall funded by a major gift from SoundOff Signal in honor of Founder and Chairman George Boerigter ’61 and his wife, Sibilla. The couple’s Hope children, children-in-law and … Continue reading "George Boerigter ’61"
Dennis DeWitt ’63
Dennis DeWitt ’63 taught Spanish for 10 years, was a school social worker for 20 years and an associate pastor for 20 years, and is author of two books, It’s Time to Clean the Basement Again and Zoe Died, What Now? Finding Hope in Times of Loss.
Marion Hoekstra ’65
Marion Hoekstra ’65 of Laurel, Maryland, was recently honored by her church, Laurel Presbyterian, for her 50-year commitment to the church choir. She was given a plaque by the choir followed by a special fellowship hour. She continues to travel both in the U.S. and abroad, her most recent trip being to the Galapagos Islands, … Continue reading "Marion Hoekstra ’65"
Marilyn Koman-Crace ’68
Marilyn Koman-Crace ’68 was featured in the December issue of ECHO by her daughter, Jacquelyn Crace-Murray, a writer for the magazine. The article, titled “#2 Salmon Drive,” tells of her early teaching in Bush Alaska in the ’70s, a picture of what life was like in a rural village.

1970s

Susan Klaner ’71 Madden
Susan Klaner ’71 Madden is traveling this month with Habitat for Humanity to help rebuild a home for a family in Braga, Portugal. Currently the family rents a very small home with no indoor plumbing and little protection from the cold. The house to be renovated has been inherited by the family but is unlivable … Continue reading "Susan Klaner ’71 Madden"
William Hill-Alto ’72
William Hill-Alto ’72 retired from his career as a minister in the Reformed Church of America having served congregations nationally and internationally for 43 years and as a special education teacher for 20 years. He relocated from Vermont to Atlanta, Georgia, to be near his children and grandchildren in July 2018. As a kidney-transplanted person, … Continue reading "William Hill-Alto ’72"
Louise Hughes ’72 Davies
Louise Hughes ’72 Davies reports that she received a stem cell transplant in September 2018. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007, non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 2014 and another blood cancer in 2017. She is currently recovering at home. She retired in June 2015 after 21 years of teaching high school English.
Elizabeth Newton ’72
Elizabeth Newton ’72 has retired after 39 years as principal planner for Passaic County, New Jersey.
Mark de Roo ’73
Mark de Roo ’73 will be joining three other Holland area residents on climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in June to raise funds for research and an eventual cure for early-onset Alzheimer’s, the disease that took his wife of 41 years, Roxanne, in early 2018. The summit is 19,321 feet and will take seven to … Continue reading "Mark de Roo ’73"
Jim McFarlin ’74
The Hope College Alumni Association will present Distinguished Alumni Awards to Jim McFarlin ’74 on Saturday, April 27, during the Annual Alumni Banquet. McFarlin is an author and freelance journalist who has had his work published in multiple national publications and has written or edited more than a dozen books (and has an article elsewhere in … Continue reading "Jim McFarlin ’74"
Steve Norden ’74
Steve Norden ’74 was selected to serve as the Grand Leprechaun for the Dublin, Ohio, St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Approximately 20,000 people attended what is promoted as central Ohio’s greenest, grandest St. Patrick’s Day parade. His selection was in recognition of 35 years of service to the Dublin community that includes his involvement with Dublin City Schools and … Continue reading "Steve Norden ’74"
Mark Johnson, John Caven, Dave Cluley and Mark Convoy ’75
Former roommates from the Class of ’75 recently gathered at the home of Mark Johnson in Sarasota, Florida. After a 43-year absence, Kollen Hall buddies — John Caven (Rochester, New York), Dave Cluley (Ada, Michigan), and Mark Convoy (Glen Rock, New Jersey — took Mark up on his invitation and enjoyed the sights and activities of the Florida Gulf. Pictured are … Continue reading "Mark Johnson, John Caven, Dave Cluley and Mark Convoy ’75"
Linda Plunkett ’75
Linda Plunkett ’75 published a book, Supernatural Rescue, which chronicles true life interventions by God, including a supernatural rescue after a seven-hour brain surgery. Since Linda is a psychologist, in the second part of the book she gives hope for people going through similar devastating experiences.

1980s

Mark Ennis ’80
Mark Ennis ’80 has had his first book published. Circle of Seven: When His Servants Are Weak collects real pastoral-care stories that can challenge one’s faith, yet find healing in Christ and community.
Lynn Forth ’82
Lynn Forth ’82 received the Top Women in Law from the Excellence in Law, 2018 Award. She is a partner at Buckner and Kourofsky LLP and works in the field of workers’ compensation.
Heidi Cope ’83 Roy
Heidi Cope ’83 Roy received a Master of Social Work degree, advanced clinical practice, from Saint Leo University in August 2018 and she passed her LMSW exam (Georgia) in September 2018.
Rhonda Hermance ’84
Rhonda Hermance ’84 retired in June 2018 from Troy City School District in New York after 33 years of service.
Robert Bergstrom ’86
Robert Bergstrom ’86 received a master’s degree in information systems and technology management in December 2018.
John Conser ’86
John Conser ’86 was selected as the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence Civilian Aviation Instructor of the Year at the 1st Aviation Brigade, Fort Rucker, Alabama. John has served the Army at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, as a primary flight instructor for the Shadow RQ-7B and the Hunter MQ-5B as well as an FAA certified … Continue reading "John Conser ’86"
Tammy Lovell ’87 Frost
Tammy Lovell ’87 Frost, the second totally blind individual to graduate from Hope, published her first book. Fay and the Rainy Day, a Christian children’s book.
Karen Van Hoven ’88 Hooker
Karen Van Hoven ’88 Hooker retired in June 2018 from the Zeeland Public Schools after 30 years of teaching.
Dr. Douglas Van Wieren ’88
The Hope College Alumni Association will present Distinguished Alumni Awards to Dr. Douglas Van Wieren ’88, on Saturday, April 27, during the Annual Alumni Banquet. Van Wieren has been a site-reliability engineer with Google since 2017, and previously spent several years in higher education — in administration, teaching and research — in the United States and … Continue reading "Dr. Douglas Van Wieren ’88"

1990s

Rebecca Collins ’91
Rebecca Collins ’91 is the president of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) Chicago Chapter. The ACC is the world’s largest community of in-house counsel, and the Chicago chapter serves more than 2,200 in- house attorneys in the Chicago area.
Daniel Combs ’93
Daniel Combs ’93 and Shelli Rottschafer ’96 have published a collaborative chapbook through SwEP, a small publishing house out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The work includes Daniel’s photography, Shelli’s narrative and student poetry. Shelli is an associate professor of Spanish at Aquinas College who teaches Latino/a literature, film and gender studies. Daniel is a freelance … Continue reading "Daniel Combs ’93"
Craig Maloney ’93
Craig Maloney ’93 reports that he is still working with computers.
Kristin Sikkenga ’93 Northrop
Kristin Sikkenga ’93 Northrop reports that in addition to a full-time position as a special education teacher and department chair for Ann Arbor Public Schools, she is also venturing into two part-time careers. In 2017, she earned her STOTT Pilates Instructor Certification, and she teaches Pilates part time for a local Pilates studio and YMCA. … Continue reading "Kristin Sikkenga ’93 Northrop"
Bill Boerman ’94
Bill Boerman ’94 received a check from the Michigan Lottery through the Excellence in Education Award program. The award is given to educators in the community who demonstrate excellence, dedication, inspiration, leadership and effectiveness in and out of the classroom. He is a sixth- and-eighth grade STEM teacher at Holland Middle School.
Heidi Aronson ’96 Kolk
Heidi Aronson ’96 Kolk is an assistant professor in the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts and assistant vice provost of academic assessment at Washington University in St. Louis. Her new book, Taking Possession, will be published this May.
Shelli Rottschafer ’96
Daniel Combs ’93 and Shelli Rottschafer ’96 have published a collaborative chapbook through SwEP, a small publishing house out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The work includes Daniel’s photography, Shelli’s narrative and student poetry. Shelli is an associate professor of Spanish at Aquinas College who teaches Latino/a literature, film and gender studies. Daniel is a freelance … Continue reading "Shelli Rottschafer ’96"
Becky Ponka-Lokey ’98
Becky Ponka-Lokey ’98 reports that after taking a nine-year hiatus to stay home with her boys, she is thrilled to be teaching full-time again. She taught third grade last year, but has switched to fifth grade for the 2018-19 school year in the St. Joseph Public Schools.
Michael Brya ’99
Michael Brya ’99 is the athletic director at DeWitt High School, where he has taught since graduating from Hope. He has also been officiating college basketball for the last 12 years, five of which were at the Division I level.
Dara Spearman-Wardlow ’99
Having attended the same alma mater and accomplished careers in medicine aren’t the only connections shared by Dr. Dara Spearman-Wardlow ’99 (left) and Dr. David Paul ’10 (right), who each received awards during the Black Excellence Dinner hosted by Hope’s Black Student Union during Homecoming Weekend. (They are pictured with fellow honoree Dr. Vicki-Lynn Holmes, associate professor of mathematics … Continue reading "Dara Spearman-Wardlow ’99"

2000s

Kathryn Mulder ’00 DeJonge
Kathryn Mulder ’00 DeJonge and Dan DeJonge announce the birth of Pierce Jordan on Dec. 12, 2018.
Susan Hinman ’00
Susan Hinman ’00 left the United States Naval Hospital in Naples, Italy, and reported to James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center. Susan is the endodontics division officer for USS Osborne at the Naval Recruiting Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois.
Andrew Ohm ’00
Andrew Ohm ’00 of Seattle, Washington, has been appointed as the newest member of the Hope College Alumni Association Board of Directors. He works in global whitespace innovation for Starbucks Coffee Company, where he leads design strategy for new cold coffee concepts and applied futures thinking. He is also responsible for scaling human-centered design within his organization. He … Continue reading "Andrew Ohm ’00"
Allicia Stojic ’00 Smrha
Allicia Stojic ’00 Smrha and Adam Smrha announce the birth of Caleb Matthew on May 29, 2018. He joins siblings Ella, Aaron and Mae.
Anne Houseworth ’01 Gray
Anne Houseworth ’01 Gray and James Gray announce the birth of Vera Evelina on May 30, 2018.
Cheri Stibitz ’01 Rozell
Cheri Stibitz ’01 Rozell was elected via general election as the Fourth Ward councilor for the City of Ludington in November.
Benjamin Wing ’01 and Heather Dustin ’02 Wing
Benjamin Wing ’01 and Heather Dustin ’02 Wing announce the adoption of Edison Mikhie Lewis on Nov. 21, 2018. He was born on Nov. 12, 2017, and joins siblings Eleanor and Evan.
David Cochrane ’02
David Cochrane ’02 is the vice president for information technology at Member First Mortgage in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Bettye Ann Daniels ’02 Kittle and Kevin Kittle ’03
Bettye Ann Daniels ’02 Kittle and Kevin Kittle ’03 announce the birth of Isla Jane on Feb. 16, 2018. She joins big sisters Evelyn (8) and Marielle (4). They reside in Rochester, Michigan.
Jeff Nelson ’02
Jeff Nelson ’02 and his wife, Abbie, are missionaries to Guatemala. He is a clinical psychologist and will be caring for pastors and ministry leaders in Guatemala City while his wife is a family nurse practitioner and will be opening a much-needed medical clinic in Zona 3 (a red zone and the city dump of … Continue reading "Jeff Nelson ’02"
Jessica Zimbelman ’02
Jessica Zimbelman ’02 and Alex Rossman announce the birth of twin daughters, Arla and Zadie, in May 2018.
Abby Vollmer ’03 Kowaczyk
Abby Vollmer ’03 Kowaczyk and Michael Kowaczyk announce the birth of Benjamin Gerald on June 9, 2018.
Anne Stevens ’04
Anne Stevens ’04 is a sourcing manager, corporate services at Mondelez International. She is also pursuing an evening MBA program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business with an anticipated graduation date of fall 2020.
Dyan Couch ’04 Westropp
Dyan Couch ’04 Westropp and Charlie Westropp announce the birth of fraternal twins, Claire and Cameron, on Aug. 28, 2018.
Meaghan Elliott ’05 Dittrich
Meaghan Elliott ’05 Dittrich and Brad Dittrich announce the birth of their daughter, Elliott Anastasia, on Nov. 29, 2018.
Dawn Flandermeyer ’05 Kopp
Dawn Flandermeyer ’05 Kopp and John Kopp announce the birth of Jasper Riese on Dec. 31, 2018. He joins big sister Juniper (2).
Matt Waterstone ’05 and Sarah Diekevers ’05 Waterstone
Matt Waterstone ’05 and Sarah Diekevers ’05 Waterstone, along with their sons, Willem and Bram, have relocated to Bronxville, New York. Matt is the senior pastor at the Reformed Church of Bronxville.
Jessica Bodtke ’06 Hammer
Jessica Bodtke ’06 Hammer announces the creation of Taste of Toulouse, the first company in Toulouse, France, that offers English-speaking food tours and other delicious experiences that help visitors and expats connect with French culture, explore the cuisine of southwest France and support talented local artisans and small businesses.
Gabriel Kalmbacher ’06 and Anna Marshall ’07 Kalmbacher
Gabriel Kalmbacher ’06 and Anna Marshall ’07 Kalmbacher announce the birth of Peter Gabriel on Nov. 26, 2018. He joins siblings Micah, Judah, Julia, Caleb, Eden and Lydia.
Emily Timmons ’07 Elliott
Emily Timmons ’07 Elliott and Mark Elliott announce the birth of triplets Caroline, Jack and Micah in May 2018. They join siblings Grace and Jacob. Emily was recently upgraded in her position at the University of Alabama from a postdoctoral researcher to a research-scientist position in the Department of Geography and currently teaches as an … Continue reading "Emily Timmons ’07 Elliott"
Sara Henry ’07 Samuel
Sara Henry ’07 Samuel and Brian Samuel announce the birth of Hannah Faith on Sept. 25, 2018.
Jeff Shriner ’07
Jeff Shriner ’07 received a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Colorado Boulder in May 2018.
Kyle Waterstone ’07
Kyle Waterstone ’07 and Ashley Waterstone announce the birth of Hazel Eden on Oct. 10, 2018. Kyle is with the University of Southern California as the director of athletic compliance. They reside in Redondo Beach, California.
Jake Droppers ’08
Jake Droppers ’08 has been elected a partner at Varnum LLP in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Heather Esfandiari ’09 Dutton
Heather Esfandiari ’09 Dutton and Jason Dutton announce the birth of Molly Kate on Dec. 12, 2018.
Lauren Graham ’09
Lauren Graham ’09 is the senior accountant for Kako’o Services LLC, a Native Hawaiian organization located in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Dan Guy ’09 and Kara Dornbusch ’12 Guy
Dan Guy ’09 and Kara Dornbusch ’12 Guy announce the birth of Joseph “JD” Daniel Guy on Nov. 7, 2018.
Gregory Hertz ’09
Gregory Hertz ’09 and Christina Hertz announce the birth of Grayson Wayne on Dec. 28, 2018.
Jill Immink ’09 Knaus
Jill Immink ’09 Knaus and Andy Knaus announce the birth of Hudson Andrew on April 12, 2018.
Christopher Sikkema ’09
Christopher Sikkema ’09 serves the Episcopal Church as manager for special projects, overseeing communication strategy and implementation for several church-wide initiatives.

2010s

Emily Sicard ’10 Nickerson
Emily Sicard ’10 Nickerson joined Whirlpool Corporation in Benton Harbor, Michigan, as copywriter for the in-house KitchenAid brand creative team.
David Paul ’10
Having attended the same alma mater and accomplished careers in medicine aren’t the only connections shared by Dr. Dara Spearman-Wardlow ’99 (left) and Dr. David Paul ’10 (right), who each received awards during the Black Excellence Dinner hosted by Hope’s Black Student Union during Homecoming Weekend. (They are pictured with fellow honoree Dr. Vicki-Lynn Holmes, associate professor of mathematics … Continue reading "David Paul ’10"
Sarah VanderMeer ’10
Sarah VanderMeer ’10 graduated from Western Michigan University in April 2018 with a Ph.D. in geosciences. Her research involved mapping the surficial geology of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and then interpreting the former glacial history of the region. Her map won the “Best Student Geologic Map Competition” at the 2017 Geological … Continue reading "Sarah VanderMeer ’10"
Madelyn Clark ’11
Madelyn Clark ’11 and Steven Filimon were married on Aug. 11, 2018, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
James Colten ’11
James Colten ’11 and Jennifer Walton were married on Nov. 10, 2018, in Washington, D.C. (Their officiant was Caleb Schut ’11). James was also promoted to associate director, fellow recruitment and admissions, at Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT).
Peter Luzzi ’11
Peter Luzzi ’11 graduated from Midwestern University’s Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine in May 2018. He is a first-year resident physician in internal medicine at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois.
Austin Brancheau ’12 and Reanna Janisse ’13
Austin Brancheau ’12 and Reanna Janisse ’13 were married on Sept. 22, 2018, in Detroit, Michigan.
Eden Collins ’12
Eden Collins ’12 received her M.F.A. degree in studio art from the University of Texas at San Antonio in December 2018. Following graduation, she is teaching undergraduate courses at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Dean Hazle ’12 and Mia Savagian ’12
Dean Hazle ’12 and Mia Savagian ’12 were married in August 2018 in Redondo Beach, California.
Maggie Blaich ’12 Myers
Maggie Blaich ’12 Myers and Michael Myers announce the birth of Joseph Dante on July 13, 2018.
Danielle Northuis ’12
Danielle Northuis ’12 and Ben Uzarski were married on Sept. 22, 2018, in West Olive, Michigan. They are currently residing in Grand Haven, Michigan.
Carter Piers ’12
Carter Piers ’12 of Honolulu, Hawaii, is a certified substance-abuse preventionist and was recently hired by the Hawaii Department of Education to serve as a behavior health specialist at President William McKinley High School of Honolulu. He was also recognized by the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium as the 2018 International Prevention Professional of the … Continue reading "Carter Piers ’12"
Kalli Shades ’12 and Jeffrey Corajod ’12
Kalli Shades ’12 continues to work at the University of Minnesota as a physician assistant in orthopedics. Her husband, Jeffrey Corajod ’12, is in his final year of emergency medicine residency at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. They just celebrated their daughter Vivian’s first birthday on Tuesday, Nov. 6.
Brent Smith ’12
Brent Smith ’12 made his debut with Opera Philadelphia in February as Peter Quince in Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, based on the Shakespeare play. In March, he sang Don Alfonso in the Academy of Vocal Arts’ production of Così fan tutte by Mozart. He recently won the Sachi Liebergesell Award from the Opera … Continue reading "Brent Smith ’12"
Kathryn Ristau ’13 Stocker
Kathryn Ristau ’13 Stocker and Ben Stocker were married on Nov. 3, 2018, in Barrington, Illinois. They reside in Oak Park, Illinois. Kathryn is a sales project manager for the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA).
Allison Webster ’14 Dickson
Allison Webster ’14 Dickson received a Doctorate in Optometry degree in May 2018 from the Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University.
Rachel Rebhan ’14
Rachel Rebhan ’14 received a Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree from the Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences in May.
Miranda Orlando ’14 Ulaszek
Miranda Orlando ’14 Ulaszek graduated with a Master of Medical Science degree in physician-assistant studies from Midwestern University in Downers Grove, Illinois. She will be starting her career as an urgent-care physician assistant with Physicians Immediate Care in the western suburbs of Chicago.
Alexis Smith ’15 Henderson
Alexis Smith ’15 Henderson and Caleb Henderson were married on Aug. 25, 2018, in Naperville, Illinois.
Gavin Donley ’16
Gavin Donley ’16 is currently in the third year of the Ph.D program in chemical and biomolecular engineering (ChBE) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He recently passed the preliminary exam to advance to Ph.D candidate in ChBE.
Victoria Gonda ’17
Victoria Gonda ’17 spoke during a computer science seminar at Hope on Thursday, Oct. 18, on “Exploring Functional Programming.” She works remotely as an Android developer at Buffer. She is also an author for RayWenderlich. com, and is active in the Android community as a conference speaker.
Nathan Vance ’17
Nathan Vance ’17 spoke at a computer science seminar at Hope on Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018, on “Life As A Graduate Student in Computer Science at Notre Dame.”
Annie Brucer ’18
Annie Brucer ’18 is a sixth- and-seventh-grade mathematics-enrichment teacher at the Denver School of Science and Technology.
Drew Bulson ’18
Drew Bulson ’18 is an Illinois-licensed real estate broker at NAI Hiffman in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois.
David Inman ’18
David Inman ’18 is working as an onboarding engineer at Aquasight, an artificial-intelligence company specializing in water/wastewater management and optimization in Troy, Michigan.
Anthony Nguyen ’18
Anthony Nguyen ’18 is a controls engineer for JR Automation Technologies in Holland, Michigan.
Allison Ristau ’18
Allison Ristau ’18 is a client services coordinator at Choose Chicago, the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau.