News from Hope College is published during April, August and December for alumni, friends and parents of Hope College by the Division of Public Affairs and Marketing.
Delbert Knooihuizen and Mimi Moncada ’43 Knooihuizen→
Delbert Knooihuizen and Mimi Moncada ’43 Knooihuizen celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on Wednesday, Aug. 17, in Hudson, Ohio, at the Laurel Lake Retirement Community.
Harvey Heerspink ’49 of Jenison, Michigan, visited the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., last year with more than 100 other World War II veterans from western Michigan. More than 1,000 veterans from all over America were there on that day.
Dick Hagni ’53 of Rolla, Missouri, retired from Missouri University of Science and Technology 16 years ago, after teaching geology for 45 years (the last 15 years serving as chairman of the Department of Geology and Geophysics). However, he continues to do research in geology, give professional presentations at geology meetings, and write papers on … Continue reading "Dick Hagni ’53"
Kate Ver Meulen ’53 Rudy of Greenwich, Connecticut, reports that in the winter months she and her husband live in “The Boulders” in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Terry Zylman ’59 of Grand Rapids, Michigan, taught high school band for 20 years in Michigan and performed with the Grand Rapids Symphony, Battle Creek Symphony, Lawrence Welk, Harry Connick Jr., Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Temptations and Four Tops, touring Broadway shows and on numerous recordings, and is still performing.
George Boerigter ’61 was elected chairman of the New Mexico Angels, the local venture capital investment group in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Angels consist of 60-75 accredited investors investing in five to seven deals per year. George also helped found the NM Startup Factory that annually starts three to four high tech NM firms
Gail Pennington ’63 Siefert of Morehead City, North Carolina, retired after 25 years of teaching high school German, French and English in New Jersey. She retired to North Carolina and has recently traveled to Israel and Beijing, China.
Norman Ten Brink ’65 retired as professor of geology at Grand Valley State University in 2003 and reports that he is now enjoying summers in Holland, Michigan, and winters in Green Valley, Arizona. Hiking, biking and archery are his favorite activities.
Bob Dahl ’66 and his daughter Rachel Dahl ’95 have published their second book, titled “The Nine A.M. Jog.” Rachel formatted and illustrated the book with original abstract watercolors of several of his poems. Their first book was “The Ten P.M. Walk,” published in 2014. Bob is a retired United Church of Christ minister living … Continue reading "Bob Dahl ’66"
Mary Groenewoud ’66 Hale of San Antonio, Texas, is a retired reading specialist. She and her husband, Dwight, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in August 2017. She reports that they enjoy traveling and visiting family and friends.
William Hultgren ’66 of Dearborn, Michigan, retired after 44 years of employment with the City of Dearborn: 20 years as city attorney and 24 years as a district judge. His wife, Julie, is retiring after 25 years with the 19th District Court and City of Dearborn.
Robert Werge ’66 has retired as an international anthropologist with the U.S. Government and his consulting firm. He and his wife live in Denver, Colorado, close to one of their three children and three of their nine grandchildren. He moved to Colorado 20 years ago to ski, hike and bike, which he still enjoys.
Marcia De Graaf ’67 retired after 17 years as the human resources/community coordinator at DW McMillan Memorial Hospital in Brewton, Alabama. She will continue to serve on the board of directors of Covenant Alzheimer’s Services, where she has served since 2007 and plans to work with Alzheimer’s education for caregivers and their support team.
This fall, Hope College dedicated the press box at Ray and Sue Smith Stadium in honor of Tom Renner ’67 and Carole DeYoung ’67 Renner, and honored the couple during the H-Club Coaches’ Luncheon on Monday, Oct. 24. Tom served Hope for 47 years before retiring in 2013. He was associate vice president for public … Continue reading "Tom Renner ’67 and Carole DeYoung ’67 Renner"
Laurie Taylor ’67 Rossi of Fairview, New Mexico, has been studying to become a symphony conductor. She has begun playing the cello and plays with High Desert Strings of Santa Fe. She will be conducting the Santa Fe Symphony for one piece in December, the third year in a row.
Pamela VanderWeele ’68 of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, is an interpretive volunteer at Sitka National Historical Park, Alaska. This is her second three-month volunteer position at Sitka. She is also an active Habitat for Humanity volunteer.
Karen Zeh ’69 Baumgardner moved to Iowa in December 2007 to serve the Reformed Presbyterian Church. During 2011-12, all three of her daughters were married. She and her husband currently have six granddaughters. She reports that in addition to being a pastor’s wife, she has an ESL Bible class for Japanese women.
Carolyn Westlake ’69 Sigler of Sterling Heights, Michigan, reports that she is currently enjoying her four grandchildren and camping. She and her husband recently celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary and have enjoyed several mission trips teaching ESL in central Europe.
Dorothy Spencer ’69 retired on Sept. 1, 2013, from East Carolina University’s Division of Health Sciences, where she served for more than 16 years as associate vice chancellor for communication and information services and director of the William E. Laupus Health Sciences Librarian. She reports that since retirement she has relocated to Loveland, Colorado, where … Continue reading "Dorothy Spencer ’69"
Gail Rutgers ’70 of Holland, Michigan, has been an artist at Uptown Gallery and Frame Shop in Holland for 22 years. She continues to exhibit and sell her art through the gallery.
Reed Brown ’71 is retired and enjoying life in the “Babylon by the Bay,” San Francisco, California, near theaters, War Memorial Opera House and other wonderful pastimes.
Warren Sherman ’71 has been accepted into a two-year master’s program at Brown University in cybersecurity. He is currently a consultant with Standard & Poor’s in the company’s New York headquarters.
Doris Smith ’72 DeLuca has retired as executive assistant and office manager from CTS Inc., a software consulting company headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. She reports that she and her husband are looking forward to travel and more family time as her daughter and son-in-law have recently returned to the United States with their new daughter … Continue reading "Doris Smith ’72 DeLuca"
Sharon VanDyk ’72 Purkey of Sidney, Montana, retired from 30 years of teaching middle school language arts, history and mathematics. During the first month of retirement she traveled through northern Europe, and she looked forward to Japan in the fall.
Philip Tappert ’72 of Grapeland, Texas, is in his 30th year of ministry in France with students at the University of Montpellier, combined with a church-planting effort.
Christian Fenton ’73 has retired as deputy superintendent for business and operations after 37 years with the Grosse Pointe Public School System. He also served for a brief period as interim superintendent. Besides budget and finances, his focus has been on repairs, improvements and expansions to the district’s historically/architecturally significant K-12 building. He attended the … Continue reading "Christian Fenton ’73"
Lillie Parker ’73 Wilbourn of Portsmouth, Virginia, has retired from teaching after 32 years. She reports that she plans to travel and keep herself busy. She volunteers at her church’s school and will help raise her grandson.
Chuck Brooks ’74 of Harwood, Maryland, has worked as a senior security specialist and federal officer for the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security in Washington, D.C. for the past 10 years. His responsibilities include executive protections, senior security liaison for the Office of Consular Affairs and serving as a diplomatic security officer … Continue reading "Chuck Brooks ’74"
Paula Huey ’74 Fox retired after 35 years of work as a public library reference librarian, mostly with Hennepin County Library in suburban Minneapolis, Minnesota. She reports that she now cares for her 100+-year-old mother.
Scott Lenheiser ’74 of Farmington Hills, Michigan, is in his 38th year as a member of the Michigan Bar Association. He specializes in real estate transactions, taxation issues and business law, and practices in Farmington Hills, Michigan, and Greater Detroit. He has helped his ninth client achieve decamillionaire net worth status.
Roxanne Vanderveer ’74 retired from the State of Michigan, Grand Traverse/Leelanau County Department of Human Services on Jan. 1, 2011, after 30 years of service. She reports that she enjoys her part-time job working in the tasting room at L. Mawby and Big Little Wineries located in rural Suttons Bay.
Kris Musco ’75 David of Warwick, Rhode Island, completed a year as district governor for Rotary International. As governor she was responsible for 66 Rotary clubs in the state of Rhode Island, southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod and the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. The year ended with the Rotary International Convention in Seoul, South … Continue reading "Kris Musco ’75 David"
David Edwards ’75 recently was appointed president and CEO of the Essex County Community Foundation, a $52-million grant-making organization serving the north shore of Massachusetts.
Debra Buis ’75 Hartman and David Rockey were married on August 2, 2014. She reports that she and her husband are both retired and enjoy traveling. They divide their time between their homes in Freeport, Illinois, and Rapid City, South Dakota.
Glenn Wagner ’75 has published a book, God Incidents: Real Life Stories to Strengthen and Restore Your Faith, aimed to help persons who have lost faith, are losing faith or desire to help those who are struggling with faith issues. He has been a United Methodist Pastor for 40 years, and currently serves as senior … Continue reading "Glenn Wagner ’75"
Richard Williams ’75 of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is in his 18th year as director of community economic development, with responsibilities administering the state’s MainStreet program, the Arts and Cultural District program, the Historic Theaters Restoration Initiative and the rural frontier communities program. He continues to live in the North Valley along the Rio Grande Bosque.
Ellen Barker ’76 Smith of Holland, Michigan, opened Albert K’s Catering in May 2016 after a 30-year career in human resources. She followed her true passion for cooking and entertaining.
Rachel Hesselink ’77 retired in June 2015 with 31 years of federal service. For the past six years, she worked in the finance budget office of the Surface Combat Systems Center, Dept. of Navy in Wallops Island, Virginia. Her federal career also included 18 years with the U.S. Government Accountability Office, primarily conducting performance evaluations … Continue reading "Rachel Hesselink ’77"
Daniel Kiel ’77 will be bicycling Sea to Sea again, June through August. The trip is from Vancouver, BC, to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Sea to Sea raises funds to fight poverty.
Carolyn Walburn ’77 Metzler of Albuquerque, New Mexico, works at the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, serving as spiritual director for the Living School, a two-year program doing a deep dive into the Christian mystical tradition through which students from all over the world respond to the needs and suffering of creation.
Ralph Schubert ’77 was named associate director for Title V Programs at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children. The division partners with Illinois families and communities to help children and youth with special health care needs connect to services and resources. He is supporting adoption of the “medical home” … Continue reading "Ralph Schubert ’77"
Judy Diephouse ’78 Wolffis of Grand Haven, Michigan, retired from the Grand Haven Public Schools after 37 years in education. She had taught in a learning disability resource room in second grade and in kindergarten. She reports that she is looking forward to enjoying walking, gardening, family and friends gathering at the cottage, and the … Continue reading "Judy Diephouse ’78 Wolffis"
Leah Sunderlin ’79 Haugneland has completed two years serving as the treasurer for Taylor High School Band Boosters, the band of which her daughter is a member. She has amassed more than 1,200 hours of service in both years and was nominated for Volunteer of the Year during the 2014-15 school year.
Mark Ongley ’79 of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, published his first book, Into the Light: Healing Sexuality in Today’s Church, in August 2016. Its aim is to redeem the church’s discussion of sexuality by offering grace and healing to the sexually abused, addicted and sexually averse.
Sue Poppink ’75 of Portage, Michigan, has received the Teaching Excellence Award from the College of Education and Human Development at Western Michigan University. She has been a professor of educational leadership at WMU for the past 16 years.
Ann Moored ’80 DeYoung of Coopersville, Michigan, recently retired after 35 years as a teacher, principal and curriculum coordinator. She is now pursuing various education consulting opportunities.
Debra Hall ’80 Tolsma of Muskegon, Michigan, left Steelcase Inc. in 2015 and formed her own company, Relevant Learning Solutions, specializing in leadership and workforce development. Most recently she signed with Harvard Business School Publishing to facilitate leadership development programs.
Marcia Wolffis ’81 von Ehr is currently pursuing an AAS degree in accounting at the University of Alaska. She works as a document specialist in the finance department of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. She reports that she and her husband John “Pat” ’82 von Ehr are happily living in Palmer, Alaska.
Ron Bechtel ’82 is a program director at 70×7 Life Recover in Holland, Michigan, a ministry that teaches people with felonies how to do life better and places them in a job with one of more than 30 partner employers. He trains the mentors who help the participants succeed and directs the work of case … Continue reading "Ron Bechtel ’82"
Kathy Reeder ’83 Boerigter of Los Alamos, New Mexico, has received the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), announced by the White House in August and awarded to 213 outstanding K-12 science and mathematics teachers this year. The winners are selected by a panel of distinguished scientists, mathematicians and educators … Continue reading "Kathy Reeder ’83 Boerigter"
Jeffrey Beswick ’84 was selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2017 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. He has practiced law in the Grand Haven, Michigan area for more than 25 years.
Mark Nagelvoort ’84 of Holland, Michigan, was promoted to chief operating officer overseeing all divisions of Tommy Car Wash Systems, from sales, accounting, warehouse, IT and project management to construction.
Will Jewson ’86 is in his third year as the pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church in Janesville, Wisconsin, after a 25-year career in the major appliance/electronics industry.
Bonnie Baker ’87 Hooyenga of Holland, Michigan, is working with top doctors and doctor’s assistants in autism and top people in commercial organ and piano.
Steve Van Harn ’87 recently started a new role as senior purchasing analyst with LG Chem in addition to launching Rinchen Ranch to raise Tibetan Yak for meat, fiber and breeding.
Maureen Rand ’88 Oakley of Frederick, Maryland, was promoted to the rank of professor at Mount St. Mary’s University. She published The Bottle, the Breast, and the State: The Politics of Infant Feeding in the United States in 2015.
Raymund Woo ’88 of Maitland, Florida, was chosen as chief of staff at Florida Hospital for Children in Orlando, Florida, where he continues his research on robotic spinal surgery.
Susan Renner ’90 Williams of East Grand Rapids, Michigan, has been appointed to the Hope College Alumni Association Board of Directors. She was named to the board during the group’s fall meeting, held on Thursday-Friday, Oct. 20-21, in conjunction with the college’s Homecoming Weekend.
Robert Anderle ’91 of Middletown, New York, relocated from his home of 18 years in and around Chicago in 2015, having accepted a call to serve as pastor of Scotchtown Presbyterian Church in Middletown, New York. He has been married since 2012 to Jacqui, and their two children are Braden (3) and Lydia (1).
Kathi Damsteegt ’91 Clark reports that she and her family have returned to Michigan, this time on the opposite end of the state in Milford, Michigan. Her husband took a design-engineering position with Mahle in Farmington Hills, Michigan, and they moved from western New York last spring. They have a daughter in her second year … Continue reading "Kathi Damsteegt ’91 Clark"
Patricia Stegink ’91 Villanueva of Eaton Rapids, Michigan, is now serving as school director for Happendance (501-c) in Okemos, Michigan, in addition to remaining on faculty. She is also the artistic director of Velocity Concert Dance and Education Exchange and assistant director with Impulse Student Dance Company.
William Charles Crowley ’92 taught a month-long Graham Technique intensive for a fifth year at the Centre de Danse du Marais in Paris, France, in August 2016 and held an audition for Dance 43 at Hope College in September 2016. He then traveled to East Lansing, Michigan, where he set his work, “Ghost Light” on … Continue reading "William Charles Crowley ’92"
Don Lingle ’92 of Dayton, Ohio, marked his 19th year at LexisNexis this past July. They have locations in Ohio, Georgia and Florida with emerging offices in North Carolina.
John Suchan ’92 of Wichita, Kansas, recently wrote and won a grant to purchase a class set of iPads for the autistic population of students at the Maize South Middle School where he is a counselor.
Jason Evert ’93 of Jacksonville, Florida, has joined Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson (JMT, Inc.) as a senior marine scientist performing environmental impact analyses and ecosystem restoration planning. He is also associate faculty at the University of Phoenix, teaching biology to non-majors.
Allison Goins ’94 Ash of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, is the dean of student care and graduate student life at Wheaton College. She and her husband have two children, Ellie (6) and Maddy (4).
Danielle Phebus ’94 Bielby of Battle Creek, Michigan, reports that she and her husband celebrated 19 years of marriage and have four children. She is active in her church and her community.
Scott Crawford ’95 has been employed with Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, since 1999. He is the associate director of the office of undergraduate admissions.
Rachel Dahl ’95 and her father Bob Dahl ’66 have published their second book, titled “The Nine A.M. Jog.” Rachel formatted and illustrated the book with original abstract watercolors of several of his poems. Their first book was “The Ten P.M. Walk,” published in 2014. Bob is a retired United Church of Christ minister living … Continue reading "Rachel Dahl ’95 and Bob Dahl ’66"
Karen Paradis ’98 Filipiak is working part-time as a staff registered nurse at Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, in a women’s and children’s float pool. She is a mother of a 4-year-old daughter and an 18-month-old son.
Elizabeth Freeman ’98 graduated with a Master of Science degree in nutrition and integrative health. She partners with individuals and organizations to create awareness and drive change in food and healthy lifestyle choices.
Matthew Kuiper ’98 received his Ph.D. in Islamic studies and theology from the University of Notre Dame. He successfully defended his dissertation on modern Islamic history on Monday, June 27, and was awarded the Ph.D. on Sunday, July 31. He is a post-doctoral teaching and research fellow at Notre Dame and an adjunct faculty member … Continue reading "Matthew Kuiper ’98"
Erik Manninen ’98 was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army on May 15, 2016. Currently, he serves as the internal medicine residency program director at William Beaumont Army Medical Center. WBAMC offers one of the six residency programs for internal medicine in Army hospitals. Erik and Melisa (married 17 years) and their children, … Continue reading "Erik Manninen ’98"
Kari Jackson ’99 Chavey of Novi, Michigan, marked her 10th year at General Motors in October in the propulsion systems embedded controls group, where she met her husband, Dana, whom she married on Oct. 1, 2011. She completed her master’s in global automotive and manufacturing engineering degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in … Continue reading "Kari Jackson ’99 Chavey"
Erin Frazer ’99 Nagrant of Brunswick, Ohio, has been a hospitalist for the Cleveland Clinic since April 2014. She and Andrew Nagrant announce the birth of Mary Judith on June 21, 2012, and James Michael on June 7, 2015.
Kathryn Nixon ’99 of Hainseville, Illinois, recently received her LCSW and is maintaining a happy career at Allendale Association. She and Nadia Foster were married on Sept. 16, 2016.
Kate Davelaar ’00 and Tom Guthrie announce the birth of Abraham Thomas on Jan. 13, 2016. Kate and family live in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she is serving as the interim director of Ukirk Greensboro (campus ministries of the PC (UCA)).
Laura Parsons ’00 Yanez graduated May 2016 from Baylor University’s executive MBA program with healthcare administration specialization and was inducted into the honors society for business, Beta Gamma Sigma.
Matthew Goupell ’01 was promoted to associate professor with tenure in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences at the University of Maryland – College Park. He also started a new five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health investigating how to improve hearing with cochlear implants.
Daniel Lannin ’01 of Mount Prospect, Illinois, accepted a position at Illinois State University in Bloomington/Normal, Illinois, as assistant professor of clinical and counseling psychology. Dan obtained his Ph.D. in clinical counseling psychology in May 2016 from Iowa State University.
Elizabeth Lomasney ’02 McDermott of New Lenox, Illinois, is an assistant professor of English at the University of St. Francis and an associate editor at RHINO magazine. Her chapbook, How to Leave a Farmhouse, was published last year.
Susan DeKam ’02 of Dallas, Texas, presented an organ concert as the inaugural performance in the Distinguished Alumni Recital series at Hope on Thursday, Sept. 22, in the Concert Hall of the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts. She serves as an organist at Northaven United Methodist Church, as an adjunct piano and organ … Continue reading "Susan DeKam ’02"
Matthew Doerr Parker ’02 and Krista Parker announce the birth of Isla Ave Ann on Aug. 26, 2016. Matthew is a program manager for Applied Minds, LLC in Burbank, California, a think-tank consulting organization that helps client companies develop new products and systems.
Rachael Pridgeon ’02 Peckham of Huntington, West Virginia, was tenured at Marshall University, where she teaches creative writing. This fall she was on sabbatical.
Andrew Imdieke ’03 received his Ph.D. in accounting from Michigan State University. He is an assistant professor of accountancy at the University of Notre Dame.
David Rye ’03 recently opened the Vermont 100 Store in Waterbury Center, Vermont. The Vermont 100 Store stocks a wide assortment of made-in-Vermont crafts, toys, gifts, art, games and other Vermont necessities, as well as its Vermont 100 house brand of apparel and merchandise.
Noel Snyder ’03 received a Ph.D. in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, with a concentration in preaching and the arts. He continues to serve as chaplain and director of spiritual life at Alma College.
Kerilyn Harkaway-Krieger ’04 graduated with a Ph.D. in English and religious studies in December 2014. In the fall of 2015, she started serving as an assistant professor of English at Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts.
Jessica Robinson ’05 of Grand Haven, Michigan, is entering her second year at Western Theological Seminary. She is an official aspirant for the priesthood in the Episcopal Church and is currently serving as parish intern at St. John’s Episcopal in Grand Haven. She also has founded The Lakeshore LGBTQ Faith Initiative.
Ray Jones ’06 of Hudsonville, Michigan, was appointed the director of nursing at Spring Arbor University in November 2015. He is currently working on his doctoral degree in nursing.
Zephyr Miller ’06 works at Warner Bros supporting the company’s EVP of worldwide digital marketing for all theatrical releases. She reports that she is celebrating 10 years of living in sunny Los Angeles, California.
Anna Van Wyck ’06 of Mears, Michigan is a licensed professional counselor and infant family specialist, and has an M.A. in clinical mental health counseling, specializing in play therapy and children.
Rebecca Bombard ’07 and Bruno Piro announce the birth of daughter Bella Dea Jayne on July 15, 2016. Rebecca has been the owner and artistic director of R&B Dance Center, Wilmette, Illinois, for the past three years.
Aaron Garoutte ’07 and Jennifer Gable ’06 Garoutte→
Aaron Garoutte ’07 and Jennifer Gable ’06 Garoutte announce the birth of Claire Carolyn born on Feb. 28, 2016. She joins their son, Charlie. Aaron also earned his Ph.D. in microbiology and molecular genetics at Michigan State University.
Mandy Novak ’08 Goetz received her Master of Business Administration degree from Ferris State University in August 2016. Her graduate paper, “The Bleak Reality of a World Without Standards,” was nationally recognized by the American National Standards Institute and is being published in Standards Engineering the journal of the Society for Standards Professionals. She and … Continue reading "Mandy Novak ’08 Goetz and Matthew Goetz ’06"
Michael Kaffka ’08 reports that he has led an exciting career in sales for the past eight years and has lived in four different states. He reports that he feels like Hope’s communication classes, specifically taught by Prof. James Herrick, were what made him understand argumentation and communication rhetoric the most. It has helped in … Continue reading "Michael Kaffka ’08"
David Nyitray ’08 and Elizabeth Richert ’08 Nyitray→
David Nyitray ’08 and Elizabeth Richert ’08 Nyitray announce the birth of Noah John on June 9, 2016.
Tim Van Noord ’09 has joined Colliers International West Michigan as a sales associate. He specializes in industrial investment sale and lease transactions, and is based in the firm’s downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, office. He was previously the regional director of research and analytics at Newmark Grubb Knight Frank for four years, serving in Los … Continue reading "Tim Van Noord ’09"
Hillary Delhagen ’09 of Brooklyn, New York, is a creative arts therapist at Rikers Island Correctional Facility. She had been working with adults with severe mental illnesses at Brooklyn Community Services as the senior art therapist for the past three years.
Jason De Jong ’09 and Julie Kofron ’10 were married on April 30, 2016, at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois. In July they moved back to Holland, Michigan, from Denver, Colorado, to be closer to family.
Jason De Jong ’09 and Julie Kofron ’10 were married on April 30, 2016, at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois. In July they moved back to Holland, Michigan, from Denver, Colorado, to be closer to family.
Michelle Geerlings ’10 and Ty Tanis ’11 were married on June 17, 2016. Michelle works at the Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan, and Ty works for Boys and Girls Club of Greater Holland.
Corinne Schild ’10 received her Doctorate of Psychology degree in clinical psychology from Adler University in August 2016. She will remain at Louisiana State University in mental health services for a post-doctoral fellowship.
Carolyn Powers ’10 Wiersma and Nathan Wiersma ’11→
Carolyn Powers ’10 Wiersma and Nathan Wiersma ’11 announce the birth of Lucy Noelle on July 18, 2016.
Carl Dunker ’11 of Holland, Michigan, left his job as a copywriter and information architect at deZignwright in St. Joseph, Michigan, and began working as a writer and editor at Herman Miller in May 2016. He continues to accept the occasional independent design and writing projects.
Rebecca Coe ’12 and Dennis Walker were married on Sept. 3, 2016, in San Diego, California. After two trips around the world with her husband, she has started as a post-production coordinator/editor at Loma Media in San Diego.
Chris Cox ’12 of New York City had an exhibition of photography featured in the De Pree Art Center and Gallery this fall as the college’s first Borgeson Artist-in-Residence. The exhibition, “Infinite Replica,” opened during Homecoming Weekend on Friday, Oct. 21, with an artist’s talk and reception and continued through Friday, Nov. 18. The 12-week summer … Continue reading "Chris Cox ’12"
Emily Henry ’12 of Bellevue, Kentucky, was featured through the Jack Ridl Visiting Writers Series at Hope on Tuesday, Sept. 20, both reading from her work and participating in a question-and-answer session. Her publications include the young-adult novel The Love That Split the World.
Anna Leach ’12 of Washington, D.C., is a special assistant in the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Education, where she provides leadership to the President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge, a national initiative from President Obama challenging college campuses to participate in community service with elements of interfaith … Continue reading "Anna Leach ’12"
Ann Rodwell-Lawton ’12 is the director of education, training and outreach for The Women’s Center of Greater Danbury. She also serves as the center’s legislative liaison and oversees the center’s advocacy efforts on state-level policy issues.
Peter Smith ’12 graduated from Western Theological Seminary with a Master of Arts degree in May and has begun working as the youth director at Silver Creek Reformed Church in German Valley, Illinois.
Kayla Howard ’13 received her master’s degree in physician assistant studies from Central Michigan University. She and Eric Vredeveld were married on Sept. 24, 2016.
Luke VanderZouwen ’13 and Morgan Appell ’14 were married on Aug. 29, 2015, in Midland Michigan. Luke is employed as a doctor of physical therapy at Full Potential Physical Therapy and Morgan is a K-2 resource teacher at Jefferson School in Holland, Michigan.
William DeBoer ’14 moved to Salisbury, Maryland, and is a lead radio broadcaster for University of Maryland Eastern Shore men’s and women’s Division I basketball. In the spring he will take over as the lead voice of the Delmarva Shorebirds, a minor league baseball team affiliated with the Baltimore Orioles.
Colin Drinkard ’14 received a Master of Science degree in athletic training from the University of Kentucky’s College of Health Sciences in May 2016. He was hired by Spectrum Health to serve as the head athletic trainer at Union High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Ellen Milroy ’14 received a Master of Education degree in higher education administration from North Carolina State University in May 2016 and is the assistant director of global programs in the Poole College of Management, North Carolina State University.
Samantha Rushton ’14 and Matt Sheehan were married on July 16, 2016, in Clawson, Michigan. Samantha is the communications and marketing director at Bishop Foley Catholic High School.
Aaron Mick ’15 and Lauren Duncan were married on July 30, 2016. Aaron is pursuing a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Connecticut.
Tim Bloemendaal ’16 of Holland, Michigan, hiked the entire 2, 189-mile Appalachian Trail in 136 days from February 20 to July 4, 2015. This journey took him from Springer Mountain, Georgia, to Mount Katahdin, Maine.
Jay Williams ’16 reports that his time at Hope was extremely fulfilling and he found himself and his purpose. Since graduation he has hit the ground running, starting three companies. He wants to help anyone turn a great idea into a tangible business.