Profiles - Students

Peter Boumgarden Business and Communications, Class of 2005 Naperville, Illinois More Student Profiles

Why I chose Calvin

I was looking at a wide variety of schools, from your Big Ten, large institutions to your smaller but still public universities. There was a part of me that was tired of doing the swimming bit, so the reason I came to Calvin was more academic than athletic. But when I started talking to the coach, I decided to give swimming a shot.

What I found...

The quote that I think applies to my situation is from Chariots of Fire when Eric Liddell said, “I believe God made me (for a purpose), but he also made me fast, and when I run, I feel his pleasure.” Everybody is created with different God-given talents, and I think it’s a spiritual obligation to use those gifts. At Calvin I have developed into more of a whole person than I may have been at a larger institution — where I would be paid to swim. One of things that I’ve been most impressed about at Calvin is the leadership opportunities. There have been opportunities for growth athletically and spiritually in terms of leadership.