Dr. Arden Ruth DeVries Post

Retirement Tribute – May 2006

For many years, Dr. Arden Post's name has been synonymous with reading instruction at Calvin College.

Arden was born in Passaic, New Jersey in 1944 and attended the Eastern Christian Schools. Her activities as a high school student give us a clue about her future career choice. She was the president of the library club and of the student council. She was also a member of the Future Teachers of America and won the “best all around student award.” After graduating from high school, she attended Calvin College where she completed a degree in Education with a double major in French and Psychology and a Spanish minor.

Arden married Jack Post in 1969 and his work took them all over the country. From 1969 to 1979 Arden taught grades 3 through 12 in schools in Colorado, Pennsylvania and Georgia. She completed a Master's Degree in Reading from Beaver College in 1979. She spent three years as a resource room teacher in Atlanta before the Posts moved to Ohio, where Arden completed her doctorate degree in Special Education and Literacy at the University of Cincinnati.

In 1985, Arden was appointed to Calvin's Education Department and has had an important role in preparing future teachers ever since. Arden combined her knowledge of literacy, students with special needs, teacher preparation, and wisdom gained from raising three children to write a series of wonderful articles for parents which were published in the Christian Home and School magazine and were later collected in her book God's Pencils. But anyone who has been in her classes or has seen Arden 's office knows that, of all the things she has done, the thing she loves most is to put children and books together.

This love is the spark that caused her to create the Alexander Literary Experience, which she calls the ALEx program. Six years ago, Arden began a collaborative program with Alexander School, an urban, public elementary school in Grand Rapids. What began as a way to encourage literacy by connect young children with computers became a long-term relationship in which Calvin students partner with a young child.

Arden and Jack look forward to finding new ways to serve God without the daily pressure of a teaching schedule. Arden is already thinking about how she might help out schools in places where they might spend a few months next winter. Arden, we wish you God's richest blessing as you continue to find new and exciting ways to help children learn about the joys of reading.

Dr. Yvonne Hoekstra Van Ee

Retirement Tribute – May 2006

Dr. Yvonne Van Ee's story is testament to her openness to God's leading in her life and to seeing what new opportunities he might have in store for her. That journey saw her earn a diploma or a degree in each decade from the 50's to the 90's. After graduating from high school in the 50's, Yvonne received her Associates Degree in 1963 from Ferris State University in Applied Science where she was trained in physician's office practice and management. She worked as an office nurse and manager in a plastic surgeon's office for six years before she entered Calvin College, and in 1970 got the degree that would start her on the professional path that became her life's work – elementary education.

Upon graduation she took a position at Ada Christian School where she taught fifth grade. After several years of teaching, Yvonne began her association with Calvin College as an instructor. In 1974, she began teaching in the Education Department on a part-time basis as a student teaching supervisor. Yvonne then began work on her M.A.T., again from Calvin, with a concentration in Biblical and Religious Studies which was granted in 1981.

Yvonne continued to serve the Education Department on a part-time basis throughout most of the 80's. She remembers getting a call one Sunday evening from then-chair Dr. LeRoy Stegink informing her that she was to begin teaching a new course, EDUC 301-303, the next morning! As she was called on to teach more courses she realized that she enjoyed this work and wanted to pursue it full-time so in 1991 she completed a Ph.D. at Michigan State, studying Early Childhood Education. After already serving the department for 14 years, she was appointed to a full-time position on the Calvin faculty where, in addition to her other duties, she has served as director of Calvin's Early Childhood Education program.

Yvonne has also been active in state educational policy and has served as a member of the board of trustees of the Grand Rapids Christian Schools and as a council member for the Van Andel Education Institute.

In retirement, Yvonne and Bill have few plans but lots of options. After spending a semester with Calvin students in New Mexico this past fall they are anxious to return but they also don't know what else God may have in store for them. As she did for many years in her career, Yvonne is looking forward to finding out where God might lead her and she is willing to follow wherever that might be. Yvonne, we are looking forward to seeing what adventures await you and wish you God's blessing as you follow him to new places.

Dr. LeRoy Stegink

Retirement Tribute – May 2007

For years LeRoy Stegink's name has been synonymous with the Calvin Teacher Education Program. As Director of Teacher Education for sixteen years, LeRoy made hundreds of “four year plans” for students to get a degree from Calvin and a Michigan teaching certificate. These students quickly discovered that he knew the system at Calvin better than anyone and if there was a problem to be sorted out, he was the person to talk to.

LeRoy himself was the recipient of a teaching degree and a Michigan Teaching certificate from Calvin in the mid 60's. He grew up in Denver , Colorado, and came to Calvin to study History and Political Science. After a ten year stint as a Teacher of American History, Sociology, Psychology and World Affairs at Grand Rapids Christian High School, LeRoy began his work in the Education Department at Calvin while working on a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Michigan State University, where he had previously completed his Master's Degree. LeRoy soon became the Coordinator for Secondary Education, placing all Secondary student teachers in their schools as well as teaching a long list of courses. In 1985 LeRoy was appointed as chair of the Education Department and Director of Teacher Education. He remained in this role until 2001 when he took a one-semester sabbatical and spent two semesters directing Calvin's program in Rehoboth , New Mexico.

Since that time LeRoy has been teaching Curriculum and Instruction, Secondary Reading in the Content Areas and Elementary Social Studies Methods. He continues to read widely in the area of Educational policy and is known for placing copies of interesting articles regarding Education (and other topics) in the boxes of his colleagues.

LeRoy is one of only a handful of people who have served on both the Grand Rapids Christian and Public school boards. He ran for and won a three-year seat on the Grand Rapids Public School board in both 1987 and 1990. He also served a term on both the GRCSA Seymour Christian and boards (once as president). LeRoy has served on the review teams for a number of Christian Schools in the U.S. and Canada (including being turned away once at the border, making his colleagues wonder if the border officials knew something we didn't).

LeRoy has been a mentor and friend to a generation of Education Department faculty. His encyclopedic knowledge of Calvin Education Program history and of political events and trends in schooling, both at the local and national level, have made him an invaluable resource. LeRoy and his wife, Anjean look forward to being able to spend more time with their four children and eight grandchildren. After over thirty years of preparing teachers it is clear that LeRoy's impact on schools will continue to be felt for quite some time.

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