2005-2006 McGregor Sophomore Scholars

McGregor Sophomore Scholar Events:

Retreat, October 14-15,2005
Walking Tour of Grand Rapids, November 5, 2005
Discussion and dinner on March 1, 2006
Toronto Trip, April 28-30, 2006
Year-End Picnic, May 10, 2006

Student Biographies:

Katie Berry is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is majoring in speech pathology and hopes to work as a speech pathologist in a private practice. She enjoys running, working out, babysitting, reading and cooking. One of her great experiences was meeting the President of the United States and having a personal tour of the White House which included some areas normally off limits to the public.

Nathan Beach is from Ann Arbor, Michigan. He is a computer science major and enjoys website design, cycling, racquetball, and ministry. After graduation he hopes to do something either computer related, or business related, but whatever it is he hopes to integrate ministry into his career. One of his unusual accomplishments was riding his bike alone from Ann Arbor to Mackinaw City, Michigan. He has also designed an website called “ChristNotes” (www.christnotes.org).

Kwabena Bediako is from Akropong-Akuapem, Ghana. He is majoring in biochemistry, has a special interest in nanotechnology and hopes to do research in Ghana. Kwabena is currently treasurer for the International Student Association Committee, plays soccer and field hockey, and was involved with Airband ’05. He likes to dance, listen to music, and read Michael Crichton books. While attending boarding school during his high school years, Kwabena had to deal with the emotional stresses of being away from home for an extended period of time, along with the many mandatory tasks and responsibilities at boarding school which typical high school students do not have.

Anne Bolkema is from Grandville, Michigan. She is an elementary education major and plans to teach after graduation. She currently assists in a second grade class at Campau Park Elementary School and loves to sing, play piano, and travel. Parasailing over the Caribbean Sea in Jamaica and becoming an “auntie” when she was in 3rd grade are among her memorable experiences. Anne has also participated in a mission trip to Guatemala to build houses and set up a medical clinic.

Amie Bommelje is from Wheaton, Illinois. She is majoring in English and hopes to write novels someday. She is currently involved in the Festival of Faith and Writing committee, floor board, flute choir, Praisebreak, and accountability group leadership; she also enjoys piano, and drama. One of her most unusual experiences was being attacked by mosquitoes during a snowball fight in mid-July in the Rocky Mountains.

Devin Byker is from Ireton, Iowa and is majoring in music. He hopes to go into professional choral conducting, teach at a university, or pursue professional singing in an opera company. He is singing in the Capella and Oratorio Society and working in the Admissions Department; he’s also dorm president of BHT. Two of his most unusual experiences have been working in a nursing home and working amid 40 international students for a summer.

Sarah DeHoog considers her hometowns Tunis (Tunisia) and Marseilles (France). She is currently undecided about her major, but hopes to work internationally with kids, perhaps through missions or development. Sarah enjoys hanging out on the Mosaic floor and on 2nd Schultze, reading, and painting. She has lived in a number of cultures -- Tunisian/Arab, French, and North American. Two of her most unusual experiences were riding a camel (when it gets up it lurches you forward as it gets onto its back legs, and then backwards as it straightens out its back legs) and coming to Calvin.

Joshua Dekker is from Portland, Oregon. He is undecided about his major, but is considering the possibility of being a high school history teacher. A trip to Japan after high school graduation was one of his most memorable experiences; there he developed a fascination for the Japanese people and culture.

David Dornbos is from Kentwood, Michigan and Eden Prairie, Minnesota. His family moved to Kentwood when he moved into the dorms last year, so his new “home” feels more like a guest home. David is a biology major and hopes to be a surgeon, perhaps in medical missions or medical research. He enjoys track, running, tutoring, and hanging out with friends. He has lived in France for a summer with his family and participated in a mission trip to Costa Rica.

Jon Faber is from Chicago, Illinois. He is a secondary education major planning majors in religion and history, and hopes to be a high school history/religion teacher someday. Jon enjoys playing intramural basketball. He says the most interesting experience of his life was eating cow udder in Bolivia while on a mission trip.

Jonathan Fischer is from Wappingers Falls, New York and is majoring in psychology. He hopes to attend seminary to become a pastor, or teach, or be a counselor, or a missionary. Jonathan enjoys tennis, photography, soccer, ping-pong, and nature. Once he lost his memory for a few hours following a concussion he received while playing soccer. Another vivid memory was building an 8x15 foot house with his brother and father; Jonathan turned his side of the house into a geology museum.

Karen Genzink is from Holland, Michigan. She is undecided about her major, but is leaning towards international development and may seek work with a non-profit agency in the US or with an NGO, possibly in health care management. Karen loves to travel and also enjoys water sports such as skiing, tubing, wakeboarding, and water polo. She tutors refugees in English weekly through Bethany Christian Services. Last summer she spent four weeks in Kenya with a British missions program.

Mike Goorhouse is from Holland, Michigan, and is majoring in secondary education in mathematics. He would like to be a CEO for a community foundation or be involved in international politics. Mike is currently on the Calvin tennis team, an AC in his dorm, plays drums for two churches, and is involved with youth philanthropy by working for the Council of Michigan Foundations. He also loves sports (watching, playing, officiating) and playing cards and games. His most interesting experiences have been participating in Boys State/Nation, and being a summer intern at the Council of Michigan Foundations.

Angela Gould is from Caledonia, Michigan. She is a music major and hopes to be a middle school or high school orchestra director. She is involved in orchestra, string quartet and teaching violin lessons. She also enjoys nature, reading, and crafts. Exploring an unlit cave with her family in a national park and going backpacking with some college friends were two of Angela’s most memorable experiences.

Sarah Hofman is from Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is a biology and Spanish major and is not sure what her vocational plans are yet; but she would love to do something with genetics as well as spend at least one year abroad doing development work in a third world, Spanish-speaking country. Sarah has worked as a camp counselor at Camp Tall Turf, a Michigan camp for inner-city children from Grand Rapids, Chicago, or Detroit.

Kathy Hoogeboom is from Kalamazoo, Michigan. She is majoring in physics and is also involved in Capella and Chimes. Kathy enjoys sailing, linux fun, and invader zim. She is unsure of her vocational plans, but is considering astronomical research or professorship. Once she was nearly being stranded on South Manitou Island. Another memorable event was being hit by her dad as she was driving the day after she got her license (another car pushed his car forward).

Jenny Hossink is from Byron Center, Michigan. She is a psychology major and plans to become an occupational therapist. She is involved in Horizons and also enjoys creative memories, working with special needs kids, and being outside. What she remembers most fondly are a spring break trip to Mexico and the things that happen in the dorms after 1:00 AM during exam week.

Phil Jackson is from Kalamazoo, Michigan. He is majoring in international politics and would like to work overseas, possibly in foreign service or with an NGO. Phil enjoys golf, tennis, and reading for fun. Swimming in a phosphorescent bay in Puerto Rico was one of his most memorable experiences.

Sarah Jelsema is from Grandville, Michigan. She is undecided about her major, but is considering something in natural science. She is a dorm Community Partnership Coordinator and is involved with Dance Guild. Her most interesting experiences were spending a week volunteering in Guatemala and playing tennis at the state finals; her first match was four hours long and set a record for the longest match in state history.

Matt Johnson is from Jenison, Michigan. He is a computer science major and plans to be a computer programmer and spread God’s love wherever he goes. He enjoys playing and programming on computers. During the summer of 2003 Matt participated in a program at Taylor University where he took abbreviated classes: one in religion and philosophy and the other working on a science project designing instruments to collect data from a weather balloon -- all while getting to know a cool group of people.

Amy Jonason is from Indianapolis, Indiana. She is majoring in political science or international development studies and hopes to work for a non-profit agency in fighting poverty. She is involved in the Social Justice Committee, Women’s Chorale, and Chimes. Amy enjoys activism (especially trade policy and other poverty related issues), art, singing, and reading. One of her favorite memories was watching baby sea turtles hatch on a beach in North Carolina.

Will Karsten is from Kalamazoo, Michigan, and is majoring in tuba performance and business. He would like to get into a premier military band, maybe in D.C., and go full time into the military. Will is involved in Calvin Band, Calvin Orchestra, Calvin Jazz Band, a brass quintet, and the 126th Army National Guard Band. He also enjoys classic films and B-grade science fiction. Two of his most memorable experiences were going through Army basic training right after high school and having a good friend crash into him on Burton a few weeks ago, totaling his car.

Bryan Kibbe is from Clifton, Virginia. He is a pre-med philosophy major and hopes to bring innovation and creativity to the medical field as a doctor. He wants to redefine how we care for people and then implement that change on a large scale. Bryan enjoys road biking, mountain biking, backpacking, running, climbing, listening to music, and reading (especially theology). Two of his best experiences were working in a bike shop and backpacking for two weeks in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico.

Nate Knapper is from Clarkston, Michigan. He is majoring in communication and hopes to become a lawyer. He enjoys playing soccer and says that two of his most interesting experiences were taking a philosophy class with Professor Halteman and changing churches and schools during his sophomore year of high school.

Kevin Knol is from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is undecided about his major and vocational plans, but is considering psychology. Kevin enjoys golf, bowling, crocheting and knitting. Two mission trips to the city of Cancun, Mexico are some of his best memories.

Lynn Marsh is from North Vernon, Indiana. She is majoring in speech-language pathology and hopes to work in a hospital or clinic with children and adults. Lynn is involved in Calvin track and field, flute choir, and as an ESL tutor. She also enjoys sports, musicals, stargazing, and eating ice-cream with friends. One of her vivid memories was having floodlights shine into her eyes as U.S. Army guards requested her family’s passports at the military base gate in Mannheim, Germany shortly after 9/11. Another was being assigned to sit beside a new girl named Dezuang in fourth grade; Lynn taught her English and soccer and Dezuang taught Lynn origami, Chinese and chopsticks as they formed a friendship that crossed language barriers.

Kory Plockmeyer is from Holland, Michigan. He is majoring in Latin, Greek and classical studies. He is considering a Ph.D. in classics, or law school, or maybe seminary. Kory is involved in SNUH and SPQR, and coaches a high school debate team. He also is part of Improv when time allows. Two of his most interesting experiences were being foreperson of a jury at age 19 and hearing himself referred to as “Mr. Plockmeyer” over his high school intercom.

Paul Prins is from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is still deciding on a major and striving to discover which career path to pursue and what God has in store for his life. Paul works in the Hekman Library and also enjoys watching sporting events, viewing cinematography presentations, relaxing, and enjoying life. One summer Paul had three consecutive back and neck surgeries and was confined to a halo vest for a few months. Other more pleasant memories were trips to Spain and Costa Rica.

Caitlan Spronk is from Edgerton, Minnesota. She is majoring in English and plans to be a lawyer or English professor. She enjoys making webpages, reading, thinking, and waterskiing. She is an intern at the Office of the Chapter 13 Bankruptcy Trustee. Two of her most interesting experiences were riding a Greyhound bus home for spring break and teaching swimming lessons -- every child provides a new challenge.

Kimberly Spronk is also from Edgerton, Minnesota, and majoring in biology. She would like to either go to medical school or do research in the health science field, and she hopes to spend part of her life living in a different country. Kimberly enjoys playing piano, reading, swimming, shopping, and going for walks. Hosting two foreign exchange students from Belem, Brazil was one of her most enjoyable experiences.

Amanda Stek is from Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is undecided about her major and career, and is now taking core courses and waiting to see where God leads her. She has been dancing for 15 years and participates in Dance Guild as well as writing for Chimes; she also enjoys hiking, being outdoors, and running. Her most amazing experiences came this past summer, when she climbed the second tallest mountain in the continental United States (Mt. Elbert) and almost lost her life in a rafting accident in Colorado.

Amy Strikwerda is from Holland, Michigan; her major is biology and possibly also Spanish, and she hopes to work in the medical field someday. Amy enjoys reading, swimming, traveling, and hiking; she is also the leader of the ecosystem preserve. Two of her favorite memories were trips to Nicaragua and Honduras to help with a dental team from the Luke Society and Accion Medica.

Joe Sung considers Seoul (Korea), Jos (Nigeria), and Manila (Philippines) his hometowns. He is a business/political science major and hopes to work in a business with an international focus as well as being involved in ministry. He is currently an RA on 3rd Boer and enjoys sports, traveling, and being a tourist. Joe’s most interesting experiences were a sales job with the Southwestern Company in which he sold educational products door to door, and competing in a team-decathlon event in the Philippines during his senior year of high school.

Jessie Taylor is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is majoring in physics and plans to teach physics in a high school or college. She enjoys reading good books, card games, the Calvin Observatory, and discovering asteroids. She considers being home-schooled and discovering an asteroid her most unusual experiences.

Ricky Tilton is from Gap, Pennsylvania; he’s a biology major and plans to attend graduate school or medical school. He enjoys tennis, DDR, magic, ping pong, hockey, Settlers of Catan, and competition in general. His most interesting experiences were a summer trip to Honduras for medical missions and creating a website (smashboards.com) for fans of a video game when he was 13. The site now has over 22,000 registered members and he was interviewed by Nintendo for an article in their national magazine.

John Van Dyke is from Silver Spring, Maryland. He is majoring in physics and plans to be a physics professor. He enjoys chess, poetry, art, music, playing the guitar, and running. Going to see Paul Van Dyk (a DJ) in Washington D.C. was one of his most unusual experiences.

John VanderHeide is from Holland, Michigan. He is a biology major and plans to attend graduate school to be a professor. He enjoys asteroid hunting, cooking, and baking. Jon remembers playing Frisbee golf on a golf course at 2 a.m. as an exceptional experience.

Elizabeth Vander Veen is from Holland, Michigan. She is majoring in speech pathology and hopes to practice that specialty in a school, or possibly go on to teach and do research at the college level. Elizabeth enjoys reading, tutoring, research assisting, power napping, and spending time with friends. Last summer she was a server in a restaurant, which provided her with exposure to lots of people, lots of food, and made her a pro-multi-tasker.

Abby Veldkamp is from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and is majoring in biology and planning to pursue a career in the health sciences – perhaps optometry. She enjoys playing violin, swimming, and working in the Hekman Library. She grew up in a family with seven children and enjoyed it because of the fun and chaos, as well as the love and sacrifice required.

Annalise Venhuizen is from Lansing, Illinois. She is a secondary education major specializing in English and hopes to teach in high school, perhaps doing some journalism or editing on the side. She enjoys working for the Sports Information Office, SAS, and Festival of Faith and Writing Committee. Annalise also enjoys running, ping pong, eating, shopping, writing poetry, and journalism. Her visit to Germany with her high school class was one of the highlights of her life.

FACULTY MENTORS for 2005-2006:

Ken Bratt is a professor of Classics and Director of the Honors Program. He grew up in Grand Rapids, graduated from Calvin, earned his PhD at Princeton University, and previously taught at Colby College in Maine. Currently Ken is teaching elementary Greek and intermediate Latin in addition to his administrative duties. His research interests lie mainly in paleo-Christian archaeology, particularly in Thessaloniki and Corinth, and for diversion he enjoys photography, hiking, racquetball, and choir at Fuller Ave. CRC. He and his wife Laurel have three children, all Calvin grads: Christina (finishing an M.A. in media literacy in San Francisco with her husband, Travis Porter) Jessica (a recent Princeton Seminary graduate, now a hospital chaplain intern in New Haven, CT), and Justin (working in the local office of Kawasaki Motors).

Chad Engbers is a professor of English, a native of Grand Rapids, and a graduate of Calvin College. He earned his PhD from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he met his wife Susanna. They have no children, but two cats (Miles and Natalie). Chad’s area of specialty is the English Renaissance, and his current research project involves penitential literature of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. He currently teaches composition and surveys of world literature and Russian literature. In his free time, Chad enjoys playing mandolin and guitar. He is a member of Church of the Servant CRC.

Marjorie Gunnoe is a professor of Psychology who spent most of her childhood in the Grand Haven area, graduated from Hope College and earned her PhD at the University of Virginia. She is currently teaching developmental psychology, both child and adolescent. Her current research interests focus on the effects of religious belief on families, but if she ever has a mid-life crisis, she may pursue something related to mapping genes. She finds the concept of extracurricular activities a good joke! She and her husband Chad belong to Boston Square CRC with their three children, Jake (age 9), Erik (6), and Katya (4). Her most exciting moments in life include the birth of her children and teaching her first class.

David Koetje is a professor of Biology who grew up in Wyoming, MI, graduated from Calvin, and earned his PhD at Purdue University. His passions include Christian creation care and integrating faith, teaching, and scholarship (especially in biotechnology and ecosustainability matters). His laboratory research focuses on how plants repond to environmental stress and on DNA fingerprinting to assess genetic diversity of plant populations, projects that regularly involve student researchers. This past year David has been writing a couple of books: Living the Good Life on God's Good Earth helps small groups to explore some lifestyle implications of Christian creation care; Place-Based Agricultural Biotechnology lays out for stakeholders in the genetically modified crops controversy an alternative paradigm for adopting biotechnologies and practices that are socially responsible and environmentally sustainable. At home DAvid and his wife Karen maintain several flowering plant habitats, a big vegetable garden, and a list of home/yard improvements that have reduced their eco-footprint. They belong to Beckwith Hills CRC with their two children Seth (12 years old and born in Moscow, ID) and Michelle (7, born in Westfield, NY). The Koetjes are expecting their third child in November!

Christina Van Dyke is a professor of Philosophy who grew up in Grand Rapids, graduated from Calvin College as one of our first honors graduates, and earned her PhD degree at Cornell University. Apart from teaching courses in ancient and medieval philosophy (her specialty), Christina also teaches Philosophy of Gender, and is the faculty mentor for an informal gender discussion group (which you're all welcome to join). In her scholarly work, she focuses primarily on Aquinas's metaphysics and philosophy of mind, although she's branching out these days to address Robert Grosseteste's epistemology as well. Christina and her son David (7 years old) are members of Church of the Servant; in their spare time they hike, play games (primarily Stratego and Uno these days), and read lots of books that involve dragons.