Calvin students
Rob Zandstra
English major
A summer at Harvard can teach people lots of things. As a junior in high school, it taught Rob Zandstra that he needed to go to Calvin.
Yamily Vasquez
Sociology major
Yamily Vazquez learned a lot from the challenges she faced in her old neighborhood. The lessons were far from academic, but they tested her personal strength and faith.
Jessica Becknell Communications major
Jessica Becknell is hardly shy and retiring, but she felt overwhelmed by the large high school she attended before coming to Calvin. That’s why Calvin is such a good fit, she says. “Here, everybody knows my name.”
Jordan Beekhuis Engineering major
A semester spent in Belize put Jordan on a course to discovering God’s world and the role he can play in sustaining it. Jordan discovered his passion for the environment when he spent a semester in Belize as a Calvin sophomore.
Sierra Yazzie
International development and intercultural studies
Sierra Yazzie knew she wanted to work as an international missionary before coming to Calvin. So she enrolled, formed her own interdisciplinary major in International Development and Intercultural Studies, and moved onto the Mosaic floor.
Rita Feikema Theatre major
While Rita Feikema has a passion for theatre, she wanted a college that would let her explore the arts and still support her Christian faith. For Rita, all the world’s a stage—or at least all of Calvin is.
Jon Gries Elementary education with math and social studies minor
Jon Gries didn’t consider Calvin College when he started looking into undergraduate schools. A talented high school runner, he had set his sights on a Division I college with a strong track program—until a friend and fellow runner suggested they visit Calvin.
Kwabena Bediako Chemistry major
Kwabena Bediako is serious about chemistry—and about Calvin’s lip syncing contest. Kwabena is one of the best lip sync contestants on Calvin’s campus—he’s also one of the smartest.
Ben Ipema Accounting major
Ben Ipema thought college would just be a stepping stone to his future career—but he discovered it could also be fun! Football, lacrosse, volleyball, UltimateFrisbee. Sound like college to you? It is for Ben, an accounting major at Calvin.
Mallory Snyder Asian studies and Chinese
Mallory Snyder once had dreams of becoming a doctor. Instead, the first-year student has found herself following the influence of something decidedly un-academic: video games.
