Calvin College is delighted to announce that Jim and Sara Miller of Aurora, Ohio will serve as the new co-chairs of Calvin’s Parent Council beginning in October 2006. The Millers served on the Parents Council for the past two years, since its inception in October 2004. Jim and Sara are parents of two Calvin students: Samantha, who will be a junior at Calvin this fall, and Jessica, who will begin at Calvin in September 2006 as a first-year student.

The Calvin Parent Council, a component of Calvin’s parent relations program, is a key leadership board that engages Calvin parents in constructive dialogue and activity. Approximately 45 Calvin parents will assemble at Calvin during Family Weekend, October 20-21, 2006 for the fall Parent Council meeting.

"Our first introduction to Calvin College was through Samantha's youth pastor," recalls Jim Miller. "His eldest daughter had graduated from Calvin, and he felt that Samantha would thrive there. Although Samantha had drawn a search radius of 5 hours around our home, and Calvin sat at the outer edge of that radius, she decided it was worth a look. After a campus visit and learning more about Calvin, Samantha was convinced. Her experiences since becoming a student have reinforced that decision, and we as parents feel equally blessed."

"As parents, our first in-depth look at Calvin and the people of that community was through Passport, Calvin's summer orientation program. We were so impressed with the positive, caring environment that greeted our family. Every aspect of our experience, even the overnight stay in the dorm room, provided a thoughtful look into how Samantha would live and grow at Calvin. We have found since then, that the distance separating us from our daughter is measurably shorter, because we too feel the embrace of Christ's love from the Calvin community."

"This past spring I came across a very comforting verse that moved me and made me think of Samantha. I quickly e-mailed it to her and she responded that that very verse was her devotional verse for the day--Genesis 28:1: "I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." God's promise to Jacob as he leaves his family is ripe with applicable meaning for each of us, but especially our children who are away from home and regular face-to-face contact. Like Psalm 121:7-8, I'm moved to receive His comfort, and share the encouragement found in these verses for our students."

"As a Calvin family, we have experienced a matched embrace from this Christian college and for our roles as partners in the mission of the college. Calvin College is a community that truly strives to serve, to call, and to challenge its students toward becoming more of who Christ is calling them to be, and we as parents have been encouraged as well to do the same. We're reminded of the simplicity but great significance in Calvin's motto, My heart I offer you Lord, promptly and sincerely."

Jim and Sara Miller succeed the previous Parent Council co-chairs, John and Marilyn Wiesehan from St. Louis, Missouri. The Wiesehans are also parents of two Calvin students: Chris, who graduated in May 2005 with an Engineering degree, and Robert, who will graduate in May 2007. John and Marilyn Wiesehan will continue as members of the Parent Council during the 2006-2007 academic year.