Run with it!
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. “The minute I came here, I knew this was the right place for me. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. I could tell there was something different about Calvin.”
Now a member of Calvin’s National Championship cross country and track teams, Jon has also found his calling in the classroom. “In my sophomore year, I felt God leading me into teaching. A counselor at Calvin suggested it. I prayed and thought about it, and I could picture myself doing this. I’ve had a lot of teachers who have really influenced me. I would love to do the same for others. The chance to have a big influence on kids at such a young age is exciting.”
Hands-on experience
Jon is an elementary education major with minors in math and social studies. He has also been able to get some first-hand experience as a teacher's aide in a Grand Rapids school. “It was an intense, hands-on experience. It felt like I learned as much in the first few hours as I would in a whole semester of book study.”
He’s also learned a lot by watching his Calvin professors. “The professors at Calvin are great. They integrate their faith in their teaching and impress on us that teaching in not just something we get paid to do. It’s our God-given responsibility to do the best we can.”
And his teachers are easy to relate to. “Just because they have PhD’s doesn’t mean they don’t have a sense of humor. We have a lot of fun here.”