Calvin Students Look Ahead to Careers Following Graduation

Nearly 900 students participated in Calvin College’s 94th annual commencement ceremony on Saturday afternoon in the Van Noord Arena on the campus of the college in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Graduates filed into the arena to the strains of Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1. Welcoming remarks were given by Michael K. Le Roy, college president.

David A. Kuenzi, president of the Student Senate, then spoke on “Identity: How Who We Are Guides Our Lives,” followed by the commencement address “The Memory in the Seed,” presented by Claudia D. Beversluis, who has served as Calvin’s provost since 2006.

Beversluis and Le Roy conferred degrees to the graduates who represent 60 majors within the arts and humanities, social and natural sciences and professional programs, according to a college press release.

Also, says the press release, 96 percent of Calvin College graduates are professionally employed or in graduate school within nine months of graduation.

This year seems to be no different. Students in this year’s class have found jobs around the corner and across the globe, doing mechanical engineering for GE Aviation in Grand Rapids; working as a financial specialist for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in Cincinnati, Ohio; and teaching English as a second language through the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET) in schools across Japan.

Kelsey Bouse, Sophie Lutz and Roz Scoular are three graduates who will teach English in middle and high schools through the JET.

“Given how competitive this program is, the fact that all four of our students who have applied this year were accepted is quite exceptional,” said Larry Herzberg, director of the Asian Studies program at Calvin College. Started by the Japanese government in 1986, JET’s purpose is to bring young, native speakers of English to Japan, to enhance the English language program in Japanese schools.

Each of the grads will work as a teacher’s aide, leading English classes for around 16 hours per week in one of several middle schools or high schools.

Calvin Theological Seminary held its graduation on Saturday in the Calvin Covenant Fine Arts Center. There were 76 graduates in seven different degree programs. Students from nine of the 20 countries now attending the seminary were represented by these graduates.

The commencement address was given by the seminary president, Rev. Julius T. Medenblik. The 2014 Distinguished Alumni awards were given to: Rev. Roger S. Greenway and Rev. Donald H. Postema.