June Issue of News from Hope College
Time plays tricks on me this time of year. During Alumni Weekend, I have the privilege of celebrating with graduates 30 to 70 years into their lives as alumni. Then, just one week later, I attend Commencement and celebrate graduates whose lives of leadership and service are just beginning.
These two events, separated on the calendar by days, represent perspectives of the Hope experience that are years apart. It is a unique opportunity to see these different, yet similar, snapshots of the Hope experience take place in such proximity. This year was especially enjoyable. Perhaps blue skies and warm weather made Alumni Weekend and Commencement particularly sublime. A more likely explanation, however, is that the quality of the people honored contributed to the joyfulness of both occasions.
Connie Hinga ’49 Boersma, Jon Soderstrom ’76 and Bill Heydorn ’55 formed a fantastic trio of alumni perspectives at the annual Alumni Banquet. Upon receiving awards from the Alumni Association, they each shared a portion of their Hope story. President Bultman always wraps up the evening with remarks of his own. He often says, “I wish our students and all alumni could be at an event like this.” We agree and have posted a video of the award recipients’ speeches at www.youtube.com/hopecollege.
Then, on Sunday, May 8, Hope held Commencement exercises for the 146th time. This year approximately 745 graduates crossed the stage, the most in Hope’s history. Dr. Jesus Montaño and Rev. Dr. Blaine Newhouse ’86 shared their wisdom with the class at Commencement and Baccalaureate respectively. Photos of the day, as well as galleries from throughout the academic year, are available at www.hope.edu/pr/gallery.
While the perspectives shared at these college traditions are years apart, the educational foundations are the same. From the alumni celebrating their 50th reunion to new alumni at Commencement, Hope graduates are educated to think about life’s most important issues with clarity, wisdom, and a deep understanding of the Christian faith.
