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July
2007
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Volume
3 - Issue 3
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I am currently flying back from a conference in Kansas City where I spent two days learning more about how to utilize myHope, the online community for Hope alumni. I was skeptical about the conference when I left Holland on Monday morning; would I learn valuable tools for Hope, would I make professional contacts, would I leave feeling good or discouraged about myHope. What I found at the conference was this: relevant information, people who share similar goals, and a universe of possibility regarding where we go with the features of myHope. I am energized! In a world where communication is king and instant access to information is expected, I believe that myHope will serve an increasingly valuable role for Hope’s alumni. Please see more in the update article in this e-newsletter. Have a wonderful day!
The 8th annual Bob De Young Hope Classic Golf Outing took place Monday, June 25th 2007 at the Holland Country Club in Holland, MI. Morning golfers began their day in the mist and enjoyed a beautiful morning round. By afternoon it was hot and humid while golfers made their way through the course. It was a great day to celebrate Hope, compete for top honors at the outing, and recognize our friend and colleague, Bob DeYoung. The outing had a great turnout this year. Over 250 people golfed in the double-shotgun scramble and attended the lunch and dinner. Holland Country Club played host to several notable golfers including James Bultman, James Boelkins, Alfredo Gonzales, Greg Maybury, Ray Smith, and Eva Folkert. Alumni from six decades played in the outing as well as current students. Our oldest golfer hailed from the Class of 1944! The outing concluded with a pig roast dinner and program. Division, skill and door prizes were awarded. The program featured Hope's Men’s Golf Team. Captain Nate Golomb spoke in regards to the teams successful season which resulted in an 18th place finish at the National Tournament at St. John’s, MN. Save the date for next year! The 9th Annual Bob DeYoung Golf Outing will be held on Monday, June 23, 2008. We hope to see you there! Bob De Young Hope Classic Golf Outing Results
”Living the dream on the other side of the world.” Jeanne Kuhajek ’95 and her husband Brian "Lami" Grant '98 are enjoying life on the other side of the world -Nelson, New Zealand. Nelson is located at the top of the South Island and is the ‘Sunshine Capital’ of New Zealand. Jeanne, her husband, and their two energetic dogs, Makalu and Bouvet have been living in New Zealand for five years now, “Coming to NZ was part of a long-term dream that I’ve had ever since I can remember. I originally moved to NZ for a two-year post-doc position after finishing my Ph.D. and subsequently secured a permanent position at the end of my contract.” A dream position in a dream location!
Jeanne Kuhajek graduated from Hope with a degree in Chemistry & Biology. Continuing with her education, she received her Ph.D. in Pharmacognosy from the University of Mississippi. Pharmacognosy is the study of the bioactive natural substances (natural products) found in plants, animals, and microbes. Natural products are the basis for many medicines. Kuhajek studies focus on the influence of environmental factors on the production of natural products by plants; an aspect of a field called chemical ecology. After completing her Ph.D., Kuhajek did a year postdoc in Riverside, California learning molecular techniques. While there, she secured a two-year position which combined chemical ecology and molecular biology in exactly the direction she wanted to take her research. Even better, the position was in New Zealand, just the place Kuhajek always wanted to go. Near the end of the two years, she attended a scientific conference in Nelson and became intrigued by the beauty of the place. Shortly after, Kuhajek came across a permanent position in Nelson setting up a new lab and is now the Laboratory Manager at a small herbal extraction company. “It’s been a great experience and the position continues to evolve.” When Kuhajek is not busy with work she keeps busy enjoying the natural beauty of New Zealand and trains for competitive cycling. Her weekends normally consist of several hours of cycling training, followed by some family time with her husband “Lami” and their dogs. She also enjoys rock climing, hiking, reading, gardening, and baking.
From all
of this, one would think Jeanne Kuhajek has a very busy schedule, but
she also found time to earn a first degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. During
her time at Hope College, Kuhajek suffered a stress fracture in her
femur that remained painful and limiting for several years. To
aid in her rehabilitation, she got involved in martial arts to help
heal her injury. “I began TKD during my Ph.D. studies
and was the first female student at OleMiss to attain a black belt
in the OleMiss TKD club. With all the stress of grad school, TKD, along
with Hapkido and running, was an excellent outlet to keep me focused
on my research. I have long been intrigued by martial arts and
have a high degree of respect for the physical and mental challenge—and
discipline—of the arts so I’m quite proud of my black
belt.” In closing, Kuhajek was asked what she thought is important to do everyday and she would like others to know. She responded: Always eat breakfast.
Hope College will soon be home for a new group of students - the Class of 2011. Interest was high in Hope this past recruiting year with new student applications toping 2,700. Out of these applicants about 2,200 students, (900 males/1,300 females) were accepted to be admitted into Hope College as members of the Class of 2011. Approximately 750 of these students will be showing up with their parents, pillows, computers, and clothes to start their Hope experience! Hope College works to bring balance and diversity to the student population. This includes geographic diversity. A number of states had an increase in applicants which resulted in increase in the number of admitted students. Here is a sample of enrollment numbers from a few of these states:
3 students from Massachusetts; These are good numbers which we will continue to improve! In addition to increased geographic diversity, over 10% of this incoming class is comprised of students of color. An excerpt from the 2007 Summer Presidential Update reads: "To date, we have 2,741 applications for 790 freshman spots. The class will be similar to recent incoming classes with an average high school GPA of 3.74 and a mean ACT of 26. One desirable improvement is that the number of students of color has increased over the last several years and will exceed 10 percent of our freshman class. While this is not yet where we would like it to be, it is progress for which we are grateful." Join us as we welcome all of these students into the Hope community! Watch the alumni website for the list of generational students.
Campus
is buzzing with activity! Throughout the summer, Hope hosts a series of summer camps for children and youth. Over 5000 young people visit Hope for one of 20 different summer camps, including baseball, cheerleading, dance, soccer, and fine arts (just to name a few). These camps are not only a great way for young individuals to refine their skills of a certain sport or area of study, these camps allow for the participants to experience life on Hope’s Campus. For more
information on the camps available, please visit http://www.hope.edu/camps/.
If you see a camp of interest to you and your children and it has already
taken place, call to find out if it is also scheduled for next year. Several
camps are repeated year after year.
Check out what these members of the Hope faculty have done in the past couple months! Just click on the links to read the press releases. The retirement of Dr. James Heisler (Economics) and Dr. James Zoeteway (Political Science). Professor Vicki Ten Haken (Management) recieves Fullbright Award. Hope Presents Awards to Faculty Steve Hoogerwerf Presented H.O.P.E. Award Chapbook of Poems by David James Published
We have another update on myHope! We have surpassed the 3000 mark, with nearly 13% of our alumni logged on in five months. Our goal is 20% this year, so if you haven't logged on yet, please do so and help us meet our goal! I hope to have half of all alums using it in the next couple of years. Wow!! Here
are some recent developments: Here
are some things we're rolling out next... Need help logging in? Log in and password information can be found at the bottom of this newsletter. Click here! See you online soon!!
One of the most efficient means of maintaining a connection with the Hope College community is by utilizing the resources available through the college’s web site. It is a timely means of obtaining information and can be done regardless of the distance you reside from campus. From
academics and athletics to the arts -- a multitude of resources are
available just a click away from the Visit "Hope College Today" regularly to keep up-to-date with campus and community news including:
We invite you to take some time to explore Hope's website and see what information awaits you there!
Would you like to receive future issues of the Alumni E-News Link via email? To subscribe, please click here and complete the subscription form. Current
Subscribers - Have you recently changed your email address? If so, please
send the new information to alumnienews@hope.edu.
If you no longer wish to receive the Alumni e-News Link, please email alumnienews@hope.edu and provide your name and email address.
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