It’s hard to believe that Spring Semester 2024 is almost in the books! As members of the Family Advisory Council, we wanted to share a quick note. Our youngest, Kristian, is finishing his freshman year while our oldest, Erik, graduated in 2021 and is finishing a PhD. in geology. Erik just married a fellow alum, …
Category Archives: Families
Meet the Brininstool Family
When orange and blue are best for YOU! We are Mark and Jennifer Brininstool, and we reside in Grand Haven, Michigan with our three daughters (Kennedy, Brooke & Parker). Kennedy is a sophomore majoring in business and accounting. We are members of the Hope College Family Advisory Council and have enjoyed our interactions with fellow …
When You’re a Hope Parent and a Hope Staff Member
Jen Ryden, Jill Nelson, and Cindy Kleinheksel have a few things in common. Notably, they all serve Hope students through Campus Ministries and they all have daughters who are first-year Hope students. I asked if I could sit down with them and learn a little more about what it’s like to be both a Hope …
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Happy Valentine’s Day, Hope Families!
To all of our Hope families, you may not hear it nearly enough, but your students love and appreciate you in a major way. Read on for a few love notes from Hope College students. “I love that my family comes to my events at Hope so that they can see what I’m involved in!” …
Meet the Hidalgo Family
As parents, watching our college-aged children struggle to find friends can be heart-wrenching. We want nothing more than for them to thrive socially, as well as academically. For each of our Hope students, freshman year, first semester was a real struggle. Looking back, that shouldn’t have come as a surprise. During our son’s first year, …
18 Quick Tips for Snowy Days!
The Hope College Families Facebook group is brimming over with collective wisdom and experience. As we faced the first major snowstorm of the year, many family members chimed in with words of wisdom for surviving and thriving in a Michigan winter. Read on to see which tips you might need to put into practice!
Meet the Knoester Family
Our collective story of Hope is a circuitous one, full of rivalry, partnership and unexpected joy. Where to start? Growing up I (Peter) always had one foot on either side of the Calvin/Hope divide. My parents, Pat and Arie Knoester are both Calvin graduates yet my uncle, Tom Davelaar, has held down the Hope bench in epic …
For One Hope Family, It’s a Very Merry Swiftmas
For the Scott family of Naperville, IL, this year will be a very merry Swiftmas! The Scott family has always gone big with their holiday light display. This year, the “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” movie inspired them to put a different spin on things! When you take a closer look, you will find album …
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Meet the Herrman Family
You mean there is a college in the land of salt-free water, blueberries and cherries, long days and beautiful sunsets, endless sand dunes AND with a lack of stifling humidity? Never mind the snowy long winters and that dreaded “drive around the lake,” we want our daughter to go THERE! Hope College, here comes Camille, …
Encouragement from Dr. Ellen
I am a parent of a college student. I want my student to have an exceptional experience that helps him emerge into adulthood. I am guessing you have similar dreams for your Hope student! I offer a few bits of perspective on college student development for you to consider. 1) College students learn and grow …