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, Maya (Hecksel) Schoonover, and she is completing her doctorate in audiology this June.
Living in Indiana, Hope is approximately three hours away. We have close friends in the Grand Rapids/Rockford area who are also supportive for any additional issues or challenges (like needing a ride to the GR airport!). This distance from Indiana has also been useful in building independence and problem-solving for both Erik and Kristian.
As parents, we often forget that this journey to adulthood is not a linear path. Discernment during college and finding a ‘true calling’ is not easy. Hope offers such a wealth of support and mentoring, areas that have been quite helpful for Kristian as he is looking to bring together his interests in international business and data science. This summer, he is planning on an internship at a computer company in Germany and additionally looking at a semester abroad in his sophomore year. We are also grateful for the level of mentoring that we see Kristian getting, and that Erik and Maya received as well. Seeing the great foundation that Hope has given each of them reminds us how truly special this undergraduate experience is.
Just recently, we visited Hope and were discussing next steps. Besides all the fun summer planning, we started thinking about …how are we are going to get all this stuff back?! From a practicality standpoint, we have used the large blue or clear bags from an unnamed Swedish discount furniture store and those sturdy black/yellow bins. Move-out is a great time for families to review what worked, what did not, and do some overall spring cleaning. Move-in for fall will come just as fast and (learning from our oldest!) it was so helpful to tackle the unpacking at home before summer gets underway. Using those bins, we reorganize what they want to bring back in the fall and pack it away, giving them an end of summer boost by being ahead of the return to Hope packing.
Be it planning for summer or next steps in his education, we are continually pleased to see the support Hope has for our student, helping to guide his educational plans to meet his changing future career goals. We wish all of you and your students a wonderful summer!