By Madison Steinman, Hope Forward Class of 2028 Madi and her cohort mate, Leah, developed the vision that is shared below for the 2025 Positive Impact Banquet. Freshman year of college is truly one of the most difficult, exciting, daunting, confusing, exploratory and developmental times in one’s life — a time of multiple “firsts,” questions …
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Watching Them Grow: A Hope Forward & International Senior Spotlight
By Hajar Ahmadi, Hope Forward Class of 2028 In just a few days, some of the most inspiring students I’ve had the privilege to know will be graduating—and honestly, it’s hard to put into words how proud I am of them. These are not just any students. They are international and Hope Forward seniors, and …
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Hands, Feet and Eyes: Hope Students Serve and See in Alaska
When Hope Forward students Kesnel Alexandre ’27 and Thelma Reyes ’28 signed up for a spring break immersion trip to Alaska through Campus Ministries, they knew it would be a meaningful experience. But neither of them expected just how deeply it would shift their perspectives on service, community and faith. I had the chance to …
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A Little Goes A Long Way
Hope College athletes know how to compete. They’ve harnessed their competitive spirit by working together to defeat childhood hunger in the Holland community. “We had a blast packing backpacks for kids who face weekend hunger,” said Grace Wesley, a senior on the swim team who organized the event. “It always ends up in a big …
Learning, Sharing and Growing Together
Over the past two semesters, I have had the absolute pleasure of being a Character Forward intern for the Hope Forward program. As a sophomore here at Hope, I began looking for opportunities to become more involved on campus because that is something I had truly missed out on in high school and my freshman …
International Food Fair: Access, Generosity and Community
Being part of Hope Forward has taught me the importance of its three pillars: access, generosity and community. This year, I had the opportunity to put them into practice through the International Food Fair, an event that brought different cultures together through food. Sharing this experience with Hope College’s international students was truly special — …
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Growing in Generosity
Before our freshman retreat, my Hope Forward cohort felt like a collection of distant acquaintances I wasn’t able to get to know due to the chaos during my first semester of college. I knew that they were all good people, but time just didn’t align enough for a relationship to form. Thankfully, because of the …
Volunteering | Opportunities to Spread Hope and Love to the World
Hope College students play a vital role in the Holland community, and Time to Serve connects them to service opportunities in their new “hometown.” From working in community gardens to restocking food pantries and caring for animals, students participate in meaningful projects. This year, the Hope Forward freshman cohort served at three Gateway locations: the …
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“One of the Most Incredible Things I’ve Heard About”
Listen to MLive Michigan’s Best podcast where Eric Hultgren ’96 explores “one of the most incredible things” he’s ever heard about: Hope Forward. This revolutionary college funding model has earned Hope College a #23 ranking on U.S. News and World Report’s 2025 list of Most Innovative Colleges. President Matthew Scogin and Hope Forward Program Director …
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Celebrating Our Students and Looking Ahead with Hope Forward
In about a week, Hope College will welcome our newest and largest Hope Forward cohort — 40 bright freshmen ready to embark on their college journey. This milestone marks a significant chapter for Hope Forward because the 2024–2025 academic year will be the first time we will have on campus four full cohorts — 120 …
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