This blog post is part of a series. Read the introduction and Meet Some of Our Hope Forward Students and Why Apply to Hope Forward? Jim: Tell me this, and anyone can answer this if you like, we don’t have to go down the aisle. Do you have a “Hope who?” And by that, I …
Continue reading “What Connections Are Hope Forward Students Making on Campus?”
This blog post is part of a series. Read the introduction and Meet Some of Our Hope Forward Students. Jim: I think [people] might be interested to know how you each heard of Hope Forward and what motivated you to apply for this program. YJ, you start. YJ: Oh man. I’m gonna be dead honest. …
This blog post is part of a series. Read the introduction here. Let’s meet the students and our wonderful moderator, Jim McFarlin. If you haven’t met Jim yet, you’re in for a treat. Jim is an award-winning freelance writer, editor, proofreader, media coordinator and marketing consultant. He’s a proud Hope alum and a trustee. And …
An Introduction to the Hope Forward Student Panel at the Catalyst Summit on the campus of Hope College, March 9, 2023. We are all here today to learn from the true stars and experts, our students, so I want to maximize our time with them today, but I’d first like to share just a little …
At a time when society feels like it’s more about taking than giving, and culture appears to normalize hatred, Hope Forward is Hope College’s way of showing that there is a better way. Hope Forward wasn’t created because Hope College had leftover money. Hope College intentionally made the decision to be generous and plant seeds in …
Living in Jordan has completely changed my relationship with water. How does this relate to Hope Forward? Let me explain. It’s a bit of a long story — a bit of a journey, even. I hope you’ll take it with me. First off, some background information: Jordan is an arid country, and water is a …
Continue reading “Water and Grace: Studying Abroad as a Hope Forward Student”
When I think about my time at Hope, I remember everything through conversations. In my freshman year, I got nicknamed “the black hole” because my floormates would get trapped outside my door talking about everything from their homework to Peppa Pig cakes to the mid-2000s classic television series One Tree Hill. My beloved, long-suffering Hope …
Continue reading “Taking (and Giving) Time: Why I Give to Hope Forward”
A gift must not only be given, it must also be received. One that is given freely in love is stewarded, kept and appreciated deeply. When we give gifts to those whom we love, often the meaning and value lies in where the gift is coming from and what the gift is pointing to. It …
Allix Hutchison was doing Hope Forward before Hope Forward ever existed, at least according to Dave and Betsy Stavenger who never imagined their gift of a scholarship would launch an ever-growing chain of generosity. All three Hope graduates met for the first time at a Hope scholarship luncheon. Dave ’65 and Betsy King ’66 Stavenger …
For as long as I can remember, I knew that I wanted to use my life’s work in the service of others. As an incoming freshman to Hope College late in the last millennium, with a fairly strong academic record and an interest in the natural sciences, that seemed to add up to a career in …
