5 minute read
Two Families, One Foundation
by Dr. Sam Reimer, Professor of Sociology
In my 27 years of teaching sociology at Crandall, I never would have predicted such an unusual experience, and to my knowledge, nothing like this has happened before at Crandall and it is unlikely it will ever happen in the future. I had the privilege of teaching two sets of Steeves sisters, all four of whom received Crandall’s prestigious Honours Society award, given to the undergraduate student whom the faculty selected as the top overall student in that year’s graduating class. What are the chances?
The Honours Society Award is based on three criteria: academic achievement, service, and Christian character. All four sisters were A/A+ students, a rare accomplishment, especially in Sam Reimer’s classes! They were all active in service—on worship teams, sports teams, outreach to the community, leadership positions, and three of them supported my work as Teacher’s Assistants. All showed (and continue to show) exemplary Christian character.
Let’s start with the elder Steeves sisters, Kathleen (Steeves) Duong and Hannah (Steeves) Bartlett. Kathleen, or Katie, graduated in 2011 with a double major in English and Honours Sociology. After graduation, Katie earned her Master’s degree (2012) and PhD (2017) from McMaster University in Sociology. She worked as a sessional instructor at McMaster in the Social Psychology program for a few years before starting as a tenure track assistant professor of sociology at Trinity Western University. What a joy for a prof to teach a student who now is an academic colleague! I see Katie at professional conferences, and we are working together on the Canadian Flourishing Congregations Study, and Katie serves as Associate Director of Research for the Flourishing Congregations Institute. Katie states:
"During my undergrad, I was encouraged by my Sociology professors to pursue a career in academia and research that I have now started. I would not have seen this possibility for myself without their guidance. The small class sizes and strong background I received [at Crandall] in theory and methodology helped me be (over) prepared for graduate school, and the modeling of faith integration and mentorship helped prepare me as I now teach and mentor my own students and research assistants in a Christian education environment."
Her younger sister, Hannah (Steeves) Bartlett graduated in 2016 with a double major in Biblical Studies and English (along with the Youth Leadership Certificate). After Crandall, Hannah received her MDiv from Acadia Divinity College and is now Next Generations Pastor at Cornerstone Baptist Church in PEI. Hannah was ordained with the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada in 2021. While Hannah was not a sociology major like the others, I got to know her in my Christian Spirituality, Sociology of Religion, and Evangelicalism in Canada classes. Hannah writes that her courses at Crandall helped her prepare for ministry:
"The courses I took were relevant to my vocational calling and helped me to develop critical thinking, consider how to communicate well, and to value a diversity of perspectives. The integration of faith in every course helped me to grow spiritually and helped affirm my calling into ministry. The community at Crandall provided me with lifelong friends and various leadership opportunities outside the classroom where I could practice leading. Staff and faculty truly cared about me as a person and encouraged me to pursue my gifts for ministry. My season at Crandall was a time of personal growth and affirmation of my call into ministry that I am still so grateful for today!"
Sisters Cassidy Steeves and Kennedy (Steeves) Albinet both graduated with sociology degrees in 2020 and 2021 respectively. As my teaching assistants, Cassidy and Kennedy (affectionately called “the Cassennedys”) helped me develop new courses, mark assignments, develop research, and even organize public lectures! After graduation, both worked for Crandall University. Cassidy became the Registrar’s Office Assistant, and Kennedy recently completed her role as Assistant for the Admissions Department. Kennedy is now working toward certification in Reflexology. Crandall has a history of hiring some of our top graduates! Other sociology majors who currently work at Crandall include Marybeth Lebouthillier (Registrar), Sarah MacKenzie (Registrar’s Office Administrator), Nathan Weaver (Maintenance Coordinator) and Moriah Ohlhauser (Student Success Centre).
Cassidy remembers feeling like she was very quickly welcomed into the community as a student, sharing:
"Very early on I found the professors approachable and willing to help, both for academic guidance and for life guidance. I felt very supported by professors. Working for professors (Cassidy was an assistant for three professors) taught me more skills than I would have learned in class. Even though Crandall is small, there were lots of opportunities to be involved in groups with other students and staff/faculty (like the sociology society executive). I felt like a valued and cared for part of the Crandall community."
When asked what she is thankful for in relation to her time at Crandall, Kennedy responded:
"The opportunity to learn from some of the country's top scholars and educators at the university-level…Upon reflection, I can see how much I grew and developed as a student and as an individual overall. I broke through barriers and limitations in my own mind that had held me back, as I was prone to listening to lies of doubt and unbelief about my capabilities (intellectually, socially, etc.), and I am a much more confident individual today than I was the first year I started studying at Crandall. I thank God for the opportunity for transformation, not just education."
These four Steeves sisters are among the hundreds of delightful students that have been in my classes; students who have gone from Crandall to make the world a better place by expanding God’s Kingdom in their diverse callings. We at Crandall are thankful for whatever small role we have had in their formation.
