North Parker Summer 2023

The magazine for alumni and friends of North Park University

NORTH PARKER A STORIED SEASON

North Park Alumni Grant

All students who completed an undergraduate degree at North Park University can enroll in graduate coursework with a 20% tuition reduction thanks to the Alumni Grant. This grant may be used for individual courses or a whole program. This grant cannot be combined with any other scholarships or tuition reductions that may be offered to you from North Park University.

Choose a graduate degree program or graduate-level certificate offered by:

School of Business and Nonprofit Management

School of Education

School of Music, Art, and Theatre

School of Nursing and Health Sciences

School of Professional Studies

North Park Theological Seminary

Online, on-campus, or hybrid options available.

For more information, visit northpark.edu/gradadmissions or call (773)244-4880 to schedule a personal appointment.

*Does not apply to Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing program.

16 A Storied Season

North Park men’s basketball celebrates a historic season.

22 For the Just Flourishing of Cities

Students serve and learn through the new Center for Civic Engagement.

26 Getting on the Bus

North Parkers explore racial reconciliation with first Sankofa trip post-pandemic.

EDITORIAL BOARD

Mary K. Surridge President

Jamie (Bacon) Kratowicz C’11 Director of Alumni Engagement

Lindsey Post Robinson C’05 Operations Manager

University Marketing and Communications

Ana Sekler Senior Director

University Marketing and Communications

EDITORIAL STAFF

Ellen Almer C’94 Editor

Susannah Kim Creative Director

Karamel Aguila Graphic Designer

Anthony Barlich

Phil Dembinski

David Seignious C’24 Photographers

Ellen Almer

Dr. Hunt Helm

Andrew Meyer C’06

Eileen O’Gorman

Tyler Woolbright Writers

First Word

What a year it has been for North Park University! We set records for CCIW Championship teams, incoming first-year students, and alumni giving totals for Blue and Gold Day! North Park is building momentum!

We give thanks to God for our beautiful Christian university in the city, the Kingdom work He has given us to do, and for His abiding provision and protection.

North Park celebrated a joyful spring Commencement on May 13, conferring nearly 400 undergraduate, graduate, and seminary degrees, sending our newest alumni into the world prepared for lives of significance and service.

As summer arrives, we are eagerly making plans for the fall arrival of new students— students who have chosen our distinctively Christian, city-centered, and intercultural university as the community they will embrace, and the university that will help them achieve their goals in higher education.

Together, these three distinctives bring clarity to our mission. They enrich our culture. They mandate the pursuit of excellence in everything we do. And they inspire our excellent faculty and staff in their collective

commitment to the growth and success of every student—in our classrooms, on our courts and playing fields, in our practice rooms and studios, and in every co-curricular activity across this campus.

This edition of the North Parker magazine is the first of three that will articulate some of the ways our distinctives come to life.

We start with our deep rootedness in the Christian faith— central to our founding 132 years ago, defined throughout our history, and essential in our campus life today.

Our newly launched Center for Civic Engagement, an initiative connecting the university, its students, and the city of Chicago, is one example of our Christian distinctive at work. Through the center, students learn to think about civic engagement as putting their faith into action. Connected to the center are student internships with Transform Capital—the social impact enterprise cofounded by North Park alumnus and associate professor, Paul Hawkinson C’92. These internships give students another opportunity to grow in their faith through service and learning.

Our University Ministries staff is hard at work every day living into our Christian

mission through chapel services, small group Bible studies, and experiences like Sankofa where students have the chance to explore the historical, theological, and cultural dimensions of racial reconciliation and human wholeness.

This edition features our champion Viking men’s basketball team and the faithful Christian leadership of Coach Sean Smith— along with many other examples of Christian witness in Viking athletics.

And finally, our rootedness in the Christian faith is well demonstrated through the work of our alumni. In this issue, we highlight Nancy Valentin C’13, Linnea Ek C’09 S’16, and Vince Lambert G’96 who credit North Park with inspiring them to give back to their communities through the work that they do.

Throughout this issue, you will find the full range of a vibrant North Park educational experience reflected in words and photos—and a campus community intentionally living into its Christian mission, working to advance our three distinctives, and envisioning a strong and promising future for North Park University.

Thank you for reading and thank you for your enduring connection to North Park.

In Christ, Mary K. Surridge President

For our beautiful Christian campus in the city, the Kingdom work He has given us to do, and for His abiding provision and protection— we give thanks to God.

Across Campus

News about our students, faculty and staff, and alumni.

North Park Names Michael Nevergall G’13 VP for Advancement

Nevergall will lead alumni engagement and fundraising.

Alumnus Michael Nevergall G’13 joins the North Park community again in his new role as vice president for advancement. Nevergall, previously a gift planner at Gustavus Adolphus College, will lead alumni engagement and fundraising, partnering with and reporting to President Surridge. “The distinctive core values of North Park spoke to me when I was a student, and they still resonate with me today. I am excited to partner with my fellow

North Park alumni and friends to build an exciting next chapter in the university’s story,” he said.

Nevergall will execute the university’s next fundraising campaign, which evolves from the emerging strategic plan and campus master plan.

Nevergall has a history of nonprofit work, having held positions at Upbring, a faithbased human services provider and at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. He

earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Valparaiso University and his Master of Nonprofit Administration, with a concentration in fundraising management, at North Park.

“Mike emerged as the premier candidate from a strong and diverse pool of finalists, and I have full confidence in his leadership and our partnership as we pursue the university’s development priorities,” said President Surridge.

“I am excited to partner with my fellow North Park alumni and friends to build an exciting next chapter in the university’s story.”

Distinguished Seniors

Chase Friel C’23 and Elizabeth Joing C’23 were selected to receive the 2023 Distinguished Senior awards at this spring’s Honors Convocation.

Both women, who were double majors, honors program students, and involved in Student Government Association (SGA), were nominated by faculty members for the awards. Friel was nominated by Professor of Politics and Government Jon Peterson and Joing by Professor of Biology Drew Rholl.

Friel, who graduated with a BA in Politics and Government and Biblical and Theological Studies, and Joing, who received a BS in Environmental Science and a BA in Spanish, were able to connect their varied coursework to off-campus opportunities and then share their knowledge and experiences with the North Park community.

Friel’s research at NPU led her to Liverpool Hope University to study Brexit, and then to the University of Illinois Chicago to study fair housing. She then presented her learnings to fellow North Parkers in Peterson’s class.

“Friel is a leader in the classroom, engaging in discussions and asking questions that reflect her thoughtful engagement,” said Peterson. Throughout her projects and research, Friel was able to combine her interests in both religion and politics, and she will pursue a master’s degree at the University of Turku in Finland.

Joing coordinated with a group of experts from various institutions and NPU to propagate native plants for distribution and education in our neighborhood.

“I am amazed by what Ellie has not only been a part of, but what she has accomplished for the betterment of her fellow students, our university, and the world,” said Rholl.

While at North Park, Friel was involved in SGA and on the board for the newly formed Center for Civic Engagement. Joing led the SGA Sustainability Committee and competed in cross country and ultimate frisbee. She also served as environmental consultant to NPU’s carbon-neutral orchestra, and as supplemental instructor and writing advisor for botany, zoology, and Spanish.

Honoring our exceptional students.

Chase Friel and Elizabeth Joing

NASA Grant to Provide New Learning Opportunities

The $166k grant will fund the installation of weather sensors on the roof of the Johnson Center.

State-of-the-art weather sensors have been installed on the roof of the Johnson Center as part of a $166,000 grant awarded to North Park by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

NASA awarded the five-year grant to NPU in part because of its federal status as a Hispanic Serving Institution, a school that is committed to equitable outcomes for Hispanic students.

The grant was secured through the joint efforts of Assistant Professor of Chemistry John Randazzo and Director of Sponsored

Projects Renee Cox. Only about 10 institutions across the country received the grant, and North Park is the lone Chicago site.

NPU students and professors will have access to the collected data, which will be transmitted directly into North Park’s classrooms and applied to real-time lessons.

Randazzo said the NASA grant was likely to raise North Park’s profile as a research university.

“Building a face-to-face relationship with NASA raises our credibility and increases future prospects,” Randazzo said.

“Building a face-to-face relationship with NASA raises our credibility and increases future prospects.”

Assistant Professor of Chemistry John Randazzo

Expanding North Park’s Nursing Program

New direct entry Master of Science in Nursing program helps non-nursing students and career changers gain an advanced degree.

As part of our innovative work in new program development, North Park now offers a five-semester Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing (DEMSN) degree designed for students who already have a bachelor’s in a non-nursing field. The program, which prepares students to provide safe, competent, and compassionate care to patients, will include clinical rotations that align with their coursework.

“Graduates of this program will have learned to integrate core scientific and ethical principles, advanced nursing knowledge, professional values, and clinical excellence in a nursing practice that reflects the Christian principles of the philosophy of the North Park University School of Nursing,” said Provost Michael Carr.

DEMSN recipients will be qualified to apply for the professional nurse licensing examination, and those who pass will become registered nurses eligible to work in a healthcare setting. Graduates will also have the academic foundation necessary to pursue further education in the field, such as post-master’s certification in an advanced practice specialty, nursing leadership, and management.

“Nursing shortages around the country will enhance the value of the DEMSN degree,” added Carr.

Book in Common: North Parkers Discuss Subversive Witness by Dominique Gilliard S’12

Last fall, President Mary Surridge invited members of the North Park community to read and discuss Subversive Witness. The book, by Dominique Gilliard S’12, explores the ways different types of privilege can help us “see and participate in God’s inbreaking kingdom,” said Gilliard.

“Scripture repeatedly affirms that privilege is real and declares that, rather than exploiting it for selfish gain or feeling immobilized by it, Christians have a responsibility to leverage it.”

During the panel discussion in April, Gilliard was joined by author Kathy Khang and pastor David Swanson. During a question and answer session following the discussion, Gilliard addressed “trendy” advocacy.

“There’s very much a siloed advocacy that has come out of so many Christian institutions that is self-interested or that’s a popular trend at the time, and not something rooted in a commitment to liberation and freedom for all people created in the image of God,” he said.

The book dissects how and why Christians should leverage their privilege.

Spring

2023 cohort of DEMSN students

The Overachiever

Senior Stephanie Sorisho named Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois.

To call Stephanie Sorisho an overachiever is an understatement. The senior molecular biology and biotechnology major is an accomplished cellist, a teaching assistant, president of the Tri-Beta Biology Honors Society, and a writing advisor.

This fall, Sorisho received well-deserved recognition for all of her hard work. She was awarded the Abraham Lincoln Civic Engagement Award, presented each fall to one college senior per four-year institution who shows leadership and service in pursuit of the betterment of humanity, along with academic excellence.

When she isn’t helping professors like Dr. Sunshine Silver construct a lab that involves comparing meat proteins to vegan

alternatives, the Lincolnwood native plays first-chair cello in North Park’s Orchestra. Sorisho has also given cello lessons to students at the nearby nonprofit Assyrian Cultural Foundation.

She cites Dr. Silver, Dr. Drew Rholl C’04, and Dr. Timothy Lin as her most influential professors.

Two North Parkers Receive Fulbright Awards, One Named Semifinalist

Chase Friel to study in Finland, while Joel Beyar will teach in Jordan.

North Parkers Chase Friel C’23 and Joel Beyar C’22 have been named recipients of the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program award.

Friel, a double-major in biblical and theological studies and politics and government, will use her Fulbright grant to pursue a Master’s Degree in Inequalities, Interventions, and New Welfare State at the University of Turku in Finland. During the two-year program, she will receive a full-tuition scholarship and additional funds to pursue studies and research on social

policy and intervention design.

Joel Beyar, who received a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice with a minor in Arabic Studies, will use his Fulbright award to work in the Middle Eastern country of Jordan as an English teaching assistant at a local school. He will also receive funding to continue studying the Arabic language.

In addition, Theodore Hallam C’22, was named a Fulbright semifinalist and will receive a smaller award to work as an English teaching assistant in Lithuania.

“Genuinely, I have gained so much knowledge, experience, friends, and memories through my time at North Park University,” Sorisho said. “My college experience may have been stressful at times, during a pandemic and being a pre-medical student. Yet I would not trade the experience I have had my past four years for any other university.”

JOEL BEYAR

CHASE FRIEL

Celebrating Champions of North Park’s Intercultural Distinctive Awards were presented to students, faculty, and staff who advocate for campus diversity.

In a vibrant spring ceremony, North Park’s Office of Diversity and Intercultural Life (ODIL) honored students, faculty, and staff for their ongoing commitment to promoting interculturalism on campus.

Director of ODIL Sharee Myricks and Vice President of Student Engagement Francisco Gaytán presented the top prize, the Honors Convocation Diversity Award, to Oluwatofunmi “Tofunmi” Akinlade, for her commitment to North Park’s intercultural identity and her record of academic excellence. Akinlade served as a member of

North Parkers recognized

North Park’s Lighthouse Scholar Program; a resident assistant; an intern in the Office of International Affairs; a representative for the Student Government Association and Threshold Orientation; and as a Compass mentor.

The ODIL Director’s Award was presented to North Park’s football coaching staff, led by Kyle Rooker, who Myricks praised for their “passionate work to increase the retention and graduation rates of BIPOC

male students on the football team.”

ODIL’s Assistant Director Bree Yoo-Sun McLuen presented the Assistant Director’s Award to Naomi Vasciannie C’22, an employee of the office who is a first-generation, Jamaican American transfer student and recent grad with a degree in business administration.

“Naomi, you are a brilliant young woman, and as a woman of color in business, I’m incredibly inspired by you,” said Yoo-Sun McLuen. The Champion of Diversity Award, given to a faculty or staff member, was presented to Dr. Rebecca Ryan, interim dean of the School of Music, Art, and Theatre,

who has helped implement both diversity and land acknowledgement statements that are widely used at the university.

Associate Professor in Art Maya Durham Rayner C’05 was selected for the Outstanding Intercultural Alumni Award. Durham Rayner partnered with the Black Student Union to host the Black Joy art exhibit to celebrate Black History Month in 2022.

At the end of the ceremony, Myricks presented several seniors with special graduation stoles, showcasing North Park’s commitment to interculturality and representing North Park’s many diversity clubs.

for their commitment to interculturalism.

Striving to Live the Christian Life

Meet the University Ministries Staff

Every Wednesday morning during the school year, you’ll find North Park’s University Ministries (UMin) staff leading worship for students in chapel. But that is hardly the only way they live out North Park’s Christian distinctive, the cornerstone of the university’s identity.

“Everything about North Park flows from our understanding as Christians,” said Tony Zamble, director of UMin, who believes North Park’s two other distinctives‚—being city-centered and intercultural—depend on the first. “We care about the city because we are Christians. We care about what is going on around us, about racial reconciliation, because it flows from our understanding of the Gospel.”

Campus Chaplain Dr. Terence Gadsden said the UMin staff works to model Christ for the entire North Park community.

“I say it all the time, Jesus did not take an Uber from heaven to earth every day,” he said of living as a Christian. “It needs to happen all the time. Great ideas start at the grassroots level.”

That means meeting students where they are, from attending athletic devotionals and keeping in touch with coaches, to making the UMin office a safe space where a lively get-together might break out at any moment.

“We wanted to create a space where people can be their authentic selves,” said Anna Coleman, UMin’s operations and program manager, whose creative thinking recently resulted in a “Barber Shop” event where students chatted while getting haircuts.

For Worship and Arts Coordinator Stephen Kelly, the outreach happens through music. “Students love to participate in

CollegeLife by singing and sharing music,” Kelly said, referring to North Park’s long-standing Sunday evening services.

Most importantly, Zamble said, UMin is a place “where faith, service, and learning meet on a consistent basis.” That’s why projects such as Global Partnerships, where students serve in Zambia, Peru, and Finland, among others, are so valuable. As are opportunities to serve locally, he added.

To Gadsden, living out his Christian faith is even more important because North Park does not require its students to go to chapel, or to express Christian faith in any official way.

“They’ll know we are Christians by our love,” Gadsden said, paraphrasing scripture. “If believers come here and simply gain a better understanding of the Christian faith, I’ve done my job.”

From left to right: Stephen Kelly, Tony Zamble, Anna Coleman, Terence Gadsden

Meet the Faculty Boaz Johnson

Professor of Hebrew, Bible, and Theological Studies Boaz Johnson’s path to North Park was a winding one. Originally from India, Johnson was teaching at a seminary in Pune, India, when he was introduced to the Hindustani Covenant

Church. He was taken by the depth, breadth, and international vibrancy of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC), so when he learned of an opening at North Park in 2003, he was thrilled to have the chance to learn more about what made the ECC special.

Tell us a bit about more about your family. We are the only people in Deerfield that look like us. Our kids’ school was all white. North Park was a place of healing for my daughters when they came here. They studied among young people from all sorts of different backgrounds and flourished as students.

What’s the best part of your job?

When students come to my office to ask questions or talk. To me, the ages of 18–21 are the best years of a person’s life, when you seek to shape your mind. I also love going on long runs with students along the North Branch, taking them to museums, and watching movies together.

What is your favorite place on campus?

The prayer room in the Johnson Center. I like to gather there with students and pray. It’s shaped like the trunk of the former Prayer Tree that stood where the Johnson Center is now.

How has North Park changed over the past 20 years?

In the last 20 years, North Park has become an increasingly diverse place. When I first began teaching, in 2003, my classroom was full of white Covenant Church students. Now it is people of all colors, religions, races, and denominations. These are students who are first-generation immigrants. They are refugees from Iraq, Myanmar, Venezuela, and Colombia to name a few.

What lessons resonate most with your students?

I teach the Bible, primarily the Old Testament. This is a book which is written by refugees and immigrants, for refugees and immigrants. Abraham, Moses, Jeremiah, Jesus, were all refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants. I hear my students share with me that they resonate with all the narratives in the Bible, especially stories of Mary.

Pew Charitable Trust Senior Advisor for Government Relations

Tamera Luzzatto

Delivers Inaugural Theodore J. Van Der Meid Lecture in American Politics

The lectureship was endowed by a gift from Ted Van Der Meid C’79 who passed away in 2018.

From receptionists to storied politicians to elevator operators, Ted Van Der Meid C’79 was the type of person who befriended all during his rich and varied career on Capitol Hill, Tamera Luzzatto expressed during her speech to the North Park community on April 5.

“Ted was a generous person who, when he found out he didn’t have much time left, gave away all the gifts he’d gathered on his international travels,” said Luzzatto, a onetime chief of staff to then-Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton who sat on the opposite side of the political aisle from Van Der Meid.

Despite their political differences, she and

Van Der Meid maintained a decades-long friendship, in large part because of his ability to get along with almost everyone, Luzzatto said.

Upon his death in 2018, Van Der Meid included in his estate, gifts to fund the annual lectureship, a gift to benefit the School of Nursing, and two endowed scholarships,

the Virginia Ferris Van Der Meid Scholarship in Nursing to honor his mother, and the Theodore J. Van Der Meid Scholarship in Politics and Government. His sister Ginny Newberg C’76 played a key role in finalizing donations from his estate as well as sharing some of his art that now hangs in Sohlberg Hall.

During his long career in Washington, D.C., Van Der Meid worked in various capacities for several Republican U.S. Congressmen and women, eventually serving under the speaker of the house. He is widely credited with forging consensus between both sides of the aisle to bring the Capitol Hill Visitor’s Center to fruition.

In her remarks, Luzzatto noted that Van Der Meid’s legacy for bridging the divide is needed more than ever in today’s fractured political environment as each side struggles to find common ground.

“The more the public sees their officials fighting, that is increasing their distrust in government and decreasing citizen engagement,” Luzzatto said. “We are not doing what we studied in Philadelphia, when the Constitution and the basic foundations of our country were worked out, and even as each side fought viciously, they walked away with a handshake.”

Van Der Meid’s legacy for bridging the divide is needed more than ever in today’s fractured political environment as each side struggles to find common ground.

TAMERA LUZZATTO

Retiring Faculty

North Park recognizes the following retirees and honors their dedicated years of service:

Debra Auger

North Park Theological Seminary

2007–22

Trudy De Waters School of Nursing and Health Sciences

2004–22

Robert Hostetter College of Arts and Sciences 1989–2022

Wesley Lindahl

School of Business and Nonprofit Management 2002–22

Timothy Lowly School of Music, Art, and Theatre 1995–2023

Susan Rabe College of Arts and Sciences 2000–22

Terree Shofner-Emrich

School of Music, Art, and Theatre 1989–2022

Janice Zeller

School of Nursing and Health Sciences

2011–22

The Art Department invites you to submit artwork or a note for the fall 2023 Homecoming alumni art exhibition, honoring Professor Tim Lowly.

Due by August 31 to smat@northpark.edu

Submit 2D or sculptural works. The Art Department will also send you a 4” x 6” paper to make an image and write a note to Professor Lowly. These will be displayed at the exhibit and collected into a book which will be gifted to Lowly.

Or you can choose to submit a digital or photographic image which the Art Department will print for you.

Annual Giving for Student Success

“ Along with my outstanding classes, I’ve gained so many networking opportunities in my future field and been able to build my skills through my campus jobs and student activities. My professors have been so supportive of my professional development. North Park really cares about my future, and your generosity has contributed so much to my success. Thank you! ”

ALANA NICHOLAS C’23 Kinesiology & Exercise Science Major

www.northpark.edu/give

Reducing Their Carbon Footprint

University Orchestra takes steps to become more environmentally friendly.

North Park’s University Orchestra is the first net-zero orchestra in the country. This means the group of students has a completely neutral carbon footprint, achieved through personal action and donating to environmental groups.

Dr. Tom Zelle, professor of music and conductor, said the initiative started when the orchestra began incorporating the United Nations’ Human Values, which include peace, freedom, social progress, equal rights and human dignity, into its weekly lessons. “Every student in the orchestra room is first and foremost a human being and then a musician,” Zelle said.

The orchestra now uses a part of their budget to contribute to the United Nation’s carbon offset program, which trades “carbon credits” for cash that goes to organizations working to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. The orchestra also sells vegan goods, plays music written to bring awareness to climate change, and talks to the audience about sustainability.

North Park Goes Camping

Each summer, students work as camp counselors, representing the university to their campers.

Each summer, about 45 North Park students get to leave their comfort zones and a trail of influence through their work as camp counselors at Evangelical Covenant Church summer camps.

“Our students know that being a counselor means they’re an influence in the lives of these campers, and that means some could choose to come to NPU because of it,” said Senior Director of Undergraduate Admissions Brady Martinson.

“North Park is a small school with a giant network. Being at camp always makes me realize that,” said senior and camp counselor Brooklyn Seals, who has seen many of her campers go on to tour NPU.

As camp counselor at Frontier Ranch in Santa Cruz, California, Seals passed out school merchandise and dropped NPU trivia at mealtimes. Campers would joke that, with the number of North Park students working at the camp, they were temporary Vikings for a week.

Being an unofficial spokesperson for the university they love is only part of what makes the job so appealing. “It’s the natural, organic part of recruitment that’s the best thing about this opportunity,” added Martinson.

Student Government Association’s Year in Review

SGA had a robust 2022–23 academic year.

Advocacy and activism were the focus of much of the Student Government Association’s (SGA) efforts this school year.

Among them were events organized by the Advocacy Committee to help the surrounding community, including a clothing drive and a zine-making event to raise awareness about mass incarceration and restorative justice.

The Sustainability Committee worked to educate campus about climate change and hosted Illinois vintage fest.

Meanwhile, the Commuter Committee promoted the interests of commuter students with several offerings, including lounge spaces and commuter student-specific meal plans.

Elsewhere on campus, SGA’s treasurer offered a financial literacy workshop, the Judicial Committee changed some bylaws to fix outdated language, and a Pre-Law Society and Urban Arts Club were established.

A STORIED SEASON

The North Park University men’s basketball team experienced a stunning transformation this season. While the Vikings finished seventh in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) standings last season, the 2023 edition told a radically different story, with the team winning their first-ever CCIW Tournament Championship, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1987, and breaking numerous records along the way. At the helm of this transformation is Head Coach Sean Smith, who was named the D3Hoops.com National Coach of the Year and an Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year in just his first season as a collegiate head coach.

“I am beyond humbled and grateful to be named the National Coach of the Year,” said Smith. “I consider this a staff award and I would not be in this position without (fellow coaches) Ed McGhee, Lou Griffith, and Mark Smith. Also, a big thanks to our team who bought in from day one and led North Park to a historic season!”

Gaining the trust of many returning players alongside an influx of talent from newcomers and transfers, Smith and his staff wasted no time. Under his leadership, the Vikings won 24 games (the most since the 1986–87 season) made 223 three-pointers (4th best in NPU history) and established new records in rebounds, steals, blocks, and

North Park men’s basketball team rose to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1987.

The Vikings won their first-ever CCIW Tournament Championship.

turnover margin.

North Park also had plenty of leadership from its established senior class, made up of Jalen and Jordan Boyd, Adam Bulwa, Karl Polk, Jr., and Jacob Williams. This group was further bolstered by three transfer guards who became All-CCIW picks: Shamar Pumphrey, Kolden Vanlandingham, and Marquise Jackson. Vanlandingham secured D3Hoops.com First Team Region 8 honors after averaging 15.9 points per game,

including a 24-point performance in the Vikings’ come-from-behind NCAA playoff win at Washington University in St. Louis.

After earning a second-place finish in the CCIW league, North Park beat Carthage College and Elmhurst University in the CCIW Tournament before earning first and second round NCAA Tournament wins over Sewanee University and Washington University in St. Louis, respectively. North Park concluded its storied season in the Sweet

Sixteen with a loss against the University of Mount Union.

North Park’s five national championships in men’s basketball (1978, ’79, ’80, ’85, ’87) represent the most among Division III schools. Once more, that championship spirit has been reinvigorated in the Viking faithful.

From left to right, first row: Marquise Jackson, Steven Zesiger, Lalhnehpuia Chhakchhuak, Elias Morris, Lance Nelson, Shamar Pumphrey, Marcus Stalberg; From left to right, second row: Frank Taylor, Floyd Bailey, Kenton Lei, Jacob Williams, Jalen Boyd, Jordan Boyd; From left to right, third row: Adam Bulwa, Victor Kruse, Victor Ekman, Kolden Vanlandingham, Quillin Dixon, Preston Bax III, Davante Robinson

FAITH COMES ALIVE IN VIKING ATHLETICS

Afew minutes before North Park’s student-athletes go out on the field or court to play, they engage in team prayer. Together with their coaches, teammates, and athletics staff, they come together to express their faith. These quiet moments spent together provide our athletes with a sense of community and grounding.

“Our program philosophy is TheRightWay, defined by two tenets: ‘Live by the Golden Rule’—do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Luke 6:31); and ‘Do Your Job,’” said head football coach Kyle Rooker.

Under the leadership of Assistant Vice President for Athletics and Sport Management John Born, North Park’s Athletics Department has not only had one of its most successful years in history, but it has also flourished as a model of how North Park students engage with their faith in all aspects of their education, from the classroom to the court.

“As I watch our teams engage in mission trips, service projects, team prayer, and other expressions of faith, I am excited about how North Park’s Christian distinctive is exemplified in our student-athletes and the entire athletic department,” said Born.

“Our goal is to develop young men who will turn into faithful fathers, loving husbands, and great community members, wherever the Lord calls them after their time at North Park. This is manifested in

“I am beyond humbled and grateful to be named the National Coach of the Year, I consider this a staff award and I would not be in this position without (fellow coaches) Ed McGhee, Lou Griffith, and Mark Smith.”

—Coach Sean Smith

From left to right: Ed McGhee, Sean Smith. and Lou Griffith

multiple ways in our program. One of our favorite ways is our pregame prayers when our guys all get time to reflect and thank the Lord for the opportunity to play the game they love at a high level,” said Sean Smith, head men’s basketball coach.

North Park’s athletics roster, like its student body, is diverse, with young people from across the country, representing various races, religions, and creeds, who all come together for the love of their sport and learn from one another.

“We have a strong Christian faith movement in our Viking student-athletes and coaches. This is exciting and inspiring because among this group are always such great leaders and influencers,” said President Surridge.

“What has been great about North Park is the opportunity to talk to students from different walks of life,” said Bisrat Kidane, head track and field coach. “North Park has fostered an amazing community that allows students to be open about their faith and understand their perspectives from different cultural backgrounds. For our team, we do this by doing team Bible studies and praying together after or before a practice. After each team meeting, I say to the entire team, “you are loved.’ I say this because the love of Christ is a central element of Christian belief. It also reaffirms some encouragement to these young people that they are not alone in this journey we call life.”

Head Women’s Soccer Coach Emma Woodley said, “Our team’s mission, values, and principles are all established with the Christian distinctive in mind. Even though everyone comes from different walks of life, we want everyone within our program to feel love and connection. Love from each other, love from the staff, and love from Christ.”

“...We want everyone within our program to feel love and connection. Love from each other, love from the staff, and love from Christ.”

–Emma Woodley C’15 G’17, head women’s soccer coach

Catching Up with Dean Edwards

Rev. Dr. Dennis Edwards was appointed as dean of North Park Theological Seminary (NPTS) and vice president for church relations at the start of the 2022–23 school year. Prior to that, the

New York City native taught New Testament at NPTS. As he reflects on the past year in his new role, Edwards says he’s excited for upcoming changes at North Park’s seminary but also in seminary education as a whole.

What are some of the biggest successes during your time as dean so far?

One success is a general sense of cohesion and health among the team. We started the year with the faculty and staff retreat, which was fun but also deliberate in thinking about our spiritual health going into this year. The retreat created a renewed sense of community that developed over this year, which has been important. I would also say we’ve been more visible. There’s a new energy with the new denominational president and I starting our terms around the same time.

Tell us about some of the seminary’s partnerships and grants.

The grants are helping us to think about what seminary education can look like now and in the future. They really help us on two levels: one is with what we do currently here at the seminary, and another is how we interface with pastors and other people who are already doing ministry. The grants help us to explore ways to do that better. They also foster collaboration with our denomination by overlapping similar grants, especially with the Thriving grant, so that overlap has encouraged more collaboration with us and the Evangelical Covenant Church.

What’s first on your agenda for next year?

We want to strengthen our ministry in the prison, our School of Restorative Arts. I’m looking forward to that, because we’re going to have a more cohesive and robust plan for how we carry out that program. I’m also looking forward to our new cohort model where students will move through their education together.

For the Just Flourishing of Cities

North Park’s Center for Civic Engagement provides opportunities for students to serve and learn with local communities.

Laying the Foundation

An East Asian philosophy class visits Chinatown and the Chinese Cultural Center to understand the community, its makeup and identity. A statistics class tours the Albany Park and North Park neighborhoods to better comprehend how redlining and zoning inequalities translate from classroom maps and data to real houses and real streets. And, students visit Cabrini Green, learning about the history of urban renewal, public housing, concentrated poverty, gentrification, and inequality in American cities. These are just a few examples of how North Park students have been serving and learning with local communities via the Catalyst 606 program since its inception in 2017.

Today, North Park University’s new Center for Civic Engagement—an outgrowth of Catalyst launched earlier this year—is incorporating, expanding, and deepening this work.

“The main idea is to build more of a city-centered ethos on campus,” said Dr. Richard Kohng, assistant vice president for the Center for Civic Engagement. “We are enhancing and elevating North Park’s commitment to the just flourishing of cities by honoring the work that is going on in our neighborhoods.”

The Center for Civic Engagement enacts this mission through four core divisions: the Catalyst Hub, the Community Assets and Program Evaluation Consortium, the Community Development Hub, and Public Policy Engagement. Crux, North Park’s discipleship cohort for first-year students and one of the programs in the center’s new Catalyst Hub, provides a holistic approach to transformation in Christ, equipping students for a lifelong journey of faith and formation.

Kohng joined North Park as Urban Outreach coordinator in 2010 and coauthored a report proposing a potential Center for Civic Engagement. This year, with the encouragement of President Surridge and Provost Carr, Kohng began implementing that plan.

“The Center for Civic Engagement elevates North Park’s unique distinctives as a Christian, city-centered, intercultural university,” Surridge said. “Faculty and students learning and working alongside community leaders across Chicago is yet another example of North Park living into

CRUX: Following Jesus Together

Crux, North Park’s discipleship group for first-year students, is now under the Center for Civic Engagement. Open to students from all majors and church backgrounds, Crux is a community of students who follow Jesus together during their first year at North Park.

Journeying

Following the example of Jesus and his disciples, Crux students regularly journey together around the city.

Learning

Crux students take two to three classes together in both fall and spring of their first year at NPU.

Partnering

Crux students commit to a year of partnership alongside organizations both on campus and in the city.

“Faculty and students learning and working alongside community leaders across Chicago is yet another example of North Park living into its mission of preparing students for lives of significance and service.”

President Surridge

its mission of preparing students for lives of significance and service.”

And those students—engaged through real-world learning in the city—love it.

Chase Friel—who graduated in May with a double major in politics and government and biblical and theological studies—served on the Catalyst Student Leadership Board throughout her undergraduate career and worked in the new center. She said she has been “thinking about civic engagement and our role as community members” and about “putting faith into action for the good of our neighbors,” ever since she met Kohng at a North Park Trustee Scholarship competition.

“There is such value in taking the concepts you learn in the classroom, like urban sociology or real estate zoning, and interacting with them in person, with your feet on the ground in the places you have learned about,” Friel said. “Engaging with communities—walking with them as they gain access to needed resources and develop skills for organizational care—is an act of faith.”

The center’s new Community Assets Cohort is a good example of how North Park works with local clergy to support their efforts and community aspirations. It is a partnership between the Center for Civic Engagement and the North Park Theological Seminary’s Lilly-Endowment-funded Academy of Church Leadership, designed to help address economic challenges facing pastoral leaders in the community.

“Honoring the stories of these individuals, seeing their faith in action for their community, and seeing a reflection of the Kingdom of God within the service and labor of our neighbors allows us to see the

face of Jesus in a way we never have before,” Friel said. “Loving our neighbors is one of the greatest commandments and directives within our Christian faith.”

Sydney Wirtz, another graduate who also served on the Catalyst Student Leadership Board, said the Cabrini and Pilsen experiences were among her favorites.

“At Cabrini, students walk with a lifelong resident of the neighborhood and see the former housing project turned into multimillion dollar condos and learn about gentrification. One side of the street has brand new, shiny high-rises and businesses while the other is fenced-off, abandoned apartments that were once home to hundreds of people in need of affordable housing, who were forced out and told that the buildings would be torn down to make room for new development,” Wirtz said.

After graduation, Wirtz will serve as a park guide for Pullman National Historical Park in Chicago. The park is the site of America’s first planned model industrial community. It is significant for the sleeping car magnate who created it, the workers who lived there, its influence on rail transportation, industrial innovation, urban planning, and the labor and civil rights movements.

“I've loved working with Catalyst since I first got here,” Wirtz said. “It’s one of the reasons I chose North Park.”

Building Communities

Describing the significance of the Transform Capital internship, part of the center's Community Development branch, Paul Hawkinson C’92, associate professor in the School of Business and Nonprofit Management and cofounder of the organization, refers to 2 Corinthians 9:

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: 'They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.'"

“It reminds us of the calling of the church to be a generous people,” he said, “while also and equally experiencing the mutual transformation that comes with proximity to neighbors in need. We hope that exposure to the Transform Capital mission provides

“Engaging with communities —walking with them as they gain access to needed resources and develop skills for organizational care—is an act of faith.”

Chase Friel C’23

tangible evidence of the power of commerce when used for the benefit of others—and of the deep power in listening to, and learning from, our neighbors.”

Transform Capital, a nonprofit lending movement which aims to ignite generational

advantage for others on the journey of asset ownership, provides internships each semester to North Park students.

After 17 years on Wall Street, Hawkinson, a former executive director of finance for the Evangelical Covenant Church, has devoted much of his time in the service of disinvested local communities.

Students in the cohort learn about asset based community development—a strategy to recognize the strengths and talents of individuals and communities, rather than their deficits, and to use those assets as building blocks for stronger communities. Collectively, students learn about innovation in nonprofit models and examine systemic issues that create the conditions for so many forms of injustice. They also identify specific projects of interest for deeper exploration, and they spend time engaging with the

community for their project.

“Working through the center and Transform Capital has allowed me to look at what it means to serve and to work. It has shown me the power of being in relationships and sharing our stories. Through these relationships I have been able to see how God is working through the lives of those serving and being served. I hope to continue using a faith-based lens when learning to navigate the workforce in the future,” said Alana Nicholas C’23, a former intern.

The internship program has served 24 students so far and has been funded through a generous grant from Covenant Initiatives for Care.

“Our goal is to make this a perpetual opportunity for North Park students,” said Hawkinson.

“Through these relationships I have been able to see how God is working through the lives of those serving and being served. I hope to continue using a faith-based lens when learning to navigate the workforce in the future.”

Alana Nicholas C’23

Getting on the Bus

About 40 North Park students, staff, and faculty fully immersed themselves in the Sankofa experience last February, following several years of scaled-back versions of the event.

The Sankofa experience, funded by a grant from the Lilly foundation and culminating in a 60-hour bus ride across a select region of the United States, is modeled after the Civil Rights era Freedom Rides. During the trip, participants explore the theological, political, and cultural dimensions of racial reconciliation and human wholeness. In the weeks leading up to the trip, the Sankofa group engages in readings, discussions, film screenings, and classes.

“Sankofa as racial reconciliation isn’t something we do because it’s the new thing,” said Tony Zamble, director of University Ministries. “It flows from our understanding of the Gospel.”

The 2023 trip traveled to the Southeast, with stops in Washington, D.C., to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture; Thomas Jefferson’s

Monticello, in Charlottesville, Virginia; and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati.

Previous Sankofa trips have taken participants to Birmingham, Alabama, and to the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennnesse.

“One of the best parts about Sankofa is that everyone who got on that bus didn’t

have to, but they did,” said Campus Pastor and Athletic Chaplain Dr. Terence Gadsden.

During a special chapel service held after the 2023 trip, students spoke about why they chose to get on the bus.

“I wanted to learn more about what isn’t taught in school,” Amir Fakhari said.

“My goal was to sharpen my craft in history, to become the best I can be,” said Jeremiah Thomas, adding the most poignant moment of the trip for him was seeing his own name on a list of slaves at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

For Brooklyn Seals, the most important moment of the trip was standing in line to view Emmett Till’s casket, which was recently donated to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., another stop for the group.

“To be standing there, in that line, just like they had in Chicago so many years ago, and knowing we live in Chicago. I reflected on how we were doing the same thing. That was intense,” Seals said.

North Parkers explore racial reconciliation through the first post-pandemic Sankofa trip.

“Sankofa as racial reconciliation isn’t something we do because it’s the new thing, it flows from our understanding of the Gospel.”

Tony Zamble, Director of University Ministries

Meet North Park Alumni

A Passion for Ministry and Waterfalls

Linnea Ek C’09, S’16 is a two-time North Park alumna, who graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and in 2016 with a Master of Divinity. Currently pastor of Community Covenant Church in Menominee, Michigan, Ek comes from a long line of Evangelical Covenant Church pastors and North Park alumni. She and her two brothers are alumni and fourth-generation pastors. Ek combines her passion for ministry with a newfound passion for chasing waterfalls in Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Here’s what she had to say about her time at North Park.

Why North Park?

I chose North Park on the last day the deposit for the fall semester was due. Ultimately North Park's distinctives as Christian, city-centered, and intercultural won out.

What is a favorite North Park memory?

Two of the most eye-opening experiences I had during my undergrad experience were Sankofa and participating in a Displace Me event by Invisible Children. These experiences helped expand my worldview as well as my understanding of compassion, mercy, and justice. Both reinforced lessons I was learning in the classroom and in the North Park community.

How did North Park inform your career? Before I began my first year at North Park, I had already privately sensed a call to ministry. I think learning about human nature through psychology and sociology helped me become a better pastor.

How did North Park foster your Christianity?

North Park fostered my faith by exposing me to a variety of worship styles, speakers, and traditions. There are some songs that take me right back to CollegeLife worship services.

Investing in Faith

Vince Lambert G’96 was browsing a copy of Christianity Today when he came across an ad for a North Park Saturday grad program.

“I saw this MBA program at a Christian school in Chicago and I thought the approach was intriguing,” Lambert recalled.

Vince Lambert G'96

Some two-and-a-half years later, the freshly minted MBA launched a successful 15-year career in financial services and investing. In doing so, he left behind a calling to be an army chaplain, one he first felt while at North Park. But when the housing bubble burst in 2008, his long-held dream caught up with him again.

“I’d seen previous financial disasters but there was something different about that one that made me say, no, this is a wrap,” he said.

In addition to banking, Lambert had various ministerial roles. So, with the support of his family, he enlisted in the Army and was commissioned at Fort Jackson in South Carolina in 2009.

Today, Lambert is Deputy Command Chaplain of the Illinois Army National Guard, where he provides support for servicemen in the form of worship services and counseling. He also oversees the marriage and relationship programs, providing couples with the tools and skills for a healthy relationship.

He credits North Park with equipping him for such a fulfilling and varied career.

“My professors brought faith into our classes, which was really important when you’re talking about leadership and ethics in business,” he said, citing Dean Lundgren as a particular inspiration.

“Through casual conversations with people like Dean, my faith grew deeper.”

A Heart for Advocacy

Nancy Valentin C’13 works tirelessly to ensure health equity for all Chicagoans.

During her time at North Park, communication studies alumna Valentin grew a heart for advocacy, something she taps into daily in her position as director of health equity at Chicago’s Northwest Center, a nonprofit founded in 2003 to address the housing crisis. Her work was recognized by the City of Chicago, which gave her the Mayor’s Medal of Honor Award in 2022.

Valentin leads the city’s northwest region in a program that identifies social determinants of health, which the Chicago native describes as an enormous task. The vulnerable residents in that community, Belmont-Cragin, tend to live 10 to 15 years less than their wealthier peers, according to U.S. Census statistics.

“Our organization started because a lot of

residents were dealing with bad mortgages, and since then we’ve expanded to meet the needs of the community,” Valentin said. “I’m committed to health care equity for all Chicagoans.”

The desire to help others was something she learned firsthand as she struggled academically and socially after transferring to North Park her sophomore year.

“There was a lot happening in my life then,” she said. “A lot of people at North Park were extremely kind and generous in their time with me, really nurturing me to help me finish.”

In particular, Dean Liza Ann Acosta, a fellow Latina, and Professor Tim Lowly were there when she needed support. In addition to a counselor she saw during her tenure at North Park, they helped her feel “seen as a whole person, which is so important for a young person.”

Now, she’s applying to master’s in public policy programs, something she wouldn’t have been able to achieve without North Park, she said.

“I’m doing what I am now because I had a stroke of luck in that I had opportunities, and people who believed in me. I want to put opportunities in front of other people.”

“My professors brought faith into our classes, which was realy important when you’re talking about leadership and ethics in business.”

Vince Lambert G’96

Distinguished Alumni Awards

North Park honors alumni from the academy, university, and seminary.

ARMOUR SWANSON C’52

Distinguished Alumni Award

Armour Swanson C’52, 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, has been a success in life by many measures, but especially the one that counts most: his faith. A longtime supporter of North Park and former member of the Board of Trustees, Swanson has inspired generations of North Parkers with his devotion to Christ.

“Armour Swanson is not only a loyal and devoted supporter of North Park, but he is also one of the finest human beings

I have been privileged to know,” said longtime friend and fellow North Parker Dr. G. Timothy Johnson C’56 S’63. “He combines intelligence and humility in a way that has been very helpful to North Park in so many ways.”

Swanson continued his education at Northwestern University, then went on to a successful career in business, eventually ending up as president and CEO of Zenith Splintered Products. He and his beloved late wife, Bev, eventually retired to their home in Hartland, Wisconsin, where they stayed active in their church and doing volunteer activities. Swanson was accompanied at the induction by the two sons and daughter he shares with Bev.

DEBBIE BLUE S’96

North Park Theological Seminary Distinguished Alumni Award

Debbie Blue S’96 received the North Park Theological Seminary Distinguished Alumni Award at the Covenant Midwinter Conference, held in Jacksonville, Florida, in January. Alumna and seminary lecturer since 2000, Blue, who was born and raised in Chicago, is the mother of three adult children and seven grandchildren.

She left a career in bioengineering in 1993 to answer God’s call to ministry. “Debbie is a humble servant-leader who continues to serve others in all she does and, in every instance, shines a positive, encouraging light on North Park,” said Dennis Edwards, seminary dean and vice president for church relations.

KAREN KELLY C’12

Distinguished Young Alumni Award

Karen Kelly C’12 has had more international adventures than people decades her senior. The daughter of missionaries, Janice C’72 and Rev. Tomas E, Kelly C’72, S’78, she grew up in Mexico City and is currently director of partnerships for Laboratoria, a Latin American organization that teaches students life skills such as computer coding. After graduation, the double major in French and global studies received the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship. As part of her grant, Kelly taught secondary school in Andorra. She followed that with service-based positions in Latin America and the Caribbean, where she worked with high school students and their families. Amidst her travels, Kelly also found time to serve her alma mater, sharing her unique perspectives, insights, and expertise as a member of

DAVID CARLSON A’57 C’59

Distinguished Academy Alumni Award

When it was time for David Carlson A’57 to attend high school, his parents chose the best option in the neighborhood: North Park Academy. It turned out to be the right call, with Carlson going on to study at Northwestern University and enjoying a long, successful career in manufacturing and financial services.

“I would not be who I am today without North Park,” Carlson said. “That foundation has stayed and grown with me, it’s been the foundation of who I am. North Park’s faculty didn’t just teach, they cared.”

Carlson’s career culminated in senior

vice president roles at both Paine Webber and UBS. He and his wife Brenda have been extremely generous in giving and volunteer work with many charities, including North Park, where they have endowed the David and Brenda Carlson Scholarships.

North Park’s College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board.

At the ceremony, Director of Alumni Engagement Jamie Kratowicz C’11 introduced a video of Kelly, who was in Peru, by recalling their first meeting as North Park students. “Even with her worldly insight compared to my very sheltered life up to that point, Karen was warm, gracious, welcoming, and kind,” she said.

“That foundation has stayed and grown with me, it’s been the foundation of who I am. North Park’s faculty didn’t just teach, they cared.”

David Carlson A’57 C’59

“Even with her worldly insight, Karen was warm, gracious, welcoming, and kind.”

Jamie Kratowicz C’11, Director of Alumni Engagement

This year’s honorees represent a range of ages and careers, and one shared faith

Celebrating the Class of 2023

More than 400 students joined the ranks of North Park alumni during two commencement ceremonies in May. For the first time, the undergraduate and graduate students had one combined spring ceremony in Helwig Recreation Center. Bringing so many graduates together made for an especially festive and jubilant atmosphere.

Chase Friel, Bachelor of Arts in Biblical and Theological Studies and Politics and Government; Karl Anthony Hidalgo, Bachelor of Science in Biology; and Patrycja Miazek, Bachelor of Science in Business from the undergraduate class of 2023 were presented with the Ahnfeldt Medallion, which is

awarded to the students with the highest grade-point average. The class of 1973 were inducted into the Golden Circle with a weekend full of events and reminiscing.

At the North Park Theological Seminary commencement on Saturday afternoon, an Honorary Doctor of Ministry was conferred on Mark Novak S’79 in recognition for his many years of leadership and service to the Evangelical Covenant Church. Dr. Willie Peterson, assistant to the superintendent of the Midsouth Conference, charged the graduates “Why should you not dream of God using you to do what no one else has done?”

Blue and Gold Day raises $271K

The funds raised go to scholarships, athletics, student funds.

Nearly 700 donors gave $271,000 to North Park as part of the university’s eighth annual Blue and Gold Day celebration in April.

During the festive outdoor event, students, staff, and faculty donned blue and gold tee-shirts and took to the greenspace in front of the Johnson Center. As part of the annual tradition, they formed into a large shape, this time the flag of the City of Chicago, and posed for a photo taken from the Johnson Center roof. Afterward, the entire community was invited to participate in a campus-wide 5K fun run.

Once the numbers were in, the classes

of 1972 and 1993 were declared winners for highest class participation. For the first time this year, donors were invited to give specifically to their favorite athletic program, with men’s football leading the group with 105 individual donations, followed by women’s soccer with 63 and men’s basketball with 32. Women’s tennis, meanwhile, was recognized for best effort, outpacing their original goal by 150%, tallying 28 donations when they’d projected for 18.

Money raised on Blue and Gold Day goes toward the Student Care Fund, the North Park Scholarship Fund, and the Viking Club.

Together Again

North Park community members gathered for the Covenant Midwinter Conference.

Last winter’s annual Covenant Midwinter Conference, held in Jacksonville, Florida, was imbued with a festive spirit as North Park community members joined fellow Covenanters for the annual conference for a variety of activities, including worship, breakout sessions, relationship-building, and hearing from people across the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC). “There was the excitement

of being able to gather and lots of laughter,” said Baily Warman, director of North Park Theological Seminary (NPTS) Admissions. “One of our alumni, Eric Landin C’09 S’17 told me ‘I’m having fun in ministry right now,’ and that was so refreshing to hear after the difficulty of the last few years.”

One of the weekend’s highlights was honoring Debbie Blue S’96 with the NPTS Distinguished Alumni Award.

Later that week, Dennis Edwards, seminary dean and vice president for church relations, led the conference through an intentional reflection on how God had been at work during the week of Midwinter.

In the days prior to Midwinter, the ECC hosted the NextGen Conference, a reworked version of the Youth Worker Connection. This new conference incorporates young Covenanters who are involved in other aspects of the church besides youth ministry.

The NextGen conference featured North Park-led worship and breakout sessions on topics like outreach innovations and how to be a trauma-informed youth pastor.

North Parkers played other key roles in the conference, including Matthew Lundgren C’97 S’01, who led worship for the week. Lundgren led the hugely popular Monday Night Worship with the theme “The Music That Made Us,” which is available on the ECC’s Instagram page.

ECC President Tammy Swanson-Draheim C’98 S’15; Curtis Ivanoff S’08 superintendent of the Alaska Conference; and Rameila Williams C’98 S’16, director of ministry initiatives for Love Mercy Do Justice hosted a morning session called “Practices of Presence” in which they meditated on topics such as awareness, intimacy, identity, and empowerment.

Nursing Scholarship Named for Audrey Hodgkinson

The endowed scholarship supports nursing students from Chicago Public Schools.

Walter (Bud) Hodgkinson C’48’s f irst date with his beloved late wife, Audrey, involved a submarine.

Specifically, the German U-505 submarine on display at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, which was being moved from Lake Michigan to the South Side museum one chilly spring day in 1954.

“We met at a sunrise service at Isaacson Chapel,” he recalled. “And afterward, I asked her if she wanted to go watch the sub cross

To honor his late wife, Bud and his family created the Audrey G. Hodgkinson Endowed Nursing Scholarship.

open heart surgery at Swedish Covenant Hospital in the late 1950s, loved being a nurse and seeing others pursue the career.

One of the greatest parts of Audrey’s legacy, Bud said, was her advocacy for teenage mothers. She helped establish a day care for single mothers at Ravenswood Covenant Church, where Bud and Audrey worshipped (Bud has been a member for 93 years), so the young women could attend high school.

Lake Shore Drive. And she said ‘sure.’”

It was just the beginning of a whirlwind romance that spanned more than 65 years. To honor his late wife, Bud and his family have endowed North Park with the Audrey G. Hodgkinson Endowed Nursing Scholarship, to be awarded annually to a nursing student who enrolls from a Chicago Public School. The fund has increased more than 2.5 times the $25,000 minimum needed to endow a scholarship. Audrey, who graduated with a nursing degree, and worked on the first

Audrey and Bud got engaged after just four months of dating, when Audrey’s roommate moved out and she suddenly found herself without an apartment.

“I said, ‘well, we might as well just get married then, and you can live with me,’” Bud said. “And she said ‘yes.’”

Audrey and Bud went on to lead a life of service to God, with Audrey serving as a nurse at Covenant Harbor Bible Camp and on the Women’s Board of Swedish Covenant Hospital. Along the way, they had three children, Lisa C’ 78, Donald C’83, and Philip; nine grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Lisa (Hodgkinson) Kindstrom C’78, Bud Hodgkinson C’48, and first scholarship recipient America Rodriguez.

Alumni News and Notes

1940s

Alice Mae (Rudrud) Alderman C’45 celebrated her 99th birthday on May 6, 2023. North Park Alumni Association wishes her a Happy Birthday!

Alderman worked for the lab in quality control at Leaf Gum in Chicago after graduation from North Park. She raised four children; completed degrees with honors at North Park, University of Wisconsin Lacrosse, and University of Wisconsin Madison; and worked as a cataloger at the Wisconsin Historical Society from 1967–97. During her retirement she continued to work as a volunteer in the reference area and was honored for 30 years of service and dedication to the state of Wisconsin by Governor Tommy Thmpson. Speaking about North Park, she says, “I want to thank North Park for being with me in my thoughts and prayers for world peace and prosperity. I remember the pleasant days of my youth on campus as my most worthy time on planet earth.”

1950s

Ethel (Erickson) Radmer C’55 published her 10th book, Fields Beyond Your Sight, which is available on Amazon.

2010s

Bernard Rappa C’56, published his debut novel, Secrets of the Louvre , in April 2022. Bernard and his wife, Diane (Holmes) Rappa C’56, met during their freshman year at North Park. They have been happily married for 64 years and have five children, 12 grandchildren and one great-grandaughter. They have had a great life together with fond memories of their time at North Park and currently reside in Stillwater, Minnesota.

1960s

Dallas Larson A’60 C’64, has published his first book, titled M arbled Wry, a not-so-serious look at our confusing and inconsistent Americanized English Language, available on Amazon.

2000s

Michael Gutierrez C’08 was one of 25 attorneys named to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s “Go-to Lawyers: Business Litigation” list. Gutierrez, an attorney at Butzel Long in Michigan, was also recently named to the inaugural 2023 “Crain’s Notable West Michigan Lawyers” list. He lives in Rockford, Michigan with his wife Meghan (Nesburg) C’11 and their four children.

Tim Egan G’10 received the Leaders in Motion award from Chicago State University. Egan, who is Roseland Community Hospital (RCH) president and chief executive officer, will be honored at celebrations on May 24 and July 1.

Egan led RCH through the Southside Safety Net Hospital through the COVID-19 pandemic and created the first drive-through testing program serving the greater Roseland community.

Michelle (Norton) Epperson C’18, married Cody Epperson on October 22, 2022, in Grayslake, Illinois.

2020s

HELP US TELL YOUR STORIES!

The North Parker magazine is published twice a year for our alumni and friends, and we would love to share your news. Email alumni@northpark.edu to tell us about your growing family, professional update, educational achievement, and other milestones in your life. Photos are encouraged.

Join Our Seminar

Dr. Nancy Arnesen, professor of English, invites alumni to join her and her fall climate fiction seminar in reading The Overstory by Richard Powers. A central theme in the book is the recent theorizing in forest science that trees “talk” to one another and cooperate among not only themselves, but other species, in a joint effort to survive. If you’re interested in learning more, email narnesen@ northpark.edu.

Alumni Association

North Park University Alumni Association is proud to introduce its brand new alumni directory and website, the premier place for reconnecting to campus and fellow North Parkers.

Connect with more than 13,000 alumni, faculty, and staff. Message users directly.

Keep up with upcoming alumni and campus events. Search and locate your classmates and friends. Explore the interactive alumni map. Find out about upcoming volunteer opportunities.

Head to alumni.northpark.edu and start connecting.

Jennifer (Bulinski) Wessels C’11 C’14 G’16 G’21, married Micah Wessels in Katy, Texas, on November 21, 2022.

Kayla Kulans G’20, was promoted to manager of wellbeing, NorthShore–Edward-Elmhurst Health. She previously worked at Swedish Hospital and credits North Park’s academic staff for her career success.

Lois Ekstrand A’47 C’49, passed away July 11, 2022, in Evanston, Illinois. Born on August 11, 1929, she taught for 30 years at Avoca West Elementary School in Glenview, Illinois, and upon retirement, she served as a docent for the Chicago Architectural Foundation. The Lois Ekstrand Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships for future teachers, was established in her honor.

Dr. Gianfranco Farruggia passed away unexpectedly January 15, 2023, in his Chicago home. He was 69 years old. He leaves behind his daughter, Mora, a 2021 graduate of North Park University. Farruggia served North Park as a professor of nonprofit management since 2003. He was granted tenure in 2009 and became a full professor in 2013. While at North Park, Farruggia taught, published, consulted, and frequently presented on management and leadership in the nonprofit sector.

Coach Joe Hakes passed away on January 23, 2023. He was called home after a long illness by his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His final days were spent at home in Bristow, Virginia, surrounded by his family. Hakes was North Park's first men's soccer coach in 1981, elevating the club program to a full varsity sport. He also coached women's basketball and men's tennis, and was a resident director in Burgh Hall.

James S. Nelson, associate professor of religion and philosophy at North Park University for 34 years, died January 29, 2023, after a long illness. He was 85 years old. Nelson was the beloved husband of Sandra Nelson for 60 years, loving father of Kimberly (Robert O’Brien) Nelson, and proud grandfather of Emily Margaret O’Brien.

Lois Ekstrand A’47 C’49

William (Bill) J. Hamann A’61 C’62, passed away August 11, 2022, at the age of 83. Hamann served in the military before embarking on a lifelong career with 3M, as an Oregon-based sales representative. He enjoyed traveling and attending church.

James S. Nelson

Joe Hakes

Dr. Gianfranco Farruggia

William (Bill) J. Hamann A’61 C’62

FROM THE ARCHIVES

The cover of this brochure, likely from the late 1930s but officially undated, highlights the importance of both the city of Chicago and the Christian faith to North Park’s history. Intended for prospective students, the focal point of the cover is Old Main, while the rest of the image is highly stylized.

The building to the right should be Wilson

Hall; but the window placement, roof line, and smaller cupola all match Caroline Hall and not Wilson. And the towering building between them is not even a college building but instead a version of North Park Covenant Church. Plus, of course, in the background, is a stylized version of the Chicago skyline.

But these fictionalized elements contain much of the truth of this image. That at

North Park, the connection between the academic heart of the campus and the lives of students is the Christian faith, and that at North Park, Chicago is our context.