Current Mentors

Betsy Perez is a sophomore studying environmental science, with minors in geology and studio art. She is from Illinois, and hopes to work in wildlife and use art as a way to educate/spread awareness of environmental issues. She was a FYRES student as a freshman and enjoyed doing field research on the dunes. She is super excited to coordinate the FYRES program and provide logistical support to the students and mentors! In her free time, she likes hiking, spending time outdoors, reading, and drawing.

Emily Baartman is a junior at Calvin studying Geology and Archaeology! She was born in Riverside, Illinois, and is happy to be a FYRES mentor this year. Emily took the FYRES class in her freshman year and loved it, so she is excited to be back on the dunes helping foster the next generation of dune lovers! She enjoys learning about rocks, minerals, and the processes that surround them, as well as informing others of the beauty and power of God’s creation. 
 

Jace Porter is a junior studying Environmental Science from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Jace took FYRES as a freshman, starting on crutches for the first few labs. Jace has an interest in ecology, especially parts related to water systems and plants, which is likely what career paths he’ll look into upon graduating. In his free time, Jace enjoys drawing, fishing, disc golf, and gardening. 
 

Jordyn Holtsoi-Henry is a Junior double majoring in Geology and Secondary Science Education. She started FYRES her freshmen year and loved the research project she was involved in. Jordyn is from Gallup, New Mexico and enjoys leading hikes and giving presentations about her experiences as a Navajo woman. She is excited to be a mentor this year because she enjoys being in the field. She wishes to pursue a career focused on geology as well as becoming a science communicator in a museum or national park setting.
 

Nick Zwiers is a junior at Calvin from Grand Rapids, Michigan. This is his second year as a FYRES mentor. He is studying Geology with minors in geography, environmental studies, and psychology. He has an interest in spatial sciences and will be starting his Masters in GIS at Calvin this year. Nick has worked with the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography in Savannah, Georgia to research various topics relating to coastline analysis. He has also worked on research with Dr. Higley to pinpoint global holocene events as they present in Flat Iron Lake. Outside of class, Nick enjoys rock climbing, skiing, reading, and traveling.
 

Susannah Tenhuisen is a junior majoring in Environmental Science (Naturalist track) and Spanish, with a minor in Geography. She spent a summer researching sediment cores from a lake of glacial origin near Grand Rapids through charcoal analysis and loss on ignition testing. This past summer, she worked with Plaster Creek Stewards on the ecological restoration team, learning to install and maintain native gardens in urban settings. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, crafting, and binging TV
shows with friends.

Syann (See-Anne) is a junior studying environmental science. She was born in Toronto, Ontario, and growing up lived in Dubuque, Iowa and Grand Rapids, Michigan. She was a student in FYRES her first year and a mentor her second year. Syann loves to travel, spend time outdoors, read, play volleyball, and dance. After university she hopes to go to grad school for ecology.