Getting Ready to Fly at Calvin University
Reuben Arends (middle) with members of his family at his graduation from Advanced Individual Training.
For one weekend each month, Reuben Arends heads about 45 miles east to Grand Ledge Army Aviation Support Facility and Armory where he works on helicopters.
“Something I always wanted to do since I was a kid was to fly something,” said Arends. “And the military was always something that appealed to me too. I thought it was cool. It’s very different than any other job that I’ve seen.”
During his senior year at Unity Christian High School (Hudsonville, Mich.) Arends joined the Army National Guard. After high school he completed basic training in Oklahoma before moving on to advanced individual training (AIT) in Virginia.
“As my AIT graduation date was approaching, I was wondering what’s my next step after this,” said Arends.
Knowing he didn’t want to be far from his family, that he wanted a Christian education, and he was looking for a strong engineering program, Calvin University became the clear choice for Arends.
Right Place, Right Time
“My goal is to go to Army Flight school and fly Blackhawks,” said Arends. “And I know a degree from here will help.”
So this fall, Arends started at Calvin pursuing an engineering degree with a mechanical concentration. Within weeks of starting, he realized he was in the right place at the right time as Calvin University announced it was starting an aerospace engineering program.
“It was a pretty pleasant surprise,” said Arends, who plans to switch his concentration to align even better with his future goals.
A Depth of Preparation
As Arends prepares for the next step in his journey, he’s grateful for the community he’s part of at Calvin.
“The community is proving to be better than I expected,” said Arends. “In the military environment you have to look out for yourself, here it’s very different, people really care for other people.”
He also appreciates the depth of his education.
“An education is one thing, but here there’s much more of a focus on development that goes beyond just an education,” said Arends. “This place uses a Christian lens to grow you in more ways than just your degree and that’s definitely appealing.”
