How Calvin expanded one future teacher's world
In spring 2026, Anna Haverdink and 14 students were standing in Professor Jennifer Holberg’s English class practicing reading through Canto 8 of Dante’s “The Divine Comedy.”
“From chilly clouds, no seen or unseen winds ever shot down to earth with such rapidity as not to seem slow-motioned …” recited Haverdink.
The moment they had been preparing for came on May 26 as they stood in Ravenna, Italy. Their class became the largest group ever invited to perform a reading outside Dante’s tomb.
“It’s an incredible honor to be selected to read at Dante’s tomb,” said Holberg. “I’m thrilled the students had this really special opportunity after studying Dante so diligently.”
“It’s cool to say that you read part of Dante in front of his tomb,” said Haverdink.
Discovering beauty in diverse perspectives
For Haverdink, a junior studying English Secondary Education, the three-week trip to Italy was the latest example of experiences she never thought she’d have in college.
“When I got here, I definitely didn’t know what to expect,” said Haverdink. “There’s so many more opportunities than what I was fixed to in high school.”
That word “fixed” is how Haverdink describes her mindset coming in. She says she knew what she wanted to do – become a teacher. But as she entered Calvin, her perspective on the world and her future would soon expand.
In her first semester, Haverdink was selected to start a fellowship, which allowed her to research alongside Professor Kristine Johnson. The two worked on a research project where they studied the writing practices of third culture kids, which Haverdink says allowed her to understand students “whose experiences were so vastly different than mine.”
She says that project broadened her view on the world and impacted the way she will interact with her future students.
“It will shape the way I view my future students, the way I will view the stories that I read and the stories that I teach,” said Haverdink. “Understanding that there are a lot of factors that influence your life and that make every child unique, I’ll be thinking about how as a Christian teacher do I care for each student well?”
Finding teachers to be Christ-centered mentors
Haverdink has witnessed plenty of examples of how to do this during her time at Calvin. While she says the research experience with Professor Johnson wasn’t something she thought she’d ever get to do in college, it’s the one-on-one relationship with Professor Johnson that she describes as the most formative experience of her time at Calvin so far.
“Just getting to know a professor on more of a personal level and having someone to go to as an advisor in a way and to talk about so many things other than classes, especially in my freshman year when I was getting used to college life was so meaningful,” said Haverdink.
From English to Education classes and every other subject in between, Haverdink has seen how to integrate Christian faith with every subject.
“It’s cool to get a Christian view and worldview on every single aspect of your life in every class that you take,” said Haverdink.
Gaining the experience to be ready for her career and life
She’s also gained the experience she’ll need to confidently step into a classroom.
“My first semester I was already going into classrooms and observing what a classroom setting is like from the lens of a teacher,” said Haverdink. This fall, she’ll be in a classroom part-time and then next year, she’ll be placed in a classroom to do student teaching.
“I always knew I wanted to be a teacher when I was a kid. So, what I am going to be hasn’t necessarily changed, but I now know what that world looks like more,” said Haverdink. “I think Calvin has not only prepared me to be a teacher, but also in my own identity as a Christian and how I can apply my Christian faith whether I teach in a Christian school or a public school.”
