Seniors confirm Calvin University was right decision
Tue, Mar 18, 2025
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Sarah Kwon (classical studies major) and Jueun Lee (nursing major) are graduating in May.
As college seniors head into the homestretch before graduation, high school seniors are reaching a pivotal time of making their college decisions. So, we caught up with a handful of students who came to Calvin from many different places and backgrounds to better understand why they chose Calvin initially, why they stayed all four years, and what advice they have for students considering Calvin as an option for fall 2025.
What drew you to Calvin?
Michaela Ulam (from Sherwood, Oregon): I really liked the student services they had to offer. I didn’t have any prior connection [to Calvin]. When I visited campus, I just felt enthusiasm for students and I really liked that.
Jueun Lee (from Bakersfield, California): Realistically, the scholarships drew me.
Sarah Kwon (from Seoul, South Korea): I grew up in a Christian family, so it was kind of natural for us to consider Calvin as one of my choices when I was choosing college. And my mom really wanted me to.
Daniel MacIntyre (from Naperville, Illinois): They had a really good pre-health program I was interested in, and I was playing lacrosse in high school, and I met Coach Hoger. I met him at a recruiting tournament, and we clicked really well.
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Daniel MacIntyre is graduating in May with a double major in biochemistry and biology. He plans on taking a gap year before heading to med school in 2026.
Blessing Amoah (from Kumasi, Ghana): One thing that naturally drew me to Calvin is that of the Christian values. I think coming here I have actually seen it a lot.
What's kept you here?
Ulam: Finding a community and a small campus where you get to know people and also the close connection with professors too, because I went to a small high school and I was kind of used to having close relationships with teachers. So, I think that really kept me here.
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Michaela Ulam, a biology major, is hoping to find a job in wildlife biology or conservation in her home state of Oregon after graduation.
Lee: I would say the tight-knit community and the friends that I made here at Calvin.
MacIntyre: I just dove right in and got connected to a bunch of stuff (lacrosse, dorm life and leadership, became a tutor and a TA, part of pre-health club). And I think the last thing I’ll say is I really connected with a few of my professors. So, John Wertz, I’ve had him now probably nine different times for labs and classes. He was actually very fundamental in my faith coming to college, so I was able to stop by his office after class on a random Thursday afternoon and chat with him. So, just feeling seen and known by my professors too was something. I have two older sisters and they both went to huge universities, and they are like we graduated and not a single professor knew my name. So, I think just having that personal connection with professors was really big.
Amoah: I think the compassion that most of the professors have for students. Especially in my computer science class, most of the time we talk about Christianity and computer science and getting to understand how now we use technology to do a lot of bad things and seeing that we can also use it to impact the lives of others.
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Blessing Amoah is a computer science major who will be interning at Meta this summer.
Why would you recommend Calvin?
Lee: I would say you learn a lot about your faith here, and I think that’s a really good thing about Calvin is they don’t force you to do it too much, but I think with the community and the lessons you learn at class and outside of class you learn a lot about your faith and about your relationship with God.
Kwon: I think it’s a very good starting point to prepare yourself as a Christian before you go out to the real world.
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Sarah Kwon studied abroad in Umm al-Jimal, Jordan during her time at Calvin. She is applying to grad schools with the hope of ending up in the archaeology field.
MacIntyre: Calvin focuses on the entirety of you, like socially, mentally, academically, and spiritually and actually pours into you in all those different ways whereas most universities just focus on your academics—they want you to get good grades, get a good job, and leave. But I’ve definitely seen people who have graduated still be connected to Calvin. So, I think that’s really cool the way that Calvin pours into every aspect of your life and genuinely wants you to become a better person, not just a better student.
Amoah: The opportunity to learn and the community. I think it’s a good opportunity to connect with others especially being a Christian and meeting people who are always ready to help.
