When a class of strangers becomes a community
Professor Jennifer Holberg (front row, second from right) with her English 101 class.
“People sometimes think cool stuff only happens in upper-division or specialized courses. But at Calvin, it begins in core classes,” said Jennifer Holberg, professor of English. “We don't think of core as ‘jumping through hoops,’ but rather building really important skills and habits that are at the heart of the liberal arts.”
At Calvin, English 101 is one of those core courses that students take. The goal? To develop foundational skills and virtues in writing. That certainly happens. But Jennifer Holberg’s section this past year revealed how that four-credit course is about far more than creating better writers. It’s about forming a community.
“Our class community is truly amazing. Most people in this class I would call good friends,” said Manny Scobie ’29, who is from Southfield, Michigan and majoring in the health sciences.
Bringing diverse backgrounds and interests
Scobie’s statement is quite telling when considering the diversity of backgrounds and interests represented in the class.
The 19 students hail from seven countries and seven different U.S. states, everywhere from Korea to Morocco, California to Tennessee. They chose Calvin for many different reasons, everything from financial aid packages to athletic options, from small class sizes and personal connection with professors to the Christian community.
They are preparing for careers in 17 different areas, everything from education to social work, business to nursing. And their interests outside of class span from athletics to the arts, Young Life to e-sports.
“This class paints quite a portrait of what the Calvin educational experience is all about,” said Holberg. “We have students from all over the world with all kinds of interests sitting side-by-side learning with and from one another. This kind of environment allows for a beautiful community to form.”
Laying the foundation for community
And that’s exactly what happened in this English 101 class.
“The community in the class was surprisingly supportive, given that we were all essentially strangers,” said Ziyad Khammal ’29, a biology major from Casablanca, Morocco.
“Something that surprised me about this class was the immediate connection formed between the students and our professor,” said Ramiah Caroland ’29, a social work major from Laingsburg, Michigan.
Holberg fostered this connection by encouraging interaction among the class and by providing consistent feedback and encouragement to the students.
“I was surprised at how awesome and helpful the one-on-one feedback has been,” said Willem Klop ’29, an environmental studies major from Los Angeles, California. “The community is awesome, and the entire class is answering questions, and group work is never awkward, and I’ve made some close friends in this class.”
“I am closer with the people in this class than any other because we do lots of group assignments and activities in class,” said Sophia Schuringa ’29, a nursing major from Waupun, Wisconsin.
Customizing the experience for each student
Perhaps the most impactful thing for the students is how personalized their experience has been. They have felt seen, heard, and supported by their professor and peers.
“I think it’s been really nice to be able to write about some of our own different passions in the class,” said Kyla Caton ’29, who has yet to declare a major and is from Bicester, England. “Our professor makes it really easy to be able to do well in the class and has structured it so that we are able to get individual feedback for every paper, which is really helpful.”
“This class is more than a class; it’s an academic community,” said Scobie.
And a community that is led by professors who care deeply about the individual needs of every student.
“Professor Holberg has played a huge role in my overall success as a student as she was willing to meet me where I was and work with me through the hurdles that came along,” said Ryan Reynolds ’29, an entrepreneurship major from Knoxville, Tennessee.
“I struggled with school in high school. This class has helped me become a better student, and become more academically confident,” said Scobie.
“English 101 has shown me that professors truly want you to succeed in your academics,” said Owen Hayes ’28, a social work major from Grand Rapids, Michigan. “I am not the best writer, but my professor as well as other people I have met in the class have helped me with my papers, affirming to me that Calvin was definitely the right choice in school.”
English 101 has proven to be a foundational class as this group of students prepare for careers in medicine and business, graphic design and ministry, coaching and counseling.
