Hive Five! K Student Wins Bee Hotel Contest in Spain

What began as a year on study abroad at the Universidad de Extremadura in Cáceres‎, Spain, ended in an international triumph for Annaliese Bol ’26, a Heyl scholar from Kalamazoo College.  

Bol, a biology and Spanish double major, blueprinted a bee hotel—a small structure designed to provide nesting, shelter and a safe space to lay eggs for solitary pollinators—and entered it into the Insectopia Festival held from June 2–6 in Jarandilla de la Vera, Spain. The event included a contest among representatives of eight universities across Europe to see who could diagram the best insect hideaway while contributing something educational to humans and helpful to local pollinator health and biodiversity.  

The design for Bol’s hotel featured a honeycomb pattern with a QR code that could lead interested passersby to the Insectopia website to learn more about the organization and how it supports pollinators.  

“Trying to implement large-scale change to support bees is very difficult,” Bol said. “My project’s goal was to lead people to little solutions that hopefully would compound into something bigger.”  

The only problem was that she was returning to the U.S. on June 5, while the festival was still ongoing. However, with some community engagement support from a professor and a master’s student, Bol and her team won the contest.  

“I was shocked, honestly,” she said. “I was traveling when my teammates called and asked, ‘Have you checked your email? We won!’”  

Bol’s reward is that Insectopia is now building her design, which measures about 18 inches high by 18 inches wide. It includes paper straw and wood blocks that will be important to pollinators in Spain because of its arid climate, especially with a lack of tall trees where pollinators normally can nest. The fact that the bee hotel directs others to the Insectopia website is important, too, as judges required entrants to include a plan for activating the community.  

“I like insects, but the artistic part of the project appealed to me because I don’t get to think creatively every day with my studies,” Bol said. “I also liked doing the research to figure out the best materials, and it was educational.”  

Bee hotel contest winner Annaliese Bol at the Plaza de España in Seville, Spain
Hey scholar Annaliese Bol ’26 spent the 2024-25 academic year studying abroad in Spain. During that time, she competed with representatives of eight universities from across Europe to see who could diagram the best bee hotel to support pollinators and educate the public about bees. On her way back to the U.S., she found out she won the contest.

While abroad, Bol began working on an intercultural research project in which she developed a composting program at the Universidad de Extremadura to decrease waste. Simultaneously, she created a community garden that local teachers could use as a tool for their classrooms.  

At that time, some of her contacts, including a professor, mentioned the Insectopia contest, although Bol initially didn’t give it another thought. An Insectopia director later asked Bol what she would be doing this summer upon returning to the U.S. Her response: Working with Clara Stuligross, assistant professor of biology, on bee research for her Senior Integrated Project.  

“He said that Insectopia is all about bees, so I should be involved in it,” Bol said. “I said, ‘OK, cool,’ and they set me up. They gave me all the information and told me the goal was to design an environmentally friendly, but also educational, bee hotel.”  

As she reflects on her experience, Bol affirms the idea that study abroad widens one’s perspective and changes how students think about themselves and other cultures.  

“It was interesting and fun,” Bol said. “I made a lot of friends among Spanish students and other Europeans as well. It also made me appreciate my home here, too, in certain ways. I feel that in the United States, we have a perception of Europe being a much more advanced place to live. Maybe it was just because I was in a small Spanish town in the countryside, but it made me appreciate how we address problems here. Maybe it’s just from me attending K, but I feel like we’re always asking, ‘Why is something that way?’”  

At K, Bol is a cross country runner and a Crochet Club participant. This fall, she would like to form a K chapter of Women in Wildlife, a student organization consisting of women and non-binary people who want to work in wildlife-associated fields. Bol’s varied interests and commitment to community building have served her well both at home and abroad. Her time in Spain highlighted K’s distinctive approach to study abroad, with programs designed to foster that same kind of meaningful engagement she values on campus.  

“I met other American students while I was in Cáceres‎ and traveling around Europe,” Bol said. “When we talked about shared experiences, I asked what they did in their free time, and they didn’t have a lot to say. But K, especially in this program in Spain, makes it a goal to get you ingrained in the community. We could say we were tutoring kids or working on our volunteering projects. That really made my experience special.”  

Princeton Review Rates K Among Best Values

When prospective families weigh the return on investment of a college education, they can rest assured that Kalamazoo College provides one of the best values in the U.S., according to the Princeton Review. 

For the fourth consecutive year, the education services company has included K on its Best Value Colleges list, placing the institution among the top 209 in the country for 2025 regardless of size, location or private/public status. K is one of just five Michigan institutions overall and two privates to receive the honor. 

Although schools are not ranked individually, K was selected as a best value based on 40 data points that calculate ratings based on academic offerings, costs, financial aid, career services, graduation rates and student debt. The Princeton Review also considers student surveys and PayScale.com reviews of alumni salaries. K received an overall ROI score of 90 out of 99 with additional high marks for its accessible faculty at 92, interesting professors at 92 and financial aid at 91.  

K’s profile at the Princeton Review website features student surveys that describe building “personal relationships with their peers and professors” at “a campus run by and for the students.” The flexible curriculum encourages students “to explore exactly what they want to learn,” while K’s alumni are easy to contact and have a strong culture of support for current students. 

Kalamazoo College campus 2025 best values
For the fourth year in a row, Kalamazoo College has been rated among the nation’s best values by the Princeton Review, an education services company.

“The schools on our Best Value Colleges list this year are truly exceptional,” Princeton Review Editor-in-Chief Rob Franek said. “They offer outstanding academics and excellent career services. They also demonstrate extraordinary commitments to affordability via generous financial aid and/or comparatively low sticker prices. We commend them for all that they do to help students afford to attend them and we recommend them highly to college applicants.” 

For more information on the Princeton Review’s methodology, visit its website

K Announces Spring 2025 Dean’s List

Congratulations to the following Kalamazoo College students who achieved a grade point average of 3.5 or better for a full-time course load of at least three units, without failing or withdrawing from any course, during the Spring 2025 academic term.

Students who elect to take a letter-graded course on a credit/no credit basis (CR/NC) are not eligible for Dean’s List consideration during that term. Nor are students who receive an F, NC or W grade for that particular term. Students with incomplete (I) or in-progress (IP) grades will be considered for the Spring 2025 Dean’s List upon receipt of their final grades.

Dean’s List recognition is posted on students’ transcripts. Kudos to the entire group for Spring 2025.

Spring 2025 Kalamazoo College campus
Congratulations to the students who qualified for the Spring 2025 Dean’s List at Kalamazoo College.

Spring 2025

A

Callie Abair
Kyle Ackerson
Aliyah Adams
Tahmina Ahadi
Fuzail Ahmed
Isabella Alimenti
Zoe Allen
Randa Alnaas
Mahmoud Alsafadi
Emiliano Alvarado Rescala
Zahra Amini
Haresh Anand
Antonio Angeles Roque
Michael Ankley
Madison Anspach
Ava Apolo
Eva Applebaum
Elizabeth Aquino Lopez
Maya Arau
Jeremy Ardshahi
Peyton Arendsen
Emerson Arensman
Louis Asmus
Leonie Assier
Emily Auchter
James Azim

B

Gabrielle Baldori
Baylor Baldwin
Johanna Balingit
Poppy Balkema
Leila Bank
Grace Barber
Evan Barker
Brianna Barnes
Luke Barnum
Lena Barrett
Gabriella Barry
Joseph Basil
Benjamin Battreall
Alyse Baughman
Sekai Beard
Emma Becker
Annabel Bee
Josephine Belsky
Cassandra Bennett
Aubrey Benson
Jane Bentley
Thomas Bentley
Julian Bilbao
Josephine Bischoff
Henry Black
Derek Blackwell
Cara Boissoneault
Mathys Bordeau
Jack Boshoven
Juliette Bournay
Yvette Boyse-Peacor
Jay Breck
Teige Bredin
Georgia Brennaman
John Brewer
Anakah Brice
Chloe Briggs
Jacquelyn Brines
Ellie Britt
Avery Brockington
Blair Brouwers
Chloe Brown
Ava Buccafurri
Anna Buck
Jaden Buist
Christopher Bullard
Leah Bunnell
Sara Bush
Ava Butera
Tavi Butki
Zachary Butters

C

Erendira Cabrera
Amaia Cadenas
Evelyn Calderon
Bailey Callaway
Kennedy Campbell
Eleanor Campion
Grace Cancro
Olivia Cannizzaro
Raymond Cargill
Meredith Carstensen
Joe Caton
Christopher Cayton
Abigail Caza
Haziel Cerroblanco
Bo Chambers
Derrick Chen
Noah Chun
Yaire Cisneros Tovar
Eva Clancy
Alisha Clark
Lourdie Clark
Maya Clarren
Lilly Cleland
John Clements
Brendan Clinard
Louise Colin Sloman
Logan Coller
Toby Comensoli
Isabela Cordeiro
Courtney Cotter
Cate Cotter
Cameron Couch
Holden Coulter
Hannah Crawford
Gavin Crawley
Connor Creech
Cameron Crosby
August Crothers
Lilian Crowder Smith
Gwendolyn Crowder Smith
Skye Crowell
Chase Cummins
Claire Curry

D

James Dailey
Avery Davis
Griffin Davis
Jacob Davis
Jasmine Davis
Asha Dawson
Tara Dean-Hall
Lillian Deer
Noel DeFeyter
Carson Deines
Enrique Delzer
Ethan DeNeen
Maansi Deswal
Jack Dewey
Devi DeYoung
Alexander Di Dio
Martha Diaz Chavez
Michaela Dillbeck
Taylor Dinda-Albright
Alexia Dowell
Charles Doyle
Jordan Doyle
Simon Doyle
Jack Duggins

E

Sally Eggleston
Abigail Eilertson
Rebecca Elias
Evelyn Ellerbrock
Adaora Emenyonu
Francis Ernzen
Dilynn Everitt
Bradley Eziuka

F

Niklas Fagerman
Claire Farhi
Madalyn Farrey
Max Feliks
Peggy Ferris
Sara Finks
Alex Fleming
Sofia Fleming
Mathias Florian
Ross Fooy
Jessica Forbis
Drew Fortino
Kinga Fraczkiewicz
Caroline Francis
Emma Frederiksen
Matthew Freels
Landrie Fridsma

G

Jocelyn Galaviz-Ruiz
Anne Galin
Ethan Galler
Yamilet Garcia
Ingrid Gardner
Roberta Gatti
Lyrica Gee
William Geiger
Mallory Gentry
Grace Getachew
Maira Ghaffar
Nora Ghazal
Logan Gillis
Abigail Gilmore
Nathan Gleason
Makala Goddard
Laura Goia
Maxwell Goldner
Brizza Gonzalez
Charles Gordon
Lukas Graff
Lillian Grelak
Kaitlyn Grice
Cole Grupenhoff
Sarah Guerrero Gorostieta
Kendra Guitar
Oliver Gutierrez

H

Marissa Haas
Aiden Habboub
Andrew Habel
Sydney Hagaman
Isabelle Hahn
Carter Haley
Austin Hamilton
Blu Haney
Alison Hankins
Geneva Hannibal
Colten Hansen
Luke Hanson
Madeline Hanulcik
Rachel Harman
Doyle Harrison
Sophie Hartl
James Hauke
Pauline Hawkes
Tanner Hawkins
Beatrice Hawkins
Willow Hayner
Davis Henderson
Elizabeth Henderson
Megan Herbst
Litzy Hernandez
Felix Hernandez Santiago
Gerardo Herrera-Sanchez
Maya Hester
Ella Heystek
Ashlen Hill
Alyssa Hinkley
Ruby Hogan
Annika Hokanson
Madeline Hollander
Ronin Honda
Joseph Horsfield
Charles Horvath
Tyler Houle
Gavin Houtkooper
Jakob Hubert
Ethan Huebsch
Alek Hultberg
Megan Hybels
Kennedy Hynde

I

Emiliano Ibarra
Carson Ihrke
Britt Inman
Weslee Innes

J

Teddy Jacobson
Nolan Jannenga
Rex Jasper
Ryleigh Jaworski
Morgan Jenkins
Amelia Johnson
Anne Catherine Johnson
Caroline Johnson
Clo Johnson
Johe Newton Johnson
Luke Johnson-Sears
Hayden Johnston
Zane Jones
Ayako Jurgle

K

Amalia Kaerezi
Kiana Kanegawa
Jessica Kaplan
Judah Karesh
Eliza Karlin
Thomas Kartes
Isabelle Kastel
Jackson Keefer
Austin Keur
Mphumelelo Khaba
Vivian Kim
Dong Eun Kim
Si Yun Kimball
Anwen King
Ava King
Samuel King
Claire Kischer
Kathryn Klahorst
Zoe Klowden
Kassandra Koehler
Antoine Kondracki
Cole Koryto
Toni Koshmider
Katya Koublitsky
Marissa Kovac
Julia Kozal
Carrie Kozlowski
Katherine Kraemer
Daryn Krause
Jason Krawczyk
Jack Kreckman
Loden Krueger
Shay Kruse
Annabelle Krygier
Clayton Kryszak
Laryn Kuchta

L

Andrew La Penna
Kathleen La Prad
Nicholas LaFramboise
Rylee Lambert
Jordon Larco
Olivia Laser
Annmarie Lawrence
Madeleine Lawson
Elijah Layne
Son Le Dinh Truong
Miranda Lebednick
Jonah Lederman
Maya Lee
Ellie Lepley
Sage Lewis
Aidan Liedeke
Luis Lizardo-Rodriguez
Alex Lloyd
Katelyn Long
Alondra Lopez
Maya Lopez
Mairead Lynch
Addison Lyons

M

Ellie MacE
Kyler Maiorana
Natalie Maki
Larson Makie
Pauline Makie
William Martel
Isabel Martin
Jesus Martinez
Stephanie Martinez
Natalie Martinez
Cassidy Martini-Zeller
Isabelle Mason
Alexandria Mason
Hollis Masterson
Matthew Matuza
Eliza Maurer
Cedric May
Jay McDaniel
Mollie McDonald
Liam McElroy
Megan McGarry
Leo McGreevy
MacKale McGuire
Jacob McKinney
Amy McNutt
Raven Medina
Gina Mehling
Isaac Melton
Jacey Merkle
Estelle Metz
Gabriel Meyers
Bernice Mike
Ella Miller
Gloria Mireles
Marin Miroslavich
Jackson Mitchell
Carsen Moat
Aliah Mohmand
Raven Montagna
Stephanie Moranko
Eliana Moreno
Elizabeth Morgan
Meena Moritz
Wyatt Mortensen
Maren Mosher
Madeline Moss
Karis Mulcahy
Claire Mullins
Andrew Munger
Ella Myers

N

Alex Nam
Nailia Narynbek Kyzy
Sebastian Nelson
Chloe Nelund
Lily Nestich
Robert Newland
Kevin Nguyen
Yen Giang Nguyen
Theodore Niemann
Savannah Norman
Will Norwood
Thaddeus Nowak
Alex Nutt

O

Nora Oleary
Gabriel Olivier
Emma Olson
Kevin Oneill
B Osborne
Aryka Ostroski

P

Chelsea Paddock
Renzo Palomino Caceres
Brennan Pannucci
Grace Park
Eleanor Parks-Church
Quinn Parpart
Hannah Parsons
Maya Pasillas
Juniper Pasternak
Logan Pearson
Mia Pellegrini
Kaden Peot
Patrick Perez
Addison Peter
Katarina Peters
Noah Peters
Tobias Peters
Paige Peterson
Indigo Philippe
Anna Phyo
Mia Pierce
Timothy Pinches
Corey Pleasant
Elaine Pollard
Evan Pollens-Voigt
Mario Pomorski
Madelyn Portenga
Tadeusz Potocki
Quinten Powers

Q

Alex Quesada
Brody Quinn
Matthew Quirk

R

Elizabeth Rachiele
Akaash Raghunath
Jennifer Rairigh
Alyson Ramillano
America Ramirez
Jazmin Ramos
Cory Rapp
Sadye Rasmussen
Ella Recknagel
Julia Reisor
Isabel Reyes
Micahaia Reynolds
Claire Rhames
Cody Rigley
Sheldon Riley
Emory Roberts
Narelle Robles
Dillon Rodriguez
Nevaeh Rodriguez-Vergel
Schareene Romero Rivera
Olivia Roncone
Brigid Roth
Charlotte Ruiter
Wyatt Ruppenthal
Elliot Russell
McKenna Ryan-Elbert
Olive Ryder

S

Amelie Sack
Zenaida Sackett
Oliver Sajan
Greta Salamun
Abigail Samson
Ryan Sanborn
Alejandro Santiago Roman
Leslie Santos
Simon Sawyer
Fiona Schaffer
Owen Schihl
Leo Schinker
Olivia Schleede
Sophia Schlotterer
Harper Schrader
Cyanne Schuitema
Arden Schultz
Audrey Schulz
Ava Schwachter
Sophia Schwartz
Aurora Scott
Alison Settles
William Seymour
Katherene Shank
Isabella Shapiro
Darby Shawhan
Travis Shemwell
Eric Sheppard
Veda Shukla
Joseph Shumunov
Clara Siefke
Mo Silcott
Julia Sitz
Kiersten Sjogren
Meganne Skoug
Kendall Slamka
Maja Smith
Grace Snyder
Anoushka Soares
Jonah Spates
Ella Spooner
Sophia Sprick
Florian Stackow
Adam Stapleton
David Stechow
Joseph Stein
Katelyn Steinbrecher
Eleanor Stevenson
Joseph Stevenson
Meredith Steward
Jacquelyn Stoddard
Pavel Stojanovski
Elena Stolberg
Liliana Stout
Helen Stoy
Zachary Strauss
Donovan Streeter
Eller Studinger
Abbygale Stump
Katherine Suarez
Senchen Subba
Maeve Sullivan
Hannah Summerfield
Jocelyn Suranyi
Ryan Swarthout
Grace Sweet
Zachary Sykes

T

Chau Ta
Ella Talaski
Jeremy Tarn
Charlotte Tatara
Jovanay Taylor
Levi Thomas
William Thomas
Lucia Thomas-Colwell
Minh Thu Le
Elizabeth Tiesworth
Emily Tiihonen
William Tocco
Lily Toohey
Luke Torres
Phoebe Tozer
Samuel Tremaglio
Vincent Tremonti
May Tun

U

Hannah Ulanoski
Christopher Ulrich
Gabrielle Unger-Branson
Tristan Uphoff

V

Tony Vaisanen
Anthony Valade
Eli Van Drie
David Van Hooser
Gavin Van Kampen
Isaac Vandecar
Lucy Vandemark
Lauren Vanderstelt
Tyler Vanderzanden
Mitchel VanGalder
Ella VarnHagen
Anna Veselenak
Madison Vrba

W

Seth Wanner
Natalie Ward
Annslee Ware
Ryan Warezak
Whitney Warmsby
Nina Warrow
McKenna Wasmer
Jadon Weber
Charlie Weisser
Jordan Wesaw
Emerson Wesselhoff
Carissa West
Kiersten West
Charles Wester
Grace Westerhuis
August Westphal
Benjamin Whitsett
Jay Wholihan
Alicia Wilgoren
Ava Williams
Jackson Willits
Gretchen Wilson
Ruth Wilson
Siona Wilson
Zoe Wilson
Ruby Winer
Alexander Winter
Sierra Winter
Andrew Wolford
Alexa Wonacott
Reagan Woods
Maximilian Wright
Darius Wright
Emma Wrobleski

Y

Hailey Yoder

Z

Kathryn Zabaldo
Nora Zemlick
Katalina Zhao
Maggie Zhu
Brock Zimmerman
Kenzi Zimmerman-Frost
Florian Ziolkowski
Lee Zwart

Senior Awards Ceremony Honors Excellence

Five students recognized with a plaque at the senior awards
A student with his mom and brother at the senior awards
A student sits with three members of her family at the senior awards

Congratulations to the following Kalamazoo College students who received awards during the 2025 Senior Awards Ceremony on Saturday, June 14, at Stetson Chapel. The awards include all academic divisions, prestigious scholarships and special non-departmental awards. 

FINE ARTS DIVISION 

Art and Art History

Lilia Chen Award in Art 

  • Mabel Rose Bowdle 
  • Josetta H. Checkett 
  • Natalie Martinez 
  • Ping Mae Smith 
  • Jackson Willits 

George Eaton Errington Prize 

  • Elena Pulliam 

Michael Waskowsky Prize 

  • Stephanie Martinez 

Music

Lillian Pringle Baldauf Prize in Music  

  • Cassidy Martini-Zeller 
  • Isabella Pellegrom  

Music Department Certificate of Distinction  

  • Laura DeVilbiss 
  • Olivia Nicole DiGiulio 
  • Sierra Hieshetter 
  • Joseph R. Horsfield 
  • Cole Koryto 
  • Liam McElroy 
  • Sophia Renee Merchant  
  • Tyrus Parnell, Jr. 
  • Elena Pulliam 
  • Noah Pyle 
  • Michel Romero 
  • Audrey Paige Schulz 
  • Alexa Wonacott 

Fan E. Sherwood Memorial Prize 

  • Garrick Hohm 

Theatre Arts

Ruth Scott Chenery Award 

  • Megan J. Herbst 
  • Max Joos 

Irmgard Kowatzki Theatre Award 

  • Addison Peter 
  • May Moe Tun 

MODERN AND CLASSICAL LANGUAGES 

Chinese 

Chinese Outstanding Achievement Award 

  • Benjamin Buyck 
  • Kateryna Koublitsky 
  • Nancy Murillo 

Classical Studies

Provost’s Prize in Classics 

  • Beatrice Jane Hawkins 

French and Francophone Studies

Alliance Francaise Prize in French 

  • McKenna Lee Wasmer 

German Studies

Joe Fugate Senior German Award 

  • Alex Nam 
  • Meredith Steward 

Japanese

Japanese National Honor Society, College Chapter 

  • Noah Howard 
  • Andy Chukwuma 
  • Rebecca Elias 
  • Madalyn Farrey 
  • Tyler Houle 
  • Kiana Hime Kanegawa 
  • Raven Montagna 
  • Colby Skinner 

Spanish Language and Literatures

The Senior Spanish Award 

  • Sara Reathaford 
  • Maria Salinas 

HUMANITIES DIVISION 

American Studies

David Strauss Prize in American Studies 

  • Sierra Hieshetter 
  • Sadye Rasmussen 

Critical Ethnic Studies

Critical Ethnic Studies Community Praxis Award 

  • Janet Fernandez 

Cassandra Solis ’16 Prize in Critical Ethnic Studies 

  • Alisha Clark 

English

Gail Griffin Prize 

  • Ella Heystek 

Bruce E. Mills Award 

  • Claire Farhi 

Elwood H. and Elizabeth H. Schneider Prize in English 

  • Emerson Wesselhoff 

Mary Clifford Stetson Prize 

  • Sierra Hieshetter 
  • Eleanor Stevenson 

Dwight (1929) and Leola Stocker Prize 

  • Caroline Elizabeth Francis 
  • Greta Rose Salamun 
  • Claire Taylor 
  • Carson Williams 

Charles Lewis Williams Jr. Award 

  • Abigail Esmeralda Gutierrez 

James Bird Balch Prize in American History 

  • Sierra Hieshetter 

History

History Department Award 

  • Natalie Maki 

Philosophy

Hodge Prize in Philosophy 

  • Madeleine Lawson 

Department of Philosophy Prize 

  • Liam Diaz 
  • Madeleine Lawson 

Religion

Marion H. Dunsmore (1920) Memorial Prize in Religion 

  • Megan Hybels 

NATURAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS DIVISION 

Biology

H. Lewis Batts Prize 

  • Noah Pyle 
  • Leslie Michelle Santos 

The Biology in Liberal Arts Prize 

  • Westin Leigh Grinwis 
  • Emerson Wesselhoff 

Frances Diebold Scholar Award 

  • Jordan Cook 
  • Vivian Schmidt 

William E. Praeger (1922) Prize in Biology 

  • Noah Pyle 
  • Vivian Schmidt 

Chemistry and Biochemistry Annual Undergraduate Award in Analytical Chemistry 

  • Lesly Guadalupe Mares Castro 

Annual Undergraduate Award in Biochemistry and Chemical Biology 

  • Nguyen Nguyen 

Annual Undergraduate Award in Inorganic Chemistry 

  • Maxwell Clay Rhames 

Annual Undergraduate Award in Organic Chemistry 

  • Ashhad Abdullah 
  • Lucy Cripe 

Annual Undergraduate Award in Physical Chemistry 

  • Margaret Lekan 

Jeff Bartz Community in Chemistry Award 

  • Grace Leahey 

Outstanding Chemistry Student from Kalamazoo College 

  • Maxwell Clay Rhames 

Kurt Kaufman Fellow 

  • Ashhad Abdullah 
  • Anna Buck 
  • Lucy Cripe 
  • Justin Essing 
  • Margaret Lekan 
  • Maxwell Clay Rhames 

Lemuel F. Smith Award 

  • Anna Buck 

Computer Science

Provost’s Prize in Computer Science 

  • Lelo Khaba 
  • Cole Koryto 
  • Chau Ta 

Mathematics

Clarke Benedict Williams Prize 

  • Joseph R. Horsfield 
  • Chau Ta 
  • Tristan Uphoff 

Physics

John Wesley Hornbeck Prize 

  • Alexander Kish 
  • Riley Weber 

PHYSICAL EDUCATION DIVISION

George Acker Award 

  • Jackson Mitchell 

Mary Long Burch ’61 Award 

  • Anna Buck 

C.W. “Opie’’ Davis (1928) Award 

  • Lukas Broadsword 

Hornet Athletic Association Award 

  • Adnan Alousi 

Knoechel Family Award 

  • Erik Danielson 
  • Ava Jean Williams 

Tish Loveless Award 

  • Paige Anderson 

Lauren Rosenthal ’13 Memorial Prize 

  • Annmarie Elizabeth Lawrence 

Catherine A. Smith ’82 Prize in Women’s Athletics 

  • Ivy Walker 

SOCIAL SCIENCES DIVISION 

Anthropology and Sociology

The Raymond L. Hightower Award 

  • Clarke McKenzie Austin 

Economics and Business

William G. Howard (1867) Memorial Prize in Economics and Business 

  • Cole Koryto 

Provost’s Prize in Economics 

  • Sage Margarett Lewis 
  • Riley Weber 

C. Wallace Lawrence Prize in Business 

  • Dilynn Everitt 

Robert and Karen Rhoa Prize in Business 

  • Sydney Hagaman 
  • Gavin Houtkooper 
  • Sheldon Riley 
  • Levi Thomas 
  • Alexa Wonacott 

Political Science

E. Bruce Baxter ’64 Memorial Award 

  • Ethan DeNeen 
  • Natalie Maki 

William G. Howard (1867) Memorial Prize in Political Science 

  • Maya Hester 
  • Amy McNutt 

Eugene P. Stermer ’50 Award in Public Administration 

  • Joseph Shumunov 

Psychology

Marshall Hallock Brenner ’55 Prize 

  • Malin Nordmoe  

Xarifa Greenquist Memorial Psychology Department Award 

  • Lille Dekker 
  • Laura DeVilbiss 
  • Annmarie Elizabeth Lawrence 
  • Charlotte Ruiter 
  • Joseph Stein 

Richard D. Klein ’53 Senior Award in Psychology 

  • Beatrice Jane Hawkins 
  • Si Yun Ahnna Kimball 

Richard D. Klein ’53 Senior Impact Award in Psychology 

  • Adaora Alexandra Emenyonu 
  • Audrey Paige Schulz 

Donald W. VanLiere Prize Psychology in Coursework 

  • Laura DeVilbiss 
  • Vivian Kim 
  • Madeline Rae Lovins 
  • Charlotte Ruiter 
  • Vivian Schmidt 

Donald W. VanLiere Prize Psychology in Research 

  • Jaden Kowalski 

Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies

Catherine A. Smith ’82 Prize in Human Rights 

  • Stephanie Martinez 

Lucinda Hinsdale Stone Prize in Women’s Studies 

  • Elaine Pollard 

COLLEGE AWARDS 

Alpha Lambda Delta Maria Leonard Senior Book Award 

  • Sierra Hieshetter 
  • Vivian Kim 
  • Alexander Kish 
  • Cole Koryto 
  • Noah Pyle 
  • Vivian Schmidt 

Gordon Beaumont Memorial Award 

  • Michel Romero 

Henry ’36 and Inez Brown Award 

  • Lucy Cripe 
  • Tyler Omness 
  • Eden Schnurstein 

Virginia Hinkelman Memorial Award 

  • Clarke McKenzie Austin 
  • Elijah Mobley 

Senior Leadership Recognition Award 

  • Tyler Houle 
  • Mart Klenke 
  • Grace Leahey 
  • Gionna Magdaleno 
  • Stephanie Martinez 
  • Alex Nam 
  • Maxwell Clay Rhames 
  • Leslie Michelle Santos 
  • Levi Thomas 
  • Emerson Wesselhoff 

Maynard Owen Williams (1910) Memorial Award 

  • Eamon Emrick Bronson 
  • Alexia Dowell 
  • Janet Fernandez 
  • Ethan Thomas Galler 
  • Lillian Grelak 
  • Lelo Khaba 
  • Madeleine Lawson 
  • Natalie Grace Pineda 
  • Melissa Preston 
  • Alejandro Quesada 
  • Emerson Wesselhoff 

FELLOWSHIPS AND SCHOLARS 

Austria U.S. Teaching Assistantship 

  • Erik Danielson 
  • Leo McGreevy 
  • Alex Nam 

Beeler Senior Projects Abroad Fellows 

  • Mabel Rose Bowdle 
  • Janet Fernandez 
  • Aiden Habboub 
  • Gus Horvath 
  • Daniel Isacksen 
  • Silvia Gaete Lagos 
  • Annmarie Elizabeth Lawrence 
  • Gionna Magdaleno 
  • Natalie Martinez 
  • Akinyi Wamuyu Okero 
  • Natalie Grace Pineda 
  • Elaine Pollard 
  • Evan Pollens-Voigt 
  • Joseph Shumunov 
  • Elena Stolberg 

H.P. and Genevieve Connable Scholarship 

  • Grace Leahey 

French Government Teaching Assistantships 

  • Madeline Fleur Hollander 
  • McKenna Lee Wasmer 

Fulbright/Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Ph.D. Award 

  • Joseph R. Horsfield 

Fred and Sarah Greer Endowed Scholarship/Lorinda Kay Sanford Memorial 

  • Clarke McKenzie Austin 
  • Adaora Alexandra Emenyonu 
  • Annmarie Elizabeth Lawrence 
  • Gionna Magdaleno 
  • Jaden Isabella Milton 
  • Akinyi Wamuyu Okero 
  • Lucien Taylor 

Caroline Ham ’48 Scholar 

  • Amy McNutt 

F. W. and Elsie L. Heyl Scholars 

  • Ava Rose Apolo 
  • Anna Buck 
  • Elizabeth Dalyn Grooten 
  • Alexander Kish 
  • Cole Koryto 
  • Margaret Lekan 
  • Emerson Wesselhoff 
  • Laurel Wolfe 

Moses Kimball Scholar 

  • Michel Romero 

LaPlante Civic Engagement Scholars 

  • Clarke McKenzie Austin 
  • Lucy Cripe 
  • Adaora Alexandra Emenyonu 
  • Isabel Katherine Martin 
  • Stephanie Martinez 
  • Elijah Mobley 
  • Audrey Paige Schulz 

Jerry Sherbin Fellowship 

  • Akinyi Wamuyu Okero 

Spanish Government Teaching Assistantship Award 

  • Fuzail Ahmed 
  • Maya Hester 
  • Sierra Hieshetter 
  • Alexa Wonacott 

Slava-Cica and Spasa Voynovich Scholar 

  • Alex Nam 

Vibbert Civic Engagement Scholars 

  • Claire Farhi 

HONORS IN THE MAJOR DEPARTMENT 

Anthropology and Sociology 

  • Ariadne June Markou 

Art and Art History 

  • Josetta H. Checkett 
  • Ping Mae Smith 

Biology 

  • Mairin Boshoven 
  • Emma Frederikson 
  • Lucas Premier 
  • Noah Pyle 
  • Vivian Schmidt 
  • Meredith Steward 

Biochemistry 

  • Nguyen Nguyen  

Business 

  • Dilynn Everitt 
  • Gavin Houtkooper 
  • Jacob Lynett 
  • Sheldon Riley 
  • Levi Thomas 

Chemistry 

  • Anna Buck 
  • Lucy Cripe 
  • Justin Essing 
  • Amalia Kaerezi 
  • Margaret Lekan 
  • Maxwell Clay Rhames 

Computer Science 

  • Yongwan Cho 
  • Garrick Hohm 
  • Lelo Khaba 
  • Alexander Kish 
  • Cole Koryto 
  • Chau Ta 

Economics 

  • Ethan DeNeen 
  • Sage Margarett Lewis 
  • Kiersten Sjogren 
  • Meganne Skoug 

Quantitative Economics 

  • Ethan Thomas Galler 
  • Cole Koryto 
  • Riley Weber 

English 

  • Claire Farhi 
  • Caroline Elizabeth Francis 
  • Ella Heystek 
  • Eleanor Stevenson 
  • Claire Taylor 
  • Carson Williams 

International Area Studies 

  • Alex Nam 
  • Joseph Shumunov 

Mathematics 

  • Adelaide Bowen  
  • Chau Ta 
  • Tristan Uphoff 

Music 

  • Simon Parker Doyle 
  • Cassidy Martini-Zeller 
  • Isabella Pellegrom 

Physics 

  • Alexander Kish 
  • Riley Weber 

Political Science 

  • Natalie Maki 
  • Joseph Shumunov 

Psychology 

  • Vivian Kim 
  • Kiersten Sjogren 

Religion 

  • Adelaide Bowen  
  • Elaine Pollard 

Spanish Language and Literature 

  • Paige Anderson 
  • Isabella Caza 
  • Laura DeVilbiss 
  • Valeria Garcia 
  • Maya Hester 
  • Jesús Martínez 
  • Sara Reathaford 
  • Meganne Skoug 
  • Lucinda Wallis 
  • Alexa Wonacott 

Theatre Arts 

  • Megan J. Herbst 
  • Addison Peter 

MEMBERS OF PHI BETA KAPPA 

  • Mairin Boshoven 
  • Anna Buck 
  • Yongwan Cho 
  • Erik Danielson 
  • Laura DeVilbiss 
  • Dilynn Everitt 
  • Madalyn Farrey 
  • Emma Frederiksen 
  • Megan J. Herbst 
  • Joseph R. Horsfield 
  • Gavin Houtkooper 
  • Vivian Kim 
  • Alexander Kish 
  • Cole Koryto 
  • Ava Loncharte 
  • Madeline Rae Lovins 
  • Ariadne June Markou 
  • Alex Nam 
  • Lucas Priemer 
  • Noah Pyle 
  • Maxwell Clay Rhames 
  • Vivian Schmidt 
  • Chau Ta 
  • Tristan Uphoff 
  • Hannah VanderLugt 
  • Emerson Wesselhoff 
Ten students receive honors at the senior awards
Three students receive awards at Stetson Chapel
Twelve students receive honors at Stetson Chapel
Retired professor honors student with Jeff Bartz award
Two students receive honors at the Senior Awards
Two seniors receive honors at the Senior Awards
Three students receive honors at Stetson Chapel
Eight students receive honors at the Senior Awards
Seven students receive honors at Stetson Chapel
Students receive awards at Stetson Chapel
Student receives honor at Senior Awards
Student receives an award at Stetson Chapel
Seven students receive Senior Awards
Five students receive awards
Two students receive Senior Awards
Two students receive Senior Awards
Two students receive awards at Stetson Chapel
Students supporting each other at the Senior Awards
One student receives an honor
Six students receive honors at the Senior Awards
Four students support each other at the Senior Awards
Eight students receive honors at the Senior Awards
Two students receive awards
Two students receive senior awards
Eight students receive Senior Awards
Student receives award
Five students receive Senior Awards
A group of students receives Senior Awards
Audience at the Senior Awards
Picture of crowd at Stetson Chapel
Students walks to the front of Stetson Chapel to receive a Senior Award
Four organizers at the Senior Awards
Three students at the Senior Awards
Crowd attending the Senior Awards
Crowd at Stetson Chapel
Crowd at Senior Awards
Crowd at Senior Awards

Phi Beta Kappa Welcomes K’s New Members

New Phi Beta Kappa members
Lucinda Hinsdale Stone Associate Professor of German Studies Kathryn Sederbeg (right) was among the faculty welcoming new Phi Beta Kappa members on Wednesday, June 11, including Alex Nam ’25 (from left), Erik Tyler Danielson ’25 and Emma Frederiksen ’25.
New Phi Beta Kappa members
Tristan Uphoff ’25 (from left), Chau Ta ’25 and Emerson Wesselhoff were recognized as new members of Phi Beta Kappa on Wednesday, June 11.
New Phi Beta Kappa members
Anna Buck ’25 (from left), Maxwell Rhames ’25, Joseph Horsfield ’25 and Hannah VanderLugt ’25 were among the graduating seniors recognized on Wednesday, June 11.

Kalamazoo College’s Delta Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa welcomed 26 new members on June 11, 2025, recognizing their exceptional scholastic achievements across a wide range of disciplines. 

Founded in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious academic honor society, boasting 17 U.S. presidents, 42 U.S. Supreme Court justices, and more than 150 Nobel laureates among their ranks. Beyond recognition, Phi Beta Kappa offers members access to a diverse network of high achievers, opportunities for professional development, and resources for lifelong learning. The society’s mission is “to champion education in the liberal arts and sciences, to recognize academic excellence, and to foster freedom of thought and expression.” The Delta of Michigan chapter was founded in 1958. 

Acceptance into Phi Beta Kappa is considered one of the highest academic honors a student can receive. The society is known for its rigorous selection process that evaluates students’ achievements across the arts, natural sciences, humanities and social sciences. Phi Beta Kappa typically extends invitations to students in the top 10% of their class. 

As these talented seniors embark on the next chapter of their educational and professional journeys, their Phi Beta Kappa membership will serve as a symbol of their exceptional accomplishments and dedication to the pursuit of knowledge.  

Please join us in congratulating the following students listed by name, hometown and courses of study:  

  • Mairin Boshoven, of Portage, Michigan; biology and French major 
  • Anna Buck, of Kalamazoo, Michigan; chemistry major, applied mathematics and biochemistry minor
  • Yongwan Cho, of South Korea; computer science and math major 
  • Erik Tyler Danielson, of Saint Leonard, Maryland; German and computer science major, applied mathematics minor 
  • Laura DeVilbiss, of Byron, Minnesota; psychology and Spanish major 
  • Dilynn Everitt, of Saint Louis, Michigan; business and psychology major 
  • Madalyn Farrey, of Ann Arbor, Michigan; psychology major, Japanese and studio art minor
  • Emma Frederiksen, of Chelsea, Michigan; biology major, German minor, environmental studies concentration 
  • Megan Herbst, of Troy, Michigan; theatre arts and psychology major 
  • Joseph Horsfield, of MacLean, Virginia; biochemistry and mathematics major, community and global health concentration 
  • Gavin Houtkooper, of Battle Creek, Michigan; business and computer science major, Spanish minor 
  • Vivian Kim, of Wilmette, Illinois; psychology and anthropology / sociology major
  • Alexander Kish, of Kalamazoo, Michigan; physics and computer science major, applied mathematics minor 
  • Cole Koryto, of Portage, Michigan; computer science and quantitative economics major, mathematics and music minor 
  • Ava Loncharte, of Kalamazoo, Michigan; biology major, environmental studies concentration
  • Madeline Lovins, of Oxford, Michigan; psychology major, German minor
  • Ariadne June Markou, of Kalamazoo, Michigan; anthropology and sociology major, philosophy minor 
  • Alex Nam, of Houston, Texas; German, and international and area studies major 
  • Lucas Priemer, of Berkley, Michigan; biology major, Spanish minor 
  • Noah Pyle, of Ypsilanti, Michigan; biology major, mathematics minor, environmental studies concentration 
  • Maxwell Rhames, of Adrian, Michigan; chemistry major 
  • Vivian Schmidt, of Grand Rapids, Michigan; biology and psychology major, neuroscience concentration 
  • Chau Ta, of Hanoi, Vietnam; computer science and mathematics major 
  • Tristan Uphoff, of Roanoke, Virginia; mathematics major, physics and Japanese minor
  • Hannah VanderLugt, of Kent City, Michigan; biochemistry major, math minor 
  • Emerson Wesselhoff, of Kalamazoo, Michigan; biology major, environmental studies concentration 
New Phi Beta Kappa members
Phi Beta Kappa members are selected through a rigorous selection process that evaluates students’ achievements across the arts, natural sciences, humanities and social sciences.
Tristan Uphoff ’25 (from back), Ariadne Markou ’25 and Emma Frederiksen ’25 attend the Phi Beta Kappa ceremony on Wednesday, June 11.
Phi Beta Kappa, Anna Buck
Anna Buck ’25
Phi Beta Kappa inductee Ava Loncharte
Ava Loncharte ’25
Youngwan Cho ’25
Chau Ta ’25

Kalamazoo College Breaks Ground on New Residence Halls

President Jorge G. Gonzalez
President Jorge G. Gonzalez speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for two new residence halls at Kalamazoo College.
Student speaks at a lectern
Lily Nestich ’28 speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony for two new residence halls.
Vice President for Student Development Malcolm Smith addresses the attendees at a groundbreaking ceremony
Vice President for Student Development Malcolm Smith addresses the attendees at a groundbreaking ceremony for two new residence halls at Kalamazoo College.

With shovels in hand and students at the heart of the vision, Kalamazoo College broke ground Thursday on new residence halls designed to foster connection, community and academic success.   

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Thursday, June 12, for the $55 million residential facilities that will provide modern and sustainable housing for up to 218 juniors and seniors beginning in fall 2027. Progressive Companies is designing the building and Owen-Ames-Kimball is constructing. A portion of the project’s funding comes from a $30 million gift made in 2023 by an anonymous donor. 

President Jorge G. Gonzalez was joined by Board of Trustees Chair Jody Clark ’80, Vice President for Student Development J. Malcolm Smith and student Lily Nestich ’28 in speaking about the College’s commitment to enhancing the campus experience for students. The event was attended by faculty, staff, students, trustees and community members, including Kalamazoo Mayor David Anderson and Vice Mayor Jeanne Hess. K’s Associate Vice President for Facilities Management Susan Lindemann, Owen-Ames-Kimball Director of Operations (Kalamazoo) Tom Stanek, and Progressive Companies Principal Tod Stevens participated in the ceremony. 

“As an alumna and a trustee, I know firsthand the importance of residential life to the mission of Kalamazoo College and to the student experience,” said Clark. “I’m very excited to see the College continue to evolve and move its long-term strategy forward.” 

Gonzlez highlighted that strategy, noting that, “With this investment, we’re building more than buildings—we’re creating modern, inclusive spaces that foster student growth, advance our sustainability goals and reflect the thoughtful stewardship put forth in our campus master plan. We deeply appreciate the generosity of the donor who provided the initial gift in support of this project, to the many students, faculty, and staff who provided input to our planning process, and to all of the companies and contractors supporting this endeavor.” 

Student speaker Lily Nestich, a member of KC DREAM, a disability student rights organization, highlighted the excitement surrounding the new halls, emphasizing that they are poised to become “the most accessible residence halls on campus.” Nestich added, “Being at K…has taught me a lot about myself and how I can grow with friends and classmates on a campus that not only allows for it, but fosters it. I’m so excited to see how these dorms allow for more students to feel connected to each other.” 

In his remarks, Smith also reflected on the opportunities these residence halls will offer for intentional community-building. The design provides welcoming spaces available to all students, faculty and staff, including a community kitchen, a marketplace, a terrace with outdoor seating that faces the community, and a hall lounge suitable for presentations and programming.  

“A fuller residential model offers powerful benefits to students—greater access to resources, to peers and mentors, and to the development of a sense of belonging,” said Smith. “This opportunity provides a fresh blueprint for how we integrate student living with curricular and co-curricular life.” 

Groundbreaking Ceremony at Kalamazoo College
Tom Stanek of Owen-Ames-Kimball (from left), Kalamazoo College Associate Vice President for Facilities Management Susan Lindemann, Kalamazoo College Board of Trustees Chair Jody Clark ’80, Kalamazoo College President Jorge G. Gonzalez, Kalamazoo College Vice President for Student Development Malcolm Smith, Kalamazoo College student Lily Nestich ’28, Tod Stevens of Progressive Companies and Buzz the Hornet participate in the groundbreaking ceremony for two new residence halls at Kalamazoo College.
President Jorge G. Gonzalez and Mayor David Anderson
President Jorge G. Gonzalez and Mayor David Anderson at the groundbreaking for two new residence halls at Kalamazoo College.

Job Shadows Emphasize Relationships in Hospitality

A mutually beneficial relationship developed last fall between Kalamazoo College students and Greenleaf Hospitality Group (GHG), as the local business sought new ways to recruit prospective interns and recent college graduates to its employment opportunities.

That’s when GHG—which runs hotels, event centers, restaurants, retail outlets and more in the city—worked with K’s Principles of Marketing class, led by L. Lee Stryker Professor of Business Management Amy MacMillan. Students in the class presented ideas, and one in particular—generated by Savannah Chapie ’27, Jillian Smith ’27, Robert Ahlgren ’27, Matthew Matuza ’27 and Eamonn Burns ’27—received a real-world green light. The five recommended building a new job-shadowing program that could show career-minded students the benefits of the hospitality industry.

“We decided to show people that hospitality has a lot more that goes into it than most people think,” Chapie said. “It has duties like marketing, sales, human resources and more. We also used surveys to ask K and Western Michigan University students what their existing ideas of hospitality were and whether they knew what Greenleaf was and what they wanted out of their career.”

The process generated excitement from students and praise from GHG. Then, when the class ended, Chapie and Smith continued helping the business recruit students, first-year students and sophomores in particular, for spring opportunities.

“We thought first years and sophomores would be best for the job shadow because they were most likely to not yet know what they want to do with their careers,” Smith said. “It was a way to open up the doors for them and get them to see the benefits of the industry.”

It’s not unusual for K students to secure job shadows, but these were distinctive for the ultimate recipients—Victoria Gutierrez ’28, Nolan Jannenga ’27, Avery Hall ’28 and Bradley Eziuka ’28—because the opportunities were developed by two of their fellow students in cooperation with a company located only a mile from campus. The shadows helped the four students gain firsthand experience involving the hospitality industry along with clearer goals for developing their careers.

“I was interested in the job shadow with GHG because of its prior collaboration with Kalamazoo College,” Eziuka said. “I found the opportunity to gain a better understanding of GHG intriguing because I might work with them more as I advance through my school years.”

In addition to their core experiences, the students also shadowed several key departments, including Sales with Director of Sales Laura Ayan, Event Planning with Special Events Producer Lindsay Davies, and Golf Management at Kalamazoo Country Club with Director of Instruction Scott Adland.

All four shadowers spent a full day both downtown and at Kalamazoo Country Club, where they had the opportunity to meet with several organizational leaders, including Recruiting Manager Meg Brake, Finance Director Brian Beam, Vice President of Marketing and Technology Services Sarah Olszowy, and Senior Sales Manager Derrick Ricca. In the afternoon, they also met with Executive Director of Human Resources Stephanie Farrell, who offered personalized advice on their career goals and shared how the hospitality industry can align with a wide range of individual interests.

Did the students chosen find the opportunity to be valuable? Yes, beyond any shadow of a doubt.

“I’d say the opportunity absolutely provided me with clarity regarding my career path and sparked a genuine interest in the hospitality industry,” Eziuka said. “During my conversation with Derrick Ricca, he emphasized the importance of relationships within his department of the business—something I could strongly relate to, as I’ve become increasingly social and have been steadily improving my interpersonal skills. His dedication to the quality and condition of his clients’ experiences further piqued my interest. In addition to Derrick’s insights, Stephanie Farrell offered valuable advice about career development. I shared my interest in wealth management and finance, along with a budding entrepreneurial mindset, and she encouraged me to explore various roles throughout college. She highlighted that understanding that who you become during these experiences can play a crucial role in discovering a career that aligns with your personal goals.”

Chapie and Smith agreed the project was a success from their perspectives—so much so that they will have a chance to improve upon the program in the 2025–26 academic year.

“We hope that this will prove to be just a start for these shadows,” Smith said. “We would like to run these throughout the next few years and let them get bigger, because Greenleaf does have some amazing opportunities that we didn’t even realize were possible until we started working on this project.”

“Maybe going forward, we can have the event once per trimester with 15 students or so in the hopes of helping those undecided on their majors build some career ideas,” Chapie said. “It’s a big deal to be able to network and create opportunities for yourself. And speaking for both of us, it’s been a way to help ourselves network and make more connections, as well.”

Two students doing job shadows at Greenleaf Hospitality Group
Savannah Chapie ’27 (left) and Jillian Smith ’27, two students from Kalamazoo College’s Principles of Marketing class, helped Greenleaf Hospitality Group conduct job shadows designed to interest a new generation of students in the hospitality industry.
Four students with Executive Director of Human Resources Stephanie Farrell during job shadows
Executive Director of Human Resources Stephanie Farrell (middle) meets students during a day of job shadows at Greenleaf Hospitality Group.
Four students attend job shadows
Meg Brake (right) and Rhiannon Zielinski (far left) meet with Kalamazoo College students during a day of job shadows.
Students attend job shadows meeting
Recruiting Manager Meg Brake, Jade Ward and students meet during their job shadows.

Life’s Road Leads Class Speaker, Sherbin Fellow Around the World

A winding road that led Akinyi Okero ’25 from Kenya to China, the U.S., France and Senegal will soon lead her to the lectern at Kalamazoo College’s Commencement and on to countries such as South Africa, Morocco, Greece and the Netherlands. 

Okero, an international student from Nairobi, will address her fellow graduates on Sunday, June 15, as the speaker for the class of 2025 before she travels the world for 10 months as this year’s Sherbin Fellow. 

The fellowship—consisting of a grant that gives a graduating senior at K an opportunity to explore a topic of personal interest outside the U.S.—was established by alumnus Robert Sherbin ’79 and named after his father. Sherbin participated in study abroad at K by traveling to the University of Nairobi, where he was one of just six undergrads from the U.S. and the only K student. Later, as a senior, he received a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, an external grant through the Watson Foundation, that allowed him to create and follow through with a one-year project overseas. 

Okero—the third beneficiary of the fellowship following Elle Waldron ’23 and Sydney Salgado ’24—attended high school at the United World College Changshu in China before choosing Kalamazoo College. 

“K was one of many schools I could have come to in the U.S., but I specifically liked that K would allow me to focus my education on my strengths while I still learned a breadth of knowledge from different disciplines thanks to its flexible liberal arts system,” Okero said. “For example, I knew the natural sciences were not my strength, and most other universities and colleges would’ve required that I study a core curriculum which would force me to study sciences like physics, biology or chemistry. Here at K, I followed my own plan. It was also important for me to find a small and close-knit environment where I could shine in my own way. K has worked out well, and I am beyond grateful to be this year’s Sherbin Fellow and the student Commencement speaker.” 

Okero didn’t expect to provide a Commencement speech when she applied to be a graduation weekend speaker. Instead, she originally hoped to talk at Baccalaureate on Saturday, June 14, in front of a much smaller audience at Stetson Chapel. But after setting aside the introverted side of her personality and the initial surprise, she said she grew excited to address her classmates. Attendees can expect her to provide a nostalgic view into her four years at K and how they have shaped who she has become. 

“There’s one line where I say ‘the 18-year-old I was then is not the 22-year-old I am now, but I have retained the same essence. I am bolder and louder in some ways and softer in others,'” Okero said. “Overall, I am definitely brighter, and I think that that stands true for all of us in the class of 2025.” 

Okero studied abroad in Strasbourg, France, and she performed the research for her Senior Integrated Project (SIP) by traveling to Dakar, Senegal, and Nairobi, Kenya, where she learned about contemporary African art and explored how it reflects identity and shapes unity. 

“Dakar is a city that I’ve come to enjoy visiting and Nairobi will always be home,” Okero said. “Despite the majority of my studies being in the social sciences, I have always been creative and wanted to expand my focus by merging my interests. That’s what my SIP allowed me to do.”  

The experience, supported by grants through the Center for International Programs and K’s Office of the Provost, confirmed for Okero how much she enjoys traveling, and she said that it’s become an intrinsic part of her. 

“I love getting to know a place by having conversations with people while I travel,” Okero said. “It’s incredible how much I learn just by being in a space that is out of my comfort zone. I first experienced that while studying at UWC Changshu China, where I learned more about myself and others in ways that I don’t think I could have by simply reading books or watching the news about the place. Coming to the U.S., I have experienced the same thing, and I thought, ‘Why not continue this?’ This opportunity with the Sherbin Fellowship is just that.” 

Okero is the vice president and a former president of the Refugee Outreach Collective at K, a student organization that raises awareness regarding refugees and their struggles, while connecting volunteers with nonprofit organizations that offer displaced people the resources they need. She is also president of KalamaAfrica, a student organization that celebrates African and diaspora cultures at K. In that same spirit, she will travel to South Africa, Morocco, Greece, the Netherlands and possibly Malaysia thanks to the Sherbin Fellowship. All of them, she said, have populations of migrants and histories of a variety of ethnicities living together.  

“I want to learn more about the history, reasoning and culture of each place,” she said. “I want to know how the migrants keep their culture, and how the host communities are reacting to an influx of new people in their space. Are they accommodating or are they more averse to it? As an international student, I have had to constantly consider how to hold onto my own culture, while allowing my new experiences to shape me. This has prompted my project for the fellowship, and because of it I can explore this same phenomenon both for migrants and host communities.” 

Okero is in the process of solidifying the specifics of her itinerary and is hopeful for a reflective and adventure-filled experience. In the meantime, she would like to thank the alumnus who is making her experience possible. 

“In having conversations with him, I could see how much we both understand the importance of traveling to new spaces and learning more about yourself and people in the process,” she said. “I also enjoyed hearing from him about his time at K. He studied abroad in my country, Kenya, and then told me that he lived in Hong Kong, so we realized that we both have lived in Kenya, the U.S. and regions of China. It was evident that we have a mutual understanding of how travel can affect one’s life in the best way possible. I’m so grateful that someone is championing that opportunity for others.” 

Sherbin Fellow Akinyi Okero
Akinyi Okero ’25 will address the class of 2025 at Commencement on Sunday, June 15.
Sherbin Fellow Akinyi Okero
Okero, an international student from Kenya, studied abroad in Strasbourg, France.
Sherbin Fellow Akinyi Okero
Okero, who visited Senegal while conducting her SIP, will visit countries such as South Africa, Morocco, Greece and the Netherlands as the 2025 Sherbin Fellow. 

Food Justice Research Bears Fruit at Sustainability Symposium

It’s easy to think of issues that revolve around plant and animal life, greenhouse gas emissions and clean drinking water when it comes to studying sustainability and environmentalism. But what about food justice?

The food justice movement examines disparities in food access and health outcomes while seeking ways to provide all with nutritious, affordable and culturally appropriate food. At the same time, it promotes sustainable food systems that prioritize local and ethical production, reducing reliance on industrial agriculture and its associated environmental costs including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, water usage and land degradation.

Enter Tali Deaner ’25. With her Senior Integrated Project (SIP) addressing food justice, she was among 12 Kalamazoo College students who recently presented their research at the 2025 sustainability SIP symposium, sponsored by the Larry J. Bell ’80 Environmental Stewardship Center and K’s environmental studies concentration.

SIPs at K are capstone experiences, a lot like a senior thesis. Students are free to design their own project within their personal and professional interests in partnership with an advisor, and they’re always presented within a department symposium that aligns with a student’s major or chosen subject matter.

In Deaner’s case, she first highlighted her work through the Department of Anthropology and Sociology. However, students like her also find opportunities to present in additional specialty symposiums, if they so choose, leading to Deaner’s participation in the sustainability seminar.

“We have a lot of people who care about sustainability at K, but they don’t always know what to do about that,” Deaner said. “This symposium helped me talk to new people and they seemed to react well to my research. I’m glad I had the opportunity to do it.”

Deaner first got interested in food justice at K while working as a Civic Engagement Scholar for Club Grub through the Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement. Founded in 2009, Club Grub is an afterschool program at Kalamazoo Public Schools’ Woodward Elementary that explores healthful eating and gardening. Woodward and K students share experiences and ideas about what they eat and where their food comes from. Each week they make a snack or meal together, often inspiring the K and Woodward students to try a new food for the first time.

In her research, though, Deaner examines food justice from a historical perspective by looking at issues such as real estate redlining, food access and food apartheid, which have contributed to food injustice up to the present day. She hopes an examination of the past could help the city gain a better understanding of what Kalamazoo can do in partnership with local organizations going forward, so residents can have equitable access to nutritious, affordable and culturally appropriate food.

“My message to the city of Kalamazoo would be to listen to the people who are already doing the work,” she said. “Organizations like the foodbank Loaves and Fishes, Chartwells—which is the Kalamazoo Public Schools food provider—and the Kalamazoo Valley Community College Food Hub are doing some great things. But there’s a job for everyone. We need the involvement of people who pass out food at food banks, the fundraisers for local organizations, and the people at the Western Michigan University medical school, who map food access for the sake of pediatrics.”

Deaner’s project is one example of how the sustainability seminars are growing while including projects from various disciplines and continuing to build momentum through students and their advisors. This year alone, for example, Brooke Dolhay ’25 conducted research in the Philippines examining coral reefs there and why so many of them are dying; Lucas Priemer ’25 measured the circumference of specific trees at the Lillian Anderson Arboretum to estimate how much carbon they capture, showing the value of a forest in sustainability; and Westin Grinwis ’25 integrated traditional ecological practices into outdoor orientation programs such as K’s LandSea.

“I couldn’t have been prouder of this year’s presenters,” said Binney Girdler, a professor of biology and the director of K’s environmental studies program. “They worked really hard on their posters and narratives, and it showed. They knew their projects backwards and forwards; not one used or needed notes to give their presentation. After the event, I heard from several College and community members about how professional and engaging the students were. We had great turnout from younger students, friends, family, faculty, staff and community members. The fact that the event had such positive vibes when the subjects covered included so many dire problems humanity faces is entirely due to the passion and caliber of our sustainability minded students.”

Tali Deaner presents her food justice research at the 2025 Sustainability SIP Symposium
Tali Deaner ’25 was among 12 Kalamazoo College students who recently presented their research at the 2025 sustainability SIP symposium, sponsored by the Larry J. Bell ’80 Environmental Stewardship Center and K’s environmental studies concentration.
Student presents his sustainability Senior Integrated Project
Noah Pyle ’25 presents his research at the sustainability symposium.
Student presenting her sustainability poster
Ivy Walker ’25 presented her SIP on how the survival of Earth relies on a holistic approach to preserving and restoring nature’s most delicate and crucial biological systems.
Professor of Biology Binney Girdler addresses SIP projects including one on food justice
Professor of Biology and Director of Environmental Studies Binney Girdler addresses attendees of the 2025 sustainability SIP symposium.