Category: Students

Study Abroad Journey Opens Doors to International Relations 

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When Harper Schrader ’26 arrived last year in Jordan for her study abroad experience, she had never spoken a word of Arabic. Three months later, she returned to Kalamazoo College not only fluent enough to navigate daily life in the Middle Eastern nation, but also with ideas for a career path that would take her back across the globe. 

Today, she interns remotely for the Jordanian embassy in Washington, D.C., combining her passions for journalism and international relations. 

“I definitely couldn’t have imagined this experience had I not attended K,” Schrader said. “Being able to study abroad and graduate on time—while also getting to do my (Senior Integrated Project) abroad and the internship—is cool.” 

Schrader, a Kalamazoo native who came to the College through the Kalamazoo Promise, was drawn to K specifically because of its study abroad opportunities. Unlike some institutions where studying overseas can delay graduation or limit academic options, K’s flexible curriculum allowed her to pursue international experiences without sacrificing other opportunities. 

Choosing the Road Less Traveled 

When it came time to select a study abroad destination, Schrader deliberately avoided the well-trodden paths to Europe that many students take. She considered Senegal and Korea before narrowing her focus to the Middle East, ultimately choosing Jordan, which is also known as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. 

“I wanted to go somewhere that a lot of people weren’t going,” she said. “I was more interested in the Middle East, so that’s how I narrowed it down.” 

A conversation with a Jordanian international student during her sophomore year helped seal the decision. That student provided invaluable insights into the program and what daily life in Jordan would be like, easing Schrader’s concerns about diving into an entirely new culture and language. 

The program, run through CET Academic Programs—one of K’s partner organizations with centers in China, Brazil and Jordan—required students to take a language pledge upon arrival, committing to speak only Arabic. For Schrader, who had no prior experience with the language, this was daunting. 

“I was a little nervous, but it actually helped having the language pledge, because I was in an environment where that was all I was hearing,” she said. “I started picking up words without realizing it.” 

The program began with two intensive weeks of Arabic instruction before students launched into elective courses. Schrader and her cohort attended classes at a center within walking distance of their apartments, where they were paired with “jirans”—an Arabic term that loosely translates to “neighbors”—who were Jordanian university students that helped with assignments and led cultural excursions around the city. 

Adjusting to a New Reality 

Jordan is home to numerous ancient attractions including two of Schrader’s favorites: Petra, which is an ancient city famous for its rock-cut architecture and water engineering near the modern town of Wadi Musa; and the Citadel, an archaeological site and historic landmark on the highest hill in downtown Amman, offering panoramic city views while showcasing layers of history from the Bronze Age through the Roman, Byzantine and Umayyad period. 

For Schrader, exploring these historical treasures became a highlight of her stay, although the experience still had its adjustments and challenges. She began wearing a hijab the day she arrived in Jordan, a personal decision that felt natural in her new environment. 

An unexpected challenge emerged as she navigated the range of perspectives represented among the American students in the program. Many were preparing for government service careers and approached learning Arabic purely in terms of future policy or security work. This experience deepened her commitment to approaching international relations and journalism with cultural sensitivity and respect, values that would shape her academic and professional pursuits. 

Pursuing Journalism in Amman 

Schrader hadn’t thought seriously about journalism until she took an introductory course with Professor of English Marin Heinritz ’99 during her first spring semester. Yet watching journalists like Clarissa Ward and Anthony Bourdain on CNN had already planted seeds of interest, and the class caused those seeds to grow. 

In Jordan, she enrolled in a media course focused on the Middle East, where discussions covered cultural considerations in reporting and the role of social media during the Arab Spring. The class visited the Jordan Times newspaper, where students met with the editor-in-chief to discuss reporting in the region. 

“There are a lot of differences between the U.S. and Jordan when it comes to the customs of interacting with people,” Schrader said. “For example, it wouldn’t be common to have a male person interviewing a woman there, or a woman interviewing a male.” 

She also noted that topics such as royal families and religion are often approached more cautiously if at all out of respect for cultural sensitivities. 

“Someone wouldn’t write something negative about the small Christian population, for example, because it would be seen as disrespectful,” she said. 

Schrader had initially planned to intern with the Jordan Times during her study abroad semester, but scheduling conflicts prevented it. Undeterred, she returned to Jordan this past summer and spent three months working with the English-language newspaper, focusing primarily on digital content and video editing. 

Harper Schrader rides a camel outside Petra while on study abroad in Jordan
Harper Schrader ’26 visited several historical sites in Jordan including Petra, which is an ancient city famous for its rock-cut architecture and water engineering.
Harper Schrader on study abroad in Jordan near the ancient city of Petra
Schrader obtained an internship with the Jordanian embassy in Washington, D.C., shortly after returning from study abroad.
Wadi Rum in Jordan
Wadi Rum, meaning Valley of the Moon or Valley of High Places, is Jordan’s famous desert valley known for red sands, rock formations and ancient inscriptions.

From Study Abroad Student to Intern 

When Schrader returned from Jordan in September, she brought with her not just memories and language skills but a professional opportunity that perfectly merged her interests. A roommate from her study abroad program had worked for the Jordanian embassy, and when Schrader reached out about internship possibilities, the timing proved fortuitous. 

“I applied, not really thinking I would get it just because I don’t have any experience in international relations, but I did get it,” she said. 

Now, working remotely with the embassy’s Information Bureau in Washington, D.C., Schrader monitors press releases, think tank events and social media posts by politicians, compiling them into reports while helping to draft media statements. 

“It’s really fun for me to combine an international relations interest with journalism,” she said. “It’s like the perfect intersection.” 

The position, which she plans to continue until around June, has its limits as only Jordanian citizens can be hired for full-time positions. Yet it has already opened doors and created valuable connections. She has worked with officials close to the ambassador and met other students passionate about Jordan and the Middle East. 

Confronting Media Narratives 

Through her work monitoring international media coverage, Schrader has developed strong opinions about how the Middle East is represented in Western journalism. Although she believes Jordan itself is portrayed fairly, she’s critical of the coverage of other countries in the region. 

“I think especially places like Iraq or Palestine are dehumanized,” she said. In fact, she’s found herself relying less on mainstream outlets such as the New York Times and the Washington Post, instead turning to social media to follow journalists on the ground, particularly in Gaza. 

Jordan hosts refugees from Iraq, Palestine, Syria and Yemen, bringing international recognition. The country maintains a delicate balance—about 60% of Jordan’s population is estimated to be of Palestinian origin, which can create tension when the king maintains relationships with the United States and other Western powers. 

“In Jordan, of course, it can feel frustrating for people if seeing the king, for example, be friends with the United States when a majority of the population there is Palestinian,” Schrader said. “But when you put it into the perspective of Jordan having little natural resources, their biggest strength is that they’re a peaceful country.” 

This understanding of geopolitical complexities is precisely what Schrader hopes to bring to her future career. She’s currently applying to master’s programs to pursue a thesis examining how different regions and wars are represented in media, with a particular focus on how media can manufacture consent for conflicts and military actions. 

Looking Forward 

Schrader’s journey from Kalamazoo to Jordan and back again has been shaped by supportive mentors, including Professor of English Babli Sinha, who serves as her SIP advisor despite Schrader never having taken her classes. 

“She’s inspired me the most,” Schrader said. “She doesn’t make me limit myself when it comes to journalism. She encouraged me with journalism and to follow what I’m passionate about.” 

For her SIP, Schrader wrote a narrative journalism piece about her two visits to the West Bank and Jerusalem during her time in Jordan, including a stay with a family in Bethlehem. “It’s been rewarding to write what I’m passionate about,” she said. 

On campus, she helps run both the student newspaper, The Index, and the literary magazine, The Cauldron. She’s also been involved with Students for Justice in Palestine since her first year and helped revive the Muslim Student Association after returning from study abroad. 

When asked what she’d want Americans to know about Jordan, Schrader’s answer cuts to the heart of why cross-cultural exchange matters. 

“I think that it can be easy to let what we’ve been told about the Middle East come to mind when we’re first thinking about these countries, but it’s really important to go there and to talk to the people,” she said. “You’ll realize that the people your age—and people in general —are more like us than we think. I think that’s the biggest thing.” 

For Schrader, study abroad wasn’t just an academic experience or a chance to see the world. It was a transformative experience that helped her discover her calling. From struggling through her first Arabic conversations to working for a foreign embassy, she’s living proof that stepping outside one’s comfort zone can lead to extraordinary opportunities. 

“It helped me meet other people interested in the same things I’m interested in and opened my eyes up to what I can do outside of what I’m studying at K, which is cool,” she said. 

K Celebrates 20th Anniversary of Kalamazoo Promise

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Editors Note: Carson Williams ’25, a former Kalamazoo Promise scholar, wrote this story for College Marketing and Communication.

On November 10, 2005, then-Superintendent Janice Brown stood in front of a school board meeting and made an announcement that would change the lives of students in Kalamazoo, Michigan: The Kalamazoo Promise. The initiative promised that Kalamazoo Public Schools students who attended KPS for at least grades 9–12 would receive a graduated scholarship covering up to 100% of tuition and mandatory fees at 43 eligible Michigan community colleges and universities, funded by a group of anonymous donors. These donors had gathered previously and recognized “the hurdle that college tuition poses in determining the futures of young people.” They then posed the question: what could students accomplish without worrying about the potential financial burden that often comes when seeking higher education? The Kalamazoo Promise Foundation was their answer. Kalamazoo became the first city in the United States to offer full scholarships. 

As monumental as this announcement was, one of the gaps was that the Kalamazoo Promise could not be used at the private liberal arts institution in the city it was born in: Kalamazoo College. But 10 years after the initial unveiling of the Promise, K and other private schools that were part of the Michigan Colleges Alliance (MCA) declared that they would be joining with the Kalamazoo Promise Foundation, with eligibility beginning in fall of 2015. The Promise would cover funds equal to the average tuition and fees of the undergraduate programs at the University of Michigan, and the MCA institution would cover the rest. Since 2015, 230 Promise scholars have enrolled at Kalamazoo College, 40 of whom were first-generation college students. Currently, there are 85 Promise scholars at K.  

Since partnering with the Kalamazoo Promise, K has worked extensively to ensure that Promise scholars feel welcome on campus and have access to all resources possible. Wraegan Williams is the Promise liaison at K who fulfills this role. “I work closely with colleagues across campus and at the Promise office to proactively address student needs and connect them with academic and wraparound supports to help them thrive both during their time on campus and in their professional pathways as graduates,” Williams said.  

“We are working hard to move from partnership to true collaboration with KPS and the Kalamazoo Promise Foundation,” said Shannon Milan, K’s director of Admission.  “That means creating intentional opportunities for connection, access, and belonging. Our goal has been simple but powerful: to help KPS students see themselves at Kalamazoo College. A place that believes in them, values them, and is ready to walk alongside them as they take their next steps.”  

K has focused on more intentional forms of outreach, including their new annual “Why We Promise” visit day, which salutes the high potential of KPS students and helps them envision their future through K. This day, as well as K’s other forms of outreach to KPS students, have concentrated on a few key messages: possibilities in a place that believes and values students; inspiring students toward curiosity, courage, and community; displaying gratitude to KPS scholars, families, educators, and the Promise team for all of their work to create better opportunities; and highlighting that K is the right choice for students who want to ask big questions and make a difference, because K will challenge, support and celebrate them through each step. 

K promotes the mantra that KPS students who are unsure about leaving their hometown for college “can go far by staying here.”  

“We want KPS students to understand that staying in Kalamazoo doesn’t mean limiting their horizons,” Milan said. “It means launching from a strong foundation. At Kalamazoo College, they can take full advantage of the Promise while still accessing the kind of global, transformative experiences that define a world-class education.”  

Building on that message, K emphasizes what it means by “going far.” One of these ways is through K’s study abroad program, which is also covered by the Promise. Fifty-five percent of K’s Promise scholars have participated in study abroad or study away. Students can also join K’s alumni network that reaches beyond Kalamazoo.  

“Being part of this network means students can remain deeply rooted in Kalamazoo while gaining lifelong global connections.” Milan said.  

Finally, K provides students with opportunities for internships, research and experiential learning that will help them grow outside of K.  

When asked about success stories of the Promise at K, Williams said that all of the successes she has witnessed began with the same belief: “Without the Promise, K wouldn’t have been a possibility.” Through the scholarship, Promise scholars can fully engage in the K-Plan—which unites academics, study abroad programs, independent study, career development, and civic engagement within a flexible and exciting curriculum.  

“The impact is clear: 81% of Promise scholars at K have completed a bachelor’s degree, with many continuing on to graduate school, professional programs, competitive internships, and strong employment outcomes, some right here in Kalamazoo, contributing to the same community that invested in their success,” Williams said.  

“At the heart of the Kalamazoo Promise is hope, and we see that hope come to life every day at K,” Milan said. “The Promise isn’t just about access to college. It’s about believing in the potential of every student in our community. We’re honored to be part of that story!” 

Living the Kalamazoo Promise at K

As a former Promise scholar and K alumna, I am beyond grateful for having the opportunity to learn at an institution like K free of financial burden. I talked to other K students, both alumni and current, who have utilized the Promise scholarship. 

Adam Dorstewitz-Verne ’22 

Adam earned his degree in computer science and economics, with a minor in mathematics. He currently works for baseball tech company Sydex Sports, which supports MLB, MiLB and NCAA baseball and softball teams that use their software for video coaching.  

What does the Promise mean to you personally? The Promise is what gave me the ability to choose the school I wanted to go to without fear of debt. I had the freedom to apply to Michigan-based schools only on how I felt about their program/what they had to offer me, instead of what the financial aid package might look like. The Promise meant college never felt financially unattainable.  

How has the Promise helped you pursue your dreams or goals at K? The Promise helped me get to K, and then after that, the knowledge that I was covered while at K meant finances weren’t in the back of my head as I was studying or pushing for a grade for fear of losing a scholarship. It freed me to just be a student, which is tenuous enough without fearing a grade-based financial aid package. The Promise gave me the flexibility to apply for the scholarship that gave me my first job after college, because I knew that I had the ultimate backup in the Promise and that I could reach for the stars and if I fell, I’d still be covered.

Ella Boyea ’26 

Boyea is a senior at Kalamazoo College with a major in business and a minor in anthropology and sociology. She recently completed her Senior Integrated Project, which included an internship with a bank in Lansing, Michigan, which she obtained through a K alum. At this internship, she helped with financials, marketing and the process of achieving and setting future goals. Boyea plans on heading into marketing after graduation. 

What does the Promise mean to you personally? To me, the Kalamazoo Promise represents an opportunity that shaped the direction of my future. It symbolizes the power of living in a community that cares, and it opened doors I may not have been able to walk through if I didn’t receive this financial stability. Growing up knowing that my education mattered to the people around me created a sense of belonging and motivation. It eased the financial burden of college, allowing me to focus on my academic interests and envision possibilities for myself that I could have only dreamed of before. The Kalamazoo Promise means freedom for people to be able to push themselves to shape who they will one day become.  

Since 2015, 230 Promise scholars have enrolled at Kalamazoo College, 40 of whom were first-generation college students. Currently, there are 85 Promise scholars at K.  

Kalamazoo Promise Scholar Adam Dorstewitz-Verne pitching for the Hornets
Adam Dorstewitz ’22: “I had the freedom to apply to Michigan-based schools only on how I felt about their program/what they had to offer me, instead of what the financial aid package might look like.”
Kalamazoo Promise Scholar Ella Boyea in a Hornets basketball uniform
Ella Boyea ’26: “To me, the Kalamazoo Promise represents an opportunity that shaped the direction of my future.”
Kalamazoo Promise scholar Ala Awad
Ala Awad ’26: “The Promise has allowed me to fully commit to my classes and explore career paths connected to business and healthcare without worrying about tuition.”
Tom Clark holding a tennis racquet
Tom Clark ’27: “Individuals who have been impacted by the Promise belong to a sense of community. There is a shared gratitude for the opportunity that has been given.”
Megan Hybels
Megan Hybels ’26: “Since I had the Promise, I felt better about choosing a major/program [that] I was passionate about, even if it’s less lucrative than other fields.”

How has the Promise helped you pursue your dreams or goals at K? The Kalamazoo Promise has given me the opportunity to attend an amazing school that works to build community, connections, and character. I have learned so much from the wide variety of classes I have taken here, [as] well as from my study abroad program to Madrid, Spain, my junior year which expanded my personality and social life tremendously. I am also appreciative of the clubs I am a part of and the Women’s Basketball team I am on here at K, which I would not have been able to do without the Promise giving me the chance to attend this school in the first place. 

Ala Awad ’26 

Awad is a senior at K completing a business major. He is currently working at his family’s restaurant, Nidal’s Shawarma King, and his future goal after graduation is to head into medical sales. Awad enjoys building relationships and helping people and feels that medical sales is the perfect place for him to grow professionally while staying connected to healthcare.  

What does the Promise mean to you personally? The Promise means support. It took a huge financial weight off my shoulders and gave me the chance to focus on my education and my future. It’s made college feel so possible and has motivated me to work even harder. 

How has the Promise helped you pursue your dreams or goals at K? The Promise has allowed me to fully commit to my classes and explore career paths connected to business and healthcare without worrying about tuition. It’s given me the freedom to build on my skills, take on leadership roles and stay on track toward my goal of going into medical sales after graduation.  

Megan Hybels ’25 

Megan earned her degree in religion with a history minor. She is currently enrolled in a Master of Arts program at Western Michigan University in their comparative religious studies department and is working as a grad assistant for WMU. She plans on working for an interfaith nonprofit in the future.  

What does the Promise mean to you personally? I think a lot of people choose to not go into the humanities because they are afraid they won’t get a job that pays well enough to pay off student loans. Since I had the Promise, I felt better about choosing a major/program [that] I was passionate about, even if it’s less lucrative than other fields.  

How has the Promise helped you pursue your dreams or goals at K? If I hadn’t had the Promise and felt more free to take a wide variety of different classes, I never would have taken a religious studies class and found out that it’s something I’m interested in.  

Tom Clark ’27 

Tom is a junior at K working on a business major with a psychology minor. He plans on pursuing a master’s degree in exercise science. Along with his studies, Tom is on the men’s tennis team.  

What does the Promise mean to you personally? For me personally, the Promise means a lot of different things. Not only does it mean an opportunity to further my education, but it also means family. I was privileged to intern at [The Kalamazoo Promise] and get an inside look at all of the people behind the scenes who are changing countless lives. I already was very appreciative of the gift of the Promise but am even more grateful having seen how much work is actually being done in order to make such a scholarship work.  

I also view the Promise as a sense of community. Whether it be in college, in a professional setting, individuals who have been impacted by the Promise belong to a sense of community. There is a shared gratitude for the opportunity that has been given. It is an easy point of connection to make with someone regardless of age, school, or occupation. Among most people that I have talked to, there is also a sense of willingness to give back. The Promise doesn’t take monetary donations, but giving time and volunteering is a way that people can repay the Promise for what it has done. I have already helped out at a couple of different events where I try to show the younger generation that there is an amazing opportunity for them that can be used in a variety of ways, whether that be a four-year degree, associate’s degree, or a trade school certification. The opportunities that the Promise provides are not given to everyone, so it is your responsibility to make the most of it.  

How has the Promise helped you pursue your dreams or goals at K? It has allowed me to fulfill a lifelong dream of being a college athlete. Without the Promise, I wouldn’t have been able to play a sport in college because of the cost of schooling, particularly at K. The Promise has allowed me to further my academic and athletic career, while forming countless relationships with people who I wouldn’t have otherwise met, and changed the trajectory of my life. 

Honors Day Convocation Salutes Student Success

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Hundreds of Kalamazoo College students were recognized Friday, November 7, during the annual Honors Day Convocation for excellence in academics and leadership. Students were recognized in six divisions: Fine Arts; Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures; Humanities; Natural Sciences and Mathematics; Social Sciences; and Physical Education. Recipients of prestigious scholarships were recognized, as were members of national honor societies and students who received special Kalamazoo College awards. Student athletes and teams who won Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association awards also were honored. Many of the awards presented are based on outstanding performance during the previous academic year. The students receiving Honors Day awards or recognition are listed below. 

FINE ARTS DIVISION

Brian Gougeon ’81 Prize in Art

  • John Brewer
  • Sara Bush

The Margaret Upton Prize in Music

  • Maya Davis

Charles Cooper Award in Fine Arts

  • Lena Barret
  • James Hauke

Fan E. Sherwood Memorial Prize

  • Bernice Mike

Theatre Arts First-Year Student Award

  • Maya Davis
  • Sebastian Nelson

DIVISION OF MODERN AND CLASSICAL LANGUAGES

LeGrand Copley Prize in French

  • Jessica Forbis

Hardy Fuchs Award

  • Sara Bush
  • Maren Palmer

Margo Light Award

  • Johe Newton Johnson

Department of Spanish Language and Literatures Prize

  • Sarah Guerrero Gorostieta
  • Jay Hernandez

Clara H. Buckley Prize for Excellence in Latin

  • Eleanor Campion
  • Sally Eggleston

Classics Department Prize in Greek

  • Aubrey Benson

Provost’s Prize in Classics

  • Sally Eggleston

HUMANITIES DIVISION

O.M. Allen Prize in English

  • Sarah Guerrero Gorostieta

John B. Wickstrom Prize in History

  • Brit Inman
  • Aliah Mohmand

Department of Philosophy Prize

  • Jessica Forbis
  • Cecilia Gray
  • Arden Schultz

L.J. and Eva (“Gibbie”) Hemmes Memorial Prize in Philosophy

  • Tavi Butki
  • Jessica Forbis

NATURAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS DIVISION

Winifred Peake Jones Prize in Biology

  • Josephine Belsky
  • Chloe Brown
  • Avery Davis

Department of Chemistry Prize

  • Linda Chukwu
  • Carter Haley
  • May Pasillas

First-Year Chemistry Award

  • Teige Bredin
  • Caroline Johnson
  • Katherine Saurez

Lemuel F. Smith Award

  • William Tocco

Computer Science Prize

  • Lena Barrett
  • Alexander Russell

First-Year Mathematics Award

  • Ayako Jurgle

Thomas O. Walton Prize in Mathematics

  • Ingrid Gardner
  • Lauren MacKersie
  • Juniper Pasternak
  • Benjamin Whitsett

Cooper Prize in Physics

  • Nathan Gleason
  • Charles Gordon
  • Caroline Johnson
  • Katelyn Steinbrecher
  • Katherine Suarez

SOCIAL SCIENCES DIVISION

Departmental Prize in Anthropology and Sociology

  • Leila Bank
  • Veda Shukla

William G. Howard Prize in Political Science

  • Bo Chambers

William G. Howard Memorial Prize in Economics and Business

  • Jordan Doyle

C. Wallace Lawrence Prize in Business

  • Jack Duggins
  • Matthew Matuza

C. Wallace Lawrence Prize in Economics

  • Renzo Palomino Caceres
  • Maya Clarren

Irene and S. Kyle Morris Prize

  • Callie Abair
  • Jackson Keefer

Department of Psychology First-Year Student Prize

  • Kay Hanson

PHYSICAL EDUCATION DIVISION

Division of Physical Education Prize

  • Cameron Crosby
  • Addison Lyons

Lauren Rosenthal ’13 Memorial Prize

  • Eleanor Bernas

Maggie Wardle ’02 Prize

  • Maggie Westra

COLLEGE AWARDS

Henry ’36 and Inez Brown Prize

  • Jaylen Bowles-Swain
  • John Bungart
  • Abbie Caza
  • Ella Spooner

Davis United World College Scholar

  • Soyeon Jin

HEYL SCHOLARS: Class of 2029

  • Methmi Amaratunga
  • Stephanie Castillo
  • Eiden Jonaitis
  • Dewen Luo-Li
  • Gwendolyn MacEwen
  • Kaljona Thaumanavar

POSSE SCHOLARS: Class of 2029

  • Elyzet Alfaro
  • Sarah Baker
  • Marley Bell
  • Zeina Coreas
  • Lavar Ganther
  • Marcus Lloyd
  • Vex Maldonado
  • Sophia Mes
  • Zaira Ramirez
  • Coltrane Randolph
  • Jordan Rivas

NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARS: Class of 2029

  • Drew Abbott

SLAVA-CICA AND SPASA VOYNOVICH SCHOLARS

  • Olivia Schleede

ALPHA LAMBDA DELTA: Class of 2029

Alpha Lambda Delta is a national honor society that recognizes excellence in academic achievement during the first college year. To be eligible for membership, students must rank in the top 20% of their class and earn a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 during the first year. The students below are members of the Class of 2029 who have met or exceeded those benchmarks and have been invited to join the Kalamazoo College Chapter of Alpha Lambda Delta.

  • Leila Bank
  • Grace Barber
  • Josephine Belsky
  • Derek Blackwell
  • Teige Bredin
  • John Brewer
  • Ellie Britt
  • Chloe Brown
  • Ava Buccafurri
  • Sara Bush
  • Haziel Cerroblanco
  • Bo Chambers
  • Brendan Clinard
  • Toby Comensoli
  • Cameron Crosby
  • Avery Davis
  • Maya Davis
  • Francis Ernzen
  • Max Feliks
  • Mathias Florian
  • Jessica Forbis
  • Nathan Gleason
  • Brizza Gonzalez
  • Cole Grupenhoff
  • Sarah Guerrero Gorostieta
  • Carter Haley
  • Britt Inman
  • Weslee Innes
  • Caroline Johnson
  • Ayako Jurgle
  • Jackson Keefer
  • Ava King
  • Shay Kruse
  • Katelyn Long
  • Mairead Lynch
  • Jay McDaniel
  • Jacey Merkle
  • Aliah Mohmand
  • Meena Moritz
  • Sebastian Nelson
  • Renzo Palomino Caceres
  • Mario Pomorski
  • Brody Quinn
  • Cory Rapp
  • Julia Reisor
  • Wyatt Ruppenthal
  • McKenna Ryan-Elbert
  • Simon Sawyer
  • Halen Sherwood
  • Veda Shukla
  • Katelyn Steinbrecher
  • Calvin Strader
  • Katherine Suarez
  • Nora Zemlick

FINE ARTS SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

  • Annice Bellows
  • Mag Burkander
  • Emmett Carlson
  • Elliot Corpuz
  • Sophia Deguzman
  • Ale Demea
  • Desmond Distel
  • Molly Duffy
  • Kellen Fisher
  • Ana Lucia Galarreta
  • Ryan Goodrich
  • Lana Gouin-Hart
  • Sofia Gross
  • Sarah Hagan
  • Abram Haynes
  • Scarlett Hosner
  • Aelitta Kazarov
  • Genevieve Nagel
  • Alessi Neder
  • Sam Pattison
  • Benjamin Perry
  • Ellison Redwine
  • Alice Seigner
  • Saba Sikharulidze
  • Ana Slouber
  • Laurel Stowers
  • Zara Strauss
  • Chloe Stuckey
  • Nolan Surach
  • Mathias Takacs
  • Arielle Tenner
  • Lauren Thompson
  • Jey Trebley

MIAA AWARDS

These teams earned the 2024–25 MIAA Team GPA Award for achieving a 3.300 or better grade point average for the entire academic year.

  • Baseball
  • Men’s Basketball
  • Men’s Golf
  • Men’s Lacrosse
  • Men’s Soccer
  • Men’s Swimming & Diving
  • Men’s Tennis
  • Women’s Basketball
  • Women’s Cross Country
  • Women’s Golf
  • Women’s Lacrosse
  • Women’s Soccer
  • Softball
  • Women’s Swimming & Diving
  • Women’s Tennis
  • Volleyball
Teige Bredin performs at a piano
Teige Bredin ’28 performs Intermezzo in “A Major, Opus 118, No. 2” by Johannes Brahms at Honors Day Convocation.
Honors Day Convocation
Four students at Stetson Chapel
Four students at Honors Convocation
Students at Honors Convocation
Students at Honors Convocation
Four students at Honors Day Convocation
Students at Honors Day Convocation
Students participate in Honors Day Convocation
Students participate in Honors Day Convocation at Stetson Chapel on Friday, November 7.
Sarah Guerrero Gorostieta '28 accepts the Department of Spanish Language and Literatures Prize from Professor of English Amelia Katanski '92 at Honors Day Convocation
Sarah Guerrero Gorostieta ’28 accepts the Department of Spanish Language and Literatures Prize from Professor of English Amelia Katanski ’92 at Honors Day Convocation.
Parents, families, faculty, staff and students gather for Honors Day Convocation at Stetson Chapel
Parents, families, faculty, staff and students gather for Honors Day Convocation at Stetson Chapel.
Honors Day Convocation
Students were recognized in six divisions at Honors Day Convocation: Fine Arts; Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures; Humanities; Natural Sciences and Mathematics; Social Sciences; and Physical Education.
Students gathered at Stetson Chapel
Students participate in Honors Day Convocation at Stetson Chapel.
Parents, families, faculty, staff and students gather at Stetson Chapel
Parents, families, faculty, staff and students gather for Honors Day Convocation at Stetson Chapel.
Honors Day Convocation
Hundreds of Kalamazoo College students were recognized Friday, November 7, during the annual Honors Day Convocation for excellence in academics and leadership.

MIAA ACADEMIC HONOR ROLL: Student Athletes 2024–25

The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association each year honors students at MIAA-member colleges who achieve in the classroom and in athletic competition. Students need to be a letterwinner in a varsity sport and maintain at least a 3.5 grade-point average for the year.

A

  • Callie Abair
  • Fuzail Ahmed
  • Isaac Ahn
  • Maya Alkema
  • Adnan Alousi
  • Mahmoud Alsafadi
  • Emiliano Alvarado Rescala
  • Paige Anderson
  • Eleanor Andrews
  • Jeremy Ardshahi
  • Peyton Arendsen

B

  • Poppy Balkema
  • Carter Bandemer
  • Grace Barber
  • Joseph Basil
  • Conner Bell
  • Eleanor Bernas
  • Derek Blackwell
  • Douglas Blackwood
  • Eleni Bougioukou
  • Jaylen Bowles-Swain
  • Ella Boyea
  • Teige Bredin
  • Ellie Britt
  • Lukas Broadsword
  • Anna Buck
  • Tavi Butki
  • Zachary Butters

C

  • Raymond Cargill
  • Samantha Carpentier
  • Isabella Caza
  • Abigail Caza
  • Trustin Christopher
  • Nathaniel Clark
  • Thomas Clark
  • Logan Coller
  • Jordan Cook
  • Josee Cooke
  • Cate Cotter
  • Derek Courtney
  • Sebastian Courtright
  • Lucy Cripe
  • Mia Crites
  • Cameron Crosby
  • Chase Cummins

D

  • James Dailey
  • Erik Danielson
  • Ethan Daugherty
  • Jacob Davis
  • Carson Deines
  • Ethan DeNeen
  • Alexander Di Dio
  • Taylor Dinda-Albright
  • Jordan Doyle
  • Jack Duggins

E

  • Alden Ehrhardt
  • Rebecca Elias
  • Elise Elliot
  • Chad Ewing
  • Bradley Eziuka

F

  • Sara Finks
  • Alex Fleming
  • Jordan Flink
  • David Fooy
  • Jessica Forbis
  • Landrie Fridsma

G

  • Dillon Gacki
  • William Geiger
  • Mallory Gentry
  • Logan Gillis
  • Makala Goddard
  • Lukas Graff
  • Charles Graves
  • Lillian Grelak
  • Kaitlyn Grice
  • Cole Grupenhoff

H

  • Sydney Hagaman
  • Alison Hankins
  • Colten Hansen
  • Madeline Hanulcik
  • Sophie Hartl
  • Pauline Hawkes
  • Zachary Heikka
  • Gerardo Herrera-Sanchez
  • Maya Hester
  • Alyssa Hinkley
  • Garrick Hohm
  • Timothy Hollern
  • Ronin Honda
  • Jaelyn Horn
  • Tyler Houle
  • Gavin Houtkooper
  • Ethan Huebsch
  • Alek Hultberg
  • Kennedy Hynde

I

  • Carson Ihrke
  • Macy Ivins

J

  • Nolan Jannenga
  • Halley Johnson

K

  • Seth Keana
  • Jackson Keefer
  • Alyson Kemery
  • Samuel King
  • Ava King
  • Alexander Kish
  • Kathryn Klahorst
  • Mart Klenke
  • Toni Koshmider
  • Julia Kozal
  • Daryn Krause
  • Jack Kreckman

L

  • Jordon Larco
  • Braeden Lavis
  • Annmarie Lawrence
  • Maya Lee
  • Aidan Liedeke
  • Alexander Ligman
  • Addison Lyons

M

  • Kyler Maiorana
  • Natalie Maki
  • Larson Makie
  • Alexandria Mason
  • Matthew Matuza
  • Zachary Maurice
  • Benjamin Maurice
  • Grace McGlynn
  • MacKale McGuire
  • Jacey Merkle
  • Rachel Meston
  • Gabriel Meyers
  • Brittany Miller
  • Marin Miroslavich
  • Jackson Mitchell
  • Mary Ellen Muenzenmaier
  • Elizabeth Muenzenmaier
  • Andrew Munger

N

  • Mackenzie Newhall
  • Robert Newland
  • Emma Newlove
  • Maeve Nolan
  • Allison Nutt

O

  • Gabriel Olivier
  • Nicholas Olmeda
  • Tyler Omness

P

  • Brennan Pannucci
  • Alex Pepin
  • Patrick Perez
  • William Plesscher
  • Evan Pollens-Voigt
  • Mario Pomorski
  • Juliana Pullen

Q

  • Brody Quinn

R

  • Elizabeth Rachiele
  • Spencer Rasmussen
  • Liam Regan
  • Keegan Reynolds
  • Jaycee Rider
  • Cody Rigley
  • Sheldon Riley
  • Donovan Rinehart
  • Amelia Rooks
  • Luke Rop
  • Charlotte Ruiter
  • Wyatt Ruppenthal

S

  • Zenaida Sackett
  • Simon Sawyer
  • Cecilia Schihl
  • Leo Schinker
  • Annika Schnell
  • Sophia Schwartz
  • Eric Sheppard
  • Colby Skinner
  • Dawson Skupin
  • Jillian Smith
  • Jonah Spates
  • Ella Spooner
  • Adam Stapleton
  • David Stechow
  • Jacquelyn Stoddard
  • Grace Sweet

T

  • Levi Thomas
  • William Thomas
  • Vincent Tran

V

  • Anthony Valade
  • Gavin Van Kampen
  • Lucy Vandemark
  • Hannah Vander Lugt
  • Lauren Vanderstelt
  • Tyler Vanderzanden
  • Cameron VanGalder
  • Mitchel VanGalder

W

  • Annslee Ware
  • Riley Weber
  • Jordan Wesaw
  • Ava Williams
  • Gretchen Wilson
  • Alexander Winter
  • Darius Wright

Y

  • Hailey Yoder

Shakespearean Comedy Enters the Disco Era at Festival Playhouse

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Jack Dewey ’27 will have a handful of flamboyant costumes to wear, including a bright blue velvet suit, when he plays a not-so-typical King Ferdinand of Navarre in the Shakespearean Love’s Labour’s Lost, coming to the Festival Playhouse.

Running November 6–November 9, the show takes the Bard’s witty comedy about love and vows and spins it into a vibrant 1970s spectacle filled with music, dancing and retro flair.

“We’ve got flashing lights, dance numbers, sequined costumes—everything is colorful, loud and alive,” Dewey said. “It’s less like seeing Shakespeare and more like watching Mamma Mia.”

Originally written in the 1590s, Love’s Labour’s Lost follows four noblemen who swear off women and worldly pleasures to focus on their academic studies—until a visiting princess and her ladies arrive, undoing their oaths. In this production, Dewey and his fellow lords are reimagined as having the swagger and energy of college fraternity brothers, complete with banter, bravado and bad decisions.

“I’ve never played someone who’s just an absolute jerk before,” Dewey laughed. “In most of my roles, I’ve been the hopeless romantic or the sad guy. This time I get to be a switchblade-comb-wielding, smooth-talking, terrible flirt, and it’s so refreshing.”

Four cast members of Shakespearean comedy Love's Labour's Lost Rehearse at Festival Playhouse
The cast of the Shakespearean comedy “Love’s Labour’s Lost” includes Hannah Ulanoski ’26 as Marcade (from left), Jack Dewey ’26 as King Ferdinand of Navarre, Morgan Smith ’29 as the Princess of France and Max Wright ’26 as Boyet.

The decision to set the play in the 1970s, Dewey said, came from the creative team’s desire to capture an era defined by liberation and self-expression.

“All of our costumes are incredibly sequined and shiny,” he said. “The ’70s were about freedom and individuality, and that fits perfectly with the play’s humor and feminist themes.”

A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Dewey said he hadn’t heard of Kalamazoo College until he began receiving recruitment emails. One campus visit changed his future, helped in part by having family living in southwest Michigan. 

“I stepped foot on campus and thought, ‘This is what I want my college experience to look like,’” he said.

Since becoming a student at K, Dewey has performed in Eurydice and Little Shop of Horrors. Even with that experience, Love’s Labour’s Lost is his most physically demanding role.

“We’re running, sliding and lunging, all while speaking in Shakespearean English,” he said. “It’s wild, but this cast makes it so much fun.”

That cast includes several first-year students, including Morgan Smith as the princess of France; Jey Trebley as Berowne; Sam Pattison as Dumaine; Dewen Luo-Li as Rosaline; Laurel Stowers as Maria; and Abram Haynes as Longaville. Dewey said their energy has transformed rehearsals into what he calls the best kind of organized chaos.

“Half the cast are first-years, and they’re so loud, outgoing and funny,” he said. “It’s incredible to see the youngest people leading the charge.”

He also credits acting leaders such as Bernice Mike ’26 as Katherine, Owen Ellis ’27 as Costard and Max Wright ’26 as Boyet for the experience they bring to the cast. Despite the challenges of Shakespeare’s language, Dewey said the company’s modern take makes the story accessible and hilarious.

“I don’t always know what every word means, but I know what my character is trying to say,” he said. “That’s what makes it fun, translating Shakespeare’s intentions into something audiences can feel.”

For anyone hesitant about seeing Shakespeare, Dewey insists this production will change their mind.

“If anyone wants to dip their toes into Shakespeare, this is the play to see,” he said. “It’s an hour of chaos, comedy and color.”

Love’s Labour’s Lost will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, November 6–Saturday, November 8, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, November 9. Tickets are available through the Festival Playhouse box office website and by phone at 269.337.7333. For more information on the production, contact Theatre Company Manager Kirsten Sluyter at Kirsten.Sluyter@kzoo.edu.

Music Department Plans Four Fall Concerts for November

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A variety of musicians and ensembles will welcome audiences to several Kalamazoo College Department of Music fall concerts in November. 

Academy Street Winds, The Roaring 20s 

The Academy Street Winds will perform music from the Jazz Age at 4 p.m. Sunday, November 9, in Dalton Theatre at Light Fine Arts. 

The concert will be headlined by Kurt Weill’s Suite from Three-Penny Opera, which reflects new musical trends that followed World War I. 

The ensemble functions as a beloved creative outlet for woodwind, brass and percussion students. Community musicians joined the ensemble in winter 2016 to expand the group’s sound and capabilities. Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music Greg Bassett serves as the group’s director. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated. 

College Singers, Harvesting Joy 

The College Singers, directed by Associate Professor of Music Chris Ludwa, invite audiences feeling anxious over current events to participate in a brief respite with a concert that promises melodies, harmony and poetry from humanity’s great traditions of wisdom.  

Join this ensemble composed of mixed soprano, alto, tenor and bass voices representing music majors and non-music majors alike at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 12, at Stetson Chapel. Adult tickets at the door are $15. K students are admitted for free. 

Kalamazoo College Singers performing one of several fall concerts
The Kalamazoo College Singers will perform one of several music department fall concerts in November. Its performance is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. November 12 at Stetson Chapel.

Jazz Band, One Big Beautiful Biosphere 

The Kalamazoo College Jazz Band, directed by Visiting Instructor of Music Sandra Shaw, will celebrate the intricacies of amazing cultures through music from the regions of North America, West Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The program includes pieces by popular artists such as Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn and Chick Corea.  

Listeners are encouraged to dance if the music inspires them during the show at 7:30 p.m. Friday, November 14, in the Dalton Theatre at Light Fine Arts. Admission is free, although donations are appreciated. 

Kalamazoo Philharmonia, Honor Your Elders 

The Kalamazoo Philharmonia will feature composers who learned from the greats before them in its fall concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, November 16, in the Dalton Theatre at Light Fine Arts. Composers and pieces will include: 

  • Maurice Duruflé: Trois Dances 
  • Paul Dukas: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice 
  • Andy Akiho: “in that space, at that time” from Sculptures 
  • William Grant Still: Symphony No. 1, Afro-American 

Founded in 1990 as the Kalamazoo College and Community Orchestra, the Philharmonia—directed by Professor of Music Andrew Koehler—brings together students, faculty, amateur and professional musicians of all ages to perform great music. Tickets at the door are $7 for general admission and $3 for students. Students with a valid Kalamazoo College ID will be admitted for free. 

Shell Yes! Student’s Technology Helps Nature Center Track Turtles

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Kalamazoo College student Joe Caton ’26 has turned his lifelong interest in radio technology into an innovative conservation project at Sarett Nature Center in Benton Harbor, Michigan. For his Senior Integrated Project (SIP), Caton built a low-cost telecommunications system to help the center monitor its population of Eastern box turtles.

Sarett is home to several types of turtles, and some, including the Eastern box turtle, are listed as threatened species in the state thanks to humans changing their habitats and predators threatening their safety.

 Eastern box turtles play subtle but significant roles in their ecosystems. As omnivores, they help control insect populations and disperse seeds from berries and other wild plants. Their presence affects the food web as both consumers and prey, and their nesting habits intersect with larger environmental issues. At Sarett, turtles have contributed to booming raccoon populations, which can overconsume eggs and disrupt long-term turtle survival.

Sarett staff and volunteers have long tracked the reptiles using older analog equipment that emits radio pings, requiring searchers to walk toward the sound to locate individuals.

Caton, who is a computer science major with a telecommunications background, saw an opportunity to modernize the process and make it more accessible for conservation groups with limited resources.

“Once I found out Sarett was still tracking these turtles, I reached out to see if I could help,” he said. “The receiver technology was the area with the least work being done, so that’s where I focused.”

Caton sourced a software-defined radio device called a Hack RF, which can detect signals across a wide frequency range. He paired it with a screen for visualizing the turtle transmitters’ radio signals and built a homemade antenna using PVC pipe and a metal tape measure. When he and Sarett staff tested the system in the field, they were able to match pings to specific turtles based on recorded frequencies.

The equipment offers Sarett a flexible, open-source alternative to commercial radio trackers, which are costly and difficult to replace or replicate. Caton’s prototype can be produced at a fraction of the cost by printing circuit boards from existing online plans, making the approach scalable for other nature centers, research projects or youth-education programs.

Although Caton’s role focused on technology, he says his work has changed how he thinks about conservation.

“I hadn’t given a lot of thought to how computer science could be used this way,” he said. “Now I realize you don’t just have to use tools that already exist, you can make them yourself and tailor them to the work.”

Caton grew up in Three Rivers, Michigan, and first attended Glen Oaks Community College in nearby Centreville. He originally planned to pursue another degree path, but when Glen Oaks launched a computer science and cybersecurity program in 2020, he became one of its first computer science students. After completing his associate degree, Caton worked for a few years before deciding he wanted to finish a bachelor’s degree.

He had always been intrigued by K.

“When I was younger, I just wanted to go to K because everyone I knew was going to Western (Michigan University) and I wanted to be different,” Caton said with a laugh. “But as I got older and actually started reading about it and hearing graduates’ stories, it sounded like a place I would actually want to go.”

On a whim, he applied to K, assuming it would be too expensive. But the opposite proved to be true.

“I got this financial aid package in the mail that made it not only an option, but the cheapest option,” he said. “That pretty much answered the question for me.”

As a non-traditional transfer student at age 40, Caton expected to feel out of place at K. Instead, he again was surprised.

“The only person who ever brought up my age was me,” he said. “Once I stopped mentioning it, nobody else did either. Nobody looked at me funny or treated me differently. That made it a lot easier to just be a student.”

He quickly connected with computer science faculty including Professor Pam Cutter and Associate Professor Sandino Vargas-Pérez. Their accessibility and encouragement built his confidence to take on projects like the one at Sarett. Caton has also worked on campus in Media Services while balancing coursework and his home life.

Eventually, his SIP provided opportunities that Caton didn’t expect. He has been networking with professionals at the intersection of ecology and technology, and he plans to continue refining his prototype with Sarett. Using a Raspberry Pi—which is a low-cost, credit-card-sized computer—he hopes to combine radio tracking with image-recognition software being developed by WMU students to identify turtles by their unique shell patterns.

Caton’s SIP is complete, but the project continues and so does his enthusiasm.

“If you assume something like the conservation of Eastern box turtles doesn’t matter just because you don’t see the connection right away, you’re going to miss something important,” he said. “We don’t always know what role a species plays until it’s gone. That’s why this work matters.”

Q&A with Sarett Nature Center
Executive Director Nate Fuller

Sarett Nature Center—less than an hour from Kalamazoo College between Benton Harbor and Coloma—is a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to providing quality environmental education to the community. It has more than 1,000 acres along the Paw Paw River and is home to several state and federally endangered animals in addition to a rich variety of flora and fauna, representing much of what can be found in southwest Michigan. Children are free and admission is $3 for adults who want to hike the trails and visit the welcome center, which has animal displays and feeding stations that are enjoyable for all ages.

Executive Director Nate Fuller answered some questions for us about the nature center, the importance of eastern box turtles and Joe Caton’s contributions to their conservation efforts.

Question: Why are eastern box turtles important within their ecosystems?

Answer: Eastern box turtles are important because they act as seed dispersers, regulate prey populations, and serve as an indicator species for environmental health. Their role in dispersing seeds helps maintain plant diversity, while their omnivorous diet helps control insect and other small prey populations. Because they are so sensitive to changes in their environment, their presence or absence can signal the overall health of their woodland, wetland and field habitats.

Q: How threatened are these turtles?

A: Eastern box turtle populations are declining at all levels—nationally, regionally and locally. They can be found across much of the eastern United States, but they have some level of protected status in nearly half of the states where they’re found. In Michigan, the eastern box turtle was recently moved from “special concern” to “threatened” status due to their increased decline.

Eastern box turtles seem to be doing much better at Sarett Nature Center than anywhere else that they’re studied. By studying Sarett’s population, officials hope to better understand what the turtles need to thrive.
A homemade antenna that Kalamazoo College student Joe Caton designed to help Sarett Nature Center track turtles
Caton built a homemade antenna using PVC pipe and a metal tape measure.
Software equipment says Hack RF One, Great Scott Gadgets
Caton sourced a software-defined radio device called a Hack RF (above), which can detect signals across a wide frequency range, and paired it with a screen for visualizing the turtle transmitters’ radio signals (below).
Telecommunications device helps track turtles on a screen
Joe at Sarett
Fuller had this to say of Caton’s work: “Joe’s work has the potential not just to make the research being done on Sarett’s box turtle population more effective and efficient, but it could also be a game changer for conservation efforts for all projects using telemetry.”

Q: Why is it important for Sarett to protect them?

A: Box turtles seem to be doing much better at Sarett Nature Center than anywhere else that they’re studied. By studying Sarett’s population, we hope to better understand what they need to be successful. Also, Sarett’s population is large enough that we have an opportunity to study their behaviors in a way that just isn’t possible at sites with smaller populations.

Q: What hands-on work is being undertaken at Sarett to help these turtles?

A: Work started a few years ago when Sarett hired John Rutger and his turtle dogs to help us find turtles. The idea was to demonstrate how working dogs help with conservation. We had no idea how many turtles he would find! The dogs found more than 60 turtles in four days at the nature center, and we had an inkling we were onto something special. Over the years since, we’ve documented more with few repeats while drawing attention from conservation professionals and researchers.

Maarten Vonhof at Western Michigan University is overseeing multiple research projects that are looking at genetics, shell patterns, habitat use, range sizes, nest-site selection, scent communication, disease and social behaviors. Watervliet High School Robotics Club members are working on micro-GPS trackers to add to turtles that already have transmitter beacons on them to better understand their daily movements. Sarett staff and volunteers are working on invasive plant species control to improve nesting and foraging habitats. And we are making plans for students, staff and volunteers to help identify, mark and monitor box turtle nests this upcoming spring.

Visitors to the nature center have been helpful in documenting box turtles. We also worked with WMU to set up an app for anyone who finds a box turtle to add them to our project. They can use their phone to take its picture and upload it to our database so we can build up our image catalogue and track locations of individuals.

Q: Has Sarett reached any important milestones in protecting the turtles?

A: We have hit some impressive milestones regarding the numbers of individuals we’ve identified at Sarett Nature Center. After four years of one-week surveys, we identified more than 300 individuals. After four weeks of intensive surveys in 2025, we were able to add more than 250 individuals to our inventory! We are still working on the data, but it looks like we have 600 individuals catalogued, which is many times more than any other single location documented anywhere.

The bloodwork collected this summer marks the largest genetic assessment of a box turtle population ever. The scent data collected is also the largest ever and will be the most comprehensive study ever done looking at box turtle communication via scent.

Q: How would you rate Joe Caton’s work and the importance of it in Sarett’s efforts?

A: Joe’s work has the potential not just to make the research being done on Sarett’s box turtle population more effective and efficient, but it could also be a game changer for conservation efforts for all projects using telemetry.

The costs of tracking are not just in designing the equipment used. A bigger expense comes from the time it takes humans to use the equipment, everything from training on how to use it to time in the field spent tracking down the animals. With more than 70 transmitters, it’s easier and more efficient to find transmitters in the field, and it will save us thousands of dollars. If you project that out to others using this technology, it could be a huge benefit for wildlife conservation.

Pitcher’s Thistle Protectors Collaborate on Beaver Island

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Three students taking notes on plants on Beaver Island
By the end of the summer, Caleb Jenkins ’26, Willow Hayner ’27 and Mairin Boshoven ’25 had recorded data on nearly a thousand Pitcher’s thistle seedlings, some barely a half-centimeter tall, on Beaver Island.
A bee gathers pollen from a Pitcher's thistle plant
Pollinators such as bees, monarchs and hummingbirds rely on Pitcher’s thistle for food in the early spring before much else blooms.

Surrounded by the waters of Lake Michigan, between the state’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas, three Kalamazoo College students spent their summer with Professor of Biology Binney Girdler, studying a small species of plant that fulfills big roles.

Caleb Jenkins ’26, Willow Hayner ’27 and Mairin Boshoven ’25 devoted their days to researching and protecting Pitcher’s thistle, a rare and threatened yet important plant on Beaver Island, where the students spent a couple of months at a remote hub for scientific activity: Central Michigan University’s Biological Station.

Pitcher’s thistle grows only on the shores of the western Great Lakes, Jenkins said, where it began to spread thousands of years ago as a huge glacier traveled northward, depositing minerals and sand.

“As the glacier melted, it gave us our Great Lakes,” Jenkins said. “From that, Pitcher’s thistle established roots deep within the Earth. As it grows, it collects more and more sand as the sand drifts and storms wash up deposits, assisting dune grasses in building dunes. Those dunes have developed into areas like the Sleeping Bear Dunes and Wilderness State Park.”

Studies in Wisconsin have shown that entire swaths of Pitcher’s thistle have been wiped out by an invasive weevil called Larinus planus, which destroys the plant’s seeds. Beaver Island is unique because researchers have yet to find any evidence of the weevils there. Their absence helps make the island an ideal spot for the pollinators that rely on Pitcher’s thistle for food in the early spring before much else blooms. It also provided Jenkins, Hayner and Boshoven with a perfect environment for their research, conducting tests and measurements that contribute to the plant’s conservation.

Even the deer on Beaver Island, whose growing numbers are hurting populations of other plants, seem to be having less impact on Pitcher’s thistle.

“The seedlings of the Pitcher’s thistle tend to be the most vulnerable,” Boshoven said. “The deer might step on a few or bite them, but the plants tend to be very resilient. Humans would be much more of a threat to the plant’s population than deer.”

CMU’s Biological Station is a nucleus for scientists and students from across the country. Hayner said K’s representatives were collecting data during the day while evenings brought talks from visiting researchers from organizations like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Michigan Natural Features Inventory.

“These groups often gave lectures on their research, and it was amazing to meet them and learn about their work,” Hayner said. “We also got to work in Binney’s lab, right next to the shores of Lake Michigan. As an added bonus, we were able to participate in the end-of-summer open house and poster show to present our research to the public.”

Much of the team’s daily work involved close observation—very close observation.

“There was a lot of crawling involved,” Jenkins recalled with a laugh. “We’d be hunched over the plants in the sand, and when people walked by asking what we were doing, we’d pop our heads up like groundhogs and say, ‘We’re measuring plants!’”

By the end of the summer, the group had recorded data on nearly a thousand seedlings, some barely a half-centimeter tall. Beyond the data, the project connected the students with the island community, whose residents deeply value Beaver Island’s natural plant and animal systems and appreciate research on species vital to the island’s ecology.

“You don’t have to convince anyone there why conservation matters,” Boshoven said. “They already know. One of my favorite moments was sharing our findings at the open house and seeing how excited people were about the research. It felt like conservation was happening in real time.”

All three students credit Girdler for fostering an environment that balances challenges with encouragement.

“Binney never pressured us just to produce results,” Jenkins said. “I could lay out what I’d learned and what I understood and say, ‘Here’s where I am.’ She was more than happy to meet us in the middle. That level of understanding is an extra bit of humanity you usually don’t get in academic settings.”

“She met us where we were and encouraged us to keep going, even when things went wrong.” Hayner added. “She’s an outstanding mentor. I learned so much just being part of her lab and hope to continue working with her on data analysis this year.”

For Boshoven, the experience has been transformative.

“My first summer there opened my eyes to what fieldwork could be,” she said. “Now I know I want to go to grad school not just for the degree, but for the process of doing the research. It really taught me how and why I want to structure my work in the future.”

Boshoven expects such enthusiasm to spread to the next generations of K students.

“The program Dr. Girdler has built is so well thought out,” Boshoven said. “Academically, it’s a great experience; she will follow it through with you all the way to publishing research, which is impressive for undergraduates. It has made me an exponentially better researcher. On the other hand, it was also just a great time.”

Jenkins said the experience solidified his own dream of becoming a conservation biologist.

“Anyone who knows me knows I’m a plant guy,” he said. “If I can spend the rest of my life studying plants and teaching people about them, I absolutely will.”

Hayner, too, found the project has influenced her long-term goals.

“I’m not totally sure where I’ll end up, but I know I want to keep doing fieldwork,” she said. “This showed me how passionate I am about plant ecology.”

Three students research Pitcher's thistle on Beaver Island
Jenkins, Hayner and Boshoven joined Professor of Biology Binney Girdler this summer on Beaver Island to research Pitcher’s thistle, a threatened species of plant.
Three people on a ferry to Beaver Island
The remote location of Beaver Island required the research team to take a ferry from Charlevoix, Michigan, to their summer home.

Professor Proud of Students, Beaver Island Research

Professor of Biology Binney Girdler said she’s proud of all of her students who perform research, especially Jenkins, Hayner and Boshoven, who did so in such a remote place.

“From Kalamazoo, it’s a three-and-a-half-hour road trip followed by a two-hour ferry ride,” she said. “There is one small grocery store on the island, one gas station where gas is $6 a gallon and four restaurants. But on the plus side, the students had 300 feet of sugar sand Lake Michigan beach at their disposal, and the lake to go jump in whenever they wanted. I was incredibly proud of each of them for their creativity and dedication. Each student had their own piece of the puzzle. I was really impressed with what a great team these three scholars made. Even though they each had ownership of a different part of the project, they coordinated their work well so that they traded jobs and supported each other through challenges, especially when I was off-island. My students were professional and engaging, and community members told me what a great job they did presenting.”

What is Pitcher’s Thistle?

  • Named after: Zina Pitcher, a U.S. Army surgeon at Fort Brady and an amateur naturalist. He discovered the plant in the 1820s along Lake Superior.
  • Scientific name: Cirsium pitcheri or CIPI for short.
  • Range: Native only to the dunes of Lakes Michigan, Huron and Superior.
  • Status: Federally threatened in the U.S., federally endangered in Canada.
  • Ecological role: Stabilizes sand dunes with deep roots; blooms early to feed pollinators such as bees, monarchs and hummingbirds.
  • Biggest threat: Shoreline development and a seed-eating invasive weevil, Larinus planus.
  • Why Beaver Island matters: It’s one of the few places with no reports of weevil damage, offering a refuge for healthy populations.
  • Kalamazoo College connection: Professor of Biology Binney Girdler and her students have studied the species for years, contributing to its conservation.

Student Earns Headline-Worthy New York Times Mentorship

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For Kalamazoo College student Sarah Guerrero Gorostieta ’28, a passion for writing has opened doors all the way to the New York Times. 

Guerrero learned in August that she’s been selected for the New York Times Corps, a program for college students who could benefit from mentorship and career guidance. The Corps connects participants with veteran journalists and provides professional training before the students visit the Times newsroom. Although she won’t be writing for the Times, the program represents an extraordinary opportunity. 

“I’m grateful for this because practicing skills in journalism will help me learn to be curious and how to ask questions,” she said.

Guerrero attended a student conference through the National Association of Hispanic Journalists in April, later attending the association’s full conference in July thanks to the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership Fund at K. When the association posted about the Times’ mentorship program on LinkedIn, she felt earning a spot might be difficult with her limited experience—she only had two writing classes and no previous freelance work. Yet the post suggested the Times was looking for students just like her. 

With that thought and some encouragement from Professor of English Marin Heinritz, she decided to apply. Today, Guerrero is paired with Motoko Rich, the Times’ Rome bureau chief. She will receive guidance from Times journalists and attend training sessions with her cohort for the next three years. 

Guerrero—who enjoys studying English, political science and Spanish—began her journalism journey in high school outside Chicago. She pursued independent writing and joined her school newspaper during the pandemic to stay connected with classmates. Although K does not offer a journalism major, she has discovered that courses and opportunities at K are helping her prepare to become an independent journalist. 

“Dr. Heinritz was a philosophy major, and she told me that you don’t need to major in English or journalism to become a journalism professional,” Guerrero said. “You just have to be curious. You just have to push yourself to learn. Motoko Rich, my mentor, told me that it’s important to learn a little bit about a lot of things. That’s why I think K, with our open curriculum, is so good for me. I can take a little bit of everything while also learning how to be good at one niche thing.” 

Taking the introduction to journalism course with Heinritz further piqued her interest in the profession. One assignment for the class pushed her to interview strangers around campus and she learned to write stories on tight deadlines. 

“It was nerve-wracking, but it also made me excited,” she said. “It was a way to orient myself as a first-year student and Dr. Heinritz encouraged me to keep going, even when it was difficult.” 

Since then, Guerrero has leaned into every opportunity to develop her craft as she writes for K’s student newspaper, the Index, contributing campus stories, and freelances for NowKalamazoo, a nonprofit newsroom known for in-depth local reporting. Her first published story profiled a Nigerian food truck in downtown Kalamazoo. 

“It was intimidating, writing for a broader audience I didn’t know,” she said. “But I realized I don’t have to wait until after graduation to do the real work. I can do it now.” 

Those experiences complement her national opportunities, giving her both mentorship at the highest level and practical reporting experience in her community. Guerrero is especially drawn to solutions journalism, which highlights how communities address challenges. She also feels a strong responsibility to represent voices at K that might otherwise go unheard. 

“We have a lot of students of color here, and their stories need to be shared,” she said. “I want to help build a bigger, more diverse staff at the Index.” 

Guerrero’s long-term vision is to mentor younger student writers, expand the paper’s reach and ensure that it reflects the full K community. 

Alumni of the Times Corps often go on to fellowships, freelance opportunities and newsroom careers. Guerrero hopes to one day pitch stories to the Times, perhaps even for its Modern Love section, which she has followed since high school. For now, she balances classes, reporting and her growing network of mentors. She admits she still gets nervous before interviews, but she sees that as a good thing. 

“Journalists should be a little nervous,” she said. “It means the questions we’re asking matter.” 

As she looks ahead to study abroad, internships and more bylines, Guerrero remains motivated by the same curiosity that brought her to the field in the first place. 

“The future of journalism belongs to people who ask good questions and believe in the freedom of the press,” she said. “That’s the kind of journalist I want to be.”  

New York Times Corps Member Sarah Guerrero Gorostieta stands next to a fountain that has NAHJ projected onto it
Sarah Guerrero Gorostieta ’28 attended a student conference through the National Association of Hispanic Journalists before the association’s full conference thanks to the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership Fund.
New York Times Corps member Sarah Guerrero Gorostieta holds her NAHJ conference name tag
Guerrero applied for the New York Times Corps mentorship after attending two journalism conferences.
Portrait of New York Times Corps member Sarah Guerrero
Guerrero writes for K’s student newspaper, the Index, while freelancing for NowKalamazoo, a local nonprofit newsroom.