Stronger Together
Knights for Life aren’t just a maroon and gold-wearing, Rivalry game-cheering, nostalgia-loving crowd scattered in far-flung places. They also comprise a global community of friends and mentors eager to support one another. From new friendships that open unexpected doors to alumni who mentor, hire, and champion the next generation, these connections shape careers and foster community well into the post-Calvin years
Find Community—Wherever You Land
As a student from Nigeria who followed his two sisters to Calvin, Glory Emmanuel ’19 appreciated how quickly he built friendships on campus with peers from around the world. As an alumnus, those connections endure.
When he decided to job search in the U.S., he leaned on the Career Center, then turned to the wider Calvin network, connecting with fellow Knight Investment Management teammate Jeff Meitler ’16, who lived in the San Francisco area at the time. Meitler helped Emmanuel navigate the local culture, understand the professional landscape, and even helped him secure housing.
On a recent trip to Asia, Emmanuel reunited with friends and acquaintances, meeting Calvin alumni in South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines.
In times of struggle, staying connected has continued to open new doors. This past year, Emmanuel received a gene therapy for sickle cell disease, a genetic condition most prevalent among people of color. The transformative treatment prompted him to start a nonprofit called Rare Hope for those dealing with similar diagnoses. Four Calvin alumni sit on the board of Emmanuel’s young foundation. “We’re currently partnering with the UCSF Sickle Cell Center of Excellence to create social media content to promote public awareness and improved access to treatment options for sickle cell warriors,” he says.
Pay It Forward, Knight Style
For Mike Wolf ’06, giving back means helping the next generation of Calvin alumni enter the workforce equipped with practical skills and industry experience. His own career path began with a Calvin Action Project (CAP) at The Stow Company in 2005. That experience—and the mentorship of marketing professor Bob Eames—helped him to build a career that has spanned 20 years with the same company. “I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Bob,” says Wolf, Stow’s vice president of brand management. “He opened a lot of doors in the early days of my career.”
Every year for the last 15 years, Wolf has returned to campus as a guest presenter to share his expertise in some of Calvin’s business classes. But Calvin students also come to him. As part of his senior CAP, Jack Nielsen ’25 and his team partnered with Wolf, who asked Nielson and his classmates to research, evaluate, and propose brand partnerships that could open new revenue streams for one of Stow’s brands.
“Mike let us take the reins, which allowed us to showcase our skills as a group,” Nielsen says. The experience gave him newfound confidence that eased his transition into a marketing role at Detroit Continental.
Kick-Start a Community, Discover a Friend
Since 2020, Calvin’s master of accounting mentoring program has paired graduate students with alumni mentors who share insights and guide them into professional life. Assurance and audit manager Cameron Earnshaw ’17 was among the first cohort of mentors for the program. He worked closely with his mentee, Owen Brookhouse ’20, now a senior accounting analyst. As a mentor, Earnshaw offered Brookhouse practical advice on topics like workplace communication and exam preparation.
Brookhouse, who grew up in a small town on the East Coast, also appreciated connecting with Earnshaw when he relocated to Chicago for his first job. Their similarity in age and living in the same city made the friendship that followed natural and meaningful.
Six years later, the two young professionals talk regularly and belong to the same club volleyball team. “Owen and I have lots in common outside of accounting: shared interests in sports, comedy shows, golf, and good food, which makes it easy to stay connected,” Earnshaw says.
Build a Dream Team
When Stephanie Vogelzang ’07 wanted to start a physical education and athletic department at the classical Christian school she helped found in Arlington, Virginia, she turned to the dean of Calvin’s School of Education, Brian Bolt.
Bolt, who is also the golf coach, introduced her to golfer and education major Jackson Glanzer ’25. Vogelzang was beyond thrilled when Glanzer said yes to the daunting task of becoming Tyndale’s first athletic director and building a program from the ground up. She says she knew Glanzer was the right hire when he took one look at the school parking lot and its proximity to a local park and told her, “I can work with that.”
In addition to teaching physical and outdoor education, Glanzer also launched a running club and introduced competitive track and field this spring. He says he is committed to building a “robust disciple-making program where students know the joy of sport.” Vogelzang says, “Our kids and families adore him.”