About five years ago Chaplain Dale Cooper and Physical Education Professor Ralph Honderd recognized this need and began a mentoring program at Calvin. The concept behind the mentoring program was to link people in inter-generational ways to establish ongoing personal relationships. They first presented the idea at a faculty meeting and Honderd remembers that they were very encouraged by the interest that was exhibited. The process begins when a student expresses an interest in committing to a mentoring relationship. He or she fills out at application and then Cooper and Hondred prayerfully match mentorees with mentors.
Most groups meet once a week to offer support and encouragement.
While Christian growth important to the program, it is not just spiritual in nature. But Cooper stresses that he is furiously committed to not only numbers, but to establishing relationships. Valerie Smits, a junior, is one of the recipients of the Calvin Mentoring Scholarship which provides grants to students willing to commit time on a regular basis to building a mentor relationship. Smits describes her mentor as one of her best friends. This is exactly the outcome that Cooper and Honderd had in mind.