Alyssa Anderson, Assistant Professor of Athletic Training and Clinical Education Coordinator, C’11
“My first year as faculty, John Hjelm asked me if I would help chaperone his cross-country ski trip course at Covenant Point. Another faculty member had to have surgery and couldn’t go, but I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea. I would not have called myself a cross-country skier. However, seeing John on that trip, how much energy he got from teaching in that environment, really made an impression. John’s love for students and Covenant Point really shone through. He was so joyful to get to share this place that was important to him with students who became so important to him.
“Over the years, the trip evolved as John passed the torch to Kesia Shirkey, who later passed it to me. What remained throughout were the connections formed between people and with Covenant Point. The year I led the trip, another alum, Dustin Johnson, who had participated as a student his first year, now a decade later was on staff at Covenant Point and in charge of ski instruction. It was fun to hear how the trip had evolved through his eyes.
“In the last few years, many of our students were from Chicago and didn’t have a lot of experience in rural environments, so it was an opportunity for them to enjoy nature in the wintertime, step out of their comfort zones, learn new skills, and meet people they otherwise wouldn’t. For commuter students, it was an opportunity to experience community. You could tell that people who would otherwise never meet each other were going to become study buddies, get coffee on campus, or just have someone else they would recognize outside of their major.
“The trip hasn’t happened for a couple of years. When John passed the torch, he was very clear that it did not have to continue just because he started it. I think that speaks to the fact that North Park has had some innovative programs in its history, some of which are here for a time and gone, some of which span the decades, but they all are core to who we are in terms of educating students in immersive environments and exposing them to things they might not otherwise see or learn from.”
We’re celebrating 130 years of North Park community. You’re invited to share your own story at www.northpark.edu/share130