When Emily Steen stepped foot on Calvin’s campus, the realities of prison were no longer out of sight, out of mind. As a sociology major, she took classes with students who were finishing the degree they started inside Handlon Correctional Facility through the Calvin Prison Initiative program. She heard her peers’ struggles to re-enter society, and she knew she had to do something about it.

Steen designed a research project with the help of her professor to dig deeper into understanding the problem of re-entry and exploring what policies and procedures could be formed to make the transition smoother for returning citizens. Her groundbreaking project was one of just three nationwide to receive the prestigious Hatfield Prize.

After a brief stint on Wall Street, Nana Owusu-Achau decided the skills he honed at Calvin could be leveraged to make a bigger impact in his home country. On the flight home to Ghana, an article caught his attention and “a seed was planted.” According to the article, in 2012, Africa used only 8% of its arable land.

Owusu-Achau saw an opportunity and he contacted fellow Calvin alumni from Africa to help create a path for the country to utilize its resources better.

What started with supporting two farmers would soon grow into Agro Kings, a company that works with 300 small-holder famers and has acquired 10,000 acres for a commercial-size farm. More recently, the company began exporting rice to three continents.

After completing her undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Studies—combining social work, English, and communications—Nikita Miner returned to �鶹�� to pursue a Master of Public Health. Her long-term goal is to teach and do research that contributes to healthier communities, and she’s thankful that the flexibility of Calvin’s program helps her take realistic strides toward that dream.

For Miner, that flexibility means she can work full-time in her field while she is going to school. As she learns about concepts in the classroom, she can put them into practice immediately on the job. Plus, she still has access to all of Calvin’s amenities including the career center, where she can get help polishing her resume or reviewing interview skills—for life!

Learn more about Calvin’s graduate programs. And if you’re not ready to pursue a degree, you can browse our professional development opportunities.