Team

Prof. Kumar Sinniah

I am a professor in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department and a pre-health advisor at Calvin University. This will be my 8th time teaching this course to students in Nepal. In this experiential learning course, students learn how culture, medicine, and spirituality intersect. Students will travel as learners and learn about best practices and pitfalls for healthcare in low-resource settings. While students will have many opportunities to observe the role of physicians and nurses at the hospitals we visit, they will also learn about the role of a hospital in a community. It has been a joy to witness students' maturity and growth in a short time span during our previous visits.

Dr. Theo Beels, MD

I am an internal medicine physician who has lived and worked more than 6 years in Nepal. I now get to go back and share my passion for the people of Nepal, medicine, missions and prayer with 11 wonderful students.

Mrs. Beth Beels, RN

I am a nurse, who first went to Nepal in 1977, where I taught nursing for three years. It was also there that I met my husband, Dr. Beels. Together, we returned to work there another 3 years, 2010 to 2013. Now I look forward to "passing the torch" to the next generation of nurses.

Sarah Brinks

Hi! My name is Sarah and I am a junior in the nursing program with a minor in Spanish. I am from Grand Rapids, and I have been here my whole life. I recently discovered my love for traveling when I studied abroad in Sevilla, Spain the spring semester of 2023. This was way out of my comfort zone, and something totally new for me. Living and learning in a different country was the most incredible experience of my life, and I am really excited to get to have the opportunity to experience another culture in Nepal. I absolutely love nursing so far, and I am super excited to get to learn about healthcare in the context of a new culture. When I'm not at school, my time is filled with hanging out with my friends and family, working as a tech at Mary Free Bed, getting coffee, and going to the beach. I can't wait to see what adventures Nepal has in store for us!

Tyler VerMerris

Hi! I am a Junior on the pre-med track studying Biochemistry. I am from Grand Rapids and have always had a passion for travel and adventure. I have visited many countries near the United States but am elated to go to the other side of the globe on this trip. Outside of a very intensive school year, I love working part-time in the hospital as a Personal Care Assistant on the surgery floor. I enjoy time outdoors, getting to go for walks and hikes as much as I can, spending time with friends, and trying out any activity I can say yes to. My desire for justice work continues to drive me into the medical field and push my motivation toward that career, and I am looking forward to seeing the different ways justice issues are navigated in the country of Nepal.

Sarah Zylstra

Hi! My name is Sarah, and I am a junior in the nursing program with a Spanish minor. I grew up right here in Grand Rapids and am a third generation Calvin student. I'm not a big traveler, but I was able to travel to Mexico with Calvin last May to complete my minor, and this experience helped push me to apply to this amazing program! When I am not in class or working, I love spending time walking, shopping, reading, babysitting, and hanging out with my friends and family. I am always up for fun adventures and anything that involves dessert! I am so excited to be part of this once in a lifetime trip to Nepal!! I am looking forward to learning about their culture, nursing practice, and seeing how God is at work. I am super excited for what God has in store for our group on this trip!

Jon LaRue

I am a Junior Pre-Med student studying Psychology however enjoyed my creative writing class the most out of any at Calvin. I used to run track until I decided running around in endless circles just wasn't for me. So now I chase a flying circle running in straight lines playing ultimate frisbee. My two favorite things are stories and games. If anything involves either a story or a game I'm there can be a book, movie, campfire stories, or card game, sport, talking, or anything. I'm super excited to go to Nepal with this pretty cool seeming group. I think it'll be a great opportunity to get to know some good people but most of all it I think it'll be an amazing learning experience of a different way of life from my own.

Anneke Lieuwen

Hello! I'm a junior nursing student from Atlanta, Georgia. I love doing active activities like sports as well as being outdoors! My favorite hobbies right now are pickleball and board games. When I'm at Calvin I'm usually at Hekman Library it's my favorite place to study. I love learning about science and other medical things. I volunteered over the summer as a medical aid at a health center for refugees and those below the poverty level and loved being able to meet people from all over the world. I'm so excited for Nepal to learn about medicine in a different country and gain new experiences.

Kelly Fritzsch

Hello! My name is Kelly and I am a junior Kinesiology, Pre-Physician Assistant major! I was born and raised in sunny Oceanside, California and am fifth generation for Calvin. I love playing volleyball and I played competitively for ten years, including two here at Calvin. As the picture displays, I am also an art enthusiast, especially of Van Gogh and Monet, and I hope to visit more art museums in the future! I am currently working as a nurse tech at Blodgett Hospital, which has confirmed that I have a passion for healthcare. Though I am tolerant of the cold and snow, I enjoy drinking coffee at the beach and hiking (Yosemite is my absolute favorite!). This summer while driving from my home in Oceanside to Grand Rapids, the desire to travel resurfaced as my parents and I drove through Utah, hitting all five of their national parks. I am excited to combine my passion for traveling and medicine on this trip to Nepal as I learn more about how healthcare is distributed in another country while also growing my faith. (:

Katelyn Hoekema

I'll be honest, I've never written a blog post before so this is a little weird... Hi, my name is Katelyn, like it says just above. I'm a junior at Calvin and I am a double major in Biology and Biochemistry on the Pre-med track. I'm from Bolingbrook, Illinois, and always grew up saying I'd never go to Calvin because my whole family went here, yet here I am and I love it! I used to be on the basketball team until I decided I wanted to be able to focus on working, my grades, and getting clinical experience. I am very much looking forward to traveling to Nepal! I've had Professor Sinniah for a few classes and know that his personality alone is going to make this such an adventure! I'm looking forward to getting to know this group of students more, I know a handful of them already and they're great people!

Ella Lubberts

Hello, my name is Ella and I am a junior from Grand Rapids studying Nursing. Studying abroad is something I looked forward to in college but had pushed it aside with the pandemic, transferring, and an overall untraditional track. With that, the opportunity to study in Nepal is something I couldn't have imagined a year ago and I am incredibly excited for this experience. Outside of nursing classes, I work as a tech in the emergency department and as a health officer for a summer camp. With these experiences I am interested in learning alternative treatments for acute conditions. I also enjoy running, cooking, and dreaming about hobbies I can do when I graduate.

Ellie Bouws

Hey everyone, my name is Ellie and I am a junior from Wyoming, Michigan studying Nursing! Apart from my studies, I am involved in gospel choir, chapel teams, volleyball intramurals, and was a member of the artist collaborative. I am happy these opportunities have allowed me to be creative/musical, travel, and do the things I enjoy with good friends. And just for fun...I love coffee, coffee shops, and coffee ice cream 🙂 In my nursing clinicals, and after working at Pine Rest, my interest to work in healthcare has grown! There is so much I've learned from my experiences already, so I am excited to see what our time in Nepal has to offer. I am eager to travel, hike, eat, and explore a new place with this cool group of people, too!

Amelia Huston

Hello! I am a Junior nursing student from the suburbs of Chicago. When I'm not studying, I enjoy spending time outside, rock climbing, playing guitar, and reading books at local cafes. I am extremely excited and honored to be able to go to Nepal and learn more about the medical field and life in Nepal!

Renee Broekhuizen

Hey everybody! I am a junior nursing student at Calvin University from Caledonia, MI. Much to the disappointment of Prof. Sinniah, I quit my biology/biochemistry majors after my freshman year. Besides switching majors, my other hobbies include baking, lifting, going on walks, and playing minesweeper. I am incredibly excited to go on this journey to Nepal with all of these fantastic people! The best part about traveling is being immersed into a different culture, which will happen not only in the hospital setting but also while we hike, eat food, and travel around town. I look forward to making an impact on others and, more importantly, being impacted by others.