"Traveling a full weekend into the heart of downtown Chicago, meeting with consultants, advisors, pastors, executives, and partners, learning from them and fellowshipping with one another makes us realize what we are being prepared for: a serious calling in a serious world."

So said Bryan De Jong '08, president of the Covenant College Business Club, of the organization's spring semester trip to the Windy City.

Organized by Regional Directors of Development Jane Jelgerhuis and Derek Halvorson, the trip was an opportunity for students interested in pursuing careers in business to explore a number of options and, in particular, learn from several Covenant College alumni working in the business world themselves.

The group of 10 students and Jelgerhuis met with Covenant alumnus Nathan Thompson, who works for Accenture, and toured the Chicago Board of Trade. They were briefed on finance and brokerage by Covenant alumnus David F. Wilding, Esq., compliance officer for Performance Trust Capital Partners.

Covenant alumnus Matthew Potoshnick spoke with the group about his work at Unilever and gave a tour of the company's offices on N. Michigan Avenue. Senior Director Kevin Willis of AEG Partners, who also serves as a recruiter for Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, spoke with the students about his business experience over brunch at the Union League Club.

A tour of the dairy, visitor center, and cheese plant at Fair Oaks Farms, owned by Sarina den Dulk's family, and a dinner party, rounded out the weekend.

"The business club trip to Chicago," said Jon Wilkinson '08, "has definitely been the highlight of my senior year so far. It was so great to have the opportunity to network with Covenant alumni in the business world and to learn what they do and how Covenant has prepared them for what they do. As a senior getting ready to graduate, it was an encouragement to see Covenant alumni doing such great things."

The students participating in the trip included Bryan De Jong '08, Sarina den Dulk '08, Collins Harrison '08, Adam Herberich '09, Jessica Jelgerhuis '08, Erik Kotanchik '08, Andrew Lee '09, Brent Ripple '09, Patrick Thibideau '08, and Jon Wilkinson '08.

Bryan De Jong '08 reflected on the experience: "It encouraged me that these alumni of Covenant...are succeeding in things I'd love to do. Everyone learned a lot."

About Covenant College

Founded in 1955, Covenant College provides a first-rate, Christ-centered education in the liberal arts to more than 1,300 students from around the country and the world. Covenant is governed by a board of trustees elected by the Presbyterian Church in America and offers master of education, bachelor of arts, bachelor of music, bachelor of science, and associate of arts degrees, as well as several pre-professional programs. Quest and the Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education are the College's adult degree-completion programs.