Two seniors receive Faculty Honors

Two graduating seniors at Northwestern College received Faculty Honors during the college’s commencement exercises on May 13. Those recognized included Laura Hurley of Canton, S.D., and Chris Sietstra of Boyden, Iowa.

The Faculty Honors award is bestowed upon graduates who excel in academic achievement, Christian influence, general attitude and participation in worthwhile campus activities. The highest honor the faculty gives to graduating seniors, it is determined by a vote of the entire faculty.

Hurley completed majors in biology-health professions, mathematics and Spanish. She graduated Magna Cum Laude for compiling a grade point average of between 3.70 and 3.89. An Honors Program Scholar, she received an Outstanding Graduating Senior Award from the biology department, participated in healthcare internships in Nicaragua and Ecuador, and served as a research assistant for a Mayo Clinic physician. A two-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete in softball, she presented research at a meeting of the Iowa Academy of Science. The daughter of Lynn and Marilyn Hurley will pursue a joint M.D. and master’s degree in public health at Chicago’s Rush Medical College in the fall with a goal of eventually providing healthcare in a Spanish-speaking country.

Sietstra, who majored in accounting and psychology, earned Summa Cum Laude honors for compiling a grade point average of 3.90 or above. He worked as a Junior Scholar, research assistant and teaching assistant for Dr. Laird Edman and will present research with him and other students at the Association for Psychological Science conference later this month. Additionally, Sietstra was a tutor, member of the Campus Ministry Team and leader of a Spring Service Project to Amsterdam. He also played baseball for the Red Raiders his first two years and sang on a traveling worship team. The son of Loren and Carla Sietstra has accepted a position as a staff accountant at Ernst and Young in Minneapolis.

Northwestern College is a Christian college of more than 1,250 students in Orange City, Iowa. Rated a top-10 Midwestern college by U.S. News & World Report magazine, Northwestern provides an education committed to academic rigor and a Christ-centered worldview.