Directors

Caitlin Gardner
Hi everyone! My name is Caitlin Gardner and I am going to be a senior next year at Hope...wahhh! I am majoring in Language Arts for Elementary Education and minoring in Spanish. I am so excited to be co-directing Orientation this year with my partner in crime, Miss Jenny Johnston. When I am not in the basement of DeWitt working on orientation business, I can be found in my Treehouse on 8th Street or at the beach in Holland. My interests include leopard print, ice cream, laughing, coffee, kids, the sun, music, bright colors, Dance Marathon, CASA and, most importantly, orientation! I absolutely love Hope College and my goal is to share this love with the class of 2013! 

Assistant Directors

Ben Mahaffie
Hey Guys and Gals! My name is Ben Mahaffie and I'll be a Junior next year at Hope College. I am majoring in Sociology with a Criminal Justice emphasis and plan to be a part-time law enforcement agent and part-time professional baseball umpire. I spent my teenage years in the Netherlands where my father, who works for Shell Energy, was moved. I speak fluent Dutch, which sometimes comes in handy speaking to the elderly of Holland, Michigan. This summer I am living just off-campus and working full time at Hope's fine Grounds Department. I am one of many student workers who assist the groundskeepers making sure the campus looks awesome. My three loves in life are God, motorcycles, and baseball. Coming to Hope College has helped me grow in my walk with Christ, and I pray that God leads you in the same direction! I can't wait to help you become acclimated to Hope College. You'll love it here!

Emily Dunning
Hey! My name is Emily Dunning. I am going to be a junior this year and am majoring in Communications and Political Science. I am originally from Madison, WI and have absolutely loved my time at Hope College. Hope has provided so many opportunities for me. I am a current member of the Social Activities Committee, last year I was a member of Dance Marathon's Dream Team, I am part of Greek Life, and for the past seven weeks I have been studying in Vienna, Austria taking summer classes. I love hanging out with friends, running, going to the beach, music, and I can't wait to meet the new class of 2013!!!

Andrew Haggerty
Hey guys!!! The name's Andrew Haggerty and I'm getting ready for my sophomore year at Hope! I play on the hockey team here, #22... so you know who to cheer for. I'm planning on being a Social Work major with a minor in Psychology. Over the summer I'm working as a counselor at Springhill in Evart, MI, having fun and talking about God with some middle schoolers! My home town is Novi, MI (near the Detroit area for those who don't know.) Some things I'm really into are God, hockey (and other sports), music, people, and of course...HOPE COLLEGE!!! I can't wait to meet the class of 2013 and watch Hope rock your world!

Meghan Vanderlee
Hello Everyone! My name is Meghan Vanderlee. I am from St. John, IN (it's about 45 minutes from Chicago) and I will be a junior this fall. When I finish at Hope, I want to be a youth pastor. I am majoring in Religion and Psychology and minoring in Youth Ministry. This summer I am living at home and working at a local day care. I love being home and with my family, but I miss Hope!! I can't wait to return in the fall and meet YOU! I love Hope and I really hope that you do too! There are many things I love about Hope, the most being the relationships. I have grown in my relationship with God, my friends, and even my professors. Orientation is a BLAST and I am SO excited for this fall! Class of 2013...Get excited!!!! :)

Carrie Powers
Hi!  My name is Carrie Powers and I will be a senior at Hope this year.  I am from Greenville, SC and am majoring in Chemistry and Spanish.  This summer, I am interning in a genetics lab in Greenwood, SC and volunteering at a camp for children with special needs on the weekends. I love playing soccer, running, reading, working at camp, Habitat for Humanity, and Hope College, of course! I can't wait to meet all of you during Orientation 2009!

Amanda Schab
Hi!! I'm Amanda Schab and I am going to be a Junior at Hope this fall! My major is Nursing and hopefully I will also have a minor in Psychology. This summer I am spending time at home with my wonderful family in the little tiny town of Galesburg, MI and working as a hostess at a local restaurant. I really like to run (go Hope Track & Field!), play basketball, smile, meet new people, and travel. But most importantly I LOVE Hope College (and Orientation!!!) and can't wait to show the class of 2013 how amazing this place will be for them!! GO HOPE :)

Michelle Roose
Hi!! My name is Michelle Roose and I'm going to be a senior at Hope next year! I am majoring in Spanish for Secondary Education and minoring in English. I am from Portage, MI but I am taking classes, working and taking frequent trips to the beach at Hope for the summer. I love tennis, singing, my dog, soccer, macaroni and cheese, taking pictures, tutoring in the English as a Second Language Program, Dance Marathon and Orientation. I love Hope College and have had an amazing experience here over the past three years! I am so excited to meet the class of 2013 and welcome them to Hope College! 

Sarah Warner
Hey there! My name is Sarah Warner, and I'm going into my senior year at Hope. I am the 2009 Siblings Program Assistant Director. I have majors in International Studies and German with minors in History and Ministry, and I just finished up my junior year abroad in Germany and Argentina. This summer was spent both abroad and as a counselor at Camp Timber-lee in Wisconsin. I am SO excited to get back to Hope, where I'm involved in the Kappa Beta Phi sorority, Bible study, and work as a tour guide at Admissions, not to mention hanging out at Lemonjello's and going to the Gathering! Can't wait to kick off the fall with all our new students during Orientation 2009!

Katelyn Rumsey
Hi Everyone! Though I find it hard to believe, I will be starting my junior year at Hope in just a short while.  I am in the midst of pursuing a degree in Management and Economics, and plan on entering the world of business upon graduation. Though it may not have been my first preference for a summer activity, I spent the first seven weeks "off from school"taking Calculus. Throughout the remainder of the summer, I will be working at my summer job as a swim instructor.  On my time off from work, I love being active and stay busy by running, biking, reading, crafting, camping, babysitting, and participating in water sports with my family.  I'm extremely excited to see you in August-have a terrific summer!

Priscilla Oddo
Hi! I'm Priscilla Oddo and I'll be a senior this fall at Hope. I'm a History major and Political Science minor, and I have no idea what I want to do when I graduate! Aside from being the Assistant Director (AD) for transfer students (I transferred here myself after my freshman year at GVSU), I'm also President of Student Congress here at Hope. This year, I'll be reclaiming my room in an on-campus cottage with eleven other amazing girls (including OD Caitlin Gardner). We lived there last year, and it was so great we're doing it again! I love Hope College, summertime, Lake Michigan, my fellow ADs, library books, and "orientating" new students! I attended another college for a year, and I can tell you... Hope College is like the Disney World of colleges--the happiest place on earth! So, welcome class of 2013 and get ready to have the BEST orientation weekend of your LIFE!

Rachel Scott
Guten Tag! My name is Rachel Scott and I will be a senior this upcoming year at Hope. I am an International Studies and Religion double major. I recently spent a semester studying in Freiburg, Germany, with the European Union as well as traveling to various member states, so that is a little fact about myself. This summer I am spending time with those I love and working odd jobs that include cleaning up construction sites. I am also visiting Mount Rushmore and spending three weeks in Colorado visiting family. I would have to say that some of my favorite things include being a beach bum, spending time with friends, the Kappa Beta Phi sorority, growing closer to God, reading, traveling, and Hope College! I look forward to getting to know the incoming freshman class and spreading my love of all things Hope!

Ryan Sexton
Hi there! My name is Ryan Sexton and I will be entering my senior year here at Hope next fall. I am majoring in History with minors in Political Science and Management. I'm not quite sure how they will translate into a career for me just yet, but I still have a year right? I'm spending the summer working loooong hours at a manufacturing facility in Holland in order to make some extra spending money for the year. In addition to orientation, I am involved in Student Congress and the technical crew for the Hope Worship Team. I also enjoy spending time with family and friends, Hope basketball, reading textbooks, playing pretend, and music. I can't wait to start the year off right with orientation for the class of 2013!!!

Nicole Nordstrom
Hello! My name is Nicole Nordstrom and I will be a senior at Hope this year! I am majoring in Management and minoring in Communications. This summer I am staying in Holland and working a lot. In my free time, I am looking for a fall internship and, of course, enjoying the sun and the beach! Being around Holland in the summer is much quieter than the rest of the year, so I can't wait for orientation and everyone to move back. I'm very excited to meet the class of 2013 and start a great year!!!

Sarah Russo
Hi! My name is Sarah Russo and I will be a junior this year. This summer I have been nannying in my hometown, the wonderfully windy city of Chicago. Even though I am an avid dancer, I have been drawn to the world of Social Work. During my time at Hope, philanthropy has become a consistent part of my free time. Volunteering for Dance Marathon and the local Boys and Girls Club helped me choose social work as my major. Spending time with family and friends has been great, but I can't wait to meet you all! Have a great summer and get pumped!  

Amanda Meekhof
Hello! My name is Amanda Meekhof and I am heading into my junior year at Hope College. I am in the nursing program and although it's a lot of work, I love it! This summer I am working at Resthaven Care Center as a nursing assistant and babysitting here and there. When I'm not working, I enjoy reading, running, the beach, camping, swimming and anything in the sun! I also just got back from a mission trip in Haiti, which was incredible! Summer has been busy with family, friends and work but I am very excited to get back to Hope and meet all of you!

Emma Biagioni
Hey there soon-to-be Hope students and families! As I prepare to head back to the U.S. after spending a semester in Japan, my feelings are scattered, but as soon as I think about my return to Hope in the fall, my feelings are the clearest. I am excited and I am ready. I have missed it. Hope is a place students can call home. I can't wait to share my love and enthusiasm for my home, with the newest members of our Hope family, the incoming freshmen and their families. I am a Political Science major with an International Relations emphasis and Asian Studies minor. Hope is small in size, but big in influence. It has changed me, challenged me, and molded me. I look forward to meeting you all during Orientation 2009 and soaking in the joys of Hope together! It's going to be a beautiful time of transition for you and me both.

Brooke Klopcic
Hi everyone! My name is Brooke Klopcic and I will be a junior this fall at Hope! My major is Language Arts for Elementary Education. This summer I am working at a preschool in my hometown of Grand Rapids. This is a lot of fun and has given me great experience working with young children. I love spending time with my family and friends, hanging out at my family cottage in Petoskey, MI, Dance Marathon, CASA and orientation! I can't wait to meet everyone and share my love of Hope College with you all this fall!

Brian Johnson
Hi! My name is Brian Johnson and it is with great pleasure that I welcome the incoming class of 2013 and their families to Hope College! This year will be my fourth and final year at Hope. I am a Political Science major and Management minor. Some of my favorite things to do, other than studying, include longboarding, sailing, running, skiing, and intramural soccer. To be honest, I’m a little sad my time as a college student is almost done. I have really come to love and enjoy my time in Holland. Hope College has afforded me the opportunity to do many new and exciting things. I spent last semester in Washington DC interning for Senator Levin and working at the Attorney General’s Office for the District of Columbia. During these summer months I spend a lot of my time working at a local golf course in my hometown of Eaton Rapids, Michigan. Summer is flying by, however, and fall semester fast approaches. I am very much looking forward to Orientation 2009! Orientation is a blast and I am excited to share it with many new faces! I hope everyone enjoys the remainder of their summers and I look forward to seeing you all in August!