Top 12 Most Influential Undergrads

Posted by admin on Feb 17, 2010 in News | 0 comments

Who influences our school? To figure this out, we asked an assortment of professors and staff to nominate students. Here is a selection of their picks, in no particular order. These students have a positive impact on the lives of those around them; they organize, create, lead and inspire. Find out below why these 12 made the list.

Justin Baerg, third-year
As leader of the TWU biology club, Baerg spearheaded “Faith & Science Week” here on campus. This involved organizing speaking events and panel discussions with various professors on campus, to discuss the dynamics of science and faith. Additionally, Baerg serves as a Discipleship Coordinator for men’s d-groups at TWU.

Andy Casali, fourth-year
Currently an RA and for the previous two years an International Student Program leader, Casali is a dedicated team player who takes his roles seriously. He is an incredibly smart student and a down-to-earth person, and has also led a Habitat for Humanity team. Casali is known for teaching everyone on a team to play, and not being afraid to call people on things and stand up for what he believes in.

Katie Clogg, fourth-year
As an International Studies major, Clogg is actively involved with Professor Ruth Anaya’s development work in Mohanda, Kenya. She is known as a competent intern and contributor to helping the people of Mohanda achieve their goal of holistic community and economic development. Clogg also published an expository article in the Mars’ Hill on deconstructionism in the classrooms at TWU, which sparked discussion among many faculty and decision-makers at the university.

Dan Fama, third-year
International Development major Dan Fama coordinates and leads a missions trip to Tanzania for a number of weeks each summer. As the Global Projects Tanzania Team leader, he takes the time during the school year to develop the team, organize the trip details and facilitate the relationships with the host community groups. He can also serve up a mean dish
of ugali.

John-Mark Ferguson, fourth-year
If you’ve ever met John-Mark Ferguson, you’re unlikely to forget him. He lives life full force, whether he’s climbing a mountain, engaging others in an intense conversation, or enthusiastically describing a potential business venture. Ferguson is a real live entrepreneur with a keen business mind, and as one of his professors aptly said, “half of his business ideas are crazy, but one of them is going to make him rich.”

Hannah Jenkins, fourth-year
Current editor-in-chief of [spaces] literary journal, and former Arts & Culture editor for Mars’ Hill, Communications major Hannah Jenkins always seems to be at the forefront of something. Jenkins was featured in a Trinity Western Magazine article for her Facebook fast. She also organized a concert and local market last year, to raise awareness and money for primary education in Ethiopia, as part of the imagine1day campaign.

Vanessa Murdoch
From the Human Kinetics department, Murdoch is actively involved both on campus and in the community, doing things such as leading community youth and coaching elementary school sports. Last year she received an award from Physical and Health Education Canada for outstanding undergraduate leadership. She is described as having strong character values, dedicated work ethic, and a creative, positive personality.

Danielle Spampinato, second-year
Danielle Spampinato is known in the Theatre Department as a phenomenal force, doing everything from publicity to front of house manager, from acting to stage management and lighting. As an excellent student and a great person to be around, she does everything passionately. She recently pioneered her own missions trip to Bangladesh, where she spent a summer at an orphanage and put together an impromptu performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat with a group of young
students.

Diana Stobbe
From the Education Department, Stobbe is proactive in classes and in the community. She has organized several community-building events and has worked with numerous environmental initiatives on campus. The future Teacher Society president, one of Stobbe’s course projects was designated for a bog study done by grade six and seven students, who visit TWU as part of the Science in the Valley program.

David van Hemmen, fourth-year
It’s pretty hard to have a list on our most influential undergrads and not include our student-body president. David van Hemmen’s TWUSA team did such a good job encouraging students to vote in the election; voter turnout was around 33 per cent – compared to UBC’s rate of around three, van Hemmen is doing alright for himself. Additionally, van Hemmen has tabled a proposal to introduce health care to TWU students. If the proposal passes, van Hemmen will leave TWU having accomplished something for TWU students no one else has.

Sam Vanderveer, fourth-year
As TWUSA’s Vice President of Academic Relations, Vanderveer is actively involved in campus politics as well as the Foreign Affairs Society. Through his commitment to things like the TWU Model United Nations, Vanderveer, an International Studies major, demonstrates a high level of integration of his education and on-campus activism.

Priscilla Wingenbach, fourth-year
A current Laurentian Leadership Centre student, Wingenbach is passionate about helping those less fortunate and has co-founded a charity called Ham or Jam in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. She demonstrates a desirable style of leadership, one that is dedicated, unassuming and behind-the-scenes. Though she would likely not ask for or expect it, she deserves the recognition as one of TWU’s
most influential.