Parent Newsletter

From the President

Dear Parents,

Over the upcoming Fall Break, Lisa and I will travel to Costa Rica for our first HNGR visit.

HNGR—which is pronounced “hunger” and stands for “Human Needs and Global Resources”—is one of the most exceptional, transformational global programs in higher education. Each year, the College sends out two dozen or so seniors to the majority world for six-month internships. These adventuresome and well-prepared students immerse themselves in a new culture, live with host families, worship in local churches, and participate in organizations that address the deepest needs of human brokenness. They also conduct research related to their academic major.

One of HNGR’s strengths is the visit program, which sends Wheaton faculty around the world to meet each intern on location. As HNGR visitors, Lisa and I will support one of our interns by hearing about her experiences, encouraging her, praying with her, meeting her host family and project supervisor, and addressing any emerging concerns. In short, we will offer our beloved HNGR intern the same kinds of care that we seek to provide for all our students.

Where will your student be this year during Fall Break?

Whether it is Wheaton, Costa Rica, or somewhere else, I hope and pray that he or she will experience the loving care and Christian community that you count on Wheaton to provide.

In Christ’s service,

Philip Ryken
President 

Faithfully Forward: The Campaign for Wheaton

On Friday, September 26, Wheaton College publicly launched its capital campaign, Faithfully Forward, during Homecoming Weekend. The celebration was filled with worship, headlined by the Christian recording artist TAYA, who performed alongside Wheaton’s Chapel Worship Band.

Faithfully Forward has a goal of raising $275 million by June 2027 to equip students with scholarships, elevate the campus experience by renovating the library and athletics facilities, and expand Wheaton’s missional leadership for Christ and his kingdom. To date, more than $232 million has been committed to the campaign.

To learn more and make your contribution, visit faithfullyforward.wheaton.edu.

Conservatory of Music, Art, and Theater

As we step into the heart of the fall semester, we are reminded once again of the extraordinary role that the arts play in shaping the life of our campus community at Wheaton College.

In Arena Theater, we are thrilled to see the long-standing tradition of alumni collaboration come alive once again. Professors Andy Mangin ’99 and Jeff Takacs ’99 are partnering with recent graduates Caspar Carter ’22 and Lilia Smith ’20 to premiere a brand-new musical adaptation of Gogol’s The Government Inspector. For our students, this is a unique opportunity to perform and sing characters that have never been sung before and is great for fostering collaboration and discovery in the creation of new work.

Our Art Department opened the semester with Attention Bridge, an installation by Josh Smith ’98 and Margaret Park Smith ’98 that helps us practice finding balance in a polarized world. On October 11, students, faculty, staff, and friends will join together for Art Institute Day—another opportunity for our community to explore beauty and meaning in the arts.

In the Conservatory, we welcomed four new faculty members, Injoo Choi, violin; Emma Taylor, jazz bass; Deanna Witkowski, Jazz Ensemble Director; and Annika Stucky, Women’s Chorale & Men’s Glee Club Director. We are also celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Wheaton College Symphony Orchestra, which will perform Holst’s The Planets, Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, and a new commissioned work by professor emeritus Howard Whitaker. In celebration of their centennial year, the orchestra will tour to the United Kingdom in May, marking this milestone alongside the 75th anniversary of C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The Concert Choir will embark on a tour to Florida during Spring Break, as they present the Messiah Project.

In September, we hosted Dr. Johann Buis’s first public screening of his documentary, Vingwengwe: The Rhythm of the Fipa. The film, the result of more than a decade of research, gave our community a compelling view of the music, dance, and storytelling traditions of the Fipa people of Tanzania. Another highlight of Homecoming Weekend was the community-wide Symphony Orchestra Play-Along, where students, alumni, and friends joined together to perform movements from Holst’s The Planets (see above photo). 

Looking ahead, we encourage you to invite high school aged music students to consider Wheaton’s Summer Music Camp, June 14-27, 2026 which will offer a formative opportunity for musical, spiritual, and relational growth.