John and Penelope Fongers

This scholarship was established in 2005 by John Fongers and his wife Penelope to honor their mother, Geraldine Fongers, for all the love and devotion she has given them and all her family throughout the years. Geraldine Fongers was blessed with the gift of hospitality. Many residents of the west side of Grand Rapids, where Geri lived for most of her life, remember her friendly voice welcoming them to church, school, a restaurant or even just walking down the street with her trade mark greeting of “hey kid”. She and her husband Bud were faithful members of the church and placed a high value on education. They sent their four children to Christian schools and while all received degrees of higher education, three of the four children graduated from Calvin College.

John, the eldest son of Geraldine, received his BS in Biology from Calvin College and went on to receive his BS in Nursing and his advanced nurse practitioner degree in Anesthesia. John fondly remembers Geri encouraging him to work as an orderly at Butterworth hospital while attending Calvin. This is where John discovered his love for medicine. In 2011, John passed away after a courageous battle with cancer.

To honor the memory of both Geri and John, Penelope would like to devote these funds to assist male nursing students with the cost of their education. A good “bedside manner” and the gift of hospitality are very important to the healing process. A student with qualities like Geri and John, someone who is thoughtful and kind with a soft heart is the type of student she would like to assist.