Larry and Mary Gerbens and Ken and Marianne Gritter
God’s faithful providence guided Dr. Larry Gerbens, a retired Ophthalmologist, and Dr. Ken Gritter, a retired Diagnostic Radiologist, on very different journeys as they pursued their education and careers, but brought them together through a shared love and respect for Calvin College and the University of Michigan Medical School, from which they both graduated.
Dr. Gerbens attended Calvin College for four years and graduated in 1969. He and his wife Mary, an LPN, married soon after graduation and moved to Ann Arbor where he attended the University of Michigan Medical School from 1969-1974. Dr. Gerbens dropped out of medical school for a year at the end of his third year and the Gerbens are thankful for the support they received from the Ann Arbor Christian Reformed Church and Chapel community, as well as three medical school physicians and their families, during these challenging years. After graduation in 1974, Dr. Gerbens did an internship at Blodgett Hospital and his residency in ophthalmology at Kellogg Eye Center at the University of Michigan. The Gerbens returned to Grand Rapids in 1978, where Dr. Gerbens practiced until 2007. He then returned to Calvin College as a gift officer in 2007, working with medical professionals in a development capacity. Since 2014 he has worked with Calvin health and pre-health students and faculty, and served as a liaison between Calvin and the broader health community.
Dr. Gritter attended Calvin College for two and half years and then spent two years in the US Navy with his wife Marianne, a registered nurse, before returning to Calvin and graduating in 1974. Following his graduation from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1979, he spent three years as a general physician in the US Air Force stationed on the island of Crete with Marianne and their two young sons. Dr. Gritter then returned to civilian life to complete a Diagnostic Radiology Residency in Grand Rapids and a Fellowship in Nuclear Medicine at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. He practiced in Grand Rapids for 24 years, during which he and Marianne took 5 trips to the Philippines for the Luke Society. Dr. Gritter’s experiences in the Navy and Air Force highlighted the importance of his education at Calvin College, which solidified his commitment to the Lord and strengthened his understanding that God reveals himself in the intricacies of science and medicine.
Larry and Mary Gerbens and Ken and Marianne Gritter establish this scholarship in profound thankfulness for the education and nurture they received from both institutions during both good times and bad in their journey.
This scholarship will enable Calvin to offer a full-ride scholarship to a student in the pre-medicine program, who will then be eligible for an interview at the University of Michigan Medical School, provided by U of M. This partnership, designed to benefit both institutions, will prepare Calvin students for success in medical school and their future medical career.
Each academic year, one first-time undergraduate student will be offered this prestigious opportunity through a highly competitive process including a thorough evaluation of their current academic abilities and career aspirations within the medical field.