AQ Historical Commission Members

 

Ryan Wendt, Chair
Ryan Wendt has been part of the Aquinas College community since 1993, beginning as a student-athlete and earning four varsity letters as well as All-Conference honors in baseball. His talent on the field is reflected in several school records he still holds today. Ryan is an Aquinas grad and has worked full-time at the college since 1998. Ryan’s passion for Aquinas and its history led to his appointment to the Aquinas College Historical Commission in 2012. A dedicated researcher, he is the only person known to have read all 873 issues of the Aquinas College newspaper. He now presents on the “Yesteryears of Aquinas College” both on campus and throughout the Grand Rapids community. He also enjoys leading historical campus tours during the summer, as well as tree and fall color tours and the very popular Haunted Holmdene tours each autumn. Ryan currently serves as Chair of both the Aquinas College Historical Commission and the Campus Tree Advisory Committee, and works as a Locksmith and Manager of the AQ Bike Shop within the Campus Safety Department.

 

Brigid Avery 
Brigid hails from the East Side of Michigan but fell in love with Grand Rapids while attending Aquinas College from 1996-2001. After completing an internship in Admissions, she continued working full time, recruiting students and telling the AQ Story. It was in Admissions where she developed a deep love and passion for higher education and programming. Building on this calling, she went on to pursue a Masters Degree in Higher Education Leadership from the University of San Diego (a Catholic college on the coast, where the weather was just slightly improved from West Michigan). After serving as the Development Director for High Tech High, she and husband Jeremy Chesla '01 returned to Grand Rapids and came home to Aquinas where she accepted the position of Alumni Director. In 2015, she transitioned to the Career Services office where she is now the Internship Director. 

Some of her fondest memories of life at AQ involve a sanctioned sleepover in Holmdene after hearing Gary Eberle tell ghost stories, reuniting an alumna and her priest friend through phone calls and written letters, visiting Tully Cross with Sister Alice, and the numerous Saints she has come to know and love like family. She currently lives across the street from Aquinas (she can see inside the new Sister Aquinas Weber Hall from her front porch) with her two boys, Emmett and Leo, puppy Arya, and Jeremy, a firefighter for the city of Grand Rapids. 

 

Jill Straub
Jill Straub graduated with her Bachelor’s degree from Aquinas College in 2000, and she earned her Master’s degrees in 2007 and 2013, respectively. She has worked at Aquinas in the capacities of Writing Specialist, Peer Tutor Coordinator, and Program Advisor for Student Support Services and the Center for Opportunities, Resources, and Excellence since 2000. She taught Achieving Academic Success for three terms and Humanities for one term. She became Chairperson of the Historical Commission in 2017.  

 

Ian MacNeil
Ian MacNeil is the director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Aquinas College. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and political science from Aquinas College in 2014, where, under the instruction of film critic and professor Andrew Jefchak, he first developed a passion for movies. He has remained closely connected to his alma mater through service on the Aquinas Alumni Leadership Council, including a term as president. Outside of higher education, Ian hosts a film podcast, serves on the board of Circle Theatre, and works as an off-ice official for the American Hockey League.

 

Sister Mary Navarre
Sister Mary Navarre’s connection to Aquinas College began in 1963, when she arrived as a postulant with the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids and took her first class there. Both experiences proved life-changing, opening new horizons and setting her on a path filled with adventure, a love of teaching, and deep fulfillment in her vocation as a Dominican Sister. After teaching in parish schools across Michigan, she returned to Aquinas, where she shared her gifts in the Education Department and later in the Humanities Program. In 2006, she was elected to the leadership council of the Dominican Sisters; when her term concluded, she embraced yet another meaningful role as archivist for the community. Now in retirement, Sister Mary remains closely connected to Aquinas as a member of the Historical Commission. The college has long held a special place in her life, and it continues to be near and dear to her heart.

 

Sr. Rosemary O’Donnell 
Sister Rosemary O’Donnell, OP. Sr. Rosemary is a member of the Grand Rapids Dominicans, the founders of Aquinas college. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Speech from Aquinas in 1961 and returned to teach there in 1971 in the Department of Communication. She retired from teaching in 2014. 

 

 

Abby Zelenka
Abby Zelenka brings energy, creativity, and a deep love of community to her role as Director of Alumni and Community Engagement at Aquinas College. A West Michigan native who grew up on her family's blueberry farm, Abby is thrilled to be back in the region she calls home and to be part of the impactful Aquinas mission. In her role, Abby leads initiatives that connect alumni, families, and community partners to the mission and momentum of Aquinas College. From programming and volunteer engagement to community partnerships and family outreach, she works to cultivate relationships that extend the Saint spirit well beyond graduation day. She is passionate about sharing the stories and impact of Aquinas alumni and loves seeing the ways Saints show up for each other and for the world.