Approximately 135 people attended this year’s event. Two alumni, Dick Stager and Laura Thede Hyde, represented the Class of 1948 as the oldest alumni attending. The rest of the crowd represented classes from the 1950’s through 2013. Together, they rekindled their school pride and spirit as they lifted their voices strong to sing the school fight song.
The Distinguished Alumni Award presentation is the highlight of the evening. It is a prestigious honor given to alumni who are outstanding in their fields. The awards are presented annually at the alumni banquet and prior to the homecoming football game in the fall.
Steensma, Class of 1998, is an acute care surgeon meaning she is double board certified in general surgery and surgical critical care, covering trauma surgery, emergency general surgery and the surgical intensive care unit at Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids.
“I am extremely humbled to be here,” she said as she accepted the award. “We are a foundation right here in this community that grows individuals, that fosters curiosity, that pushes people to learn and excel, and I’m so grateful for the education and the community that we have here that really did that.”
“I will never be enough to deserve this honor. I will continue to work in every way that I can. I hope you realize how important what we have here is and what people take with them for the rest of their lives. More than anything, I am grateful for the community that helped raise me and gave me so many opportunities to grow. Thank you is simply not a big enough word.”
Steensma’s professional resume includes a long list of boards and organizations. She teaches future doctors, serving as the program director for the MSU/Corewell Health Surgical Critical Care Fellowship and as a core faculty for general surgery. She serves as the medical director of the Corewell Health Trauma Research Institute and is a course consultant for the Society of Critical Care Medicine Fundamentals of Critical Care Support course. Additionally, she serves as a state faculty for the Advanced Trauma Life Support Course and directs both students and faculty courses teaching providers how to assess and stabilize a patient. She is an instructor with Stop the Bleed, an assistant professor of surgery at MSU and volunteers as the faculty advisor for the Surgery Interest Group intercession. She also serves as a mentor for medical students.
Nationally, she serves on the Surgical Critical Care Program Director Society committee on education and works with the American College of Surgeons, Society of Critical Care Medicine and Eastern Society for the Surgery of Trauma on educational activities.
“It is extremely important to me that our community has the best possible medical care, and this is the force behind my drive to educate students, physicians and medical providers. We see people at their most vulnerable time, and it is absolutely essential that they receive care that is medically excellent and also delivered with compassion; nothing less is acceptable. This is the standard that I want to instill in the next generations of physicians and providers, ensuring that our community continues to have the medical expertise and resources to provide the care that is needed,” said Steensma.
“I’m grateful for my parents who always taught us that the most important thing wasn't what you achieved. It was how you did it - to always try your best, to always be your best, and that that's what everyone deserves…To all the teachers, all the educators who, even though maybe I wasn't the idea of what they thought I should be, still gave me the chance, still let me pursue, let me be curious. I can't even begin to say thank you enough. That’s why education continues to be so important to me in my career.”
Steensma was surrounded by family members including her partner Mike Kothe, her parents John and Caroline Steensma, aunt and uncle Sharon and Matt O’Donnell and her nephew Christopher Steensma (Class of 2035).
TKHS English teacher Cary Saxton introduced Steensma at the banquet after nominating her for the honor. She remembered looking up to Steensma as they crossed paths as they grew up - in 4-H, band and even working together as ice cream scoopers at “The Scoop.”
“What I knew about her was that whatever she attempted, she excelled at. I dreamed of being that successful and talented,” said Saxton, who graduated a few years after Steensma. She said even though they are both adults now, she still is in awe of Steensma and her accomplishments.
“When we were young, trombone prowess and sheep showmanship were impressive of course, but it pales in comparison to what Betsy has been up to since…Betsy has a real love of her work. She has an intense passion for figuring things out. For her, the more complicated the situation, the better. Day by day and patient by patient she builds her expertise and problem-solving abilities and just keeps getting better…To put it bluntly and to put it how she put it, she’s a true nerd,” said Saxton.
Steensma started her medical career in pathology and did her pathology residency at Harvard. But she still had a desire to work directly with patients so she did a second residency in surgery.
“Apparently this is unheard of,” said Saxton. “I think the residency process is so intense and so grueling that really no one would subject themselves to it twice, But Betsy did.”
When asked how Steensma handles the mental and emotional toll of her job, she told Saxton she has learned how to compartmentalize things. “In fact, she said, very nobly, that each patient deserves her best. So she owes it to them not to bring emotions from an experience with previous patients into the room with them. In her mind, it’s not even about what she owes herself. This, my friends, is as selfless as it gets,” said Saxton.
“Betsy, I continue to be in awe of you. I consider myself lucky to have trapsed haphazardly behind you at various points in life. But more than anything I am so proud to say you are a fellow Thornapple Kellogg graduate and were home-grown right here in this Middleville soil. On behalf of the community, I thank you for your service and congratulate you on your award,” said Saxton.
The dinner gave all alumni a chance to reminisce with each other as well as look through old yearbooks, photos and memorabilia. Upcoming events for the TKAA include the TK Alumni Golf Scramble June 7 and the TK Homecoming Oct. 10.
TKAA board members for this year are Jody (Helrigel) Pratt, President; Barbara (Johnson) Smith, Vice-President; Brenda (Kimmey) Seifert, Secretary; Wanita (Craven) Huizenga, Treasurer; and Cindy (Riva) Middlebush, Historian.