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Parent Newsletter

President Ryken headshot 950 x 1425
November 2025

From the President

Dear Parents,

Today marks the start of Family Weekend, when we hope to see many of you walking across campus, worshiping in Chapel, rooting for the Thunder, sharing meals in Anderson Commons, attending concerts, going to Arena Theater, and much, much more.

I can’t wait for tonight’s Talent Show—one of the year’s best events. We will all be impressed, I’m sure, by our campus’s fresh acts and rare talents. Also, look for Chaplain Wilson and me to team up as a comic duo. While neither one of us does much stand up comedy, we are always willing to try our best for our students.

One of the best parts of the Talent Show is hearing our campus community laugh together. The ability to laugh at ourselves is a sign of spiritual vitality as well as mental health. The huge gap between our created dignity and our fallen limitations is full of humorous possibilities. So is the gap between our present mortality and our eternal destiny. Despite our tragic tears, therefore, our life in Christ really is a situation comedy.

Tonight, we will put our theology of comedy into practice. For those of you who are unable to join us, we still hope a smile comes to your face as you think of everything good that the Holy Spirit is doing at Wheaton College.

In Christ’s service,

Philip Ryken
Philip Ryken
President 

Family Weekend Welcome Table and Parent Meet and Greet 

If you are on campus this weekend, we hope you will stop by the Family Weekend Welcome Table and “Parent Meet and Greet” on Friday or Saturday. Both are in the Fireside Lounge,  lower level of the Beamer Center. The Parent Engagement team will be giving away Wheaton swag and complimentary coffee and tea.

Center for Vocation and Career

Opportunities in the Center for Vocation and Career

The CVC was happy to see so many of your students at Internship Exploration Night a couple of weeks ago to connect with 26 student presenters who answered lots of questions about internships. We hope this event will be the catalyst for students to begin finding their own internships, which is crucial for mentorship opportunities, industry experience, and standing out in a competitive job market.

This month, we are celebrating Networking November! In addition to several workshops on networking, Networking Night is November 18th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Students can connect with 20+ alumni who are working in different industries in the Chicagoland area. This is a great chance for your student to build professional relationships and receive industry-specific advice. Encourage your student to register for Networking Night here!

Fischer dorm room 825 x 300

Campus Housing during Holiday Breaks

Thanksgiving Housing: College housing and meal service remain open during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Christmas Housing: College housing closes at noon on Friday, December 19 and reopens at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 10. The regular meal plan ends with dinner on Thursday, December 18 and resumes with dinner on Saturday, January 10.

All campus housing closes for Christmas Break. However, we do offer limited campus housing for a select group of students who are required to be on campus or are unable to travel home for break.

With permission through the Residence Life Office, students may stay during Christmas Break for the following reasons:

- athletics
- students who live internationally
- married or graduate students living in Saint and Elliot or Michigan Apartments
- class participation or for-credit internship

Students received an email on October 29 with information on the approval process, deadlines and fees.

Housing Calendar

As you plan future arrival and departure dates, please reference our housing calendar.

Lastly, thank you for caring for your student and providing support for them here at Wheaton. If you hear your child share about a glitch they are having with a roommate(s), please encourage them to have a conversation with their roommate or reach out to their RA or residence life staff member for support. We encourage communication and connection, so small unaddressed concerns do not grow into bigger concerns. Please review the September issue of the Parent Newsletter for more information regarding living well together.

Christmas Festival

The Wheaton College Conservatory of Music warmly invites you to the 2025 Christmas Festival, All Ye Faithful -- a beloved Wheaton tradition that celebrates the story of Christ’s birth through music, Scripture, and community.

This year’s program is framed by two stirring renditions of “O Come, All Ye Faithful” and journeys from the longing of Advent to the promise of peace and joy in Christ. Featuring more than 300 student musicians from Wheaton’s Concert Choir, Women’s Chorale, Men’s Glee Club, Gospel Choir, Symphony Orchestra, and Symphonic Band, the festival will fill Edman Chapel with a vibrant mix of carols, chamber music, musical reflections, and opportunities for congregational singing.

Performance Dates:

Tickets are available at tickets.wheaton.edu.
If you can’t join us in person, we invite you to stream either of the 7:30 p.m. performances at wheaton.edu/streaming.

Can’t wait until December? You can watch last year’s Christmas Festival on YouTube!

Faithfully Forward Launched in September

The College’s Faithfully Forward capital campaign, publicly launched in September, has already raised $234 million toward its $275 million goal, supporting key initiatives such as scholarships, the expansion of athletics facilities, and the library's renovation. The Board of Trustees recently approved the construction of the new athletics facilities to begin next summer, with construction on the library set to start in the spring of 2027.

A generous donor recently made a $6 million gift, along with a $2 million dollar-for-dollar matching pledge for the College’s library renovation. This matching challenge provides strong momentum for the campaign and invites all members of the Wheaton community to join in with a gift of any size. Join the match here.

Help Your Student Get Ahead at HoneyRock

HoneyRock

Students can earn credit, live in community, and engage with creation with Wheaton in the Northwoods (WIN). WIN is a two to four-week immersive program held at HoneyRock in May. This program features focused coursework, along with pre-class and post-class assignments, to provide a well-rounded educational experience.

Set in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, WIN allows students to fulfill most of their Christ at the Core general education requirements while building relationships, exploring the outdoors, and learning from exceptional Wheaton faculty. This intensive program opens space in the traditional semester for students to explore double majors, catch up on credits, or even graduate early. Learn More Here!

Finals Care Packages 

Send your student(s) a Finals Care Package to encourage them during finals week! The care packages will include small gifts, snacks, fruit, and a personal note from you. This fundraising initiative supports Ministry & Evangelism programs on campus, locally, in the US, and around the world. While we do not require a specific amount for the care package, we ask that you prayerfully consider a donation. Place your Finals Care Package order here!

Student Missionary Partners

Student Missionary Partners sent 27 students to eight different countries last summer. Here’s a story from one of the students who served at a hostel in Norway:

“I spent an evening talking with one of the hostel guests, William. William had a complicated story. He was the son of a theologian in Switzerland and grew up his whole life in the church but never felt like he had a relationship with God. Being the Wheaton student I am, thought, “Surely I can convert this man right here and right now just using a little evangelistic magic.” I tried saying all the right things, pulling out all the right Bible passages, and then it hit me. I can't make this man know God, no one can. Only Jesus can do that. And so, I realized that my evangelistic calling in that moment was towards listening and love, not conversion. He didn't leave that conversation a born-again Christian, but he did walk away knowing that I loved him, and that I believed that Jesus loves Him too.”

Student Missionary Partner applications for spring break and summer are open now! Learn more about the 2026 anticipated sites here.

Public Interest Law Summer Applications

Is your student considering law school in the future? Encourage them to apply to the Fellowship in Public Interest Law by January 30, 2026, co-sponsored by the Center for Urban Engagement (CUE) and Pre-Law Program. This competitive fellowship program features an approximately eighnt-week summer internship with a Chicago-based organization in public interest law and includes a $6,000 stipend, as well as mentorship from Wheaton alumni in law. The fellowship is designed for current juniors and sophomores; graduating seniors are not eligible.

How to Pray for Wheaton this Month

  • Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever.
  • Pray for the Lord’s grace and peace for students in the build-up of exams and projects prior to Thanksgiving Break.
  • Pray for students and their Thanksgiving plans, whether they are travelling or staying on campus, that this would be a time of rest and refreshment before the end of the semester.
  • Pray for the physical, spiritual, and emotional strength for administrators, faculty, and staff as they continue to press into fall semester responsibilities and commitments.

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