This Fall, Providence added a new concentration in Health Science to its liberal arts degree to prepare students for careers and callings in the healthcare field. The Health Science Concentration provides a foundation for those students interested in careers in health science and fulfilling pre-requisites for nursing, healthcare education, healthcare management, pre-med and physical therapy.

DeGroot family members L to R: Kirk Templeman (nephew), Janice Templeman (sister), Carol De Groot (sister), Paul Huizenga (brother-in-law), Doreane Huizenga (sister)

“We are grateful to the Marilyn De Groot Charitable Trust for their generous donation of $1.1 million to establish this new concentration in health science at the college that will inspire and prepare a generation of faith-guided healthcare professionals,” said Providence President Dr. Jim Belcher. “From the beginning, the liberal arts has always included the humanities and the sciences, and both are necessary to fulfill our mission for students to be thoroughly educated in the liberal arts; and fully engaged in their church, their community, and the world for the glory of God and for service to humanity. With this new concentration, we are excited to be a college that is committed to both the humanities and sciences or what has classically been called the liberal arts.”

Trustee George R. Phillips, Jr. presents President Jim Belcher with a check for 1.1 million from the Marilyn De Groot Charitable Trust

Family and friends of Marilyn De Groot were on campus on October 25 for the unveiling ceremony of a plaque created in Marilyn’s honor as well as the presentation of the check. Marilyn’s sisters and brother had previously worked with Providence to write the inscription and provide a photo of Marilyn for the commemorative plaque.

The inscription reads “Marilyn always knew she was called to be a nurse. As a teenager, she was a candy striper, a term used for a volunteer nurse in a hospital in the mid-1900’s. Upon graduation from Fullerton Jr. College, she started as a registered nurse at Bellwood Hospital, Bellflower, CA, which began a 43-year career. She also worked at hospitals in San Francisco and Denver, and did private duty nursing. She retired from the VA Hospital in Los Angeles after 12 years of service. Marilyn was committed to her profession and was a tireless worker. She believed in the importance of education and frequently studied current medical research. Marilyn was generous with medical and educational causes and would have been delighted to see her legacy and love for healthcare advance at Providence Christian College.”

Read more about the benefits, careers, and specifics of the Health Science program www.providencecc.edu/health-science.